Open Mic is a post every Thursday that is a mini-version of a discussion board. You can leave a comment with whatever coupon, money-saving or debt reduction tips or questions you have and other readers chime in and answer.
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About Carrie Rocha
Yesterday I got 3 coupons in the mail from Rainbow for $5 off $50. Should this be treated like the Cub coupons that your total hasto $50 after coupons? It does say after store coupons.
I have never seen a $5 off of $50 from Rainbow. Hopefully Cub will begin doubling now that Rainbow has the $5 off of $50 like Cub. How the coupon is interpreted will probably vary by cashier. The wording sounds like after store coupons but before manufacturer coupons but the cashier may only go with after all coupons. Best bet is to ask at the store.
Anyone purchased tickets through Goldstar? I never have but was thinking about getting some disount tickets for the Disney on Ice event…. not sure they're reliable??? TIA :)
I have never purchased from Goldstar but Carrie has posted a few deals from them in the past Knowing her level of credibility I would say they should be good to go :)
I just signed up for ShopKick on my iphone. Anyone else have any experience with it? Love it? Waste of time? Do they mail you giftcards one you earn them or do you have to scan it from your phone?
Also….if it's having me scan ID Gum from WalMart….couldn't I just scan it from any store? I mean, the bar code printed on the package is not specific to WalMart.
Thanks!
-Kris
I have the ap and I do like it. When you buy a gift card it is stored on your phone and the cashier will scan the barcode within the ap when you use the gift card.
It is possible to scan an item even when not at the store but I have read on Shopkick's Facebook page that people have been kicked out by Shopkick for using the ap incorrectly (scanning when not at the store, using website pages created for scanning to get kicks…..).
Did you use the deal Carrie posted? It expires tomorrow if you haven't:
Free $2 Target Credit with Shopkick App
Through 2/1, users of the app Shopkick can get a free $2 Target credit. Just register for the offer, then use the app from a mobile phone on your next visit to a Target store. This offer is good for new or current Shopkick users (http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2013/01/freebies-free-5-amazon-instant-video-credit-free-2-target-credit-free-printable-valentines-more/)
Does anyone have any recommendations for checkbook apps for iPad?
Are there any reputable gift card purchasing websites other than Plastic Jungle? Ive had good luck with Plastic Jungle in the past, but in the last six months there have been almost no cards. They finally started notifying me via email of available cards after Christmas. However, the email notifications always arrive in my inbox around 3:15 in the morning. So the available cards are always gone by 6:00!
Hi Mary:
I've had a lot of luck with http://www.giftcardrescue.com. I have bought and sold cards from them, and have never had an issue.
I regularly purchase discounted GCs from these sites (other than Plastic Jungle):
Gift Card Bin: This is my go-to site as the discounts are some of the largest discounts I've seen for discounted GCs. Email alerts can be set up to notify you when a GC is available but similar to Plastic Jungle, the stock changes very often as well.
Carpool: I've made several purchases from this site with no problems. The discounts for the GCs on this site are about average (less than PJ and GiftCardBin but similar to others). However, the discount changes even throughout a day as these are the discounts are based on "demand" of the gift cards so if you see a card at a discount you want, you will not want to wait as it could change in as little as a few hours.
Gift Card Rescue: I like this site to find the GCs I need that I can't find on GiftCardBIn or Plastic Jungle as this site generally has a good selection of GCs as average discounts with little short-term discount flucuations.
ABC Gift Cards: This is a good discounted GC site with average discounts and a decent shipping time.
Monster Gift Cards: I will check this site if I haven't found the card I want from any of the other sites as I typically find the discounts on this site to be a little less than the others.
Star Gift Card Exchange: This site is a reputable site for purchasing GCs. The stock is generally limited at slightly than average discounts. This site only takes checks (I have used cashier's checks) to purchase a card, however. Processing of the card will take place after they recieve the check so it can take a few weeks to recieve the actual gift card so is not an ideal site if you want/need the gift card more immediately. This site also offers a forum for GC exchange (a $1.99 fee applies for the exchange) but is nice alternative to getting rid of an unwanted GC for a wanted one.
Lastly, for more rare GCs (think Rainbow Foods GCs), you may want to keep an eye out on Ebay. Your purchases are backed by the Ebay Buyer Protection so it is safe and easy to use plus you can score a discount on those GCs that aren't on the other sites. I wouldn't, however, use this site for the GCs you can regularly find on the others (i.e. restaurants, department stores, hobby stores, sometimes gas cards, etc) as you will generally pay more on Ebay than any of the other discounted GC sites.
Sorry I don't know how to embed a site address for you but you should be able to type in any of these sites names into a seach engine to get the address (most are just the name.com). Anyway, I hope this helps and you find what you need :-)
Opps…It should be Cardpool not Carpool.
That's good enough for me – I'll give it a try. Thanks!
Wow Sally – great deal…did you get it in the mail directly from Rainbow? Like JoAnna stated, I've never seen a Rainbow coupon like this before.
therese, I got it in mail addressed to occupant and it's from Rainbow. Maybe they mailed in Forest Lake since they closed the store here.
Sally, I live in Forest Lake and got them too. They're only good at Blaine and Shoreview, so I assume they're trying to keep our business. I did drive down to Shoreview last night – I used one of the $5 coupons. My order was over $70 before coupons, she took off the $5 (i put it on top of the coupon pile), and ended up around $26 after all the coupons and promotions. I did determine it is about 20 miles one way! :( It's going to have to be worth it (ie great sales and doubles) or I'm not going to spend $7.00 in gas for the round trip!
You can buy software programs like Quicken that imports your bank info so you can reconcille and store info for tax time.
I use an online site caled MINT (www.mint.com), similar to Quicken, it imports your bank information that has cleared. the site allows you to create budgets and works with TurboTax for tax time. I've been very happy with Mint.com.
If you have an inactive Sirius XM radio there is a free preview from Jan. 30-Feb 12 :)
http://www.siriusxm.com/listen8
Thanks JoAnna!
My husband just bought a car with inactive XM and wanted to try it out!
-Kris
Thank you! Good to know!
Jen – Absolutely! Here's the link to the discount Disney on Ice tickets, in case anyone else is interested: http://bit.ly/XnSz2j
I just mentioned this in the local deals post, too: http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2013/01/twin-cit…
I have on numerous occasions used Goldstar and never had a problem, I would highly recommend it, I have got nearly free theatre tickets and deeply discounted tickets to events. In fact I was thinking the same thing to bring my niece and nephews to the upcoming show in early March.
I have LOVED Goldstar! They are reliable and professional. Of course I'm not fond of the fees :) but we've gotten into the Mall of America water park for like, $5 a person on several occasions.
I just signed up for it too. Does anyone have any tips?
I'm looking to purchase a new top load washing machine. Would Luke to spend less then 300. Any suggestion or sales.
Steve's Appliance- They are the best and they price match.
I buy all my appliances there.
http://www.steves-appliances.com/
I have alway bought my appliances from appliance smart. When we replaced our washer we got a overstock model for half of what Warners wanted for it.
I, too, have purchased several appliances (high end) from Appliance Smart and gotten great deals and good subsequent service via their warranty. The last time, though, I was in desperate need of a refrigerator and did some online shopping before heading to their store off hwy 280. The woman was very nice and helped me choose what I thought was a good deal. I paused though and went home to research that model to see if anyone else carried it and partly because I thought their delivery charge was high (sometimes other stores don't carry the exact same item because the appliances Appl. Smart carries are sometimes discontinued or last year's models). To my suprprise, Menards had the same fridge almost $100 cheaper. I ended up going to Menards. When I told the guy there what had happened, he said I should always check with them, if they're not cheaper, they'll often price match. Just a word to the wise ;)
Check Menards. 11% rebate too
I have been using it for several months. At Christmas I had earned enough kicks to get a $25 Target reward so I think it is worth it. It takes some time to do the scans but it is fun. I don't go out of my way to scan things when I am in the stores but doing the check ins is easy and there are usually coupon deals for the store you are going into so I check those out too.
I prefer Ibotta. I am just way too busy with two kids while I am shopping to worry about anything else, like scanning products or waiting for a signal to check in
I've been using shopkick on my android phone for a few months too and love it. I have found, at least for Target anyway, I do have to open the internet first to fully connect to Target's wifi and then open the ap. It took me a month or so to figure that. My goal this year is to save up as many kicks as I can then use the gift cards I earn for Christmas presents. It's a little extra work to do the scans, and I don't do it every time, but I am hoping I can earn enough to make it worth it.
My daughter turns two today. Any free birthday deals we shouldnt miss?
We were also thinking of going ti MOA for a few rides. Any coupons or birthday deals for rides. Thank you for any ideas
My daugher loves going to toys r us on her birthday. If you sign up for the birthday club they give you a ballon, crown, and $3 coupon to spend. They also say their name/age over the loud speaker. Not sure if you can sign up the same day in the store, but might be worth a call.
Is anyone familiar with Norwex products? Any thoughts on if they are worth the price ($20 for an enviro cloth…)
I have heard amazing reviews on their enviro cloth but do not have one yet. I do have their set of 3 face washcloths and I love them. I use them morning and night but without face wash. They remove the makeup (face and eye) with no issues. I have had just as clear skin as when I used face wash and a regular washcloth.
Norwex. Worth every penny!
My mom sells Norwex and it is awesome! My husband and I have a cleaning business and we own 4 sets of enviro/polishing cloths. We don't leave the house w/o them. One of our clients has her own set of rags that she has had for over 5 years and they still work perfectly! They are a little pricey…but as J says…Worth every penny!
I'll be the dissenting voice here!
I can't say I'm all that fond of them, especially for the price. I have a stack of microfiber cloths that I got at Mendards (I think I paid about $5 for a set of 12) and have used those for all of my cleaning for years. Granted they're not "antibacterial" like Norwex, but I'm skeptical of antibacterial anyway as they're nondiscriminatory and end up killing the good bacteria along with the bad.
I was given two Norwex cloths as a Christmas gift several years ago. I had never used them, so when my daughter started eating solid foods I pulled one of those out and designated it as her hand/face cloth for after eating. Within three months it started to smell horrible. I washed it every week, and then twice a week and within one use of the washing it smelled. The tag said not to use bleach, but I finally did and that helped with the smell (and who knows, probably damaged the antibacterial properties by doing that!) It is also getting very thin and worn – and it really only gets used twice a day to wipe my daughter's hands and face, and even then I only use water to wet/rinse it. Meanwhile, my Menards cloths still look nearly brand new and they have to be at least twice as old as the Norwex one.
I know most people love their Norwex cloths – but my experience says that they definitely aren't worth the extra money – at least I won't be buying any more any time soon!
If you are looking for something less expensive, I use the eCloth brand, purchased from Amazon, and they clean so well. I think it's just nuts that I can clean glass, mirrors and chrome with just water.
I was leary at first also, but friends convinced me to try Norwex and I love them. I have the set of 3 face washcloths. I have one in the shower, one in my gym bag, and one for my son at the dinner table. He hates food on his hands and would go through a ton of napkins. Now he just uses his "Special" cloth. I personally did not like the size of the eviro cloths and bought the travel pack and use them around the house.
I was so excited to buy and use them especially for their antibacterial properties. Then I used them and on my kids. I did not realize that the ingredient that helps make them antibacterial has nickel the metal in it…we are allergic to nickel. Rashes developed on their faces. I am not tryin to poison the well, just a warning to others who may be allergic. No hard feelings the products just are not for us.
Thanks for the responses, they are all helpful and I appreciate the feedback! Love this site :)
I bought the purple one called "Polish" and the blue one called "Enviro" ; for washing my windows and they work SUPER!!! But yes very expensive. I have to say for me it was worth it….I just got the blue Enviro one wet and washed the window and used the purple Polish one to dry it streak free. I moved around from window to window so much quicker than how I used to wash with a bucket of water and vinegar solution. With these I use nothing but water…when the wash rag got dirty I would just rinse it off good in the sink and keep using it. Pretty amazing towels. But as far as the other stuff I couldn't imagine how it could be worth my money to purchase other Norwex products….I just couldn't afford it.
Well I'm hooked on my Norwex products. Started with the Enviro ,polish and face clothes. Recently got the mop/dust-mop system I have a lot of wood floors so quick and easy love not using chemicals just hot water.
Does anyone know when JC Penny is starting up their coupons again? They tried almost a year without offering any coupons and are now going back to offering coupons. I was a regular shopper when they had coupons almost monthly. I was not happy with the new no coupon system they tried. But my husband needs jeans and we always bought them at Penny's. Any info would be helpful. TIA
what is a good price on baby formula? what would be a stock up price? thx.
On Wed. I bought the double pack of Hp 21 printer ink at Walmart and when I checked out I got a $5.00 gift card . I did not see anything by the ink to indicate the gift card so it was a nice little bonus. Anyone know when Walmart started doing this?
saw a free $25 starbucks deal on FB today…is it real?
I just installed shopkick yesterday and I was really excited to go to Target today. I was expecting to get the great $2 giftcard and shopkick points for visiting. However, I could not even get it to register that i was there. I stood by the entrance at the plymouth, MN target for 5 minutes. I went in and I went out. I turned it on I turned it off. I even had an associate go out and come back inside with my phone. I was expecting this to be a great app, but I can't even get it to work in the 1st store I tried. I am not sure what to try when the people at the store couldn't even get it to work! Any help would be appreciated.
Mary – Carrie wrote about a few of these websites in May 2011: http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2011/05/how-to-b…
Maybe there will be some valuable information in here for you.
Sara – So sorry I didn't see this comment until today! Here's a list of birthday offers for kids that we've compiled: http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2012/06/birthday…
I don't see Cub starting doubling coupons. Cub doesn't copy the ad structure that Rainbow does. Rainbow has about 10-12 pages of ads each week. Cub has about a 4 page ad. Loss leaders have also pretty much gone away from Cub. Their ad is pretty poor every week. They are loosing a ton of money off of me because I am not really shopping at Cub. Aldi, Target and Walmart have been the best option lately.
who knew???!!?? thanks for sharing…looks like a great site to know about (love PYD and the pocketeers!)
Not sure where a good spot to post this is. The co-op has a sale right now on gluten free Vans waffles in their coop advantage ad for $2.29. Targets regular price is $2.99. Vans waffles Facebook page has $1/1 coupon when you enter their drawing making the waffles $1.29 a box. GREAT deal for gluten free! Burnsville's Valley Natural foods also has their Food For Life gluten free English muffins marked down to $3.59….normally $5.59
Does anyone know Lunds coupon policy? On their BOGO sale, can you use two coupons?
Yes you can. Carrie's Lunds/Byerlys list uses 2 coupons for a bogo deal or a coupon that is money off 2 items.
I just received one in the mail today…$10 off of $25. Maybe this is the beginning.
Hey, at CVS there is the skintimate, buy 1 get $2 ECB, is there any reason why I couldn't use the bogo coupon I printed from last week or so?
My renewal for the Star Tribune is up. Any good deals? The renewal rate for Sunday only is over $100!
Last week there was a rep at Rainbow offering new subscribers 26 weeks for $26.00 (Sun only) and a 5.00 Rainbow gift card. Since I hadn't had a subscription for 30 days I was "new". It seems the best rates are for new subscribers. If you don't want to pay the renewal, you might want to quit for a month and watch for a deal.
Deb – That's what I'm planning to do once my paid subscription is done. I get 3 papers delivered right now and will probably cut down to 2. The price per week is just ridiculous.
Thanks, Crystal!
Chera – That would be fine; we just didn't list that coupon here since it's no longer available to print.
I got a offer in the mail $13 for 26 weeks. The website for signing up is http://www.startribune.com/order/dcr311 . Otherwise the phone number is 612-673-7373, and mention code dcr311a for the new customer price of $.50 a week. The offer expires march 1st.
Wow. That's a great price!
THANK YOU TERRI!
I refuse to spend $104 a year to renew. Just signed up (under my son's name) for the $13 deal and cancelled my current subscription which runs out in 2 weeks.
-Kris
Using the same address as your current subscription? If that worked then I will sign up with my hubby's name. I thought it went by house address not by name.
T –
Not sure if you'll get this, and I know nothing about formula (I breastfeed,) but I have a bunch of those formula checks that they send in the mail that I'd love to pass along to you if you'd like them. I have 3 similac ones ($5 off each,) 1 enfamil one ($5) and 2 Gerber ones (1 for $2.95, and the other for $5.95.)
If you're at all interested, just send me your mailing info and I'll send them to you. My email address is jewels_c @ hotmail . com (take out the spaces and that's an underscore between the jewels and c.)
I'm quite certain is *does* go by household, not by name. Kris, please let us know if your subscription went through or not.