Recently, I saved about $100 on-line when spending $300, all
on items that I would have purchased anyway. I bought items
from Kohl's, Logmein.com, Lands End, and GoDaddy.com-quite a
variety of on-line shops. The common denominator? All of
these retailers are aggressive with on-line promotions and
coupons.
Before discovering this trick, I'd look longingly at the
"coupon" or "promotional" code space while checking out
during an on-line purchase. Other lucky shoppers have a
promotional code, just not me, I'd think.
Recently, my luck has changed. Here's the trick. I execute
it after deciding on what to purchase, but before I check
out. It takes seconds.
1. Open a new tab or window in my browser;
2. Type the retailer name and "coupon" in Google in the new
tab (i.e. "Lands End coupon");
3. Many times I've found websites that show promotional
codes for the retailer. This is especially true with major
retailers that send out a lot of discount codes.
4. Fill in the promotional codes during checkout.
5. Savings.
The site that I use the most is Retailmenot.com.
Retailmenot.com is a coupon sharing site. Visitors post
promotional codes, and users rate whether or not the codes
work. According to the FAQ, retailers can pull the coupons
at any time.
Another site is bradsdeals.com, which is put together by
Lincoln Park resident Brad Wilson. Bradsdeals is more geared
for browsing (like if you're wondering what to get a sweetie
for Valentine's Day) than for times when you already know
what you want to buy.
Of course, you don't want searching for deals to cause you
headaches on your computer or, heaven forbid, lead to
identity theft. Unscrupulous websites can download all kinds
of nasty stuff. So, I contacted the More Money Less Angst
computer security expert, my brother Bob Sullivan. Bob is a
fan of coupon sites, and suggests that common-sense computer
caution applies. If you happen upon "a site that looks like
it might exist only to distribute 'malware,'" avoid it.
Keep your operating system software up-to-date with security
patches and run good anti-virus software to avoid problems.
So do you save money with promotional codes? Do you want to
know more about Bob? It's time for feedback.....Let me
know!
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