Bargain Biatch

Top Five Sparklers To Ring In The New Year

If you're heading out the liquor store for that last minute bottle of bubbly, here are a few good Bargain Bottles.

Top Five Fizzy Sparklers in no particular order:

 

1.     Mia Prosecco:  An Italian choice and good alternative to champagne.  Very refreshing and offered at the crazy low price of $7.

2.     Roederer Estate Brut:  From Anderson Valley it’s made in Mendocino from the same vintners who produce Cristal.  It’s a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and at $16 is arguably the best U.S. sparkling wine.

3.     Vallis Mareni Ombra Prosecco: A very clean crisp choice that’s refreshing and full of bright fruit flavor but dry. $13.

4.     Castellroig Brut Cava:  Can’t leave Spain off the list and this entry is frothy, festive with minerality and a nice dry finish.

5.     Donati Malvasia Secco:  A bit out the box, this wine is a deep golden color with a hint of tropical fruit.  It’s a nice change of pace from the straight ahead choice.

 

Happy New Year And Bottoms Up !!!!!!!!

Happy New Years….For You, Not The IRS Year End Tips To Save On Taxes

Defer, Accelerate:  If your income will be lower next year or you expect to remain in the same tax bracket, take as many deductions as you can in 2009 and defer any income that you can into 2010.  Of course the opposite is true if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in 2010.

 

Buy That Car:  If you’ve been holding off buying a new car or truck pull the trigger before years end and you my qualify for a federal tax break.  Check the IRS website for details.

 

Pay your January 1st mortgage payment on or before December 31st: Then you can take an additional deduction for interest paid. Remember to add the interest amount to the amount reported by your lender when they send you a 1098 form.

 

Charitable Giving:  Make a donation monetary or otherwise before year’s end save the receipts and use the charitable donations as deductions on your tax return.

 

Home Improvements:  If you made “green” improvements to your primary home this year you may be eligible for a residential energy property credit for as much as 30 percent of the price of certain energy efficient windows, doors and heating systems.

 

Use up your flex spending plan: If you have a flexible spending plan, (tax free earnings as money set aside tax-free earnings to cover medical and dental expenses through a plan offered by your employer) you need to use it up. Make doctor appointments now and buy necessary medical supplies that are covered in the plan.

Post Holiday Sales: Work Off Those Holiday Pounds In New Clothes

Ooooweee!!! Holiday fatigue.  Fresh out of the meat, wine and dulce de leche frying pan of Buenos Aires and into the fire of holiday overindulgence.  Help, I need a G.A. (gluttons anonymous) meeting.  As I work through the rugelach and chocolates, I can barely move my gout stricken fingers to surf the best post Christmas bargains. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf and am attempting a 30-day Bikram Yoga challenge but I realize I need some more Barbie-sized hot yoga clothes.  I checked out one of my favorite site for window shopping, Athleta.  Usually I only look and covet since the clothes are totally chic and not cheap, but they’re having a sale. There’s a huge range of stuff from sweaters, to zip neck tops and everyday pants 30-50 percent off.  And if you use coupon code minus20, you get an additional 20 percent off.  So I stocked so that even though in Bikram I feel like a hot mess, I won’t look like one.  And I accessed the site through Ebates to get a 2 percent rebate to my account….hey every little bit adds up.
And from Athleta, link to their affiliated site Piperlime.  The deals are a steal with leather thigh boots as low as $60, which is scary since my 79 year old mom already has a pair…can you say geriatric pirate stripper? More power to her.

Merry Christmas

Taking the day off from Bargain Hunting and Biatching to enjoy the day.  Gonna eat Christmas Cookies, and the fancy chocolates that I was gifted.  Drink champagne and eat lobster with my family and watch the DVD of "It's Complicated" that we scored from a member with voting privileges for the Academy Award.

So Happy Chris-Hanu-Kwanzaa

Happy Chrishanukwanzaa: Last minute Gift Shopping

The last minute gift roundup is here.  And if you’re doing some 11^th hour shopping clearly it isn’t the thought that counts, only the price and speed in which you can complete the transaction.

I think the best place for gifties for the whole family is UNIQLO.  Yes the crowds are massive and the checkout line long (shorter downstairs at the Soho store) but the deals are unbeatable. Tanks are $8 and bottoms and turtlenecks are $13 all available in 20 colors.  Then there’s the deal of the day. To celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary they’re ridiculously discounting an item a day.  Today it’s a v-neck lambs wool sweater for  $9.90.  And the in store sales are unbelievable, $20 skinny leg jeans, puffer jackets for $35 and styles to fit everyone’s needs an best of all, your tight budget.

Next I’d make a run through Bath and Body Works.  Very reasonably priced gift sets or grab a bunch of miscellaneous stuff on sale and throw it in a gift bag. 

Finally on to Sahadis or your closest Sahadis or Zabars like store where you can grab an assortment of really nice food items off the shelves or in the bulk bins.  Maybe pick a theme like chocolate and do chocolate covered ginger, raisins and espresso beans.  Or do a fancy nut mix, or specialty oils and get selection of olives at the olive bar and you can out together your own gift basket at a fraction of the cost if you bought it premade.

Phew, once that’s done you can kick back with glass….or a bottle of holiday cheer.

 

Support The Local Economy and Buy (Booze) Duty Free

When it comes to bargain liquor I’ve got 2 words….Duty free.  Yeah baby it’s the total bomb for cheap alcohol.  But not all duty free shops are created equal and some “bargains” aren’t. You better know the regular prices before going in so you don’t overpay for things you can get on sale in the US. It’s kind of like the clothing outlets that you have to hunt for the real deals. For example the DF in Peru is fantastic and good to stock up on Pisco and good cognac.  Argentina has cheap wine and other high-end spirits that are just over half of what you’d pay stateside.  The good thing is that you can bring back 5 liters per person.  The catch is that if you have multiple stopovers you can only buy at the last one before your final destination.  For me that was Chile.  The shopping wasn’t great but I know to go for the special promos.  They had a special on mid range 12 yr old rum, 2 ltrs for $32 and a mix and max 3 for $30 where you could choose from Alize, Campari and Tia Maria. So re-stock your bar and get a few gifts at random airports throughout the world.

Buenos Aires or Bust: Argentina...Meat and Wine on the Cheap

Back from BA…Buenos Aires of course and feeling a bit over served after massive amounts of red meat and the red wine. So here’s the very sluggish Bargain Biatch Post about Argentina.

First if you go, definitely book on Taca.  They treat you like a real human being, who needs food to survive and travels with more than a tiny carry on.  You can check 2 bags for free and I saw families literally moving with all of their possessions stuffed in suitcases.  Then on board, they feed you.  Whatever the time of day you get food, and with lunch and dinner, free drinks, and I don’t mean soda and water, Liquor mi amore,  cocktails, beer and wine.  And do take a stopover.  You can plan your trip to Argentina by way of Costa Rica, Chile, Peru or other South American destinations and take a few days to see another country at no extra charge.

 

Then once you get to BA, skip the overpriced and not great hotels and rent an apartment.  I found a lovely 1 bdrm in Recoleta, famous for the incredible cemetery that houses the remains of Eva Peron.  It had a full kitchen and washer dryer for under $100 per day, longer stays are cheaper.  There are several reputable agencies but I went through Buenos Aires Habitat.  On arrival they met me at the apartment as promised and didn’t flinch when I said I needed a check out time of 4 am to catch my 6:45 return flight.  Once you’re there, things are cheap, great food, $1 empanadas, dulce de leche everything from helado (ice cream) and pastries.  And of course, fabulous $5 a bottles wine and tons of meat.  Stock up on gifts at the craft fairs in Recoletta and Soho Palermo, buy one of a kind belts and jewelry for under 25 bucks a pop. And don’t forget to Tango!

Don't Cry For Me Argentina...La La La

So If you're reading this No estoy alla'.  I'm off on my fabulous vacation to Peru and Argentina,  So this will probably be the last post till after December 15th since internet is sketchy and I plan to be high on red wine and red meat and quite incoherent.  So the bargains of the day start with Taca Airlines.  My flight, not exactly direct but I needed the stopovers to include Peru on my way to Argentina.  The layovers are very short and the grand total $760 roundtrip. And the amazing thing was that Taca still treats you like a human.  You could check 2 bags for free, meals were also gratis and totally decent and there's no charge for cocktails.  My seatmate was hammered on scotch and I admit to being a bit tipsy myself.  And things are VERY cheap in Peru, meals, taxis etc... I hope things go as well in Buenos Aires but so far good Bargain Biatch fun.

 

Clip, Print and Shop With Coupons, Expand Your Circle Of Friends and Family

Getting ready for my Vaycay! But realized I didn’t have a medium sized suitcase.  In the alcohol soaked recesses of my brain I vaguely remember it exploding on my last trip. So I needed a replacement but didn’t want to spend a lot of cash. No problem, retailers are basically giving shit away.  Off I went to Macy’s, coupons in hand, one from the newspaper for 20 percent off and a “friends and family” 25 percent off coupon that I’d found online and printed (just googled Macys coupon and it popped up).  Basically everything in the store was on sale and luggage was half off plus additional markdowns.  I found a perfectly acceptable Liz Claiborne 25 inch expandable piece and the sticker said $240….yeah right.  After discounts, my 25 percent coupon that I had not trouble using plus an extra 15 percent for using my Macy’s card (2nd time in probably like 5 years) the grand total was $59.  And it’s super lightweight and got it home via bike, which I admit was the trickiest part of the whole transaction.

 

But back to my vacation to Argentina.  When I finally get home after 2 weeks of stuffing myself full of red meat and red wine better be ready for winter…brrrrrr.  So to gently ease into the cold I checked out Timberland online.  Again there was a “friends and family” 40 percent off discount good through December 7 with code FFDEC09.  I shopped the outlet and scored a pair of cute and functional snow boots on sale for a $70. BOOYAH! I love the smell of bargains in the morning.

 

Use Surveys: Give Your Opinion and Cash Out For The Holidays

Tis the season to shop till you drop. And yes the deals are good. Basically every retailer, brick and mortar and Internet are offering you a little something extra in your stocking. 

Ebates is offering double cash back at selected stores so for the rest of December you can get 5 percent back at Macy’s, 8 percent at Barnes and Nobles and a whopping 10 percent at Godiva Chocolate and Old Navy.

 

So even on the cheap, you’ll still need a few bucks to scoop up the bargains (things aren’t free but damn near) so I’ve cashed out on some of my survey sites.  SurveyHead mailed me a $35 check, MySurvey made three $20 deposits into my PayPal account and I have a $50 Amazon gift certificate on the way from HarrisPoll.  Granted I’ve been participating in the surveys for over 6 months but now I have some extra holiday green so it pays to give your opinion.