Okay folks, here is my first video for WalletPop. I was nervous watching it for the first time with my Mom, who I impersonate in the video. But we both liked it. What do you think?
UPDATE: Just wanted to share this amazing coupon story from reader Kristin:
Loved the video. I am trying to get into using coupons more and I signed up on couponmom.com but it’s still a little confusing to me. I am wondering if I should look at other sites. Anyway, I tried this last night. I had two coupons for corn starch and then I saw that the cornstarch was on sale at Ralphs with the club card for $1.99. I asked if they double coupon and they said yes, up to $1.00 and you can use up to two coupons per item but only one gets doubled. So after my coupons and the sale, I ended up getting a $3.99 container of cornstarch for free! It was exhilarating!
im trying to get my husband involved too.
Woot woot! A lot more coupons are coming to BargainBabe.com via a new gig I have blogging for a super duper personal finance site called WalletPop. The coupons will actually appear on WalletPop, but I’ll let you know about them on BargainBabe.com so you can click through to them.
My new gig means I’ll be blogging a bit less on BargainBabe.com, but you can still count on at least three posts a day, Monday through Friday.
My new WalletPop gig launched with a video we made (hence the trip to NYC) about a coupon technique called stacking. I’ll link to it here as soon as it is up (sometime today).
When I told a friend my good news (WalletPop pays nicely) she said:
“How are you going to celebrate?”
“Well I made dinner with a friend…does that count?”
“No. Ask your readers how you should celebrate!”
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I’ve been carrying around a secret stash of $431 for months, maybe even years. And no matter how big my credit card bill gets I can’t seem to use this $431. What’s the story?
The $431 is tied up in gift cards. Am I alone? I doubt it.
So to reduce my gift card stash I’m putting up a challenge to use all my gift cards by the end of the year, especially before I spend out of pocket on holiday gifts. It just doesn’t make sense to spend cash when I have a good deal of money tied up in plastic.
For some reason, I am terrible as using gift cards even though I love to receive them. The last two times I got rid of gift cards (totaling $94, mind you) it was because I gave them to friends who were about to shop at these stores.
Here are the gift cards filling up my wallet:
Anthropologie – $91.04. Should be easy to spend as my and my sisters luuuuv their clothes.
CVS – $12.04. Remember to USE it, Julia!
Dollar Tree – $20. There is one two miles from my house, gosh dang it.
Gelsons – $20. I can’t bring myself to shop at this overpriced grocery store.
J. Crew -$211. Time I start a cashmere sweater collection?
Jo Anns – $4.37. Maybe I’ll gift this to a crafty friend of mine.
Marie Callender’s – $10. I could use this to buy a pie for a holiday party.
Old Navy – $12.46. The clearance rack is calling me.
TJ Maxx – $50. BINGO! TJ Maxx is great for gifts because there is a wide range of items for sale.
As an incentive I’m going to take myself out for a fabulous sushi lunch (so much cheaper than dinner) IF I can find meaningful uses for all the gift cards by the end of the year.
What gift cards do you have in your pocket? How much money is on each? And how LONG have you been trying to spend them? Spill it. There’s no point in being shy – blog comments are anonymous!
Melissa pointed out an important part of coupon clipping that often gets recycled with the Sunday inserts. Buying items for free or cheap, even if you don’t need them, is a good idea because you can donate them to charity.
I am a 2nd generation extreme couponer teaching my kids to do the same.
Let’s remember that stretching our dollars can be used to maximize our giving to those in need. I try to spend an average of $2 per week on food or toiletries. With coupons & sales, I can sometimes fill up a bag. Even if all you can afford is one extra item per shopping trip, it still helps.
For more about how demand on pantries is growing while supplies are declining, see http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/28/local/me-valecon28.
To find out the most needed donations see http://www.jfsla.org/sova/DonateProducts.php
Donating to a food pantry is a great way to help our your neighbors and feel good about yourself! And if you are unable to donate to charity this holiday season, consider contributing to a food pantry instead!
I’m not the only one buying shoes. Despite the recession, sales of heels, boots, and sneakers are doing well as Americans justify sole purchases as necessities.
Cough. My new pink shoes, above, are a necessity? That’s what the NY Times says! Here is their reasoning.
“Most of the shoes being bought today are moderately priced, according to retailers and market researchers,” the story says. “Executives at Macy’s said women’s shoes typically cost half as much as a handbag of similar quality.
“Also, the cost-per-wear of a pair of shoes is far lower than that of a dress or suit, which can only be donned so many times a week before colleagues snicker. And new shoes spruce up old outfits, a cheaper alternative to buying more clothes.”
Other reasons include:
- shopping for shoes is more fun and less-tiring than trying on clothes
- trying on shoes doesn’t make you feel fat!
- buying shoes in bright colors makes you feel happy (pink is an upper!)
- shoes are a quick way to update your wardrobe
- when we’re tired of being frugal, we indulge in one thing we love – shoes, of course!
Thanks, Mom!
If I had a nickel for every coupon site that existed, I would be able to retire. If I had a nickel for every GOOD coupon site, I would come up short at Starbucks. And I drink the cheap stuff.
Here are the coupon sites on my short list.
DealBlabs.com – a new site that has a few added perks, like stats on how likely a particular store is to offer any given promotion. For instance, when I clicked on a Toys R Us coupon, it told me that there was a 71 percent chance the store would offer a coupon code and a 29 percent chance it would offer another type of discount.
I scrolled down past the coupons for Toys R Us and found a more detailed breakdown. DealBlabs believes there is a 14 percent chance the coupon code will be for free shipping, a 57 percent chance there will be a percentage off discount, and a 29 percent chance there will be a dollar off coupon. Another chart listing the days of the week shows when a coupon is most likely to be published or distributed.
The stats are based on info gathered over time. They are a great way to decide if you should hold out for a better coupon or use the one at hand. Either way, you’re making an informed decision. I’d love to see the site share data on what percentage and dollar off coupons are typical. In other words, is a 20 percent off coupon typical for a given retailer or extremely rare?
My other favorite sites for general retail coupons (grocery coupons are another story):
Savings.com – tons great coupons, including many exclusives. The site just launched a new program called DealPros where everyday folks share deals they find. Disclosure: Savings.com was a Frugal Fe$tival sponsor.
RetailMeNot.com - the grandma of online coupon sites still has great deals. The annoying thing is they often don’t tell you the coupon code. Instead you have to click on a link and shop before the code is applied to your checkout.
FreeShipping.org – my go to site for free shipping codes. Expect this site to get busy this holiday season as consumers pressure retailers to offer free shipping as a standard perk. Watch out for handling charges, though!
Where do you go for coupon codes? I’d love to know!
Get $5 off a purchase of $30 or more at CVS with this coupon, good through Nov. 8, 2009. You must be member of CVS’ free loyalty program, called ExtraCare. Excludes alcohol, gift cards, lottery, money orders, prescriptions, postage stamps, pre-paid cards and tobacco products.
Get up to 40 percent off regular price of everything in the store at Eastern Mountain Sports today through Nov. 8, 2009. Cannot be combined with other offers or coupons. Some caveats. Discount does not apply to Merrell, UGG, Patagonia, Thule, and The North Face products; snowboards, boots and bindings; and skis, boots and bindings (discount does apply to cross-country skis, boots and bindings).
Get 4.5 percent cash back on Ugg purchases through eBates and get free shipping on purchases of $90 or more with code EBATES.
Get 2 percent cash back on eBay when you shop through eBates.
Get a free 8″ by 11 ” custom cover book when you buy one from Snapfish by Nov. 6, 2009. Use coupon code FALLBOOKS09. These make great Christmas presents, especially if you have great photos of your children that a relative would enjoy.
Thanks, Tina and Dan!
The unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent, up from 9.8 percent and the highest rate since 1983. Technically the country is no longer in a recession but 15.7 million Americans are out of work, including 190,000 people who lost their job last month, KPCC reports.
“Counting those who have settled for part-time jobs or stopped looking for work, the unemployment rate would be 17.5 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994,” the story says.
Several friends of mine have lost their jobs in the past year and I’m wondering at this point does anybody NOT know someone who has been laid off?
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Yes, it’s true. You can get free Internet access while flying across the country. I used it twice flying to and from New York and now I have a coupon to pass onto you!
Use code 2287680956psc, good through Jan. 7, 2010. The coupon works on Gogo-equipped AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines flights. Not all flights on these airlines have Gogo.
Caveats: the coupon is good for folks who have never used Gogo InFlight before. Use of Gogo requires registration (you set up a username attached to your email).
Did you know you can win a $5 Amazon.com gift card for sharing a deal on BargainBabeLA.com? Suh-weet!! This week the prize goes to AdventureGirl, who has consistently shared some great deals on BargainBabeLA.com.
Sharing a deal takes about 4 minutes, and is as easy as sending an email. Here are the best deals from the past week:
$8 off tickets to see William Shatner as Captain Kirk at Madame Tussauds wax museum, shared by AlliedLive
Get a cut, color and hair treatment at Westfield Topanga for just $79, shared by bargainbabe
Free staged play reading in Topanga on Nov. 22, shared by lucypr
Free bundt cake when you order a 9- or 14-piece flame grilled chicken feast at El Pollo Loco, shared by bargainbabe
Get 30 percent off all regular priced shoes at O’My Sole, shared by bargainbabe
A friend of mine is obsessed with saving water. She has made significant changes to her home and lifestyle over the past few years that have reduced her water usage – and bill – by noticeable amounts. I asked to see a recent water bill and an old one but her water-saving habits pre-date her water bill collection. (She tossed the old bills out.)
This past summer, my friend took her water-saving methods to the next level because she had plans to install a vegetable garden, which would use more water. Her goal was to maintain her current water usage. So far, she’s been successful!
Here are some of the big and small things she does to save H2O.
- Collects water runoff from her garage gutters and angles them into a trash bin. That water feeds her vegetable garden, which feeds her.
- Installed a tankless water heater, which heats water as you use it. (More of an electricity savings.)
- Replaced her clothes washer with a super low-flow, front-loading washer.
- Stopped watering her back lawn for six months until the grass died, then covered it with gravel and pavers, except for a boxed in vegetable garden. Now it has a zen rock-garden feel to it.
- Her main shade trees produce fruit, including oranges and limes.
- She planted herbs like mint, basil, thyme, oregano and rosemary instead of decorative plants. This shaves a few bucks off her grocery bill.
- While the shower heats up she collects the cold water in a bucket and uses it to feed her vegetable garden.
- In the front yard she has rocks, paver stones, and drought resistant plants instead of grass.
Resources for saving water and living sustainably:
PathToFreedom.com – a site written by a family in Pasadena, CA that has turned their property into a working micro-farm. The site is loaded with helpful info and inspirational stories.
Gardeners.com provides a long list of drought-resistant perennials from their readers, including oriental yew, evergreen boxwood, tachys byzantina (lamb’s ear), ornamental grasses, Mexican sage, eucalyptus, lavender, blue catmint, and jacaranda.
Lighterfootstep.com, a site devoted to reducing one’s carbon footprint. I’m digging this story on 30 things you should never compost or recycle.
Related:
A greener way to flush the toilet
Water-wise: bucket, sink or dishwasher?
UPDATE: Reader Janet says she has experimented with drastically reducing her water bill, too!
For kicks my DH and I decided to see how little H2O we could use month to month. The two most extreme things we do is capturing 4-5 gallons of water from each shower per day. This is used to irrigate the backyard plants.
The other thing is to hand wash dishes (yes, I am aware most people save H2O by using a dishwasher). For an entire sink of dishes I start with a cereal bowl full of soapy water and scrub each item. Once all are scrubbed, I fill a large pot with warm water and 1/2 cup of vinegar, I use this as a pre-rinse to dissolve the soap before rinsing under the faucet. All the water is captured and we use less than 2 gallons for the entire load and the dishes are squeeky clean. This water is also used in the backyard.
We have averaged 2- 3 units of water a month this summer!
I bought the shoes! The shoe guy stretched out my pink sole mates in the right foot so they fit much better. Still need a little wearing in, but I think they’ll be just fine.
And yes, I asked for 50 percent off and he couldn’t help me out. Believe me I made my case – gently – more than once. In the end I decided paying $111 (orig $170) for the pair – that’s 40 percent off – was worth it.
However, the entire experience brought up a major spending issue. Here’s what happened.
When the salesman rung me up it was well after noon.
“This is my first sale of the day,” he said.
“You’re kidding,” I said.
“Nope, and it’s like this at the other stores, too.”
“But the entire store is 30 percent off,” I said, pointing to a newly-posted sign.
“I know.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if shoppers have gotten so used to getting 20 or 30 percent off that nothing seems like a deal until the price is at least half off. I mean, even 40 percent off on a pair of shoes I loved wasn’t enough to push me to purchase them on the spot!
Are all the sales and coupons making us desensitized to discounts?
In honor of Veteran’s Day next Wednesday, Nov. 11, I’m going to highlight the best deals and freebies available on that day. The holiday is particularly ripe for bargains so if you are a veteran, take advantage!
At Applebee’s, veteran’s can choose one of six dishes and eat free on Nov. 11. The dishes include a 7-ounce steak, bacon burger, chicken tenders platter, oriental chicken salad, fiesta lime chicken, or three-cheese penne. One of the following proof of ID are required, including U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services, Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), Veterans Organization Card (i.e., American Legion and VFW), photograph of you in uniform, wear your uniform, DD214, or a citation or commendation.
In Chicago, Uno Chicago Grill offers veterans a free personal pizza or entree when you purchase an entree or pizza of equal or greater value.
In northern Virginia, Masala Wok is offereing a free entree on Nov 11th to veterans.
In the midwest, Hy-Vee supermarkets with in-dining services will offer veterans a free breakfast on Nov. 11, 2009. Choose from scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrown casserole, biscuits and gravy and more served with a free small beverage.
In Fairfax, VA, the NRA is sponsoring a free shoot and meal for a limited number of veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 from 6-9 p.m.
In Birmingham, AL Bargain Mom has a list of freebies museums and other deals for veterans.
The Freebie Queen found these freebies:
In Buena Park, CA, veterans and active duty military personnel get into Knott’s Berry Farm free Nov 1-26, 2009
Free Knott’s Berry Farm admission for veterans, active duty military 11/01-11/26/09
In Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg offers free admission for veterans, active military Nov. 6-11, 2009
Free Colonial Williamsburg admission for veterans, active military 11/06-11/11/09
At Sam’s Clubs, disabled vets can get a free Hugo folding cane on Nov. 11, 2009
Free Hugo folding cane for military veterans @ Sam’s Clubs 11/11/09
In Fall River, MA: Get free Battleship Cove admission for veterans, active duty, reservists on Nov. 11, 2009
Free Battleship Cove admission for veterans, active duty, reservists on 11/11/2009
In Ashland, NB: The Strategic Air & Space Museum is free admission for veterans on Nov. 14, 2009
Strategic Air & Space Museum free admission for veterans on 11/14/2009
Slickdeals.net also found these veteran’s deals:
In Chesapeake, VA, Natural Elements Spa & Salon will provide FREE services to Military Veterans on Wednesday Novemeber 11th, 2009 for both active duty and retired military from 10 AM – 3 PM. Veterans interested in FREE services of Elemential Facial, Body Bliss Massage, and Hydrofying Hair must call Natural Elements Spa & Salon for their appointment. (757) 436-1141.
In Greenbay, WI, veterans and their families get into the zoo free on Nov. 11, 1009. For info call (920) 434-7841.
In Scottsdale, AZ veterans can get a one-hour massages in its Student Clinic from Nov. 16 – 21.
Michigan veterans can get free plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery, 2680 Leonard NE, Suite 4, Grand Rapids. This is for any Michigan vet injured while on active duty. The injury must be the type that is treatable with cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. The offer is good only throughout the month of November for scheduling appointments. The actual surgeries will take place sometime after the first of the year, most likely in January.
UCLA Athletics is giving away free tickets (one each) to veterans for the UCLA vs. Washington football game at the Rosebowl in Pasadena, CA on Nov. 7, 2009. Vets can also get a buy-one-get-one free ticket deal.
To get either deal, present valid ID or show up in uniform at the UCLA Central Ticket Office (M-F, 10am-4pm) or at the Rose Bowl on game day (general admission and reserved ticket offers). Two, call the UCLA Central Ticket Office during business hours at (310)UCLA-WIN to purchase tickets over the phone and pick up with valid ID or uniform at the Rose Bowl will-call on game day (reserved tickets only). Three, secure the promotional code from your military organization’s leader and click here to purchase your tickets online (reserved tickets only).
Viva Amore Bridal Salon in Watertown, MA (outside Boston) is giving free bridal gowns to engaged military personnel who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or whose fiances are on active duty, according to The Boston Channel. There are a limited number of gowns and they are given out on a first come first-serve basis.
The gown giveaway takes place from Nov. 10 to Nov. 13. “To qualify, brides must be engaged, on active duty in the military, or have a fiancé on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan,” the story says. Bring military ID, your deployment papers, orders or other qualifying proof. You do not have to live in Boston to
Brides do not have to live in the area to participate. For more info, call Viva Amore at 617-924-4600.
