My friend Maggie informed me yesterday that Best Buy has an outlet store on Overstock.com auctions. Apparently, she got a new Zune on there for a ridiculously low price.
I checked it out today, and even in scanning the first few pages of auction items, I found an iPod nano for $35, an XBox 360 for $85, a digital photo frame for $26, and a Wii Guitar Hero 3 bundle for $40. Not too bad. Of course, it's an auction, so your results may vary, but looks like there's some good stuff on there if you're looking to upgrade to a nicer digital camera or mp3 player.
One caveat: Overstock.com itself always has $2.95 shipping, but looks like that deal doesn't apply on the auctions. Shipping prices run, generally, $4 to $25 depending on weight/size.
March 11, 2009
March 3, 2009
Joining the ranks of the "couponnoisseurs"
I hate going to the grocery store. For years, I've shopped for food by the "grab and go" method - going in, getting the same thing I always get, spending as little time as possible in each aisle, and getting the heck out of there as soon as the receipt prints.
To me, coupons seemed like A) something I would always forget to bring on my madcap sprees (due to my always-distracted brain), and B) not worth the extra time spent under the harsh fluorescents. I figured it was worth the additional $0.50, $1.00, whatever, added onto my monthly food bill - as long as I could get out of there asap.
So, when I met Jenn, I soon found out that she has quite an intricate coupon system. She snips, organizes, sorts and makes lists. It sort of blew my mind. No joke - I was fascinated by her methodology, and to be honest, a little jealous. I didn't know if I'd ever have the patience to spend that much time on little slips of paper.
BUT! Here's the thing I soon discovered: Those little slips of paper are FREE MONEY!
Now that Jenn and I are living together and sharing the food bill (and the coupons), I am being initiated into the ranks of Those Who Stand In The Middle Of The Aisle Looking For That Coupon That We Totally Cut Out For Life Cereal, Dang It. I remember our first big shop at the store...I was a little skeptical of the coupon usage, but Jenn's system, remarkably, worked! Coupons we needed were located quickly and efficiently. (I'll let her explain her system herself. It seems complicated.) And the thing that I was most afraid of - buying things I didn't need - really didn't happen.
The cool thing about Giant Eagle is that they print the total dollar amount and the percentage you saved on your bill at the bottom of the receipt. I must admit I got a little giddy (yeah, I know) when I saw "You Saved 19%" right there in black and white.
After seeing the savings, and seeing it equate to money I didn't just spend, I feel better about the whole coupon thing.
And it kind of feels like a fun game. With actual rewards. So maybe the grocery store's not too bad after all.
To me, coupons seemed like A) something I would always forget to bring on my madcap sprees (due to my always-distracted brain), and B) not worth the extra time spent under the harsh fluorescents. I figured it was worth the additional $0.50, $1.00, whatever, added onto my monthly food bill - as long as I could get out of there asap.
So, when I met Jenn, I soon found out that she has quite an intricate coupon system. She snips, organizes, sorts and makes lists. It sort of blew my mind. No joke - I was fascinated by her methodology, and to be honest, a little jealous. I didn't know if I'd ever have the patience to spend that much time on little slips of paper.
BUT! Here's the thing I soon discovered: Those little slips of paper are FREE MONEY!
Now that Jenn and I are living together and sharing the food bill (and the coupons), I am being initiated into the ranks of Those Who Stand In The Middle Of The Aisle Looking For That Coupon That We Totally Cut Out For Life Cereal, Dang It. I remember our first big shop at the store...I was a little skeptical of the coupon usage, but Jenn's system, remarkably, worked! Coupons we needed were located quickly and efficiently. (I'll let her explain her system herself. It seems complicated.) And the thing that I was most afraid of - buying things I didn't need - really didn't happen.
The cool thing about Giant Eagle is that they print the total dollar amount and the percentage you saved on your bill at the bottom of the receipt. I must admit I got a little giddy (yeah, I know) when I saw "You Saved 19%" right there in black and white.
After seeing the savings, and seeing it equate to money I didn't just spend, I feel better about the whole coupon thing.
And it kind of feels like a fun game. With actual rewards. So maybe the grocery store's not too bad after all.
March 2, 2009
Saga of the Entertainment Book
Ok. So this fat, digest-sized money saver's bible was easy to get ahold of, for a handsome deal, before Christmas. For $15, you could get this behemoth collection of coupons and discounts. Erin and I are aiming to use and abuse it until the expiration dates come-a-knockin'!
The problem: I ordered a couple of these for frugal friends as Xmas gifts and received them quickly, but when I ordered one for us, on January second (still for the bargain price of $15), I ran into a snag. I moved in January (paying $185 less in rent now) and the book was due to arrive at my old address, before I was out of there. Lo and behold, it got sent back!
After perplexedly tracking the shipment back to Michigan, I called customer service to see what was up. It was "undeliverable" and not forwarded to my new address either. I gave my new address and asked that a new one be sent, please and thank you. I was sure I'd have my own book by early February.
Another 10 days or more passed...no email received that the book had been shipped, no word from the "research department" I was advised i might hear from, no book. And a credit to my bank account appeared: $15 from "Entertainment Book".
I don't get irate very often. This was the scale-tipping moment: I called and was told the second book had also been sent to my old address. And also returned. And that I could re-order another book, but only at the current price: $16.25.
Consider as well: throughout this process I had to be the proactive consumer; never did the company make the first move to make things right. I had called them, tracked the package, placed the order, recommended the book to friends—and even bought it for some of them!
Now I was losing out on valuable time to use mine...more than a month had passed. And they wanted me to pay more for something I was going to get less use of, because they'd made a mistake?! (Appropriate moment for the interrobang.)
After pointing these things out to the hapless customer service rep, she decided—after another lengthy hold—that I did indeed deserve to get the book I'd ordered at the original price I'd paid for it. They'd have to bill me the $16.25 and credit the $1.25. To say I was pleased would be overstating it, but I had been pulled back from a ledge.
We received the third, charmed copy on February 21st. And used it that day for the first time. We will be tracking our savings throughout this blog. At the end of the year, we will tally what we saved through its use. We'd nearly saved that $15 in the first week, but we'll let you read other (shorter) posts to see how we're faring.
Lesson on this deal: Stick to your guns and be proactive.
If I hadn't, we'd most likely not have got our guide when we did, or for the price we should have!
Note to self: Don't order something time-sensitive when you're about to move. And, just pony-up the $15 early, with the other books, because it'll save you the 45 days lost in the long run.
The problem: I ordered a couple of these for frugal friends as Xmas gifts and received them quickly, but when I ordered one for us, on January second (still for the bargain price of $15), I ran into a snag. I moved in January (paying $185 less in rent now) and the book was due to arrive at my old address, before I was out of there. Lo and behold, it got sent back!
After perplexedly tracking the shipment back to Michigan, I called customer service to see what was up. It was "undeliverable" and not forwarded to my new address either. I gave my new address and asked that a new one be sent, please and thank you. I was sure I'd have my own book by early February.
Another 10 days or more passed...no email received that the book had been shipped, no word from the "research department" I was advised i might hear from, no book. And a credit to my bank account appeared: $15 from "Entertainment Book".
I don't get irate very often. This was the scale-tipping moment: I called and was told the second book had also been sent to my old address. And also returned. And that I could re-order another book, but only at the current price: $16.25.
Consider as well: throughout this process I had to be the proactive consumer; never did the company make the first move to make things right. I had called them, tracked the package, placed the order, recommended the book to friends—and even bought it for some of them!
Now I was losing out on valuable time to use mine...more than a month had passed. And they wanted me to pay more for something I was going to get less use of, because they'd made a mistake?! (Appropriate moment for the interrobang.)
After pointing these things out to the hapless customer service rep, she decided—after another lengthy hold—that I did indeed deserve to get the book I'd ordered at the original price I'd paid for it. They'd have to bill me the $16.25 and credit the $1.25. To say I was pleased would be overstating it, but I had been pulled back from a ledge.
We received the third, charmed copy on February 21st. And used it that day for the first time. We will be tracking our savings throughout this blog. At the end of the year, we will tally what we saved through its use. We'd nearly saved that $15 in the first week, but we'll let you read other (shorter) posts to see how we're faring.
Lesson on this deal: Stick to your guns and be proactive.
If I hadn't, we'd most likely not have got our guide when we did, or for the price we should have!
Note to self: Don't order something time-sensitive when you're about to move. And, just pony-up the $15 early, with the other books, because it'll save you the 45 days lost in the long run.
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