Spirit Airlines has airfares of 5 CENTS each way!

Just came across this, these seats go fast so hurry if they fit your fun travel needs...

Spirit Airlines (the ones who gave me the amazing 2-cent roundtrip to Vegas) has a sale till midnight August 1st with a bunch of city pairs available on certain dates for only 5 cents each way! Here's the link.

If you can match the available dates with dates you could go make a round-trip, you could end up with a dime roundtrip!!! There are always security and airport fees plus taxes, but these usually don't add much if travel is domestic.

Some same fares:

Myrtle Beach to Boston, 5 cents on 10/5, 10/12, 10/18 and 10/25
Boston to Myrtle Beach, 5 cents on 10/21, 10/22, 10/28 and 10/29

Atlantic City to Tampa, 5 cents on 9/2, 9/7, 9/28 and 9/30
Tampa to Atlantic City, 5 cents on 9/21, 9/27, 9/28 and 9/30

Detroit to Fort Lauderdale, 5 cents on 9/3, 9/17, 9/24 and 9/30
Fort Lauderdale to Detroit, 5 cents on 9/7, 9/12, 9/21 and 9/28

There are a bunch more, but I don't want to waste more time posting them, I want you to read this soon and be able to find some of them. Fort Lauderdale has the biggest number of lowest fares. Much of Spirit's international service emanates from Fort Lauderdale too, so you might be able to combine a low fare into there with a low fare on to some other great place and create two vacations in one!

Fort Lauderdale to Aruba Just $9 Each Way...

Spirit Airlines announced they are going to start service from Fort Lauderdale to Aruba starting November 10th. To kick off the service, they've announced some fares at $9 each way for a few days in November and December. The link to the announcement is here. I presume the number of seats are limited at these prices so I would hurry if it appeals to you.

If you don't live in Fort Lauderdale, don't despair... Spirit has flights from many cities into Florida, so you might be able to pair up some great fares and get to Aruba for a song...

Don't you feel the warm breezes calling you?

A Virtual No-Brainer: Over $50 of Post-It Products delivered to You for Under $4!!Update: Deal No Longer Valid

Update July 31st 1:25am EDT: Sorry, this deal is no longer getting through the Staples system. The code is no longer being applied to orders and shows it is invalid. I posted this after I placed this order myself, or I wouldn't have advised it. But for whatever reason Staples.com does not have this promo code available any longer.

Sorry for getting your hopes up and any inconvenience!

Original post: If you do almost anything involving taking notes, writing stuff, reading, filing, leaving phone messages posted, etc. you will have a need for Post-It items... they're those magical pieces of paper with a light adhesive that you can stick anywhere as a reminder, and peel it off when you don't need them anymore.

Right now, Staples has a coupon code which you can combine with a purchase of a number of Post-It items to get an incredible amount of Post-It stuff for $3.18 + tax. And since the pre-coupon total is over $50, you get the shipping for FREE! Here's what you do and what you get:

Go to http://www.staples.com/. Order the following items by catalog number (it's quicker) and order two of each item.

Item 379112 - 1" Bright Green Flags (2-pack) @ 4.99 = $9.98
Item 379116 - 1" Bright Blue Flags (2-pack) @ 4.99 = $9.98
Item 428553 - Assorted Bright Flags 140/pack @ 3.90 = $7.80
Item 562930 - 3"x3" Assorted Neon Notes (5-pack) @ 6.59 = $13.58
Item 605121 - 1" Bright Pink Flags (2-pack) @ 4.99 = $9.98

(Remember, the quantity for each item needs to be 2)

This totals $50.92 so that qualifies the free shipping.

Now, the magic step... add coupon code 63463 to the space for coupons at checkout and $47.74 will come off your order!!! Leaving a measly $3.18 plus your local sales tax. With free next-day delivery. Even if you only need some of the items, your price is way less than what any single thing would've cost you!!! This code expires August 4th, but I'd hurry while they have these in stock.

So take these savings and stick them in your wallet!

Notebook Cooling Pad Free-After-Rebate

If you use a laptop computer, here's an accessory that could come in handy. It's a cooling tray that sits under your laptop. Helps keep it running better and not get overheated.

Right now Circuit City has the Antec Notebook Cooler, originally $39.99 on sale for $14.99. And they have a $15 mail-in rebate good for purchases until August 4th. Here's the link to the offer.

My laptop is always hot from all these great deals, so I'll have to pick one of these up myself!

How I Got Our Cell Phones for Minus $220

A couple of years ago, we decided to finally give in and join the cell phone generation. Not too much for major day-to-day use but to have for 'just-in-case' and to be able to keep in touch with each other. So I checked around and researched family plans and found the one that seemed to give us the best bang for the buck (ours happens to be T-Mobile but everyone should figure out the right carrier/plan for themselves).

I went looking around at the local cell phone dealers and they all had phones that they would give free if we signed up for an annual contract... but those phones were usually low-end models. They did have some nicer phones available and they would offer discounts on those (like a $200 phone for $75), but I was questioning adding the cost of a phone on top of a cell plan.

I decided to do a little digging on the internet, just to see what was available. And was I surprised.

There were a bunch of companies offering the same cell phone plans and phones, but with much better incentives. One I found was offering the $200 phone I had seen at the dealer, not for $75, not even for free, but actually offering a $110 rebate per phone if we signed up for a family plan with a minimum of two lines! Yes, we were getting the phone for free PLUS a total of $220 back, for what we would've had to have paid $150 if we bought two locally.

The cost of the service plan was a fixed price from T-Mobile, so it wasn't as if this were something of a come-on to buy equipment that they would make up the difference on the service side. Since any needed later dealings with the cell phone company would be through the carrier anyway, buying over the internet as opposed to local wouldn't make a major difference (I did research the company a bit to make sure they stood behind the phones if somehow they arrived defective etc.).

So the choice was pretty simple, to get the service plan and the phones we really liked, and to pocket $220 (about a third of the cost of the annual service plan) in the process.

I will note that the deal did involve submitting two separate rebates with somewhat higher restrictions (one rebate had to be submitted after the second month of service but before 90 days and the second after 6 months of service but before 210 days). Still, as long as I paid attention to the rules and time frames, it was still pretty straightforward.

To help remember them, I kept the papers hanging on a refrigerator magnet for a bit less danger of it being in the back of my mind and having the dates pass. And when the time came, I made copies of the needed bills and receipts and got all my rebates back timely, all $220 of them. It made me feel like I had gotten or first year of cell phone service at a third off (and having nicer phones to boot).

So if you need to buy a service that is filled with tons of competitors selling a service provided by a larger company, such as cell phones, satellite TV, and so on, take some time to see the deals possible on the web and you may find them too good to pass up.

Half-Price Promo Code for Graphics Tablet with Cordless Stylus Pen

Here's a neat little device that may make a nice accessory for your computer. An entry-level large DigiPro graphics tablet with a cordless stylus pen. It's a nice kind of alternative input device that is very helpful to make drawings in graphics programs (instead of trying to draw lines by guiding the mouse around -- that is too erratic). This one is a fairly large size (6" x 8") so it should handle some large drawing projects with ease. It even lifts the surface so you can slide in a picture you want to trace into your computer program.

It can also be used for handwriting input for certain applications, like annotating in MS Word.

Right now, Computer Geeks have a promo code HALFPRICE (expires July 30) that lets you halve the price, from $79 to $39. Shipping is $7, bringing the final total to $46. Here's the link. Apply the promo code at checkout to get the savings.

Higher-end graphics tablets, such as those by Wacom, often go for well over a hundred dollars even if they have less surface area for drawing/input (and even more money for the large sizes). For someone really into high-end graphic work this Digipro may be too simple, but for a youngster who likes drawing this can be a nice tool to make it easier. It can also be useful for someone who dabbles in graphics, and for those who like the idea of handwriting into programs available.

So if you need a graphic input device but maybe not the high-end kind (or if you want to try this to get the sense of whether a tablet is right for you, why not save half the price along the way?

Free 2GB Flash Drive and Free Shipping - Comes with Security Software if you want that too

Another deal at buy.com: CA Internet Security Suite software free-after-rebate. Comes pre-loaded on a 2GB USB Flash Drive. So if you don't want or need the security software, you can always delete it and have yourself a free 2GB drive for whatever other uses you may wish.

The flash card seems to look a bit like a credit card shape with a usb plug out the side (it's not one of the stick-shaped USB drives that are the more usual shape). If you do want to try the security software it's valid for up to 3 PCs if you have a small network at home (I haven't tried CA security so I can't speak to how it compares with Norton, McAfee etc).

The selling price is $55.00 so it qualifies for free budget shipping (don't forget to click 'budget' shipping at checkout so the shipping cost recalculates to zero. Here's the link to the item.

All-in-all, after the rebate, getting a 2GB card free is sweet. If the software fits your bill too, all the better!

Aquazone Oceans of the World - Free-After Rebate (with Free Shipping too)

If you or your family is interested in marine life and the oceans, this may spark some interest. Buy.com is selling Aquazone Oceans of the World software free-after-rebate ($27.99 rebate). The e-mail indicated supplies are limited so you may want to hurry.

The rebate expires July 31st. To get the free shipping, you need to change the shipping from 'standard' to 'budget' when you're at checkout. I've ordered several items before with their budget shipping and gotten it within days anyway.

The info about the software says that it brings four of the world’s grandest ocean environments to your PC! "Skim the reefs of a warm tropical sea, cruise the currents of a cool blue ocean, bob under the ice caps of the arctic, and trawl along the darkest of marine trenches. Choose from forty-five species of fish, whales, manatees, manta rays, sea turtles, jellyfish, dolphins, sharks, seals, and more. Aquazone is so vibrant, so life-like, you will swear it’s real!"

It looks like it could be a nice educational item as well as entertaining. I'll let you read more details about all the software features. If you're interested in this, here's the link.

Restaurant.com Promotional Code for 70% Off! ($25 dining certificate just $3!)

I've posted about a couple of restaurant.com offers and keep finding new promo codes -- this time it's a 70% off code! I thought I was doing well last month when I bought some of these certificates at 50% off...

To those of you who bought them at 50% or 60% off before, you may have a moment of regret not having waited, but I figure they were great deals anyway -- and you have to grab deals when they come along. Maybe you'll take advantage again and find another few restaurants to try with this latest offer.

If you haven't tried restaurant.com, their site has many restaurants which make dining certificates available. Some of them have restrictions about number of diners, minimum check etc. but I have found them to be flexible to use. For a $25 certificate, the regular price is usually $10, but for the rest of July if you apply the code PRESENT in the promo box in checkout, the price would drop 70% so it would just be $3! That's right -- a $25 dining credit for just $3!!!

They also have a spot on their site that you can enter family/freinds' e-mail addresses (who would then get an e-mail from restaurant.com, I'm sure) entitling you to a free certificate if that friend buys one.

70% off. Mmm-mmm-good...

Vista Basic Laptop Just $349.99 After Rebates and Free Canon Printer Too!

For someone who is looking for a basic computer without spending a ton, there's an offer right now for a laptop that you may want to check out. CompUSA is selling an Acer Aspire 3690-2970 Notebook for just $349.99 after rebates.

While it may not have tons of bells and whistles, it might fit the bill as a back-up laptop, or something good for a young student, or for anyone who's not doing much more than surfing the internet (to keep up with my blog, of course!) and reading emails.

And on top of that already great price, there's a FREE Canon Pixma iP1800 Printer (after mail-in rebate) when bought together with this laptop.

The rebates on the PC are valid for purchases through July 28th, so you may want to move quickly if this interests you. Here's the link. And if you can't make it to the store, they have it available with free shipping too!

The laptop features an Intel Celeron M Processor 520, 1.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, 15.4-inch WXGA TFT Display, 8x DVD/24x24x24 CD-RW Combo Drive, and comes with Windows Vista Home Basic.

Air France Sale! Europe and More for Sept & Oct (why does flying to Paris cost more than through Paris?)

Air France has some special offers for airfare to Europe in September and October that you can book at www.airfrance.com/us. Departures are from September 10th through October 28th, and tickets must be purchased by August 17th. Minimum stay is one Saturday night, maximum is one month.

A couple of years ago we flew on Air France to Geneva which connected through Paris. We were surprised that it cost a bit less for a ticket to Paris + Geneva than it would for a ticket just to Paris as a final destination.

That's the deal again, and in some cases the difference in price is quite significant. For example, Philadelphia to Paris costs $402 each direction, but Philadelphia to Paris and on to Madrid is just $218 each way!!! Weird... They take off almost half the cost and fly you further! Philadelphia to Athens is $299 each way, or Philly-Moscow $387, both connecting through Paris.

These fares include fuel surcharges but there are still government fees of about $110 per round-trip. Still, Philadelphia-Madrid for about $550 in early fall? Not too bad. And if you want to create a really great tour of some other European cities, you can go to http://www.flylc.com/ and check out all the discount airlines that fly out from Madrid. There are a lot of cities from which you can choose.

If you need to just go to Paris you might be tempted to buy the further ticket and pay less, but I don't think you can (years ago people would do this and be able to, but no more). First off, on the way there your bags would be checked to the final destination, and secondly, I believe if you didn't take the second flight they would cancel your return ticket.

But if you want to go to a city besides Paris (and there are many great cities on their list such as Venice, Prague, Moscow, Milan, Cairo...), this may be an airfare sale to look into! Departures are available from many different U.S. cities (I just used Philly as an example).

Even though the sale is for purchases till 8/17, I'd book early before seats get snatched up.

Webfares available from: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C.

Available to: Athens, Barcelona, Budapest, Cairo, Dubai, Florence, Kiev, Istanbul, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Prague, Rome, Tel Aviv, Venice, Warsaw

So this might be a grand opportunity to visit Europe for a great price before the weather's too cold but after the height of the tourist season! Let yourself daydream where you'd like to visit...

p.s. Have you answered the travel poll question yet? (in the left column)

Yesterday's Post was for CD People -- Today's is for you Ipod-ers!

Yesterday's post talked about a great way to get a nice selection of CDs for not too much dough. Today I found a nice deal for people who have Ipods and travel around with them.

Buy.com is offering a very sweet deal on an iPod Compatible Travel Kit Plus. The regular retail price is $70.47 but they're selling it at $26.95, so it even qualifies for free shipping. Then there's a $9 rebate for purchases by July 31st, so the final after rebate comes down to $17.95! That's 75% off the orginal price!

And if you've never used google checkout and join that, you get another $10 off your first purchase so you could end up paying just $7.95 when all is said and done!

The kit includes many necessities for using your Ipod on the road – Travel Charger, Car Charger, Headphone Splitter, USB Sync Cable, Headphones, Firewire Charging Cable, 3.5mm Stereo Auxiliary Cable. Comes inside a nice travel kit so all your cables fit nicely without getting tangled together.

With a deal like this, your tunes should sound all that much sweeter.

Save on Some Music - 12 CDs for the Price of 1

Love music? Want to build up your collection without too much out-of-pocket?

I joined BMG Music Club for their initial offer which is really a great way to get a load of excellent CDs for a low investment. You initially pick out seven CDs for free when you join... then you have to buy one at full price sometime during the next year and afterwards you get to pick four more CDs to receive free! So you can end up with twelve great CDs for the price you'd pay for one.

They do add a shipping/handling charge in the $2 range per CD, but after all is said and done you can listen to a very nice collection. They have a very large and varied catalog of music for virtually every genre. From what I recall, some of the catalog isn't available for the initial selections but there are plenty of choices.

Their hope obviously is that you'll stay with the club, but you can cancel anytime after you fulfill the membership requirement of one purchased CD. I stayed with them for a while longer, and later on they have offers of discounts for multiple purchases, free CDs if you buy one, points earned on purchases that you can redeem for free CDs and more. I built up a large selection combining some of their offers over time... sure beat paying retail or close to it in music stores.

You can even make your choices or decline their monthly suggested offers on-line nowadays so it doesn't even have to involve returning cards and stamps anymore.

But the best deal is still the first one - twelve for one! Even if you own an Ipod and don't listen to a CD player anymore, you can still get great music that can expand your collection. Also, did you know that the quality of music on a CD is twice as good as what you get in an Ipod or mp3 download? So if you have music you like on your Ipod and want to hear it even better, the CD offer might still be a way to enhance your listening experience.

What a Week to Go to Staples! Free Software AND You Get a $25 Dining Card!!!

One time earlier I wrote in a post about how I got back more in rebates than I paid for software at Staples. Spent $165 but because of a mid-week $30 bonus coupon I got back $180 total... deals like that look like great bonuses when you find them.

Well, this week's Staples circular has your chance to do something similar. This is a link to an on-line version of the circular for my store. You can find your own store at http://www.staples.com/ and stop by for a copy of the circular. Or maybe it came with your Sunday paper...

Staples is offering Peachtree Pro Accounting Software free after rebate. It starts at $169.99, and they take off $30 in the store so you pay $139.99 -- then you get to send in rebates which total $140, so you get that software for free. Yes, software that starts at $169.99 for FREE! (except sales tax)

But it doesn't end there... the front of their circular has a coupon for a $25 dining card free with any purchase of $75 or more, valid for in-store purchases, valid until July 28th. And since you are spending $139.99 for Peachtree prior to the rebate, this would qualify (there are no conditions on the coupon that exclude rebate-related items). So you get the card, the software and your money back... a wonderful final deal!

There is another item in the same circular free-after-rebate, a ten-pack of Zebra Cadoozles mechanical pencils, $3.29 with a $3.29 easy rebate. The easy rebates are great because you just enter your contact information and the transaction bar code number from your receipt -- you don't have to mail in UPCs etc. Staples has always been one of the most reliable vendors for rebate dealings with which I've dealt.

There are also some school supply items like 2-pocket paper folders for a penny, 12-pack of pencil eraser caps for 5 cents, a protractor or a ruler for 5 cents...

Similar to the dining coupon, the mechanical pencils and school supplies are valid for in-store purchases only. So stop in, pick up a circular, combine the deals and get back a free $25 dining card on top of all your money rebated back!!! Woo-hoo!!!

Just in time for summer... Ice Cream Maker at 75% Off!

Amazon.com has a sale going on for the VillaWare Electric V5100 Classic Ice Cream & Gelato Maker, if you're looking for ways to make frozen treats to beat the heat.

The list price is $79.99 and Amazon has it for $19.99. And if you buy something else for at least another $5.01 to bring the order over $25, shipping is free. (Maybe you can tack on an order for the Organic Bare Fruit I posted earlier in July-- I just checked and the sale price is still good on Amazon).

I checked some other sites on the internet to compare Amazon with other stores. Most low prices are in the $48 range (usually plus shipping) so this is still better than half-off other retailers.

I read the reviews at Amazon and some people love it and some people are disappointed that the ice cream comes out very slushy. It seems that you have to pre-freeze a bowl that will hold the mix before you make the ice cream so it probably takes some planning ahead (or keeping a bowl in the freezer). If you're thinking about this, you may want to read the reviews yourself for helpful tips by people who are using it.

So if you'd like making frozen treats in the flavors and mixtures you want to create, why not mix in the savings too? Here's the link.

Use Your Rewards Points Wisely

Chances are that you have a credit card that offers some types of rewards points. Many banks and companies have created those as incentives for you to keep using their card, obviously. But how do you make the best deal out of it? First by picking the rewards that fit you the best, but then also looking at the relative value of the rewards they offer.

I have one card that offers points that can be used toward a variety of things. Some are gift certificates to stores, others are merchandise or travel, and at some levels they offered credit toward your account balance. That ended up being a nice little deal. Not just because it was a credit direct back to me, but also that it had a higher value per point. Let me explain.

If you look at the rewards this card offered (and you can looked at your own cards programs) you can calculate what the value of a point generally equals. For example, if it takes 6,000 points to get a $25 gift certificate then a point equals less than half a penny (about $.004). If 10,000 points gets you a $50 certificate then a point is worth half a penny at that level. A 25,000 point level that gets you a $250 certificate means you're now at the penny-a-point level. I had looked over my plan and thought a penny was the best that I could do. But then I saw a note that for 50,000 points they would give me a statement credit of $1,000. That meant that my points would now be worth two cents apiece! So the value was significantly higher than if I cashed them in at the lower levels.

So rather than redeeming the points at the 10,000 or 25,000 levels, I let them build -- knowing that not only were the new points going to be valued more, but I was also increasing the value of my existing points once the total reached the next level.

To me a statement credit was the best kind of reward, because it specifically reduced the amount I would have to pay toward bills on the account -- which meant less cash coming out of my bank account. And getting it to the highest reward value per point just made sense too.

So do a couple of quick calculations as to the relative value of your points as you accumulate them and certainly before you redeem them.

My other ideas about points: redeeming them for merchandise will often achieve a lower value per point than if you took a gift certificate to a store that might carry that type of merchandise. There are two reasons I say this:

First, redeeming it for points will generally be based on the suggested retail price, so a stereo valued at $300 might require 30,000 points (making it look like you are getting a penny a point). But what if you have a chance to get a gift certificate to an electronics store that often has great sales on stereos, say a $250 certificate for 25,000 points. You might be able to find that same stereo on sale for $250 or maybe even less, and get the same stereo while cashing in fewer points. So the net value of the points could be higher with a gift certificate than redeemed merchandise from the rewards program directly.

The other reason is that as models change, the one that's offered by the rewards program might not even be the latest model anymore. By using a gift certificate redemption, you can choose the make/model that is exactly what you want. And if you want the older model the program offered, the stores have probably dropped the prices even more when newer models came in.

Gift certificates at stores allow you to take advantage of store sales, so you can use them when sales are best, and probably up your point value higher than originally appeared if you buy things on sale.

The same thing with travel rewards. Maybe they offer you certain values on services through their travel agents for credits on flights. And the value-per-point might look good. But as I've discussed on this blog, there are lots of ways to find travel bargains. So let's say they offer a $250 travel credit for 25,000 points -- using their travel service. You might be able to find similar flights for much less than their offer -- and in this case taking a statement credit and booking the trip yourself might yield the same trip for less money you actually spend.

I hope these tips make sense. It might seem complicated, but the explanation is probably more long-winded than looking at your points program and analyzing where your points get the most bang for the buck.

Superman Fan? Free-after-Rebate for Your PC

If you're a fan of Superman (or just want to get a new keyboard and mouse for your PC), Newegg has an assortment of keyboards that are free-after-rebate until August 10th, as well as a 5-button mouse. All have the distinctive S crest of Superman from Superman Returns.

The keyboard is available in black, blue or silver. The mice (mouses?) are two-tone: a nice blue and red, a blue and black, and a silver with black. Pretty nice coordinated looks...

Newegg charges for shipping, but nothing exorbitant. I've always been pleased with my dealings with Newegg.

Here are links to:
Keyboards
5-button mice

These could make nice little treats for young (or not so young) superhero fans. So if you like this deal, why not let yourself go up, up and away!

Have Beckhamania??? Save on David Beckham Jerseys

Updated July 19th -- Found a listing that says you get 30% off if you use one of these coupon codes: LKS17A3C or EMEB7CA2. I tried to verify but you have to go all the way through checkout to see if it applies. But if you're going to buy one of these, maybe these codes give you a better deal than the $10 off...

One of my readers let me know about a deal he found on jerseys for soccer mega-star David Beckham. If you have to ask, you don't have Beckhamania.

Here's his message: "I am finding myself falling for the David Beckham mania and am purchasing a jersey from a website that I found after doing a lot of comparison shopping. I figure a lot of people may be doing the same thing, and could use this piece of information.

The Beckham jersey by Adidas (the only official Beckham jersey you can get) retails for $80 on any of the websites (such as www.shopadidas.com or www.mlsgear.com) that would sell that type of thing. However, I just found a site that is offering $10 off any orders of $75 or more and that gives discounts on shipping multiple items. The online store is called Eastbay, and is at: http://www.eastbay.com/

At checkout, apply the following code to receive the $10 discount on the final total: IPEB7775. The code for $10 off is valid from July 16th through 11:59pm CST on July 22nd.

There is no sales tax in NY but I'm not sure about what other states that would apply for, and the standard shipping rate (for delivery in 7-10 business days) is $6.99 for the first item and $1.99 for each additional item, so it makes some sense in my opinion if you want to order 2 or 3 items, as most other sites (such as www.mlsgear.com) will charge at least $11 for shipping a single item."

Thanks for the tip for any of our David Beckham fanatics on this side of the pond.

Hooray! Restaurant.com back with another offer!!!

I've heard from some of my blog readers that many of them got to restaurant.com during their last sale period, bought some of the dining certificates and already used them successfully. Some people mentioned that their college-age students really appreciated the savings... but who wouldn't?

So here they are AGAIN!!! From now till July 22nd, enter the coupon code ENJOY at checkout, and 60% will magically come off your bill! So a $25 dining certificate that normally costs $10 would now be just $4. A $10 certificate drops from $3 to $1.20.

There are lots of great restaurants that participate, and it's a great opportunity to try that place you haven't visited yet, or to visit a favorite restaurant a little more often. Some restaurants have no restriction on using the coupons (other than restaurant.com's rules of no more than one certificate at the same restaurant in a month and valid for one year). Other restaurants have some restrictions but they are almost always easily attainable (i.e. minimum check amount such as $35 for two, or a minimum number of diners, and many of them don't include alcohol in applying the certificate).

I've found this to be one of the most useful bargains to enjoy and hope you get a chance to seize this opportunity too. And maybe you can also figure out someone else who could use the information too -- so feel free to pass this blog link on (click on the e-mail icon below).

Home-Buying Advice - Mortgage Points

This post isn't intended for a deal right now, unless you're looking for a home or refinancing a mortgage today. But I wanted to give a tip just for you to keep in mind when you might get to the point of buying a house.

Think twice before taking points on your mortgage. When we bought this house, our financial guy talked us into adding a point at closing to get a quarter-percent better rate on our mortgage. If you ran the numbers, it seemed like a decent idea, as the amount we paid would get balanced out after a few years by the lower payments we made. The presumption backing that up was simply the idea that we would own the house for that length of time.

What he neglected to mention (and we didn't have the acumen to consider) was the chance that we might refinance our mortgage. Within about a year, rates had dropped enough that the chance to get a lower rate was fairly straightforward. They had dropped lower than the rate we had gotten even with the point. We went ahead with a refinance, so we created a new mortgage. The new rate had nothing to do with the old rate, it was an entirely new transaction. So the points we paid the first time had no influence on our new mortgage.

This meant that we had paid 1% of the cost of the house for about a year's worth of lower interest, so we definitely didn't get as much benefit as we paid out. That taught me that when there are various ways circumstances may change, paying money upfront for something that won't balance out over many years is something to avoid. With the refinancing we didn't pay points (we actually refinanced a few times as rates kept going lower) -- thank goodness we only made the points mistake the first time and didn't repeat it.

At least we didn't initially go for an even bigger interest rate reduction and pay 3 points! That would've really been a lot of money down the tubes.

So my advice is to avoid paying the points, keep the money in your pocket, because you very well might not have that same mortgage for long enough to get the benefit that equals the balance.

Vista Laptop w/ Vista Home Premium & 1Gb RAM on sale $449.99

If you happen to be in the market for a new PC, this is a sale I just ran across that strikes me worth mentioning. Best Buy has a Compaq laptop on sale for $449.99 starting today. It's preloaded with Vista Home Premium and 1Gb RAM -- laptops I've previously seen anywhere near this price range had Vista Basic and 512Mb RAM (ones with Premium/1Gb were always in the $599+ range). Here's the link if you want to look.

Compared Insurance with My Current Company and Saved $250!

Recently got a reminder that every once in a while you ought to check your insurance policies to see if they're still the best deal. I did and was amazed that through the same company I could get a policy for $250 less than I was paying!

I had been with Progressive for several years, having an auto policy with their Drive.com service. The prices had been the lowest when I first got them, and hadn't been going up so I was renewing them each 6 months (saving $60 by paying the premium up-front rather than monthly). Late last year, my old 1984 Ranger pick-up truck finally gave up the ghost and I had to replace it. Found a nice used 1994 Toyota pick-up to replace it.

So I contacted my insurance company and they said the policy would be $70 higher. I couldn't figure it out because nothing was changing, so I questioned it. My agent checked and said that Progressive assigns each type of car a value based on the damage it can cause in an accident (not on the safety of its passengers but on the property damage it would cause). She said they rated the Ranger as a 4 but the Toyota is a 10, so my liability costs would go up.

I was frustrated because the Ranger and the Toyota were equivalent size trucks, so such a big disparity seemed incongruous. It triggered me to look around. I contacted other companies and got quotes and then remembered the TV commercials for Progressive.com. I visited their website and got a quote -- I used my old policy to make sure the same coverage was specified. Was I surprised when the quote came back as $200 less than if I went with their drive.com insurance!

And by signing up on-line I got an extra $50 discount the first 6-month policy too, meaning I was paying $250 less than if I had just kept the same coverage with another part of Progressive. I checked with an on-line agent to make sure I could switch my policy within the company and there was no problem.

Same company, same coverage, $250 less... not bad. Turned out the boost in policy my agent quoted was the catalyst to make me do what I should have done anyway. So you can bet that when my other types of policies are coming due, I'll be doing some cost comparisons too.

Skype, Woot, Ding!

The internet has opened up all sorts of ways to save, and there's three I want to point out to you.

The first is Skype. It's a software package that allows you to make video-phone-calls to other people over your computer. You and the receiver both need to have webcams to be able to see each other (you can make audio calls with just microphones if you don't have a webcam, but what makes Skype so much fun is the video capability). The software is available for free when you click on 'download' at this link. The set-up of your account is fairly straightforward and then you can easily search for friends/relatives who may already have Skype addresses.

My experience with the software is that it's just a bit finicky. Sometimes when you open Skype, it may have lost some settings for your webcam or mike (I've made calls where the other party couldn't hear me, for example, because the microphone setting changed to other than the mike in my webcam). But as long as you check the Skype settings before you place a call and make sure they're set properly, it works fine.

The ability to video-call people around the world is awesome! Whether it were free or not, isn't it an amazing time to be able to see a relative from half a world away while you talk? And the fact that the call is free if you both have Skype makes it doubly awesome!!!!

I've been able to talk with and see my wife while on a business trip to Japan -- in a situation like that, Skype is also advantageous because you can see whether the person you want to call is on-line at the moment. On prior business trips I would waste time and money calling the hotel only to find out she wasn't available. This way, I could be sure and it made the calling process much less frustrating.

I've been able to video-chat with relatives in Europe for long periods without having to worry about the bill piling up too, which is awfully nice!

Skype also allows you to place inexpensive calls to non-Skype numbers (about a penny and a half per minute), so you can also use it as an inexpensive long-distance service too. You pre-pay some money into an account for credits if you want to use this type of calling -- but there's no obligation to use it for that -- if you just want the free computer-to-computer phone calling, you don't need to pay anything.

For me the ability to have accessible video-calling and have it for free makes this an unbelievable deal. So if you want to add this great technological advance into your life, Skype makes it easy.

Next is woot. What? No, woot! OK, I had never even heard of the word before a young friend of mine told me it was a new way of saying "hooray" or "wow!" And there's a site called woot.com which has a unique way of offering great deals. While most on-line stores offer lots of items in various categories, woot sells only one item each day. It goes on sale at midnight, and they sell it until they sell out. Sometimes the bargains are such that the items sell out before the sun rises. It's a unique approach but they have a fun way of displaying the item, often writing a poem or other creative way to talk about it. If the idea appeals to you, check them out.

Finally, ding! That bell that went off is a small download you can put on your computer from Southwest Airlines. Every so often, they will send out limited-time special offers for airfare -- when you register, you can choose up to ten airports for them to send you specials. If you have this downloaded to your system, it makes a ding sound that sounds like the bell on a plane when a stewardess is called or the seat-belt light goes off. You click on the ding icon and the offer pops up. The software doesn't cost anything, and it's a way to be informed of some travel deals as they happen. Here's the link.

Southwest doesn't get covered by companies like Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, so these are deals you might not otherwise find. Southwest is a discount airline with low-frills service to maximize the low fares (such as no pre-assigned seating), so you might not get all the bells and whistles -- but even the major airlines have cut back many of the bells and whistles anyway.

So these may be three new words in your vocabulary -- but they can be new ways of finding great deals too.

Selling Books? Amazon rather than Ebay?

Over the years I've acquired some books I no longer need and was looking to move them. I considered putting them up on ebay, but that involves some up-front issues, including listing fees as well as the work of creating a listing. Then you have to hope someone is looking for that book while your listing is open. So using ebay seemed a bit hit-or-miss, and even if the item didn't sell, it cost something just to try.

Amazon.com seems to be a better choice if you are trying to sell some books. First off, there is no up-front fee to place a listing. So you can put your books up and if they don't find a buyer, it hasn't cost you anything.

Secondly, the listing stays active for 60 days, rather than the 7 day auction period on ebay. So you're giving yourself a longer opportunity to have that buyer find your listing and make the purchase. (And if your book is unsold after y60 days they send you a link to restart the listing).

Another benefit is that you don't have to create a listing from scratch. If you have a book you wish to sell, do a search for it on Amazon. When you find the listing, there will be a link button "Have one to sell? Sell Yours Here." It will walk you through setting up a seller account (not complicated, especially if you already have a regular amazon account). Then you basically decide on the price you want, put in a description of the condition of your book, and away you go. Your listing doesn't need a separate listing or photo because it will now appear among all the sellers who have the book available. If you have the lowest price in the used or new categories, it would appear at the top of a buyer's search.

When you decide to list your book, you can take a look at all the other sellers and conditions of their books to come up with a price at which you think yours will sell. (I think it's important to be accurate about the condition so the buyer will feel satisfied after they get it.) Obviously, if you choose to price it lower than others, you stand a better chance of selling more quickly.

Amazon has a standard method for shipping, so you don't set your own shipping costs. They have the buyer pay $3.99 for standard shipping, so that's what they credit to you when you sell it. For anything short of a heavy hardcover book, $3.99 should be more than enough to send it via Media Mail. If it costs you more than $3.99, the shipping would eat into your book proceeds.

If buyers want the book faster, or if they are not in the U.S., Amazon gives you the choice whether to offer Priority Shipping and International Shipping, with credits of $5.99 and $9.99 respectively, which for most cases would give you enough to cover those postage costs. But you are not required to offer more than standard shipping.

Amazon's commissions after the sale are higher than ebay's. On a book selling for $9 the commission may be about $3, whereas ebay's would be about $1. That could beg the question of why to use Amazon as opposed to ebay. But unless the book is really hot or collectible that a lot of people are looking for (when the new Harry Potter book is issued, I'm sure there will be plenty on ebay, so that kind of book is different), Amazon is the type of site that will attract more shoppers of books of a more routine nature. So even if the commission is higher, the fact that Amazon may actually find you buyers (and not cost you anything if it doesn't) gives it an edge for many kinds of book sales.

When you sell books on Amazon, you are competing against major booksellers who can open business accounts that let them sell at lower commissions. Thus, there are some books available for sale at a dollar or less that you just couldn't afford to match -- your Amazon commission would be more than the sale price! But for books selling for $5-$6 and up, you may actually end up being able to clear out those old bookshelves and get some value in return.

Better than just putting all those books into a yard sale and asking a quarter each, if you ask me.

Digital Giggles -- Free after Rebate

When I saw the name Digital Giggles I just had to check...

Fry's has this software for free after rebate until tomorrow 7/12. It's photo-creativity software that lets you transform pictures into fun characters. You can add wacky hairstyles, mustaches, masks, tattoos etc. Sounds like the kind of thing kids might have fun with, waiting out the long summer till the fun of school resumes. Gives them some giggles...

Fry's also has these other software items free-after-rebate till 7/12:
Slide Show Expressions
Fireman 3.0 for burning CDs and DVDs
Nova Arts Explosion: Seasons, Events & Holidays Clip Art
Windows Live One Care 1.5

Office Depot Coupon - $10 off $25 Purchase - Through July 15

Here's a link for a coupon that may be worthwhile if you need to stock up on some supplies... Office Depot is offering $10 off a purchase of $25 or more. It has some restrictions, such as not valid on technology items, HP ink, photocopies and some more, but it still may come in handy if you need to stock up on paper, supplies, other inks or the like -- a chance to save up to 40% and if you combine it with other sale items it can balloon to bigger savings. It expires 7/15 so use it soon if you have a chance.

Free Pedometer, along with recipes and coupons

Del Monte is having a promotion to encourage people to eat healthier and increase physical activity... if you go to this link you can take a pledge to promote a healthier you. They will send you a starter kit which includes a free pedometer, lots of recipes and coupons. There's also a sweepstakes for a $250 Visa gift card you can enter now and again each week till next April.

The pedometer is a nice bonus that could come in handy, so if you're interested you may want to check it out. They say supplies are limited.

$50 Sale Tickets for Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas Shows!!!

If you click on this link, you will find listings for $50 tickets for Cirque du Soleil's spectacular shows in Las Vegas! They have tickets for almost all of the different shows, including Mystere, Beatles' Love, Zumation ("the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil") and Ka.

The site has some videos of the shows, and there really are many dates available between now and September.

These tickets often go for $100, $150 or more, so $50 is an awesome deal!!! If you are travelling to Las Vegas, a Cirque du Soleil show would be a highlight -- and these prices really make it more of a treat!

School Supplies Alert - 1 Penny or Less!

For parents getting an early jump on school supplies for their kids, or for stationery buffs, Staples has some low specials in this week's circular.

A few items are available for just one cent! Among them are 8-packs of pencils, pencil cases (if you buy 8 pencils, don't you need a case?), pencil sharpeners, and 2-pocket folders.

They also have a 5-pack of Pentel RSVP ballpoint pens in an assortment of color inks for $3.29 with a $3.29 rebate! It's also an easy-rebate so you don't have to mail anything in, you just submit your receipt information on-line. Free-after-rebate is always nice.

They also have Elmer's school glue on sale for 9 cents.

So for not much out-of-pocket, you can get a jump-start on the coming school year!

Summer Weekend Travel Deals Under $250

For someone who's still looking for a little vacation break in the summer, Travelocity has some nice weekend packages available. They've broken down these weekend getaways available for $250/person or less. May be a way to spark up your travels without taking too much time or cash.

This link is for departures from New York, but you can change the city and find deals available wherever you are. If you're looking to get away a bit, maybe this can help.

Today, Act Quick -- Another Day of Spirit Air Specials!

Today only (book by 11:59 tonight) Spirit Airlines is back with some of those low roundtrips I've written about. For those of you new to my blog, it's where I was able to book a 2-cent roundtrip to Vegas!

Some of the low fares today include: New York/Detroit for $6 roundtrip; Fort Lauderdale to Puerto Rico or Washington DC $16 roundtrip; Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale for $110 roundtrip (even if it's not an almost-free fare like some others, $110 coast-to-coast sounds pretty low to me). Fares are for some specific dates, and taxes/fees are added (as with all airline tickets). Click on this link.

Spirit has also started something called the $9 Fare Club -- they have an even wider assortment of lower fares, but the club has a small membership fee: $9 for a 3-month trial and $29.95 annually. But as an example, in addition to the low fares above, a $9 Club member would be able to get some even lower fares today, such as Fort Lauderdale to Jamaica (Kingston or Montego Bay) for $2 roundtrip!

Anyway, travel bargains keep popping up, and I will try and pass some along -- there are so many that I'd fill up my blog if I tried and write them all. If you like looking for special travel deals and haven't subscribed to Travelzoo and Shermans Travel, I would do that. But sometimes these special offers pop up elsewhere too! So keep checking in often!

Free-after-Rebate Stapler Today/Tomorrow

Found this deal at Office Depot... good only for in-store purchases. May not be worth a special trip (what with the price of gas) but if you're going out shopping anyway and are near an Office Depot, you might want to pop in.

They have a Swingline Stapler for $9.99 and there is a rebate of $9.99 for purchases made until July 7th. The sku for the stapler is 517136 and you can look at it here (but don't order it on-line -- the rebate is for in-store purchases only).

Funny thing is that even their website doesn't make a big deal of the rebate, you have to really look. But here's a link to the rebate form.

If a sturdy stapler would come in handy, this seems to fit the bill.

How I Sold a $5 Magazine for $27...

I've mentioned ebay as a spot to find some nice deals, but it can also be a nice spot for selling things too -- handy for getting rid of items you've accumulated over the years. There are ways to improve your ebay odds, and on one particular auction I found out just how nicely it can pay off.

I owned a collection of magazines dating back into the mid-1950s, and had some extra issues. Thinking they would make good birthday presents (for milestone-type birthdays like 40 or 50), I decided to list a bunch on ebay. Before I did, I checked to see if others were on sale and what they were fetching. To my dismay there were several of many issues and they were getting about five bucks apiece. Not as much as I'd hoped but these were still excess issues so I still wanted to move them.

One of the things I've found about ebay is the importance of using the 55-letter title as well as possible to get the most views. Many sellers just seem to list a bare-bones title with rudimentary information, and miss the chance to list a few other details. Those extra details could be the make-or-break in whether a potential buyer even finds your auction. They may be searching for something slightly different and with those other words may get to yours. The more buyers who see your listing the better the chance that several will bid.

So before listing any of the magazines, I skimmed through the issues to find items of interest, which I then added to the title block for my listing. For many of them, the item of interest was easy to find, whether a famous person's interview or pictorial or some other special feature. I reached an issue where there just didn't seem to be anything. November 1957, I believe. No big names, nothing that jumped out. The best I could find was a small 4-page item with pictures of private planes...

Since that was the only thing I could find, I used it. The title had the name of the magazine and the issue date, the idea of a birthday gift, and a couple of the planes' names... Cessna, Pilot etc.

Funny thing was that this issue then became the target of a small tug-of-war between two bidders! Based on their ebay names it looked like both of them were interested in airplanes and/or were private pilots. Back and forth it went for a few days, and by the end the higher of the two had bid the price up to $27!

All this while several other issues (same month and year) were still up on ebay in the five-dollar range. Once the two bidders had latched onto my auction they never went back to search whether the same issue was offered elsewhere by just checking the basic name/date of the magazine. They had gotten interested because of the private plane pictorial and were intent on winning that auction.

This reinforced the importance of cross-promoting -- trying to find ways to interest people from two or more areas to get interested in your offer... if you can expand it beyond the "typical" market, the results might be a pleasant surprise.

512 Mb Laptop Memory just $10 after Rebate

Buy.com has a deal going on for 512 Mb memory if you want to expand your laptop. It's a US Modular 512 Mb PC2 5300 667 Mhz 200 pin DDR2 card. The item normally lists for $35 but they dropped the price to $29.95 and have a $10 rebate until July 11th. Shipping is free so your final net is $9.95. Here's the link.

If you have a laptop that could use a memory boost, this offer may be for you!

$75 Off Coupon for Caribbean Escapes on Travelocity

For the month of July, there's a coupon available on-line to get an extra $75 off on last-minute escapes to the Caribbean booked on Travelocity! Hmm, more incentive to go to those white, sandy beaches, to see that crystal-clear blue-azure water, to feel the warm breezes swaying the palm trees... oh, where was I? I got lost in the daydream!

Anyway, the coupon link is here. The promo code is 'escape today.' This offer is valid until July 31st, on packages for two or more people with a pre-coupon price over $700. The link takes you to a page where you can search the last-minute packages and find one (or a bunch) that appeal to you.

For example, I just found a 6-night package to Negril, Jamaica including airfare from New York, hotel (garden-view room), taxes and fees for $424 a person, so the coupon would bring the final price for two down to $773!!!

These Travelocity last-minute deals are for travel planned fairly soon, not for long-ahead planning. So if you have some flexibility to plan a quick getaway, keep this coupon in mind.

This One Put a Smile on My Face...

I was hunting today for great deals and ran across an item that made me chuckle, and wonder just what it is that you can't find anymore...

There is a bit of a sale going on but it's not the price that got my attention -- it's the item itself. A toilet-roll dispenser that also serves as a dock for your iPod!!! So you can add the bathroom to places where you can listen to your music! The specs are lovely: four moisture-free speakers for high-quality sound, charges the iPod while it's docked, speakers fold in for use as a stereo dock (but then where do you keep the toilet paper?)

Newegg does have a sale for $8 off and it's lower than other retailers on the internet, so if you want to see this, here's the link.

But seriously... really?

64% Off Right Now! Packs of Organic Bare Fruit!

If you're into organic dried fruit (and shouldn't we all be?), here's a quick offer that'll help you stock up and fill your pantry with some tasty treats! Great snacks for the kids at camp, in convenient sized bags as well. And shipped to your door for free.

Right now for a limited time (maybe just today), Amazon.com is offering assorted Bare Fruit Organic Dried Fruits at almost 2/3 off the regular price. The offer is for Dried Cherries, Dried Fuji Apple Chips, or Dried Mangos. A box with 24 bags of 2.6 ounce servings is available for $30. The regular price is $83.76, so that's a nice break in the price. Plus Amazon qualifies this for free shipping over $25, so $30 is your final net cost. Here's the link.

I looked on the internet to check on the value and at the Bare Fruit store, they offer these bags individually at $3.29. Another retailer has them at $2.99 apiece. With this deal, you get 24 bags for about the cost of 10! Since it's dried, the fruit should last a while, so you can save a lot compared to buying them a couple of bags at a time.

A review I found seems to like the products of Bare Fruit.

So if this tickles your palate, stock up on the savings now...

Ebay -- Some tips to use it well

I figured it's about time I write about ebay. It's really changed the face of buying and selling products, and it comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. It lets you buy items from around the world which you otherwise might not have found, but you are also dealing with sellers who are somewhat anonymous. I've been able to find some great deals and also to use it for selling some things effectively too. Along the way, I've learned some ideas about using it well.

So here are some tips to consider when shopping on ebay, in no particular order...

Use the feedback system. Each seller has compiled a rating that gives you some sense of their trustworthiness and whether their customers have been happy. But don't just look at the number and presume the higher the number the better the vendor. Look at the percentage of positives and click on the feedback number to pull up some detailed feedback. If I have a seller who has a small percentage of negative feedback I try and find some of the negative postings and read what the complaint was. Based on that, I can infer whether it was a particular customer's problem or whether it's a wider issue. Gives me a sense of whether I'd feel comfortable doing business with that seller. The amount of feedback I check usually corresponds with the amount I may need to spend.

Do a real good search to see if there are several of that item on ebay at the same time. One of my early tendencies when I started with ebay was to keep increasing my bid on an auction I had already gotten into, instead of conducting a new search. The result was I sometimes paid more than if I had just gone to another auction and started bidding there instead. Once you are around ebay you will see whether certain items keep popping up, so that if you miss out on the item this time you know it will come up again soon. Unless you need the item quickly you might save if you wait for the next go-round and hopefully have fewer (or no) other bidders.

Two other ways to help yourself do that: do a search-by-seller, and include completed auctions in the search parameters. The same vendor may often offer the same items over and over each week or so. By checking this you will see whether that's the case and the range at which his/her auctions ended. Also do an advanced-search on the item and search for completed listings. This will show you the final prices people got for the same item over the last thirty days. So as you bid, you can gauge whether the bidding has gotten too hot and it's worth backing off.

Do factor in shipping costs. This can be the make-or-break between a good deal and a bad one. Because ebay's seller commissions are based on the sales price, there is an incentive for dealers to settle for a lower auction price and jack up shipping to make it up. Ebay frowns on the practice, but determining what's a "fair" shipping cost is not easy for them to judge. So you will occasionally see a seller listing a small item for $0.99 and having a shipping cost of $12 for something fairly light and not fragile.

But aside from that, if there are multiple sellers of the same item (i.e. DVDs you might buy) then check the net final cost to you if you win. Sometimes you'll find the seller with a $1 higher bid but whose shipping is $3 less. It's the final total you have to pay which matters after all.

Search creatively. Look for items that might have different ways of describing them and check for both. For example, I've seen similar items described as statuettes and figurines, and one word might draw more bidder searching than the other -- and the more competition/bidders, the higher the auction will probably end.

Search for possible misspellings, if there is a word or name that people might get wrong. It isn't frequent but it does happen occasionally and you may be one of the few people who finds that item and gets in on the bidding.

If the item can be spelled as one word or two, do a check with both possibilities. Some people might write lawnmower and other might write lawn mower. Some people might write Spiderman as Spider man. The search engine won't see them as the same thing, so if you find the less common way to list it, you might get less competition.

Before you bid, do a regular internet search for the item and see what the comparative price is at other on-line stores. It's not uncommon for prices to drop at a retailer and ebay sellers are still selling at older higher prices. Also, if an item has a rebate at an on-line seller, generally the rebate isn't valid if you get the item on ebay -- so your final net might be higher.

Read the item description to make sure it's the exact item and that it's in the condition you want it. For machines and electronics, pay note to whether the piece is brand new or factory-refurbished. I wouldn't say not to bid on a refurbished item, just to be aware and go in knowing that's the deal. Read all the payment and shipping details as well. Since many of the sellers aren't regular traditional stores, the policies can vary far and wide.

If there's any detail of which you are uncertain, ask the seller before bidding. You really don't want to try and rescind a bid because you found something out after the fact. It can lead to poor feedback being left for you, possibly giving you some issues with future transactions as others may be hesitant to deal with you. I figure asking questions also gives me another view into the reliability of the seller. If he/she doesn't have time to answer my questions, I'm not sure I would be comfortable doing a transaction with him/her. (I'm not suggesting just asking a question for the sake of seeing his/her responsiveness -- ask if/when you really need to ask).

Ebay is its own world and this is just a quick primer into some of the tips to use it well. I'll revisit ebay again soon, and focus on how to use it well as a seller too. Stay tuned. And have fun the next time you go on ebay!

Getting Your Credit Report for Free

Checking your credit report every so often is a wise step to gauge your financial situation as well as to make sure the credit bureaus have correct information. Like many of you probably have, I've seen commercials for places that offer free credit reports, or gotten flyers as credit card inserts about getting my reports free. For the most part they all seem to give you the free reports if you join some sort of service. Usually there's a free trial period and then a monthly or annual fee. Other companies get you your credit reports as a regular service they sell, generally packaged with tools to give you advice on improving credit scores -- I have to confess that I signed up for one of these paid services after watching a financial management presentation... oops!

Turns out that the three credit bureaus were mandated by the Federal Government to allow consumers to get a copy of each of their reports at no cost once a year. I guess businesses were smart to grab all the website names with "free" and "credit report" in their titles first, so the obvious names freecreditreports etc. actually take you to services you will pay for.

The website for the Federally-required credit reports at no cost to you is http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. You are entitled to get an annual copy of each report: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. My suggestion is to stagger them throughout the year, so you have a wider view of your credit scores and any changes or issues.

Once you get the reports, you can check on them for any incorrect information which you have the right to correct, or any red flags that may show an area that is causing your score to be less than ideal. Since your score will impact things like credit card interest rates, types of offers you receive, mortgage and car loan interest, and sometimes even your insurance rates, it's wise to keep those scores up there.

It's nice to know, though, you don't have to pay to simply get the information.

Batteries.com 35%-Off Promo Code till July 4

Batteries.com has a 35% off discount available for orders till the Fourth of July... I'm not just talking about run-of-the-mill alkaline batteries you get at the store, but specialty batteries too: for laptops, camcorders, cellphones, cameras, hearing aids and more...

Just enter this promo code into your shopping cart: 4th

They knock 35% off their prices which are already lower than list. I checked a battery for a laptop which listed at $94.49, they had it at $78.74 and this offer knocked it down to a final $51.88. So if you have the type of device that needs a particularly expensive or hard-to-find battery, maybe this site has an offer that can catch your interest.

One Small Extra Step On-line Can Pay Off

On a couple of deals I've posted I've mentioned promotional codes that lead to things like extra savings or free shipping. I think it's worth taking a quick look for promotional codes before making an on-line purchase. Sometimes there's a code that's just right and waiting for you to use. It's like extra money back into your pocket.

While there are sellers who send promo codes to customers who've signed up for e-mail alerts, there are also a number of websites that compile lists of codes by each store. I've seen a bunch and I don't have a single favorite site that I always check. What I do is just do a google search with the name of the store and these words: promotional code coupon (that way I also find sites that call them coupon codes).

The websites will often have a list of several coupons for the store, sometimes for specific items, sometimes for whole departments, and sometimes for type of customer (buy.com has coupons geared to new customers for example). The sites will usually also show the expiration date.

Applying the code at the store's checkout almost always lets you recalculate the total before you decide to proceed with the purchase, so you can check and be sure the code has taken.

The search is quick and easy and the code is there anyway, so why not get the best deal the store's offering to give?