
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!
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.
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 <<<
Once registered and logged-in, type Verizon in the search box that appears in the top right corner of the Ebates web page.
Select the Shop Now button corresponding to Verizon & Ebates Wireless Coupons & Cash Back.

You are now taken to one of Ebates partner sites Wirefly. Select the Shop Now button corresponding to the Droid X by Motorola phone.
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.
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:
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:)

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!!
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