Hidden Auction Blog

Get cashback while shopping on eBay!

You can now get 3% cashback from ebates when shopping on eBay– both for regular auctions AND “Buy It Now” auctions.

All you need to do is click through ebates‘ website– that’s it! If you’re not already signed up for ebates, click HERE to start getting cashback from over 1000 stores AND receive a $5 sign up bonus (and I’ll get one too– whoohoo!)

Happy cashback on eBay!

In the press: I’m one of the “cheapskates” profiled in an Associated Press article, available online NOW.

Anne D’Innocenzio, the Retailing reporter for the Associated Press wrote an article entitled, “Extreme cheapskates: Tightwads revel in frugality”– and yours truly was on of the “cheapskates” profiled.

You can read the article HERE (link to Newsweek)

Target: ANOTHER fantastic snack *steal*– Mott’s applesauce for $.14!

The 6 pack of Mott’s applesauce is on sale for $1.69 at Target

Stack the following TWO coupons together:

Target coupon for $1 off Mott’s applesauce found HERE

*and*

Mott’s manufacturer’s coupon for $.55 off found HERE

(you can print TWO per computer– in order to print two of any “bricks” coupon, when the first one just finishes printing, press the back button 7 or 8 times and a second, unique coupon will be generated.  Then ask your friends and family to print more!)

So, let’s do the math together, shall we?

$1.69
less $1 Target coupon
less $.55 Mott’s coupon
EQUALS a measly $.14

If you don’t eat applesauce this would be a *great* item to pick up to donate to a food pantry!  Find more ways that you can donate without spending anything (or close to it!) HERE

Happy (almost free!) snacking!

Thanks to Cassie at blogginmomma for the info!

FedEx/Kinkos: TODAY (3.10.09) only, get 25 FREE copies of your resume printed.

Offer is good for 25 black and white resume copies per customer and is only valid for orders placed and picked up in store.  Customers may place orders by submitting their resume in a printed or digital formal and the copies will be printed, single sided, on resume-quality paper. 

Happy FREE resume printing!

Thanks, Kelly, the Bargainista– for the info!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle *and* REPURPOSE! Great ideas how to utilize formerly unused items in your house.

Why go shopping when you have some perfectly fantastic items in your house just waiting to be discovered and given a new (and improved!) use?! 

First a few easy ones:
-Old cotton shirts make excellent rags
-Orphan socks make excellent dust and/or polishing rags (particularly for items that have lots of small crevices)

The following crafts require some sewing skills– I’m no seamstress– not EVEN close– I can (barely) sew a straight line, but I’m bound and determined to learn and improve.  My grandmother was a professional dressmaker, I whereas I won’t be giving her a run for her money any time soon, these are crafts that even *I* can do.  And since you can now get sewing machines for less than $100– even less, if you find one at a garage sale or Craigslist (just make sure it works!)  You might even find someone who is happy to get rid of theirs. 

A few repurposing ideas:
-A man’s dress shirt can become a little girl’s dress, see HERE for instructions
-An old pillowcase can also become a little girl’s dress, see HERE for instructions
-Old jeans can become a purse, see HERE for instructions
-Use some of that denim to make cute slippers see HERE
-An old leather skirt can become a fabulous purse, see HERE for photos (be sure to use a needle appropriate for leather AND use upholstery thread. (Thanks, Erika!)
-Old wool sweaters can be felted and made into a TON of things including, but not limited to:

• A flower pin, see HERE for instructions
• A tote bag, see HERE for instructions
• A puppet, see HERE for instructions
• A potholder, see HERE for photos
• A hat, see HERE for instructions

Have any great repurposing crafts? Please share! Post a link in the comments section or email me and I’ll update this post!

Happy repurposing!

Naartjie: 20% off your ENTIRE purchase, 3.12.09-3.18.09

To redeem, use code: BOHO

Valid online, in store and for phone orders, too.  Coupon must be presented when shopping in store– but if you don’t have a coupon, if you’re nice– they’ll likely honor the discount. 

Happy shopping!

Thanks, Lois and

Listen to me LIVE on WGN AM 720 in Chicago at 11:30pm Monday, 3.9.09

I’ll be back on the Steve and Johnnie Show on Monday, March 9th at 11:30pm.  If you’re in Chicago, you can listen to me on 720 AM.  You can also listen online at www.wgnradio.com.  Click on “LISTEN NOW”

Hope to see you there!

Don’t think you have a store coupon? You just might– these stores accept competitors coupons!

This is NOT meant to be an exhaustive list– please email me or leave a comment if you identify additional stores that should be on this list– I will continuously update this list as policies can and do change.

Additionally, many of these are YMMV (your mileage may vary) when they say SOME stores– always maintain your composure, call ahead to your local store if necessary to get clarity on their policies.  Always, be nice AND remember the name of the manager who told you that you COULD use the coupon. And, whenever possible, get the coupon policy in writing.. send an email to corporate and print out their response.

Many cashiers are ill informed and/or poorly trained on coupon policies, be nice but firm.  Whenever you have the policiy in writing keep it in your coupon binder.  It’s your money, you work hard for it– fight for your right to coupon!

Here are the stores that accept competitors’ coupons:

Grocery Stores:

Publix: accepts competitors $s off coupons, i.e. $10 off $50 *and* store coupons, i.e. $1 off produce– some Publix stores will accept SuperTarget and Walgreen’s coupons– others will only accept coupons from direct competitors meaning only other grocery stores. Do not accept competitors’ prescription drug coupons.
Winn Dixie: Some stores will accept competitors’ prescription drug coupons
Albertson’s: Some stores will accept competitors’ prescription drug coupons

Mass/Discount Stores:

Target: Some Target stores will accept competitors’ prescription drug coupons
Kmart: Some Kmart stores will accept competitors’ prescription drug coupons
Walmart: Some Walmart stores will accept competitors coupons (i.e. $10 off $50 and $1 off Revlon) and ALL Walmarts match competitors’ advertised prices (NOT buy one get one frees or percentage off— i.e. 25% off shampoo– but they DO match advertised prices–i.e. Aussie Shampoo: $1.49)

Craft Stores: All of these stores accept each other’s coupons.

Michael’s
Joann’s
AC Moore

Pet Stores: All of these stores accept each other’s coupons.

Petco
Pet Supermarket
Petsmart

Home Improvement Stores: Both of these stores accept each other’s coupons.

Lowe’s
Home Depot

Drug Stores:

CVS: competitor prescription drug coupons should be accepted in ALL CVS stores, selected stores will also accept Walgreen’s and Rite Aid coupons, both $s off (i.e. $5 off $20) and store coupons (i.e. $1 off Revlon)
Walgreen’s: accept competitors’ coupons for prescription drug coupons.
Rite Aid: accept competitors’ coupons for prescription drug coupons.

Office Supply Stores:  All of these stores accept each other’s coupons.

Office Max
Office Depot
Staples

Home Stores:

Bed, Bath & Beyond: since Linens N Things went out of business, no more competitors to speak of– however, BB&B accepts its OWN expired coupons, as long as they are hard copies (not their printable coupons) so DON’T throw them out just because they’re expired.

Happy Competitive Coupon Accepting!

Moving? Be sure to get your 10% off coupons from BOTH Home Depot and Lowes!

When you go to the Post Office to get your change of address form there is a 10% off coupon for Lowe’s (it will also be accepted at Home Depot– as BOTH Home Depot and Lowe’s accept each other’s coupons.)

You can also get coupons for both Home Depot and Office Depot online if and when you move.  Find them here:

Home Depot: HERE (10% off your purchase with a maximum discount of $200)
Lowes: HERE (10% off your purchase with a maximum discount of $500– includes special order merchandise)

Both coupons have a unique code so they are one time use ONLY at their “native” stores– meaning that once you’ve used your Lowe’s coupon at Lowe’s it won’t be able to used again.  But again, you can use both of these coupons at EITHER store. 

Happy moving and discount shopping!

How I got $54.63 worth of groceries, a prescription and *MADE* $7.87

Transferred a prescription to Albertson’s (some Albertson’s accepts competitors coupons, I used the Walgreen’s coupon found HERE)– paid my co-pay, which was $14.86 and got a $25 gift card (for those of you following along that’s a profit of $10.14)

Do your local grocery stores accept competitors’ (or have their own) transferred prescription coupons?! Be sure to call and ask!

Then I went food shopping, here’s the score:

Total Spent: $27.27 (excluding gift card); $2.27 (including gift card)

Total Saved: $27.36 (excluding gift card); $52.36 (including gift card)
Retail Value of Goods: $54.63

Percentage Saved: 50% (excluding gift card); 96% (including the gift card)

Again, for those of you following along, since I made a ‘profit’ of $10.14 on the prescription and only spent $2.27 out of pocket, I actually “made” $7.87 for shopping– whoohoo!

Here are the details:

-Lobster (yes, LOBSTER!) tails (x3, regularly $10/each, on sale for $3.99)
-Salmon Filet (x3.5 lbs, regularly $7.99/lb, on sale for $5.99/lb– but I had a raincheck for $3.99/lb– *even* better, no?)
-Bananas (x3 lbs, $.69/lb)
-Cucumber ($.99)
-Turnip ($.49)– more on this turnip in an upcoming post!
-6 plastic cups (regularly $.50/each, on sale for $.20/each)

So, enough salmon and lobster for TWO full meals– enough bananas for, well, those lasted approximately 4 seconds around here, have I mentioned that my kids might be part monkey? Seriously, they were gone in less than an hour– for those of you good at math, that means that my 3 kids each ate an average of 1 lb of bananas in under 60 minutes.  Sigh.

All in all, a *very* successful shopping trip– whoohoo! Okay, off to cook some yummy lobster (yes, lobster– for FREE!)

Happy grocery shopping!