Saving on Pet Supplies + Free eBook

December 5, 2012 By
Four Legged Frugality
We don’t have pets, so I’m excited to share Sarah Fuller’s guest post to help you save on your pet supplies. Get her eBook FREE–details below!

 

The pet products industry is big business. Yearly spending on pet supplies exceeds $50 billion dollars, according to the American Pet Products Association, meaning a hefty amount of cash spent annually by the average pet parent. Knowledgeable pet owners can save significant money on pet supplies by learning to use some simple money saving techniques. Here are my top tips for reducing pet supply costs:

 

  1. Comparison shop for the best prices on the pet products that you use.  Check out prices at both bricks and mortar outlets and online-only businesses.  Find out about new customer discounts, as well as loyalty programs.
  2. Check the web weekly for printable and store card loadable coupons.  Sites such as Coupons.com, RedPlum and SmartSource are good, reputable sources for printable coupons.
  3. Explore well-known online auction sites for deals on durable pet supplies such as beds, brushes, collars, carriers and toys.
  4. Ask your veterinarian about discounts that he or she may have available to pass along to you on medicines and other pet care products.  Also, work with your vet to make sure that your pet receives the proper preventive care that he or she needs.
  5. Check out pet product manufacturer websites, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds for special discounts and promotions.  Many times, you will find offers directly through the company that cannot be found elsewhere.

With a little planning and research, you can get big savings on pet supplies.

For more tips on saving on pet products, check out Sarah’s e-book Four-Legged Frugality at Amazon. It’s FREE to download to Kindle (or your PC) through Thursday, December 6th. It is a great resource to help you save money, especially the extensive lists of websites. Sarah is also the author of Easy Savings Tips for Busy People.

 

Original image from ana_cotta on Flickr

Filed Under: Smart Shopping Tagged With:

Cardstore Holiday Cards 70% with Free Shipping

November 27, 2012 By
Cardstore Offer


70% off Holiday Cards & Invites at Cardstore
If you haven’t taken advantage of a great holiday card deal yet, here’s another one from Cardstore. Through Sunday, December 2nd, get all Holiday Cards for 70% off with Free Shipping at Cardstore. Choose from Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Season’s Greetings, New Years, and select Photo Cards. Use coupon code CCN2270 at checkout to see your savings. This offer ends at midnight PST on Sunday, December 2nd. Choose from a photo card that you personalize to a pre-designed card where you add names (or none at all). There are so many great choices!

Since most of their cards retail for $2.29 each, you’ll only pay .69 per card–remember that a stamp costs .45–so if you have Cardstore mail it for you, you’re only paying .24 for the card! I went ahead and took the time to add my address book to my Cardstore account so that I could take advantage of this great offer. Once I was done with my order, I felt so good knowing that my cards are on their way and I have one less (big) chore to do this holiday season!

Head over to Cardstore now!

 

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no additional cost to you!

Filed Under: Smart Shopping

Spend Less on Holiday Toys

November 18, 2012 By
Razor Scooter Savings

Yesterday I shared some specific toys and prices that MoneywiseMoms readers had asked about. Now let’s talk about some general strategies you can use in the next month to help you spend less on your holiday toy shopping.

 

Know the Regular Shelf Price & Sale Price

Once you know what you’re shopping for, find out the shelf and sale price. That will help you know when a sale price is worth jumping on. Aim to save at least 40% by watching for sales, looking for coupons, or grabbing an online deal. For example, Target offers a Daily Deal with free shipping each day, and I’d been looking for a deal on a Razor Kick Scooter (usually $35). Saturday night, I caught that the Daily Deal was that scooter (no choice of color) for under $20 shipped. That’s better than the $19 Black Friday deal I’d already noticed, since I don’t have to get up early or go out; it’s coming right to the house!

 

Utilize Price Matching

Many of your favorite stores–Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.–offer price matching when you bring in a current competitor’s paper ad. In addition, Target is offering Holiday Price Matching through December 24th which includes price matching to Target.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com or BabiesRUs.com (excluding Black Friday dates). There are quite a few rules, so please read through the details. This can be useful if you have a store coupon but the sale is occurring at another store. For example, you can use a Target Store coupon to buy a toy at Target even if the sale price is better at Toys R Us or Walmart.

 

Check BFAds.net

You can put any toy into the search window at BFAds.net to see which store (if any) is offering a deal. This lets me know how low some stores will go on Black Friday (if that item is even going on sale), and it tells me when regular sale prices are just as good at Black Friday’s (as was the case in many of yesterday’s toys).

 

Keep Checking Amazon

Amazon drops their prices often, and they offer Lightning Deals and other holiday promos on toys. If there’s a particular toy you’re shopping for, get in the habit of checking once a day to see if the price has changed. Just this weekend, the price of the very popular Snap Circuits (which I’ve been watching for months), went from $22.35 to $21.90 to $17.70 (when I posted it on Facebook). The next day, it dropped further to $14.50 and then returned back to $21.90. Amazon’s pricing is odd, but if you can catch it at the right time, it’s a huge money-saver. It also helps to have Prime Shipping, so you can grab a deal quickly without worrying about meeting the $25 threshold for Super Saver Shipping.

Get Cash Back when Shopping Online

Whenever you shop online, you can take a few extra clicks to earn cash back on your purchase by shopping through Ebates. Depending on the store, you can earn 2-20% or more back. Plus, if you’re signing up as a new Ebates member, you’ll get a FREE $10 Gift Card by placing a $25+ order at any online store in your first three months. I’ve been using Ebates since 2008, and those little bits really add up!

 

What strategies do you use to get the lowest prices on holiday toys?

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no additional cost to you!

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Best Prices on Holiday Toys

November 17, 2012 By
LeapPad 2 Explorer

I get a lot of emails and phone calls from family and friends this time of year:

What’s a good price for _____?

Where’s the best place to buy _______?

How do I get a good deal on ______?

And I enjoy the hunt! So I opened it up on the MoneywiseMoms Facebook Page a few days ago, asking what toys you’re shopping for this holiday season so I could help you find the best price. Tomorrow, I’ll share some general tips on shopping smart for holiday toys. For now, here are a few of the toys we chatted about:

My Little Pony Wedding Castle

This toy’s original price when it was released earlier this year was an outrageous $61.99. After a poor response, it’s been reduced to around $29.99 at Target, Walmart and Amazon over the past few weeks. It’s listed in the Target Toy Book for $29.99, which most stores will price-match, and it’s gone as low as $27.99 on Amazon. Last year, Hasbro offered coupons on My Little Pony, so keep an eye on their website.

 

LeapPad 2 Explorer

The LeapPad 2 Explorer is the newer version of last year’s HUGE hit. I remember everyone scrambling to get their hands on it, and it looks like the new one will go the same way. You won’t see a price drop on the new version, so your best bet is to apply other promos–which I’ll share tomorrow–or to look for a bundle that includes games and accessories for a good price.

You may want to consider purchasing the original LeapPad 1 Explorer instead; the main difference is that it has twice the memory (4GB vs. 2GB) of the original. The other difference is the older’s back-facing camera vs. the newer version’s two cameras (front and back). See the comparison at Leapfrog.com.

Disney Bounce Bounce Tigger

The list price of Disney Bounce Bounce Tigger is $39.99 (crazy!), but it’s listed for $28.99 at Target.com, $26.92 at Walmart with free store pickup, and $26.88 at Amazon. Since KMart is offering it for $29.99 on Black Friday, I’d grab it now at that Amazon price.

 

Razor Jr. Scooters

Claire asked about “trainer scooters with two back wheels,” and Razor has a couple of options. One of the best ways to save on bikes and outdoor toys is to shop for used items at Craigslist or consignment sales, but if you want brand-new for the holidays, check out the Razor Jr. Lil’ Kick Scooter for $25.49 at Target (online only) or $29.94 at Walmart with free store pickup. Kohls is offering the Lil’ Kick at $24.99 as a doorbuster on Black Friday, which makes that Target price very good since you can get it anytime.

 

…and several people asked about Elf on the Shelf. I’ll do a whole separate post on that one!

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no additional cost to you!

Filed Under: Smart Shopping

Cardstore Holiday Cards 70% with Free Shipping

November 17, 2012 By
Hanukkah

70% off Holiday Cards & Invites at Cardstore

Ready to order your holiday cards? Cardstore is offering 70% off plus FREE Shipping on Holiday Cards through Tuesday, November 20th. You’ll find gorgeous designs, plus you can customize with your own words and photos, or choose a no-photo card. Use coupon code CC2270 at checkout to get 70% off the price plus Free Shipping.

I’m ordering 25 folded cards for around $16 shipped. That’s a pretty good deal! Get started at Cardstore.
Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no additional cost to you!

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Label Gifts for just $3.69 Shipped

November 14, 2012 By
Dora label

One of my favorite frugal gift ideas is back–and just until midnight on Friday, November 16th. Get 140 FREE Labels at Vistaprint and just pay shipping (which starts at $3.69 and depends on your zip code). I’ve given these labels as gifts for years now–to teachers, friends, sisters, and more–and they’re always loved! Here are some of my favorite ideas:

Teacher Labels: Personalize labels for your child’s teacher. Order now so you aren’t trying to find a gift at the last minute!

Book Labels: Personalize a set of book labels for neighbors or friends. This helps them get books and movies back when they lend them out.

Name Labels: Kids want to stick their name on everything! These make a great stocking stuffer. They have lots of Nickelodeon characters, or choose their favorite animal or sport.

Homemade by…For your friend or neighbor who’s always baking and sharing with friends, make a set of “From the kitchen of…” labels to personalize her food gifts.

Gift Tags: Make a quick set of gift tags to use on your gifts this season! You can also choose a holiday image and write a simple greeting (like Thank You!), then stick the labels on cardstock or small gifties for neighbors or friends.

If you haven’t ordered from Vistaprint before, their website is very easy to use. After you proof your labels, be sure and check “No, Thank You,” to the message about receiving emails and other offers, and use your “junk” email account when you order.

 

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no additional cost to you!

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Free Shipping with Free Personalization at Disney Store

November 5, 2012 By
Cars Fleece

 

Disney Store is offering FREE Shipping when you add FREE personalization to selected items through midnight on Tuesday, November 6th, with coupon code FREEPZ. This is a great opportunity to get a great gift for a special child or adult for the holidays! You’ll get FREE Shipping on your whole order, so keep that in mind if you’re looking to purchase other gifts. There are still tees in the Sale section for just $4.99.

 

I love the Personalized Kids’ Fleece for $15, and Adult Fleece is also $15. Choose from many of your favorite characters! There are also a few kids’ Varsity Jackets for just $20. If you’re planning a Disney trip in 2013, order your Personalized Mickey Ears now for just $11.95-13.95/pair, so much less expensive than you’ll pay at the park!

You can also get cash back on your Disney purchase by shopping through Ebates . You’ll get 3% cash back (and a $10 Gift Card if you’re new to Ebates*). Here’s how to do it:

  1. Sign up for an Ebates account and enter Disney into the search window.
  2. Click on “Shop Now” to open a tracking ticket; that’s how Ebates keeps track of your cashback during the sale.
  3. Do your shopping: remember to use code FREEPZ to get FREE Personalization and FREE Shipping on your entire order. Complete your purchase.
  4. After your order ships, you’ll see your 3% cashback posted to your Ebates account, and if you ordered more than $25, you’ll also get your $10 Gift Card* as a new Ebates shopper.

*You’ll earn a FREE $10 Gift Card when you make a purchase of $25+ within 90 days as a new member.
Thank you for using my referral link!

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Save Big Buying Books at Scholastic Book Orders Online

October 16, 2012 By
Corduroy Amazon

I admit it–I’ve already started my holiday shopping. I love giving books to kids, and with two baby nephews, I’m excited to share some of our family’s favorite books with them. I usually shop on Amazon (using Swagbucks when I can), but I found a great way to save BIG. I’m shopping through my kids’ Scholastic Book Orders online.

If you have a child in preschool through elementary, ask your teacher for the code you need to access book ordering online, or you can search for your teacher and school online. When you order online, instead of through the paper fliers that come home, your class earns a FREE book with each order you place. Plus, Scholastic orders some incentives for you, too. Last month, I earned a $5 coupon with my order, which I’ll use when I order these holiday gifts.

The inventory changes monthly, but I find it so helpful that you can filter by age range, price, and other categories. Plus, you can shop from all fliers, not just the one for your child’s grade. I like picking up the $1 books for birthday gifts and donations.

I looked up a few of the titles on my list for this holiday season. The paperback version of Corduroy is $6.99 at Amazon and qualifies for the 4-for-3 promotion, which would make it about $5.24 if I bought four books the same price:

 

At Scholastic Online, however, the same book is only $3.99. Plus, when I place an online order my child’s teacher gets a FREE book for the classroom and I’ll earn another $5 coupon for my next order:

What a huge price difference! Why spend more per book when you don’t have to! Plus, I’m not charged shipping or tax when I order through Scholastic; the books are shipped to my child’s teacher. I did email the teacher to let her know not to hand over the books to my child; I picked them up in the office instead.

Have you ordered online from Scholastic? I’m prepping my holiday order right now and can’t wait to see what comes up in November.

Filed Under: Online Shopping, Smart Shopping

Paper Coterie Journal just $7 shipped

October 11, 2012 By
Coilbound Journals

Get a FREE Coilbound Journal from Paper Coterie and pay $7 shipping. Customize this 6×8 journal with your own photos, for yourself or as a special gift for an upcoming birthday or baby shower. The journal has 130 pages and is an $18 value, , but you get one FREE when you sign up as a new member at Paper Coterie and use coupon code welcomejournal at checkout. This offer is only good for first-time customers.

You can also use that coupon code on the Hardcover Journal, which is 80 pages, but the shipping cost is higher (starts at $13). These journals are slightly larger and also make a great gift! Get started at Paper Coterie.

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. Thanks for supporting MoneywiseMoms at no additional cost to you!

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Free Shipping at Disney Store

October 8, 2012 By
Jessie Costume
Through midnight PST on Thursday, October 11th, get FREE Shipping on all items at DisneyStore.com when you use coupon code FREESHIP. This code works on everything from sale items (Flip Flops are just $1.99) to Halloween costumes (25% off right now). These cute Minnie Tshirt (and many others) is just $5.99 shipped. If you haven’t ordered children’s clothing from Disney before, keep in mind that their sizes run small.

You can also shop through Ebates to get 3% cash back on your DisneyStore purchase.If you haven’t signed up with Ebates before, now is a great time! You’ll get a FREE $10 gift card when you make a $25+ purchase in your first 90 days!*

Here’s how to shop through Ebates for this DisneyStore deal:

    1. Login to your Ebates account and enter Disney into the search window.
    2. Click on “Shop Now” to open a tracking ticket; that’s how Ebates keeps track of your cash back during the sale.
    3. Do your shopping: remember to use code FREESHIP to get FREE Shipping on your order. Then, complete your purchase.
    4. When your order ships, you’ll see your 3% cash back posted to your Ebates account, and if you ordered more than $25, you’ll also get your $10 Gift Card as a new Ebates shopper.
*You’ll earn a FREE $10 Gift Card when you make a purchase of $25+ within 90 days as a new member.
Thank you for using my referral link!
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20% off and Free Shipping at Children’s Place

October 5, 2012 By
Girls Jeans

I love combining clearance sale prices with FREE shipping to great deals on my children’s clothing. Through Monday, October 8th, get 20% off and FREE shipping at Children’s Place online. Use coupon code F5J2012 at checkout to see the discount.  You can also print a coupon to get that discount at the store.

This is exactly why I don’t do my back-to-school clothes shopping in August. My kids are just starting to wear pants to school, with the cooler weather, and now I can pick up jeans for my girls for just $9.60 shipped.

The coupon code works on the clearance and sale sections, too, so take a look! I picked up a lunchbox for my son for just $3.91, and it fits the Easy Lunchboxes Containers that we use daily.

Remember to shop through Ebates to get 2.5% cash back on your online order. Here’s how:

    1. Login to your Ebates account and enter Children’s Place into the search window.
    2. Click on “Shop Now” to open a tracking ticket; that’s how Ebates keeps track of your cashback during the sale.
    3. Do your shopping: remember to use code F5J2012 to get 20% off and FREE Shipping on your order. Then, complete your purchase.
    4. When your order ships, you’ll see your 2.5% cashback posted to your Ebates account, and if you ordered more than $25, you’ll also get your $10 Gift Card as a new Ebates shopper.*
*You’ll earn a FREE $10 Gift Card when you make a purchase of $25+ within 90 days as a new member. Thank you for using my referral link!
Filed Under: Smart Shopping Tagged With:
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