Five Finger Discounts
Groupon: Top Deals for September 3
I LOVE Groupon! I purchased 3 different ones this year. The first was for a 90-minute massage from Massage Envy for only $49 (Retails for $114). The second one was for a Gap store certificate for $25 (Retails for $50) and the most recent one was for Papa Murphy’s Pizza. This one was only $8 and it retails for $20. Someone’s having pizza in the next couple days!
Here’s the list of the Groupon’s available throughout the states for September 3rd. Special thanks to Savings & Stewardship for compiling this list.
Atlanta - $12 for $25 Worth of Asian Fare at Tin Drum Asia Café
Austin - $119 Helicopter Lesson for One or Tour for Three from Veracity Aviation in New Braunfels
Baltimore - $10 for $20 Worth of Fresh Roasted Coffee, Eastern Shore Teas, and More at Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company
Birmingham - $25 for $50 Worth of Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, and More at The Pants Store
Boston - $149 for a Tandem Skydive from Skydive Pepperell
Brooklyn - $20 for $40 Worth of Personalized Paper Products and Invitations Online from Between the Sheets Co. (ONLINE)
Buffalo - $10 for $25 Worth of Authentic Italian Fare and Drinks at Amaretto Italian Bistro
Charlotte - $25 for $50 Worth of Drinks and Merchandise with Included Cover Charge at Howl at the Moon (Up to $58 Value)
Chicago - One-Year Membership with Discounted and Free Tours to Chicago Architecture Foundation. Choose from Two Options.
Cincinnati - $10 for $20 Worth of Food and Drinks at By Golly’s Bar & Grill
Colorado Springs – $15 for $30 Worth of Dunked Fare at The Mona Lisa Fondue Restaurant
Dallas – $30 for $75 Worth of Services at Tangerine Salons
Denver - $65 Photofacial at Acomoclitic Laser & Wax Studio
Detroit - $5 for Three Games of Bowling Plus Shoe Rental and a Small Drink at Community Bowling Centers
Grand Rapids – $28 for an 18-Hole Round for Two Plus a Cart at Arrowhead Golf Course (Up to $64 Value)
Houston - $99 for a Full Set of Classy Lady Eyelash Extensions at Etsetera Lash Studio ($200 Value)
Kansas City – $30 for $60 Worth of Fine Dining at Benton’s Prime Steakhouse
Las Vegas – Teeth Whitening, Dental Exam, Basic Cleaning, and X-rays from Cheyenne Dental Group. Choose Between Two Options.
Los Angeles – $18 for a Dozen Cupcakes at Mrs. Beasley’s (Up to $42 Value)
Louisville - $70 Microdermabrasion and Deep-Pore Facial at Skin Spa by Salzman ($180 Value)
Miami - $42 for One-Year Associate Plus Membership at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables
Nashville - $35 for $70 Worth of Waxing Services at Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio and Day Spa Brentwood
New Orleans – $89 for One-Night Stay at the Wyndham Riverfront New Orleans with $20 Dining Credit
New York – $25 Mixology 101 Class at SideBAR ($50 Value)
North Jersey – $40 for $100 Worth of Custom Framing at Elite Picture Framing
Orange County – $30 for a Two-Hour Snorkeling Excursion from Riviera Yacht Charters ($91 Value)
Orlando - $14 for Two 18-Hole Rounds at Congo River Golf and Two Gator Feedings (Up to a $28.87 Value). Choose from Six Locations.
Philadelphia - $49 for a Microdermabrasion Facial Treatment at Hughes Center for Aesthetic Medicine
Phoenix - $25 for $50 Worth of Salon Services at Kohler Academy
Pittsburgh - $20 for $45 Worth of Upscale Eats at The Sewickley Cafe
Queens - $20 for $100 Worth of Eco-Friendly Rug Cleaning from PureGreen
Raleigh/Durham – $20 for a Hollywood Spa Manicure and Shea Butter Love Pedicure at Studio 714 West ($70 Value)
Salt Lake City – $15 for $35 Worth of Modern Cuisine at Spark Restaurant Lounge in Provo
San Diego – $7 for $15 Worth of Espresso, Smoothies, and More at Cuppa Cuppa Drive-Thru Espresso Bar
San Fransisco – Women’s Haircut or a Brazilian Blowout Hair Treatment at Head & Soul Salon. Choose Between Two Options.
Seattle - Membership or Admission to Nordic Heritage Museum. Choose from Three Options.
St Louis – $20 for $50 Worth of Classic French Cuisine and Wine at Chez Leon
Tampa – $10 for $20 Worth of New American Cuisine and Drinks at Boulevard Bistro in Seminole
Toronto - $60 for $170 Worth of Salon Services at Sugar ‘n Spice Studios
Washington, DC – $20 for One Airbrush Tan (Up to $50 Value) or $40 Toward Other Tanning Services at Body Rays Tanning or At the Beach Tanning
Vita Mix Blender – The Kitchen Appliance No Home Should Be Without
I’ve got to be honest with you. I hate infomercials. I also don’t care much for sales Kiosks where fast-talking snake oil salesmen wearing headset microphones attempt to mesmerize you with their clever words and trivial knowledge. In fact, the Vita Mix blender Kiosk at our local Costco had been up and running for several months before we finally approached it during one of our latest visits. Prior to that we would simply pass by the Kiosk paying little to no attention to it, waving-off invitations from the guy on the mic to try some of their “sweet cups of goodness”.
But something different happened on our last trip to Costco. Elena and I had recently purchased the Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice Extractor and were quite content with it. It was a superbly built machine with a fantastic industrial design. Built in Australia I believe. We were very much in love with this new machine and how it had started to change our lives by allowing us to create delicious raw vegetable and fruit juice smoothies.
Getting the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in our system has always been something of a challenge for us. One that we consistently failed at achieving. The Breville changed that by allowing us to extract the juice from carrots, peppers, celery, apples, etc. and make great-tasting drinks in the process.
In any event, for all its goodness the Breville had its weaknesses. Being a centrifugal juicer it was unable to extract juice from leafy greens like wheatgrass (which normally need to be squeezed through a press). It’s just not made for that. There was also a bit of waste created as nutrient rich skins and such get thrown into a waste bin during processing. You could compost or trash this material but either way your body does not get those nutrients. Lastly, clean-up is a bitch. The machine breaks-down nicely but there are several big pieces that have to be washed, rinsed and scrubbed, including the shredding disk that has multiple titanium blades sticking out of it.
Despite this, we still loved and used this machine and would have kept it if not for the Vita Mix blender demonstration we saw at Costco three weeks ago. You know, the one we had been passing by and ignoring for months. Well this time we stopped. Not because we were at all interested in a new juicer, but because we were looking for some recipe ideas to take home. During the demonstration one thing stood out as the lady with the headset microphone combined ingredients and blended its contents into a smooth delicious treat. There was NO WASTE. Zero, nada, zilch! The apple (skin, pits and all), the lime (with skin), spinach, kale, parsley, grapes, pineapple (along with its core), banana, ice was all effortlessly obliterated by the swirling blades that rotate at an astounding 249 MPH (That’s right Miles Per Hour). Needless to say we were impressed.
She then proceeded to make an ice cream sorbet with mint followed by a strawberry yogurt. Each sample as delicious as the last! When we told her that we loved our new blender but it didn’t do wheatgrass, she emulsified a handful of wheatgrass in the Vita Mix 5200 right before our eyes in 5 seconds flat. Once she demonstrated how quick and easy cleanup was we were sold. You essentially fill the main container half-way with water, add 1-2 drops of dish soap and blend for 30 seconds.
I am a germaphobe and never think things are really clean unless they go through a scalding hot wash cycle in my dishwasher, but when you see the lather that those blades create from 2 drops of soap you become a believer quick. Did I mention they spin at 249 MPH? Oh yeah.
Now this lady wasn’t the one that demonstrated the unit at our store, but she does an awesome job at showing you how this thing works. The video is a bit grainy for my taste but her presentation was so good I had to include it so you can see the power of this bad boy.
Since our purchase of the Vita Mix blender, Elena and I use it between 2 and 3 times a day. Considering we only used our Breville once a day that says a lot. That means our family is consuming 2-3 times more nutrient rich food daily! So what could we possibly be making that would require a turbo-charged blender? Good questions. We make a fruit/vegetable smoothie in the morning, a soup for lunch. Then at night we might make another smoothie or ice cream sorbet.
That’s right, you heard me correct, soup! All in the blender. For our creamy spinach soup we nuke about three potatoes in the microwave and then place that, with the rest of the cold ingredients like chicken broth, spinach, milk and some seasoning into our Vita Mix blender. Flip the switch and walk away for 4-5 minutes. When we come back steam is pouring out of the top of the container. The blades spin so fast that the friction they create can make a hot soup. Not warm, HOT. Not only that but you can create the creamy consistency found in restaurants. Want to make a creamy onion Walkabout soup from Outback? Now you can. The cool thing about that is I like soup, but usually we buy pre-made soups that are laden with sodium which acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life. When you make your own soup at home you control exactly what ingredients go into it. No more eating things you can’t pronounce and your body can’t digest. It’s back to basics with simple fresh ingredients.
The range of things you can create with this thing is astonishing. It’s fast, easy, and best of all, opens up a whole new world of dining possibilities. Household staples in my house like white rice and pasta noodles have been replaced by vegetables that I rarely, if ever eat. Kale, ginger, spinach, carrots, parsley, wheatgrass, beets, etc. The interesting thing is that if I ate any of these things for dinner I would have to cook them and then slather them in oil or butter to make them palatable. With the Vita Mix blender the vegetables go in raw and when combined taste delicious. Of course I wouldn’t throw random stuff in the blender without consulting a recipe book first. At least not in the beginning. It’s better to try combinations that are known to work then to create your own monsterpiece and then drink something dreadful. The Vita Mix blender comes with a great cookbook to get you started.
In short, I love the Vita Mix 5200 blender. My only regret is that I didn’t discover it 20 years ago. It’s pricey, make no mistake about it. But considering that eating is something we do several times each and every day, getting quality foods into our bodies is clearly the most important thing you could possibly do for you and your family. If you struggle with weight issues, find it difficult to get the 3-5 servings of vegetables each day, or the 2-4 servings of fruits your body needs, the Vita Mix blender WILL help you in achieving your nutritional goals. Why? Because it is quick, simple to use, easy to clean, and creates deliciously healthy foods that everyone in the family will enjoy. How do I know? Because when the most finicky person in the house (our 4 year old daughter who hates vegetables) is cheerfully drinking her raw spinach and kale smoothie and asking for seconds, you know you have something good.
Want to get your own? Click the following link and get FREE shipping (US and Canada Only) when you order now!
>>> Get your Vita Mix 5200 Blender Here<<<
Today Only: Get $50 Worth of Gap Apparel for ONLY $25
Groupon is having a wonderful deal today. You can get $50 worth of Gap Apparel (including sale items) for ONLY $25. This deal is valid at all the Gap Stores.
Don’t miss out- you can use this for back-to-school shopping or even for holiday gifts. The certificate is valid for use through November 19, 2010.
Earth Fare Dollar Days
Earth Fare is having their special “Dollar Days” sale. You can enjoy many great natural/organic items for just $1.
This sale applies to the following Earth Fare Stores only:
Raleigh, NC, Greenville, SC, Rock Hill, SC, Augusta, GA, Johnson City, TN, Chattanooga, TN, and Auburn, AL.
How to get a Motorola Droid 2 at an Unbelievably Low Price from Wirefly
Just over two weeks ago I posted a great find and told you step-by-step how I got my Motorola Droid X for $144.99. My secret weapon and best find for 2010 was Wirefly. Wirefly sells pretty much every phone for every carrier at the lowest prices I’ve seen anywhere (and believe me I’ve looked). After my recent purchase which was quick and painless, I was curious to see what other type of discounted pricing they would be offering for the recently released Droid 2. To say I was stunned by the deal would be an understatement.
Now before I go further I would like to say that since my original purchase I contacted Wirefly directly to see if I could get a discount code for my readers and they were nice enough to offer a $25 discount coupon for a limited time. That’s nice and all, but it gets way better because they are offering the Droid 2 at an unbelievably low price right now. How low I can’t say because I have also become an affiliate of theirs which means that I get paid a commission for each sale I generate through my site. But trust me, if it wasn’t worth it I wouldn’t be posting it. That’s just not how I roll.
Anyway, now that I am in a way linked to Wirefly I have to follow their rules and they have to follow Verizon’s rules which do not allow them to advertise pricing.
So let’s summarize where we are:
- The brand new Droid 2 from Verizon retails for $199.99
- Wirefly sells it new for a lot, lot less
- Use the coupon code NEWDROID2 to save an additional $25 off of Wirefly’s already low price.
How to Get the Deal?
Step 1
>>> Go to Motorola Droid 2 Offer<<<
Step 2
Click the “Shop Now” button to see the discounted rate.
Step 3
If you decide to buy, enter Coupon Code NEWDROID2 at checkout to save an additional $25 off their already really low price for the new Motorola Droid 2.
Keep in mind that these discounted rates apply to phones purchased with a new Verizon Wireless account. At least that’s what it says on their site.
If you buy one, let me know how you like it.
Tax Free Shopping Week
Tax Free shopping time is approaching. Below is the list of states that are participating this year. Click on your state for additional information.
| Alabama August 6-8 Connecticut August 15-21 Florida August 13-15 Georgia – not participating - (go HERE for more info) Illinois August 6-15 |
Iowa August 6-7 Louisiana Aug 6-7 Maryland August 8-14 Mississippi July 30-31 Missouri August 6-8 (some cities/counties excluded) New Mexico August 6-8 |
North Carolina August 6-8 Oklahoma August 6-8 South Carolina August 6-8 Tennessee August 6-8 Texas August 20-22 Virginia August 6-8 |
-Thanks to Kerry for sharing this list!
How To Get a Motorola Droid X for $144.99
On Saturday Elena and I went to Verizon to purchase a Motorola Droid X to replace our aging Blackberry Curves. They sell for $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate which means you have to pony-up $299 plus tax – which is 7.5% in North Carolina making the total cost per phone $321.42 ($299 + $22.42). Yuck! That’s a lot of greenbacks.
So later that night I did what I do best and searched for the best deal I could find on the Internet. By mixing, matching, and combining offers I was able to get a brand new Motorola Droid X for $144.99. In addition, I stumbled across one of the best ways to buy new cellphones online.
Here’s How I Did It
1) Sign-up with Ebates
Ebates is a free online service that pays you cash back for purchases made at any of over 1,200 stores. There are no points to redeem, no forms to mail in, and no fees. So what’s the catch? None. As long as you log into their site and make your purchase through one of their partner stores they get paid a referral fee. To encourage you to do this they share that commission with you. Simple and cool if you ask me.
>>> Sign Up For Ebates Here <<<
2) Search for Verizon
Once registered and logged-in, type Verizon in the search box that appears in the top right corner of the Ebates web page.
3) Select Verizon from Search Results
Select the Shop Now button corresponding to Verizon & Ebates Wireless Coupons & Cash Back.
4) Select Motorola Droid X
You are now taken to one of Ebates partner sites Wirefly. Select the Shop Now button corresponding to the Droid X by Motorola phone.
5) Motorola Droid X Purchase Screen
You should now be looking at a screen that not only shows the discounted rate for the Motorola Droid X phone ($179.99) but also the $35 Cash Back from Ebates you are entitled to if you make this purchase. From here you can add this and other phones to your cart, buy accessories and complete your order.
Conclusion
My husband was a bit nervous when he saw this deal online because he, nor I, had ever heard of WireFly. After a few minutes of browsing their site it quickly became evident that they were not some fly-by-night company. In fact it turns out that they are the Internet’s #1 authorized retailer of cell phones and wireless plans and it shows. Their site is fast, responsive and well thought out to address every need a user might have when purchasing a cell phone online.
For example, we wanted to keep our existing numbers and were concerned that the process would be complicated and that we might be better off going back to the Verizon store and letting them deal with it, but a quick search of Wirefly’s site revealed that their site can handle “number transfers” with ease. Just make sure you follow the process and let them know at the time of purchase that you intend to port your number. You can do this during the service selection phase of your purchase.
They offer Free FedEx shipping “both ways”. What does that mean? Essentially it allows you to try phones and networks out. If you are not satisfied you can send the phone back. That’s unheard of in the cell phone industry and one of those deal-changing service offerings that makes buying online a more compelling proposition. They also have real-time order tracking so you can see your phones’ progress as it works its way through their system.
In any event, we placed our order on Saturday @ 11:00PM and on Monday (2 days later) it had already shipped. That’s stunning considering the Verizon store had said it would take 7 days if I ordered through them.
Needless to say I am very excited about this new service and great find. If you are in the market to purchase a cell phone (any cell phone, even an iPhone) from any provider I highly recommend going to Wirefly through Ebates to get the best pricing. If you don’t have an account with Ebates you can get an additional $5 Ebates Cash Back if you sign up through the following link:
FREE Backpack from Staples
Staples has an AWESOME back-to-school backpack deal going on through July 31st.
Buy ANY backpack and get 100% back in a Staples Gift Card after easy rebate. Limit 1 per customer.
Online, you can see 4 available backpacks ranging from $39.99-$99.99. If you live near a Staples store, I’m sure you’d be able to have a larger variety to choose from. But for those that don’t, check out these FREE (after easy rebate) backpacks:
To earn a little extra “cash” for your online purchase, create an Ebates account today and you’ll earn $5 cash or a $10 gift card just for signing up, 2% cash back for your purchase in addition to your FREE backpack:)
Lands’ End T-Shirts for $4.99!
I LOVE solid-colored t-shirts. It’s what I wear most of the time. I usually get them when they are on clearance from Old Navy, Target or Lands’ End. I was thrilled to see that Lands’ End just dropped their prices to $4.99 because I happen to like their t-shirts the very best. They are so comfortable and wash extremely well.
You can buy them for this special discounted price through July 20th. Use the code JULY20 and the PIN 5810 to get FREE shipping (4-7 business days).
Also, if you sign up for a FREE Ebates account, you can earn 2% back on your order. Ebates will also start you off with a $5 sign up bonus (new accounts only)….that’s like getting one t-shirt FREE!
Both the scoop and v-neck t-shirts are available for this price in various colors and sizes. Enjoy!!
Harris Teeter Coupon Matchups for June 23-29
Super Doubles is officially on its way. Below are some links to sites that have done all the “coupon matchup work” for us. Happy Shopping!!
Special thanks to the above sites for helping us save!