Canadian Online Shopping Sucks

Having officially landed in Vancouver, I scrambled to furnish my 237 sq ft dorm room into a uber-organized palace. I should be able to find everything I want/need and share my great deal-saving know how with fellow Canadians right? Nope.

Besides a 12% tax on goods in BC, sites like ikea.ca or amazon.ca have less of a selection than their American counterparts. Shipping is insanely expensive because Canada is less populated and their postal system less extensive. To think I complained when I had to pay for shipping on an item! Even the 99 cent stores are more expensive here!

So, how does one find deals when online shipping is not a cheap alternative anymore? It's something I'll have to explore as I learn the ropes here.

Hiatus Over - New Perspective!

Taking a graduate course while working full-time at a consulting firm finally began to take an effect on me. I started a hiatus to concentrate on my studies and when I received acceptance to a school for a master's program, I decided to delay my return and re-brand my coupon-guru antics from a student perspective.

So, with 3 days left as a "working professional", it's time to get back to discounts. 2 days ago, I booked my ticket from NYC to Vancouver using StudentUniverse. I saved about $400 on a one-way ticket. This website offers exclusive fates to students and faculties of schools. After verifying my student status, I was good to go. So, if you're a student in a BA, BS, MA, MBA, PhD, whatever program - check it out. Not all fares are lower though - I used Kayak in conjunction.

With my last days of corporate citizenship, I made sure to make use of company discounts. I bought Microsoft Office through my employer for $20 and just saved 15% on flowers through WorkingAdvantage. Lesson is, check for company discounts no matter where you work - they exist.

$4 Tights at Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters is clearing out their tights collection. They are in all different sizes, colors, styles - all at $4 and up. This picture was taken at the UO at 59th and 3rd Ave, in NYC. (The giant bin below had a sign saying $3.99 and up.)

Multi-Pocket Tote Bag with Wheel-On Travel Bag

Nothing has been getting me out of my shopping slump lately...so it was great to wake up to a crazy bargain from Roaman's!

Roaman's is offering a Beige Multi-Pocket Tote Bag for $4.79. Applying coupon code "RD17585" adds a free red wheel-on travel bag. Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures of your "free" item, but hey, free is free! Shipping adds an additional $5.99.

So for about $11 I got two great weekend travel bags and I got 5$ cash back from MrRebates.com! More about the deal from DealNews here.

Fashionable Frugality

I learned the art of saving from a very early age. When I was six years old, I managed to amass a fortunte of approximately $6.00 (Halloween, coins underneath couch cushions, etc.). That summer, I went to camp and spent my hard-earned wealth on popsicles and paper kites. A little later, I went to a girls clothing store with my mom and I rememher seeing a set of stick-on earrings. I asked my mom if she could buy it for me and she refused, saying "Why don't you use your money?" I ultimately had to admit that I had spent my money. I remember that awful feeling, of not being able to buy what I desired...and even at six years old, I vowed that I wouldn't feel like that again.

I remember being ashamed of my 80%-off-from-Macy's clothing in high school and having boot cut jeans instead of the fashionably expensive flares. Up until recently, I didn't like to tell anyone how much I paid for so-and-so because I already knew it was less than what they paid.

Many people are feeling the effects of the economy. People are losing jobs and familes are losing homes. I truly believe, though, that this country will emerge better than it was before. So, I'm proud of my frugality. I'm happy to share my tips, my coupons and my advice.

An article in AP today talks about cheapskates and how they are faring in this economy. Even people like me, who have been luckily relatively unscathed compared to others, are spending less and questioning every purchase. The article also mentions some great blogs: beingfrugal.net and neverpayretailagain.net.

This article comes right after the NY Times article "Extravagance Has Its Limits as Belt-Tightening Trickles Up." Even for those well-off enough, displaying signs of luxury is now seen as insensitive. I find this complete reversal comforting, considering one of drivers behind luxury is the ability to show off. In another recent NY Times article "In the Lap of Luxury, Paris Squirms", Karl Lagerfield says that “There is no creative evolution if you don’t have dramatic moments like this. Bling is over. Red carpety covered with rhinestones is out. I call it ‘the new modesty.’"

How to Sell Your Stuff on eBay - Part 2

The drudgery of this economy is getting to me. Even I don't feel like consuming...it's as if the entire world is just holing up their cash under their mattresses! There aren't any sales with the major retail chains as of late. Big chains can withold inventory (which is what they are doing) while smaller boutiques are suffering and going out of business. One of these days, I'll take a tour of boutiques in NYC and see how the sales are there.

Onto eBay! After you've taken a picture of the item you want to sell, you'll need to start on the following list:
1) Register for eBay here. Registration is easy! After you register, you will need to create a Seller Account to start selling items. Easy to follow instructons are here.
2) Register for a Paypal account here. It's an easy way to send and receive money without exposing your bank account or private information. Almost all eBayers prefer to receive or send payments using this method. You will pay a small fee to receive payments, but it is free to transfer that money from your Paypal account into your bank account.
3) Search for your item on Google, Amazon, etc. to see what the current value of your item is. I always search for my item (in a similar condition) on eBay. I bookmark a couple of these auctions and return later to see what price they ended at.
4) Decide on a category for your item. Searching also allows me to decide how to categorize my item. At the top of every auction, you can see what category the item is in. On the bottom of the auction, there is a link under "Other Options" that says "Sell one like this". This will bring you to a blank template to create your listing with the category already filled in.

Now, you are ready to start an auction on eBay. Next entry we'll go into setting your starting bid and shipping fees.

How to Sell Your Stuff on Ebay - Part 1

This is the beginning of my long-awaited series on selling your stuff on eBay! Selling my used goods on the internet has always been second nature to me, but many people my age are puzzled and intimidated at the idea of eBay for purchasing or selling. Though many of their hesitations range from security to complexity, eBay's security and oversight is evolving constantly. eBay has strict policies that governs its sales (I've had my auction pulled for the tiniest accidental inflictions! - More later) and bidding process. Though it is known for its world-wide auctions, new selling tools such as "Buy It Now" have been added. I sometimes use it as a realistic price-check on goods and others may use it to promote their business, brand or message. eBay earns its revenues by charging fees for listing an item (starts at 35 cents) and after the item sells (based on % of final auction price).

Before I go more into more specifics, let's establish your primary reasons for selling an item on eBay. You are like me, looking to sell an item that you do not use anymore - this can be a second hand item or a unwanted gift. Now, the very first step is one that is often overlooked - the picture. The value of an item is greatly improved by its goodappearance. Companies know this, so they hire models to display their products. Blurry, dark photos with a messy bed in the background will not do!!!

My tips to producing great auction pictures:
1) Clean and shiny items. We're humans - we like shiny things. Take the time to wipe down and shine whatever it is that you are selling.
2) A neutral and clean background. This conveys professionalism and intelligence. It shows buyers that you are committed to selling an item responsibly.
3) Include all peripheral items. This can be any extra items that will come with the item, such as boxes, cords, etc. In this example below, I have taken a clean picture of the digital camera that I wish to sell. Note the background and peripheral items.4) Take special attention to any flaws. Below, my iPod nano has light scratches on its back, so I took close-up pictures of it. It adds a personal element and shows that I am a forthcoming/honest seller.5) Wear it! If you are selling used clothes, wear it or put it on a manequin. The same goes for handbags, shoes, etc. People want to see how this item relates to the body.Finally, load your pictures from your camera onto your hard drive. eBay lets you post your first picture, free of charge. Each additional picture costs 15 cents. If you are selling a small and cheap item, one picture shall suffice. Since I will be selling electronics, I will be displaying several pictures on my auction page.

In my next segment, I'll start you on signing up for an account and how to begin gathering data for your auction.