Online coupon codes are KEY to shopping on the internet. If a site has a promo code box, chances are there’s somewhere on the net where you can be learning how to get a better deal there.

Image: sxc.hu

And, of course, we all love to shop online; we just want to make sure we are getting as much out of it as possible. And, if so, it’s great timing for tips CouponWinner.com conjured up for us:

• Always compare prices of brands and stores on similar products
• Search for a promotional code/coupon prior to checking out online
• Be open to purchasing different brands for similar products
• Stack coupons whenever possible. Often times you can use Free Shipping AND a sitewide discount to maximize combined savings!
• Stock up to increase your savings. Many coupons will provide an even bigger discount when you buy more.
• Don’t make an in-store purchase without comparing prices online. You can often find the item cheaper online PLUS most retailers offer free shipping.
• Don’t forget to read the details on each coupon. Some offers may include a minimum order size, promotional code, or be exclusive to certain products. Make sure to check the restrictions to ensure that you receive the full discount.

You probably will have to rub your eyes a bit to make sure you aren’t seeing things.

Years ago, I visited Vegas - it was just after I turned 21, and was a semi-broke college student, traveling with a companion who believed that roulette and aimless road trips were the keys to Vegas fun. Clearly, there’s much fun to be had in Vegas, but a great deal of it is while shopping!

Alas. I did not get to experience this. But you might.

For one reader, I am giving away the tools you need to plan your next Vegas Shopping Getaway!

I recently was checking out VisitLasVegas.com and they have it pimped out with so many great shopportunities, I almost had an inappropriate reaction.

One reader will win a $150 Southwest Airlines gift card and $150 American Express pre-paid gift card - perfect to get you started! To have your chance to win, check out the VisitLasVegas link above, and tell me below about your dream shopping vacation experience, if it became a reality. To be eligible to win, you must also choose any three entries here at Shopaholics Daily from the past two weeks and leave a comment. Deadline to enter is June 24. Good luck!

Image: VisitLasVegas.com

One of my favorite movies of the year was Confessions of a Shopaholic - the story of a flat-broke fashion junkie who writes a column on budgetting.

(Gee, I wonder why I’m a fan???)

This movie is beyond self-referential, it’s hilarious and cool, and I think everyone I know who saw it got a kick out of it.
Like, the all-important scarf.
Or the temple of shopping.

This movie is based on Sophie Kinsella’s best selling novels of the same name, about a fashion-loving New Yorker writer who trades frocks for finance and finds love! (Well, with a little drama in between.)

Even if you saw the movie already, you will want to read on, look what you will find on the Blue-Ray and DVD!

Both the Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD Editions of Confessions of a Shopaholic include:

• Bloopers
• Deleted Scenes
• “Stuck with Each Other” Music Video by Shontelle Featuring Akon

Plus, available exclusively on Blu-ray Hi-Def:
• “Accessory” Music Video by Jordan Taylor

• “Takes Time to Love” Music Video by Trey Songz

• Behind the Fashion – A collection of insider peeks at the making of Confessions of aShopaholic, including:

*Wardrobe by Patricia Field - A look inside her studio!
*Temple of Shopping – The inspiration for Rebecca Bloomwood’s fashion wonderland
*The Green Scarf – Learn more about the all-important accessory that drives
Rebecca to take desperate measures!
*New York Fashion Central – A style-centric tour of the home of more shopaholics
per square foot than anywhere else on the planet.
*Sample Sale Madness - The filming of the film’s hilariously chaotic shopping spree.
*Window Shopping - The Shopaholic team brings store windows to life along
shopping mecca Madison Avenue.

To add to the excitement, I am doing a contest - one grand-prize winner will receive the blu-ray of Confessions of a Shopaholic, and two runners-up will each receive a DVD copy. To have your chance to win, please share what makes you a shopaholic. Deadline to enter is June 26!

Image: Click Communications

I spent the weekend visiting a good friend of mine, and like any red-blooded females, we took advantage of Memorial Day sales and went shopping.

Our discovery? Never ever go to a dressing room after eating a huge lunch…all the food will still be in your belly!

The result? NOTHING fit us. Except stuff that resembled maternity dresses.

It was an abysmal abomination, and made me want to give up food forever. (Except I pigged out at a BBQ not five hours later.)

Lesson from this? Clearly, we are all attacked by inner demons while in the dressing room. We may not like what the (maybe faulty) mirror shows us, we may be trying on mis-sized clothing, or we may just be trying on something that’s not the right look for us! Do not add insult to the problem. Avoid shopping when you may be bloated, and try not to go directly after a big meal, or even when you have to use the rest room. Any of these factors may work against you!

Good luck, and may the force be with you.

Image: Sxc.hu

Economic times are tough. In most households, there’s not a lot of extra money for indulgences. However that doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to suffer. With some planning and forethought, your closet can survive a recession. Follow these simple tips to look fabulous on a budget.

Clean Out Your Closet
The first step is to take inventory of what you have. Head to your closet and divide your clothes into several piles.

Keep - These are clothes that you wear regularly.
Fix - These are clothes you’d like to wear but need repairs.
Sell - These are clothes that are in good condition but don’t fit or you don’t like anymore. Sell this clothing on eBay or to a consignment shop.
Donate - Like the sell pile, these clothes are also in good condition. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of selling them, you can donate to the Salvation Army, a women’s shelter or another local charity. Get a receipt for your taxes.
Toss - These are clothes that are so hideous or worn out that no one can use them. Take them to the trash.

Organize your closet in the way that makes sense to you. If you are someone that color coordinates your outfits, sort by color. If you wear suits everyday, put those in the front and your more casual clothes in the rear.

Take Inventory
Once your closet is clean and organized, take inventory of what you have and look for versatile pieces that can work with a multitude of outfits. A silk print blouse can be paired with a suit for work, a mini skirt for a party, or jeans for a casual date.

Some versatile pieces that can be staples in your wardrobe for both the workplace and weekends include:

• Little black dress
• Blue jeans
• Black slacks
• White blouses
• Print tops
• Pencil skirts
• Cardigan sweaters
• Tanks and camisoles
• Ankle boots
• Patent pumps
• Heeled sandals

After your inventory, you should have a good idea how many outfits you can make by mixing and matching your staples. If you have any obvious gaps in your wardrobe, it’s time to go shopping.

Put away a small amount every month into your fashion budget to buy some of the key pieces that you need.

Spend or Splurge?
When shopping on a budget, your first inclination might be to buy cheap. But don’t confuse cheap with inexpensive. Cheap clothes are low quality and probably won’t even last a season. Instead, stick to brands and designers that you know. There are plenty of ways to get name brand fashions at discount prices.

Follow my previous shopping tips on how to look great in 2009 by shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops, as well as online at sample sale sites and discount retailers.

Change Your Look With Accessories
Probably the easiest way to change the look of an outfit is with accessories. A little black dress can go from a business meeting to a cocktail party to the night club, depending on what you wear with it.

By changing your handbags, jewelry and other accessories, you can create multiple outfits from the same basic pieces of clothing. Accessories don’t have to cost you a bundle. Fashion jewelry, knockoff bags and other budget accessories can go a long way.

This post brought to you by redtagcrazy.com where you’ll find one sought-after fashion label at a time up to 80% off. Get an instant $5 to spend on anything you want courtesy of Shopaholics Daily.

Photo credits: Spacey / ElvisFan76 (sxc.hu)

Though you might be looking ahead to spring fashions, right now is the best time to pick up on winter clothes like cashmere apparel. Currently at Neiman Marcus, they are having a sale on many cashmere items including sweaters, dresses, accessories and more.

At up to 70% off, you can get beat these deals. Here are a few of my favorites.

Purple Cashmere Cardigan
This slouchy cardigan features a v-neckline and dolman sleeves. Originally $400, this cardigan is now priced at $120. In addition to florian (purple), it’s also available in charcoal and teal.

Beaded-Neck Cashmere Dress
The little black dress goes luxe in super soft cashmere. This black scoop neckline dress features sparkling beading and long sleeves. You can get it now for $105, marked down from $300.

Cashmere Baseball Sweater
Cute and sporty, this baseball style sweater is available in two color combinations - navy/gray and black/boysenberry. This pure cashmere top is just $92 (originally $265).

Photo credit: Neiman Marcus

For the style conscious in cosmopolitan environs, shopping for a week’s groceries is a choice among evils. Do I fire up the car and burn dino fuels hunting for parking? Grab a cab and award all my shopping discounts to the taxi-driver? Or worse yet, lug out a “metal cage on wheels,” that rusty old granny cart that does no justice to my well-chosen ensemble

Fashionistas, the green-friendly, and health-aware urban dwellers now can all agree. Utilovation has just introduced the Utilo(R) Trolley system, the first ultra-chic, collapsible shopping trolley. Handcrafted in the United States, the Utilo(R) Trolley is the first personal cart that you can tote along to boutiques and a local cafe, and won’t be embarrassed to be seen with.

In a world of cheap wire granny carts, the Utilo(R) Trolley - and luxe price-tag - is a revolution. Made of high-grade aluminum tubes and featuring independently turning front wheels and a cup-holder attachment, the Utilo’s light, sturdy frame is a curvy work of art.

The Utilo Trolley was designed by Colleen Garot, a devotee of “everyday health” with a passion for walking and shopping around her Brentwood LA neighborhood. “I searched stores and the Internet for a trolley that looked good, was big enough for shopping and errands, and was tough enough to do it all,” Garot says. “I kept thinking I would find one. But I never did.”

Image: Utilo Trolley

The state of the economy is on everyone’s minds these days. And for that reason, shopping in 2009 might not seem as fun as it could be. Impulse buying has been taken over by careful budgeting. But that doesn’t mean, you can’t add a few terrific pieces to your wardrobe. Following these helpful shopping tips to have a fashionable year without going broke.

Invest in the Classics

If you have some extra money to spend this year, don’t splurge on trendy items. Instead invest in classic pieces that you will be able to wear season after season. A great pair of black pumps, diamond stud earrings or a classic flap bag are fabulous options that can be versatile staples in your wardrobe for years to come.

Shop the Sample Sale Sites

One of the greatest things about the Internet in the last year or two has been the emergence of sample sale websites. No longer do you have to comb the city streets in New York to take advantage of the deep discounts of sample sales. Now you can do it online. Gilt Groupe and Ideeli are two of my favorites but there are dozens of such websites to choose from. Redtagcrazy is a similar concept, where you can get one deal at a time at up to an 80% discount.

Get a Piggy Bank

Well it doesn’t have to be an actual piggy bank, it can be your bank account, a cookie jar, your mattress or anywhere you can tuck away a little money. Set aside $20 each week and put it in your shopping fund. I know; it doesn’t sound like a lot. But in three months, you’ll have enough to buy a $250 pair of shoes. Sounds better, right?

Head to the Thrift Stores

Thrift stores, consignment shops and estate sales are wonderful places to get discounted merchandise. You can find beautiful vintage jewelry and handbags that are real treasures. I once found a gorgeous ostrich skin handbag at an estate sale for just a few bucks. Similar bags cost well over a thousand dollars. You never know what you are going to find!

Even though you have to be a little more cautious in spending than in years past, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while shopping. Sometimes with bargain hunting, the fun is in the hunt. Keep your eye on the sales, from department stores to garage sales, and you are sure to find some fantastic pieces to enhance to your wardrobe.

^{Photo credit: sxc.hu}

Hi, I’m Kori Ellis and I’ll be joining the lovely Aly Walansky co-blogging here at Shopaholics Daily.

I’m the Beauty & Style Channel Editor, among other things, here at b5media. And I look forward to sharing my shopping tips, suggestions and other ideas with all the rest of the shopaholics out there. I’ll be handling most of the beauty products, while Aly takes on fashion - but we’ll be both be crossing over quite a bit.

Look for a lot of reader giveaways, personal anecdotes and a whole lot of fun.

On this Christmas Eve, I wish you all health, wealth and happiness. Enjoy time with your family and friends.

Happy Shopping!

-Kori

^{Photo credit: Kori Ellis}

As I’m sort of a shopaholic, I’m so so excited to be a part of this blog!

My awesome friend Kori Ellis (B5 Beauty/Style channel editor and author of Shoe Blitz, as well as a zillion other things) shall be co-writing this daily account of all the awesomeness we find in our …. market research…(i.e. shopping incessantly).

For the most part, Kori will be posting here about beauty, and I’ll be posting about fashion - but there’ll be an awesomely fun mix from both of us. If there’s anything in particular you wish to see, please leave comments and send emails!