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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Holiday, Black Friday shopping tips
Wallet Pop had a great “interview” with the Coupon Sherpa today, Nov. 3, asking the site’s expert advice on what to look for on Black Friday.
For those who haven’t climbed this particular mountain, the Coupon Sherpa is a coupon and bargain site, and it includes a blogger who will answer your questions.
In the interview, the Sherpa suggested shoppers check prices on comparison shopping Web sites (such as BizRate, Shopping.com or PriceGrabber.com) before they head out, since stores sometimes inflate a price right before they discount it for Black Friday.
There also was mention of the fact that the Black Friday deals are starting earlier each year, and that, whenever you go holiday shopping, you should have a list to follow to help you not overspend — primarily on yourself.
In addition to these Black Friday tips, Wallet Pop also has a list of eight general holiday shopping tips that are useful as well.
And Wallet Pop had a list of predictions in September about what Black Friday sales would look like.
As far as shopping at any time of year, the Coupon Sherpa also had a great list of its top 70 brands to follow on Twitter.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Thanksgiving and Christmas
TweetVeterans Day deals include free meals, discounts
In honor of our veterans and to thank them for their service to our country, many area establishments are offering military discounts on and around Veterans Day.
Here are some of the deals available:
Applebees is giving away a free entree to veterans and active duty personnel on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Stein Mart, which is located in Town & Country Shopping Center on Stroop Road in Kettering, is offering 10 percent off the entire purchase for shoppers with a valid military ID during its Military Appreciation event, Nov. 10-11.
Dollar General has a coupon for 10 percent off available to all the men and women who have served our country. The coupon can be picked up at Dollar General stores and the purchases can be made on Nov. 11.
Both Lowe’s and The Home Depot have a 10 percent discount for veterans at all times, according to the stores in Sugarcreek Twp. and Beavercreek. You just need to show your military ID.
Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati is honoring all the men and women who have served our country by offering free admission this weekend, Nov. 7-8. Just show your military ID at the ticket window.
Additional family members can receive our everyday military discount of $3 off adult tickets and $2 off child tickets for up to four additional tickets per veteran.
If you are a veteran who really wants to go to Costa Rica, Costa Rican Vacations said any man or woman that has served the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom in times of war and peace is eligible to receive a flat discount of 11 percent off their vacation to Costa Rica if booked before Veterans Day this year.
A little more after the fact, Golden Corral is having its annual Military Appreciation Monday, which includes a free “thank you” dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16.
For more military and veterans’ discounts year-round, visit Military.com. The site lists more than 700 companies that want to thank veterans with discounts.
Know of any more great Veterans Day deals? Help out our veterans by noting them here.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: Holiday deals, Savings
TweetB1G1 sales + coupons = time to stockpile
Andrea Deckard of Mommy Snacks notes that this week there are several buy one, get one free sales (B1G1) at area stores.
“I love buy one, get one free sales,” she said. “Many of the local stores will allow you to use a coupon on the free item, too.”
Deckard said using these coupons and sales provides a great opportunity to stockpile.
“Be sure to use two coupons and save big!”
Here are her best coupon/sale deals for the first week of November:
2 Pantene Stylers for just $3. Check out the details on the Extra Care Bucks.
FREE Listerine after ECB
FREE Gillette Disposable Razors after ECB
Get 3 Bounce Dryer Bars for $5. Check out the details on the Register Rewards deal.
FREE Campbell’s Tomato Soup
$.65 Hefty One-Zip Bags
$.49 Superpretzel, with printable coupon
$.49 Farm Rich Mozzarella Sticks
FREE Honey Bunches of Oats
The Buy 10 get $5 Promotion is still going on! The prices on these promotions cannot be beat! Visit Mommy Snacks to see the full list. Other items on sale this week include:
$1.25 Smithfield Bacon
$.30 Del Monte Veggies
FREE Kellogg’s Cereal, with printable coupons
$1.49 Pampers Baby Wipes
$1.38 Rice Krispies Treats
$.89 Kellogg’s Cinnamon Bars, with printable coupons
$.48 RoTel Tomatoes
$.50 Vlasic Relish
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Andrea's best deals, Savings
TweetLocal jeweler has 40% to 75% off storewide
As part of its 75th anniversary sale, Weber Jewelers has marked down everything in its showroom 40 percent to 75 percent.
The Kettering jeweler, located at 3109 Far Hills Ave., noted these are the lowest prices ever offered by the store.
For a sample of some of the items for sale, see the ad on the store’s Web site.
The store also extended the hours for the sale, and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The sale ends Saturday, Nov. 7.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Savings
TweetOnline best for buying electronics, and 6 more tips for electronics shopping
Consumer Reports has released its survey of electronics stores and, for the second year in a row, online retailers have come out on top.
The survey, which is being featured in the December issue of the magazine that came out Monday, Nov. 2, was based on more than 35,000 purchases of electronics, including flat-screen TVs made between January 2008 and June 2009.
Vanns.com, a newcomer to the ratings chart, was among Consumer Reports’ Recommended retailers along with Amazon.com, Newegg.com and Beachcamera.com, which all stood out for great prices and more.
As for the more traditional shopping end, Costco edged out other walk-in warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale, with better marks for price and product quality.
For those of us without a Costco nearby, at least Sam’s is a good option.
If price is not paramount, CR said independent stores, such as Apple, Ultimate Electronics, and Ritz Camera, all offer strong service and product quality.
The survey listed Target and Walmart at the bottom of the list, based on product quality and customer service.
Consumer Reports also rated 448 products in the December issue and offered these six ways to save money when shopping for electronics:
Check for early sales and monitor prices. Traditionally, Black Friday offers the first blowout sales of the holiday season. This year, consumers should expect to see electronic retailers cutting prices a week or more before.
Don’t rule out multitasking models. For the most part, products that multitask don’t perform their secondary tasks as well as the best stand-alone models. But Consumer Reports has found that some multitaskers are worth considering.
Consider online retailers. Most people still buy their gear at walk-in stores, but as noted earlier in this post, the best online retailers outscored the best walk-in stores according the Consumer Reports.
Beware of store policies with gotchas. Pay attention to return policies and exclusions on certain product returns such as laptops, which is the most common exclusion. Beware of restocking fees, though they are usually only applied if a box has been opened. Most retailers will not accept returns on any item if a rebate has already been filed with the manufacturer.
Skip the extended warranty. Generally they are bad investments, most electronics will not need a repair and if there is a repair needed Consumer Reports survey data shows the average repair bill is comparable with the cost of the warranty.
Consider haggling. With electronics sales down, retailers are willing to negotiate, yet fewer than one in five tried. Of those customers who asked for a better price, more than half were successful.
Consumer Reports also notes what are expected to be the top electronics sellers this holiday season in an Oct. 30 blog post.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Consumer interest, Holiday deals, Savings
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