Tips to Keep Spending Under Control This Holiday Season

Charter One Bank, with branches in the Wal-Mart on Route 59, offers the following tips.

This year, if you want to take advantage of the Black Friday deals, you don't even have to get up early on Friday morning. You can just have one or two extra slices of pumkin pie and head out to area retailers just after midnight.  Heck, Wal-Mart is opening its doors at 8 p.m. on Thursday for the shoppers who just can't take another minute of Aunt Martha. For a list of more stores opening early, click here. But, all those great deals can still have a terrible effect on household budgets. So, the folks at Charter One Bank, with a local branch in the Speedway at 701 Independance Blvd, put together the following tips: Build a budget – To manage your holiday spending, an important first step is to create a realistic budget that will help you …

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Shop Thrifty for the Holidays

Keep your gifts budget-friendly by shopping in area thrift and consignment stores.

There are only 42 days until Christmas. Yup, 42. And that is as of Nov. 12. So if you have a big family and you haven't started yet, you need to get going. If your budget is a consideration, we at Patch are ready to help. There are plenty of stores that offer gently-used or even brand-new items that you can get for a bargain. Here is all you need to know about the area stores. Channahon Address: 2108 Plainfield Road Phone number: 815-744-0202 Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. What you should know: The store stocks gently-used kids' clothes, baby supplies and toys. Address: 2372 Plainfield Road Phone number: 815-744-0291 Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday …

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Shop Pink and Benefit Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means a variety of pink products will be hitting the shelves. But, do your pink purchases always go towards the cause?

A wave of pink is flooding stores everywhere, as retailers participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the savvy shopper, it's an opportunity to donate to a good cause while snagging unique, pink-hued items. Here are a few local places offering pink products: But before you plunk down your green for some pink, the nonprofits behind Breast Cancer Awareness Month want you to check the label. Jenna Glazer, director of development for Young Survival Coalition, a global organization dedicated to helping young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, said that buyers should be on the lookout for a label or tag that tells where the money from the purchase goes. "If you walk into Bed Bath & Beyond and see something with a pink ribbon and …

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Say Hello to Neil Trisilla, Patch.com's New Ad Manager

Trisilla, who has extensive expertise in video advertising, covers the towns of Plainfield, Romeoville, Shorewood and Minooka-Channahon.

Wondering how you can run an ad on Patch.com? Neil Trisilla knows. Trisilla’s the new ad salesman for the Plainfield, Romeoville, Shorewood and Minooka-Channahon Patch sites, but he’s not new to the area or the world of advertising. “I chose to come to Patch because I feel it’s changing the way people not only read the news, but interact with both that news and each other,” Trisilla said. “I believe that advertising on Patch is different than anything else because of the people who go to the site, how long they stay on the site, and the local factor.” Trisilla began his career as a national accounts manager for Corporate Organizing and Research Services Inc. in Itasca in 1998, and since then has worked as a sales representative, consultant…

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Around Romeoville

Where to Shop, Part 2: Finding Fashions in Romeoville

Our columnist explores more Romeoville retail options.

This week:  Shop Romeoville, Part Deux. This time, I’m checking out what I like to call “The Big 3:" Walmart, Kohl’s and Target. Interested in picking up some lettuce with your leggings or some potholders with your pants? These are the places to visit. Happy shopping, Romeoville style!

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Around Romeoville

Where to Shop? Finding Fashions in Romeoville

Our columnist takes a look at retail options close to home.

When looking for the latest fashions, why not skip a trip to Oakbrook or Orland and stay in our fair Romeoville? Yes, Romeoville has several spots for clothing along the Weber Road corridor. I took a trip down Weber recently, and while it’s no Rodeo Drive, there are options. This week I will discuss my visits to two spots for women’s clothing:  Discovery Clothing Company and Maurice’s.  Discovery Clothing Company: Discovery is located at 367 S. Weber Road and is a spot for extremely affordable (just about everything’s under $30) clothing for young (or younger-dressing) women. In the past, I have not been a huge fan of Discovery; although the clothes are cheap, there are no dressing rooms in the store, and the store’s return policy requires…

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