Smart Shopping 101

The expert strategies and information you need to know to make the savviest purchases―of food, makeup, clothing, even home renovations.

Easy Grocery Shopping

Create a Master Shopping List
A little work now will save you time down the road.

Budget Advice

Navigating Vintage Clothing Stores
Shopping for vintage clothing can yield great budget-friendly items, if you know where to look. Use this guide to help find classic steals.

Shopping-Comparison Sites
For the most time-saving and cost-effective searching, make one of these sites your first stop in the virtual mall.

Tag Sale Supplies Checklist

Holding a sale? Here's the gear you'll need.

• Clear signs. Mead makes a waterproof poster board that won't wither in the rain; you can find it at Staples, Wal-Mart, and Office Depot. Use a permanent marker, and write neatly and legibly. Note: Always check whether there are restrictions on placements of signs in your community—and whether you need a permit to hold a tag sale.
• Money to make change. Start your selling day with $50 in ones, $30 in fives, $50 in tens, $60 in twenties, and $10 in quarters (one roll).
• Fanny pack or carpenter's apron. Stow bills in one pocket, change in another.

View The Entire Checklist