[EXPIRED] Free Song by Adele [Amazon.com]

Today Amazon is offering a free mp3 download of the song "Someone Like You (Performed Live in Her Home)" by Adele.  This is a live version of the song from her new album 21. (Note: you'll need to sign in to your Amazon account to get the track.) Click here to be directed to the Amazon page.

I don't know how long this song will be available for free so get it while you can!

Happy listening!

More Than Meets the Eye

One thing I like about digital photography is its ability to save a bad picture.  Saving a bad picture is vital if you're trying to sell something on eBay and you're not a pro photographer.  Like many things online, an attractive picture can the ticket that gets someone to click on your auction.

Rather than taking expensive photography lessons or Photoshop classes, save money by utilizing free online resources to help improve your photo-taking and -editing abilities.  I like the photo-taking tips here from Disney of ~Ruffles and Stuff~.  And here are some super helpful instructions on how to improve your photos using Photoshop—including before and after shots—from professional Mike Loveland of Ollibird.com.

Here's an example of saving a bad picture.  My house doesn't get much natural light, so taking a decent picture without flash is tricky.  Observe this pic of a cute desk calendar I got (for free!), taken without flash:

Pitiful.

But with a little adjusting of the curves in Photoshop, presto change-o!

So much better.  (I didn't even add the gray shadows around the edges...)

Side-by-side comparisons:

 

The saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover," but when a buyer is online a picture may be all they have to go on.  Make sure it leaves a good impression.

Outwit the Thrift Stores [Salvation Army: San Bruno]

If you want to buy quality clothes at absurdly low prices, you put yourself at a HUGE advantage if you know more high-end brands than the employees who price merchandise at thrift stores.  Especially when the store has a special sale, like 50% off everything except red-tag items.

Case in point: on a recent trip to the Salvation Army store in San Bruno (about 30 minutes from SF), here's some of the loot I found:

 

Element girl's t-shirt (new with tags!)

Current retail: $20.00

SA: $2.99 on sale for $1.50

Savings: $18.50 =  93% off!

Lucky brand jeans

Current retail: $79.50+

SA: $5.99 on sale for $3.00

Savings:  $76.50 = 96% off!

Chip & Pepper jeans

 Current retail: $150+

SA: $5.99 on sale for $3.00

 Savings: $147 = 98% off!

 

Theory blazer

Current retail: $375

SA: $5.99 on sale for $3.00

 Savings: $372 = 99% off!

(This was SUCH an amazing bargain that I had to buy it for resale.)

See, if you only know the same department store/name brands as the Salvation Army employees, then you really have to do the math to know if something is a steal or not:

Banana Republic 100% extra fine merino wool sweater

Current retail: $69.50+

SA: $15.50 (red tags not on sale)

 Savings: $54 = 78% off

(found in the women's section, although it was clearly a men's S...)

If only I had a smart phone and could look up these things while shopping...

[EXPIRED] 14 Free Songs for Download [Amazon.com]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Downloading free music (legally) is one of my tried-and-true methods of keeping my iPod fresh with new tunes without doling out the cash.  So I'm happy to share that Amazon is offering a free Valentine's Day playlist of 14 songs for download!

Song Title Artist Album Time Price  1. No One's Gonna Love You Band Of Horses Cease to Begin 3:37 FREE   2. When U Love Somebody (Album) Fruit Bats Mouthfuls 4:31 FREE   3. Valentine's Day Matt White Valentine's Day 3:13 FREE   4. You And I Secondhand Serenade Hear Me Now [+Digital Booklet] 3:37 FREE   5. L.O.V. Fitz & The Tantrums Pickin' Up The Pieces 3:39 FREE   6. One Time For Love Ginuwine A Man's Thoughts 4:38 FREE   7. It's Your Love Cherryholmes Cherryholmes IV: Common Threads 4:02 FREE   8. You Don't Know Me Anna Wilson You Don't Know Me 4:50 FREE   9. Believe Brian Courtney Wilson Just Love 5:48 FREE 10. I Will Be Waiting Daphne Willis Music Frequencies 1: Digital 45 2:47 FREE 11. God Gave Me You Dave Barnes What We Want, What We Get 3:49 FREE 12. Next To Me Civil Twilight Civil Twilight 3:34 FREE 13. Everybody Needs Love Drive-By Truckers Everybody Needs Love 4:36 FREE 14. Love Let Me In Again Kelley Stoltz To Dreamers 3:12 FREE

Sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc or SONY Music Entertainment Downloads LLC . Additional taxes may apply . By placing your order, you agree to our Terms of Use.

Hope you have a wonderful day enjoying these free songs with someone you love!

image credit: .Uvitra.

Diamond in the (Ross) Rough [Ross: San Francisco, Geary St.]

Last week I decided on a whim to pop into Ross.  I'm the first to admit that the quality of merchandise and overall ambiance at almost every Ross store leaves much to be desired, but that day I found a diamond in the rough: this cute studded drawstring hobo bag on clearance for just $5.49!
 

 

It's fairly roomy without being too large, has a bunch of handy pockets, and passed my weight-distribution test.  (Before I buy a purse, I like to dump my own purse's contents into the contender to make sure it won't feel too heavy if I end up buying it.  I had to learn this the hard way; it's crazy how heavy my everyday items feel after being carried for just 15 minutes in a purse with bad strap support.)

I was pleasantly surprised to find my new bag still on the Kohl's website:

Apt. 9 Studded Drawstring Hobo

Kohl's, $33.60

I'd like to switch up my purses more but I'm too lazy to move all my stuff from one purse to another every other day.  So I just settle on having one everyday purse that (hopefully) goes with any outfit.  I'll probably keep this purse in storage in preparation for the day when my current everyday bag wears out.

My First Taste of Thrift [Thrift Town: San Francisco]

As my first post, I'd like to share about my first real taste of the thrill of thrifting.  I had first heard about Thrift Town from ReceshBreak back in 2009, but I didn't get a chance to visit until fall 2010 when I convinced le bf to make the trek to the Mission.  Up to this point the only used items I'd ever bought were CDs and books (the treasures of which could be posts of their own). 

To be honest, Thrift Town didn't live up to its hype but I did manage to score this white H&M jacket for just $2.99!  No stains, all zippers and buttons functioning, 100% cotton, machine washable.

 

 

I wasn't able to find info on my particular jacket online, but here is a similar style (new arrival at Old Navy) that costs $39.50 retail:

I think my H&M jacket was priced so low at Thrift Town because the red tag doesn't say "H&M" on it, so whoever priced it probably didn't recognize it. It pays to know your clothing labels!

And thus, I was convinced of that it is possible to thrift (well) in SF...