Saturday sales

"Go ahead and swipe your card-- Oh, wait, I'm mistaken, you owe NOTHING."

The cashier at Banana Republic Woman (2 Copley Place, Back Bay) broke that news to me this morning. "Not a bad way to start off my Saturday," I thought. 

At Banana Republic, all sale items are Take an Extra 20% Off; BR (and Gap and Old Navy) Cardholders Take an Extra 10% Off Everything from now through April 1; All full-priced pants, belts, and select sweaters are 30% off. 

The bracelet I "bought" was originally priced at $49, but on sale for $24.99. Apply to that BR's Take and Extra 20% Off Sale Items, my 10% Cardholder discount, and $20 in reward cards (another perk of a cardholder) and that puppy was free.

Needless to say, I was feelin' quite savvy this morning and ventured off through Copley Square and up Newbury St. to see what other deals I land. 

City Sports (480 Boylston, Back Bay) has 20% off all women's running apparel and up to 75% off winter coats. If you purchase something not already on sale, flash a gym membership and receive 10% your purchase (Don't be shy, either, with those small purchases. I flashed my card for a $3.25 can of tennis balls and am proud of it). 

French Connection (FCUK) (206 Newbury St., Back Bay) has 75% off. 

And my second best find of the day was Second Time Around's (176 Newbury St., Back Bay) Economic Stimulus sale at 80% off. Although it's a great deal for a buyer, if you're looking to sell back some old threads, remember they give you half of the price it's sold at, so you may not make bank like you thought. 

Somerville is never too far when it has wine on the cheap...

Get there, TOMORROW! 

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Noon - 6pm

Downtown Wine & Spirits

225 Elm St

Somerville, MA

VIEW MAP

Spring is coming and it’s time to clear out the Downtown Wine & Spirits stock at the Garage Sale! Co-sponsored by The Second Glass and Classic Wine Imports, Downtown’s Garage Sale will offer special discounts throughout the day, complete with tastings and some unbeatable prices.

Jeff and Dan, the resident wine gurus at Downtown, along with Classic Wine Imports will be pouring some rockin’ sweet vino from 12-6, all priced at $9.99 that you can try before you buy!

Go home with tons of wine you love! The Garage Sale also extends to the entire shop—buy any case (mixed too!) and get 20% off your purchase.

Like any garage sale, the stock is limited so make sure to head down to Downtown before the good stuff gets snatched up! (Facebook group)

Get outta town

A quick trip or week-long getaway doesn't have to break your bank.

After a friend read "Diva on a Dime," she introduced me to her friend's publication, Shoestring Magazine. An instant fan, I call myself. "Free Budget Living Advice, The Good Life for Less, Champagne Style on a Beer Budget." A frugal fashionista couldn't agree more. 

My point is this: The most recent issue's letter from Melissa-- the magazine's Stealfinder-in-Chief-- read: 

"No dollar amount can be assigned to a friendship, and these are among my most valuable. So, recession or not, we're splurging on a real vacation and spending the week off together, and it will be worth every penny."

Her words inspired me to start planning a getaway, and I stumbled across plenty of other worthwhile deals along the way. 

For the sand-savvy
Club Med
50% OFF 2nd Person on All-Inclusive Club Med Escapes
50% off 7-night stays in Mexico, the Caribbean, and U.S.

Bitter End Yacht Club
866-201-5283
British Virgin Islands (BVI), this spring and summer, save up to $1680 for an Admiral's Package for two.

Guana Island
(877) 347-5675
Enjoy a BVI private island up to 20% off.

Long Bay Beach Resort
(877) 311-0556
Beach-front BVI with a 35% off rates, starting at $114 per night.

Ski Bunny at heart?
Up to 35% off at Jackson Hole hotels, plus buy 3 airline tickets and the 4th is free (through March 20). 

Live luxe for the weekend in your city or another
Luxury for less-- a lot less. Five-star hotels for much less. 

Hotel Commonwealth in Boston. The Waldorf and Algonquin in New York. And all Vegas Five-stars under $150. 

Diva on a Dime is on Facebook!

Join the Facebook group... and tell your savvy sistas (and brothers). 

For a city dweller, life doesn't slow down when the economy does.

This blog proves that life can go on in a recession, that a city dweller can stay in her element AND live within her means. This blog is about living on the cheap and still being glam, about being savvy in the city. This blog is about being a Diva on a Dime.

Follow me as a I take on Boston-- and who knows what other cities-- as THE Frugal Fashionista.

C'mon, jump on the bandwagon and join the group!

A Little Retail Therapy Never Hurts ...

... Especially at 60% off retail!

The Newbury LF Stores (353 Newbury St., Back Bay) kicked of its "Only Sale of the Season" over President's Day weekend, with 60%  or more off the entire Fall/Winter 2008 collection. 

I stopped in this evening with the expectation of finding a storefront over-picked by sale-hungry vultures. I assumed the only merchandise left would be the freakishly small and terribly huge sizes. Well, wrong I was. The selection is still vast and plentiful. Although those items on the cheap are Fall/Winter pieces, LF's clothes are from LA and-- if paired with the correct shoes, accessories, and get-up-- versatile in any season.

Time may be your best friend, however. As the sale progresses, LF tends to further mark down its items.

If your therapy doesn't include a retail option at the moment, LF WILL have  other sales...

When I hit jackpot at LF's "Only Sale of the Season" last year, it was partially due to my naivety in thinking this was the only sale the store would hold all year. It may sound that way, but the store holds another "Only Sale of the Season" near the middle of Summer, to make way for the Fall collection. 

An Ivy More Affordable than Los Angeles'

Where else can you order a bottle of Prosecco for $26 (other than, perhaps, Italy)?

What Diva doesn't enjoy a swanky dinner on the town with friends and a bottle (or two...) of vino? Don't be so quick to nix that joy of life (and sanity!) off your list. At Boston's Ivy Restaurant (49 Temple Place, Downtown Crossing), ALL bottles of wine (unless noted) are $26. If you prefer just a glass, any 6 oz. serving is $9. Ivy also features three flights, based on region. Each includes four progressive (two whites, two reds) 2 oz. pours, at $13. 

Ivy offers a selection of over 50 carefully-chosen wines-- all bodies. The Pinot Gris, Albarino, and Prosecco are my personal favorites.

Ivy's atmosphere is enjoyable, too. Elegant with a casual and warm Italian-influenced twist. Located in Downtown Crossing, Ivy is a weeknight hot spot, very less-frequented on Friday and Saturday nights. (If you'd rather not bump elbows with the rest of those employed in Boston's Financial District, you'll have no trouble snagging a table one of these nights.)

At Ivy, "family style" means more than affordably-priced bottles of wine. Start with a Per la Tavola-- meant to be served communally and priced for two people-- of Fondue, salad, or a cheese selection. Continue with a rustic and flavorful Primi Piatti-- a small plate, meant to be served family style. (Ivy recommends ordering two per person in your party. One piatti, paired with a side, is more than enough. To give your pallet more variety, order 1.5 per person-- 3 for two people, 5 for three people, etc.)  Ivy's sides are served a la carte as well, and come in heaping portions.  

Per la Tavolas range from $10-$16; Primis, from $6-$17; and Sides, from $5-6. Paired with a bottle (or two...) at $26 and a group of friends to share a meal, gossip, and check with, a Diva can't go wrong at Ivy.

For theatre-bound Diva, the restaurant offers a $30 theatre menu option--complete with dinner, wine, and tiramisu-- from 5 to 8PM each night.

How to Become a Diva on a Dime

First Stop: Boston, Massachusetts. 

Recession. Depression. Tough Times. Searchin' for a Stimulus Solution.

However you put it, whatever you choose to call it, we are all struggling in some way these days-- cutting back, shacking up, budgeting your life away. If you're one of the lucky few who are still living the High Life, now may be the time to ask yourself, How can you be more of a Diva on a Dime? And, what can you do with the dough you save? Invest in a new idea, company, or your retirement. Support a cause, charity, or friend.

I'm sick of blaming my ill-fated luck and state of misery-- not to mention, most recently, my bronchitis and sinus infection-- on the economy. I'm also sick of racking up my credit card debt in order to commute to work, eat meals, live my live. And I'm also too stubborn to submit to a line-itemized budget and stop enjoying some of life's finest things-- food, friends, fashion, wine, jetsetting-- because my paycheck tells me I can't.

For a City Dweller, life doesn't stop when the economy slows down. This blog proves that life can go on in a recession, that a City Dweller can stay in her element AND live within her means. This blog is about being a Diva on a Dime. Follow me as a I take on Boston-- and who knows what other cities-- as THE Frugal Fashionista.