Register for Free Christmas Shopping ‘Coupon Alerts’

November 29, 2011 · Filed Under , , · Comment 

Now that the turkey and gravy leftovers are long gone and all Tryptophan induced naps successfully completed, our attention turns to Christmas shopping and how to save the most money on your purchases this year. It is with this in mind that we proudly present our recently created ‘Christmas Coupons 2011′ page! It is chalked full of the best coupons we can find for free shipping and savings up to 50% off your purchase at hundreds of stores. Popular merchants include Lands’ End, Best Buy, Old Navy, Kohl’s, Eddie Bauer and MANY more.

We update this page several times throughout the day with new coupons.  With the number of coupons we add, it can be overwhelming keeping track of them all, so we have created a very easy way for you to get these new coupons delivered so you can save the most money possible. We have coined it Christmas 2011 Coupon Alerts and have made it very easy to sign up on this page to receive alerts. Once you have signed up, we will automatically email you new Christmas shopping coupons on a daily basis (except weekends).

Click to Register for Christmas Shopping ‘Coupon Alerts’

You no longer have to wade through tons of coupons you don’t want or need. Just check your email once a day and let the savings begin! We recommend creating a ‘Coupon Alerts’ folder in your email program so you can easily store and retrieve the coupons you know you will take advantage of. Couldn’t be easier. If you have any trouble registering please Contact Us with your question and we will get back to you right away.

Here is a video tutorial we put together which walks you through the very easy process of registering for Christmas 2011 Coupon Alerts:

~ Happy savings and more importantly happy holidays!

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Black Friday 2011 Headquarters

November 10, 2011 · Filed Under , · 1 Comment 

We are going to use this blog post to keep you up-to-date on all the top Black Friday Ads for 2011. As we get closer to the big shopping day, (Friday, November 25th) check back to this page to find all of your ads so you can plan your shopping trip and find what stores will give you the most savings. Also, check out our newly added Black Friday Coupons page which will give you free access to all the best online coupons for the big shopping day.

Office Depot Black Friday Ad

‎3 Laptop deals from the Office Depot Black Friday ad that got our attention:
- HP Intel laptop with 17.3″ display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive for $349.99 (Regularly $599.99)
- Lenovo Intel laptop with 15.6″ display / 4GB Memory / 500GB Hard Drive for $329.99 (Regularly $499.99)
- Gateway AMD laptop with 15.6″ display / 4GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive for $299.99 (Regularly $499.99)

Target Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Target Black Friday ad worth mentioning:
- Westinghouse 46″ 60Hz 1080p LCD HDTV for $298 (Regularly $549.99)
- Acer Aspire One 10.1″ Netbook w.1GB RAM, 250GB HD for $157 (Regularly $229.99)
- Xbox 360 4GB Console for $139.99 (Regularly $199.99)

Kohl’s Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Kohl’s Black Friday ad worth noting:
- Get $15 in Kohl’s cash for every $50 you spend (1st time ever)
- 50% Off their entire stock of Toys (Thursday midnight through Friday at 1 p.m.)
- 10% off entire stock of fragrances

Kmart Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Kmart Black Friday ad worth noting:
- 40” Seiki LCD HDTV for $299
- Craftsman 19.2V Drill/Driver for $39.99 (Regularly $80)
- 7′ Auburn Pool Table for only $189.99 (Regularly $299.99)

Lowe’s Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Lowe’s Black Friday ad worth mentioning:
- 14 Gallon Wet/Dry Shop-Vac for $29 (Regularly $79.96)
- 2 Gallon portable Campbell-Hausfeld Air Compressor w/ Nail Gun for $59 (Regularly $99)
- Skil 10″ 15-amp Table Saw for $69 (Regularly $149)

Macy’s Black Friday Ad

‎2 sweet deals from the Macy’s Black Friday ad:
- Coupon – $10 off your $25 order on Black Friday
- Small kitchen appliances are all 40% to 60% off

Walmart Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Walmart Black Friday ad that caught our eye include:
- 40” Emerson 1080p HDTV for $248
- Electric Ride-Ons for children, priced under $40
- Choice of four select Blu-ray discs for only $20

Sports Authority Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Sports Authority Black Friday ad that caught our eye include:
- 7 ft Air Hockey Table for $229.99 (regularly $649.99)
- Bell Sport Helmet for $19.99 (regularly $39.99)
- Diamondback Viper BMX Bike for $99.99 (regularly $199.99)

Best Buy Black Friday Ad

‎4 deals from the Best Buy Black Friday ad that caught our eye include:
- Sharp 42″ 1080p HDTV for $199.99
- Toshiba Blu-ray player for $39.99
- Samsung Laptop w/ Intel processor, 15.6″ display, 4Gb Memory, and 320GB Hard Drive for $299.99
- Dynex 24″ LCD 1080p HDTV for $79.99

Old Navy Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Old Navy Black Friday ad that caught our eye include:
- All kids & baby jeans for $10, all adult jeans for $15
- $8 henleys for women and $6 long-sleeve tops
- Frost free jackets from $20

Dick’s Sporting Goods Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the Dick’s Sporting Goods Black Friday ad that caught our eye include:
- 50% off entire stock of Nike fleece
- $15 off your $59.99 or more Athletic footwear order
- $25 off any pair of Boots

JCPenney Black Friday Ad

‎3 deals from the JCPenney Black Friday ad that caught our eye include:
- Cooks brand coffee maker, waffle maker, or griddle – $9.88 each (Regularly $49.99 – $59.99)
- Bella Cucina deep fryer for $29.88 (Regularly $39.88)
- Toys from Nerf, Barbie, & Fisher-Price for $3.99 each (Regularly $12.99 – $19.99)

More Black Friday ads coming soon, check back to this page often to find the best deals this year.

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10 Must-Follow Twitter Handles That Will Save You Money

November 7, 2011 · Filed Under , · 1 Comment 

  • Donna Freedman @DLFreedman
    Donna tweets about creative ways to live well with less. Her writing style is very fun to read and she makes living frugal and saving money actually kinda fun. Novel concept, eh?
    Donna Freedman.com
  • Jean Chatzky @JeanChatzky
    Her Twitter tagline is “Making money make sense” and she tweets about new articles she has written for various news sources like Forbes and the NY Daily news. Jean writes about how to make smart money decisions in every aspect of life. Great advice from a time-tested journalist.
    Jean Chatzky.com
  • Kelli Grant @Kelli B. Grant
    Kelli is a senior consumer reporter at SmartMoney.com and her Twitter feed and subsequent Facebook page is a great way to follow her consumer advice on a day-to-day basis. Her recent articles will help you lower your winter heating bill and helpful advice on finding great Black Friday deals.
  • Brad Tuttle @BradTuttle
    Brad’s articles and Twitter feed will make you a smarter shopper, a wiser spender, and a more all-around savvy consumer.
    TIME Moneyland.com
  • Scott Gamm @HelpSaveMyDollars
     Seen on The Today Show, MSNBC, and Fox News to name a few, Scott offers great advice on making your money go as far as possible. His advice is especially useful for college students (which Scott is) and young adults.
    Help Save My Dollars.com
  • Kim Kommando @KimKomando
    Via her radio program, Facebook page, and Twitter feed, Kim keeps consumers informed on everything technology based. In particular, what technology and computers give you the best bang for your buck when making a buying decision. By following her on Twitter you will be kept up-to-date on Cool Sites of the Day, new buying guides, and tech news.
    Komando.com
  • Andrea Woroch @AndreaWoroch
     Andrea’s Twitter tagline is “Consumer & money expert helping shoppers break bad buying habits, one purchase at a time.” I’m sold! She has appeared on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC to name a few. It is definitely worth your while to follow Andrea, your wallet will thank you.
    Andrea Woroch.com
  • Amy Buckman @AmyBuckman
    Amy is a reporter at 6abc Action News in Philadelphia and reports and tweets on creative ways to save money, find freebies, and dig up coupon codes. Also, you don’t have to live in Philadelphia for her tips to help you save a bundle of cash.
    6abc.com
  • Consumer Reports @CReporter
    By following Consumer Reports on Twitter, you will be in the know when it comes to product reviews and consumer protection stories. Their mission is to test, inform, and protect so you never get ripped off.
    Consumer Reports.org

Do you follow anybody on Twitter that consistently helps you save money and make smart buying decisions? If so, please leave a comment and share. Thanks!

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November Buying Guide: 10 Things To Buy Now

November 4, 2011 · Filed Under , · Comment 

As we head towards the great shopping deals and coupons of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the 10 best buys for the month of November. Items that it would be worth your while to shop for as the deals will be really good this month.

Wedding Dresses

The wedding season is over and dress retailers need to clear out last season’s styles to make room for the new. If you are planning a wedding for this winter or next spring right now is the perfect time to buy your wedding dress. November is by far the best month to buy your dress and deals up to 75% off are available. Look for demand (and prices) to go back up in January as many couples get engaged around the holidays.
Key stores to check: David’s Bridal.com, The Knot.com, and House of Brides.com.

Cookware Stuff

Cookware and houseware retailers realize many consumers will be shopping for pots and pans in preparation of Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. The crew here at Rather-Be-Shopping.com has noticed this translates into some great deals and coupons on new cooking sets making it a great time of year to buy. Essentially you kill two birds with one stone, you get a new cookware set or piece and you also get to blow the socks off your guests with your turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Speaking of gravy, I really love gravy. Smother anything with gravy and I think I could eat it.

Key stores to check: Cooking.com, Crate & Barrel.com, Walmart.com and Cost Plus World Market.com.

BluRay Movies

BluRay movies are one of the products that are dirt cheap on Black Friday and often get shoppers in the door. Typically, you can get hot BluRay movies for $5 or less. Oh, and if Santa is reading this, they make great stocking stuffers. Hint, hint.
Key stores to check: Walmart.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, and Amazon.com.

Candy! Candy! Candy!

My wife can attest to this one. She always stocks up on Halloween candy in early November as it’s really cheap because stores need clear it out. As a matter of fact, we still have some Halloween Hershey Kisses in our freezer from last year. By the way, have you ever had a frozen Snickers? One of my absolute favorites. Just make sure you have strong teeth before you crunch down or you might be heading to the dentist.
Key stores to check: Walmart.com, Target.com, and Walgreens.com.

Furniture

November is a great time to buy furniture as new styles and fabrics tend to come out around Christmas so stores are trying to clear out last season’s models. Cost Plus World Market, for example, is selling all furniture at 25% off the original price with a coupon code. Also, JCPenney.com is having their biggest furniture sale of the year offering products at up to 50% off the original price.
Key stores to check: Kohl’s.com, JCPenney, Cost Plus, Sears.com

Clothing and Shoes

In the past couple days we have received some amazing clothing coupons from a bunch of different stores. Specifically, 40% off at the following stores: Speigel.com, Esprit.com, The Limited.com, Lands End.com, and Newport News.com. Also, we have gotten 30% off coupon codes for Old Navy.com, Nautica.com and Banana Republic.com. When it comes to clothing and apparel, the coupons are so much better this year than in years past. These coupons may actually be even better than what is coming down the pike on Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.

Laptops

Historically, laptops are one of the hottest items on Black Friday and that doesn’t stand to change this year. If anything, laptop deals will be better than ever this Black Friday. Early word has some pretty incredible deals surfacing. One that caught our eye includes a 16-inch laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, with a starting price of ONLY $325. That is a pretty awesome price, and the brand in question is of very high quality.
Key stores to check: BestBuy.com, Amazon.com and J&R.com.

Patio Furniture

Many stores didn’t sell their inventory of patio furniture back when the temperature was 102 degrees, so now they are slashing prices to make room for fake Christmas trees and a blow-up Frosty the Snowman. Their loss is your gain. At my local Home Depot I saw a 8-piece patio set that normally sells for $699 marked down to an incredible $199. If I didn’t already have some patio furniture I would have been all over it like white on rice.
Key stores to check: Home Depot.com, Lowe’s.com, and OSH.com.

HDTV’s

Every year, toward the end of November, HDTV’s reach new all-time low prices. Typically, you can expect to pay 15% to 20% less for a new HDTV, especially if you buy off name brands. That is where your best buys will be on Black Friday as well. If you’re not brand conscious, you will score a great deal in November. Last November, I bought a 42″ Viore brand HDTV from Walamrt.com for less than $400. This year you can probably buy a better TV for closer to $300.
Key stores to check: Walmart.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, and Amazon.com.

Christmas Toys

Many media outlets say to wait until closer to Christmas to find the best deals on toys. Our research has found that the best deals are from the beginning of November until Cyber Monday. In years past, coupons are better and site-wide toy sales are better in November than in December.  Why you ask? Retailers are in the driver seat as we get closer to Christmas and won’t be offering many sales as they have a captive toy buying audience.
Key stores to check: Walmart.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, and Amazon.com.

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How to Find Your Size When Shopping Online

November 2, 2011 · Filed Under , · Comment 

This is a guest post from frugal blogger Fanny from Living Richly on a Budget. Read more about Fanny immediately following the post.

Shopping online can be a real time saver, especially during the holidays. You don’t have to drive somewhere, fight over parking, search through the racks, then wait in a long line to pay. Plus, with great discount codes found on Rather-Be-Shopping.com, you can save even more than you would in the store.

Another reason to shop online is for special sizes like petite, plus, tall, and maternity, which are available exclusively online. However, finding the right size for clothes that will fit, can be challenging. You don’t have the option to try on the clothes before you buy them, like at a retail store. And each store has its own sizing system. You may be a size 8 at one store and a size 10 at another.

After years of shopping online for clothes, I have developed some strategies for finding the right size every time.

Go with a store you are familiar with.

When it comes to clothes, go with what you know. Now is not the time to take chances. If you shop with a store you know, you’ll know your size at their store won’t have to worry if something will fit or not because you know their clothes.

Buy from an online store that has a retail location near you.

If you’re unsure about how an item will fit, go to the retail store to try on the clothes and to see the quality. A lot of times, the clothes will look completely different in person than they did online. That way, you’ll know what you’re going to get. Then when the item goes on sale online, you can buy it at a good discount. And if you need to return an item, you can do so at the store instead of paying for return shipping.

Read Reviews

Some online stores like The Gap and Old Navy have reviews of their clothes. Use this to find out if an item runs larger or smaller. Then you can order accordingly.

Check the sizing chart

It’s always helpful to have a fabric measuring tape handy. You can find one at your local drugstore. To learn how to measure yourself, click here. Every online clothing store provides a sizing chart. Use it as a guide to find your size. If your measurements are between 2 sizes, go with the larger size or see next tip.

When in doubt, order 2 sizes

If you are in between 2 sizes, always order both. This will serve 2 purposes. First, you are almost guaranteed that one of the sizes will fit. Then you can simply return the other one at the store or send it back. Secondly, if you have to reach a minimum order price to get free shipping, ordering the extra size will help.

If you guess and only order one size and it doesn’t fit, then you will be disappointed and have to go through the whole exchange process, which can be a pain! And your size may not even be in stock by the time you reorder.

Don’t be afraid to return items

Familiarize yourself with the return policy. Can you return the item to the store or mail it only? How long is the return period? Many stores offer a flat rate for return shipping, no matter how many items you are returning. So take advantage of it. I’ve been known to hold onto several orders of items that didn’t fit, then ship them back together to save on return shipping.

About the Author: This guest post was written by Fanny, who loves online shopping and writes for Living Richly on a Budget, a personal budget blog focusing on couponing, frugality, and money management. Go check out her terrific blog.

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5 Easy Ways to Save Money Christmas Shopping in 2011

November 1, 2011 · Filed Under , · 1 Comment 

1 – Black Friday Secret

Once you finished your turkey and have taken your Tryptophan nap, take a look at Black Friday ads this Thanksgiving. Early word on a couple leaked Black Friday ads has the deals being pretty darn good this year. If you’re shopping for specific items, look for them in the Black Friday ads then check online as many retailers are offering the same deals on their website. You just may be able to stay at home and shop on Black Friday in your pajamas with a cup of coffee this year. Also, we found an excellent resource from Consumer Reports titled Black Friday 2011: 12 Tips for Getting the Best Deals that is a must read.

2 – Shop Dollar Stores

Dollar stores are a great resource for all of your stocking stuffers. Often times parents will get great deals on the big presents, but get nailed on the stocking suffers and accessories. Shop for all your small accessories, batteries, and stocking stuffers at your local dollar store. You will invariably save a nice chunk of money this Christmas by developing this shopping technique. For a family with 3 kids you can easily save upwards of $40. I speak from personal experience on this one.

3 – Check out Cyber Monday

For those still unfamiliar with Cyber Monday, it is the Monday after Thanksgiving and it’s one of the largest online shopping days of the year. Most online retailers will offer some type of sale or coupon code to entice consumers, so it would be worth your while to take a look at what stores are offering on this day so you don’t miss out on a great deal. Look for a Cyber Monday coupons page here on Rather-Be-Shopping.com in a couple weeks. Also, be aware that the majority of Cyber Monday coupons we will list are for the entire Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. So you don’t necessarily have to shop on Monday, as a matter of fact, I would recommend checking our site earlier in the weekend and taking advantage of a coupon code while sizing and selection is still in your favor.

4 – Shop All Year Long

My wife and I have some friends who have 4 kids, 3 of which are triplets, and they use the holiday shopping technique of buying 1 gift for each kid every month of the year and storing them for Christmas morning. They shop when they find excellent sales and promotions on certain items their kids will want. The idea being they will completely avoid the crazy Christmas shopping rush and have more quality family time together around the holidays. The major benefits of shopping when nobody else is buying is two-fold, less stress as you are not under a time deadline, and more importantly, you can buy only when products and toys are on sale.

5 – Shop Discount Stores

I am a huge fan of discount stores like Big Lots, Ross, and Marshall’s for Christmas shopping. As I mentioned in a recent guest post on Suddenly Frugal, if you are not the type of shopper that absolutely has to have the newest model, then discount stores are a great way to find bargains on toys, video games, and stocking stuffers. Also, be sure to use discount stores to create frugal gift baskets for friends and neighbors as you can mix and match items to create really thoughtful gifts that won’t leave you in sticker shock at the register.

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