Black Friday is Coming Soon

This repost is about Black Friday.

If you are a saver like me, then you know the best day of the year is almost here. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is coming. This means a few things including great deals and large crowds. As I find good deals, I'll be posting them here. I will only be posting deals that have been officially released by the stores. In the mean time, check out some of my favorite sites for annual ad leaks. Remember that these leaks are not 100% correct which is why I do not share the deals until I know they are true.


Black-Friday.net
bfads.net
BlackFriday.com

Another thing to consider is that many stores will be opening on Thanksgiving this year. I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving but if I see good deals, I will post about them. Enjoy!

New Account Bonuses on Capital One 360

To celebrate Black Friday, Capital One 360 is hosting their annual sale by increasing their usual $50 new account bonus. The bonuses are available now through December 2, 2014 at 11:59 PM (EST).

• Checking account - $125 bonus
• Savings account - $75 bonus
• ShareBuilder - $150 bonus
• Home Loans - Discounts on closing
• Friend Referrals - $100 for two friends

I have personally had an account since 2009 and love the simplicity of it. The interest rate is slightly higher than the local banks and you can deposit checks by uploading pictures. I use it mostly for savings and have a local bank for my day to day banking, but as I mentioned Capital One 360 has a higher interest rate.

Make sure you read all the fine print and details regarding these offers. While Capital One 360 is a great bank and I personally opened my account with a similar offer a few years ago, there are a few steps you need to take to make sure you get the promotional money. It's not as simple as opening the account and then withdrawing the cash.

Capital One 360 is FDIC insured so you can feel safe saving your money with them.

60% off at Aeropostale Plus Free Shipping and Gift Cards

If you ever saw me on the weekend, I'm most likely lounging in a t-shirt and jeans. Winter? Throw a hoodie into the mix. Black Friday sales have begun online at Aeropostale which makes it a great time to add to my weekend/vacation clothing. T-shirts are currently as low as $5, while hoodies start at $10. Spend $75 for free shipping and $100 for a free $25 gift card towards a future purchase. If your total reaches the $100 use the promotional code 25THANKS for the gift card. The free shipping is automatic after $75.

From what I understand, you can get the free shipping with any purchase if you use PayPal at checkout or the promotional code FREESHIP. This is good to know if you don't want to spend $75+.

Shop at Home is currently offering 4% back on Aeropostale purchases.

Cheap (Possibly Free) Kitchen Electronics at Kohls

Kohls has begun offering their Black Friday deals online and do they have some great deals on kitchen electronics. The following electronics are $19.99 with a $12 mail-in rebate, making the final price $7.99 each.

• Crock-Pot 4-qt. Programmable Slow Cooker
• Presto Cool Touch 20-in. Electric Griddle
• Bella Rotating Waffle Maker
• Bella Panini Maker

Here's where the even better deal comes in. First, if you buy three items you will layout $59.97. This will qualify you for free shipping AND $15 in Kohls cash to use towards a future purchase. That brings your final cost for the three electronics to $8.99, or $2.99 each. You can also use the promotional code BLACKFRI to save an additional 15%. Since you're going to shop online, go through Shop at Home which is currently offering 10% back on Kohls.com purchases. The 10% will be calculated from the amount you spend, not the after rebate value. This means that you will get $5.09 back.

The final math for three items will look like this:

• Buy three electronics for $19.99 - $59.97
• Promo code BLACKFRI for 15% off - $8.99
• Get 10% back from Shop at Home - $5.09
• Submit $12 rebate form for three items - $36
• Get $15 Kohls cash - $15

You will end with a profit of $5.11. While there is no cost for shipping, you will still need to pay tax. Therefore, depending on where you live this can still be free or have a small cost associated. The rebate is valid for up to 5 items, however you will be $0.05 short for a second $15 Kohls Cash. This means that that if you buy 5 electronics, you'll pay $1.47 total, or $0.29 each.

Even without using Shop at Home, you'll still come out with all three products being free after the rebates and Kohls Cash. If this is your first time using Shop at Home, you'll also get a $5 new member bonus. That will turn this into a money making deal.

Black Friday Deals at ING Direct

I've talked about ING Direct before but I always wait until they are running a great promotion to remind you all about this online bank. By cutting their overhead costs of actual stores, ING Direct passes their savings onto the customer. While you can't just walk into the bank, you can feel safe knowing your money is still protected by the FDIC.

Current bankers at ING Direct can get a 1% cash back bonus on any purchase made on Black Friday using your debit card. Interestingly this is higher than the current interest rate so you'll make more money by spending your funds than saving them (crazy, right?).

If you don't already have an account, you can earn $125 when you open a new Orange checking account and make a total of 10 purchases (either signature or PIN-based) using your Electric Orange Card or CheckMate deposits (or any combination of the two) within 45 days.


Make sure you read all the fine print and details regarding these offers. While ING Direct is a great bank and I personally opened my account with a similar offer a few years ago, there are a few steps you need to take to make sure you get the promotional money. It's not as simple as opening the account and then withdrawing the cash. ING Direct was sold to CapitalOne. In February 2013, ING Direct will become CapitalOne360.

Just a Laugh: Black Friday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now it's time to get out there and shop smart. Have a fun day!

Hasbro Games Under $5 After Black Friday Sale and Rebate

If you love classic board games or need some inexpensive gifts for a secret Santa, kid, or other reason, I recommend checking out the Hasbro games at Target for Black Friday.

The games are on sale for $7 each but they are even cheaper when you use the Game Night Rebate that is currently being advertised on tv by Neil Patrick Harris.

The rebate works in increments of two games and is good for a maximum of twelve games. For two until eight games, the rebate is $2.50 per game. If you buy ten or twelve games the rebate goes up. The final price of the games will range from $3.67 (twelve games) to $4.50 (two games).

The rebate is for select games and Target sale is also select games. The following is a list that will work for this deal:

• Connect 4
• Jenga
• Monopoly
• Operation
• Scrabble

If I make it to Target, I'm going to pick up a few games. For under $5 these will be great for my classroom and Toys for Tots.

Get a $5 off $25 Credit on Amazon

Amazon would like to know when you plan to start your Black Friday shopping. When you answer the question and allow them to post your response on Facebook. In exchange, you'll get a $5 off $25 promotion for Amazon.com.

Upon completion of the "Share & Claim" action, a $5 off $25 or more promotional credit will be automatically applied to your Amazon account. Promotional credits must be redeemed by 11:59 PM PST on November 21, 2012. This promotion is available to customers located and with billing addresses in the United States. Limit one promotional credit per customer.

*Quantity is limited.

Official Black Friday Ad from Walmart

Another store has released their Black Friday flier.  Check out the Black Friday ad from Walmart to determine if there are any deals you are interested in for Black Friday.

Official Black Friday Ad from Target

Target is the first store I've seen to post an official Black Friday flier on their website. They have some good deals including a $10 gift card when you spend over $50 you spend before noon (select departments).

If you've been waiting to buy a Nook, this might be your year. The Nook Simple Touch will be $49. I personally prefer this type of e-reader to a tablet because there is no glare on the screen and the battery lasts a long time.

Another deal that is worth looking at will be the $60 iTunes giftcard pack for only $50.

Black Friday is Coming Soon

I am going to begin reposting sites that I truly enjoy using when it comes to saving money. This repost is about Black Friday.

If you are a saver like me, then you know the best day of the year is almost here. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is coming. This means a few things including great deals and large crowds. As I find good deals, I'll be posting them here. I will only be posting deals that have been officially released by the stores. In the mean time, check out some of my favorite sites for annual ad leaks. Remember that these leaks are not 100% correct which is why I do not share the deals until I know they are true.


Black-Friday.net
bfads.net
BlackFriday.info

Get $107 For Opening an ING Direct Account on Black Friday

Remember last week when I reminded you to keep an eye on ING Direct? Well, it turns out I was right. I just got home from my Black Friday shopping and checked out the deals.

ING Direct is offering $107 for opening a new checking account. They are also offering deals for children and teen accounts. This promotion is valid from now until Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 11:59pm (EST).

There are a few rules to get the free money, but nothing difficult.

1. $107 Electric Orange account opening bonus
Open Electric Orange November 25th - 27th and make a total of 5 purchases (either signature or PIN-based) using your Electric Orange Card or Person2Person Payments (or any combination of the two) within 45 days.
Your $107 bonus will be automatically deposited into your account on day 50.
Bonus only available for new Electric Orange checking. Only one bonus will be provided per household.
2. $27 Kids Savings Account opening bonus
Open a Kids Savings Account November 25th - 27th and we'll put a $27 bonus into your new account. Only available when you open a new account with at least one new Customer (either you or the kiddo must be a new Customer to ING DIRECT).
$27 bonus starts earning interest upon account opening, and is available for withdrawal after 30 days.
There's no minimum deposit amount required. 0.90% Variable Annual Percentage Yield effective as of 10/21/2011.
3. $32 MONEY account opening bonus
Open MONEY November 25th - 27th and make 1 Card transaction (either signature, PIN-based or with PayPassTM) using your MONEY Card within 30 days we'll put a $32 bonus into your new account. (Keep in mind, the teen gets the Card.)
Your $32 bonus will be automatically deposited into your account on day 35.
There's no minimum deposit amount required. 0.25% Variable Annual Percentage Yield effective as of 7/13/2011.

I personally use ING Direct and find the site to be really easy to manage. The best part is that even their free checking accounts earn interest. Yes, it's less than 1% but it's more than other banks. You can also feel safe in banking with ING Direct because they are FDIC insured.

Last year the Black Friday deal was $103 so they actually gave a raise this year.

Walmart's Black Friday Ad is Now Available

It looks like Walmart is the first store to officially post their Black Friday 2011 flier online.

Seeing their ad makes me want to just point out a quick piece of advise. Just because something is cheap doesn't mean you should run to buy it. Walmart is advertising a laptop for under $200. However if you look closely you'll notice that the laptop is outdated, even if it is new. My personal computer is over five years old and has more memory and ram then this new laptop does. That being said, enjoy Black Friday because it is a fun day and you can get some really great deals.

Repost: Black Friday is Coming

I am going to begin reposting sites that I truly enjoy using when it comes to saving money. This repost is about Black Friday.

If you are a saver like me, then you know the best day of the year is almost here. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is coming. This means a few things including great deals and large crowds. As I find good deals, I'll be posting them here. I will only be posting deals that have been officially released by the stores. In the mean time, check out some of my favorite sites for annual ad leaks. Remember that these leaks are not 100% correct which is why I do not share the deals until I know they are true.


Black-Friday.net
bfads.net
BlackFriday.info

$103 Free from ING Direct

ING Direct is offering a great Black Friday promotion. Open a checking account (new customers only) and you will get $103 deposited into your account

How it works

* Open Electric Orange November 26th – 28th, and make a total of 7 purchases using your Electric Orange Card or Person2Person Payments (or any combination of the two) within 45 days.
* For example: If you made 4 Card purchases and 3 Person2Person Payments within 45 days of opening your account, you’d receive the $103 bonus.
* Card purchases can be either signature or PIN-based.
* Your $103 bonus will be automatically deposited into your account on day 50.
* Bonus only available for new Electric Orange checking. Only one bonus will be provided per household.

Oh, and no need to enter a Reference Code or anything when you open your Electric Orange. We’ll take care of everything.

While you don't need a reference code for the promotion, please consider asking me to send you a personalized referral email address. It's a win/win because we will both get $25 after you open an account. Just email makingcentsofit@gmail.com and I will send you a personalized referral link.

Sale on PayPal Gift Cards at Swagbucks

Swagbucks is offering a Black Friday special on their PayPal gift cards. Today only, you can get $5 to PayPal for 550 Swagbucks. The normal price for this reward is 700 so this is a 21% discount.

If you haven't already started using Swagbucks, you really should consider it. There is no fee to join and no fee to use. Instead of using Google when you do web searches, head over to Swagbucks instead. Their search engine is powered by Google and Ask. For more information about Swagbucks, check out my original Swagbucks informational post.

Longest Black Friday Line Can Win You a Free iPad

The private airline security company, Clear, is all about helping you shorten the line at airport security. In honor of Black Friday which often hosts the largest lines of the year, they are giving away a free iPad to the person that shows them the longest line.

CLEAR is dedicated to helping you skip long airport lines and in honor of this commitment CLEAR is launching a Longest Line Ever sweepstakes starting today, November 22nd. With Black Friday around the corner and holiday travel in full swing long lines are appearing all over the country. To enter the Longest Line Ever sweepstakes participants must send @clear_me, a Twitpic of the longest line they can find including the hashtag #longestlineever and follow CLEAR on Twitter. Additionally, CLEAR's Facebook page has a simple upload tool for the sweepstakes and is hosting a gallery of all the images submitted.

Each week CLEAR will select one entrant to win a iPad and one entrant to win a free CLEAR membership, valued at $179 until December 31st, 2010. Even if CLEAR is not in your local airport your membership will not be activated until the winner uses their CLEARcard for the first time.

As for the value of Clear, I have seen it at the Orlando Airport a few years ago and it's basically like a fastpass lane through security. Instead of having to show your license and wait for it to be verified, Clear gives you a card with a computer chip. The chip stores your fingerprints and retina (eye) scan. A few seconds at their booth and your identity has been positively confirmed so you can walk right over to the metal detectors.

I can't say if it's changed much with the tighter security we see, but they do still claim to speed up the security process. It's currently only offered in Orlando so unless you travel a lot through MCO it's not worth the annual fee right now. They will be opening up soon in Denver, so keep an eye out in the future because if they spread to more airports it might be worth the money if you are a frequent traveler.

Is Walmart Really the Best Place for Black Friday?

Walmart has posted a press release regarding Black Friday. While they might be offering price matching, I'm not sure if its really the best store for the time crunch of Black Friday.

In fact, Walmart is one of the only retailers that will price match competitors’ ads on “Black Friday.” Customers simply bring in competitors’ ads and Walmart will match the price of any identical product right at the register, making Walmart the easiest place to save this holiday season.

While it would allow you to do all your shopping in one store, please consider the other parts to this equation.

1. Does Walmart offer comparable service plans to other, specialized, stores.
2. Will you still need to shop at other stores? Are they clustered together like a mall or all over town?
3. What are the time limits on deals? Walmart will probably only match "valid" deals so don't expect to show up in the afternoon if a competitors ad had hours listed.

If the items you want are specifically Black Friday deals at Walmart, it might pay to pick up the other stuff there too. Just make sure you're not going there only because they're offering price matching.

For anyone planning to shop at Walmart on Black Friday, head over to Walmart's website and check out your local ad.  Once at the ad, you can click "click here to get your map" and print out a map of the store showing where all the major Black Friday deals will be located.

Possible Black Friday Moneymaker at CVS

Check your email because I just got a $5 off $25 coupon for CVS which is good through Black Friday. Use this coupon along with the great Black Friday deals in the leaked CVS ad to turn your Black Friday into a money maker. Just buy $25 worth of the items listed below and you will not only get them all for free but also make a $5 profit.

If the leaked ad is correct, here are the free (after extra care bucks) items.

• Colgate Toothpaste - $3.99 (limit 2)
• Advil PM travel - $0.99 (limit 1)
• Excedrin - $0.99 (limit 1)
• L.A. Looks Styling Gel - $2.99 (limit 1)
• Listerine Pocketpaks - $2.99 (limit 2)
• Reese's Singles - $0.79 (limit 5)
• Mars King Size - $1.59 (limit 5)
• Philips in-ear Headphones or Universal Remote - $6.99 (limit 1)
• Eucerin Daily Skin Balance - $6.99 (limit 1)
• Herbal Essences - $3.99 (limit 2)
• Renpure Organics - $4.99 (limit 2)
• Carmex Lip Balm - $0.99 (limit 1)
• Old Spice or Gillette Deodorant - $4 (limit 1)

A Black Friday Discussion Site

The website, A Full Cup has a great message board to discuss Black Friday deals and strategies. Head over there if you want to see how others spend the best shopping day of the year.