Budget Savvy Diva is sharing a post that will help all the online shoppers out there.  Do you ever wonder when is the best time to get a deal?  I do.  Take a look at this list to find out the best days to shop online.

If your serious about saving, online shopping is really an amazing tool. You can comparison shop at the speed of light, find coupon codes and save on gas money and road rage. Liking companies on Facebook that you like in real life will give you an ‘in’ on promotions. Also, familiarizing yourself with sites like retailmenot.com and ebates.com will help frugal online shopping go as smoothly as possible. There are members only sites that give you inside information on great sales as well. By joining you are let into the loop on flash sales, scheduled to occur during certain times, where designer clothing and make-up go for more than 50% off.

There’s on more secret to online shopping: The day of the week is pretty significant in determining what you should look for. According to a survey by shopittome.com, here is the best schedule for buying apparel online and the average discount you can find on those items:

Monday:
jackets and outerwear- 42%
purses and handbags- 40%

Tuesday:
swimsuits- 46%

Wednesday:
footwear- 43%

Thursday:
women’s dress shirts- 55%

Friday:
basic T’s and tanks- 42%

Saturday:
men’s apparel and accessories- 40%
boys apparel- 37%

Sunday:
dresses- 43%
dress pants- 55%
girls apparel- 37%

Thanks! GalTimes

My blogging buddy Tabitha from Saving Toward a Better Life, sent me this post and I had to share it with you all.  So many people have been affected by the devistating tornadoes that I wanted to share with you a way to help. 

So I quickly scanned through my stockpile to see what I could pull out to donate.  Personal care (deodorant, body wash, toothpaste, feminine products, cough syrup, baby wipes), cleaning (wipes, hand sanitizer, dish soap), some snacks and clothes.  Technically, the clothes weren’t in my stockpile – they were some of Bug’s that were going to the donation bin anyway.

I live in one of the areas struck by Wednesday’s tornadoes so I don’t have to go far to donate my items.

But what if you live across the country?  What can you do?

Flat rate shipping boxes are available at the post office.  Medium boxes ship for $10.95 regardless of what you have in them.  Large boxes – $14.95.

[Read more…]

I was just over at Mojo Savings and saw a post about Publix changing their Coupon Policy.   This is happening more and more all over the US, so I felt it was time to post about what I’ve been witnessing all over the web.

Publix
I don’t live near a Publix, so I was unfamiliar with their coupon policy until reading the press release.  “Publix has had a relatively lenient coupon policy, instructing cashiers to honor coupons from a range of competitors”.  The final policy changes have not been decided upon, but it appears Publix shoppers will find local stores to be less coupon friendly in the near future. 

Kroger
Kroger stores in Houston recently stopped doubling coupons.  After April 13th, Kroger’s in Houston are only accepting coupons at face value!   This is unfortunate for Houston residents, and I hope the trend doesn’t continue into other states.  How the coupon policy affects sales in Houston, will probably determine if other Kroger locations follow suit. 

All Kroger shoppers are noticing more difficulty in the way of digital coupons.  The policy has been to not allow digital and paper manufacture coupons to be stacked.  However, now the register will not allow the paper coupon if you have a digital coupon on your card.  The problem?  Once a Cellfire coupon is loaded onto your shoppers card it can’t be removed.  If the cashier can’t override the digital coupon so you can use a higher value paper coupon, a trip up to customer service will be in order.  Personally, I have not found my local Kroger to be especially friendly to coupon users as it is.

Even more Kroger news: I read somewhere that Kroger is no longer allowing coupons on “Managers Special” items!  That kind of defeats the purpose of me buying a “managers special” item!  The store wants to get rid of the item before it expires, and I want a great deal by stacking my coupon with a managers special.  I see it as a win-win situation!

Harris Teeter
To add to this, Harris Teeter has tightened their coupon policy.   How the coupon policy is enforced is determined by local stores, but they are not making it any easier on coupon shoppers.  Please note that I am grateful that they have been continuing with Super Double Events!

I’m fearful more stores will become unfriendly to coupons as an (almost) direct result of the Extreme Couponing show.  The obvious coupon fraud is just the tip of the iceberg.  Even the donating aspect of couponing has been whittled down to focus on hoarding, shelf clearing, and unethical couponing behavior.

Has anyone else noticed there seems to be an increase in fraudulent coupons as well?

I’m saddened and outraged that my family may not be able to continue to save money on necessities as the result of a few bad apples.  Let’s make sure manufacturers and stores know that most of the couponing world respects their policies and guidelines, and that we appreciate the chance to save our families money while practicing ethical couponing!

Have you noticed coupon policy changes at your local store?

Photo Credit:Savingadvice.com

In light of all the recent discussions on fraudulent coupon use, I wanted to share with you Budget Savvy Diva’s post on how to spot a fraudulent coupon.  I, like most bloggers, try hard to know exactly were a coupon comes from before we post.  However, it can get tricky with all the technology available today.  People do make fake coupons, so we all must be extra vigilant to only use coupons that are legitimate.  If the coupon seems too good to be true, it probably is… 

Check out MORE Fake Coupon Alerts HERE