Oh the irony!

There are lots of money-saving and coupon and deal blogs out there. I don’t know if one is particularly better than the next, it all really depends on what stores and items you like, and whether or not they mesh with the author.

Last week, several of them were doing posts on coupon fraud. I don’t know what prompted this sudden surge of posting about it; I don’t know of a particular incident that happened.

One thing is for sure–all the deals you find here will be legit. If stores tighten down their policies, I’ll find ways to work around it. Like I said in my Kmart post this week, I enjoy a challenge. If you’re going to use coupons fraudulently to get a deal, well, where is the wisdom in that?

So I find it incredibly ironic, that some of the blogs that posted about coupon fraud this week are now posting about the Neuragen deal at Walgreen’s. What is the Neuragen deal, you ask? Well, don’t worry about it. Because there is no huge moneymaking deal on Neuragen, unless you’re using the coupon against the wording on it. And that’s just not cool, imo. I keep reading on these other blogs, comments from users who are saying “It kept beeping but the cashier pushed it through!” Duh, why do you think it was beeping? Because you’re using it on a product not intended. Walgreen’s may not get reimbursed for it. And at the end of the day, it hurts all of us.

Don’t do it.

Ebay-free insertion fees now through Feb 8

I got an email from ebay that there are no insertion fees now through February 8. I know what some of you are thinking as you read this “Ebay sucks! Their fees are too high!”

Yeah, I’m annoyed too. But they’re still pretty much the only game in town if you want to recoup some of your money on your items. I loathe craigslist and think it’s really skeevy….just a necessary evil if you have furniture or baby equipment. I feel dirty just after looking at the site, it’s so cheap.

And, yeah, so you’ll save a whole quarter with this ‘no insertion fees’ promo. But, I look at it this way–

First, even if it is just a quarter, it’s annoying to have to put out any money if your item doesn’t sell.

Second, I’m assuming that ebay is going to do other marketing endeavors to accompany this, and drive more traffic to their site. Heck, they got me to look at my account that hasn’t been touched in weeks. This is just the oomph I need to get the things listed that I have taking up space in my office. Hopefully millions of other people will also be driven to look at the site and maybe buy something.

Third, here’s a funny tip I learned from a fellow couponer. To avoid the fees on larger items, sellers are getting creative. This particular person bought a $200 gift card. She paid $1 for the gift card and $180 for shipping & handling. Dig out those unwanted gift cards you got for Christmas and turn them into cash!

Happy Selling!

new Kellogg’s link added to the resource page

If you look up top, I’ve added a resource page with helpful links for couponing. I find it helpful to have them all in one place. I’ve added a Kellogg’s link that they publish on their site. It’s a complete listing of every promo they are currently running, including mail in rebates.

National Catalina Deals

There are only a few national catalina deals I could find online. I’ll keep looking next week to see if any new ones pop up, since these all expire by the 6th or the 13th. It’s called a catalina (or cat, in couponer lingo) because the name of the company that does the promos is called Catalina Marketing and if you look at the little machines by the registers, it says Catalina on it. OYNO=On Your Next Order, you’ll get a coupon to use at the store for your next shopping trip. In most cases, they will roll and you can use one cat to pay for another order that will generate another catalina. Try at your own risk unless you see it reported that it’s rolling.
These should be running at all major grocery chains, now through February 6.
Purchase two (2) Kikkoman Marinades, Receive $1.50 OYNO
Purchase three (3) Kikkoman Marinades, Receive $2 OYNO
Purchase two (2) Lawry’s Marinades, Receive $1 OYNO
Purchase three (3) Lawry’s Marinades, Receive $2 OYNO
 
Catalina deal on Quaker products starting Friday, Jan. 21- Feb. 13:
Buy 2, get $1.00 off your next shopping trip
Buy 4, get $2.00 off your next shopping trip
Buy 5 or more, get $3.00 off your next shopping trip
Now through February 20:  
Purchase two (2) Crystal Light, Receive $1 OYNO
Purchase three (3) Crystal Light, Receive $2 OYNO
Purchase four or more (4+) Crystal Light, Receive $3 OYNO
Remember, you can still use coupons, sales, rebates and other promo, to stack your savings.