Karl Benacci, Features Editor
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This week: bud
Mindy Schwratz. takes a look at merchandise at Value City Department Store.
More college students are now looking tor stores that satisly their taste in style
without paying extra for it.
by Rebecca Weindorf
managing editor
Shopping on a budget can be a real
bummer, especially when you live in
Erie.
Lots of students want variety and
style without paying extra. But do
students actually know where to find
the deals that satisfy their tastes in style
and still keep a few extra bucks for the
weekend?
For this week’s ‘Cheapskates and
Pennypinchers’ series, you’ll find the
ultimate guide to clothes shopping on
a budget in Erie. Take out your
notebook and pencils, ladies and
gentlemen. You won’t find all the stores
at the Millcreek Mall.
a special Beacon series for the budget-minded and cent friendly student
It looks like the campus is full of
budget-savvy shoppers. Students are
seen shopping the aisles at midnight at
Wal-Mart instead of checking out
Abercrombie and fitch’s svelte
shelftops. These are the stores where
students like to shop best - sometimes,
one word was all it took.
“Gabe’s,’’ said Elliott Dean, a fourth
semester Marketing major. Gabe’s
(known as Gabriel's) is located in the
West Erie Plaza at 12 ,h & Pittsburgh
Avenue and offers discount clothing
(think slightly upscale Value City.)
Christy Byers, 04/Elementary
Education, agreed on Gabe’s and added
her own preferences to the list.
“I'll definitely shop at Value City or
Salvation Army,'' Byers said. ‘4 like
fCMnivus
& FUNNIES
Friday, February 7, 2003
eting yo’ Benjamins on clothing
the shirts at Hot Topic, but usually you
can find the same stuff at Value City
for a better price.”
Salvation Army seemed to be a
popular choice among students, but a
few admitted that while the deals are
great, they wouldn’t shop there.
Sometimes the styles can be outdated
and students have to sort through
several items before finding something
they like.
Although there are great money
saving secrets at the mall, students like
Kevin Hall (02/DUS) toured upper
Peach Street to get their deals.
“Usually I’ll shop at Kohl’s because
it’s not very expensive there,” said Hall.
Kevin Schrecengost, an eighth semester
MIS student, decided that the best price
is found through hours of thorough
research.
“I always look for sales,”
Schrecengost said. “But mostly I do
my shopping at the mall.”
Stores like Target and Wal-Mart have
large clothing sections geared at youth,
from middle school through college.
Dusters, flare jeans, fur-lined denim
jackets and stylish accessories grace
their racks at a fraction of the cost. Even
DSW Shoe Warehouse offers a
Burlington-style warehouse with
just...well, shoes.
Actuarial Sciences major Debbie
Schmitt agrees that she can also get
good deals at the mall and neighboring
plaza on Interchange Road.
“I usually shop at Target, but I also
like to check out Wal-Mart and rue2l,”
Schmitt said. “1 probably go shopping
every two to three weeks or so.” (rue2l,
located at the Millcreek Mall, used to
be the Stock Room.)
But what if there really isn’t two
pennies in a pocket to rub together?
Some students, like Andrew Frizzell
(06/COMMU) and Jon Romanelli (02/
ME), both wait for others to buy
clothing for them. At least it’s free,
right?
“I’ll wait until the holidays and my
birthday to get clothes,” Romanelli said.
What some girls really want
The countdown has begun. There
is only one week until the big day
o’love! I have to admit I feel sorry
for the guys. Times have changed
and women spend quite a lot of
money for Valentine’s Day now,
too, but I think the guys suffer the
most from this Hallmark holiday.
For the gentlemen buying for that
certain someone, the pressure is on
for them to be unique, sincere, and
above all romantic. Women aren’t
too difficult to shop for on
Valentine’s Day. You have your
usual choice of flowers, jewelry,
perfume, candy and dinner. All of
those things are nice and the ladies
will sure appreciate it, but what if
the men are sick of the same old
thing? The guy can’t just go up to a
girl and ask her what she wants.
There has to be an element of
surprise.
“I would just like a hug and a
smile, that’s all. A massage would
be nice too,” said second semester
freshman Nina Zinger.
Atheia Mobley said she wouldn’t
mind staying home on Valentine’s
Day, either.
“I guess [1 would like] just a
whole night together. I would just
like to stay in and watch movies and
whatever,” said Mobley, a sixth
semester Communications major.
If that’s too low key then head
down to the Millcreek Mall and buy
some nice soft scented candles and
light them around the room. Instead
of heading to a four-star restaurant
try cooking a meal yourself and
eating it by candlelight. If you can’t
by Lyndsey Boor
staff writer
“That way I don’t have to go shopping.
Actually, everything I have on right
now is free!”
“My sister shops at Salvation Army,
but I like to shop at the mall,” Frizzell
said. “1 also usually ask for clothing
for Christmas or my birthday.
Second semester students Stella Kim
and Evie Johnson both have a variety
of places they like to shop. Johnson
prefers some of the higher-priced
boutiques compared to other stores such
as Rave, which offers stylish party gear
(think lots of skimpy clothes and low
slung jeans with sparkles, rivets,
fringes, and fur) at lower prices.
“Well, I’m not exactly on a budget,
I’m on my father’s,” Johnson said with
a laugh. “My favorite place is Wet Seal,
but 1 also like Old Navy, Gap, and
Fnr more information
All right ladies, let’s admit it. We shop more than men do. And the weather
just isn’t cooperating for a fun jaunt to the mall. So as a treat to our sometime
unexplainable and impulsive buying habits, here are three cool websites that
should fit every female’s budget and style tastes:
www.catchingthebutterflv.com: Do you like vintage...real vintage, that is?
This site is full of clothing under $4O with one of a kind accessories, dresses,
shirts, even home decor. Look closely before you choose: there s both chintzy
and chic-y, so make sure you take advantage of browsing before buying.
Since it’s one of a kind shopping, you can probably figure out the problem:
one size only. Have someone take your measurements (bust, waist and hips
for ladies; shoulder, chest, and waist for men) before browsing.
www dF.LiAs.com: The styles are fun, flirty, and just plain cute. Most of
their spring styles are selling for much cheaper than some local stores at the
Millcreek Mall, so even their regularly priced stuff can help stretch your
college dollars a little bit further. The swimwear is a bit, ah, skimpy, because
you have to be pretty damn small to squeeze into them, and it’s always risky
to order swimwear or lingerie by the Internet (unless you re absolutely sure
of your size.) Wait until summer for the sales at the mall. It will be bunches
cheaper.
La Redoute is a partner company with Lemer New
York (a Lemer charge account will work with this company). This site has
everything: party gear, dresses, shoes, lingerie, outerwear, and swimwear.
Plus, for the career-oriented woman, La Redoute offers plenty of basic suits
and separates in a variety of colors. Think of a suit jacket for $4O or straight
leg slacks for $3O - you can’t get those prices at The Limited. And it is
guaranteed you will need more than one basic black suit - what will you
wear to that second interview?
cook,then set the table instead:
Olive Garden has pickup. Just
remember to get rid of the cartons
before she gets there.
Most girls are suckers for flowers
and they can’t help it. But we do
realize that flower shops rip the
guys off for $24.99 for a dozen
roses. Are they made of gold or
what?
Gentlemen, sometimes just a
single rose or two is more romantic
than a dozen. Buying just a single
rose and laying it on her dinner
plate or sneaking it into her room
and putting it on her pillow will win
her over. If you can’t do the
flowers, go online and make some
paper ones from origami patterns
using different colored paper. My
boyfriend did this for me when he
was still in college and broke, and it
melted my heart. Remember it is
the thought that counts but you have
to be suave about it!
Sometimes humor is the way to a
girl’s heart. There’s a fine line
between humor and being stupid,
but if a guy can pull it off and know
the girl will like, it then go for it!
“Saturday Night Live Best of
Mike Myers DVD. You get to my
heart through humor,” said fourth
semester History major Erin
Welden.
Not all girls want a romantic and
mushy Valentine’s Day. If a girl is a
big sports fan, then a pair of tickets
to a game can be a lot of fun.
“A hug and a smile would be
nice, and tickets to the monster
truck rally too!” Zinger said.
The Erie Otters have games on
Feb. 15 and 16. What could be
better than heading down to Tullio
The Behrend Beacon
Weathervane.”
Kim agrees that those are her favorite
place to shop.
“Gap, Old Navy, and American
Eagle,” she said. “I like Aeropostale
too. But you can find great deals [from
those stores] online, too. That's
definitely where the better deals are.
And I found that there's a larger range
of sizes online - you don’t go into a
store and see size 20s.’
And what good is a budget when you
can’t spend it? Most of the students
had their own transportation, but some
rely on others to help out.. .a little.
“I don’t have a car, but my friends
will usually take me, Kim said.
“Docs my boyfriend’s car count? I
drive around with him, said Johnson.
Arena, sitting next to your girl,
drinking beer, and watching guys
beat each other senseless on the ice?
Nothing says love like a slap shot.
Tickets are only $8 or $lO
depending on where you sit, and
later you can warm each other up il
you get cold!
If you’ve been with a girl for
awhile and you’re looking to spend
the big bucks on jewelry, there are a
couple of things to remember.
Make sure she’s not allergic to gold,
silver, or platinum and know what
she likes. It is possible to pick out
ugly jewelry. If Valentine’s Day
happens to be the big day that you
are proposing, make sure that you
know what kind of diamond she
likes and you don’t need a
microscope to see it. She has to
wear the ring for the rest of her life
so make it good. Living in a
cardboard box for a couple of years
will be worth it!
For those guys who arc buying
something for a crush, remember to
go easy at first. You don't want to
spend $5O to have a girl give you
the “let’s just be friends” line.
Getting a girl a tew flowers and a
card would be good to start off with.
Now some of us don’t have
significant others, but that doesn’t
mean you have to run around
campus in a mask, ripping balloons
and flowers out of people’s hands.
Burning a figure of cupid outside
your building won’t help, either.
Grab some of your single friends
and if you are twenty one, head to
the bars. You can love your beer!
Make Valentine’s Day fun and drink
to the day o’love!
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