Category Archives: Saving

Saving a bit more, one week at a time

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52-week-money-challenge-crop

With the year drawing to a close, thoughts turn to the new year, and inevitably, new year’s resolutions.  I’m not particularly fond of them; I think it’s an arbitrary date that doesn’t spur on real change, but temporary motivation (I’m for sure in that camp).  That said, I’m never going to argue against things that encourage good habits, as long as people stay focused, so if it works for others, fantastic.  One such resolution, which seems to be getting passed around each year around this time, is the 52-week money challenge. Continue reading →

Another reason to avoid Black Friday

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I was just sent this, footage from a fight that broke out during the parade of people fighting over cheap TVs at a Wal-Mart.  I worked Black Friday a couple of times as a Circuit City employee, including watching my store manager at the time, rolling out some more cheap portable CD players (ooh!), get knocked on his rump by people who couldn’t wait. Continue reading →

Clipping digital coupons with SavingStar

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saving-star

As occasionally referenced here on the blog, I experiment with loyalty and coupon programs.  I look for ways to simply recoup costs.  I continue to be most enamored with Plink, which I’ve accumulated more then $150 back since starting to use it.  But another one I’m beginning to like more is SavingStar. Continue reading →

Getting cash back: What’s the point?

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I’ve posted repeatedly about rewards programs, cash back and savings opportunities that should, in theory, let you either get more for your money or get money back, which can be applied to what’s next.  But with so many programs and opportunities, with rewards that tend to be lukewarm or good only for certain timing, the question many times becomes whether it’s worth the time and energy. Continue reading →

Getting value out of unwanted gift cards

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If you’re like me, from time to time you acquire a gift card from various sources… friends, family, work, companies as an incentive, loyalty programs, etc. Because most gift cards are set to work at one or a few stores, they can sit dormant for months, or even years, with the value on them just waiting to be unlocked. The longer they sit, the more they lose their value thanks to inflation and ever-rising prices. Continue reading →

Picking up points with Plink

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Plink Rewards program

As those who may follow me know, I’m interested in rewards programs.  I’m a member of a number of them, as they open up opportunities to get a bit more back without doing all that much. I’ve been a member of MyPoints for 10 years (I’ve written about them before) and have experimented with other services.  One of the most recent is Plink. Continue reading →

Amazon racks up more points with credit cards

Posted on by in Business, Elegant Solution, Saving, Technology, The Web | 3 Replies

Last week, while making a purchase at Amazon, I was prompted with something I hadn’t seen before.  During the part of the process where I can pick from saved payment methods, I was asked if I wanted to link my ThankYou Citi rewards account with Amazon.  When I said yes, I was then given the option of using my points balance to cover the cost of the purchase. Continue reading →