This week at Cheapism we recommended the best cheap bras and published money-saving tips on buying cables for your gadgets, planning summer travel, and getting the most out of garage sales.
Bras. Usually we limit our picks for the best products in a category to two top choices, but bras come in so many incarnations that we're recommending four: the best everyday, strapless, push-up, and sports bras under $25. The cheap bras on our list use molded cups, gel pads, and/or underwire to enhance support and sculpt a flattering figure, but don't worry: All earn high marks for comfort. Two also boast convertible straps that can crisscross in the back to stay hidden under certain tops.
New Blog Posts.
Cheap Home Electronics Cables. Whether you've just upgraded your electronics and are in need of new cables or you've lost your camera's all-important USB cable (join the club), our guide to cheap cables will get you up and running in no time -- at a much lower cost than your local electronics store.
Cheap Summer Travel Tips. Airfare is one of the most expensive parts of a vacation, which means all the more opportunities for savings by booking smart. Check out our cheap summer airfare tips to know when to book, where to book, and generally how to keep a lid on travel costs.
What to Buy at a Garage Sale. Spring cleaning is in the air, and with that comes garage-sale season. Make sure you know what to keep an eye out for -- and what to leave on the table -- at your local garage sale.
Deals sites are gearing up for the summer with outdoor grills, picnic food carriers, and floatable toys. Check out our top picks of the best daily deals below.
It's always exciting to bring home a new TV, home theater receiver, printer, or other electronic gadget, but many of these products don't include the cables you need to connect them to other devices and begin using them right away. You have to buy the cables separately, and if you don't shop around, you can end up paying way more than you need to. Big brick-and-mortar retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart sell a variety of cables at different prices, and some may seem like a bargain. But as you'll see below, you can often find even cheaper HDMI or USB cables by spending just a little time shopping around. We looked at the prices of three common types of home electronics cables to see how much you can save.
HDMI cables are used to transfer high-definition video and audio between home theater components, such as a TV and Blu-ray player. HDMI cables are the only cables currently available that can transfer 1080p video signals, the highest resolution for playing video on a flat-screen TV.
The prices of HDMI cables vary quite a lot. In stores, you may find a cheap HDMI cable for less than $10, but you'll discover that most of the HDMI cables retailers display online cost a lot more. For example, we found a 6-foot HDMI cable from AudioQuest at Best Buy for a whopping $60. Best Buy also sells a 6-foot HDMI cable from Monster, one of the most popular cable makers, for $40. Radio Shack offers a 6-foot house brand cable for $25, which seems pretty reasonable compared with the prices of the other cables. Still, you can do better. Radio Shack also sells an NGX Basix cable for $9, and if you swing back to Best Buy, you can find a cheap Dynex Direct HDMI cable for a mere $7. While those are pretty solid deals, you can top them if you head to Newegg and buy a Link Depot HDMI cable for a mere $3 plus $2 for shipping and handling. You shouldn't see a difference in video quality if you use a cheap HDMI cable rather than an expensive one, so use the extra money you save to buy a few extra Blu-ray movies.
Cheap USB cables.
USB A/B cables are often used to connect PCs to external peripherals such as printers and scanners. The "A/B" refers to the two types of connectors on the ends of the cable. The "A" connector is the familiar, flat rectangle that plugs into a PC's USB port; it's the type found on USB mice and keyboards. The "B" end of the cable is square-shaped and plugs into the printer or scanner. You may find that some printers or scanners include a USB cable in the box, but more often than not, they don't; you have to buy a cheap USB cable separately.
USB A/B cables aren't very expensive to begin with in most cases; you can usually find a cheap USB cable in stores for about $10 to $20. But there are still savings to be had if you shop around. For example, we found a Belkin USB A/B cable at Walmart for $15, which isn't too shabby, but a quick trip to Target turned up a GE-brand USB A/B cable for only $10 -- pretty reasonable, right? Before you put your money down, stop by the Amazon Marketplace. We found a cheap USB cable made by Hitech for only $2.76, with free shipping no less.
Cheap optical digital audio cables.
Optical digital audio cables transfer audio signals from one device, such as a CD player, TV, or Blu-ray player, to a home theater receiver. Prices for optical audio cables vary quite a bit, but you can usually find one in stores for about $20 to $30. Radio Shack offers an Auvio optical digital audio cable for $27. At Crutchfield, prices for optical cables start at $18 and run as high as $162. Best Buy has a Dynex-brand cable for only $18. That's still a little pricey for our taste, though. We found a Belkin optical digital audio cable at Buy.com for only $8.59, plus free shipping. That's a steal, especially for a well-known brand such as Belkin.
Today's daily deals include $200 off a top Toshiba laptop, discounts on the NOOK tablet and 4th Generation iPods, baby gifts for new moms and much more.
Summer is ideal for getaways, both short and long. But the rising costs of airfare have made cheap summer travel a thing of the past. Still, there are plenty of ways to get your travel fix at a price you can afford. Here are a few tips on how to find cheap summer airfare.
Ticket prices rise as your desired travel date approaches, so book your flight as soon as you've decided to take a trip. The New York Times recently reported that a round-trip flight from Seattle to London jumped 35 percent in just four days. Once you find a cheap summer airfare, book it.
Go directly through the carrier.
Online resources such as CheapOair and Kayak are great resources for cheap summer travel. But airlines often guarantee the lowest fares through their own websites. Although travel websites offer cheap summer airfare, always check your preferred airline before booking.
Be flexible.
Leaving for vacation on a Friday may seem ideal, but this high-demand day will cost you. If you're flexible about the days you depart and return, you'll increase the chances of landing cheap summer airfare. Wednesday is usually the cheapest day to fly, and USA Today reports savings can easily reach 50% if you add a weekend night to your cheap summer travel itinerary.
If you're open to the possibility of a last-minute flight, you increase the chance of scoring cheap summer airfare. Airlines often unload empty seats at discounted prices on day-of flights and those scheduled through the upcoming weekend.
Go with airlines that refund the difference if the fare drops.
Have you ever booked cheap summer airfare only to find the price for the same trip plummeted the following day? Many airlines charge a fee to change a flight, but some simply refund the difference. The Consumerist compiled a chart outlining airline refund policies, which can be useful when making cheap summer travel plans.
Search for hotel and travel packages.
Buying services as package deals is usually a money-saver, especially when booking a vacation. Websites like Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity let you search for hotel + air, and occasionally you'll find a "last minute" flight pop-up for even cheaper summer airfare.
Become a frequent-flier connoisseur.
To compete with the increasingly popular travel websites, many airlines offer incentives for direct purchases. These offers frequently are sent through email but may pop up on the carrier's Facebook or Twitter pages. Airfarewatchdog.com is a resource for customers on the prowl for cheap summer airfare.
Third-party alerts can also help you plan cheap summer travel. Tripadvisor.com and Farecompare.com are good resources, but these alerts are generated from the same information used by the airlines' computer systems.
Check with your credit card providers to see if you're eligible for a free flight, an upgrade, or a discount on airfare and/or hotel. Most major airlines offer frequent flyer programs that accept points earned through your credit card.
Keep an eye on additional fees.
Although it may appear that one airline offers lower fares than another, check how much you'll pay for bags, ticket fees, and other not-so-obvious charges. A bag-check fee may cancel out savings on airfare, so be informed.
Airports are not created equal.
While it's often easier to fly into a major hub like JFK, LAX, or SFO, you may snag cheap summer airfare by flying into a nearby airport. For instance, before booking a flight into JFK, check flights into Newark, which is 30 minutes by train into midtown Manhattan. You may need a rental car if you land at an airport that's farther away from your destination. If that cost offsets your savings, you might as well book a flight into the hub.
Consider booking one-way flights.
Booking a round-trip ticket sometimes saves money on airfare. Most airlines, though, sell one-way tickets for both legs of a trip. Use this opportunity to find the cheapest summer travel options. Select the cheapest summer airfare at one airport - perhaps by choosing different airlines - or fly in and out of different airports.
With spring in the air, garage sales are popping up like daffodils. And with the economy still struggling, many people are trying to stretch their dollars by buying things used. Before you head out to tour the neighborhood, take heed: While some garage sale finds are perfectly fine to pick up secondhand, some things are better bought new, regardless of cost. Let's take a look.
Experts generally agree that the following can be excellent purchases at garage sales: small furniture, home decor, books, DVDs, toys, board games, hand tools, sports and exercise equipment, lawn furniture, and gardening tools.
With other garage sale finds such as musical instruments, be sure to test any moving parts to make sure they work properly. If they do, you can put off investing in a new instrument until it seems more likely that a stint in the school band will turn into a lasting hobby. Editors at Popular Mechanics say certain used electronics and power tools may be bargains but should be tested before purchase. Their advice: Ask the seller to turn on the device so you can see that it still works. Any refusal should raise a red flag. Of course, if you're mechanically inclined, even a nonworking item could be a good buy. One of Popular Mechanics' experts tells of a $10 Toro snow blower that simply needed a new spark plug and fuel. It's run for 10 more years and counting.
Buy New.
What not to buy at a garage sale generally comes down to two questions: Is it safe? And is it sanitary? The answers put potential garage sale finds including child car seats, cribs, shoes, tires, mattresses, swimsuits, hats, and helmets on a Reader's Digest list of items to avoid. An old crib may not be up to today's safety standards, for example, and a used car seat could have been in an accident without your knowledge, rendering it useless. Shoes, mattresses, and hats may not be too clean -- or worse, carry lice, bedbugs, etc. Helmets fail on both fronts.
It Depends.
There are a few categories where experts have differing opinions. Take clothes, for instance. First of all, no one will tell you it's smart to buy used undergarments of any type (see above). Most research we found indicates that clothes just aren't the best value -- with the exception of formal wear, maternity clothes, and kids clothes, according to US News & World Report. Formal wear is generally taken care of and worn sparingly; maternity wear is worn for only a few months; and children outgrow clothes so fast that often an outfit is worn only a handful of times. Carefully inspect any garage sale finds for stains and signs of wear and tear.
Another debated category is kitchenware. While some say buying used dishes and glasses isn't sanitary, kitchenware should be fine as long as you wash it well (check to see if your dishwasher has a hot/sanitize cycle).
The bottom line here is to follow your instincts and use some common sense. If you buy things like secondhand clothes and dishes, simply examine them with an eye toward whether you can get them sufficiently clean. Likewise, with electronics and other machinery, if you have a hunch something will work with only a minor repair that you're capable of doing, negotiate a good price and go for it.
That brings us to one final point: When you buy used, especially at a garage sale, don't be afraid to negotiate. In general, such sales are set up so that people can get rid of what they don't want. They're not trying to make back what they spent on the item; they're just trying to see if they can earn a little money before dumping the lot at the Salvation Army. So, ask before you shell out for a garage sale find -- you could save even more.
With summer on the way, you may be hoping to catch the London Olympics or in the process of hunting for a new A/C. As always, we've got your back with all the frugal tips you'll need.
While the biggest discounts on air conditioners tend to appear along with fall leaves and jack-o'-lanterns, a recent tour of online retailers revealed plenty of air conditioner deals. Check out appliance vendors such as AJ Madison, home improvement giants such as Home Depot, and we-sell-everything superstores such as Walmart. Be sure to keep an eye on shipping costs, which can be high for these heavy appliances, and look to sites such as RetailMeNot for coupon codes.
New Blog Posts.
How to Buy a Computer on a Budget.
The higher computer prices go, the more consumers are eyeing last-season models or even building their own to fit their specific needs. Figure out which strategy is best for you with our guide to buying a cheap computer.
How to Attend the Olympics on a Budget.
If attending the Olympics has always been your dream, this may be the year to go for the gold. Our tips for a cheap trip to London will have you touring the city and rooting your country on -- all without stressing your bank account.
If you're paying full price for a flower delivery this Mother's Day, you haven't been paying attention. Our best mother's day deals include $30 worth of blooms for the cut-rate price of $15 at online flower delivery sites, as well as cheap jewelry and other creative ideas.
What to Grow in the Garden to Save at the Supermarket.
Next time you're at the supermarket, ask yourself how many of the vegetables in the cart would be easy to grow in your own backyard. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce are popular staples, but berries and herbs also do well. Cut your grocery bill and check out our guide to Older Posts »
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