I’ve never been big on bargain hunting. Oh, I love a bargain, for sure, but the hunting part? Well… it’s not for me. Whether the target was work clothes or bathroom linens, I preferred to drive to my favorite store, grab everything that I even remotely loved, then spend 30 minutes talking myself out of buying half the lot. There’s something about pawing through racks and racks of marked down items looking for the best deal that makes my head hurt.
I guess I’m just not that patient. But then came the Internet, and with it, a whole new world of online bargain shopping. From online outlets to major sites that routinely offer amazing sales, it’s increasingly easy to get real savings in cyberspace—minus the headache.
For the May issue, we went in search of the absolute best deals to be had. Looking for kitchen appliances for a steal? Try SearsOutlet.com for discontinued, returned and scratched and dented dishwashers, refrigerators and more. Want to know the two best times to stock up on classic work-ready separates from Brooks Brothers? We found that, too (hint: they fall in summer and winter).
We even laid out the exact steps you can take to transform yourself into a super bargain hunter, and decoded the words that shout from store windows and home pages (“Sale!”, “Clearance!!”, “Outlet!!!”), so you know exactly what retailers are really selling. Whatever your needs, we did the legwork to figure out where you can buy it for less. The May issue is on newsstands now!
Darlene Lester
09:28:45 PM on Mon Apr 9 2012
i get your magazine at home i am getting ready to go on vacation and i need to rent a 15 passanger van is there a good place to search thank you darlene lester
Vicky menuez
06:59:32 PM on Wed Apr 25 2012
I have gone through about eight of my shop smart magazines looking for vacuum cleaners. Of course that is the ONLY review that I CAN'T find. My daughter needs a new vacuum for cleaning pet hair from the carpet because she has a 1-year-old baby. Can you please help me? I subscribe to your magazine along with Consumer Reports but I cannot find one dealing with the best and least expensive vacuum for pet hair. Thank you for your time. Vicky Menuez
Robin Melen
02:31:41 PM on Fri Apr 27 2012
Hi Vicky~ The Kenmore canister vacuums generally did very well for picking up pet hair. The Intuition 28014, the Progressive 21714 and 21614, and the Electrolux Oxygen EL6988 all did well in pet hair pickup!
Karen Lamb
01:21:08 AM on Wed May 2 2012
I am missing my February magazine which I know had the information about vacumn cleaners. I have wood floors and carpet as well. I really want to know the best vacumn cleaner to buy, if not for both, then especially for the carpet.
Rae Olim
03:37:17 AM on Thu May 3 2012
I have kept all the shopsmart magazines going back to 2010, if I need a review on a specific item is there a place I can search that will tell me what issue to look at?
Robin Melén
11:52:13 AM on Thu May 3 2012
Hi Rae~
Unfortunately, not yet, though we're working on getting an index together. Thanks for reading ShopSmart!
Robin Melén
managing editor
Robin Melén
11:58:28 AM on Thu May 3 2012
Hi Karen~
Just briefly, the Kenmore Progressive line of vacuums seemed to do very well on both carpet and bare floors in our tests. You can check out the ratings in Consumer Reports for just $7 for a month. A month of checking ratings on everything you could possibly want -- what's better than that?! Go here to find out more. https://ec.consumerreports.org/ec/cro/order.htm
Thanks for reading ShopSmart!
Robin Melén
Managing editor
Deb A. Larkham
03:11:44 PM on Mon May 14 2012
I am fairly new to your magazine and noted you spend a lot of time researching websites that offer the best of a certain product or service. Have you ever reviewed website for ordering homemade cards? I am an artist and I sell my art on blank cards (w/ envelopes).
I have tried Tiny Prints, U Print and Print My Thing. All have their pros and cons. One may have outrageous shipping costs, another limited sizes or I cannot print my own logo on the back.
Do you have any research on these site? Would you consider publishing this info? If not, where is the best place I can go to find more info?
Deb
Vicky Bernia
08:40:26 PM on Thu May 17 2012
On page 40 the buying tip is to buy an adaptor pod for the Delonghi Nescafe Dolce Gusto Circolo. I've looked online and can only find an adaptor pod for K-cups. Would this work for the Delonghi? If not, where should I look?
Robin Melen
12:57:07 PM on Mon May 21 2012
Hi Vicky~
Not sure about the DeLonghi... sorry.
Tina
04:50:10 PM on Tue Jul 31 2012
Now that I need one, I cannot seem to find my magazine where you listed great dehumidifiers. I remember it sold through Amazon and was reasonably priced. Can you help?
Robin Melen
12:05:59 PM on Mon Aug 6 2012
Hi Tina~
It was the July issue. The two we featured are both available on Amazon. The Soleus Air SG-DEH-70-2 ($225) and the Frigidaire FAD504DUD ($200) were our picks.
lw
09:28:10 PM on Thu Aug 16 2012
Which magazine had the email site for discounted school supplies - I believe you had to buy in bulk.
LW