Growing up, the day after Christmas was as a big of a shopping day as Black Friday. Not only can you get great deals on Christmas things, but many other items lumped in with "seasonal" or "holiday" including candles, candy, and all sorts of items classified as gift items. I've scored bath kits, grilling tools, and all sort of other goodies during after Christmas sales just because the items were included in the gift section.
Ready to update your stockings? Do you typically give ornaments as gifts? Do you send out holiday cards every year? Running low on gift wrap? This is the best time to stock up and store away those items for next year. You'll get major savings and be thrilled next year to have a few people already marked off of your shopping list.
Happy Holidays and Happy Post-Holiday Savings!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
Uber - A New Way to Get Around
Within the last few years, I heard about Uber. Started as a sedan service, it brings additional convenience by letting you order the car from their mobile app with a network of drivers, often resulting in much shorter wait times. As someone who prefers to take public transportation when possible to save, I was a little skeptical about the value.
Evidently, I wasn't the only one. Uber then launched UberX - an additional fleet of drivers and hybid/midsize cars to provide an option that is less expensive than cabs.
I had a promo code and decided to give it a try when we went to my boyfriend's holiday party. The first thing to note is to make sure to slide the bar from "Black Car" to the left for "uberX". When you register and request your first car once you do the text confirmation, you have to do the request again, which was a little confusing (someone else I know faced the same issue as well), but once the request was in, we were alerted that our driver was on his way, given his name and a time estimate. We used Uber again to get to the airport for our recent Christmas travels and it truly was faster, easier, and less expensive than a taxi.
Also, no cash is exchanged. You load your credit card information into the app, and then it charges you and emails your receipt. You can also do a fare estimate before ordering the car, which gives you a range of what the cost might be to help you figure out if you want to order the car or not. Tipping is not expected, as the driver receives the majority of the fare, but you rate your driver after the ride through the app.
Over Christmas, I found out that a family member is driving for UberX in Chicago. He told us that the drivers get 80% of the fares (and get the full money even when the passenger uses a promo code) and it's a great side gig, especially during "surge" times when fares jump up (this is how he's spending his New Year's Eve, which is how this came up in the first place). The application process was quick and easy. He has a separate phone from them that he can turn on and then is offered a fare when he is the closest person. He then has a limited window (of seconds) to accept it or it goes to the next driver. As long as he takes one fare a month he can remain a driver. Consider checking out driving if you're looking for a new job or a flexible side gig.
Uber is now in over 50 cities and 25 countries. Check out and see if it's available where you live, or where you'll be traveling for work or pleasure. Download the app and use my promo code AVPKL for $10 off your first ride. After that, you'll have your own promo code you can share and new users you refer will get $10 off their first ride and you'll get $10 in credit when they use it as well.
Evidently, I wasn't the only one. Uber then launched UberX - an additional fleet of drivers and hybid/midsize cars to provide an option that is less expensive than cabs.
I had a promo code and decided to give it a try when we went to my boyfriend's holiday party. The first thing to note is to make sure to slide the bar from "Black Car" to the left for "uberX". When you register and request your first car once you do the text confirmation, you have to do the request again, which was a little confusing (someone else I know faced the same issue as well), but once the request was in, we were alerted that our driver was on his way, given his name and a time estimate. We used Uber again to get to the airport for our recent Christmas travels and it truly was faster, easier, and less expensive than a taxi.
Also, no cash is exchanged. You load your credit card information into the app, and then it charges you and emails your receipt. You can also do a fare estimate before ordering the car, which gives you a range of what the cost might be to help you figure out if you want to order the car or not. Tipping is not expected, as the driver receives the majority of the fare, but you rate your driver after the ride through the app.
Over Christmas, I found out that a family member is driving for UberX in Chicago. He told us that the drivers get 80% of the fares (and get the full money even when the passenger uses a promo code) and it's a great side gig, especially during "surge" times when fares jump up (this is how he's spending his New Year's Eve, which is how this came up in the first place). The application process was quick and easy. He has a separate phone from them that he can turn on and then is offered a fare when he is the closest person. He then has a limited window (of seconds) to accept it or it goes to the next driver. As long as he takes one fare a month he can remain a driver. Consider checking out driving if you're looking for a new job or a flexible side gig.
Uber is now in over 50 cities and 25 countries. Check out and see if it's available where you live, or where you'll be traveling for work or pleasure. Download the app and use my promo code AVPKL for $10 off your first ride. After that, you'll have your own promo code you can share and new users you refer will get $10 off their first ride and you'll get $10 in credit when they use it as well.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Target - Savings For Now & Savings Later
I've always been a big fan of Target. Well priced household products, cute clothes, and great gift items make it true one stop shopping. I've also learned from an inside source that their grocery items are sold basically at cost as way of getting people in the door. Since then, I browse that area and always pick up at least a few things (earlier this week I snagged Progresso light soups for $1.50 each there).
It was released yesterday that after the credit card data breach, Target is offering 10% off to all customers today and tomorrow. http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/20/news/companies/target-credit-hack/
Great timing for last minute Christmas shopping or just stocking up on essentials. Recently, I learned how to maximize savings at Target with their free cartwheel app. You browse through deals and then can add a certain number of them to your virtual cart.
After my first trip using the app, I wasn't super impressed. My savings with it were under $1.00. However, after using it once, you get an extra spot in your virtual cart and then deals begin to be customized to you based on what you buy.
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| Merona® Women's Oxford Blazer - Assorted Colors |
To recap - go to Target this weekend for 10% off everything today and tomorrow. Download the cartwheel app, and be patient with the deals and savings. They get better with time. Happy shopping and happy saving!
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Volunteering - Give a Little, Get a Lot
Ok, this post title is cheesy, I admit it. However, I honestly believe it is completely accurate so I'm keeping it. Thanksgiving weekend was first weekend I can remember that hasn't included at least one day of volunteering, if not two. I've volunteered for a number of great organizations recently, but I only took pictures at one event this past month, so that' s the one I'm posting about!
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is an art gallery in Washington DC with a focus on education. Contemporary American art and artists have always been a focus for the Corcoran. I volunteered regularly for two years as a docent at the Corcoran through The Junior League of Washington. While I tranistioned to a different volunteer placement, I was excited to see an opportunity to volunteer at Corcoran Community Day. The family events and workshops for kids were always my favorite parts of being a docent.
At this event, I worked in one of the workshops, helping kids create catfish out of recycled materials, including water bottles. Inspired by Mia Feuer, an artist featured in NOW at the Corcoran whose work often depicts people's impact on the environment, we educated visitors about how people have polluted the Anacostia River to the point where catfish have been contaminated so badly that they should not be eaten. We had a staff member from the Anacostia River Project there educating people as well.
I had to make a model before the workshop started. Here it is:
I was pretty satisfied considering I can't remember the last time I did anything crafty. One little girl seemed to like it, as she wanted to take it home instead of hers. (I would have been cool with it, but her mom said no :) )
I had a great time working with and meeting families with kids ranging from toddlers to teenagers. It was awesome to see so many families taking advantage of this FREE community day, and really just being good parents trying to educate their kids.
One little friend I spent a lot of time with was Noah. Noah is an aspiring artist, and really had a great time. He showed me some of his artwork from home that he carried with him in his backpack. Superheros seemed to be his specialty, but he made a pretty awesome catfish.
The brightly colored electrical tape was a cool medium. Also, note that Noah's mom was cool with me taking his picture and I only asked (or even thought to take one) after she asked if she could take pictures and took a bunch of Noah and me together. What a cool little guy.
Anyways, to keep these posts somewhat informative, I encourage all of you to volunteer. It's free entertainment, and it makes you feel so good to be able to be part of something good.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is an art gallery in Washington DC with a focus on education. Contemporary American art and artists have always been a focus for the Corcoran. I volunteered regularly for two years as a docent at the Corcoran through The Junior League of Washington. While I tranistioned to a different volunteer placement, I was excited to see an opportunity to volunteer at Corcoran Community Day. The family events and workshops for kids were always my favorite parts of being a docent.
At this event, I worked in one of the workshops, helping kids create catfish out of recycled materials, including water bottles. Inspired by Mia Feuer, an artist featured in NOW at the Corcoran whose work often depicts people's impact on the environment, we educated visitors about how people have polluted the Anacostia River to the point where catfish have been contaminated so badly that they should not be eaten. We had a staff member from the Anacostia River Project there educating people as well.
I had to make a model before the workshop started. Here it is:
I was pretty satisfied considering I can't remember the last time I did anything crafty. One little girl seemed to like it, as she wanted to take it home instead of hers. (I would have been cool with it, but her mom said no :) )
I had a great time working with and meeting families with kids ranging from toddlers to teenagers. It was awesome to see so many families taking advantage of this FREE community day, and really just being good parents trying to educate their kids.
One little friend I spent a lot of time with was Noah. Noah is an aspiring artist, and really had a great time. He showed me some of his artwork from home that he carried with him in his backpack. Superheros seemed to be his specialty, but he made a pretty awesome catfish.
The brightly colored electrical tape was a cool medium. Also, note that Noah's mom was cool with me taking his picture and I only asked (or even thought to take one) after she asked if she could take pictures and took a bunch of Noah and me together. What a cool little guy.
Anyways, to keep these posts somewhat informative, I encourage all of you to volunteer. It's free entertainment, and it makes you feel so good to be able to be part of something good.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Miscellaneous Monday - A Selection of Cyber Monday Deals
Happy Cyber Monday, everyone. I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and a great weekend. Today is one of those deal days when your inbox is overflowing with email promotions from every company that has your email address, and it can be overwhelming to sort through them all and find the really big deals.
Everyone knows about the big Cyber Monday deals from major retailers like Amazon (who has some great deals today, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite less known deals with you hear.
You can visit http://www.cybermonday.com/ for a comprehensive least of many (most?) of the deals today.
For the Sports Fans (or those shopping for them):
NFL Shop has 15% off everything (except Nike jerseys) and free shipping (no minimum purchase) with the promo code CYBMNNFL. This does combine with other discounts, including their current sale of all T-shirts 15%- 40% off!
MLB Shop has buy one get one 50% on their site today. Read the fine print though, there are a few exclusions.
Fans Edge has 15% off everything and free shipping (no minimum purchase) as well. This is a great source for all sports, including college.
Other Favorites
Say Yes To (Carrots, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, etc.) offers really great natural products. I got their lotion in an event goody bag once, and it was awesome. Today, from 12pm - 2pm you can buy up to two of their products for $2 each! Great to try for yourself or a gift idea.
Lilly Pulitzer has some great gifts with purchase today including a Bow Ring and a tote bag free with any purchase, and a Bow Ring, Bow Bangle, and tote bag free with any purchase of $75 or more. They're also offering $2 gift wrapping which includes a free key chain.
Happy Shopping! Did you score any great deals today? We'd love to hear about them.
Everyone knows about the big Cyber Monday deals from major retailers like Amazon (who has some great deals today, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite less known deals with you hear.
You can visit http://www.cybermonday.com/ for a comprehensive least of many (most?) of the deals today.
For the Sports Fans (or those shopping for them):
NFL Shop has 15% off everything (except Nike jerseys) and free shipping (no minimum purchase) with the promo code CYBMNNFL. This does combine with other discounts, including their current sale of all T-shirts 15%- 40% off!
MLB Shop has buy one get one 50% on their site today. Read the fine print though, there are a few exclusions.
Fans Edge has 15% off everything and free shipping (no minimum purchase) as well. This is a great source for all sports, including college.
Other Favorites
Say Yes To (Carrots, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, etc.) offers really great natural products. I got their lotion in an event goody bag once, and it was awesome. Today, from 12pm - 2pm you can buy up to two of their products for $2 each! Great to try for yourself or a gift idea.
Happy Shopping! Did you score any great deals today? We'd love to hear about them.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Website Wednesday - Black Friday
Just in case any of you haven't discovered this yet, http://blackfriday.com/ is the go to website that compiles all Black Friday ads and deals. You no longer have to go out to get the newspaper to see the deals, like I did growing up! You can search by store or by product with details clear and easy to compare.
There have been a number of news stories lately about how some of the black Friday deals weren't the best deals of the year. I think that goes without saying. Of course, jewelry is going to be slightly cheaper in March when the holidays and Valentine's Day have passed, and of course winter coat prices will bottom out in June. However, if you're in the market for something personally or looking for a holiday gift, this is a great time to do it.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
There have been a number of news stories lately about how some of the black Friday deals weren't the best deals of the year. I think that goes without saying. Of course, jewelry is going to be slightly cheaper in March when the holidays and Valentine's Day have passed, and of course winter coat prices will bottom out in June. However, if you're in the market for something personally or looking for a holiday gift, this is a great time to do it.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Friday, November 15, 2013
Free Thing Friday - CVS
Happy Friday, everyone! This morning I stopped by CVS and I was enticed by the big display near the Coupon Center.
Every good saver who lives near a CVS (or approximately 25 of them, in my case) knows about the merits of CVS Extra Care Rewards. It's a standard rewards program where you swipe your card at every purchase, and then quarterly you get a coupon on your receipt for money to spend at CVS based on how much you spent that quarter.
However, not everyone takes advantage of the new(ish) coupon centers. You scan your rewards card and it prints out customized (or sometimes not customized...) coupons for you to use that day. To me that's worth 60 seconds to see if it's something valuable. Even better, lately they've been enticing people to use the coupon center with an awesome coupon that everyone gets for a product for free or close to free. I've gotten a brand name 2-liter of soda for less than 50 cents, and today, the deal at this location was for Extra Strength Pain Relief Capsules (ie generic Tylenol) for free ($4.99 off the item which is $4.99). Totally worth a minute of my time.
Check out the coupon center on your next trip, or stop by a CVS when you're nearby. It's worth popping in to see if they have this (or another) free offer.
Every good saver who lives near a CVS (or approximately 25 of them, in my case) knows about the merits of CVS Extra Care Rewards. It's a standard rewards program where you swipe your card at every purchase, and then quarterly you get a coupon on your receipt for money to spend at CVS based on how much you spent that quarter.
However, not everyone takes advantage of the new(ish) coupon centers. You scan your rewards card and it prints out customized (or sometimes not customized...) coupons for you to use that day. To me that's worth 60 seconds to see if it's something valuable. Even better, lately they've been enticing people to use the coupon center with an awesome coupon that everyone gets for a product for free or close to free. I've gotten a brand name 2-liter of soda for less than 50 cents, and today, the deal at this location was for Extra Strength Pain Relief Capsules (ie generic Tylenol) for free ($4.99 off the item which is $4.99). Totally worth a minute of my time.
Check out the coupon center on your next trip, or stop by a CVS when you're nearby. It's worth popping in to see if they have this (or another) free offer.
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