Going on a trip this Spring? If so, you might want to save a few dollars while you’re there. Did you know that you can buy an Entertainment book for the area you’ll be visiting? And right now Entertainment is having a SALE! 50% off plus FREE SHIPPING! Most of the books are under $20 shipped. Every time we travel, I check out a local book. It can save us tons of money while having fun.
Traveling to see the Mouse in Orlando or LA? There’s a book for that. Family in Texas? There’s 7 books. There’s even books for Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Get Discounts (many 2 for 1 or 50% off) at:
- Fancy Restaurants
- Bagel and Donut Shops
- Fast Food
- Hotels
- Attractions
Q: How do you know if there’s a coupon for an item?
A: I remember a lot of coupons that come in the newspaper, but I also use technology when my memory fails. One place I go is http://www.coupontom.com/. Just start typing a product name and it’ll come up with coupons that match. Not all coupons are in this database and sometimes the Sunday coupons don’t seem to be in there right away. But this is a great source for a quick “is there a coupon I can use” question.
If you love to read magazines Amazon is having a SALE! I love getting magazines this way. Not only are these magazines well priced, but they are also eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping. And you know I love free shipping at Amazon. This deal only goes through Jan 31, 2010. For a complete list of deals check out $5 off Magazines
. Please note that the direct links show some magazines that are not family friendly.
Here’s a few of my favorites:
This Old House
Money
Time
I’m an Amazon affiliate.
The deals just keep stacking up. Border’s Books is offering $60 in gift cards for $50. They come as two $25 cards and a bonus $10 card. Only available online, but shipping is free. Complete information here.
Save even more with bonus gift card deals at other stores and restaurants.
This holiday season get in the habit of looking for the real best price at Amazon. While Amazon has lots of great deals, they don’t hold a monopoly on all of them.
When I’m shopping for an item I make it a habit to look at all sellers. Take the 30 seconds to see if the Amazon price is really the best price.
Check out this Daily Doodle calendar
Amazon’s price (which can change several times a day) is $10.39
But check out the link to other sellers
Notice some items cost $3.99 to ship and others qualify for Free Super Saver Shipping. Those items are FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) items. They are in an Amazon warehouse and can be packaged with the rest of your Amazon order. This helps you get to the magic $25 free shipping threshold faster — and supports a 3rd party seller. In this example, check out the $8.05 price tag — shipped FREE. That’s about 20% cheaper than buying directly from Amazon.
It’s quick and easy to see if there’s another cheaper option. Take the 30 seconds and save yourself some money.
Disclaimer: Yes, the calendar used in this example is actually one from our company. For a full list of what we have for sale at Amazon visit our webstore. Most of these items are available for Free Super Saver Shipping through Amazon’s Fulfillment By Amazon Program. Happy Savings!
There are many things that you can do to your home to make it more energy efficient, but I’m going to talk today about just one simple thing that you can do to save money on your heating bill. And it doesn’t require a trip to the home improvement store or climbing into your attic to check the insulation (although it’s not a bad idea). Many areas of the country allow the customer a choice of energy suppliers. Here in Duke Energy land (aka greater Cincinnati), we can choose our natural gas and electric supplier through Ohio’s Customer Choice program. If you heat your house and/or water with natural gas check out the list of suppliers. So, how do you compare rates? It’s easy!
- Check out your current rate at the PUCO’s Apples to Apples Comparison Chart. There’s a chart for each natural gas supplier in the state of Ohio. Locate what you’re currently paying — listed on page 1. Mine says “Duke Energy Ohio’s Rate” is $0.76 per ccf. This is the base to compare.
- Check out page 2 and compare the rates of the other natural gas suppliers. You can choose a variable or fixed rate. Since I’m not a gambler I chose to look at fixed rate plans. I could save money with a variable rate, but I could also spend more money. I’ll stick with predictable. Your situation may be different.
- Consider early termination fees — this is a real fee. If you cancel your plan with a 3rd party supplier before your contract is up, you’ll have to pay this fee. One supplier currently charges $150 fee to cancel. Ouch! Weigh this against the benefits of a lower natural gas rate.
- Found a company you like? Give them a call or check out their website (listed here) to verify current pricing.
- Grab a current Energy bill and make the call. If you have questions, ask. You can set up a new account over the phone and information will be mailed to you.
If last year’s usage is any indication, this one phone call is going to save me over $100 this winter. Not bad for 15 minutes of my time.
If you’re reading from outside of Ohio and know of a similar program in your state, please leave a comment with a link to your state’s program.
Happy Savings!
The holiday baking season is just around the corner. Survey your supplies and come up with a wish list. Between now and Christmas I expect to see great deals on traditional Thanksgiving foods and baking supplies. Remember many things store well, and can be used next year. I freeze margarine, butter, and nuts to prolong their life.
Here’s what I stock up on for the holidays and the price I’m looking for this holiday season:
- Flour 5# bag $0.99
- Chocolate Chips (name brand) 12oz $1.25
- sugar 5# bag $1.75
- brown sugar 2# bag $0.99
- powdered sugar 2# bag $0.99
- butter 1# sticks $1.50
- eggs $1/dozen
- imitation vanilla (any brand) 8oz $0.99
Watch my weekly deals posted on Monday’s to see when to stock up on these and other items.
