Grab Bag Price Detective:

So I just learned that Costco, Sam’s Club, Target and probably other retailers have a code built into their pricing that let’s employees know at a glance if the item is full price, discounted or a final stock that will not be reordered. 

The Costco info comes from a pretty thorough blog on the topic, written by Len Rappaport. Read the article on Costco pricing here and for this 2012 holiday season here.

Here are the highlights:

Items with prices ending in $__._9 are the original price

Items with prices ending in $__,_7 are reduced for clearance

Items with odd price endings like .89, .79 or .49 usually mean Costco got a special deal from the manufacturer and are passing it on to you.

Items with an asterisk (” * “) in the right hand corner of the price tag will on the price sign will not be re-stocked.

Also look for “Manufacturer’s Rebate”, which is often an exclusive deal Costco has negotiated with the manufacturer.

Here are some examples price codes and rebates Len Rappaport found this holiday season at Costco compared to the same items available on Amazon:

This Cuisinart Food Processor has been reduced and will not be reordered.

Selling for $37-$95 on the internet

Price codes at Target:

Items with prices ending in $__._9 are the regular price

Items with prices ending in 8,7,6,5 and 4 are discounted.

If the price ends in a 4, such as $5.94, that signifies that it is the last time an item will be marked down

The small numbers in the top right corner of the price tag indicate the percentage discount you’re getting off of the regular price (for example, if you see “75”, that’s 75% off the regular or original price)

If you see ” * ” it mean these items have more than one location somewhere on the floor, like and endcap.

Grab Bag Egg-ceptional Choices:

So… is there REALLY a good reason to buy free-range eggs? Ummm… ya… looks like there is. Phil Lempert, food editor for NBC’s Today show and creator of the website SupermarketGuru.com, reports on recent testing on free-range eggs:

According to Mother Earth News (motherearthnews.com), testing was carried out on 14 chicken flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens, rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators. They found that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial, “conventional” (i.e., from confined hens) eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene.

In addition to the health benefits for humans, the chickens benefit, too. Many times commercially raised chickens are crowded into small spaces and never see the light of day and are fed a diet that consists of corn, soy or cottonseed with additives. When you buy certified free-range eggs you can support more humane conditions for the chickens, comforted by the knowledge that they have foraged on real pasture, under real sunlight or rain and be assured that their natural diet, which includes green plants, insects and worms, has ensured their nutritional superiority for you the consumer.

Grab Bag Medical Meditation:

Here’s your prescription…. meditate for 12 minutes a day and call me in 20 years…. and you will likely remember.  The good doctors Oz and Rosen from RealAge.com have this to say about the practice of meditation and how it affects memory:

We firmly believe that daily meditation transforms the mind, body, and spirit. It makes grey (and white) matter grow in brain regions that affect learning and mood. Plus, meditation reduces stress and strengthens your cardiovascular system.

New findings add to all that! Seems that people with mild memory loss can prevent the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease by increasing cerebral blood flow, boosting mood, and relieving anxiety, tension, and fatigue with as little as 12 minutes of daily meditation. That helps restore their recall ability and prevents future memory loss.

For those of us who don’t have memory loss yet, meditation has many benefits, including brain health. If you want to give meditation a try, follow this 4-step meditation plan:

1. Set aside 12 minutes a day to meditate, and keep that time in your schedule sacred.
2. Get thee to a quiet place. No cells, no music, no Internet. Turn it all off so you can tune in.
3. Sit in a comfortable position with good posture. Breathe in through your nose slowly for 4 seconds and exhale slowly through an open mouth for as long as you can. Build to 8 seconds.
4. Repeat the breathing rhythm while you let your mind drift. Recognize thoughts as they appear and let them go. Say OM — and OMG, you’ll feel clearer and stronger.

Grab Bag Clever Cuppa’:

Some people are just plain clever. How about this as a an alternative to disposable coffee cups, now probably numbering in the billions in our landfills?

Take a Mason or Bell jar with the two-part lid, and use the collar portion to secure a plastic hot cup spouted lid. Coffee/tea/whatever on the go, with so little waste 🙂 Even feel OK about grabbing a cardboard “hot sleeve” from your local coffee place, or invent one of your own.

Grab Bag Clean Crafter:

From the Queen of Clean and Craft, Martha Stewart, comes this simple recipe that is touted by many to battle water spots and tub grim better than anything you could buy in a store:

Here’s a nontoxic but effective way to clean your tub and shower: Add one teaspoon of liquid soap and several drops of a naturally antibacterial essential oil (such as tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint) to one cup of baking soda. Add just enough water to form a paste, and use it with a sponge or brush to scour bathtub surfaces.

Grab Bag Pumpkin Patch:

In case you want to get a jump on next autumn’s decor, check out these pics from the Arboretum in Dallas, Texas for some inspiration:

Grab Bag Brain Game:

The colored balls float in and out, disappearing behind the target. Track their speed and direction with your mind and click the corresponding ball under the image when you think it is in the bullseye.

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

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