My Mother's Day gift to myself!
This post is brought to you by Coupons220.com, offering coupon codes for thousands of online stores.
What do you want for Mother’s Day? One popular Mother’s Day gift is an iPad, according to a recent TechBargains survey.
- Of 1,500 respondents, 91% said they would prefer an iPad over flowers this Mother’s Day
- 13% of moms want flowers
- 26% of respondents will buy mom flowers
- 31% of moms want a tech gadget
- 11% will get their mom a tech gadget
Seems there is a sizeable gap between what moms want and what they will receive. I suppose that is true of any gift exchange.
For Mother’s Day I bought myself a sterling silver necklace, above, that says “I love Lucy.” I told me husband that I wanted to get a card from him and Lucy. I’m easy to please – partly because I know exactly what I want!
What do you want for Mother’s Day?
Leo Reynolds / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
If you’re still on the look out for the perfect gift, I’ve found some awesome gift card with perks you might want to consider. I share those below. Want to save even more money? You can also purchase discounted gift cards.
AMC Theatres – Free $5 concession bonus card when you spend $30 on gift cards. Offer is available in theaters, while supplies last.
Applebee’s – Get a $10 gift card when you purchase $50 in gift cards. Not valid for digital purchases. The bonus card is good through Feb. 29, 2011.
Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free scoop with every $10 of gift cards you purchase. You can also get a $10 gift card for $5 for joining Saveology for a VERY limited time.
Win a $175 budgeting software package!
One lucky reader will win a copy of You Need A Budget software, an hour of one-on-one coaching, the YNAB book, and their audio book! This prize package is worth $175!
So far only 17 readers – gasp – have entered. This contest is for the taking! Enter by Monday, Dec. 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
YNAB will teach you how to get out of debt, save money, and stop living paycheck to paycheck. The personal finance software runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux so it’s easy to install and use. You can budget using the envelope system or download the companion iPhone and Android app.
The best part is no forced upgrades or annual fees. Plus, YNAB offers totally free, education webinars almost every day.
To win the YouNeedABudget prize pack on BargainBabe.com:
I was surprised by how creative this lady from CreditCards.com wraps her gift cards. Very inspiring!
This code expires today!
Eating out is one of my favorite things to do. But aside from fast food joints, restaurant coupons are rare. I use Restaurant.com to drop my tab by 25-40%, an incredible savings. TODAY ONLY, you can get a $25 gift certificate to a restaurant of your choosing for $2, plus earn 30% cash back through Ebates – which means you pay just $1.40!!! Coupon code below.
We’ve also suggested electronics gifts, gifts at Sears, toys for kids, mens’ shavers, gifts for teens, unique and quirky gifts, and All You mag gifts. Tomorrow’s edition covers gifts for men and women. We’ll finish the gift guide on Dec. 9 with the best overall gifts.
If you’re new to this site, here’s how Restaurant.com works. You have three gift options on Restaurant.com:
What's a great white elephant gift? Credit: col&tasha/Flickr
Maureen has a pressing question that I’m sure many of you share!
Do you have any ideas for a white elephant $10 gift limit?
It’s for a work party. I was perusing online for creative/humorous and would love to hear ideas.  So far I have liked buy a loaf of bread and jars of peanut butter and jelly (the food theme). Or buy a bunch of batteries and add a note “gift not included” (humorous).
I hope you get to blog on it soon, our party is next week!
Maureen’s ideas are snazzy. I might even use the battery one myself! Here are a few more ideas that I found online of what to give and where to find a great white elephant gift.
Bzzzt. Kills flies with this fun $5 gift!
Unique and quirky is the theme of the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide Day 6. We’ve also suggested electronics gifts, gifts at Sears, kids’ toys, mens’ shavers, and gifts for teens. Coming up are gifts for men and women. We’ll finish the gift guide on Dec. 9 with a roundup of the best overall gifts.
Don’t forget to enter to win a $100 Sears gift card as part of the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide! ENDS TODAY, DEC. 5!
We have a gnat
This $100 Sears gift card could be yours!
This is your last chance to enter to win the $100 Sears gift card! SO far only 235 people have entered so your chances OF WINNING ARE REALLY GOOD! Sears donated this awesome prize as part of the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide showcasing hot gifts in the Sears Holiday Catalogue. Here are all the holiday and Christmas gifts I’d love to buy at Sears. Make sure to use the following coupons when you shop at Sears!
Sears coupons:
- RealJoy gets you free shipping on $99 or more through Dec. 19. If you’re in a rush, chose in store pickup to get your item the same day!
- SEARS2011 saves you $5 off $50 (unclear when it expires)
- STOYS20 gets you $20 off $200 in toys through Dec. 31, 2011
- ELEC05 saves you an extra 5% off consumer electronics through Dec. 31
To enter to win the $100 Sears gift card, visit the Sears Wish Book and tell us what you wish for from the Wish Book. Comment by Dec. 5 to be eligible to win!
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
naomi ibuki/Flickr
A large man carrying three stuffed red sacks passed me in Toys R Us recently. The manager and I exchanged looks. Huh?
“Having fun playing Santa?” she called after the man.
He pushed on, disappearing between two doors at the back of the store.
“Is that…?” I quizzed.
“Those are our layaway purchases,” she said.
“Ohhh. How is that program going this year?”
colemama / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I’ve written before about how to get free or discounted gift cards. Now, I want to share some awesome gift cards deals that come with perks.
Some of these promotions are ongoing while some are tied to promotions for Father’s Day and graduation season so make sure to call ahead to find out if the promotion has not been discontinued in your area.
- Chili’s – The restaurant is offering 10% off gift cards of $100 or more as part of their dads and grads promotion.
- Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – This is one of my favorite coffee shops and I’ve written before about how swiping my credit card to pay for my caffeine addiction cost me a bundle. To stay on budget with my coffee purchases I bought a gift card and got a free drink. You can too! Purchase a $25 gift card at Coffee Bean and get a free drink. It’s unclear how long this will last.
- Starbucks – If you are a Starbucks aficionado, then this is the gift card for you. (more…)
There are so many great free gift card offers this Christmas! Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
This post is brought to you by familyFinds.com, a hot new deal site in Los Angeles.
Businesses go out of their way to entice you to buy gift cards around the holidays by offering with special perks and extras. Here are 36 gift card freebies this year. Some of them are as big as a 20% bonus! Thanks to so many readers who shared additional discounts. Am I missing any?
AMC Theaters - Buy $50 in gift cards and get a free $10 concession card.
Barnes and Noble – Buy a $100 gift card by Dec. 6, 2011 and get a free $10 e-gift card on Dec. 26, 2011.
Borders - Buy a $50 gift card and get a $10 bonus. (more…)
Gwenypics/Flickr
I’ve been feeling generous towards a low-income friend lately. Not that he needs any help, but I am able to give it. I’m not interested in giving this friend a loan, but I’m considering subsidizing various activities with him, like picking up the lunch tab or treating him to a movie.
The prospect of giving gifts to a friend outside of Christmas, birthdays, and special occasions makes me nervous. Is this even appropriate? Will I hurt his pride? I called etiquette expert Nancy Mitchell for tips. Here’s what she advised.
What are the rules when it comes to giving gifts to friends?
I think the number one rule is to know the friend and know how to proceed. Would the person be wiling to accept things or is the person extremely proud and you’ll have to use subterfuge?
Let’s start with the person who may be very proud and not be willing to take what they think is charity. You can call them up and say, I got a gift certificate to a restaurant or theater. I would love to have you come with me, are you available? They might not have to know you went out and bought the gift certificate yourself.
Or say, Someone gave me two tickets to the hockey game. Would you like to go? If you had a friend who had children, give child care once and a while. I’d love to babysit sometime. Can I babysit and give you an evening out? Or say ‘I’ve got too much of a certain product. Pass things on, share some of the wealth. Offer to share frequent flyer miles.
Is it ethical to give gifts like this to friends who, if they knew the whole story, would say no?
I think it is because you don’t have an ulterior motive. You are giving from your heart and you are showing great sensitivity to someone’s situation. It’s not going to hurt anyone, it’s going to help.
What are the no-nos of giving?
You would never let anyone in on the secret. It’s between you and whoever is the recipient. Because if the cat got out of the bag there could be some hard feelings.
What about if your friend is open to receiving gifts? (more…)
