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SUMMERFIELD — So you want to spruce up your home this fall without spending a ton of money? Join the club.

Nancy McKee is here to help.

"When I do design consultations, my philosophy has always been there's not much art or talent involved in helping somebody buy all new things," McKee said. "That's pretty easy if you have the money. I like to use what people have. The things that mean a lot to them."

But if you're also in the hunt for new home accessories, McKee offers that, too.

Her store, Total Bliss, sells home furnishings items such as Beatrice Ball kitchenware and hand-painted wine glasses by Greensboro artists.

She also sells candles, family board games, seasonal decorations, Lampe Berger lamps, chairs, chests, mirrors, wreaths and oil paintings.

"No one really has the storage room or the money to buy all these new things for every season," said McKee, who moved her store from Lake Norman to Summerfield over the Labor Day weekend. "So we show them how they could add new candles, add some ribbon, do something different with their centerpiece or displaying their plates. Small things that make it feel new."

Total Bliss, which shares retail space with Floral Home Decor, is at 4545 U.S. 220 at the intersection with N.C. 150 in the Summerfield Shopping Center.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

You can also print a 20-percent-off coupon good toward anything in the store at www.totalblissonline.com. For more information, call 202-4234.

View a slideshow about Total Bliss.

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If you're thinking about getting new furniture, you might want to check out some of the chairs produced by displaced workers at GTCC's upholstery training class.

They are on sale in a building near GTCC's High Point campus at 901 S. Main St. It's adjacent to USA Pawn.

Store hours are 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

It will also be open 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, although those hours may be temporary.

Proceeds from the sales will go back into the training program, which is called CRAFT, or Combining Resources for Advancement of the Furniture Trade.

The chairs are made by a crew of 18 people who were picked in February for the program.

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Get a discount on clothes if you donate canned food.

Songbirds Consignments, at 2610 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro, is sponsoring a canned food drive through Oct. 3.

All coats, jackets, blazers and shrugs, including real furs, but excluding Chico's brand, will be 10 percent to 75 percent off to those who donate.

The store will also have extra canned goods that shoppers can buy.

Songbirds Consignments has about 300 coats and jackets that will be on sale.

Store hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, call 288-5456 or check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/songbirds.consignments.

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Donate clothes to the Salvation Army and get a 20-percent-off coupon at Stein Mart.

To get the coupon, customers can donate gently-used clothes to any Stein Mart store Thursday through Saturday. Customers can get up to four coupons.

Donated apparel will help replenish The Salvation Army's Thrift and Family Stores.

Maj. Paul Egan of the Salvation Army of Greensboro said the challenging economy has hurt donations. At the same time, the need for donations is continuing to increase, he said.

Egan is also hoping customers will donate some higher-quality clothes for the Salvation Army's newest store, Salvation Army Select, which I featured in an Aug. 30 Savvy Shopper column.

It's opening next month at Lake Jeanette Station, 3610 North Elm St. in Greensboro.

Fine the nearest Stein Mart at www.steinmart.com.

I've also listed locations of area Salvation Army stores on Google Maps at my blog, Bargain Blog.

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A Web site recommended by Consumer Reports helps you avoid falling for those deals that are too good to be true by spelling out what's in the fine print.

In one example, Mouseprint.org scrutinized the fine print concerning Freescore.com's TV ad that says you can get credit scores from three credit bureaus for free.

Well, not exactly.

You must join a trial program for $1, although it's refundable. But you become a dues-paying member unless you cancel after your trial period.

At Mouseprint.org, you can also submit your own tips and sign up for a free e-newsletter.

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Become Web savvy. Check out the Bargain Blog, where you can also sign up to become a fan of the blog's Facebook page.

Also, subscribe to the free, weekly Bargain Bytes e-newsletter at www.news-record.com/bargains.

You can also sign up for my Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/bargainblog.

Contact Mike Fuchs at 373-3465 or michael.fuchs@news-record.com