Friday Online Bargain Shopping

I woke up this morning to an email from one of my favorite sites, Ebates, letting me know that Nordstrom was running a double ebate special for Friday.  Now, normally, I wouldn't run and just buy anything because there is a sale, but I had a $50 Nordstrom gift card burning a hole in my pocket.  How could I maximize this deal?  After clicking on the Ebates link, I head straight to the clearance section of Nordy's to try and find a pair of wedges for the summer.  I feel like I am completely behind on the wedge trend, but I didn't want to spend a fortune on the shoes.  Bingo!  A cute pair of Jessica Simpson shoes in my size pops up and in a variety of colors.  I choose "Birds of Paradise" for a fun summer pop of color and head to check out.  Here is where my deal gets exciting:

Jessica Simpson Jungle Espadrille Sandal in "Birds of Paradise"
Original Price:  $68.95
Sale Price:  $49.90 (25% off)
Tax:  $4.87
Shipping: $0 (I never pay for shipping, it's just my shopping rule.  Stores make plenty of money in the retail mark up to pay for shipping for the consumer.  Nordstrom allows you to pick it up at your local store instead.)

So, my total should be $54.77.  So, I plug in my $50 gift card.  Now my total is $4.77.  But wait!  I am getting 12% back from Nordstrom/Ebates.  That 12% works out to $6.57.  So, if I subtract the tax I paid from my Ebate, that means I got PAID $1.80 to shop at Nordstroms today plus I received a new pair of Jess Simpson wedges.  Not a bad day at the office.

Total Profit:  $1.80 (and a new pair of shoes!)

For tips on online shopping, see my previous post here.
To sign up for an Ebates $10 bonus, click here.  (New customers only)

This post was created entirely by me.  Ebates did not ask me to post for them.  I like their services and thought I would pass the information on to you.  I like shopping and I like saving money.  

Oscar Nominations Dress Winner

I just returned home and changed back into my pajamas to file all of my Oscar Nominations stories I have to take care of before I nap.  I wanted to post the winning dress before I hit slumberland. (My call time for the Nominations announcement was 3:30 AM!)

Congratulations to Lula for choosing the Banana Republic dress.  It was perfect for the occasion.  I looked professional, but I was comfortable and I was pleased the dress had pockets.  I was constantly on my phone or camera during the event, so they were very useful to me at 5 AM.  I was thrilled with the color and the stretch of the fabric because I don't usually have a lot of luck with Banana Republic. I decided to buy one from their petite line and that was definitely the right call for a 5'3" gal like me.

The cost of the dress is $150, but with free shipping, a 25% coupon, and 6% back from Ebates, my total cost was:   $116.72.

Dress:  Banana Republic
Shoes:  Guess, DSW
Jewelry:  Ring, Bracelet:  ShopTheLook.net
              Earrings:  Roni B

Lula, be sure to contact me so I can send you a $25 gift certificate to the store of your choice. Congratulations and thanks for picking such a great dress for me!

Cyber Monday

While I am not a fan of Black Friday shopping, I am a huge fan of Cyber Monday.  I love sitting on my couch and shopping all with a click of a mouse.  Given that it is my birthday week, I will probably buy myself a treat or two.  I have had my eye on these for awhile.  If you are going to the laptop for your holiday shopping, remember these three rules:

1.  Never pay full price.
2.  Never pay for shipping.
3.  Try to avoid sales tax.  Look for sites that either pick up the sales tax for you or an out of state site that does not charge sales tax to your home state.  (This is a big one for me as California sales tax is now flirting with 10%.)

I wrote a huge online shopping article awhile back, so start there and find out how one site will pay YOU to shop.  You will thank me later when you get a check back for your holiday purchases in January.  The article also has a link that adds $5 to your account for your first purchase.  Remember, that is $5 for you to add to your bank account, not $5 off a purchase.  Happy Shopping! Be smart, be safe, save money!!

Let me know what is on your holiday list too. I would love to hear what you are buying this holiday season.