Trading Up Downtown

I love a good deal, especially when it comes to fashion! I frequently shop at Target, Old Navy, and other chain stores, but sometimes I want something a little different. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to find deals on name brands and designer labels at a fraction of the price, so I also visit consignment shops from time-to-time.

Consignments store shopping is actually pretty trendy now-a-days. I see new shops popping up all over the place– even in “high fashion” locations like Newbury Street in Boston. In this economy it’s no surprise that these stores are doing so well!

Since Trading Up Downtown is all about saving money (and looking good while doing it! ), I thought it would be fun to have a consignment store shopping series on the blog. Be sure to check back over the next few weeks for tips, tricks, and other info for strategically shopping at consignment stores.

Good morning!

I love meals that include a little bit of everything– lots of different flavors, tastes, and textures. It makes the meal interesting and the combination of foods is soooo satisfying. I swear these types of meals keep me full for hours and hours.

My breakfast this morning included lots of foods: an egg, yogurt, toast with peanut butter, and watermelon. Having so many different foods also gives me an opportunity to share their NuVal scores, so here goes!

Eggland’s Best Egg (NuVal score 44) + Stonyfield Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt (NuVal score: 29)

Watermelon (NuVal score: 94) + Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins (NuVal score: 37) with Teddie Smooth UnSalted Peanut Butter (NuVal score: 49)

I also drank some iced coffee with Edensoy Soymilk Original (NuVal score: 82).

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Feel free to include some NuVal scores!

I love coupons. I obsessively collect, organize, and use them, and I almost never leave the grocery store without using at least one.

Part of my coupon game is finding the best deals around town. I recently read about a new website called CouponMap.com that displays local coupons on a map. You can find local gas prices, restaurant deals, and printable coupons on it. Just enter your address, zip code, or a landmark on the site to see the coupons and offers from merchants in your neighborhood.

When I entered my zip code into CouponMap.com, I found 10 coupons/deals right in my neighborhood. When I searched my whole town, I found nearly 100 coupons for electronics and flowers to pet supplies and restaurants. It’s a pretty cool website!

Where you do find your coupons?