On Line Shopping - THE RULES

Oh the hard work. On Line Shopping is not for the faint of heart. I promise you.



1. Free Shipping. Every major online store will have free shipping at some point. I am on most of the mailings of the stores that I frequent so I get alerts. Do not shop with out free shipping, as in case it doesn't fit you can return to the store and then you are out of pocket nothing!



2. Return to Store. I do not buy anything online that I cant refund/return to the store. Think about it? If I buy five things and none of them fit? Hello? I am not going to post office (that's annoying in itself) and then paying to return it. No. No. No.



3. Search for coupons. Google "Coupons for Ann Taylor" (fill in blank)....so many great websites have so many codes up and you know NO ONE USES THEM! It takes five seconds to google for coupons and yet we live in a NOW world we don't take five seconds that could save five dollars and probably more. http://www.couponcabin.com/ and http://www.retailmenot.com/ are two of my favorites.



4. The dilemma - no free shipping, you found that perfect clearance item and you don't dare to wait on it? Is there free shipping if you buy xxxx (fill in blank - shoes, perfume, men's boxers?) just buy that item and then get the free shipping. Simply return that item to store and you've gotten free shipping and lost no money on an item not needed.

*****WARNING: You have to commit to the return process, if you are one of people that just won't return anything and just plies it up and never gets around to it. This will NOT work for you.



5. The dilemma - no free shipping but 30% off coupon. Well then do the math...if the 30% coupon is greater than the discount of the free shipping. It's begging for you to buy it. But really the true sign of buying gods speaking to you.....the ultimate free shipping and 30% coupon good that day only and its a clearance item you can't find it stores....



Now I am excited and going to find my next great deal online!

Nordstorm Score!

So tis the season of wedding dress and I had to find many a perfect dress....

I found it on Macys.com for $103.99 - with free shipping of course (YOU DON'T SHOP ONLINE WITHOUT FREE SHIPPING....that's an entirely different post) I was hooked I had to have this dress.

But this perfect dress was not in my size. Was all lost? I thought....so I googled the actual name of the dress. "BCBGMAXAZRIA Pleated Cotton Dress". None on amazon, eBay, Dillard's....all the usual haunts....this was making me want it even more.

But wait...it was on Nordstrom.com. AND IN MY SIZE! Oh the excitement. But it was $218.00. Err...not a deal. Then at the bottom in fine print...My twinkly eyes did see:

"You'll never pay more. At Nordstrom, we are committed to providing you with the best prices. If you find one of our items somewhere else priced lower, please call."

So I called, I was doubtful as the Macy's dress was clearance and Nordstrom was not. But low and behold they honored the other price (be prepared with SKU numbers and websites of each...make their lives easier, they will make your life easier.)

And they honored my free shipping, and gave me and extra 10% for my extra hassle and because it was first time ordering online with Nordstrom. WOW.

You can find the perfect little black dress. At a discount. With free shipping. And 10% off because you worked a little bit harder.

In the end, I loved the dress...because it fit so well, yes but maybe even more cause of the amazing deal. ;)

The Art of The Bump

Ah yes.
The Art of Bump.
No.... not Sookie, a Bump it, or some move that fits with a butterfly dance move.

Airlines bumps!

This past weekend I was flying over one of the busiest airline seasons, Spring Break! I have read that during Christmas and Spring Break there are actual "professional" bump artists, that buy tickets only to rack up credits. Funny enough - airlines are now tracking these people down....

Anyway I am not a professional, I have only gotten lucky 3 times...but here is the most recent story.

So I was flying back from San Francisco to Orlando, they asked for 3 bumps and promised $200 airfare credit for each person and confirmed tickets on a later flight. My husband is very scared of flying (he says he just doesn't "like" it) and was already mentally prepared for the flight we were in line for. I couldn't convince him. So we boarded. I had the biggest pit in my stomach - WHAT DID I JUST PASS UP? I made it clear to the airline attendant, if they were going to force people off the flight I was still interested. My husband was convinced someone had taken it - usually people are running for those deals....so I sat back and pouted.

Then the attendant said for me to go to the front of the plane and talk to a customer service rep....my heart leaped~ (true sign of a dealaholic). They were now offering refund of one way flight, $400 airfare credit each, and confirmed tickets on a direct flight that would only get in 2 hours later!

I was sold! I waved my hand at my husband and said SOLD! He was not happy (I think he might still be mad). BUT it was such a good deal......

We got it all and after that our flight got in an hour early. So was an hour worth $800+++ --- if you are looking for the Next Best Deal - YES!!!!!!

Let's review my guide for "Bumps"

1. Only expect them in Holiday/Busy Season
2. Make sure that what they are offering you is a good trade for your time. You have to feel comfortable with the trade.
3. If you really want it, bumps often go quickly.
4. BUT if you can hold out, the pot will always get sweeter. always.
5. Make sure that they offer a CONFIRMED ticket on the next flight, people will get tricked into standby and then well....who knows when you'll get home.
6. Make sure your schedule is flexible; don't go skipping work or school on my account ;)
7. Know the expiration dates and any blackout dates
8. Start planning the next great trip!

ENJOY!

Frosty in the Rough

Quickly...

You only get what you ask for.

It's amazing what people will give you if you ask and ask NICELY.



I went to Wendy's with my dear friends (Anne inspired me to do this blog from this moment) and the Frosty machine was down. So we had to pull over from the drive through and wait....I went inside and waited. They apologized and I asked to have free fries for the wait. She said "Absolutely, no problem."



Everyone in the car was betting on if I could pull this off. Look....they were more than willing to go above and beyond because they inconvenienced a customer, I was nice, and asked politely.

Ask, Ask, you'll never know unless you ask.



Now that money can be spent on something so much more fab-oo.....

Spend Money to Make Money?

Spend Money to Make Money? Well maybe....

Look we all spend money right? But are you getting rewarded from it? If not...you should! People will reward you for spending money. Really.

Now let me make this clear. No one should spend more than you have. No one should go in debt. BUT if you already spending it....in debit or credit cards; both will reward you. Another warning: If you carry a balance on any credit card: REWARD CARDS ARE NOT FOR YOU!

So stop pull out your checking, & savings account and all those credit cards. Now which ones are working for you? Which ones say thank you for spending your hard earned money with me?

I guess the first question is: What do you want them to do for? What is important to you?

Best way to show this - is my story. I have a credit card (that I pay off monthly!) and I love to travel.....so I could have some card that gives me no rewards..... But I have a Starwood American Express, so 1 point for every dollar spent. And lots of other rewards....like 50% room coupons, exclusive deals, transfer privileges to airfare, gift cards, or rental cards. I feel like I am going to spend that dollar anyway.....so why not be slowly working toward something? I have been afforded a lot of vacations through paying off large bills I had the cash for on my credit card, earning points and then cashing in.....(again note: I used the cash to pay off the credit card that same month...never carry a balance.)

Not a traveler? You should still be rewarded!! My mother would rather use priceline but she wants the cash back so she has a Discover with Cash Back Rewards. Discover, for example, gives just .5% cash back on your first $1,500 of charges and 1% on the next $1,500, and 3% level only on purchases above $3,000 a year. You can do the math...and see if this would benefit you....

Shopper? What is your favorite store? Where do you spend the most time? If you spend $50 a month at the GAP....if you used a GAP Credit Card...you could get a $10 reward card at the end of the month. Doesnt that make sense? Now if the easiest thing for you is to use cash or your debit and you cant be hassled to have different cards for different stores....that is reward enough!

Will you get a free trip or rich over night? No. It takes time and effort ! Any girl who wants to get the best deal must be willing to invest a little time -- not only in choosing a card but knowing what it can and can't do. Stay on top of those emails telling you this is the month you could be earning extra rewards! Also, making sure you understand all the expiration dates and the terms and conditions. Also....what is the card offering you to sign up? My AMEX gave me 25,000 points and that was enough for my last Vegas hotel stay!

And heck, always ask for more. Trust me, people want you to spend with them...but girls....spend wisely! ;) No monthly fee or interest charge is worth any amount of rewards.....

Want to look for your perfect card:

http://www.cardratings.com/rewardpoints.html