August 2015 - Page 3 of 3

The Early Bird Gets the Good Deal on DealDash

I am similar to most people on DealDash, I think – we all love to shop! And one of the most satisfying shopping experiences that a person can have is to be completely done with all of their Christmas shopping by the end of November.

I was able to do this last year with a little help from DealDash, but this year it’s going to be even easier. I’ll let you guys in on a little secret…Starting Monday August 10^th DealDash is running their “Early Christmas Gift Sale” promotion! It runs all week, and includes discounted bids as well as 2x Highest Bidder time!

Since you have a couple of days until this promotion starts maybe you should start thinking about what your friends and family might like for Christmas this year. I have 2 small kids (and 1 on the way!) so I am pretty in tune with what the infant-to-elementary school age is interested in, and I have been doing my research on the best gifts for this year. Here is a quick run-down of what I think are some of the most entertaining things that your kids or grand kids would love to get as a gift:

Baby to Toddler

Babies and toddlers absolutely LOVE stuffed animals- and even better than plain stuffed animals are ones that sing, talk, and make other noises when you press their buttons. However, my daughter has a few of these from her younger days, and they are still cuddly even though they are basically stuffed robots.

Preschooler

My daughter is now preschool-aged, and some of her favorite things are Minnie Mouse, her kid’s laptop, and her tablet. She also loves outdoor water toys and dolls that she can dress up, too.

Grade K-3

My son falls into this category, and some of his favorite things are robots, radio-controlled (RC) cars & trucks, and of course his bike! He tells me that Doc McStuffins is popular with the girls in his class.

Grade 4-6

Most of the kids in upper elementary grades are growing out of toys by this age, but I can definitely think of a few things they might enjoy, such as a Remote Helicopter/drone, an iTunes gift card, or if you’re feeling really generous an iPad mini would bring a smile to just about any kid’s face!

Hopefully I have given you a few ideas that got you into the gift-giving spirit. All of these things and way more can be found on DealDash, mostly in the Toys, Kids, & Baby section. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

Back to School with DealDash

What three words make kids groan and parents smile? I guess the title kind of gives it away — BACK TO SCHOOL!!

The summer is winding down, and if you have been out shopping at any of the big box retailers lately I’m sure you have seen that they have put up their Back to School displays up. Even though I wasn’t the best student and I wasn’t really that crazy about school I LOVED school supplies. Whenever my parents and I would go into a store in August and see the Back to School displays I would always get excited. New backpack! New calculator! New notebooks with something cute on the front! But what if your little one isn’t so excited about starting school? Here are some tips to get your little one more comfortable with the idea.

For most small kids their biggest source of anxiety is “Will I like my new teacher?” If your child’s school has one, open house or back-to-school night is a great way for your child to meet their new teacher, and maybe even some kids in their new class. If your school doesn’t have an open house night before school starts try to at least find the teacher’s picture on a school website or in a yearbook, so your child can put a name with a face. There are other worries, of course, but this particular one ranks up there as number one.

Another big fear that kids can have before school starts is “Will I make any friends?” If you live in a neighborhood, try taking a walk around the neighborhood after dinner to see if you can find any families outside with kids the same age to chat about school with. Best case scenario they have a child that will be in the same class as your child, but if not, perhaps you can at least secure your child a “bus buddy” to sit with the first day of school.

Now here comes the fun part! Get the class supply list from your child’s school and take a special shopping trip with him/her. Having the right tools will help them feel prepared and ready to learn. While keeping basic items in mind, allow for a couple of splurges like a cool backpack or a cute re-usable lunch bag. These simple extras make going back to school a lot more fun.

If you’ve been on DealDash this week you might have noticed that they are having a Back to School promotion going on right now! The bids are on sale, but the best part is that all auction wins are HALF OFF! Check out the Home & Office category on DealDash for some great school and office supplies. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

1000 free bids go to…

The best photo of the week goes to Dennis R. Scott. Congratulations! You just won 1000 free DealDash bids for posting this great photo of the Omaha Steak Special (valued at $237) that you won for only $3.70!

Here I am with two of my Omaha Steak wins. I won a $100 Omaha Steak Gift Card for just $17.53 plus bids and the Omaha Steak Special worth $237 for just $3.70. I am eating the best steaks for a fraction of the store costs. Thanks DealDash. My stomach thanks you!

Have you collected your free bids for your posting your winning photos to Facebook? If not, you’re missing out on hundreds of free bids and a chance to win 1000 bids awarded weekly for the best photo. Learn about how you can claim your free bids here.

Looking forward to seeing your photos!

Living Healthy: Eating Well, Even on a Budget

Welcome back to DealDash Blog’s Living Healthy series. Today’s blog is all about sharing ideas of how you can eat healthfully, even when you’re on a budget.

Most people have a basic idea of what it means to be a healthy eater – everyone is familiar with the Food Pyramid from elementary school, right? The problem is, sometimes making healthy food choices can really put a strain on your budget, especially if you are feeding a family of four or even more. Luckily, I have some easy strategies for you to try to incorporate into your daily life.

1 – Meal Planning. Strategy number one is really important to staying on budget – when you plan your meals out ahead of time (I like to do a week’s worth at a time) it allows you to buy healthy food in bulk at your local wholesale club and spread the goodness out over multiple meals. For example, if I were to buy the single mixed-greens bag of salad at the local supermarket it would cost me approximately $3, and last my family of four for just one meal. However, if I plan my meals ahead of time and I know that we are going to have salads three nights in the upcoming week I can buy the large box of mixed-greens at the wholesale club for $6 and have enough salad for all three nights. See? I just saved myself $3 by planning ahead.

2- Home Cooking. Strategy number two is really beneficial for both your health and your wallet. If my family of four decided that we would all like to have lasagna and we went to any of the mid-priced Italian restaurants in my area we would spend approximately $60 (I live right outside of Boston, it might be cheaper near you), and in addition to that the lasagna would most likely be made with lots of oil, white pasta, and full-fat cheese. However, if I were to make the exact same meal at home it costs less than $15, and I am able to use fat-free cheese, whole wheat pasta noodles, and even substitute some of the ricotta for cottage cheese. It tastes absolutely delicious, and it’s very healthy as well. In a quest to get my children to eat more veggies I also add mushrooms, diced tomatoes, and zucchini slices (Shhhhh…Don’t tell!)

3- Farmer’s Markets. Strategy number three may or may not work for you depending on where you live. In my area, there is a farmer’s market going on in my town and every small town around me. When you go to the farmer’s market you are getting delicious fruits and veggies that are extremely fresh because they are grown locally. In addition to that, the prices are definitely better than any supermarket around, especially if there are multiple vendors selling the same fruits and veggies. If you want to make your trip to the farmer’s market even healthier, try walking there! The weather is beautiful in August, and the fresh air is great for your body and mind.

I hope this article has encouraged you to try some of my strategies for living healthy on a budget. If you’re interested in getting some items to help you with cooking at home head on over to DealDash. DealDash has food processors, stand mixers, cookware, and plenty of other items that you can use. Check out the Kitchen & Appliances category and I’m sure that you’ll find something that you can use to make you and your family a little bit healthier. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!