Dealoco.com Bargain Hunting Blog

How I Saved $1300 on My Annual Home Insurance Premium

2010-04-29T04:49:01Z

We’re in the final stages of a home renovation, so I’ve been getting my ducks in a row to refinance. While reviewing my homeowner’s insurance policy online, I noticed a short note State Farm had left for me on my policy page that said something like “we can save you a large amount of money; call us today!” Admittedly I am always skeptical of such offers, but I decided to pick up the phone and call my agent anyway.

Turns out we were paying over $800 extra annually for a $1000 deductible policy (versus the typical 1% deductible policy most homeowners choose). In our case a 1% deductible means we’d be responsible for roughly $4k out of pocket should we have to file a claim. My back-of-the-napkin math showed this to be a no-brainer decision…we will end up saving the $3k difference in under 4 years. And then it’s all gravy after that…($800 buys a lot of gravy!)

My very helpful State Farm rep then made me aware of two other potentially unneeded items we had on our policy that were costing us roughly $250 each per year. These dealt with slow leak water issues (as opposed to sudden pipe bursts, which are covered under the general policy). I called my most trusted advisor (Dad) and decided to drop these from our policy as well.

And just like that, within 30 minutes I had given my family a $1300 annual raise! Thanks, State Farm!!

Here are a few more tips for saving on homeowners insurance:

Shop Around
Get rate quotes from several different companies. This is one of the most effective ways to save big bucks.

Choose One Company…and Stick With Them
Not only do insurance companies give discounts for having both your homeowners and auto coverage with them, but most companies also offer further discounts if you’ve been with them for 3 years or more.

Insure Your Home, Not the Land
The land your house sits on will likely be just fine despite any catastrophic events that may occur to your home (fire, wind, hail, etc…). Don’t include the value of the land when calculating how much coverage you need to purchase.

Hulu Plus: TV for Just $10 Per Month

2010-04-23T05:14:14Z

I wrote last December about my experiment in ditching DirecTV to save $100 a month. In the months since my family and I have been relying mostly on free, over-the-air HD TV channels and the awesome Boxee PC software. Not surprisingly, we’ve found there’s still plenty of TV watching at our fingertips.

Yesterday, the LA Times reported on an upcoming offering from Hulu called Hulu Plus that should make streaming TV via the Internet even better. Details are vague, but for $9.95 a month, subscribers will gain access to a more comprehensive catalog of popular TV shows.

What would really make this service shine is if subscribers could gain access to shows as they are airing or at least later that same night. And while I’m adding items to my wishlist, it’d be great if Boxee’s Hulu app allowed better HD streaming functionality.

Check out our great HDTV deals!

Go Green and Save

2010-04-23T05:12:50Z

I’m always looking to save money, and if I can help the environment in the process, that’s even better. I ran across a story on SmartMoney today highlighting how companies are willing to reward their customers for green behaviors. While most of these deals don’t offer significant savings, who can complain about saving a few bucks?

Bring a Bag
• CVS: Purchase a CVS 99-cent Green Bag Tag and swipe it each time you bring your own bag or decline a store bag at checkout. Four visits earn you a $1 store coupon, printed on your receipt.
• Giant: Save five cents per bag.
• Kroger: Save four cents per bag.
• Shop Rite: Save two cents per bag when you reuse one of the store’s paper or plastic bags, or five cents per bag when you use a non-disposable tote (does not have to be a store tote).
• Target: Save five cents per reusable bag.
• Whole Foods: Save five or 10 cents per bag, depending on the individual store’s policy.

Go Paperless
• Allstate: Customers who sign up for paperless billing (with automatic withdrawal from a bank account) receive a discount of up to 5% on an auto policy, depending on the state. The discount is not available in California, North Dakota and South Dakota.
• Progressive: Policy holders who sign up to get documents electronically save up to 5%, depending on the state and whether the customer buys directly or through an agent. The discount is available in 41 states.
• Sprint: The company gives a one-time $5 credit to customers who sign up for Sprint’s eBill service. (Consumers who get a discount on their plans through an employer are not eligible.)
• Time Warner Cable: Time Warner Cable customers in New York can get a $1 credit on their bill each month if they opt for paperless billing.

Recycle
• Apple: Bring in an old iPod for recycling to an Apple store and the company will provide a 10% discount on a new one. (Discount not eligible on iPod shuffle models.)
• MAC Cosmetics: Through the Back to MAC program, customers who return six containers from MAC products receive a free lipstick of their choice.
• RecycleBank.com: Consumers earn points in this free program for recycling old electronics and, depending on where they live, regular recyclables such as paper, glass and plastic. (Participating cities include Cherry Hill, N.J., and Mesa, Ariz.)
• Staples: Recycle ink and toner cartridges in store to receive $3 in Staples Rewards to use on future store purchases. (Limit 10 per month per customer.)

Buy Green Goods
• American Express: The Zync charge card with Eco Pack from American Express offers two reward points per dollar spent on purchases only at select eco-friendly merchants rated on Greenopia.com; it also gives a 25% discount when cashing in green rewards. The card carries an annual fee of $25 — the same as you’d pay for a standard Zync card (one point per dollar spent on all purchases) but $20 less than those with add-on reward packs offering two points per dollar spent on travel, entertainment or communications.
• Duane Reade: Consumers who join the drugstore chain’s free Eco Club rewards program earn double points on environmentally-friendly products from participating companies, including Physician’s Formula organic makeup and EcoSpiral light bulbs. (Under the main FlexRewards program, earn two points per dollar spent at the store, with a $5 reward for every 500 points.)
• UMB: With the UMB Eco Rewards Visa, customers earn two points per dollar spent on green purchases. (Enter environmentally friendly purchases in a separate rebate site to have rewards credited.) Earn one point per dollar spent on other purchases.

Reuse
• Einstein Bros. Bagels: Customers who bring in a refillable mug for coffee are charged $1, a discount of up to $1 off regular menu prices. Some locations also offer “Free Refill Fridays,” when consumers who use a refillable store mug get a free coffee refill before 2 p.m.
• Peet’s Coffe & Tea: Save 10 cents with a refillable mug. Save 25 cents when reusing a coffee bag for bean purchases.
• Starbucks: Save 10 cents with a refillable mug.

Let us know if your aware of any other things companies are doing to incentivize going green.
[SmartMoney]

Neiman Marcus Last Call Store – $50 off $100 one item

2010-04-21T14:22:42Z

Present this coupon April 21 or 22 at any Neiman Marcus Last Call store and enjoy $50 off one item priced $100 or more. Click here to find your nearest NM Last Call store.

Tax Day Freebies and Discounts

2010-04-15T18:21:47Z

Free Stuff!!!

Starbucks:

If you bring in a reusable mug to Starbucks on Thursday you get free coffee all day!

Cinnabon:

Come to any participating mall location from 6-8 p.m. and get two free bite-sized cupcakes! While you’re at it, feel free to enter to win a $100 gift-card (but that’s optional)

Mr. Jim’s Pizza:

Become a fan on facebook to get a coupon for a free pizza on the 15th!

MaggieMoo’s:

Get a free slice of ice cream pizza when you drop by between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Taco Del Mar:

Just fill out a short form and get a coupon for a free taco for Thursday!

Discounts

Jamba Juice:

Buy one, get one at Jamba Juice! Just bring in the coupon found via the link and save! Valid until the 25th!

McCormick & Schmick’s:

Celebrate and receive a $10.40 dinner and drink specials. Bar guests will get a gift certificate ($10.40) for later visits, and if you’re a professional tax preparer, you can still get that deal on Friday!

P.F. Chang’s:

15% off dine-in or take-out (minus the alcohol).

Whole Foods:

You can shop Tax-free at select locations on April 15th! Whole Foods is also offering other deals through out the week.

Boston Market:

Bring the coupon and get a free meal for each one you purchase. Valid Thursday-Sunday (coupon provided in link above).

IHOP:

Buy an adult meal and get a free dinner for a child age 12 or younger from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. And that deal lasts all month!

BLT Restaurants:

Get 50% off alcoholic beverages on April 15th!

Go Roma:

No taxes on April 15th at participating locations!

Energy Kitchen:

Buy any $2 drink and get Bison Cheesesteak Wrap, California Wrap, or Buffalo Chicken Burger FREE!

Texas Trade Up: Appliance Rebate Program

2010-04-07T18:48:02Z

The state of Texas received more than $23 million in federal stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Energy to establish and administer an Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. The Texas state comptroller’s office starting taking reservations for this program this morning at 7am CT.

Unfortunately, they didn’t plan things too well and the website and phone lines were inundated with requests all morning. However, they seem to have made some adjustments around noon and the system is now slowly but surely allowing reservations again. If you’re in the market for a new appliance, don’t miss out on this great savings opportunity!

Also…some secret info that may help you get through. If trying by phone, use this unpublished number: 1-877-581-1993. And if trying online, note that it doesn’t matter which category of appliance you select from the main page as you can change this when submitting your application — so try opening multiple category forms in multiple browser tabs.

Check out Twitter for the latest/greatest info.

Appliance Category	Rebate Amount	Purchase Period	Required Place of Purchase
Refrigerators	$240	4/16 – 4/25	In store
Freezers	$180	4/16 – 4/25	In store
Room Air Conditioners	$45	4/16 – 4/25	In store
Clothes Washers	$150 or $180*	4/16 – 4/25	In store
Dishwashers	$110 or $140*	4/16 – 4/25	In store
Central Air Conditioners	$600 , $800 or $1,000*	4/16 – 60 days from rebate reservation or waitlist request date	In store or from Texas contractor
Air-Source Heat Pumps	$1,200 – $1,600*	4/16 – 60 days from rebate reservation or waitlist request date	In store or from Texas contractor
Hot Water Heaters	$190 – $640*	4/16 – 60 days from rebate reservation or waitlist request date	In store or from Texas contractor

Free $10 or $20 EGift Cards with Select Video Game Preorders

2010-03-24T06:49:47Z

Walmart is offering up to $20 in free EGift Cards when you preorder select video games. Click here to view the 32 games that are eligible for this promo.

Ben & Jerry’s FREE Cone Day – March 23rd

2010-03-19T21:06:13Z

Looks like Starbucks is not the only place giving away freebies on March 23rd.

It is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s!!! They start handing out the freebies at noon and it runs through 8pm. The other great part is you can stand in line as many times as you like, so don’t be scared to try a new flavor.

The event is only at participating locations. You can check at their store locator which locations are participating.

Starbucks – On the morning of March 23rd purchase a handcrafted beverage and get a FREE pastry

2010-03-19T15:25:34Z

On the morning of March 23rd, Starbucks will give a free pastry with the purchase of a handcrafted beverage.

Come to participating Starbucks on Free Pastry Day, March 23. Choose a delicious pastry to pair with your beverage and that tasty item is free.

To get your free pastry, print out the coupon below and present it to your barista. Or simply show them the coupon on any mobile device. But Free Pastry Day ends at 10:30 a.m. – so don’t miss out!

[Get the Coupon]

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T20:35:30Z

The DeaLoco team would like to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas filled with family, love, and happiness! It’s snowing pretty steady outside my window here in Dallas…time to pour myself a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy some quality time with the family. HO-HO-HOOO…

And remember, the DeaLoco elves don’t stop on December 25th. They’re hard at work 365 days a year to bring you the latest and greatest deals from every corner of the Internet!