My new Rewards Program

Today I went to Barnes & Nobles for the first time. I had visited their website before, so a coupon for 20% off a new release DVD was already clipped and ready to go for a Christmas gift purchase.

When I arrived, there were an abundance of great gift ideas for both the men and women on my Christmas list, as well as lil ones! Being the bargain shopper that I am striving to be....I asked an employee if they had a rewards program (similar to Borders, I was hoping). Alas, they did!

"Bummer", I thought as the employee explained the annual fee of $25. However, after reviewing the terms and conditions, it wasn't such a bad deal. (Free would have been better, but let me explain).

Here is a summary of my purchases.
Rewards card - $25.00

Rewards savings summary:
$6.00 savings on book #1
$1.44 savings on book #2
$2.30 savings on DVD
$.62 savings on coffee at the cafe (yes, you even get 10% off coffee & cheesecake!)

$10.36 savings on my first day with the rewards program.

Another great perk is that you can have them pull up the rewards card # by the phone # you listed, when you applied. So, I gave my Mom that info and she has also used the discount on a new release book which saved her an extra 20%.

One more thing I liked, is that they sell Vera Bradley, which I love. I was told (although I haven't tried it yet) that I will get 10% those items too!

I only need 1.5 more trips similar today to earn back my rewards cost and I intend to make the best of over the next 364 days of my rewards card!

PS - You also get $50 in welcome bonus savings via email.

Free Books! (with a small s&h fee)

Today, as I was doing my normal household cleaning and getting the family ready for picture day, it occurred to me that perhaps I should finish up my shopping for the holidays early. This year, my budget for presents is the smallest it has ever been! Of course, when you are running your household with one income, that is to be expected. So, I am looking for some good online deals as shopping via the "net" makes Mama's life much easier and efficient.

Many of my family and friends love getting books as gifts. I looked at a variety of books and it occurred to me that used books may be a better bargain.

1. You can buy more of them.
2. You may be able to afford one your normal budget wouldn't allow you to purchase as New.

Check out this great website I stumbled upon.
http://www.paperbackswap.com

You basically swap books with other members, so the only price you pay is the price to ship the book to that person's home. On the "help" portion of this site, it mentions the average price to ship is a little more than $2.00. They even provide a template you simply print from your computer, wrap the two sheets of paper around the book, and mail it out!

Easy Peasy and Cheap!