Become a Shoptimist ‘power user’

1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County

2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day

3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys

4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping

5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football

6. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust

7. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen

8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible

9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli

10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area

Rebecca Holland | 981-3138

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Craving more shopping news, tips and deals throughout the week?

That’s what the Shoptimist blog is for on Roanoke.com. I update the blog during the week with coupons, sale notifications and bits of news, some of which never makes it into print.

While the easiest way to stay up to date is to visit often and scroll through, there are a few other tricks to getting the most out of the blog.

I often get questions from readers asking when popular sales will be — lately you’ve all been curious about Elizabeth Arden, Old Navy flip flops and J. Crew Warehouse.

Whenever I find out about sale events I post a new blog entry with the sale dates, times and location. If you’re not able to find the blog post you need easily (they can get buried if there are multiple updates in a week), I suggest searching for the topic in the search bar located in the top right corner of the blog.

This search bar is preferable to a basic Google search or searching on the Roanoke.com home page because it will bring up related blog posts in chronological order. Use simple key words, like “warehouse sale” or a specific brand name, to get the most accurate search results.

It’s common for readers to comment on blog posts that are a year or more old because they’re disappointed they missed an event or because they can no longer sign up for a bargain.

It’s easy to tell if the blog post you’re looking at is relevant by checking the time stamp in the lower right corner. That time stamp will show the date, year and time the entry was originally posted.

I write a new blog post to announce each sale, coupon and event, so if the date isn’t recent, the information has probably expired. Before you head out to a sale be sure to check that time stamp.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check the comments section on blog entries related to the subject (you’ll also find recent comments in the lower right-hand rail). Someone else may have the same question as you and I may have answered it as a comment of my own.

However, for important updates I will make note of the additional information by adding “Updated” to the subject line and highlighting the new information in the blog post. Of course, you can always ask the question yourself in the comments section or send me an email.

I always welcome reader feedback or tips on the blog as well. I can learn just as much from you as you do from me. I find out about a lot of things the same way you do: by scoping out the newspaper ads, the Flyerboard on Roanoke.com and social media. These resources often have sale information and sometimes even coupons. If you catch something I’ve missed please share it on the blog .

Questions for readers

As we head into summer and beyond, I’d love to hear more feedback on the Shoptimist blog and column.

It seems like folks love the sale notifications and coupons, but what else? What’s your favorite feature on the blog, or what subject would you like to read about on future Saturdays in the newspaper?

Call or email me, or leave a comment on the blog. If you’ve never visited the blog, here’s a taste of what’s been highlighted online recently: