How to conserve money in a mall

During a recent a four-hour trip to a mall, I spent less than $4 at the peak of the holiday season. Other members of my family hit the sales and the shopping aisles with a bit of holiday fever. But for the most part, we stayed immune to the seasonal shopping bug with a mix of creativity, discipline and self-indulgence. Here's the strategy:

Cash budget - Every member of my family received cash and a personal budget before walking into the mall. Debit, ATM and credit cards were off limits and that strategy created concrete shopping limits for the outing. With a cash-only budget, my children - teenage and tweenage - studied promotions and sales in several stores and made thoughtful purchases. At the end of the day, the children carried fewer packages and more cash than I had expected.

Art and coffee breaks - Malls feature a variety of cultural activities and exhibits. For example, I spent time studying a small gallery of black and white photos in a far corner of the mall. I also walked past seasonal exhibits, concerts and other free entertainment. Finally, after purchasing a cup of flavored gourmet coffee for less than $4, I spent 30 minutes listening to live music, reading and people watching from a comfortable leather chair in one of several sitting areas.

Education - At the mall, Williams-Sonoma, a home specialty store, posted a schedule of free hourlong cooking lessons, and Origins - a cosmetics and skincare chain - offered free mini-facials for shoppers. For gadget lovers, there were free hands-on workshops at the Apple Retail Store. And at Teavana, a sales clerk provided complimentary cups of hot tea and brewing tips. Impressed, my husband purchased several ounces of exotic loose tea from the store.

Stairmaster - Walking clubs are popular in malls around the country. But you don't need to join a formal group to enjoy the benefits of mall exercise. Stairs, hallways and ramps provide opportunities for healthy exercise, and I enjoyed a brisk tour of the mall while the rest of my family shopped.

Shop site • BeeGee Bags

beegeebags.com

The clutch is one of the "it" bags of the season. And that is just what BeeGee Bags specializes in. Their bags come in three sizes: Two long, skinny styles (8 or 9 inches wide by 5 inches tall) and also a taller style (sizes vary, but based on a slightly smaller-width hinged frame). Prices for the hand-stitched bags range from $50 to $98, depending on the materials and size of the bag.

But why BeeGee over something from, say, the mall? Besides the fact that you, the consumer, is getting something beautifully handcrafted and pretty unique, you're helping support a designer directly. BeeGee Bags, founded by Brooke Galardi, usually are made once you place your order (they are shipped within seven business days, the site says), and besides being online, also are available in select boutiques. (Find stores via the Retail Locator on the website.)

What many love about the BeeGee designs are the inspired fabric pairings. Here are two examples of Galardi's gorgeous work (both are Style Two bags; 9 inches by 5 inches):

• Orangina ($92) features a brushed nickel, flat lid clasp and a bold yellow poppy design outside, with a complementary bright magenta silk interior. These colors certainly will cheer you up over a drab winter!

• Mrs. Peacock ($92) is an elegant ivory silk bag embroidered with peacock feathers and a - what else - brilliant peacock blue cotton/silk blend interior, also with a brushed nickel clasp.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

SPLURGE-WORTHY

Dress up your serving table with a silver condiment caddy.

To buy • $98 at Williams Sonoma Home, 1745 South Lindbergh Boulevard

HIGH-LOW

High • Leopard print wallet with coin purse ($95) at Brighton Collectibles, West County Center

Low • Cheetah print wallet ($16) at Icing

DEAL OF THE WEEK

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7 ways to use gift cards wisely

Did you get a stash of gift cards for the holidays? Better use them wisely.

That's become a little easier, because many retailers have eliminated expiration dates and fees that sap the cards' value over time.

The changes come well ahead of proposed rules from the Federal Reserve that wouldn't allow gift cards to expire for five years, among other changes.

Even so, about $5 billion, or about 6 percent, of what Americans spend on gift cards this year won't be used, including what's lost to fees, according to TowerGroup.

It's easy to waste those nifty pieces of plastic. You might forget about them by sticking them in a sock drawer, or you might not spend the full amount. But in this tough economy, every penny counts.

Here's how experts advise wringing out the full value of cards you receive:

Keep it safe • Experts say that as soon as you get a gift card, put it in a safe place. That means stashing it in an envelope reserved just for gift cards. Some say to just put them in your wallet along with the credit cards. "Don't leave them sitting on a desk," said Dudley Blossom, chairman of the marketing department at LIM College, a fashion college in Manhattan.

Maximize the value • Buy discounted merchandise when redeeming a gift card. You also should look for any special discounts from retailers like J.C. Penney specifically for gift-card users.

Use it all up • Riley says it's better to spend beyond the value of the gift card because that will ensure that you used all of it. Many shoppers don't redeem gift cards to their full value - but $3 on a gift card is $3 that's not coming out of your own pocket.

Use on necessities • Want to buy that winter coat but couldn't afford it? Use the gift card toward the big purchase. Gift cards may be free money, but experts say you shouldn't just buy anything, particularly in the difficult economy. "You have to plan what you want to use it for," Blossom said. Gurski said customers getting an all-purpose card such as an American Express gift card should use it on necessities such as groceries.

Exchange with friends • Don't like that particular store? Then get together with friends and swap cards. You can even do it online. CardHub.com, a leading credit card comparison website, just launched a gift card application for Facebook. Its main feature is the Gift Card Wish List, which let users pick favorite stores so friends know what gift cards they'd like. But it also has a gift card exchange, which lets friends post cards they want to buy or sell at a discount.

Sell or swap with strangers • Card-bearing customers can turn to sites like Plasticjungle.com or Swapagift.com to exchange gift cards or even donate them to charity. But there is a price. At Plasticjungle.com, customers can list the gift cards on the site, or just sell the card for cash and get up to 85 percent of the balance. (There's a minimum gift card value of $25.)

Regifting • Regifting is always an option, for birthdays, weddings or more. Or, use it to buy a gift for someone.

The Associated Press