Save money on the Web? You can discount on it

Oscar Wilde once said, “I have the simplest of tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Well, scratch that. I would’ve said, “I am always satisfied with the best – at the best price.”

Don’t get me wrong. I like the finer things. I just don’t like to pay retail for them. Ever. I can’t remember the last time I paid full price for anything that wasn’t a gift. These days, who can afford to?

Which is why I’m obsessed with the Web. Sure, you can buy clothes and electronics on eBay for a fraction of what you’d pay in a store, but that’s not even the half of it. With online price-drop alerts, social shopping sites, discount codes and enough grocery coupons to make your savings card look obsolete, the Internet is a bargain-hunter’s paradise.

Anyone who reads this column regularly knows I love discount sites such as Overstock.com (washer and dryer, anyone?) and I’m addicted to the e-newsletter Daily Candy (www.dailycandy.com to subscribe). But lately, I’ve branched out – and cashed in.

Take, for instance, my recent fascination with online discount codes. I’ve used them to save money on everything from bouquets to board games. They’re like coupons only better – no scissors required. My favorite code site is retailmenot.com, which boasts discounts at more than 10,000 stores, but it doesn’t hurt to comparison shop. A quick Google search of, say, “Gap discount code” will yield results from dealtaker.com and fatwallet.com, two other good sites. I’ve had great success with codes while buying light fixtures for my home, floral arrangements for my aunt and gifts during the holidays.

For coupons and freebies that you can cash in both online and in-store, visit www.wow-coupons.com. Some of the highlights are 40 percent off at A.C. Moore (if you already recycled Thursday’s Bangor Daily News!) and $10 off a $50 purchase at DressBarn.

At ShopItToMe.com, you select your favorite brands (there are hundreds to choose from) and you get a daily e-mail alerting you to price drops – both online and in-store. I’ve scored a few great deals at the Gap and Ann Taylor this way.

Want the best bargains on toys, electronics and housewares? Visit www.DealNews.com, which has daily updates of rock-bottom prices. Its sister site, StyleNotes.com, is a fashionista’s playground. The site offers coupon codes, but it also has spot-on trend reports and updates on limited-edition lines, such as Gryson for Target – oh, the handbags.

Speaking of which, if you haven’t already visited BagBorrowOrSteal.com, check it out. The New York Times described it as Netflix for the purse-obsessed. For a weekly fee, which varies by which style you choose, you can rent the “it bag” of the moment for as long as you want it. When you get tired, trade it in for the next model. It’s not exactly my bag, but I’ve heard rave reviews about it. And it sure beats those dreadful knockoff bags that I’m always railing against.

If you’re interested in another type of bag – the grocery bag – then head on over to www.thegrocerygame.com, which offers a weekly list of deals at grocery stores in your area (advertised and unadvertised), paired with coupons and manufacturer’s specials. You have to pay for Teri’s List (named for founder Teri Gault), but you can download dozens of free coupons on the site. Plus, if you don’t have time to comparison shop, then the service might just be worth the $10 for eight weeks. The only downside? Shaw’s is included, but Hannaford isn’t.

For me, the best shopping trips are always a social endeavor – isn’t sole-searching more fun when your mom and your sister are involved? That’s why I love the newest crop of social shopping sites. FashionSpace.com, a recent import from the United Kingdom, is a great place to buy, sell or swap clothing. Rehashclothes.com is like an online swap meet, with a decidedly green vibe to it. And then there’s ShoeTube.tv, a haven for the footwear fanatics among us.

Those are just a few of my favorites. But I’d love to hear from you, dear readers, about your surefire bargain-hunting schemes. Drop me a line at kandresen@bangordailynews.net or, better yet, leave a comment on my blog – where I frequently post my best finds of the week (http://communityv1.bangornews.com/blog/4).

Reader question – answered!

Last week, reader Patty Carlson wrote in, looking for a place to find embroidery floss in Aroostook County.

Two readers had answers. From Betty Rand in Sherman: “This morning you asked if any readers know of a cross-stitch store in Aroostook. I happened on one in the small town of Linneus about seven miles south of Houlton on Route 2. It is a small primitive store attached to a green house. I believe the store is named “The Primitive Store.”

Chloe Hatcher, who owns the Lilac Lily in Southwest Harbor, writes, “To the cross-stitchers in Aroostook County: We have cross-stitching materials here at the Lilac Lily. Now I know we aren’t as close as Bangor but we are happy to mail anything they want. We carry a complete line of Anchor Floss and have a DMC conversion chart to compare numbers. We carry aida in various colors and counts as well. We have some patterns and kits too. They can call 244-3353 or e-mail me at info@thelilaclily.com. Our winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Thanks, Betty and Chloe, and as always, happy shopping!

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or by fax to 941-9476. For exclusive online shopping tips, click on the ShopBlog icon on the bottom of the BDN homepage: bangordailynews.com.