12/17: Reminder, Free Shipping Day at a Lot of Internet Stores Today

Just saw a reminder in my e-mail box that FTD is having free shipping on their website today, which reminded me that it's the 17th, a mega free shipping day on the internet. A slew of vendors are participating, so you can get some bonus savings by combining great deals with free shipping. Those savings could really add up, particularly if you have a batch of items to buy to send to gift recipients around the country.

At this point, over 700 vendors are participating, and show delivery by Christmas Eve. To see the list of who's doing it, click here.

Up to 70% Off at Amazon's Toy Outlet

If you're still shopping for toys to complete that list for Santa (and maybe using the convenience of having gifts shipped directly to distant recipients to save on postage), then Amazon's toy outlet may be worth checking out. They have savings up to 70% on many popular toy and game items, with choices for both girls and boys, of all ages (and grownups too).

The list is very long, with over 3,000 items, but the search lets you break things down by age, type of toy, character and interest. You may be surprised at the choices you can find at great prices. And super-saver shipping is free for most items when $25.00 or more is ordered.

To check out their vast inventory and get some great items for less (Santa would thing that's nice), click Amazon's Toy Outlet.

$20 Off $75 Purchases at Toys 'R' Us On-Line When You Use Paypal

Right now, Toy 'R' Us on-line website is offering $20.00 off $75.00 purchases when you pay with Paypal. The Paypal option will be available once you proceed through checkout. It's a nice way to get some extra savings on a something you may be picking up for Christmas.

To check out the deals at Toys 'R' Us, click here.

Today, December 14th: Double Cash Back from Hundreds of Stores via Ebates

I've posted occasionally about Ebates, a shopping portal that gives you extra cash back on purchases you make on-line from participating retailers. The extra savings can really add up, and on a day like today you can really score big. They have over 400 stores which have double or more in cash back for purchases made today, the 14th.

For exmaple, Barnes & Noble.com, which is usually 4% is 10% today. BlueNile.com, usually 3% is up to 9%. Dell Home, usually 2% is 6% today. To get the extra cash back, you just need to use ebates as the portal for that shopping transaction.

If you're not already a member click here to join ebates. Get a $5 credit just for joining and up to 25% off your on-line shopping at 800 stores! Read my earlier post on how it works.

Home Depot On-line Code 10% Off Today (Nov. 25th) Only

If you need some tools or supplies right now for a project around the house, you can save 10% today only for on-line purchases at Home Depot. The coupon code is FP16JPV -- it's just good on-line, not for in-store purchases.

To shop on-line, click this link.

Free Shipping Day from Hundreds of On-Line Merchants December 17th

Here's one to bookmark for those of you who do some Christmas shopping on-line (or get to that date and realize you need another item or two to finish up). Thanks to Allie for sending this deal out to me. A large group of retailers will be offering free shipping on December 17th, with delivery by Christmas Eve.

At this point there are over 300 participating companies and more may be added by that date. Names such as Aéropostale, Borders, Macy's, Musicians Friend, New York & Co., PetSmart, The Body Shop and Toys 'R' Us are just a few of the vendors.

To check out the offer and see if your favorite retailer(s) are participating, click this link.

Free Audio Books for Download

If you enjoy books and like to listen to them, Audiobooks.net is offering 462 books you can get free.

There are all sorts of great classics here, such as Dracula by Bram Stoker, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence and others. They also have many other choices with all sorts of subjects, and ways you can search for what you like.

When you go to the site, you may see a banner for two free audio books from audible.com -- that's a different vendor and different offer. You cna take any (or all) of the 462 available from Audiobooks.net.

To take a look at what they have available, click this link.

Get Free Overnight Shipping for Life from Zappos

If you ever shop at Zappos for shoes or accessories (or might in the future), here's an offer you may want to grab. If you register for their VIP list, they will extend you free overnight shipping "until the cows come home."

It costs nothing to register as a VIP, and it'll get you those purchases faster than ever, at no extra charge. You can register anytime before November 1st.

Free overnight shipping is not available for shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. Territories, P.O. Boxes or AFO/FPO addresses.

To register for Zappos.com VIP, click this link.

Men's Dockers® Broker Chino Pants $19.99 (60% Off) with Free Shipping Code

If you like Dockers® and want to add some nice pants to your wardrobe, you may want to take a look at a sale on-line at Dockers.com. They are selling the Pleated Broker Chino Dockers® for $19.99. They retail for $50.00 so they're taking 60% off.

Plus, if you add code welcome2 during checkout, you can get free shipping, an additional savings of $7.00. Making this an all-around nice deal for a popular brand of clothes.

They have lots of sizes available in a choice of three colors, so you may want to hop over and check them out. Just click this link.

Levi's Sale -- 50% Off Plus 20% Off in Cart Plus Code for Another 20% Off

If you are looking for Levi's jeans, this may be a nice opportunity to check the Levi's on-line store. They have reduced some styles 50%, and for four days they are taking and 20% off your order total (meaning they are 60% off). But you can also add in coupon code SEVENTEEN (valid till August 3rd) at checkout and get another 20% off, meaning your total savings can come out to 68%. Not bad for genuine Levi's right from the source.

They have tops and bottoms for women and men. Be sure of your size, though, because items discounted 50% are final sale. Shipping is about $5.00.

To check out their sale, click this link.

Op® Graphic T-Shirt $1.44 Including Shipping

If you're looking for a bit of style, you can pick up a graphic T-Shirt with an Op® logo design (as worn by Good Charlotte) for just 72¢. And on top of that the shipping cost is just 72¢, so it's at your door for just $1.44. That's the deal right now from Walmart, and it's an on-line special only.

I have a feeling they won't stay in stock long, so you may want to check this out quickly. Click this link to take a look.

MAC Cosmetics Code for 25% Off

I have a cousin who swears by MAC cosmetics, a high quality brand. Right now they have a couple of coupon codes you can use at their website that get you 25% off your entire order on-line (not in stores). And if your purchase totals over $60.00, shipping is free. Otherwise, shipping starts at $5.00 depending on the dollar amount of your order.

The codes you can apply at checkout are either SAVE25 or SUMO. It looks like they're valid through June 18th.

To shop on-line, click this link.

Free GoDaddy.com® Domain Name Offer When You Purchase at Buy.com

Readers of my blog probably notice that I post deals from buy.com with some regularity -- I've used them many times to buy software (usually that I have gotten free after rebate) and a bunch of useful electronics and computer accessories. Well, I just ran across a promotion they have in conjunction with GoDaddy.com®. When you make a purchase on Buy.com, you can get a code that entitles you to a free domain name.

So if you see something here at buy.com you're going to buy, you can just add a free GoDaddy.com® certificate during checkout (not after you've finished). Add the free domain offer to your order by checking the box found on the GoDaddy® banner on the Buy.com cart summary page. Then complete your transaction on Buy.com. You’ll see the promotion confirmation on your final receipt page. Your unique redemption code will arrive via email within 48 hours. Then go to GoDaddy.com to redeem your code and get your free domain name.

You get the registration of your unique domain name for a full year -- it's just the domain name, not web hosting, but if you're thinking of having a website for any reason, why not have the name registered for free?

The GoDaddy.com® certificate is valid till April 1st.

To check all the details, click this link.

Subway® Sandwiches in Manhattan -- Place 3 Orders for Footlong Sandwiches, Get 4th Order Free -- or Use American Express, Get Your Second One Free

If you work in Manhattan and sometimes eat at Subway®, they have a limited time special promotion for orders you place on-line. Place 3 Subway Now™ orders of $5 or more and get your next $5 order free. So you can get a free $5 Footlong just for ordering three $5 Footlongs. This is for orders you place on-line at SubwayNow.com, not for going to the stores.

A side-benefit of using on-line ordering is that you can also have your sandwich waiting and go right to the cashier to pick it up; no waiting on those sometimes very long lines.

Their site also has a link that for a $5 credit toward your second SubwayNow™ order after you place your first order with an American Express card. So there are a bunch of savings options to make your lunches just a bit more affordable.

To qualify for the free sandwich, you must place three qualifying Subway Now™ orders at the same participating Subway Now™ restaurant within a ten day period. A "qualifying order" is any order successfully billed to a valid credit card at www.subwaynow.com for $5 or more. A qualifying customer will receive a one-time $5 reward voucher on the next Subway Now™ order placed from the qualifying account at the same participating restaurant. One reward voucher per participating restaurant per Subway Now™ account. Offer valid while supplies last.

For the AmEx offer, it's valid through March 15th when you pay with any American Express Credit/Charge Card. To qualify, you place your first Subway Now™ order for $5 or more at subwaynow.com. A qualifying customer will receive a one-time $5 credit on the Subway Now™ account from which the qualifying order was placed. One reward credit per American Express card.

There seems to be one credit per account, but there doesn't seem to be a restriction against opening multiple accounts with different cards for different locations.

And remember, on top of the savings is the time-savings of not waiting on line for your sandwich. To read all about it, find your nearest locations(s) and to place orders, click this link.

Ebates User? Double Your Rewards Today Only

For on-line shopping, I've mentioned ebates a few times as a way to get back a percentage of your purchases when you shop at many stores on-line. These savings can add up (I just got back a nice check for some buys I made over the last few months).

Last year I took advantage after Thanksgiving when they doubled their reward bonus for a day -- in some cases the cash back got up to 55%.

Well, today ebates is doing it again, doubling the amount they credit back to your account. All you have to do is go through ebates.com to get to the store -- once you're in the store it's just like having gone directly to their website. For more details on ebates (and how to sign up free if you're not yet registered), click this link to my post on them.

Women's Shoe Sale at $9.99 with Free Shipping and Free Returns - Lots of Styles, Up to 85% Off

Looking for some women's shoes? Getting them on-line can seem a bit tricky because of size and fit, but it's a little easier if shipping is free and you also get return shipping free. Shoetrader.com has a large selection of shoes, many of them on clearance, marked down to the single price of $9.99. Some of these retailed for $59.99, $64.99, even $69.99, so the markdowns are huge!

There are all sorts of styles: dressy, casual, athletic, boots, sandals and more. Clearance items may have only certain sizes available, but at this price it might be worth taking a look.

This sale ends August 27th, but the selection of styles and sizes are sure to dwindle by then, so if you want to pick up a pair or three, it may be wise to head over there quickly. Here's a link to their $9.99 selections.

Free Access to eBooks Until August 4th

I wish I had found this deal earlier in July when the month of free access began, but there are still a few days left for people who love reading and want to check out some ebooks.

There's a site on-line called www.worldebookfair.org and from July 4th through August 4th access to their library of ebooks is free. There are books of all kinds from all sorts of sources, with reference books, fiction and non-fiction, children's books, sheet music and much more.

The theme of this year's fair is Own Your Own Library and it promises 1 million-plus books free for the taking.

As of July 4, 2008, these were the approximate numbers:
100,000+ from Project Gutenberg
500,000+ from the World Public Library
450,000+ from the Internet Archive
160,000+ from eBooks About Everything
17,000+ from International Music Score Library Project (sheet music)
That's a total of 1,227,000+ with more being added every day!

Here's a press release about the free month. If you want to join the project on a continuing basis afterwards, it's $8.95 annually, still a great price for a year of access to a ton of information. But getting it for free for the next week? Why not check it out at www.worldebookfair.org?

Free Photo Mug and 50 Free Prints at Snapfish

Right now till July 2nd, Snapfish has an offer for a free 11 oz. Photo Mug along with 50 free 4"x6" prints for new customers. That's over a $15.00 value for free.

The credit for the free mug and photos are placed into your account after you make your first photo upload. You can use your mug and 50-print credits in one order or across several orders. But the credits do expire 60 days after your first upload if you don't redeem them.

The promotional offer expires July 2nd, so to read the details and register and get your mug and print credits, click this link for Snapfish.

Imagine what pictures you could be watching as you drink that morning cup of coffee...

Save on Priority Mail or Express Mail Postage - Buy Postage On-Line, and Use Flat-Rate Boxes for Heavier Items

Although postal rates recently went up, the Postal Service has also made it possible for you to get a discount on postage if you purchase Priority Mail or Express Mail on-line and print the labels at home (or in your office). The discount gets you the special Commercial Base Price. On Express Mail, it's 3% off, and on Priority Mail the discount varies based on weight/cost.

Their site indicates the discount can be up to 11% for Priority Mail, although I can't find specifics on what size/weight/cost gets 11% off. But I checked on some samples and found that a 1.5 lb Priority Mail package from the East Coast (i.e. New York, Pennsylvania) to California costing $8.25 at the Post Office would cost $7.96.

If you're sending heavier packages, another way to add some savings for Priority Mail is to use one of their Flat-Rate boxes. These are Priority Mail boxes specifically printed with Flat Rate on the packaging. If you use those, the postage is the same whether the package weighs 2 lbs., 5 lbs. or more. Depending upon the distance the package travels (it costs more to send priority mail cross-country than just a state away), a flat rate box can save you once the weight goes over 2 lbs.

The Post Office rate for a 2.5 lb. Priority Mail package sent in a regular box from New York to California would be $11.50 but in a Flat-Rate box it would be just $9.80. And if you order the Flat-Rate postage label on-line, the postage drops another 50¢, making the postage $9.30.

It's still $9.30 on-line (or $9.80 at the P.O.) for Flat-Rate Priority to California even if the package weighs 5 lbs., which is really a whopping savings over the $17.65 it would cost if you sent it in a regular Priority Mail box and paid at the Post Office.

For packages traveling shorter distances, there may still be savings but they'd start at different weight amounts compared to cross-country. For example, a 2.5 lb. box from Pennsylvania to Ohio would be $6.75 in a regular box ($6.38 on-line) but would still be $9.80 (or $9.30) using the Flat-Rate box. One you get to 5.5 lbs. the costs get closer ($10.00 regular Priority Mail or $9.20 on-line). The savings for Flat Rate on a short haul start showing up in heavier than 6 lbs.

So as you can see, depending on what you're sending and where, there are savings to be had when mailing via Priority Mail by two methods: first consider using the on-line label purchase to save a few percent; and using a Flat-Rate box when sending something a bit heavier. It's worth getting the respective costs at the Postal Service domestic postage calculator before you send that package.

This might save you some big bucks around the holidays when you're sending lots of packages, especially if your family/friends are far flung.

Price Matching Does Work

If you do virtually any shopping on-line, you've probably noticed that many sites have some sort of price guarantee. This isn't only limited to shopping on-line, either, since many larger retailers do the same thing in stores. It does pay to be aware of these offers, because they offer you opportunities to be creative with your shopping. You can end up with a nice savings that's below what was originally being offered in the first place. You can also have a local merchant match a price that can save you the time (and gas) to drive to a competitor much further away -- nowadays you have to factor in the cost of the trip to the store, it's getting to be that expensive to drive!

Sometimes the guarantees are just a general "we'll meet or beat any advertised price." Other stores offer a more specific "110% price guarantee" where they will drop the price by the difference between their and the competitor's and then tack on another 10% of the difference. In that case you've gotten an even better price than where you started.

My most recent case of price matching involves purchasing a high-quality juicer, which I had seen at a health seminar for $500. I noted the model number and did some on-line price-checking, and found prices ranging from $419 to $459. But I also noted some sites saying they couldn't mention anything below $419 since that was the "minimum advertised price." Those sites asked you to send in your e-mail address and they'd give you their special offers.

I wrote to a couple of them and they were returning prices in the $380-$390 ranges. I also noted that one of the sites had a note on the website that they would beat any competitor's quote by $15. So I sent them the quote with the special unadvertised price. Sure enough, they lived up to their pledge and offered to beat that by $15. So I was able to purchase this juicer for $365 (the regular price at their website without any price-matching offer was $439, so they were giving me $74 off their normal price).

Price matching works best when you are dealing with items that have specific model numbers which are sold by a variety of retailers. When a GPS system was on sale at Circuit City a while ago, I knew that Staples sold the same model, and they did the 110% price match, giving me a better price than if I had driven further and gone to Circuit City (and I also got Staples Rewards points for making my purchase there).

If you have some stores that are favorites, it's probably worth a bit of time to check their websites and see what their price-match policies are. Some sites make them very easy to see (shoebuy.com has their 110% price guarantee near the top of their webpage), and for others you have to check out their customer service links for information. But once you know they're there, you can use them as part of a shopping strategy. Just one more tool in the battle to keep more bucks in your own pocket.