Ann Taylor Sale & Shop It To Me

Ann Taylor is having a great sale online this week!  There are several items that were originally $69 or more going for $9.88.  Ann Taylor is also offering $50 off any order of $150 or more with the promo code 104005158 until June 2.

 

I'd also like to take a moment to tell you about Shop It To Me- this is a website and newsletter that tells you about sales at a collection of stores.  When you sign up, you choose stores, sizes, and styles about which you'd like to be alerted daily.  Shop It To Me will send you the latest sales on your selections!  I get lots of great tips from Shop It To Me.  Shop It To Me will also make sure that the store has the sale item available in your size!

Also, the more friends you invite, the greater your chances are of earning $10 gift cards to stores of your choice.  See it at http://www.shopittome.com.  If you'd like an invitation, send me an e-mail or a comment with your e-mail address.

Pink Nation by Victoria's Secret: Free stuff!

I'm crazy about Victoria's Secret (VS) Pink underwear.  Just ask anyone.  I go to the mall, and I blow a hard earned $25 on 5 pairs of Pink undies practically every time.  When VS had a sale for 5/$20 undies, I was on it.  Now I've discovered Pink Nation, a promotional site by VS that you can join to receive coupons and free offers.  Right now, they're offering a printable coupon for a free Bling panty and a printable coupon for $10 off your $35 purchase.  The only catch with the panty is that you have to make a Pink purchase that is less than $7.50 for the "free" panty to be worth getting!

 (screen shot of the Pink Nation member screen)

Go to www.vspink.com to join and get your coupon!

Gap Sale- AWESOME

Why hello ladies and gentlemen.  Boy do I have a sale to share with you today.  Gap has once again come through with excellent prices for all of us frugal people out there in search of quality and a bargain.

Almost all sale merchandise at the Gap is an extra 40% off.  The best part is that its not a mish-mosh of merchandise that no one else wanted.  There is quality clothing on the racks, and the sale is all throughout the store, not just in the back clearance section (though that is where the best bargains can be found).  I'm not sure when the sale ends, so if you want to take advantage I'd go to the store (or to the website, though the store has better deals) soon.

Additionally, Fortunoff is in its final stages of liquidation.  Practically everything in the store including FINE CHINA and flatware, is 50% off.  I bought an Analon bakeware set that comes with 2 9" baking pans and 2 cooling racks for a mere $12.00.  There were also a lot of other really great things that I plan on going back for in the near future.  You may think that the stock is very low considering the percentage off, but it is not.  Trust me, practically everything you could possibly want from Fortunoff is in stock.  Now is the time to go take a look because I'm not sure if they'll be open much longer, and I don't know when the sales will go to 60% off, if ever.  I get e-mail notifications, so I'll let you know when I do.

Happy shopping!

Americans May Continue to be Frugal After the Recession Ends.

It always pleases me to hear that ore andmore people are switching to the femme frugal way of life.  The New York Times reports that long after the recession ends people may continue to watch their spending.  Read the article by clicking here.

Though NYT does tell us that the switch from super spender to super saver 1. can have negative effect on business owners, and 2. doesn't come from lessons learned but from changes in the way the economy runs due to the recent decline.  I think an overhaul of the way we view our spending, both by the consumer and by businesses is long past due.

Enjoy the article.

Pathmark now takes internet coupons!

FYI:

Many food stores will not take internet coupons; however, I've just read in the Pathmark ad that they are now accepting coupons printed from the internet.  Be sure to visit couponmom.com to get your free printable coupons. (In order to print the coupons, you'll have to download a special coupon printing program.  Its easy to download and install, so don't worry if you're not tech savvy.)

Pathmark Deal of the week: Kellogg's cereals are on sale 4 for $6.  If you go to couponmom.com, you can print separate coupons for $1 off all of the cereals listed in the ad, thus getting 4 boxes of cereal for $2.  That's 50 cents each!

restaurant.com: $25 restaurant gift certificates for only $10

So restaurant.com seems like its too good to be true.  They offer several denominations of restaurant gift certificates for way less than the face value; $25 gift certificates cost you $10, and no membership is required except for a username to keep track of your purchases.   Cool, right?

These gift certificates, however, are not true gift certificates.  They're more like coupons because they have requirements and stipulations for use.  For example, you can buy a $25 "gift certificate" to Acapella on Hudson Street in New York City for $10; however it is only valid on a 3 course meal, and there is a $50 minimum food purchase.  You also can't use a second "gift certificate".

Restaurant.com seems like a good idea, but make sure that you read the exclusions and minimums on the gift certificate before you buy.  This may not be such a great deal for you after all.

Free KFC Grilled Chicken

Thanks, Oprah!  KFC, with spokeswoman Oprah (?), is offering 2 pieces of free grilled chicken, 2 individual sides, and a biscuit free of charge if you print this coupon before 9:59pm central time.  Coupons are good until 5/16/09.  Enjoy your free meal by clicking here.

cb2.com: A less expensive Crate & Barrel?

This morning I was clicking around the Crate & Barrel website when I found a link for CB2.  When I clicked it, I couldn't believe my eyes.  It is a less expensive, hipper alternative to the Crate & Barrel styles that I have come to know, love, and lust for.

CB2 features all of the same types of products as their parent, C&B.  If you're a college student decorating a campus apartment, just got your first job, or if you're making a modest salary (like myself) but don't want to skimp on style, CB2 seems like the place to go.  I've been reading web reviews since I found out about CB2, and it seems as though people are quite happy with the quality of the products, as well.  The only complaint is slow shipping, but I suppose some things are worth waiting for!

If you've ever ordered from CB2, or if you do because of this post, please drop me a reply to let me know how you like your product.  I'm going to be ordering this lovely pitcher for a mere $5.95:

 

This photo was taken directly from the cb2 website.

Enjoy!

Freeflys.com: Free samples, no hassles!

The best things in life are free, and if you're looking for free samples, Freeflys is the place to go.  I've received numerous free samples by using this service to help eke them out.   Companies are often happy to give away small quantities of new items because they want customers to try these items.  If you decide you like the item, you're more likely to buy the full size item from the store, thus building a loyalty base for that company.  So don't be bashful, companies want you to have their freebies!

 http://www.freeflys.com

Some examples of the samples I've received are L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner, Dunkin Donuts coffee, and yes, even flushable doggie bags for Fluffy.  The site offers a wide array of different things to try and categorizes the samples for you.  The samples do not come directly from freeflys.com.  The links you click will redirect you to the manufacturer's websites where you will enter your personal information.

The only part of the site that I caution you of is the samples and freebies that are "too good to be true" like the link that offers free Coach and Dooney & Bourke bags .  Often whenyou click these you have to sign up and pay for a certain amount of "offers" from the sponsors of these programs.  This doesn't make the bag free and sometimes you have to sign up for so many offers that you're paying more than you would for the bag.  Please, I beg you, do not click on these.  Save yourself the time, money, and trouble.

Couponcabin.com

Another cool feature of Coupon Cabin is their weekly newsletter and dashboard widget.  The weekly newsletter is delivered by e-mail every Monday.  Coupon Cabin shares with their followers some of their newest/best coupon deals.  The best part of this is the predictability and reliability of the e-mail.  You're guaranteed to get the e-mail every Monday and ONLY on Monday, thus Coupon Cabin doesn't fill your inbox all week long.




The printable coupons are useful at local retailers such as Home Depot and Target.  If you plan on using grocery coupons, make sure you call ahead to your grocery store and ask if they take internet coupons.  One disadvantage of my local Shoprite is that they do not take printed coupons for fear of counterfeiting.  Personally, I think they should get with the program; but that's my issue, not yours!


The dashboard widget is equally useful.  If you're a Mac user like myself, those dashboard widgets come in very handy for weather, calculations, and just for some added entertainment.  By downloading the Coupon Cabin widget, coupons are right at your fingertips on your dashboard.  It allows you to select stores, find out what is going to expire soon, and makes suggestions for you.

Before you make your next online purchase (perhaps for Mother's Day- which you should do soon!), visit Coupon Cabin for some extra savings!