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On-Line Shopping: Cash-Back Sites – Part 1 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

Are you getting ready for Christmas? I know it is about 2 months away, but planning ahead and watching for sales will save you money, energy, and time.

Believe it or not, I really do not like shopping. I would rather be playing with my children or organizing my home. But because shopping is a necessity that must be done, I choose to shop on-line as often as I can.

With free shipping, coupon, and promotional codes, I can snag some really great deals that are delivered to my front door without using my time and gas going to the store.

For example, my husband received cash for his birthday to spend on a waffle iron that he requested.  Knowing he wanted the waffle iron, I had been watching sales until I saw this awesome deal posted on swaggrabber.com. J.C. Penney had the Cooks waffle iron on sale for $29.99 (regular price $59.99). To snag this deal at a rock bottom price, I stacked my savings.

In this series of on-line shopping, I will share 5 ways to stack your savings. The first way is by using a cash-back site.

#1: Use Cash-Back Sites

The best two I have discovered are Ebates and Shopathome.com. Both of these sites offer free registration for you to setup an account. Then when you want to make a purchase on-line,

1. Login to your account,

2. Search for your desired store, i.e. J.C.Penney,

3. You will be directed to the store’s web site, and

4. Within 30 days of your purchase, you may log back into your account to view your cash back award.

For the waffle iron, I used Shopathome.com since the offer was 9% cash back from J.C. Penney. The Ebate cash back was only 3%.

While shopping on-line, I am glad to earn a little extra along the way by using these cash-back sites. Since you can only use one site per purchase, I check both sites to see which one offers the best cash back deal. For example, Ebates may be offering a 5% back at your store while Shopathome.com has an offer for 9% cash back. Remember, the offers change, so in using time wisely, check both sites to compare your savings before making a purchase.

For more details about Ebates and Shopathome.com, you can read this great explanation from thekrazycouponlady.com. I love the table showing the payment schedule.

When shopping on-line, use a cash-back site like Ebates or Shopathome.com to increase your overall savings. The links included in this post are my affiliate links for these businesses. If you choose to register and make purchases through these sites, Using Time Wisely is compensated. If you choose not to use these links, you can go to each company’s web site to setup your account. However you decide to sign up, enjoy the extra savings as you make on-line purchases. Keep stretching your dollars!

Question: Do you already use a cash-back site when making on-line purchases? If so, how large is your typical payment?

On-Line Shopping: Free Shipping Codes – Part 2 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

The sale prices are already beginning to drop. With our Christmas shopping list started, I will begin watching sales for these items to stretch our dollars. With a plan in place and specific items chosen, I can adjust the list as needed when I find a great sale or deal.

Last week in Part 1, I shared how using a cash-back site, that pays you for making an on-line purchase with one of their partners, increases your savings. Using multiple strategies to stack your savings will help you achieve that item at a rock bottom price to stretch your dollars while using time wisely. The next strategy to save you money while shopping on-line is free shipping codes.

#2: Check for Free Shipping Codes

If I find a great deal on-line but will end up paying more for shipping than the item costs, then I will bypass the sale. I refuse to pay more than $5 – $8 in shipping charges for a $30 order. Again, you will need to decide when the deal is not worth it for you.

To ease the cost of shipping, here are some strategies to find free shipping codes:

1. Check the offers through your cash-back site. Both Ebates and Shopathome.com include codes for additional savings. When you select your store from which to shop, scroll down the page to look for free shipping offers. Many times you will find a code for 15% off one item with free shipping. Just take a look to see if you find a great code to use with your order.

2. Visit freeshipping.org. This web site keeps the free shipping coupon codes up-to-date. To check for free shipping codes for your desired store:

    • Type in your store name in the SEARCH field – i.e., J.C. Penney – and press ENTER.
    • If your store has codes, a list will display.
    • The free shipping codes will be listed in RED.
    • Copy the code to be used during check out.

3. Look on the company’s web site. Some of the best free shipping options are found on the company’s web site. Look on their HOME page under their header to see what deals they are offering. Sometimes you can get free or discounted shipping by picking up the merchandise at the store rather than having the item shipped to your home.

When I purchased the waffle iron for Paul, I chose the FREE SHIP TO STORE option. Picking up from the store is not out of my way, and I was able to stack the Shopathome.com cash back with the FREE SHIP TO STORE option. Next week, I will address a third way to stack your on-line savings while stretching your dollars and using time wisely. Happy savings!

Question: How much are you willing to pay for shipping on a $30 order? Please add your answer to the comments.

Disclosure: Affiliate links for Using Time Wisely are included within this post.

On-Line Shopping: Promotional Codes – Part 3 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

In using time wisely, stacking saving strategies while shopping on-line will help in stretching your dollars. In this series on stacking your savings while shopping on-line, we have looked at using cash-back sites (Part 1) and checking for free shipping codes (Part 2). Another option for increasing your savings is utilizing promotional codes.

#3: Utilize Promotional Codes

My favorite savings strategy is through the promotional codes. If you wait for a promotional code, you can save an additional 20-50% off the sale price. The key is to find these codes and use them before they expire. To access these codes, start with these options:

1. Check the offers through your cash-back site. Both Ebates and Shopathome.com include promotional codes with and without free shipping offers. When you select your store, scroll down the page to see the available promotional codes. If you find a great one, then click on the offer to be directed to the company’s web site.

2. Visit retailmenot.com. This web site lists the best promotional codes currently available. To find the promotional codes for your desired store:

    • Type in your store name in the SEARCH field – i.e., J.C. Penney – and press ENTER.
    • If your store has codes, a list will display.
    • The promotional codes are listed in ORANGE.
    • Copy the code to be used during check out.

3. Sign up for your favorite company’s e-mail newsletters. By receiving e-mail notifications, many companies send coupons, promotional codes, and sale flyers in advance to their preferred customers. To add your e-mail address to the company’s e-mail list, visit the company’s web site to sign up. (I use my junk account for newsletters, coupons, and freebies.)

4. Look on the company’s web site. Oftentimes the company’s web site advertises a promotional code. Look on their HOME page under their header to see what deals they are offering.

By using a promotional code when purchasing Paul’s waffle iron, I saved an additional $10. The full price was $59.99, the sale price was $29.99, the shipping was free with store pickup, and the promotional code subtracted $10 bringing the price to $19.99. Stacking the savings continues to bring the cost down. Though you may not be able to use every strategy on every purchase, you can research your options while using time wisely and stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Question: What is your favorite on-line shopping company? Please add your answer to the comments.

Disclosure: Affiliate links for Using Time Wisely are included within this post.

On-Line Shopping: Discounted Gift Cards – Part 4 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

Having heard of discounted gift cards but not knowing where to obtain them, I have not used them. However, after doing some research for this series (since I will not recommend something without personally trying it or reading about successes from others), I am ready to try this money saving technique.

Thus far in our series, we have stacked our savings by using cash-back sites, free shipping codes, and promotional codes. Today, I will share the research I have found with discounted gift cards.

#4: Purchasing Discounted Gift Cards

There are gift cards to retailers that are sold for less than their face value. Yes, you can purchase them, too. For example, I could have purchased a $25 J.C. Penney gift card for about $21.50 (15% discount). I could have then made my purchase shopping through Shopathome.com (cash-back site), received free shipping by selecting FREE SHIP TO STORE, and inserted the promotional code. Then at checkout, I could have selected payment by gift card and then used the $25 card to pay for the purchase. Though I did not use this option for this purchase, I will be taking advantage of these discounted gift cards for future sales.

Knowing that discounted gift cards are available, I can recommend two sites for purchasing them:

1. Giftcardgranny.com. This site offers different percentages of savings for each card. You can select which card you desire to purchase, but check the shipping since some are free while others are not.

2. Plasticjungle.com. This site seems to offer a flat set percentage of savings for each card to a particular store. Some of these cards are e-code (on-line cards) while others are physical. If you purchase a physical card, you will receive the card via mail. The e-code versions can be used right away on-line.

By purchasing discounted gift cards you can continue stretching your dollars while stacking your savings. In using time wisely to shop on-line, you can save money, energy, and time by incorporating these stackable savings strategies. Come back next week for the conclusion of this money saving series. In the meantime, continue stretching your dollars!

Question: Have you purchased discounted gift cards? Would love to hear about your experience.

Disclosure: Affiliate links for Using Time Wisely are included within this post.

On-Line Shopping: Rebates – Part 5 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

The idea for this series began after the purchase of my husband’s waffle iron. After sharing how I stacked my savings and learned a new technique along the way, I hope you can increase your savings while stretching your dollars through on-line shopping.

If you have missed any of the money saving strategies in this series, you can catch up here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. In this last post of this series, I will be stacking my savings from the purchase of the waffle iron by submitting a rebate.

#5: Submit a Rebate

Some manufacturers offer rebates for items purchase through a single retailer. Around Thanksgiving, you will find a number of rebates offered on sale items on Black Friday. Before Paul and I had children, we used to camp out at Best Buy early on Friday morning waiting to gather our savings when the doors opened. Our waiting paid off since we would gain hundreds of dollars of merchandise at a huge discount after the rebates.

The waffle iron I purchased for Paul had a $10 rebate offer attached which added to our savings. We started the deal with a retail price of $59.99 which was on sale for $29.99. Then we added in the FREE SHIP TO STORE option and a $10 off promotional code which brought the cost down to $19.99. With tax, I paid $21.19. After receiving the merchandise, I submitted the $10 rebate which will be processed within the next 6-8 weeks.

To review, I paid $21.19, but will get back a check for $10 and a credit of $1.79 in my Shopathome.com account for a future disbursement. If I wanted to subtract these future savings from this order, then I got the $60 waffle iron for $9.40 by stacking my savings.

Yes, working through these five steps takes some time. But when I see these types of savings, I know I am using time wisely. Whether you use one or more strategies when shopping on-line, you can stack your savings while stretching your dollars. Keep your eyes peeled for some great deals and use your money-saving strategies to snag some inexpensive gifts on Black Friday, this upcoming Christmas season, and throughout the year. Happy savings!

Question: How often do you submit rebates for items with rebates? Curious to see your answer.

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Using Time Wisely are included within this post.