Get Up To 70% Off at Kmart & Sears-Use This Example to Save Money Anywhere Online!

There is a way to get up to 70% at Kmart & Sears. Some of the ways to save may not be available to everyone depending on the credit cards you have, the items you need and portal bonuses you may have already used but I hope this will give you an idea of the process I go through to find crazy but awesome deals.

I was browsing nightstands on Sears trying to find something of quality for not a lot of money.  There are several that are solid wood starting at about $100.  That's not bad for something you should be able to get several years of use out of but I want to pay as little as possible.  This can get a little complicated so I am going to give an example of an item which costs $150 and this is what you would do to pay a final price of $45 before any tax.

1. Sign up with the cashback portal Be Frugal or Ebates You'll earn a $10 sign on bonus with Be Frugal and a $10 gift card or $5 bonus with Ebates. Read about cashback portals here.
2. From the cashback site, search for Sears, click the "Shop Now" button to earn 6% on your   purchase.
3. On the Sears website you will scroll down about half way to "A Few Reasons To Be Jolly" where you'll see a link to buy a $100 gift card and get a $20 bonus.  That is a savings of 16.7% right there.  Note: You can earn one $20 bonus per transaction so if you are purchasing more than $100 do it separately.  Also, I have read you may only be able to use one $20 bonus at at time so keep that in mind when planning your shopping.  
4. Purchase the gift card with the best rewards credit card you have available to you.  The best card to use would be a recent Discover It card that is doubling all cash back earned for one year. You would need to make sure that card is enroll in the quarterly bonus category which is 5% cashback on department stores, this doubles to 10%. If using any Discover you must purchase an e-gift card or reload to get this cashback. Physical gift cards are processed through Kmart and don't trigger the bonus.
5. Once you've purchased the gift card, you want to return to Be Frugal or Ebates. If you do the one you didn't do before you could earn another sign on bonus.
6. From the cashback site go to Sears or Kmart.  Your gift card can be used at Kmart too just don't purchase it through Kmart.
7. Sign into your Shop Your Way account and load coupons.  I'm sure most of you have heard about Shop Your Way Rewards and have an account that, like Sears/Kmart/Land's End gift cards, also works at each of those stores but in case you don't you can read this post I wrote 5 years ago when it was new to me! 
8. I initially started out on Sears applying coupon codes to my cart and I applied all the coupons I thought may work because sometimes they stack.  For example, a free shipping coupon, a % off coupon or a $$ off coupon and a points back coupon may all work on the same order.  You must load the coupon then click details, copy the promo code and paste it in the Coupon Code field of the cart.  Then click "View Applied Coupons" to see if it was applied.  As I did this a "20% one home item coupon" did not work.  I went back to the coupon details and realized it was for Kmart.  I went to Kmart and found the same item selling for the same price. When I applied all the coupons and other discounts I'm expecting, Kmart is the better deal. If you switch stores, be sure to go back through the portal for the different store. You will also earn 2% back in points on your purchase,  This will be reduced by any points you have that you apply to your order.
9. After you have followed all the steps above, pay with the gift card you purchased.

Here is the breakdown of savings if you were able to take advantage of all the discounts I outlined:

• Buy $120 Sears e-gift card or reload for $100 ($20 free, a 16.7% discount) with your Discover It card ($10 cashback). 
• Receive 6% cash back and a $10 bonus from Be Frugal. ($16 cashback)
• Item purchased is $150 in this example.  Apply a 20% off coupon ($30 off) and a $10 back in points coupon. Earn an additional 2% in points ($12.40 in points) Shipping is free. 
• The order total is $120 if you don't use any existing points. Use the $120 gift card codes. 
• Receive 6% from Ebates and a $10 bonus gift card. ($17.20 back)

If I did all my math correctly, I've paid $45 after all the discounts and cashback for a savings of 70%!

This is an extreme example of savings that involves a lot of organization within my brain and/or on paper to get all the discounts but if you follow the steps I outlined it is definitely a possibility to save a huge amount of money!  Additionally, you can use the information you learned here and apply it to other stores. Discounted gift cards can be purchased on-line or in grocery stores and drug stores too.

Things to Know About Cashback Portals

Cashback portals are a great way to save money shopping on the internet and sometimes useful in making some money.  There are a few things you should be aware of though.  It's long so if nothing else, just read what I have bolded!

Portal payout are not guaranteed. It is recommended that you do not count on the portal when making purchasing decisions but to consider it a bonus after the fact.  I don't follow this rule however.  I calculate into my final cost every time because I have had great success with the portals. As long as you follow the Terms & Conditions, you will too.  Always read the Terms & Conditions for the store you are shopping at to make sure you get your cash back.  The Terms & Conditions are usually one paragraph long and in large type so it's real easy!

Click the link in the portal for every new transaction.  Used to be that once you clicked on a store link in the portal, as long as that cookie was on your computer you would get cash back.  It was a nice surprise when you forgot to go use the portal.  Now you must click a new link for every transaction, even at the same store and some of those expire within hours. So if it's been a while go back to the link in the portal.  

That being said.  I have always liked the idea that you can fill your cart then go find the best portal payout,click the link and checkout.  Never seemed like the way it should work because at that point the portal hasn't really referred you but it did work. Now, there is at least one store, Staples, where your cart must be empty when you start.  It's a real pain because I like to shop there a lot and add/remove items and coupons from my cart to come up with the best deal.  I end up printing my order, emptying my cart then refilling it after I click through from the portal. I don't know of any other stores that do this but it's one more reason to read the Terms & Conditions for each store on each portal.

The purchase or use of gift cards through a portal may not trigger cashback.  I sound like a broken record but read the short, large type paragraph of Terms & Conditions.  For example Southwest exclude purchasing of gift cards, while Shop At Home pays when you buy them but not when you use them, and Be Frugal appears to have no exclusions on the purchase or use of gift cards.

Many portals are warning that if you use a coupon code not found on their site they can not guarantee that you will receive cashback.  I think this applies if you were to take a coupon code found on one portal and apply it when using another portal, not when using store coupons you receive in the mail or your store account but I can not guarantee that.  Those coupons usually outweigh anything you would earn from the portal so use your coupons knowing that you will probably get paid but may not.

Make sure you are logged in.  Most portals will ask you to log in before sending you to the store website but just recently I shopped through the Southwest portal, clicked through and was taken to the website, placed an order and nothing was tracked because I wasn't logged in.  Very shady Southwest, but I'll let it fly, you've been so good to me.

Getting back to portals not being guaranteed, you may be wondering if these sites are legitimate or if they are going to take the money and run.  There are many many portals out there, (see cashbackmonitor.com)  Way back when, I had about $8 coming from a place called Cashbaq who up and quit one day and said "sorry, no money for you".  Then a few weeks later a knight in shining armor showed up in my inbox and said, if you join me I will pay you what Cashbaq owes you when you make your first purchase.  I can not remember what portal that was but it was very nice of them to offer this bonus and it is one of these listed below.

Ebates-I'd say this is the most legitimate of them all with there TV advertising I've seen for years and having been paid over $1000. Their referral bonuses are awesome so sign up with my link then refer all your friends!

Shop At Home-I had not used them regularly for a while but lately they have been offering bigger payout for what I am purchasing. Lifetime Cash Back $433.07.  No referral link available just yet.

TopCashBack-Over $400 paid.

Be Frugal-Paid $174.67.

Mr. Rebates-One of the first portals, cashback offered has not been as good as the other portals in the last few years but every now and again they are the best.  Lifetime paid $166.67.

SimplyBestCoupons-At 25-30% back, they are always the best for my Straighttalk phone purchases. 

If you take a look at Cashbackmonitor.com you will see there are many portals.  I would not sign up for a new one unless the cashback is much higher than the others I am already with and it looks like I will reach the payout threshold easily. Payout thresholds usually range from $5 to $25 depending on the portal and those amount do not include the bonus, it must be from spend.  For example, if the payout threshold is $25 and your sign on bonus was $10, you must earn $25 from shopping, then you will be paid $35.

If you have any questions about cashback portals let me know. Please use my referral links then use yours to make money referring your friends!

Free Celeste Pizza with Saving Star

Log into SavingStar to activate the Free Celeste Pizza offer.  


Expires 12/13/15.
Learn more about SavingStar here.

SavingStar New Month New Offers

It's a new month so log in and active the new SavingStar offers.  Make sure your store cards are connected to you account.

New to SavingStar?  Get more info here.

My lifetime savings from SavingStar is $142.75!

How To Get Free Gas At Giant

Outlined below is how I get free gas at Giant and my method for easily determining what each required item purchased will cost me or make me money!  But first, before you call me crazy, here are some things you need to understand:

If you want to really take advantage of the gas deals, sometimes you have to be willing to buy several of the same items. Sometimes the deal is so good (ex. free or a money maker after coupons and gas) that even if it's something you don't need, you might buy anyway.  You can give these items to people who can use them.  If it's a product you use all the time you will wish you had bought more when you finally run out! Don't forget to ask yourself these questions: Can I use 20 cans of olives by 2018? Probably. Will we eat 30 boxes of granola bars by July? Maybe not.

You need to save all your Sunday paper coupon inserts.  Don't clip the coupons yet. Write the date on the front and put them in a file.  As you will see below, you can easily search a coupon database to find the coupons you need.  You may also need to print some coupons.  You can usually print 2 of each coupon per computer.

You can make these deals even better by using a credit card that offer rewards on your grocery purchases but you must pay your cards off each month to avoid paying interest.

You will be using your gas money to get free groceries or you will use your grocery money to get free gas.  Look at it either way you want but you will be spending money on one to get the other free. I like to think that since we will need gas anyway, if I have to buy an item I normally wouldn't it's like a treat, donation or an opportunity to try something new.

Buy the correct items. Double check the ad and match the product on the shelf to the shelf tag and the ad. Check the sizes.

So let's get to it and breakdown these deals that will save you so much money!

When you get your Giant flyer on Friday you may see something like this:

Save $0.40 per gallon (up to 25 gallons) when you buy any 8 participating items.

1. The first thing I do is determine how much gas I will receive for purchasing the required number of items.  Multiple $0.40 by 25 gallons=$10.00 of free gas when you get 25 gallons.  If you don't have a 25 gallon tank hopefully you have a truck and some gas cans to take full advantage.  If not you will want to multiply $0.40 by XX gallons of gas you can get.  Of course this will reduce your savings.

2. In this particular deal you will get $10 worth of gas for buying 8 items.  Divide $10 by 8 items for $1.25 off each item.

3. Look at the price of each of the participating items and subtract $1.25. Here are a few examples from this week which, unfortunately, aren't nearly as great as some weeks.

Breyers Ice Cream $1.99-$1.25=$0.75 each.

Bandaids $2.99-$1.25=$1.74 each.

Minute Rice $1.69-$1.25=$0.44 each.

4. But wait! You can bring the price of some of these items down even further by pairing them with coupons.  Go to a coupon database and search for a coupon that matches the item.

Take, for example, two items from above:

Bandaids $2.99-$1.25-$1.50/2 Coupons.com coupon=$0.99 each when you buy 2.

Minute Rice $1.69-$1.25-$1 (doubled) coupon from the 3/1 RedPlum newspaper insert=$0.56 Money Maker!

Become familiar with Giant's coupon policy. Some things to keep in mind: You can only use 16 identical coupons in one transaction.  Only the first of identical coupons will double though lately they have all doubled. Some stores double up to $1 and some go higher. 

5. You can do these deals 10 times each in one trip or throughout the week.  Just make sure to buy in multiples of 8 in each transaction up to 80 items.  You will notice there is a Save $0.30 per gallon coupon when you spend $50 this week. This $50 can come from any groceries (not milk, tobacco, lottery etc.) you buy including the gas deal items you are already buying.  That's an additional $7.50 worth of gas.

If gas happened to be $2.80 per gallon today and you purchased 56 items, you would get a free fill-up.  But you don't have to do that. Next week there will be another deal.  Sometimes there are 2 deals. It may look like this:

Save $0.40 per gallon when you buy any 5 items 

AND

Save $0.30 per gallon when you buy any 7 items

Gas points (100 points equal $0.10) expire at the end of the month following the month you earn them. So if you earn points on April 1st, you have until May 31st to use them.   If you earn points on March 31st you have until April 30th to use them. Your receipt will tell you how many points you earned this visit, your total points and how many will expire at the end of the month. You can view them on-line too. I do this when I have a lot of receipts or can't remember when or if we used the points. If you earn $7 (7000 points) off per gallon and you fill up when gas is $3/gallon you will then have $4 per gallon for next time.  You won't lose your points if you don't use them all unless they expire.

Don't forget your Giant Bonus Card when you shop and fill up!

1-800-flowers Review of Peruvian Lillies

I have sent 1 800 flowers Peruvian Lillies to recipients for a graduation, a thank you and Christmas.  They would be nice for most other occasions as well.  They tend to be my go to flower gift.  I buy a 50 bud bouquet for $29.99 to maximize my saving with Southwest promo code RR22.  This is the photo of the bouquet from 1-800-flowers.com.

This is a photo of the actual flowers I sent to a relative.

Arrives in bud form.

If you first click through a savings portal like Savingstar you can receive up to 20% back on your purchase.  

Enter promo code RR22 and your Rapid Rewards number and receive 1000 points.  I value these at about $16.70 or $33.40 if you have a Southwest Companion pass.  

Additionally you will earn 10% back in Celebration Rewards. 

1800flowers isn't economical unless you have Passport.  For $30 you get free shipping all year.  If you send more than 1 gift you've already spent that much on shipping.  Keep an eye out for deals to reduce that cost even further.  

I'll be adding 1800flowers reviews for the following gifts:

Best of Ghirardelli® Gift Basket Review

The Popcorn Factory Sea Salt Slim Popcorn Review

Fanny May Decadent Chocolate Covered Strawberries Review

a-DOG-able Review

Vintage Pressed Glass Jar w/ Jumbo Cashews Review

Premium Cranberry Nut Snack Mix in Cut Glass Jar Review

Personalized Holiday Family Ornament Review

Happy Birthday Deluxe Dipped Pretzels in a Jar Review

Arbor Harvest Fruit Collection-Deluxe Review

Personalized Silver 5x7 Frame Review 

Personalized Woodwick Candle Review

Saving Star Weekend Freebies and Savings!

Two freebies this week with Saving Star!

Jiffy Corn Muffing Mix & Land O' Lakes Cocoa

Also get 20% back on the purchase of bananas!

Don't forget to add all the new coupons.

Learn more about Savingstar here.