I will be changing the categories and some of the focus. I thank you for those who still visit and read my entries. I want your opinion and hope that you will add commentary to keep me on my toes!

I really <3 you all. Good day and God Bless

Keeping with the exciting theme of seasonal travel I thought that I would share a few tips that I read in a popular Lifestyle Magazine in reference to dining out while traveling. Although meant for a certain purpose, these tips and tools can be used in your everyday routine. Everything from handy websites, to specific ways to cut cost, I’ve got something that just may save you a pretty penny…or two

Tips and Tools for a Less Expensive Dining Out Experience:

1. Conduct Some Research- do a web search, via your favorite search engine with key words such as coupons or discounts and the brand/subscriber of your choice. Use websites such as Restuarants.com and search by zip code to find deals within the area you choose to dine. Use a user friendly website such as Uranspoon.com to tap into real reviews and recommendations from users in over 70 U.S. cities.
   
2. Wait for Restaurant Week- In major, and some minor cities, local establishments participate in a week packed full of discounts and special deals arranged for some of the top choice eateries around. (make note of upcoming restaurant weeks and locations including website/link info)
   
3. Be Greedy during Lunch Time-Generally the Lunch and Dinner Menus are the same. You can save up to 20% and take part in light cocktails and minimal appetizers during your dinner.
   
4. BYOB- Bring your own bottle, most establishments allow you to bring your own wine. Some will charge a corkage fee, usually less than $15. Another alternative is ordering the house wine which can be as low as $3 per glass.
   

Make sure you call ahead and check on special deals or promotions for dinner parties that the venue may be participating in. Also if you check the listing at the Hotel or B and B your staying at they may have special discounts and coupons tailored to a specific participating venue!

Happy Dining

Key

Have you ever ordered a meal and it end up not being as tantalizing as you’d expect? Why doesn’t it look the way it did when it was advertised on television or on the menu? I know it’s crossed my mind and I’m sure at some point we’ve all experienced it. Whether you were out with colleagues for lunch, a night out for dinner with the family, or rushing to your destination after leaving the drive-thru you’ve come across a badly dressed sandwich!

Everyone should know what they are eating and what effort really goes into preparing the delectable dishes that we see as advertised. Here is a cute little ditty (in this case…video) that will do just that! I would like to give a special shout out to a website called Youtube.com!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUjz_eiIX8k

Keep Shinning,

Key

Some funny pictures I’d like to share…

http://thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

50 Free Things to do in Baltimore, MD… check this link out. If you guys know of other cool websites such as this that cater to your city, please post it in the comment section so that we know your out there!

http://baltimore.org/50-free-things/

Sharing is caring…keep shinning

Here are a few solutions that I came across on my web search as I was looking to buy a bus ticket for my out of town trip. The next time that you’re looking for a solution to your last minute bus travel demands check these websites out…

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a function in my hometown of Baltimore, MD. Not being far from my destination I didn’t look to suffer a great deal in travel expenses. I did however look forward to finding the best deal that money could buy. On my search I came across a website that was recommended by a friend. It’s called BusJunction.com. BusJunction.com combines the cost of your bus ticket along with the travel itinerary for that ticket for different major bus companies. Companies like Boltbus, Megabus, Greyhound, MVP, WashNY, and many more! This site helped me a great deal and of course I wanted to share it with you.

This is just one of the many websites that I came across. Another cool treasure I found was GotoBus.com. This website is unique because it gives insight on the Chinatown Bus Station locations, schedule times, and ticket cost only. Meaning each major Chinatown Bus Company traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast…neat huh? These types of websites are solutions to web friendly users looking to save money by cutting traveling cost with options. These types of web resources are available and are accessible. You can take advantage of special web deals and promotions that companies often organize to create Brand Awareness and Consumer Loyalty. For example, I’ve come across special Advance Day Purchase Tickets that were as low as $5.00 on Greyhound.com. On Megabus.com you can get a fare as low as $1.00 if you purchase the ticket in advance. Depending on the location of your destination the price ranges from $1.00-$24.00 per trip. What better way to say thank you for using our service than providing quality over quantity (price).

Until next time, keep shinning!                                                        

Lately I have been staying in due to the inclement weather that the east coast has been having. I find myself web surfing, looking for different things to do, to get into, and special discounts and deals that maybe available only online. You will find that there are many websites created just for online shoppers. Shoppers who will take the time to browse through a website and signup for their email discount alerts.

I would like to share a few cool websites that I found with exclusive online shopping deals as well as some in-store deals you can take advantage of too! The first site is www.hautelook.com. Here you will find a variety of LUXE, the brands that we know and love. Up to 65%-70%+ off items from brands like Salvatore Ferragamo, William Rast, Nicole Miller, Philosophy, and many more. You can also find information on new fashion lines, household items, jewelry and many other products about to hit the scene. Haute Look has an online community that you must subscribe to in order to be able to take advantage of the special discounted offers they advertise through their email alert system. Everyday there is a new brand added to the sales event. You will generally have a certain amount of time allocated to browse and shop for items from a particular brand. The way it works; you signup through a friend (i.e. me) inviting you, once the registration process is complete you start receiving emails sent to your inbox. The emails tell you which brands are participating in the upcoming sales events, when they begin, and how long you’ll have until the items are no longer for purchase. Once you login you can see other brands that are having sales events in addition to the ones you’ve just received notice of via email. It’s absolutely awesome! HL tracks your orders through their online system. You can contact customer service for any important inquires. Feel free to join through my invite link…oh and I forgot to mention it is FREE to join! Here is the link http://www.hautelook.com/invite/KStew081

Next website I just had to share is www.woot.com. Woot.com has just about any item you could possibly be looking for at an extremely discounted rate. The catch to this website is that there is a different item up for sale every day. It is never the same thing. Woot.com is an online store and community that focused on selling cool items for cheap. It originally started as an employee-store slash market-testing type of place for an electronics distributor. It has now evolved and taken off! The details: a new product is released every morning at 12am central time, seven days a week. If you are not a morning individual look at it as Midnight! If a product sells out during its run, a new item will not appear until the next release time (midnight). You will know if a product is sold out, because the main page says “SOLD OUT” instead of “I want one”. Here is a link to the woot.com FAQ’s page http://woot.com/WhatIsWoot.aspx, there you will find out everything you need to know in order to take part in all the savings!

My last treasure is a really neat and nifty leader in new school marketing/advertising. It is called the “Free Shopping Genie“. In addition to it being a marketing and advertising tool for small business owners, it is used as a discount locator for consumers at the same time…can we say RAD! The way it works; copy the link from a participating subscriber (i.e. local small business owners) and download the ad-ware free toolbar from the host website. Here is a copy of the link that I used to download the genie toolbar
http://www.myshoppinggenie.com/msgdownload/getfreegenie.aspx?key=84900. I have found all sorts of items at more affordable prices using the Shopping Genie verse regular searches. Hair care products, electronic devices, clothes, you name it I’ve found it! It works in conjunction with your normal search engine such as Google, or Yahoo. It helps you compare and save by finding the best online deal for you. It is absolutely free to download, meaning no cost, and doesn’t put your PC in harm’s way of any spyware or ad-ware. I encourage you to spend a moment and try a search and judge for yourself! Once you download the toolbar there is a web tutorial that will open and inform you of the Shopping Genie and all of its features.

Alright stars, as usual tell me what you’re thinking. If you know of any cool websites that are exclusive to the online community share them with myself and others and create a list. Then calculate all the money that you have saved using them. I’m sure you’ll be web surfing for discounts and deals in no time!

Carpe diem, and save big!

Key

Extra’s:

www.piperlime.com, www.nyandcompany.com, www.ideeli.com

Have you ever stumbled upon a group of people standing around outside a shopping center, parking lot, or shopping mall trying to get their hands on the free give-a-ways? Or you and a friend strolling around downtown and out of nowhere these ”PYT’s” approach you with a complimentary (free for you new folks) sample of the newest instant coffee packet on the market or a 15% off coupon to be redeemed at your favorite fast food chain? Even better, you receive an invite into a Shopping Mall Activation where you can win tons of prizes? No you say…well you must get out more!

If you’re only going to go out and about for the good stuff (like me J) and have yet to have had the pleasure of experiencing such an engaging, exciting, and memorable brand experience there is a new website that will help you do just that! Guerillamap.com is what we as consumers have been missing! Within the marketing industry the use of Experiential Marketing campaigns and Special Events to draw in consumers has been inexistence for a little over ten years.  Road shows, Trade Shows, you name it, your favorite brand is there with a team of PYT’s to turn the event into a sure fire star moment! I’ve been in the industry myself for a little over four years now and I haven’t seen a website of its kind before…EVER!

The website is complete with fun, engaging, and informative lingo and links that will keep you on your toes.  The site creators Shaun Blake and ajaniwinston.com have made certain that consumers will get the “goods” they deserve and that the marketing firms who implement these campaigns and events will receive the market research that they aim to get. Guerillamap.com has Google Map features which will assist you with finding the location of these specific, consumer targeted special events. The website provides a brief description of what will be going on at the event site, as well as a whole database of industry resources to take advantage of. It’s ready and accessible especially for those who happen to work within the promotional industry.

I encourage you to visit www.guerillamap.com and see which of your favorite brands is having a promotional event in your area and areas to come, tell em’ the Star Files sent you!

Until next time, Happy Consumerism 

Key