Hello everyone. Hope your Christmas plans are coming together smoothly. There has been some confusion in regards to the percentages cashback websites are offering.
First of all, cashback offers vary depending on whether you choose Bing, Ebates, FatWallet, MrRebates, or any other cashback site. The offers also change regularly, sometimes daily. Bing has been giving out some of the highest cashback offers, but they are not always the easiest to find. Many people have contacted me about how to find the 20% cashback offer for Drugstore.com. Some people were finding 8% or 10% depending on the day they checked, but when I would check I would get 20%. So I did some investigating and figured out why the percentages are different.
When you go to Bing’s main shopping link the percentages may be different from other offers. If you search for Drugstore.com in the search box you will see offers varying from 2-15%. The most common way people search is to click on the cashback tab which allows you to search for stores by their first letter. This page shows Drugstore.com at 10%.
The “trick” is to first go to Bing.com, which will take you to their search page. Then enter the site you want to shop with the words “cashback” into the search box. For ex. enter the search “drugstore.com cashback“. You will then see a sponsored link at the top for Drugstore.com that show’s the amount of 20% cashback. There will also be a gold coin that is the symbol for Bing cashback. The important things to look for in the link are the amount of the cashback and the gold coin. Go ahead and click on that link and then a prompt for your login will pop up unless you’re already signed in. Then a loading page will pop up from Bing. On this page it will tell you the percentage cashback you will receive from that store. It will directly open the store’s page and now you are ready to shop.
The link you want should include:
www.drugstore.comBing cashback
Get 20% Cashback on Drugstore.comCashback. Free Ship On $25+
In regards to finding the best cashback percentage for other stores on Bing, do the same search as above (name of store cashback) on Bing.com.
For all other cashback sites, JGI (Just Google It).
If you don’t want to look through each cashback site for the best deal, your best option would be to do a search with options. Go to Google.com and search the desired store with the word cashback. You will get a lot of irrelevant links. To remedy this problem, click on “ Show Options” which will be at the top left corner of the search page. Under the “Anytime” column choose “Latest”. This will bring up the most current information that has been posted on the web.
Drugstore.com also has a 5% in house rebate that automatically applies to your order. So the total you can save is 25%. Use of coupon codes may disqualify you from receiving the Bing cashback offer.
Some stores are still offering free shipping until 12/20.
Hope that answers some of the questions. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
Information is based on search results at time of publication. Gold coin symbol is property of Bing.
Not too long ago, I had to deal with a very emotional tragedy. My computer crashed! My first thought was, OMG my itunes library!! I know, I should of backed it up.
So recently I have been rebuilding my library, but it definitely gets expensive. Most itunes cost $1.29 now. They are “higher quality” but I’m already hard of hearing so I can’t tell. So what’s my point and why should you care? I just found some free music for anyone that is interested. Amazon is having some kind of holiday special. I didn’t even know that they sold music because, I admit it, I’m an itunes snob. But, free is free.
They are offering free Christmas music from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga to Jars of Clay, and they also have lots of songs for the kids. They also have a daily special and $5 CD’s. I’m not sure if this is something Amazon does regularly or if it’s just for Christmas but I believe I saw somewhere that some of the downloads won’t be free after Dec. 17. All I know is that there are a lot of free songs. Go check it out, especially for those of you that are completely broke. Make someone a Christmas CD or buy them one of the $5 downloads. There’s a crazy Christmas download of 99 songs for 5 bucks. Oh, and I’m sure some of you are wondering the same thing I was when I heard free, yes the songs are ipod compatible.
The positive responses we got from the Smarter Shopper articles has encouraged us to develop a new section called Smarter Wallet.
We will let you know of any online resources for great deals as soon as we hear about them. Once in a while we find steals that are too good not to share, and when we do, you will find them in the Smarter Wallet.
Leave me a message or email if you find any great deals. FYI don’t forget most websites end their free shipping offers within the next couple of days. Shop smarter.
Here are the direct links for the different offers.
Amazon Consistently low prices. Most items ship free with $25 purchase, tax free in many states, and great return policy.
Mejier From groceries to gadgets, it’s a one stop shop with competitive prices.
Save big at Drugstore.comand Beauty.com. No sales tax except for NJ, NY or WA. Free shipping w/ min. purchase. Plus a 5% credit to use for your next purchase. Stock up on toiletries when they are on sale.
Have any sites you would like to recommend? Share in the comments below.
Budget a total amount. Be honest about your spending limits.
Set a limit for each person. This will allow you to narrow down your options and make shopping decisions less overwhelming.
Have friends or family members create a wish list. This allows you to get them something they really want and you don’t have to stress over figuring out what to get them.
Make a shopping list ahead of time. Research items online for best prices. Print out or make note of thr lowest price of each item in case you need to price match.
Stick to the list!!! Browsing can lead to your downfall. If you know what you’re there to get, then you’ll be less likely to buy unnecessary extras. If you need to, bring a shopping nazi. In my case, that would be my brother.
Pool funds for gifts. Ex. for Mom, divide with others the cost of the gift. This also ensures a better gift rather than several small gifts.
Consider the Secret Santa option. There are new ways on the internet to make the exchange more seamless. Each person creates an account online and the site can also randomly choose your recipients name. You can even create wish lists on some sites. This would be great for family members that do not live nearby or people that have no idea what their recipient may want.
Now that you have organized and researched, remember:
Shop early so you have enough time for online purchase options and to avoid high shipping costs. Stores generally don’t offer their best prices right before Christmas. They count on last minute shoppers paying more for products.
Try to use cash instead of credit. We all know, the ease of just charging it, usually results in overspending. The last thing you want is to pay for Christmas charges all through the next year.
Prepare for tunnel vision. Stores put out all kinds of little booby traps, gifts with small price tags, to psych you out into thinking that the little purchase won’t put a dent into your budget. This year, we’re not going to fall for it! Christmas makes us all overspend by buying little things here and there. That’s what leaves us with the feeling, “how did I spend so much, when I only bought a couple of things?!”
If you bought too much, return it ASAP. As Christmas gets closer, things get more hectic for everyone. The stores also get jam packed. So do it now, before you lose that receipt!
Stick to the list! I’ve already mentioned this, but it is worth mentioning again. Financial stress takes away being able to fully relax and enjoy the season.
Price Match. Price matching is the easiest way to ensure you’re getting a better deal. Bring a printout or ad with you. Most stores will honor competitors prices. Even if you don’t have an ad, ask for a discount. In my experience, big chain stores such as Best Buy and Sears will negotiate. Keep the attitude, everything is negotiable. I wouldn’t try it at the check stand of a supermarket, not that it can’t be done, but don’t be shy to ask at major retailers. You’ll be surprised the deals you can get just for asking.
Up Next;
Part II features indispensable online resources to smarter shopping.
Bing cashback
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