Even though CheapoLife.com is based in the U.S., I have noticed we have quite a few readers in Canada. Our neighbors in the Great White North will be celebrating Victoria Day 2012 on Monday, May 21. Victoria Day is a Canadian public holiday. It is similar to Memorial Day here in the States in that it is part of a long weekend which signifies the beginning of summer. Also like Memorial Day, Canada’s Victoria Day is a great time for sales, deals, and special promotional offers at stores, restaurants, and shopping malls.

Best Buy Canada, Sears Canada, Home Depot Canada, Eaton’s, Future Shop, Jacob, and many other big box stores as well as smaller merchants hold Victoria Day Sales or Long Weekend Sales. Most stores are open regular hours on this day although some retailers, malls, and restaurants have extended hours of operation on Victoria Day. Be sure to check with your favorite merchants for their specific hours and offerings before heading out for the Long Weekend Sales and Victoria Day Sales: May 19-20-21, 2012. Happy shopping, Canada!

If you’re in the market for a new car or truck deal, don’t forget that Memorial Day Weekend is traditionally one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year for new auto sales. 2012 is no exception. Your local Honda, Toyota, Chevy/Buick/Cadillac/GMC, Suzuki, Ford/Lincoln, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Chrysler/Dodge, Jeep, Kia, Infiniti, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Volvo dealers will have large inventories and be ready to deal. Several independent used car dealers will also have big Memorial Day car and truck sales.

In addition to savings of several thousands of dollars on most models, look for offers of free airline tickets and gift cards. 0% financing will once again being offered on some models. Plus extended warranties and discounts on service/maintenance plans.

Because of the “challenging” economy these past few years, most of us have kept our cars and trucks longer than we normally do. The average used vehicle is now over 10 years old. Memorial Day Weekend will be a good time to shop for a replacement. With summer on the way, many people are in a better financial situation today vs years past, so auto dealers are rolling out the sales, discounts, and incentives. Check the 2012 Memorial Day car sales in your local area for the best deals. Happy auto shopping!

Yes, Friday the Thirteenth has now become a promotional “holiday” for various stores and restaurants, Special deals, sales, and menu items are being offered on this day. Because we’re only 4 days away from Tax Day (April 17), some of the Tax Day 2012 deals have already begun and will be continuing this weekend. Be watching for special Friday the 13th sales and promotions, online or while you’re out and around town today!

Easter Monday (the day after Easter) and the next few days are a great time to buy Easter Candy. Hershey, Nestle, Mars, and other major candy companies all create special candy assortments for Easter. You’ve no doubt seen these in the stores. Usually, the candy isn’t anything special, but the packaging makes it unique to Easter. Beginning the day after Easter Sunday, this candy is no longer marketable. It cannot be sold at full price because the packaging is outdated. It cannot be saved and resold the following year because it would become stale long before then. So, this Easter candy is sold very cheap, at a substantial discount.

Many stores offer Easter candy at 50% off, beginning the day after the holiday. In my area, Walmart, Kroger, Target, and Walgreens are good places to search. Readers in other parts of the country have told me the other Kroger family stores also offer discounted holiday candy: Ralphs, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Fry’s, QFC Quality Food Centers, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, and Pay Less Super Markets. Others have mentioned Cub Foods, Rainbow, Albertsons, and the Safeway family stores: Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s and Carrs. Also, try Cashwise, Shopko, CVS, Giant Eagle, and RiteAid, if they have locations in your area.

Basically, 1/2 price Easter candy is likely to show up at any supermarket, drug store, or large discount retailer. You might have to do some searching, but a deal like this is worth it when you can save 50%.

One more thing: if you’re going to take advantage of these after Easter candy deals, do so quickly. The “good stuff” always goes within a few days. Come early and you’ll find Kit Kats, Twix, Snickers, Milky Ways, Reese’s, Three Musketeers, and M&Ms for 50% off. Wait too long and there will be nothing left besides suckers and the goopy glop that nobody wants. If you’re a true CheapoLifer, half the fun is the hunt and finding the deal. Good luck!

If you’re in the market for a new car or truck deal, don’t forget that Presidents Day Weekend is traditionally one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year for new car and truck sales. 2012 is no exception, as evidenced by today’s Sunday newspaper. Doing a quick scan through the Autos section, I see large ads for Honda, Toyota, Chevy, Buick, GMC, Suzuki, Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Kia, Infiniti, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Volvo dealers. Several independent used car dealers are also having big Presidents Day car and truck sales.

In addition to savings of several thousands of dollars on most models, I’m noticing offers of free airline tickets and gift cards. 0% financing is once again being offered on some models. Plus extended warranties and discounts on service/maintenance plans.

Because of the “challenging” economy these past few years, most of us have kept our cars and trucks longer than we normally do. The average used vehicle is now 10 years old. Presidents Day Weekend is a good time to shop for a replacement. This year, many people are in a better financial situation vs years past, so car dealers are rolling out the sales, discounts, and incentives. Check the 2012 Presidents Day car sales in your local area for the best deals. Happy auto shopping!

If you love to take advantage of special holiday sales and deals, you need to know about all the holidays! Everyone knows when Easter Sunday and Memorial Day occur, but what about Grandparents’ Day or Sweetest Day? In today’s difficult economy, stores, shopping malls, and restaurants will use any holiday they can find to hold special sales, promotions, and events. This includes the minor, less popular ones. Sometimes, they even create their own holidays!

Here’s a complete list of 2012 holidays which are celebrated in the United States. If I’ve forgotten one, please let me know via e-mail:

Sunday, January 1, 2012 – New Year’s Day
Monday, January 16, 2012 – Martin Luther King Day aka MLK Day
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 – Belly Laugh Day
Thursday, February 2, 2012 – Groundhog Day
Sunday, February 12, 2012 – Abe Lincoln’s Birthday
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Valentine’s Day
Monday, February 20, 2012 – Presidents Day and George Washington’s Birthday
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 – Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday (New Orleans & Gulf Coast)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 – Leap Year Day
Sunday, March 11, 2012 – Daylight Saving Time Begins
Saturday, March 17, 2012 – St. Patrick’s Day
Sunday, April 1, 2012 – April Fool’s Day
Friday, April 6, 2012 – Good Friday
Sunday, April 8, 2012 – Easter Sunday
Monday, April 9, 2012 – Easter Monday
Sunday, April 22, 2102 – Earth Day
Saturday, May 5, 2012 – Cinco de Mayo (big day for Mexican restaurant deals!)
Sunday, May 13, 2012 – Mother’s Day
Saturday, May 19, 2012 – Armed Forces Day
Sunday, May 27, 2012 – Pentecost
Monday, May 28, 2012 – Memorial Day
Monday, May 28, 2012 – Pentecost Monday
Monday, June 11, 2012 – King Kamehameha Day (Hawaii)
Thursday, June 14, 2012 – Flag Day
Sunday, June 17, 2012 – Father’s Day
Wednesday, July 4, 2012 – Independence Day
Sunday, July 22, 2012 – Parents’ Day
Monday, September 3, 2012 – Labor Day
Sunday, September 9, 2012 – Grandparents’ Day
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 – Patriot Day
Sunday, September 16, 2012 – Stepfamily Day
Monday, September 17, 2012 – Citizenship Day
Friday, September 28, 2012 – Native American Day
Monday, October 8, 2012 – Columbus Day (Native American Day in South Dakota)
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 – Boss’s Day
Saturday, October 20, 2012 – Sweetest Day
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 – Halloween
Sunday, November 4, 2012 – Daylight Saving Time Ends
Sunday, November 11, 2012 – Veterans’ Day
Thursday, November 22, 2012 – Thanksgiving Day
Friday, November 23, 2012 – Black Friday
Monday, November 26, 2012 – Cyber Monday
Friday, December 7, 2012 – Pearl Harbor
Saturday, December 8, 2012 – Hanukkah Begins
Monday, December 24, 2012 – Christmas Eve
Tuesday, December 25, 2012 – Christmas Day
Wednesday, December 26, 2012 – Kwanzaa Begins
Monday, December 31, 2012 – New Year’s Eve

Check your local stores, restaurants, and shopping centers for special sales and events in your area which are held on these holidays. Any holiday is an excuse for a sale and/or for extended holiday hours of operation. CheapoLifers are smart shoppers: we don’t miss ANY of the holiday deals!

Heads up, Florida CheapoLifers: For 3 days only, you pay NO sales tax on clothing, footwear, accessories, and school supplies. The 2011 Florida Sales Tax Holiday takes place Friday, August 12th; Saturday, August 13th; and Sunday, August 14th. During this time, the following items are exempt from both state and local option sales taxes:

- Clothing items, $75 or less
- Shoes/Footwear items, $75 or less
- Certain accessories, $75 or less
- School supplies, $15 or less

Contrary to popular rumor, computers are NOT part of the Florida Tax Free Weekend. Neither are books. Both of these items are included in some other states’ tax holidays. In Florida, however, these items are subject to sales tax as usual.

As per the Florida Department of Revenue’s website: “Clothing” means any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates), intended to be worn on or about the human body. However, “clothing” does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, or sporting equipment.

“School supplies” means pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook filler paper, legal pads, binders, lunch boxes, construction paper, markers, folders, poster board, composition books, poster paper, scissors, cellophane tape, glue, paste, rulers, computer disks, protractors, compasses, and calculators.

Most but not all fashion accessories are tax exempt during the Tax Free Weekend. See store for a complete list of eligible items.

The 2011 Florida Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01AM on Friday, August 12th. It continues throughout all of Saturday, August 13th and ends at 11:59PM on Sunday, August 14th. Depending on your county of residence, this will save you from 6.0-7.5% on clothing, footwear, accessories, and school supplies. Don’t miss this chance for back to school savings!

Are you visiting the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and looking for a place to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Good news: the Mall of America has just about every type of restaurant food imaginable. Bad news: the prices typically range from high to outrageous at many of these eating establishments.

Located directly adjacent to the MOA is IKEA. IKEA is best known for their unique furniture and other household goods. But did you know IKEA also has a restaurant? The food is very good and VERY inexpensive! IKEA figures that if you can be lured into the store with a rock-bottom meal deal, you may leave with $500 worth of home furnishings. Let this work to your advantage!

Recently, I enjoyed 15 Swedish Meatballs with trimmings for just $3.99. On Wednesday nights, you can get a 1/2 rack of Baby Back Ribs with fries and corn bread for only $6.99. The salmon filet with mixed vegetables and potato medallions is another favorite, priced at a low $6.99. Early shoppers love the IKEA Breakfast Plate: Scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes for only 99 cents!

You’ll find IKEA located directly north of the Mall of America. Although not connected to the Mall, it is right next door. You can walk over in a few minutes, eat, then walk back and resume your shopping at the “Mega Mall.” Take the money you saved and use it to buy a souvenir to remember your visit to Minnesota…and the great dining deal you got at IKEA!

Once again this year, several states are having back-to-school sales tax holidays. Typically, this means you pay no sales tax on clothing, footwear, school supplies, even computers in some states. The sales tax holiday only lasts for a few days in most cases, so smart Cheapolifers will know the dates in their states and plan accordingly:

Alabama – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing <$100; computers <$750; classroom supplies <$50; art supplies <$50; books <$30

Alaska – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. None needed since Alaska has no state sales tax.

Arizona – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday for 2011. Sorry!

Arkansas – August 6-7, 2011: Clothing <$100; school supplies

California – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Colorado – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Connecticut – August 21-22-23-24-25-26-27, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$300

Delaware – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. None needed since Delaware has no state sales tax.

District of Columbia (Washington, DC) – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Florida – August 12-13-14, 2011: Clothing, footwear, most accessories <$75; school supplies <$15

Georgia – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Guam – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Hawaii – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Idaho – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Illinois – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Indiana – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Iowa – August 5-6, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$100

Kansas – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Kentucky – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Louisiana – August 5-6, 2011: Up to $2,500 of noncommercial, tangible purchases (excluding vehicles and meals.) This basically means you can buy nearly anything up to $2,500 and pay no sales tax!

Maine – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Maryland – August 14-15-16-17-18-19-20, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$100

Massachusetts – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Michigan – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Micronesia – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Minnesota – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Mississippi – July 29-30, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$100

Missouri – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$100; school supplies <$50; computer software <$350 or less; computers <$3,500

Montana – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. None needed since Montana has no state sales tax.

Nebraska – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Nevada – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

New Hampshire – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. None needed since New Hampshire has no state sales tax.

New Jersey – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

New Mexico – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing <$100; school supplies <$15; computers <$1,000

New York – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

North Carolina – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing <$100; school supplies<$100; instructional materials <$300; sports equipment <$50; computers <$3,500; computer supplies <$250

North Dakota – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Ohio – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Oklahoma – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$100

Oregon – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. None needed since Oregon has no state sales tax.

Pennsylvania – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Puerto Rico – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Rhode Island – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

South Carolina – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing, clothing accessories, footwear, school supplies, computers, printers, printer supplies, computer software, bath wash clothes, bed linens, pillows, bath towels, shower curtains, and bath rugs (No dollar limits!)

South Dakota – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Tennessee – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing, school and art supplies less <$100 per item; computers <$1,500.

Texas – August 19-20-21, 2011: Clothing, footwear, and backpacks <$100

Utah – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Vermont – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Virginia – August 5-6-7, 2011: Clothing/footwear <$100; school supplies <$20

Virgin Islands (U.S.) – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Washington – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

West Virginia – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Wisconsin – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

Wyoming – NO 2011 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. Sorry!

As you can see, most state sales tax holidays will take place during the weekend of August 5th, 6th, and 7th. Many retailers will be having special sales and discounts of their own in conjunction with the tax holiday. Since combined state/local sales tax rates have risen to 8-10% in many areas, this will result in substantial savings for smart shoppers. Make sure you don’t miss out on these 2011 back to school state sales tax holiday savings!