Jamba Juice smoothies are buy one get one free with this printable Jamba Juice coupon.
Gift certificates at Restaurant.com are 60% off through Thursday, April 15.
Snag a free sample of Pantene hair care products by sharing a little info about yourself.
Use this coupon code for The Limited and get 20% off your purchase. The expiration date is unknown, unfortunately.
Whoa! Sephora is 15% off for beauty insiders (their free loyalty club) now through April 19. That’s unusual for the renowned makeup store.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
By Mike Barclay of 10CentsWorth.com
Sean Oliver/flickr
If there’s one phrase in the English language that brings more pain than others, it’s “late fees.” Nobody likes to hear the words, “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to add a fee for your late payment” or see a late fee tacked onto their credit card statement.
It’s tempting to be apathetic and think, “Eh, it’s only another $15 I have to pay.”
Not a smart idea. Here are four late fees that add up quick:
Library Fees
With late fees racking up at around fifty cents per book per day, avid readers like myself can end up with a hefty bill for forgetting to return books. I have about ten books out currently (not past due, go me!) but if I were to bring them back a week late, that’s an extra $5 out of pocket though they started out free!
One week of late fees for 10 books = $5
Redbox Movies
Movies for a dollar? Or nothing if you have a Redbox coupon code? Fantastic! The kicker comes when we end up with no time to return the movie, which is a plague amongst many. Technically, you are not paying a late fee but re-renting the movie for a dollar per day each movie is past due. Soon you are close to paying theater prices.
Week of extra rental fees for one movie = $7
Credit Cards
I have a Best Buy credit card for my laptop that I’m still paying off. If I miss the payment date, they tack on $25, which is less than the average credit card late fee of $35. Not to mention the interest that adds up the longer I take to pay off the laptop. A year of late fees alone adds up to $300! That’s almost a quarter of what I paid for the laptop itself.
One year of credit card late fees = $300
Apartment Rent
First day late is usually around $15, and then another $5 per day after that. At least that is how it is for my apartment. I hope that all of us are timely enough to avoid late fees. I don’t know about you, but an extra $20 in late fees digs into my wallet.
Two days late on rent = $20
Now that I’ve sufficiently depressed you with how quickly late fees accrue, how do we stop it? I set alarms and reminders for myself. If I get a movie from Redbox, I’ll post a sticky note somewhere I will see frequently to remind myself to return it. I’ll even schedule due dates into my calendar so a reminder of the due date pops up on my phone. Same thing with library books, credit cards, and other bills.
Being late is not worth the extra cash. Trust me, from my own personal experience, it adds up.
Remember how I was going to rush over to Macys to buy a food processor? Well I just used the online price comparison site PriceTrace.com and realized the current sale price is actually $35 higher than it has been in the past! I’m going to use PriceTrace’s simple, three-step process to make sure I buy a food processor at the lowest possible price. Here’s how it works.
First, plug in basic information about the product you are looking for (such as the item’s name, UPC code, SKU, or product url from a retailer) into the PriceTrace.com search box and click “Go.” Select the specific item you want to buy among the results and click “Trace it.”
Next, compare prices for your item. PriceTrace.com draws prices from all the major retailers, like Amazon, WalMart, Macys, Best Buy, and lots of smaller ones, too. PriceTrace.com shows you how the current price compares over the past year in a Price History Chart to the right of your results. The chart highlights the date when the item was at its lowest price, which is a super cool feature.
Lastly, if the current price is not near the lowest price, you can plug in your email with your target price and set up an alert when the product drops to your target price. (I’m doing this for my food processor.) This feature is called the Price Drop Alert and it helps you buy at the right time.
PriceTrace.com also has a one-click toolbar for Firefox and Chrome (IE coming soon) so you can compare prices with one click. If you need more guidance, editors at the site pick the top price drops each day so you don’t have to search for the best deals. Check out PriceTrace.com next time you are shopping online.
This is paid content. Want to take out an ad? Read my advertise page.
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these coupons.
Get 15% off orders at Swell. Expiration date unknown.
Get 25% off orders of $100 or more at GameStop. Expires April 30, 2010.
Get 25% off $25 or more at Kodak Gallery. Expires April 30, 2010.
Get 10% off your order at Crocs. Expiration date unknown.
Get 20% off sitewide with free shipping on $100 or more at Hanna Anderson. Expires April 21, 2010.
You’ve probably heard that the rash of recent earthquakes is just a coincidence, according to experts. But the scary news motivated me to put together an emergency disaster kit, which you should have even if you don’t live in earthquake country! If you are in a natural disaster, stay calm.
This weekend I put together a disaster kit for less than $22 – and it has 49 items in it! I started by gathering items I had sitting around my house:
Clothing: extra pair of shoes, socks, t-shirt, light sweater, underwear, old towel, large wraparound cloth that can be used as a blanket or skirt, and a very sturdy reusable bag to hold everything.
Toiletries: extra toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, period supplies, chap stick, bar of soap, lotion, an elastic bandage, ear plugs, rubbing alcohol, and medicines I most often rely on (aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, an OTC sleep aid, generic Zyrtec, generic Excedrin).
Misc: gallon of water, a chocolate bar, three plastic bags, my old pair of eyeglasses and a Frisbee, which can be used as a plate, sunshield, and water collector. Would you believe a regulation Frisbee holds 60 fluid ounces?
I headed to the 99 Cents Only store to complete my kit for less than $22. I bought:
Medical supplies: a pack of five face masks (natural disasters often create bad air quality), antibiotic ointment, gauze rolls, medical tape, a mini-first aid kit, band aids, and a tube of hand sanitizer
Food: four cans of tuna, a peel-away tin of fish steaks, corn nuts, beef jerky, mini-100 Grand candy bars, and a can of peanuts
Misc: three bungee cords, a roll of tp, and matches
I also put $100 cash into an envelope, which makes my disaster kit $122! My emergency kit is missing a spare pair of pants, more water, additional first aid bandages, a flashlight and batteries, a whistle, copies of important documents and phone numbers, and a can opener. I will stash my emergency kit in my car, which is usually near me.
It’s better to have an emergency kit, even if you buy it. Get 10% off at EmergencyCafe.com with coupon code VAL10. Expiration date unknown.
What do you have in your emergency kit?
cpchannel/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Chances are you are paying WAY too much for your printer ink. It doesn’t matter if you are using an ink jet or toner cartridge. All store bought brand-name ink cartridges are insanely overpriced. I can’t believe how much I used to pay for my printer ink. What a rip-off! The only reason that companies get away with continuing to convince consumers to overpay for their product is fear.
I’m sure you have read, heard or been told that if you use off brand ink in your printer that you will void your warranty. But according to Jeff Bertolucci at PC World, third party printer ink cartridges are as good or better than the original equipment manufacturer ink. “Our tests show that all of the third-party inks in our test group yielded more prints per cartridge–on top of costing less–but that, with some notable exceptions, the printer manufacturers’ ink we evaluated usually produced better-quality prints and proved more resistant to fading,” Jeff’s story said.
There are lots of companies that sell discount ink cartridges – sometimes at 50% of the manufacturer’s price. My favorite is Abacus 24-7. Their inks have always been super cheap and reliable. Another source of discounted products, including printer ink, is Deal Extreme. I have not used their inks, so I can’t vouch for them.
Now, here is the neat bargain trick. Instead of paying $15 or more for a cartridge, I buy drastically reduced-priced third party ink cartridges and when it is empty, I take it into Staples for a $3 per cartridge rebate that you can use towards your next Staples purchase. This can result in a profit.
That, my friends, is how great bargainistas think.
What is your favorite way to reduce ink/toner costs?
Here is a Borders coupon for 30% off – but it ends today!
Mark your calenders for this awesome Target giveaway – on April 18 get a free reusable bag from Target. They WILL run out, however, so get there early on Sunday.
Get a free sample of Galaxy Granola sooner or later.
Here are three Marie Callender’s coupons, including 20% off your entire check!
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
The next time you are in the market for a computer, camera, GPS, DVD player, or other electronic item, check out CheapStingyBargains.com. The site is a mondo deal aggregator that pulls the best prices from Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, Lenovo, Dell, Sears, Walmart, Buy.com, Overstock, and TigerDirect.
After finding great deals, CheapStingyBargains.com combines them with an HP coupon code, Dell coupon code or another coupon code for the particular product you are looking for.
A few recent deals I found on CheapStingyBargains.com:
- $20 off $100 sitewide at HP with a stackable coupon code
- Dexter: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-Ray or DVD (2009) $46 Blu-Ray or $35 DVD w/ Free Shipping!
- A Swiss Legend 60002-02 Endeavor Collection Mens Watch $131 Shipped
- $259 off an Inspiron 15 Laptop with instant discount
- $408 off a Studio XPS 8100 Desktop with instant discount
- $302 off a Dell Vostro 220 Desktop w/ 21.5″ Monitor for only $429
CheapStingyBargains.com also has giveaways you can enter just by leaving a comment! The forums page is extremely active, with discussions on everything from iPad envy to hot deals and freebies. You can also go straight to their Coupons tab for coupons by retailer, listed alphabetically. With so many coupon codes and hot deals, it’s hard not to find what you are looking for at a great price on CheapStingyBargains.com.
This is paid content. Want to take out an ad? Read my advertise page.
Sue from Santa Clarita, California is the winner of the $100 CVS gift card! She has been reading BargainBabe.com since the *very* beginning – January 2009! When she heard about the prize, Sue was elated. “That’s just GREAT!!!!!,” she emailed me. “Couldn’t come at a better time. Thanks SOOOO much!”
If you didn’t win, no worries. I’m already preparing for the next giveaway. Prizes that are e-cards are only redeemable online, fyi.
[poll id="61"]
Whichever answer gets the most votes by May 2 will be the prize for the next giveaway, which starts May 3!
newyorkinsider/Flickr
If you are looking to grow your business, reinvent yourself at 50, or bring out the best in your children, consider applying to be in a new video series with Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul (pictured above). The video series will appear on AOL and WalletPop.com, which I blog for, and address these ten topics:
- Presenting yourself in the best light (Dress & Public Speaking)
- Developing Your Company’s Vision / How to Brand
- Adept Hiring (and Adept Firing)
- Doing Your Homework for meetings
- Recognizing When to Move On
- Starting Up Pitfalls
- Bringing Out the Best in your Children
- How to Blow Up Your Business in the Blogosphere
- Creating Robust Partnerships
- Reinventing Yourself at 50
As the “real person” in the video, you’ll ask a question that Barbara will answer. Each video will be between 5 and 7 minutes long. If you are in NY, you can go into AOL’s studio or you can appear via Skype. The folks producing the series are looking for a mix of men and women from around the country who may be small business owners, workers with a dream, or people trying to make a living and have a life.
If you are interested, please send the following information to walletpopbc@gmail.com.
Name
Address
Employment situation (employed, self-employed, stay-at-home-mom, etc.)
Internet Connection and webcam availability (and Skype name)
Email and phone
Question you’d like to ask
Get 15% off at Kohl’s through Sunday, April 11, 2010.
Get a free ream of paper at Staples through Saturday, April 10 with this printable coupon.
Get free entry into all 392 of our National Parks during National Park Week, April 17-25, 2010.
Join the TCBY email list and get a coupon for a free frozen yogurt waffle cone.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
*clairity*/Flickr
Have you noticed how incredibly cheap strawberries are right now? They are one of many fruits in season so the prices are fantastic. I’ve paid as little as $.79 for a pound! Here is a quick and easy recipe to serve fresh strawberries as a dessert or snack.
1 package strawberries, sliced into quarters with tops removed
1/2 juicy lemon, remove seeds and squeeze over berries
1-2 T powdered sugar, depending on how ripe your berries are
1 T chopped mint leaves
You can serve over ice cream if you want but they are delicious by themselves!
What is your favorite strawberry recipe?
I spent $470 in my first week of giving up credit cards, putting me on track to blow up my budget this month. Part of that was due to a pricey snowboarding trip, but a lot of it was because I had a ton of cash in my pocket. When I feel flush, I buy stuff I would not normally splurge for (coffee drinks, fancy beef jerky, drinks for others, etc).
To reverse my spendy trend, I decided to carefully plan my errands and grocery trip yesterday so I would only have $5 extra with me. More often than not, if I always have an emergency $20 bill on me, I’m going to spend it. I estimated the cost of my errands ($5 – shoe repair guy; $25 – groceries; $5 – vitamins) and put $40 in my wallet.
The shoe repair bill was actually $7, raising my awareness of my remaining dollars. My first grocery stop added up to $11.87, an insane amount for three items (hummus, cheese, and salsa). I have a tasty hummus recipe and am debating making my own.
When I arrived at the second grocery store I was hyper aware of how much money I had left over – $21.13. Having a finite amount of dollars influenced what I purchased. I bought super cheap in-season strawberries for $.99 instead of bananas, and passed on sliced lunch meat so I could buy chicken thighs and pork chops, the two most expensive items on my list.
As I put each item into my cart, I wrote down its cost. When I felt I was approaching my dollar limit, I added everything up, including tax. Having to pay close attention to – no, being controlled by my limited funds – was painful. With a credit card, I do not limit myself when it comes to food. I aim to spend about $27 a week on groceries, but if a staple is on sale or I see a good deal, I do not hesitate to overspend. With cash, I don’t have that option.
By the time I made it to the drugstore to buy vitamins, I had a little over $6 left. I could pay for the vitamins using a $4 off coupon and the spare coins in my wallet, but I walked out of the store emptyhanded. It didn’t feel right to go home penniless.
Get a free DVD rental from any Redbox at a Kroger grocery store. The expiration date is unknown so don’t delay.
Get 30% off tax software at H&R Block. And remember, the basic version is free!
Check out all the deals and coupons on my WalletPop blog. Later today there will be a 15% off coupon for Kohl’s and a coupon for a free ream of paper at Staples.
norwichnuts/Flickr
I spent $11.47 on three items at the grocery store yesterday, including a $6.29 tub of hummus. Arg! Some foods are so expensive. I vowed to reconsider making my own hummus, which I eat a ton of. But food processors are also expensive (and I abhor cleaning all those parts) so I’m skeptical that making it myself is actually cheaper.
How does the cost break down over one year?
Store bought hummus costs $6.29 per week = $327.08 per year.
Homemade hummus = chickpeas ($1.19 bag) + olive oil (approx. $.87 worth) + lemons (approx $.35 each) + garlic (approx. $.15 worth) + sesame oil (approx. $.05 worth) + spices (approx. $.15 worth) = $2.76 for one batch = $143.52 per year + the cost of the food processor, which I’m willing to spend $60 on. (That should get me a pretty hefty processor at Macy’s, where they are on sale by 40% off today.)
That brings the total cost of homemade hummus for one year to $203.52. I’m going to get myself a food processor!!!!
As for the time it takes, I consider both options equal. I have to go to a special store to get hummus, which takes me a good 30 minutes. If I make a double batch of hummus every other week, it will take me an hour.
Here is my friend Kristin’s delicious hummus recipe that I based the costs on.
2 – 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (I buy them dry and follow directions on the bag)
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 dark Asian sesame oil
1 t ground cumin
1/4 t Cayenne pepper
12-15 grinds black pepper
How do you make hummus? I know there are a lot of variations out there.
UPDATE: Readers shared lots of tips and recipe suggestions.
Laura said:
Yes, I agree to make your own. I’d go for the Cuisinart processor, get the basic model with the bar on the bottom.Also, the sesame paste is a key ingredient–you can get it at Cambridge Farms Market on the NE corner of Whitsett and Burbank Blvd. in N. Hollywood. You can cut a bit of the oil if you want and add a spoon or two of water to get the right consistency.
BRB said:
just started making my own hummus and falafel, we had never really eaten either before, but with the food processor it is so cheap and easy it really is ridiculous what they charge for it. I add curry to mine for a really great curried hummus.
Monica said:
We only make hummus at home and LOVE IT! We do buy the canned chickpeas to save the time of cooking them. We have found a new hummus jalapeno recipe that is amazing! A food processor is a must in our kitchen, I make our kids baby food and typically drain the processor in around 12 months from purchase time. Any recommendation on a great food processor that can handle daily use?
Audry suggested I check Tuesday Morning before running out to Macy’s and Tommy said Walmart has processors for $50. Christine recommended the Healthmaster Blender, which is pricey at $200 but apparently is easy to clean and has many other functions. Many readers suggested I buy hummus from Trader Joe’s, which is cheaper than my local grocery store.
