Holiday Shopping: Spending Limits For Kids’ Presents?

How much is too much to spend on children and teens? We want to hear your thoughts, Lake Zurich!

As the holiday shopping season goes into full swing, some people are maxing out their credit cards to pay for presents and others are setting budgets and sticking with them. Scour just about any Facebook stream or stop in a local coffee shop and chances are you’ll hear parents debating the merits of setting spending limits. Or, you'll hear them lamenting about just how much they've already spent. The ideas for a perfect limit do seem to vary rather greatly. Some parents say $100 per child is more than enough. Others tend to lean toward much more generous figures. After all, there’s nothing like seeing a child’s eyes light up as they unwrap gift after gift. And that’s what we want to hear from you about, Lake Zurich! Do you set spending …

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Cyber Monday: Finding Deals From Your Lake Zurich Home

Are you gearing up to let your fingers do the walking on Cyber Monday?

Lake Zurich residents who didn’t want to brave the crowds on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday still have one more big chance to save courtesy of Cyber Monday. Similar to the two other major shopping events, Cyber Monday differs in that consumers don’t have to leave the comfort of their own homes (or offices) to take advantage of some pretty big pre-holiday deals. All the bargains laid out for Cyber Monday are for online shoppers only. So how can you find the best deals online this Cyber Monday? While most major retailers that have an online presence aren’t tipping their hats on their online deals just yet, many have splash pages set up that they're inviting shoppers to bookmark in advance of the Nov. 26 shopping holiday. Here are …

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Shop Local on Small Business Saturday

Just what is Small Business Saturday and why should you support it in Lake Zurich?

Big name national retailers take the spotlight on Black Friday as their deep price cuts pull in shoppers in droves. What about those mom-and-pop businesses all over Lake Zurich and beyond that are the backbone of America’s economy? Just when do they get their day? That’s basically the question that was asked back in 2010 when the concept of Small Business Saturday was born. Small Business Saturday is “a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities,” the U.S. Small Business Administration explains on its website. American Express gets the credit for founding the shopping holiday, which got its official start on Nov. 27, 2010, according to the Small Business Saturday Facebook page. Celebrating its third…

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How to Track Down the Hottest Toys

Tips for getting the presents they want without having to hoof it from Lake Zurich to the North Pole.

Santa’s awesome, but he doesn’t always deliver the hottest toys of the season on demand to Lake Zurich, no matter how nicely we ask. If the kids – or wannabe kids – in your life happen to have their hearts set on presents that are hard to come by, it can be torturous running from store to store only to find what they really want just isn’t available. Whether your little girl has her sights on the latest Lalaloopsy, your son wants a Hot Wheels R/C Terrain Twister or that “big baby” in your life is yearning for a copy of Halo 4, here are some ideas on how to track down what’s in demand without putting miles and miles on your vehicle in the process: Tips for Shopping in Town If you hate ordering online and love the gratification of being able…

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Black Friday: Must-Shop Locations in Lake Zurich

What are your favorite stores in and near Lake Zurich to visit bright and early the morning after Thanksgiving?

The holiday shopping season kicks off in a big way this week when retailers in and near Lake Zurich officially celebrate Black Friday. That fabled day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest sales days of the year for many stores – both national, big box chains and local retailers. It’s also one of the best days to save on items big and small as retailers pull out the stops to offer amazing deals to get customers in their doors. The latter is exactly why we want to help Lake Zurich Patch readers map out a Black Friday game plan. But to do that, we need your help. What are your “must-shop” Black Friday destinations in the Lake Zurich area? What are some of the best deals you’ve come across so far? Share your preferences and savings finds …

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Is Black Friday Shopping For You?

When people start lining up late Thanksgiving night to take advantage of door-buster deals in the wee hours Friday morning, will you be there?

Love it or hate it, Black Friday is the super bowl of shopping. And with its arrival only mere days away, Lake Zurich is abuzz with people talking about the potential savings stores big and small have to offer. Some people create their own Black Friday “game plans” on what stores to hit and when after they've poured over the announced bargains various retailers have to offer. There are those so keen on saving they set alarms to wake them up in the wee hours of the night. These folks line up early and some even camp out all night to be able to scoop up the deals they’re after. Are you one of those shoppers? Do you do Black Friday or do you prefer to stay as far away from stores on the day after Thanksgiving as possible?

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Frugal Family

Shakes, Pizza, Movie Tickets, Free Meals, More ...

If you've got a deal people should know about, share it here.

We're all watching our family budget these days.  Whether shopping with coupons or  looking for two one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars. This column will be dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family's bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together. This week Frugal Family scoured our local sources to come up with great deals. Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions:

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Frugal Family

Home Gym Equipment, Powerade, Free Play Day, More ...

April Showers Bring Clearance Rain Boots

We're all watching our family budgets these days. Whether shopping with coupons or looking for the two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars. This column is dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family's bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money. You are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen.  Just add them to our comment box. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together. This week Frugal Family scoured our local sources to come up with these great deals.  Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions.

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Frugal Family

Deals on Palm Trees, Bananas, Chicken, More ...

Check out this week's deals offered in the area.

We're all watching our family budgets these days.  Whether shopping with coupons or looking for the two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars. This column is dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family's bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money. You are a big part of this column.  Let us hear about the deals you've seen.  Just add them to our comment box. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together. This week Frugal Family scoured our local sources to come up with these great deals.  Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions. 1. Home Depot — Majesty …