Beneficial Shopping

We all love to shop.  Do not deny it.  I see you shaking your head in the corner as you try and hide those shopping bags.  Yes we are all victim to it.  I will stand on the roof tops and scream "I am Stephanie, and I love to SHOP."  However, if you are like me too you also like to spend as little as possible.  But what if you could or could not save on said purchase but made a little back from swiping your plastic.  Now that the busy holiday season is fast approaching sign up for Pig.com to make money from all those presents you will be buying regardless.  On Pig.com you will earn cash back on all major retailers, up to 15% of your purchase.  Every store from Saks Fifth Ave to Barnes and Noble is on site for you to start earning as you spend.  Sign up today and 5 bucks are deposited in your account.  When you reach 10 smackers you can cash out with a check or deposited in your Pay Pal account.  Tell your friends about it and when they spend $25 both you and your friend will get $5 deposited in your account.  Before clicking order see if there is a coupon listed on the site as well.  When the urge to shop hits make sure that Pig.com is in your tool bar so you do not miss out on earning.  With all those presents you need to buy earning all that cash back will not be hard.

Group Star Savings

Groupon, KGB deals, Living Social, those are just a few of the coupon sites you buy from on a daily basis thanks to Yipit's daily email. Chances r you are not schlepping to X for Y or you really never see youreself waling the tight rope between 2 buildings. Or your the one who missed the chance to save 50 percent to risk your life. Maybe Lifesta will have that missed opportunity. Site is the eBay for group buying websites; it is a market place for you to buy and sell all of those daily deals that we need in our lives.  If you have a deal that you know you will never use, you list it on the site.  Then the person who keeps kicking themselves for letting it slide serendipitously stumbles upon your listing.  Its the perfect transaction.  You get your money back for that deal you have no idea why you purchased and the buyer gets exactly what they were looking for.  No worries about buying a fake; every transaction is guaranteed to be authentic by The Lifesta Deal Guarantee. To sell your deals you click "Sell A Deal" and follow the instructions. You set up your seller profile, tell them the deal and have an Amazon Payments account.  Simple enough.  Once the buyer is charged  the money is deposited into your account.  If you are buying, you will get an electronic copy of your purchase for you to print out at your leisure.  Now that you do not have to think twice about all those deals just buy them, you can always sell them to someone who is actually interested later.

On a recent trip to Six Flags my girls and I took a detour to the Jackson Outlets. Everyone said they were great, had huge selection of all the stores you want to save at. However, I was underwhelmed by this place. Yes they had your staples from J. Crew to Brooks Brothers but something was missing. But recently being the frugal momma that I am I took a drive up to Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets in Harriman, New York. Now this is the mecca of outlet shopping. Being my first outlet experience from my childhood, it has let my expectations down for future savings trips. Covering aces of land and having every off price store imaginable there is no reason to test out other outlet centers.  Ancorhed by one of four Ralph Lauren stores, the center spreads itself with impressive store fronts . There is something to satisfy anyone's shopping needs; unfortunately there is even an Ed Hardy store. Fashionistas strapped for cash head straight to apple court where there is a Prada, Off 5th, Last Call, and a Dolce & Gabbana just to name a few. Get this ladies I saw the coveted Balmain Zipper boots in multiple stores. The discounts here are legit and even come with more reduced at the register. If your in the city rent a Mint car. Visiting the city and bored for a reason, make your trip out here. The bags of designer goods you lug back into town will equal the bags of money you saved.

Image via Woodbury Commons

Consolidated Savings

With all the daily savings websites and reminder emails on the web today, your inbox is reaching quota at record pace. There is Groupon, Living Social, Blackboard Eats to name a few. Since there are countless sites to keep track of its no surprise that Yipit has made an appearance. Yipit will make sense of all the offers floating around for you to take advantage of. They will organize it based on what you prefer. Then a nice organized email with all your local deals arrive. This will help you to prioritzed which ones are worth it and you will no longer miss out on all the steals. From the looks of this blog, you know that my Yipit will tell me the latest deals at restaurants, spas, and stores. The chances of me buying into one of the sky diving deals, is slim to none. So you no longer have to be tempted by savings you will never use. This site will make it possible to live off all the deals in your city. Paying full price will be a thing of the past.

image via Yipit

Saucy Savings

We have all done it, bid on something online. I would bet my month's rent you did it on a certain website we ALL know. There are many who are frustrated with this site, and have taken actions to create an alternative. This is where BidSauce becomes your new auction home front; however it is a tad different than the format we are all used to. They are committed to providing users with with hottest brand name electronics and hot ticket items at ridiculously low prices--think iPod touch. How it is different, is you need a full account to start winning. A customer will purchase a Bidboxes. This gives them the power to start scoring incredible deals. They are sold in 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 and cost as little as $0.70 per bid. It sounds intimidating to lay your money out before you know what you are going to buy, but trust me you will come away with killer savings. Last time I was on the site a $100 Amex gift card was selling for under $15. If you are overwhelmed there is 24 hour support. This is a great resource to stock up on gift cards to all the places you constantly frequent. At these prices, everyone's birthday presents are going to be iPods, and I will continue to look like a big shot.

image via Flickr

Group Savings Is The Way To Go

So you are overwhelmed by all the deals out there. You can't keep them straight. Save 20 bucks here, and 40% there; you just cannot keep it straight. What if there was a neat little place that gave you one option per day to save? You only have one decision that day about whether or not to partake in the savings. Welcome Groupon into your life. This site is for people like you and I so we can enjoy attractions, restaurants, stores, and services in our communities for a discount. Offering daily deals and steals members can buy into these savings from cities all across the country. Save from Tampa to San Diego. If you were fast enough in New York today, you could have gotten yourself a $50 meal for only $20 at Crema Mexican Restaurant. Blow some steam off for a whole day in Phoenix at Rock Gym for $8. I forgot to mention, it includes equipment rentals. Sweet deal! Now get yourself in on the group action, and sign up.

Leave the Brown Bag at Home Part 2

Living the Life....On a Budget: Leave the Brown Bag at Home

Check out the link above. Read what a great deal it was. Become sad when you realize the deal ended months ago. Now read below:

So Food Exchange has reintroduced their program when you order online you save 25%. Only valid on online orders, enter code "25off" to reap some serious savings. You can have it delivered if you are super busy or go and pick it up because you need some fresh air. According to the flier they passed out to me there are 10 reasons why this is a good deal and I whole heartily agree:

1) Avoid crowds and lines

2) Save money (DUH!)

3) Save paper

4) Nutrition info online so you can make the correct, healthy decision

5) Free delivery

6) Get it your way; no mayo, no problem

7) Pick up when you have a free moment

8) Fresh food delivered

9) Create a wish list of favorites for easy fast ordering next time

10) Easy to navigate

This great deal lasts until the end of the month. So tell your coworkers and get some good chow for your money.

Ten for Under Ten

Courtesy of my bible, Daily Candy, here are ten options for you Seattle-ites and Atlantans to save and enjoy your city this summer.

First is for those on the left side:
1. Sip and sun with Basque Kalimotxo ($4) and a small plate (most under $4) on Txori’s outdoor patio.
2. At only $4, a dip in Olympic-size heated saltwater Colman Pool (0pens May 23) won’t break the bank.
3. Find Zen for $5 or less at the Japanese Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum with its new gate sculpted by artist Gerard Tsutakawa.
4. Paddle a canoe or rowboat around Lake Washington with a friend for $7.50/hour at the University of Washington Waterfront Activities Center.
5. Kick back at Shorty’s front patio with a Chicago-style dog for $4 before getting it on with Donkey Kong. Or hit the Funhouse for a game of horse on the outdoor b-ball court and a pitcher of beer.
6. Charting a boat would sink your budget but hopping on a ferry to Vashon or Bainbridge (with or without a bicycle) to take in the city lights, sunset, and ocean air comes in under ten.
7. Wheel a deal by renting a Dutch Bike Monday-Friday for $10/hour (regularly $12/hour) when you print out this e-mail.
8. Save some hard cash by planting Kentucky Colonel mint, peppermint, or sweet basil ($3.29 each at City People’s Garden Store). Then whip up some drinks for friends on a hot day.
9. Hit the cheap seats at a ball game. Mariners center-field bleachers are a sporty bargain at eight bucks or less.
10. Poco Carretto’s new pint combo offers flavors like salted butter caramel gelato and green apple sorbetto side by side. Through June 22, save $2 with this coupon for DailyCandy readers.

Now for the Right Siders:

1. Tag, you’re it, with Montana Gold spray paint and cap set from Sam Flax. This is a cheap and easy way to redecorate that room that bores you everytime you enter it.
2. Feeling lucky? Pick a peck of lotto tix. (It’s all for the kiddies.) As we say up here in NY, "Hey, you never know!"
3. Cool off with sweet tea at Park 75. Brewed iced tea cubes mean it never waters down. Nothing says southern summer like a cold sweet tea.
4. Don’t be a drip. A cup of joe at mug hub Method Coffee Bar will set you back barely five bucks. Wi-Fi doesn’t cost a thing. We all know that I love a good cup of coffee/
5. Set the scene with bright cloth place mats from Swoozie’s. The extra $5 for the monogram is worth it. Every southerner knows the value of a good monogram.
6. Lap up nuanced flavors of local honey at Harris & Clark.
7. While away the hours with a best-seller or dusty old novel from book bungalow Atlanta Book Exchange (591 North Highland Avenue; 404-681-3122‎).
8. Take a jukebox spin at Waffle House. (Livin’ la vida scattered, smothered, and covered.)
9. You wear your heart on your sleeve. Dress your baked goods accordingly with a sweetly shaped cookie press.
10. Keep papers in their place with silver initial paperweights from Festivity.

More Savings

I found another website with codes: www.keycode.com. I like this site a bit more because it is aesthetically pleasing in comparison. It looks a bit cleaner and more organized. Another great feature is that it has codes for Canada and the UK. Why not spread the love of saving. They offer printable coupons and online codes. There is a section of the top ten hottest offers on and off the web, new offers and ones about to expire. All the major retailers are featured. No code for the store you want to buy something for? Check out the free shipping tab, the retailer maybe offering that promotion.