Buried Treasures...uncover your savings

Cash back on your purchases - Ebates and MrRebates

2010-12-12T19:33:00.002-05:00

I know, I know, it's been like two months. Girl's been busy, but I'm back just in time for the Holiday season.

I've done quite a few online shopping purchases these past few weeks, and let me tell you, the deals found online are usually always better than what you can find in stores.

I bought $55 worth of shoes at DSW.com on Black Friday, and thanks to a double cash-back special of 8%, I was able to get over $4 back on my purchase... mind you, that was after free shipping, after a $5 off coupon from DSW.com, after clearance and sales, and after my additional 1% cash back from my credit card. A pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

This is why I urge all of you faithful followers (yes, all 12 of you! Please, tell your friends! I'm about to resume my regular posting) that it is in your best interest to join Cash Back websites. Always check BOTH of these sites before you make your purchase, and use the one that is offering a larger cash-back percentage payout.

MrRebates.com

Payment to you can be made via both Checks and Paypal and can be requested once you have a minimum of $10 in your account that is not pending. This may seem like a large amount, but you get a $5 bonus just for making your first purchase. So I guess technically that means you only need to earn $5 by shopping online until you can cash out $10. Who doesn't want to get a free $10 back just by doing their regular online shopping?

Ebates.com
Similar to MrRebates.com, you also earn a $5 bonus just for making your first purchase. Ebates sends you your funds quarterly, so every few months you'll see the deposit made into your paypal account or get a check sent to your home (depending on your preference). Something great about Ebates.com is that it also lists current coupon codes next to the store at which you plan to shop.

I definitely recommend joining both of these sites now, lest you forget about them later.

If you're confused as to how they work, remember, you are not actually making your purchase from them, as they don't sell anything. Instead, they act as a middle man.

For example, if you want to buy from Kohls.com, this is what I usually do.

1. Go to Kohls.com, log into my Kohls account, find everything I want and add it to my Shopping Cart.
2. Once I'm ready to check out, I open up a new window and go to MrRebates.com or Ebates.com (whichever one I plan to use for my purchase).
3. I search for Kohls on the cash back website, and click the link to Kohls.com they have available. Once you do that, you'll see that the cash back site will redirect you to Kohls.
4. Once on Kohls.com, you should see everything already in your shopping cart. From there, proceed to checkout as usual. Just make sure you checkout on that same browser/tab. If you open other ones, you may run the risk of the cash back site not registering that you bought anything.

5. You're done! Within a few days, you should receive an email from the cash back site citing how much cash back you'll be receiving, and see it posted as Pending to your account a few days after that.

Personally, I have about $18 pending right now from purchases made since October (mind you, I don't shop that much and that's not including the $5 bonuses...) I can't wait until I receive that check in the mail!

DOTD: 4 Movie tickets for $4.70 each (includes 3D/Imax)

2010-09-27T10:56:00.002-04:00

Long time no post, I know, I know. It's been a busy week.
Today's awesome deal of the day comes from Groupon.com where you can buy a 4-pack of tickets redeemable at fandango.com and movietickets.com for $20... $18.80 after ebates cash back (that comes out to $4.70 a ticket!).

Let's get started.

Here's the Slickdeals thread on the deal -- feel free to read to get insight on how to use the code, if its good, where it can be used, etc.

Next, head on over to Groupon.com and make an account.

Once that's done, mosey on over to Ebates.com and make an account. Ebates is offering 6% cash back for all purchases made on Groupon. Once you've made an account at Ebates, search for "Groupon" in the search box and click Shop Now. It should say "Plus 6% cash back!" next to it.

Ebates should redirect you to Groupon. The 4pack of movie tickets is today's deal for the North Jersey area (you don't need to be from this area to buy or use this deal). If the link doesn't direct you to the North Jersey page, then just search for North Jersey by using the "Visit more cities" link.

Once you see the deal, click Buy, fill out your information, and bam. You should shortly get a code in your account/email (usually takes 1 full day).

From Slickdeals -- Go to Weekly Cinema's website and use your code, once registered and you get your password in mail, you can start redeeming individual tickets from your 4 pack.
https://secure.weeklycinema.com/deal.php

Before you buy, head on over to fandango.com AND movietickets.com and make sure that the theater you plan to use them on has Online ticketing available. Some of the theaters I frequent weren't available on fandango but were in fact available on movietickets.com.

You do not need to redeem all 4 tickets at once. And they should work for both 3D and IMAX movies (not sure about 3D and IMAX combined though).

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 -- here I come!!

Oh also, for those of you not familiar with Groupon, it's a site that offers a deal a day. Today's North Jersey deal is the movie tickets.

Happy movie'ing!

$10 off $10 online purchase at JC Penney.com

2010-09-19T20:06:00.001-04:00

HOT DEAL ALERT

If you buy any $10 purchase at JCPenney.com, you can get $10 off by using code GO4TEN.
All shoes have free shipping at the moment too, so I know where I'm going to be spending most of my time. The code is good until September 28, 2010 and works on both sale and clearance items.

JC Penney has these $10 coupon code deals pretty frequently, so this is always a great way to pick up a shirt here and there, especially if you know your size.

Don't forget to shop through ebates.com for 3% off (and sign up if you're not already a member).

As always, happy shopping!

DOTD: Express and Forever 21

2010-09-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

It's almost the weekend.. that means I'm doing my coupon hunt in case I go to the mall this weekend. (Mama needs some new shoes!)

Express coupon - Expires Sunday, September 19, 2010
Save $15 off of $30
Save $30 off of $75
Thanks to SlickDeals

Forever 21 - Expires Sunday, September 19, 2010
Free online shipping with code MISSYOU10
Lots of items on sale/clearance
Thanks to SlickDeals

Happy shopping!

Tip #4 - Keeping track of your loan payments (361 to go)

2010-09-16T21:55:00.003-04:00

Long ago, I tried to create some sort of Excel spreadsheet that I could use to keep track of my student loan payments... to show what would happen to my outstanding balance if I paid a little extra each month. Well, I couldn't get the formulas right and it required too much thinking on my part.

So bam! I found this today. It's a Loan Amortization schedule template provided by Microsoft Office online.

I suggest that any one with any sort of loan download it pronto.. this includes mortgages, student loan payments, car payments, etc. You plug in key information such as Loan amount, annual interest rate, loan period in years, number of payments per year, start date of loan, and optional extra payments. Based on what you input, the schedule automatically updates.

This is super useful because you can play around with it and put in different "Extra payment" amounts to see how much an extra $100 here and there can effect your overall outstanding balance, or how much extra you need to pay in order to fully pay down your loan by a certain date.

Quick screen shot of what it looks like once populated.

I vote it a must have for all. ;-)

Happy exceling!

Tip #3 - Cash back/rebate websites (362 to go)

2010-09-15T17:27:00.006-04:00

Finally writing that post on some cash back sites!!... and it comes at the perfect time because I just got a nifty little email in my inbox today from Ebates regarding their bonus this week (yes, I am putting my referral link. If ya'll are going to join, then I want my referral bonuses!! =P )

Using cash back sites are great since they work pretty simply and can help you gain anywhere from 1% to 30% back on your purchases (depending on the store and site).

For example (how it works) --
Instead of going directly to gap.com to make your purchase, you would first go to ebates.com, log in, and click their special gap.com link. When you complete your purchase, within a day you'll receive an email from Ebates saying that your purchase has been verified with the amount of cash back you'll be receiving. Just think of it as a savings on top of your savings. One special note is that sometimes, if you use an online coupon code, your purchase may be disqualified from getting cash back. They put this as a disclaimer sometimes, but honestly, I've never run into this issue. I'm always gotten my cash back, and there's no harm in trying, so I still stand firmly by always using cash back sites!

Here are some of the sites I recommend you all join and register for now.
1. Ebates.com - Gives you a $5 CB bonus for signing up and making first purchase
2. MrRebates.com - Gives you a $5 CB bonus for signing up and making first purchase
3. FatWallet.com

There used to be Bing.com which I used a few times but just last month, they stopped their Cash back program. Poop on a stick.

Just to give you all some insight, here's my personal experience with Ebates.com
1. Ebates.com - Ebates pays out about 4x a year (so don't expect to get your cash back right away), but they offer Paypal as an option (super convenient!). Ebates offers $5 to each member just for signing up and making your first purchase. They also offer competitive cash back %'s on all the stores. The first time I used Ebates was last January when I purchased boots from Victoria's Secrets and more boots from DSW (clearly, I like boots). My total CB from VS, DSW, and $5 signing up bonus came out to $13.32. That's a pretty nice chunk of change back! $_$ Not to mention that when I returned my VS boots, my cash back wasn't voided (VS.. who does NOT offer free return shipping), so the cash back I earned from it actually helped cover part of my shipping costs. Whew!

So I got an email from Ebates today and low and behold, Ebates is currently offering a Fall Fashion - Double Cash Back special for the next week or so(!!!) If you plan on shopping at any of these stores, this is the time to do it.

These are some of the quick %s Ebates is running during this promotion.
Banana Republic - was 2%, now 15%
HSN - was 3%, now 5%
GAP - was 2%, now 15%
Lands' End - was 3%, now 6%
Macy's - was 2.5%, now 5%
Nordstrom - was 3%, now 6%
Piperlime - was 2%, now 15%
Victoria's Secret - as 2%, now 4%

Tip: Sign up for all three of them now, and before you make your next online purchase, check each site to see who's offering the best rate. By signing up now, you'll have easier access in seeing what bonuses they're currently offering.

Happy shopping!

DOTD - BOGO @ Jamba Juice

2010-09-14T22:34:00.001-04:00

Clearly, a tip a day isn't working out. But I'll try to do my best.

Deal of the Day:
BOGO @ Jamba Juice - coupon expires Sept. 22, 2010 (thanks to SlickDeals)

Happy Jamba'ing!

Tip #2 - Cash back credit cards (363 to go)

2010-09-13T21:28:00.001-04:00

Cash back, or CB as it's called on most forums, is super awesome, and acts similar to a rebate. There are many sites out there that if you buy online by clicking through the cash back website, you get a certain percentage back. A lot of times, this can cover part of your shipping costs, or be the deciding factor over what store you want to buy from.

First,
If you can, try to get a credit card that offers a cash-back program on your purchases. This is a great way to save on both in-store and online purchases. I believe Discover cards offer 5% on certain purchases (idk, I keep seeing signs for it at Baja Fresh, lol).

PenFed offers a Platinum Rewards credit card that offers 1% back on regular purchases, 2% back on supermarket purchases, and 5% back on gas. I have this card. It is awesome. I put everything I ever buy on it, no matter the price. And depending on how much I spend every month, sometimes I get upwards to $11 back at the end of the month.

Why is a CB credit card good? Because if you're making online purchases, you have the opportunity to get cash back through the websites I'll describe tomorrow, ON TOP of the money you'll get back for using your CB credit card. Every penny counts right.. even if your 1% is only going to save you 20 cents.

Now, don't just go out and willy nilly sign up for a CB credit card. Do what's best for you and your finances. Make sure you check the interest rate on your cards, as well as fees and late charges. But if you're planning on opening up a new CC, try to get one that will give you the best rewards.

Sorry guys, I was going to post about some of the great CB websites (ebates, mrebates) but it was Bachelor Pad season finale tonight and time seemed to escape me, heh.

Reviews of those sites to follow tomorrow!

Twitter and Cash back sites

2010-09-13T11:30:00.001-04:00

Quickly popping in. Later today, I'm hoping to post about some great cash back websites. When you buy online, ALWAYS look for where you can get the best cash back on your purchase. It may not be much, but it can at least slim down your purchase price by a few bucks, and sometimes even cover your shipping costs.

Also, I made a twitter to make it easier for you all to know when new posts are made. Twitter @ UncoverSavings .

Tip #1 - Survey sites, quick guide to a few bucks (364 to go)

2010-09-12T20:46:00.004-04:00

One of the first things I think any money saver should do is join paid survey sites.

When I was a college student, I learned that extra spending money is hard to come by, so I revisited the idea of joining Survey Sites. Basically, there are companies out there that will pay you to take an online survey (usually varying from 10-30 minutes in length) on topics ranging from movies, music, food, beverages, shopping habits, etc. On occasion, you may even get chosen for a product trial where the company will mail you a sample product for you to try and review.

Each survey you take will earn you money, either by check, paypal, or a points system. I joined these survey sites in October 2009 and as of today (with about 2-3 months where I didn't take any surveys), I've cashed out close to $450. Sure, may not seem like a lot but for minimal effort, it's easy money.

So I'm going to share with you all my findings on what sites I've vastly researched, used, and feel confident in recommending.

To start, create a new email address (on yahoo, gmail, etc) to use simply for these survey sites. I have NEVER gotten any spam sent from these sites but find that an email address dedicated simply to these surveys helps me stay organized. Next, just join up and answer all member profiles honestly as those act as pre-screeners to the surveys you are sent and enhance your chances of qualifying for specific surveys. Listed below are the sites that I belong to and find to be worthwhile and highly recommend you joining as well.

Swagbucks
Summary: Swagbucks actually isn't a "survey site". Instead, you get randomly awarded "swagbucks/sb" for using their search engine which is actually powered by Google. They also give out "swagcodes" at least once a day that is worth anywhere from 1sb to 30sb or sometimes even more. You can also get swagbucks by shopping online, doing special offers, referring new friends to join, and more. Honestly, just using the search engine and entering their codes is enough to build up your swagbucks account. This site is 100% absolutely free and it's better than the others because there's no time commitment required as it's actually not a survey site.
Redeemed: Since joining in Oct 09, I have successfully redeemed over $70 in the form of either paypal or Amazon.com giftcards.
Rating: 10/10

Opinion Outpost
Summary: This is a traditional survey site that I highly recommend. Since I completed my member profiles, I am sent about 4 surveys a day. (Please note, you do not have to take any of these surveys the same day you receive them. Every few days is fine, but anything more than that, and you run the risk of the survey closing and you missing your opportunity for that survey.) The surveys provided by Opinion Outpost range in point value usually from 10 to 50 points, where each 10 points equals $1. You need a minimum of $5 in order to cash out which I usually achieve within 3 surveys that generally do not exceed more than 20 minutes in length. I've also received a product trial from them. If you don't qualify for a survey, you have the option of putting an entry into a sweepstakes, making a 10 cent donation to the Red Cross, or trying for an instant $50 win. I actually won the $50 once! It was awesome.
Redeemed: To date, I have redeemed more than $171 in Amazon.com giftcards and checks.
Rating: 10/10

SayNation
Summary: SayNation will email you about 2 surveys a day which are usually worth a minimum of 1000 points. The great thing about this site is that they award you 25 points just for taking a survey you are disqualified for. It may not seem like much, but these 25 points add up fast. I haven't qualified for a survey in a long time and it only takes a few questions to qualify usually, but the 25 points still add up.
Redeemed: To date, I have not redeemed my points, but I'm 76% of the way to getting $25 in paypal. The prizes range on SayNation from giftcards to various items.
Rating: 6/10

PineCone Research
Summary: Love this site. Their surveys are never more than 20 minutes in length and you never get disqualified. You are usually sent 1-2 surveys a week. They are very strict on you doing the surveys they send. Since they don't send many, they expect you to do them. If you're going on vacation, they have an option for you to tell them that. I no longer receive surveys from them unfortunately and I believe it was because I missed a few too many surveys. It's a shame because they were always reliable. One of my friends and her family gets surveys all the time and have done numerous product trials through them. They have open and closed membership periods, so the only way to join is to find a banner of theirs that will send you to their registration page. Be on the look out.
Redeemed: You get $3 sent to you after completing each survey. To date, I have received $9 through check and $30 through paypal. I have gotten product trials from them too.
Rating: 10/10, HIGHLY recommended.

HCD Surveys
Summary: I love this site primarily for two reasons. First, the surveys are usually so short, never more than 10 minutes. Second, the surveys are always about current events, whether it be about last night's American Idol episode, Oscar winners, or the issue with Toyota's recalls. These current surveys are always fun to take. The only downside to HCD is that their surveys are usually only open for a few hours, so it's hit or miss if you make it on time or not.
Redeemed: Nothing yet, but my points are building up fast.
Rating: 8/10

LightSpeed Panel
Summary: I used to love LightSpeed Panel until suddenly one day I got locked out of my account due to invalid username/password. I contacted Customer Support (who were usually quick to reply) but never got a response. However, many people I know still continue to have good luck from them. Before I got locked out though, I did very much enjoy their site. Their surveys range from 50 points to sometimes 300, but usually 150 and are around 20 minutes in length. I get invited to about 3-4 surveys a days on products and commercials.
Redeemed: To date, I've redeemed $20 in paypal, $15 in Amazon.com giftcard, and a $10 Red Robin giftcard. They have a large range of prizes to choose from.
Rating: 8/10

Global Test Market
Summary: Another great site that sends me about 5 surveys a day with topics similar to Light Speed's surveys. Point values usually range from 30-50 points and you get 5 points just for taking a survey in which you did not qualify. Minimum cashout is 1000 points equivalent to $50.
Redeemed: To date, I have redeemed a $50 check which took about 7 weeks to be mailed to me. The time doesn't bother me as long as at the end I get my money!
Rating: 9/10

That's my list for you guys. I really recommend you join them. I'm joined to a few more sites that I've also redeemed some money from but these are the ones I highly recommend and are generally consistent with their surveys. You're essentially giving your opinion on products to companies, so you might as well get paid by them!

X marks the spot

2010-09-12T17:03:00.002-04:00

Ay ay mateys!...Pirate talk is clearly not for me, but finding small steals is. I've been meaning to put together a list for a while now to serve almost as a one-stop directory for me for the random bargain shopping that I try to do. I figured I should join the ranks of the rest of the cyber-universe and blog it for all to use.

How did this all start? Not really sure. I just started googling for printable coupons and coupon codes before I shopped, and the next thing I knew, my friends were coming to me for their coupon needs. One thing led to another, and I started joining survey sites to make a little extra cash and hunted for bargains even more.

I'll try to update Buried Treasures as much as I can. I know there's so many little buried treasures just waiting to be found... bargains that'll make all of our purchases a little bit sweeter. I'll be linking to specific sites that post coupons for certain stores, other useful blogs I've found, saving money at home tips, and much more... just a way for us all to get a little bit more bang for our buck. And who knows what other little treasures we'll discover along the way...

Challenge: To post 1 savings gem a day for 1 year (365 days).