Free on your BIRTHDAY – that is cheap!

21 Jun

So it is your birthday today, or this week, and you are Googling, yes Googling’s a word , to find out where you can eat for free on your special day.  It is ‘the cheap‘ in you, I know, I have done it too.  Either you are looking to help out your friends and family so they do not need to spend on you, or you are looking to make a solo run and try to fill your belly for free for the week.  Either way, it is cool by me.  So much so that I put together this list of places you can eat for free on your birthday.

 

 

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Buying Online – Did you use coupon codes?

13 Jun

Always look for the coupon codes when buying online, it is your last chance at further discount.

I took a quick trip to New York this past weekend, and it was my first time, so I wanted to take a guided bus tour.  I know, the best way to see New York is on foot, but time was short and there was cheap shopping to be done, so the next best thing was the bus tour, GrayLine Tours.  The company offers single loop, multi-loop and multi-day packages, and I was opting for the ALL LOOP special for 48 hours.  They did have a 72 hour ALL LOOP special as well, adding a third day for minimal cost, but I wasn’t going to use it so why waste?  Anyhoo, I was all ready to check out when I saw my favorite option at checkout, the promotional code field box.  This box should send off fireworks in your eyes when you see it, because it is telling you that they offer discounts and you can get your purchase for cheaper.

Unless you already have coupon codes, received via e-newsletter, you are going to have to do some research.  The success of you finding a good or active code depends on your ability to use Google and how much time you have to search.  For my bus tour I simply typed “gray line new york promotional code” into Google, and watched 110,000 results show up.  Now I could have started clicking on websites in hopes of finding an active code, but I wanted to limit my search a bit more.  On the left toolbar on Google there is an option, “More search tools”, and when clicked and expanded it gives you the option of narrowing down your search by date posted.  Given that we are looking for coupon codes, and they have expiry dates, you want the most recently posted codes.  I narrowed my search to the last 24 hours, 530 results, and started opening sites where the description looked promising.  I found a fellow cheapie, http://www.cheapdanny.com/ and he had the codes for $5 off.  I did a bit more research but that was the best on the net at the time, so I copied the codes into my Grayline checkout and saved $5 off each ticket.

All in all my search took less than 10 minutes and I ended up saving roughly 10%.  That extra money afforded me a large vanilla shake at Shake Shack, so it paid to be cheap.

Long story short, if you are buying something on the net and you see that promotional code option, do a quick search before buying.  By the time you see the code box you have already made up your mind to buy, so it was probably already a good deal, and an extra 10 minutes could get you free shipping or an even further discount.

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e-Newsletters they Save you Money

28 May

No, I am not talking about the coloured paper newsletter divided in thirds you used to get from school as a kid.  No, I am talking about on-line marketing from your favorite retail stores.  Most, if not all, retail stores now have a position on the web, and most of those websites feature an area where you can sign up for their newsletter.

The newsletter is essentially advertising, and I know you are thinking that you get enough junk mail already, but these email newsletters are usually customized dynamic content directed to your needs.  You can hear about contests, promotions, upcoming events, and my favorite, store and on-line sales…cheap cheap.  A quick example, The Gap allows me to customize my newsletter email to limit it to men’s clothing and also gives me an option to receive a newsletter from their other retail brands Old Navy and Banana Republic.  When I signed up I received an instant coupon for a percentage off, which I let foolishly expire*, but have since been privy to deals offering 40% to 50% everything.  I do not know about you, but I cannot shop at regular retail prices.  I used to work retail when I was ‘younger’, and refitted my wardrobe with 50% employee discounted attire, and ever since then I could not buy clothes unless the item was marked down.

While the email newsletter, or e-newsletter, is great for the customer it is probably better for the store.  It allows them to send a cheap advertisement to a core group of their customers, and they can see immediate marketing feedback through on-line sales.  I say this as not to seem foolish, knowing there is a corporation behind the newsletter.  They are trying to get me to spend more, and I am giving them an open window to advertise for free, but I accept it with eyes wide shut. It is a battle between their greed and my greed; they want me to spend and I want to buy for cheap.  Economics at its best, or well my best guess, because I never took economics but it sounds like economics.

* Yes, I did let my instant coupon expire; I did not know there was an expiry date.  But I did eventually still get the deal.  I emailed customer support and asked why my coupon was not working (I was honestly asking, I did not know about the expiry date at the time).  They replied, and explained about the expiry date, but then went ahead and gave me a new code for the discount.  Since that day there was already a 40% sale deal, the coupon added an extra 15% off…I love when it is cheap!

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FREE GLASSES – Clearlycontacts.ca

14 May
That is correct, free glasses.  You may be thinking what I thought when I first saw this deal, but there are no catches or scams involved; they really give you free glasses.
 
Clearlycontacts.ca is based out of BC, Canada, and they offer a free pair of glasses to first time customers.  There are some brand exclusions but for the most part you can get any style you want, free. 
 
What you need? – You will need your prescription, so either make your appointment to your optometrist and get your new prescription, or go scrounging around and find your old one.  You will also need your PD (pupil distance), so make sure to get that on your prescription.  If you do not have it do not worry, on the clearlycontacts site they show you a low tech way to measure it.
 
Visit their site, , and find the frames you want.  Once you found an eligible pair (I picked up the Joseph Marc 4104), click on the ‘Continue’ and fill in your prescription.  You will next be faced with a bunch of ‘add ons’, you do not need them, and can continue with all the free options if you like.  You can opt out of the ‘Coatings’ by unchecking the three boxes.  They are nice to have, and if the will be your everyday glasses you may want them, but they are not required.
 
Continue to checkout, verify your entered prescription, and continue to enter your shipping information.  Since you are a first time customer you will need to register, so fill in all your details.  The coupon code area should appear on the next screen, and you’ll need to enter FIRSTPAIRFREECA.  Once you have entered this code, the frame and lens price refresh to zero, and all you are left with are insurance and shipping costs.  Roughly $15.
 
Once you have registered, and you opt in for it, they will send you emails about other deals.  For example I just picked up a pair of prescription glasses with sunglass tint for $69 by using the coupon code RXSUN.
 
Note:  I have never received any unwanted mailings to my shipping address related to this business.  I know because I used a variation on my name, and nothing has been mailed to me addressed to that name.
 
EDIT SEPT 17 2012:  If you like clearlycontacts on Facebook right now they are offerring another free pair of glasses to customers.  Yet this one is open to everyone, you do not have to be a first time customer.
Offer ends 10/30/2012. One free pair of glasses per customer. Valid for coupon eligible frames only. To get your free pair apply the coupon code XXXXXXXX at the checkout. 1.5 index lenses included for free. Lens upgrades including: higher index lenses, progressives, Transitions, polarized and all lens coatings are available at additional cost. Shipping and handling costs may apply, which is typically $10 to $15. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Valid for residents of Canada only. ClearlyContacts.ca reserves the right to cancel orders that appear to be in violation of this promotion
 

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First Blog Post

8 May

Well, everyone has to have a first one (blog post), and this is mine.

My name is Benny, Hello World!

Some may consider me ‘cheap’, and while it may be true, the word itself has different connotations. I guess I would consider myself frugal, and as such like to hunt for the cheapest deal. I regularly buy things. I am not a miser. It just pains me to buy something at regular price. Do you feel it too? The pain of knowing that you are paying 20% too much, and if you wait a week or drive 15 minutes to a different store, you would save that cash.

I am writing this blog to help, those frugal like me, find out if they are getting a good deal. As I am only one man, I will be writing about the deals I see and find interesting. We may frugally be in tune, and you’ll follow along happily picking up deals with me, or we have our “hits and misses”. I may have shown you the best deal, or I may have had it wrong, and it wasn’t the cheapest (gasp). You may like my writing style or you find out I have horrible spelling and I like making up words. All in all, it is just for fun, and I want to share.

If this is the last thing you read of mine, and I hope that is not the case, but if it is, just remember the next time you go make that purchase think to yourself…IS IT CHEAP?

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