Bialetti Bliss: Savvy Stove Top Espresso

Ahhh the warm rich smell of fresh brewed espresso...even my kids love the smell. Thankfully they don't like the taste. Yes, I let them try it, crossing my fingers the entire time that they wouldn't like it and start bugging me about it for them, but I digress.

Whether it's a daily fix at Starbucks or a counter top high-tech espresso machine, good espresso can be a very expensive habit, but being the savvy sort of coffee-loving chick I am, I found a delightful product called a Bialetti, introduced to me last year by a dear friend.

What was new to me is something the Italians have been using for years. I believe it was invented in the 30's by a gentleman (Bialetti!) who figured you could use the same technology from washing machines for a stove-top espresso maker. He was right, and today it is used by thousands of Italians and has thankfully made it's way to America.

At about $20 this delightful invention will provide you with a wonderful rich dark brew that's about as close to espresso as you can get without buying one of those thousand dollar machines. Or you could get lucky and find one of these, like I did, for $3 at the thrift store!

Here's a quick how-to. It's so easy and tasty that my husband even likes making it!

Now you are ready to sit down and enjoy a great cup of espresso, or at least as close as you're going to get without going to Starbucks or buying one of those expensive machines!

Savvy Classic Outfit of the Day - $41

Today's outfit is brought to you by the thrift store, eBay and Rave. Red Luxe wrap shirt ($5 thrift store), white tank (Rave $4), Banana Republic Jeans ($12 eBay), Steve Madden Patent Leather kitten heels ($4 thrift store), Scarlett Blake leather purse ($7 thrift store), ICE wool jacket ($9 thrift store) for a grand total of $41.

Here's one of the wrap shirts I bought thanks to the advice from my stylists. I love the way it's form fitting without looking hoochie-mama tight. The folds over the stomach also hide a multitude of sins, and it's cotton too so it's very comfortable and kid-friendly.

Why do I love buying on eBay? Let me count the ways.

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to my love affair with eBay. At first I was curious, "I wonder how much this item sells for on eBay?" Then it turned into "I wonder what all they sell on eBay." Now it's "Let me check eBay before I check anywhere else." And I'm not kidding!

Thrift stores are great to pop into to see what's there. if you're lucky, you'll find the name brand you like in your size. It's hit or miss. With eBay you can type in the name brand, size and condition and decide how much you want to spend.

Of course you've seen some of the great Coach purses that I have bought, and that is not even touching the surface when it comes to Coach or ANY brand name of purse from no-name vinyl bags to Louis Vuitton - it's ALL there. But that's not all that's there.

Here's a brief list of the things I have recently bought on eBay (including shipping) and an estimate on the savings.

1. 5 Pack refill for my Oral-B toothbrush - $21 at Walmart - $8 eBay
2. Hardback Book - The Zen of Fish - $16 at Borders - $8 eBay
3. Laser Printer Cartridge - $50 Staples - $28 eBay
4. Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum - $600 from their site - $100 on eBay
5. Banana Republic Jeans - $80 at the store - $14 on eBay
6. Set of 10 Magic Treehouse Books - $45 retail - $9 on eBay

The thing I love best about eBay (next to saving money of course) is that it comes straight to my door. I don't have to leave the house to shop for it. It comes to me!

I especially love using eBay for one-of-a-kind birthday and Christmas gifts. I recently bought a brand-new with TAGS, gorgeous, supple leather high-end purse that retailed for about $130 for just $20, including shipping. Talk about a stunning gift...so much so I almost didn't give as a gift!

Here are just a few eBay basics if you're thinking of checking it out.

eBay Basics

1. Payment Options. Each seller is different in what kind of payment they will accept. MOST will allow you to use PayPal, a system devised and owned by eBay to handle monetary transactions. It is safe and it also provides you a guarantee if the seller is not trustworthy and an item is not as described or doesn't get to you (to a degree, if a seller has delivery confirmation and can "prove" the item was sent through the post office transactions, it's your lost, but in over 500 transactions I have never had that happen). PayPal will refund your money if you are in the right.

Some sellers only accept checks, money orders and other's bank transfers. I would not advise bank transfers. My preference is PayPal because they have an accountability system that protects the buyer and the seller. It's just safer.

2. Be wise. Check a seller's "feedback" it's the little number and percentage that is shown by their seller name. Find out if the person has a good history of follow through and accurate item descriptions. If someone is selling a Coach purse at a too-good-to-be-true price and has no feedback, be wary. Though PayPal will most likely refund your purchase if it proves to be a bad seller, it takes time and your money is tied up for a week to two weeks.

3. Do your research when buying. How do you know if something is a good price? Click on "Advanced Search" next to the search box and you will be taken to a screen that allows you click "completed listings" which will show you how many and how much that item has sold for in the past few weeks.

4. Buy it Now. This option, a tab in search results, will see what you can buy immediately without having to bid. I use this often if I need something right away or don't think I will get a better deal by bidding. You still can get deals this way, although my best deals have always been by auction.

5. Best Offer. This option allows you to offer a reasonable price for an item, giving the seller the chance to accept or decline.

6. Know your product. Before you buy, make sure you are getting what you're want. If it's a Coach purse, do some research to make sure you are not paying top dollar for a knock-off. eBay does not permit the selling to knock-offs because of copyright infringement but it doesn't stop people from selling them. eBay has a discussion board that will allow you to ask others for their opinion on the authenticity of a bag.

7. Don't get caught up in the bidding process and go overboard. eBay is fun, but it's just like any other type of shopping. It's easy to get caught up in the thrill of the hunt or a good deal. If you plan on bidding on an auction, set a limit. For me, I will wait till the end of an auction before I bid, and if you can't sit, wait and watch for the end, there are actual services that will bid for you.

You are bidding real money so don't bid what you can't afford, and according to eBay policies, your bid is a contract. Of course they will not file a suit on you if you do not pay, but they can suspend your eBay privileges and keep you from bidding at all.

If you haven't tried eBay yet, give it a shot. It's a great way to Shop Savvy!

Savvy Outfit of the Day - $75 (Coach Bag/Frye Boots)

I love when the seasons change here in Music City - especially when it means the cooler temperatures of the fall. Having grown up in California I've become a bit of a coat/jacket addict. It really is my stylists' fault (Stacie & Clinton) because they regularly remind me that jackets are a good layering technique that flatters my particular figure.

Breakdown
Today's outfit is brought to you by Belk's, Rave, shoe outlet, Plato's Closet, eBay and the thrift store. Red Camel denim skirt ($7 Belk's sale), brown tank top ($4 Rave), Orange Old Navy corduroy jacket ($6 thrift store), multi-color knit scarf (FREE due to exchanged clothes), Frye lace-up boots (shoe outlet $15) and my signature Coach hobo ($43 eBay).

Speaking of great deals on new shoes...my girlfriend Melissa called me yesterday to tell me about the shoes she bought for $.01. Yes, you read right, A PENNY! Bless her heart, she even sent me a picture to rub it in show me how cute they are.



Savvy shopper that she is, she used her two $10 coupons at DSW and found these beautiful Franco Sarto peep-toe patent leather shoes with cork wedge detail. Truth is, even at $20 this shoes are a great deal.

SEE I'm not the only one out there who knows how to shop Savvy!

Tips to Shop Savvy at the Mall & Retail Stores

I have to say that since I find such great deals on brand name clothing at the thrift store I have a hard time paying full price for anything so the mall isn't the first place I go for clothing or accessories, but that's not to say that great deals can't be found. With a little Savvy shopping you can great discounts on clothing, body care products, home accessories and more.

Timing is everything.
The best time to shop is always at the end of the season right before the store changes for the next season. Granted the selection isn't always that great but when you are saving anywhere from 50-75% off retail it's worth looking.


My husband started a new job in February and went from khaki-casual to dress pants and shirts, sometimes suits. While I have bought dress pants and suit jackets for my husband at the thrift store, we took a chance and headed to the mall. We ended up with 10 pairs of Kenneth Cole flat front dress pants for $110 from Macy's for my husband. Between the WAY after Christmas sale and a store coupon we got the pants that normally cost $65 a pair for just $11 each.

Try new departments and new brand names
Most of us have different departments, stores or brand names that we gravitate toward, savvy mall shopping is the time to branch out and try something new. If your style is Bohemian Chic and the idea of sifting through the "traditional" clothing from Ralph Lauren or walking the aisles of a store like Coldwater Creek gives you the heebie-jeebies, do it anyway! Even in the most conservative lines there will be a few pieces in each season that are a little more trendy or you might be able to find a great basic pant/skirt that you can add your funkiness to and make it your own.

If your style is Classic Conservative and think that the misses/juniors department or a store like Wet Seal/Forever 21/Rave is too trendy, look anyway. I have found the best plain t-shirts, tank tops and accessories in departments/stores like these, and for much less.

Don't be afraid to ask for a discount.
Shirt missing a button? A seam loose here or there? Ask for a discount. Most sales associates have the power to grant at least 10-20% off. A missing button is an easy fix, even if you don't sew. If there is no extra button, you'll have to decide if buying more will be worth the effort or the cost. Seams are a little more work, but if you can sew, it may be an easy fix. Most stores will even honor a return if you get home and decide that it's not worth the effort.

Coupons, coupons, coupons (if you don't have one, ask).
Stores like Macy's and Kohl's will periodically send or print in the newspaper $10 off of a $25 purchase or a percentage off purchase. While it won't always work on final clearance items or special buys, it's worth checking. Just read the fine print. If you didn't bring a coupon, ask the associate if there is a coupon or special running and if there is, most will one out of their little drawer and help you out.

You can also sign up for a mailing list for free. Bath & Bodyworks and Victoria's Secret send out FREE coupons periodically through the year. Sometimes it's "with any purchase" and if so, I buy the cheapest thing I can find and use.

A recent trip to the mall resulted in a free pair of underwear from VS, a free tube of Cashmere Hand Lotion and a free Peppermint Body Scrub from B&B (I did buy a $3.50 scented oil for our oil burner, but it was something I actually needed). I basically got $24 worth of items for free. These items are great to keep for stocking stuffers or teacher's gifts...well, not the underwear unless you're really, really close friends!

As a note, I don't have a credit card with either store. I'm not a big fan of getting a store credit card for just "10% off your first purchase" and an occasional coupon unless you're the type of person that frequents the store often and pays off the bill immediately. Savvy shopping means not getting into debt but making do with what you have - stylishly, of course!

Shop the Sale Racks and make note of Markdown Days
The first place I make a bee-line for in any store is the sale rack. If it's got a "take an additional % off" I sometimes run...not really...well, sometimes. I did find out through some internet searches that most Targets mark down children's clothing on Tuesday. If there is a particular piece of clothing I've got my eye on, I will wait till Tuesday to check if it's been marked-down. Last year I bought several pairs of Target's Yes jeans (regularly $24) for $3.24 a piece. Sales associates won't always share that information, but there are lots of bloggers out there who make it their mission to know what day items are marked down and are willing to share.

Price Adjustment
Did you know that some retailers will give you money back on a previous purchase? The rule of price adjustment rings true at several retailers. Gap, The Children's Place and many others will allow you one price adjustment usually within 1-2 weeks of purchase. All you need to do is bring in the receipt to the cashier. One of my friends recently told me how she had bought her twin boys matching costumes from the Gap. The next week when at the mall she noticed that they were 75% off. She presented the receipt to the cashier and received a credit on her card for the difference.

Patience and Realistic Consideration.
I'm not saying that you need to have patience to walk around trying on clothes for hours, though that will definitely help! I'm saying that most items we want will eventually go on sale, it's a matter of waiting it out. Granted that means that they may run out of the item, but then the question becomes "How badly do I need this item?" (notice I didn't write "How badly do I WANT this item?").

The truth is that for the most part we here in the western world have A LOT. I would venture to say that many of us have clothes in the closet that we rarely wear. Savvy shopping means self-examining and realistically thinking through what we already have and our shopping habits from the past. Am I someone who is a impulse buyer? If so, is this one of those "type" of things that I have bought before and not used?

If you go to the mall you will most likely find something you want to buy and find a good enough reason to justify buying it. Sometimes those reasons are indeed valid! I'm willing to spending a little extra on a wardrobe staple that I will wear for years versus a trendy/cute item for just a season or two. Weigh your reasoning and walk away if there's any doubt. I have found in my life that no single piece of clothing is worth breaking the budget.

Outfit of the day $23

Remember how in my thrift store shopping tips I said it's good to try on new things? The shirt in today's outfit is a perfect example of that. I've never been to an Arden B. store and this isn't the type of sweater I would pull out from racks, but when I tried it on it seemed to fit so well that I couldn't resist for just $4. Now it's one of my favorites because it's just a little different than the norm.

The Breakdown
Today's outfit is brought to you by the thrift store, Banana Republic, Kohl's and my friend, Jenn. The knit shirt is Arden B. ($4 thrift store), tank top (Rave $4), khaki cords (Banana Republic sale $11), leather brushed gold Nine West shoes ($5 Kohl's sale) and my patent leather red Coach from my friend, Jenn!

If you notice, the pants and shoes are both brand new from the store. I think the cords from Banana Republic were originally $78 and I got them for $11. The Nine West shoes were originally $50 and had literally gone to 90% off and I've actually been quite surprised how neutral they are and how often I end up wearing them. So for those of you who don't care for thrift store shopping and prefer the mall, there are definitely deals to be had. Tomorrow's post will be a few tips for how shop the mall.

Savvy Rock Chic[k] Outfit of the Day - $22

I told you that I use to be cool...I mean, in the music industry. Here's a throw-back to my music industry days. I was being "cool Mom" today, not that the Superstars would think that's different than any other day [cough] but still, it makes me feel fly...ah, ha, ha. Yeah, that's me. Fly Girl.

Anyway.

Today's outfit is compliments of Plato's Closet, the thrift store, the Dollar Tree and my friend Jenn. Yes, the same Jenn that got me those cool Liv crochet surfer boots for my birthday. This purse was a birthday gift too. Well, sorta. We were going through her boxes of purses so I could help her start selling some of them on eBay and she must have been feeling REALLY generous that day because she told me I could pick one out...for my birthday.

I tried to tell her NO because she had gotten me so much stuff already but she just wouldn't hear it. And well, you know, I didn't want to offend her so I HAD to take one...I mean, that's what friends are for, right? This GORGEOUS Coach red patent leather Gallery Tote & matching embossed Skinny Mini just stole my heart and I have been in love with it ever since.

The breakdown.
Love Rocks thermal shirt (FREE from Plato's Closet - I traded in some old clothes!), A. Byer cropped pin-stripe jacket ($8 Parisians' end of season sale), Metro 7 jeans ($4 thrift store), black suede Pelle Moda kitten heel boots ($9 thrift store), crochet red chenille scarf ($1 at Dollar Tree) and my lovely patent leather Coach purse (FREE). Grand total: $22

So I am really going to post more articles on things OTHER THAN clothes, but I do have to get dressed everyday if I want to get out of the house in something other than my bunny slippers & PJ's and I might as well snap a shot and send it out there.

In the meantime, I've been working on an article on how to save money by tinting your windows, a do-it-yourself home improvement project we just finished recently. It's a great way to make horrible builder's-grade windows more energy efficient.

I'm also planning to write some tips on eBay. I've both bought and sold a ton on eBay and it's a GREAT Savvy Suburban Supermom tip. Till then, keep shopping savvy and letting me know about it. Fellow blog-a-holic kristen just told me about her successful savvy thrift store shopping bonanza this week and I'm thinking I might just have to hold a contest to see who can come up with the best thrift store find!