Here are all the deals I shared on WalletPop.com today!
Oatmeal breakfasts are just $1 at Jamba Juice through Dec. 11, 2009 with a coupon you can get here.
Restaurant gift certificates are 70 percent off through Dec. 8, 2009 at Restaurant.com. Get the code here.
Here are 7 tips to get the best values this holiday season.
More coming this afternoon so check back!
My self-imposed gift card challenge – spend all 9 of my cards worth $431 before the new year – is not going so well. One down, eight to go. Here are my plans:
Anthropologie – $91.04. Should be easy to spend as me and my sisters luuuuv their clothes. I just need to make time to shop!
CVS – $12.04. I’m going to use this for a gift basket for one of my sisters. Through Tuesday there are some great deals at CVS, including:
- Essence of Beauty Bath and Body $4.99; Earn 4 ECBs Limit 2, Pay $0.99 each after ECBs
- Revlon Cosmetics or Beauty Tools (psa $1.99); Spend $15 Earn 7 ECBs Limit 1, Use $2/1 coupon from the 11/15 SS insert or $1/1 Beauty Tool from the 11/15 SS insert, Free after coupon
- Neosporin Lip Health $5.49, Use $2.50 off CVS Clip-Free coupon, Use $3/1 Printable HERE (IE) or HERE (FF), FREE after coupons
Dollar Tree – $20. There is one two miles from my house, gosh dang it. Perhaps I’ll use it to buy new holiday decorations.
SPENT! Gelsons – $20. I can’t bring myself to shop at this overpriced grocery store, so I gave the card to a friend to buy groceries for a turkey dinner we cooked. She bought a sweet potato pie, which we have yet to eat.
J. Crew -$211. I’d love a new pair of chords or maybe a cashmere sweater.
Jo Anns – $4.37. I’m going to add money to this card and gift it 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.
Meanwhile, I acquired a $5 Starbucks gift card, but I don’t think I’ll have any trouble using it. Hmmm, lattes.
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Time for a refresher on how and where to get discounted gift cards.
At PlasticJungle.com you can buy gift cards others have sold to the site for anywhere from 5-40 percent off. Look for cards from mainstream retailers like Sears, Gymboree, Kmart, and lots more. They guarantee all the cards they sell. Once you register on the site, you can sign up to receive an email when a gift card you want becomes available. That’s pretty cool.
GiftCardRescue.com is another great site to buy discounted gift cards. Expect to see cards mainstream retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond, L.L. Bean, and Victoria’s Secret. You can also sell a gift card you have or exchange it for another on this page.
GiftCardBuyBack.com is a sister site to GiftCardsAgain.com. Sell your unwanted cards on the first one, buy discounted gift cards on the second one.
If you are a Costco you can get discounted gift cards to spas, restaurants, theme parks, gyms, movie theaters and more. The selection varies and some cards sell out (like Starbucks last year). For instance, a $50 iTunes gift card is $47. See all the discounted gift cards at Costco.
I’m kicking off another reader giveaway and email subscriber drive with three great prizes. To be eligible to win, just sign up for my weekly or daily email list. If you are already receiving my emails, you do not need to do anything because you are already eligible.
If I am in your RSS reader, you are not eligible. You must be on the email list to win!
Grand prize: a $150 flip camera courtesy of Savings.com. Puuuurfect for a Christmas present for a teenager or person who wants to make quick videos on the fly. These cameras are so easy to use you don’t even have to read the manual!
Second prize: $132 worth of Julie Hewett make up, an up-and-coming line out of Los Angeles that is really high quality. The kit includes camellia balm for your lips, face, and hands ($20), cheekie cheek and lip shine ($24), four-color twilight eye palette ($40), bijou lipstick in biba ($20), and a chubby cheek brush ($28). The make up is stylishly packaged so it also makes a great gift!
Third prize: a hot pink BargainBabe.com T-shirt in men’s and women’s sizes ($15).
The contest ends Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Winners will be announced on the blog and prizes mailed in time for Christmas delivery!
The gift card bonuses are pouring in, thanks to readers on WalletPop.com. Check out the perks you can get by buying gift cards.
I rounded up a long list of six freebies, including a free tote bag, MP3 downloads, movie rentals, and more!
Get one free holiday postcard, thanks to Google. I sent mine to my Mom.
Low-budget super chic retailer Charlotte Russe has BOGO 50 percent offers on jeans, sweaters and sale items.
Check out all the deals I’ve blogged about on WalletPop.
The commenting competition to win my review copy of How to Survive (and perhaps thrive) on a Teacher’s Salary was HOT with 31 comments the last time I checked.
Secondhand Shopaholic said:
I like how he gives actual specific things you can do i.e. the exact amount of $$ they wanted to live on, so they started an account. Very inspirational. I would love, and use, this book. It’s all about choices….
Tamara has a true need for the book:
This is something I *need* my sister, and most of my close friends are teachers. I am not, but I do work for a non-profit, so my salary is even lower. I am looking for real tips on how to save, pay off my car, and still be able to do some things for fun. This sounds like it is right up my alley.
In the end I picked Kathy as the winner because of how many people she plans to share the book with:
I am always intrigued by how people manage their money. It seems that no matter how much I make, I live week to week. I am a school librarian at a Christian school, I know my co-workers work because they love to teach. I would love to have this book in my library for them to read!
If you didn’t win, check back next Tuesday for another book review and giveaway contest. Or, buy this book from Amazon for $10. Purchasing a copy supports BargainBabe.com!
Here are today’s deals on my WalletPop blog.
Gift card bonuses are leading more shoppers to buy. Yes, getting a kick back does wonders.
Nab a free tote bag from Aveeno, while supplies last.
Sears 15 percent off VIP sale is coming this Sunday.
Save $100 off a 3-night hotel booking on Travelocity.
Lastly, get 30 percent off at Borders plus a $5 gift card.
See all the deals on my WalletPop blog.
Here are some of the best deals on BargainBabeLA.com this week! The Unethical Man wins this week’s $5 Amazon gift card for sharing so many deals. NEXT WEEK THE PRIZE IS A $15 ITUNES GIFT CARD!!!!
To win, share as many great deals in your neighborhood as you can find. The person who shares the best deals wins!
Can you beat these grocery prices? I doubt it! Shared by bargainbabe.
Frozen Tina’s Burritos are 6/$1 at Superior Grocers this week, shared by The Unethical Man
Get 50 percent off Clippers games and other discounts by riding Metro, shared by AdventureGirl
Local artists showcase holiday gifts at the California Market Center this weekend, shared by AdventureGirl
United flight sale from LA, OC, SD, and Vegas, shared by bargainbabe
Little Yiye/Flickr
There’s a new way to make money from old textbooks. Use Amazon’s new trade-in program
First you find your book or DVD on the trade-in site, which I linked to above. When I searched for “chemistry” the program found 1,295 results with trade-in values from $.90 to $77. You can also search by ISBN number.
If Amazon accepts your book in their trade-in program (make sure the ISBN number matches exactly), print out a shipping label, which Amazon pays for. When Amazon receives the book, it verifies it matches what you said it was, then the company drops an Amazon.com gift card into your account. Voila! Cash for next semester’s books.
Related:
Tips to save on college textbooks
15 places to get free books online
If you saw me on Good Morning America this morning, thanks for checking out BargainBabe.com! We help you save money on everyday expenses like groceries, gasoline, and household bills – because the little things add up!
In the past I’ve written about money morality – who should pay for a weekend trip with friends?
Frugal cooking recipes also came up recently.
And in case you haven’t finished your holiday shopping – who are we kidding, I haven’t even started mine! – the BargainBabe.com gift guide has tons of neat presents.
If you like what you see, sign up for my daily or weekly email list here. Sign up by Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST and you are automatically entered to win a $150 flip camera, $132 worth of Julie Hewett make up, or a hot pink BargainBabe.com T-shirt. The giveaway is just one way I thank my readers for being part of BargainBabe.com.
If you missed the clip, watch it here!
Woa! Macy’s Friends and Family sale starts today! Get the 25 percent off coupon here.
Shortcuts.com just re-loaded their site with $50 worth of coupons that you can access here.
The free movie rental code for Redbox is posted here.
Coming later today on my WalletPop blog: Coffee Bean, CVS, Container Store, and more retailers are offering bonus gift cards when you buy one – like an extra $5 when you buy a $25 gift card. Check out all the deals here.
The money-saving folks at Savings.com handpicked these deals for us this week. Enjoy!
Free shipping on orders of $100 or more at Nordstrom. See more Nordstrom coupons. Expires Dec. 20, 2009.
15% off any one item at Barnes & Noble. See more Barnes & Noble coupons. Expires Dec. 9, 2009.
10 off $100 or more at Babies R Us. See more Babies R Us coupons. Expires Jan. 1, 2010.
$10 Off $60 or more at Abe’s of Maine. See more Abe’s of Maine coupons. Expires DEc. 31, 2009.
40% off hotels and $100 off vacation packages with your AmEx at Travelocity. See more Travelocity coupons. Expires Dec. 31, 2009.
I shared some really great deals on my WalletPop blog today!
Zappos offers free overnight shipping for life, buy you have to sign up today
Merry Christmas! Amazon is giving away 25 free MP3s to get you in the holiday mood.
Plus, get a code for a free rental from Redbox and new coupons from Shortcuts.com worth $50. (Those last two are going to be published soon so check back my Wallet Pop blog this afternoon.
Talk about concise. Danny Kofke’s How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher’s Salary
Kofke’s basic philosophy towards money – be sensible – is one I like. He spends a reasonable amount of time crunching the numbers so he can live comfortably within his means and reach his financial goals, thereby providing peace of mind and security. Here’s how he starts Chapter 3.
Upon arriving in Poland, Tracy and I decided how much money we wanted to have when we returned to the States. Now a lot of people do not plan ahead, and thus, wind up living paycheck to paycheck. We knew that we would be moving back home in two years and decided that $20,000 was a good amount to start with. We divided $20,000 by 24 months (the number of months we would earn a salary teaching in Poland) and came up with $834. We then set up a plan with the secretary at our school to deposit this amount into our savings account every time we got paid at the end of each month.
Kofke also writes about how he managed his finances so he and his family could travel, have a second child, buy a home, build a retirement fun, and get out of debt. How to Survive on a Teacher’s Salary is a welcome reminder that it is possible to live well on a relatively meager salary.
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my review copy! The winner will be announced Friday.
If you can’t wait, buy it now from Amazon for $10. Buying this book through Amazon supports BargainBabe.com.
cliff1066/Flickr
Today new FCC rules about how bloggers disclose their relationships with advertisers take effect. Basically, the change means that bloggers must now disclose if they are receiving free products or perks in exchange for write-ups and reviews. The rules extend to Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.
Not much is going to change on BargainBabe.com because this site already has an Ethics policy, which I’ve copied below from the About tab.
I do not accept money from any business or manufacturer to blog about their product on BargainBabe.com. If I write about a restaurant, retailer, Web site or product it is because I believe there is a good deal to be had. I sell sponsored posts and advertising on the site and participate in referral programs, however, because I gotta pay my bills. Paid content is always identified.
Sponsored posts are labeled as such at the beginning and end of each post so as not to be confused with editorial content. Banner ads are pure image advertisements with no editorial content. I identify referral programs with a tagline that says something like, “Buying items from the gift guide supports BargainBabe.com.”
Any questions? Leave a comment. If you want to know more about the new rules, watch this series of short videos. Perhaps Tiger Woods will learn from this push for transparency.
