Cents sense

Yesterday at the mall someone tried to sell me a nail spa package from Dead Sea Secrets for $35. I think most of you must have had a run in with these people -- they're the ones who want to file your nails and rave about how much your nails shine after they're through with them? Anyway, I politely declined, because I know me -- a $35 product is pretty much going to go to waste because I have about a 3-day attention span when it comes to things like this.

Well, today I was at Target to pick up some things for my trip, and what do I find in the travel-size section? A nail buffer for $0.99, complete with a side to file your nail edge, a second side to remove ridges, a third side to smooth your nails, and the fourth side to shine said nails. I decided to pick it up just for fun and see how it compared to the $35 thing (which, to be fair, included the buffer, some lotion and cuticle oil). Well, I'm here to report -- I can't tell the difference between the $35 nail and the $0.99 nail. So ladies, if you're looking for a nail buffer, try the travel-size aisle at your local Target and skip the Dead Sea Secrets version.

The other thing I figured out today was that women's socks are way more expensive than men's socks. At Target, you can get one pair of women's knee highs for either $2.99 or $3.99, depending on the brand. I'm just looking for basic black socks, but not trouser socks because I want something warmer and less slippery than those for the trip. So I went over to the men's section and found a package of 3 pairs of men's dress socks in basic black for $5.99 -- a savings of $3 to $6 depending on how you look at it.