Ebates Daily Double: Nordstroms 12% cash back!

Today only, Ebates is offering 12% cash back on all online purchases at Nordstroms, instead of their normal 3% cash back.  That is the highest cash back I have ever noticed for Nordstroms. Couple with your cash back credit card to score even more savings!

Ebates Daily Double: Home Depot

Today only, Ebates is offering 5% cash back on all purchases at Home Depot online.  This is above the normal 3% cash back which they offer.  And remember, if you have a Discover More card or a Chase Freedom Visa card, you can earn an additional 5% cash back for using the card for your purchases there.  (Home Depot qualifies as a home improvement center for their quarterly 5% cash back categories.)  Just remember to go to Ebates first, then on to Home Depot to get the additional cash back.  So, if you were thinking about buying a new lawn mower, or some new appliances or some yard tools, head on over to Ebates and save a little extra cash.  If you are not yet a member of Ebates, what are you waiting for?  They will give you $3 just for registering.

McDonald's Gift Cards - 20% Off For a LImited Time

Through this week, GiftCardRescue.com is selling McDonald's gift cards at 20% off.  They are even throwing in free shipping with the purchase of $90 or more. Make Ronald McDonald a happy clown, and make your Happy Meals a little happier by saving some cash.

Bazando No Longer Offers Cash Back at Plastic Jungle

Bazando, is one of the leading cash back portals that I have recommended, and the best if you shop online in the UK, France, or Germany.  It has also been my favorite "go to" site for buying gift cards at Plastic Jungle, a discount reseller of gift cards which I have also recommended.  Bazando offered 3% cash back on top of the already decent discounts offered by Plastic Jungle.  Well, that relationship apparently is no more.  That is too bad for us consumers.  However, one can still get 1% cash back through Mr. Rebates for purchase of discount gift cards at Cardpool.  Cardpool's discounted prices often matched or even exceed those of Plastic Jungle, so there is still some hope out there.

Amex Daily Wishes: 50% off Ford Fusion hybrid + 50% off Whole Foods

This week, American Express Daily Wish is serving up some fine gift card deals for Whole Foods.  If you are an Amex cardholder, you should check out these deals, which are coming up on Wednesday, and see if you can grab one.  The offers are limited in quantity, so you have to be fast!  For example, Amex is offering ninety $100 gift cards to Whole Foods when you spend $200; one hundred seventy five $50 gift cards when you spend $100, and three hundred $25 gift cards when you spend $50.  Each translates into a 50% savings on your next trip to the grocery store.

  On Thursday, they have come up with an even more spectacular deal.  They are offering 2 2011 Ford Fusion hybrid automobiles at 50% off MSRP.  This represents a potential savings of $14,450! Now wouldn't that be a nice Easter present, and easy on the environment as well.  To see all of the Daily Wish offerings, just go to their website at http://dailywish.amexnetwork.com.

New Cashback Websites With a Twist - Buy Nothing Extra and Get Cash Back

With the latest Internet trend of offering cash back, along comes a couple of new startup websites with a different twist.   Both sites are predicated on learning your existing purchasing habits, so as to gear specific offers based on where you already shop.  Targeted demographic information like that is extremely valuable to merchants, and they are willing to make it worth your while (in the form of cash or cash savings) to share where you buy your groceries or gas.  We will take a look at both sites.
Offermatic
Offermatic is a new cash back website that offers targeted 50% off coupons to merchants you already patronize.  At the initial level, this translates into $5 off a $10 purchase, offered every couple weeks.  At level 2, the deals get even better, with $10 off a $20 purchase.  There is even a 3rd level.  Users attain the higher levels by referring new customers, giving reviews of their shopping experiences and twittering about their deals.  I am only 5 referrals away from reaching a Level 2, so if this website sounds appealing, sign up via this link and I thank you.  They are offering an additional free $5 off $10 purchase at whatever merchant you use just for signing up.

Envaulted
Envaulted is another startup website that is currently in beta and is not open to new membership at this time.  However, one can get on a waiting list and as new membership slots open, you can receive an invitation to join.  It took me approximately 4 weeks to receive my invitation.  The business model for Envaulted varies slightly from Offermatic, but is intriguing.  Their pitch is simple.  Receive 1% cash back on all your credit card purchases, paid to youby monthly check.  Period.  End of Story.  Nothing extra to buy.They will even increase the cash back during limited time frames for featured vendors.  For example, this week, they offer 20% cash back on all Fandango purchases, and 3% cash back on all Whole Foods purchases.

Credit Card Registration - Both sites require registration of at least one credit or debit card through their secure website so they can analyze your spending patterns and preferred merchants.  This is usually the part that scares off most people; yet in actuality, it is all handled through Yodlee, the same company that Mint.com, Quicken and many of the top banks themselves use.  No personal information is ever requested, and they ask only for the last 4 digits of the credit card. If you currently use online banking, you are probably already using Yodlee's services without knowing it.
   I highly recommend both sites to those of you who feel comfortable with the business models of these firms.  As always, I welcome your comments and what your experiences have been.

Shopping for That Easter Bonnet?

Easter is a time of rebirth, both spiritually and practically speaking.  The grass starts to turn green, trees begin to bud, and Mother Nature seems to awaken from her winter slumber.  So it seems perfectly fitting that we celebrate this time of year with some new clothes.  Maybe not always an Easter bonnet, but perhaps that new colorful outfit or a pair of new shoes.  If the warmer temperatures have put an itch in you to go out and treat you or the family to a wardrobe spruce up, then I've got good news!

Ebates has doubled its cash back rebates on many of the most popular online clothing websites.  I have included their promo ad here.  Just log into Ebates, then head off to your favorite retailer to do some Easter shopping, and save a little cash while you are at it.

Lowes Gift Cards on Sale - 8% off

For the next 48 hours, the gift card reseller Cardpool is offering Lowe's gift cards at 8% off their face value.  Remember that if you go through Mr. Rebates first, you can pick up an additional 1% cash back.  These cards won't last long!  Remember also, that Discover and Chase Freedom cards are offering 5% cash back starting today at all home improvement centers.  While not as good as the gift cards, there should not be any reason why you pay full retail this month for your lawn and garden needs.  Spring has arrived!

Sam's Club Members - Ditch Those Discover Cards!

     Some friends of mine run a small business and purchase all of their business related items at Sam's Club. They asked me how they could save more by using my MaxCashBack methods.  I learned that they did have a Discover card, and were using this credit card (the only one accepted by Sam's Club) to make all of their purchases.  They thought that they were getting 2% cash back.
     I did a little research and learned that Discover has one of the least attractive cash back rewards systems of the major cards.  See my post earlier this month on Best Cash Back Rewards cards here.  To make a long story short, one does not even begin to earn 1% cash back on a Discover card until after $6000 in purchase have been made.
     So, what does a loyal Sam's Club member have to do to get the type of savings I routinely find with other merchants?  The light bulb finally went off in my head today.  USE A WALMART GIFT CARD!!  Because Sam's Club is owned by Walmart, all Walmart gift cards are honored by Sam's Club, both online and in stores.  These gift cards can be readily purchased at a discount (see how to do this and save 5-10% here). Better yet, these gift cards can be purchased using a good cash back rewards credit card like the Chase Freedom Visa card or the Fidelity American Express card through any of the gift card resellers.
     Now, Sam's Club members can realize big cash back savings like the rest of us, instead of settling for the 0.25-1% cash back rewards typically earned by Discover card holders.  Let me know in the comments below if you found this tidbit of information helpful.  Thanks!

Merchant Cashback Strategies: Walmart - Everyday 7% savings!

This week I am going to talk about getting cash back at the king of retailing kings, Walmart.  Walmart prides itself on having the lowest prices, day in and day out.  Quality may be a different issue, but I am just going to focus on how you can trim your Walmart bill by another 5-10% after you are done shopping.  First, let's discuss cash back rewards credit cards.  Unfortunately, virtually all major credit card holders exclude Walmart from any special 5% cash back promotions.  They refuse to categorize Walmart as a grocery store, or a clothing store, or an electronics store because it is all of the above, without really specializing in any of the above.  One does get the default cash back of 1% or 2% for using the rewards credit cards, depending on the card you are using, but that is about the best that one can hope for. 
   Now, on the other hand, Walmart gift cards can routinely be purchased through Cardpool, Plastic Jungle or other gift card reseller sites for 3% discount.  If one uses the cash back portal Bazando to reach the Plastic Jungle site, Bazando will pay you an additional 3% on your gift card purchases.  Finally, pay for the gift card with your cash back credit cards to realize a bottom line savings of about 7%.  Remember that this discount is after you have taken advantage of coupons, in store savings and the like.  If you are purchasing from Walmart online, look for the eCode gift cards, as you do not need a physical gift card there, just the code to enter at checkout.
I bet you didn't know you were paying 7% too much every time you shopped there, did you? 

OK, if you are ready to start saving an extra 7%, make sure that you are signed up at the gift card stores first.  Sign up for the biggies, Plastic Jungle and Cardpool by clicking on the links here or at the right on my blog.  Then sign up for the cash back portals, like Bazando mentioned here. (Click on the Bazando logo here and Bazando will give you $3 just for signing up!).  If you prefer to use the Cardpool site, then use Mr. Rebates first to get an extra 1% by going through them to the Cardpool site.  Then purchase your Walmart cards and check your mailbox a few days later.  As a side note, discounted Walmart gift cards are obviously in high demand and short supply.  The best time to find them is early in the morning or late at night.  I always carry at least $200 worth of these with me for my shopping forays. Depending on your shopping needs, you may want to get more cards.

Daily Deal: For You Coffee Lovers

   If you are a coffee lover, then you know that the cost of coffee beans has gone through the roof in recent months.  However, Amazon has a fantastic deal if you like Eight O'Clock Coffee.  Here is the deal:
Get a 4 pack of 12 oz. bags of ground Eight O'Clock coffee in various styles and flavors for the amazing price of $11.00 total with the checkout code of  SOLOCOF5 and the Subscribe and Save feature.  Free shipping thrown in. Click the photo to go through Slickdeals for this offer.

Cash Back on Your Monthly Housing Costs?

   Just about everyone has a utility bill which comes in the snail mail or email each month.  It could be gas, or electricity, or a phone bill.  Recently I had an interesting experience with my gas company, Xcel Energy.  I had been paying my bill by direct debit, but they were in the process of changing from Checkfree, so I wanted to see what my options were.  Lo and behold,  I could pay by credit card! The gotcha was that they wanted a convenience fee.
   Now, most of the time the convenience fee for using a credit card outweighs any cash back savings.  But Xcel's fee was a fixed fee of $4.95, so the larger my payment, the smaller my percentage cost would be to pay by plastic. I happened to have a credit card that was giving me 5% cash back on every purchase, so I used that card to charge $400 to Xcel.  Cash back = $20.00  Convenience charge = $4.95.  Net utility savings = $15.05.  Not bad.
   Virtually every phone company now accepts credit cards without a fee (because the fee is already built into their rates!)  So do most car and home insurance companies. Why write a check when you can charge the fee, get an extra 25 days to pay, and get cash back?  Just remember, it never makes sense to charge for items that you cannot afford to pay for in full.


With tax season upon us, you might be wondering about cash back on taxes.  Well, as a matter of fact, that is a subject of a future post!


Happy shopping!

Merchant CashBack Strategies: Chili's Restaurant

Today, I thought I would discuss cash back strategies for Chili's.  Now personally, I do not eat at Chili's very often, but I know that it is a very popular, family friendly place to go for lunch or dinner.  Chili's often runs specials that are a good bargain. Since it is tough to get your baby back ribs by ordering online, my recommendations are to go with discounted gift cards.  The best of these cards usually can be purchased for a 12% discount through Plastic Jungle, one of the largest and most reputable of the discounted gift card resellers, and a company that I have mentioned often.  They guarantee every card purchased for 100 days.  If you are very clever, then you will know that you should use Bazando, a cash back portal, to buy your gift cards at Plastic Jungle, as they offer  an astounding $3 back on your purchase (at least they did on my last purchase there this week)! Of course, have your cash back credit card ready to buy those gift cards to snag even more cash back. OK, this may be a little confusing, so here are the steps:

1.  Register at Plastic Jungle here.  You only need to do this once. Log off once you have registered.

2.  Register at Bazando here.  You only need to do this once and they give you $3 just for signing up!

3.  Tell Bazando you want to shop at Plastic Jungle.  It will take you to Plastic Jungle's home page.  Log in, and find your Chili's gift card.  Lets say you buy a $50 gift card for $44.00.  Pay with your cash back credit card.

4.  Shortly, you will be notified from Bazando that your $3 cash back for your purchase at Plastic Jungle is pending.  Sometimes, this can take a day or two. Your net cost is now $41.00 for a $50 gift card.  That is an 18% discount.

5. Your gift card will arrive in your mailbox in a few days.  Now go out and enjoy whatever you want at Chili's and know you are paying the least amount possible.

Of course, if you eat at Chili's a lot, maybe you want to buy several gift cards at the same time.  Otherwise, I would just purchase what I need for the next month or two. The restaurant treats the gift cards just like cash.

Planning Your Summer Getaway?

 This week, Mr. Rebates, has doubled their cash back to 6%  on all Choice Hotel reservations made through their site.  Choice Hotels represents the best in hotels such as Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Mainstay Suites, Econo Lodge, and the Rodeway Inn.  If you plan on booking your next stay at one of these hotels, then it might be worth checking this out.  Get your best deal, then go online through Mr. Rebates to book your room.  Cash back is awarded after the end of your stay. If you aren't already registered at Mr. Rebates, just use one of these links and they will give you $5 just for signing up.  It's a great way to start the week!

Attention Kmart Shoppers!

Today only, Ebates is offering 8% cash back on all online purchases if you go through their website.  First, pick up a Kmart gift card from Cardpool at a 10% discount, or 11% if you go through Mr. Rebates, then head off to do all your shopping and score a nifty 18-20% cash back on all of your Kmart purchases.  Of course, if you pay with your cash back credit card, the discount is even more.  

Happy shopping!

Weekend Cash Back Reminder

   The weekend is rapidly approaching, and thoughts of spring cleaning, whether indoors or outdoors, may be lurking for those otherwise immune to March Madness.  Just a reminder that if you plan on buying anything at Home Depot or Lowes, check out my posts from earlier this week or last week on how to score some serious savings at either of these stores. Don't forget that Mr. Rebates is offering 6% cash back on Home Depot through this week.

    Today, Ebates is running a double cash back special on Beall's.  I must confess that I am not personally familiar with the store, because there aren't any where I live.  But for those of my readers who shop there, Ebates has doubled their cash back to 7%, and you can snag another 20% on a $50 purchase by using their coupon code MEGA10 at checkout.

    While you are reading this, take a minute to let me know how I am doing.  Is this information worthwhile to you?  Is there a topic you would like to see me cover?  I am new at this blogging thing, and would love to know that someone is actually reading this.

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Steve

Regal Cinemas Offering Free Small Popcorn This Weekend

Everybody likes a freebie.  If your plans include heading to the movie theatre this weekend, slide on over to Regal Entertainment Group on Facebook, click "like" and get a free small popcorn, good through March 20th.  They will also send you weekly deals.  If you don't like that, just "unlike" them after you print your coupon!

Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/RegalEntertainmentGroup?sk=app_10467688569

Merchant Cashback Strategies: Best Buy

This week, our Merchant Cashback strategy focuses on Best Buy, one of the original big box electronics retailers.  For many consumers, this is the place to go when purchasing big ticket electronics items, such as TV's, stereo sound systems, laptop computers or car stereos.  These purchases can represent a significant dollar amount, which is why it is extremely important to take advantage of every cash back strategy in the book.  The savings can be significant.
    The first questions I ask are usually: 1) Will I be purchasing in a local store or online?; and 2) Will I get more cash back from using my credit cards or by purchasing discounted gift cards?

   I can purchase Best Buy gift cards at a 7% discount at both Plastic Jungle and Cardpool.  If I am in a hurry and want to purchase online, I can probably find an Ecode gift card from one of these two merchants. The discounts that I get by purchasing gift cards usually will surpass even a 5% cash back credit card. However, if I am smart, sometimes I can have my cake and eat it too.  If you are buying online, then it is always good to see what discount your credit card shopping portal is offering for Best Buy.  For example, Discover gives you 5% back if you buy from the Best Buy website using their shopping portal.

  If I elect the gift cards route, I will purchase my Buy Buy gift cards through Cardpool by first going through the Mr. Rebates website, so I can pick up an extra 1%.  Now I am at 8% discount.  If I pay for my purchase with a 1% or 2% cash back credit card, I can get that discount up to 9-10%. I also check on Ebay to see if there are any 10% off coupons available for purchase.  While there are sometimes restrictions, often this will knock another 10% off your purchase, hence doubling your savings!  You may even find these in your local newspaper. Now remember, the discount you achieve using these methods is ON TOP OF whatever your final price is.  If you are shopping online, you may be able to get free shipping thrown in as well, or even additional cash back using coupon codes. Just remember that if it is a big ticket item, it is always worthwhile to comparison shop first. At a minimum, you should be able to expect 9-10% cash back savings, no matter what you purchase.
   Happy shopping!

Previous Merchant Cashback Strategies 
Lowes
Amazon.com

Bazando - Another Nice Cash Back Portal

I am very excited to announce another fine cash back portal called Bazando.  There are two unique things that I like about this cash back site.  The first is that they offer 3% cash back on all gift cards purchased at Plastic Jungle, one of my favorite gift card discount sites.  That means that you are stacking discounts on top of discounts, a technique dear to my heart!  The 2nd feature of this site is that they represent merchants from all over the world, so if you live in France, for example, you can now take advantage of discounts at Darty, FNAC, La Redoute, etc. to name just a few.  It also has a UK website for UK merchants.  So now, all of my international friends can save money too!  They are even offering to put a few dollars (or euros) in your account just for signing up here.  Just click on the logo or the links for your free enrollment, and enjoy your savings!

Weekly Deal: 6% -Wait- 10% Cash Back at Home Depot

This week, Mr. Rebates is offering 6% cash back on all online purchases at Home Depot.  With spring in the air, it might just be the perfect time to shop for all of your lawn care equipment needs.  Maybe a new lawn mower, or weed eater?
UPDATE:  An extra $5 off a $50 order if you enter March5 at checkout. This coupon code is good through March 20th.
UPDATE 2:  There must be a price war going on!  ShopatHome is now offering 10% cash back at Home Depot, with the same coupon code available. This is crazy! If you use your cash back rewards credit card, you are saving even more.