February snowflake report

"A dolla make me holla"

If you read "Tracking my snowflake money," then you know I'm keeping track of all the extra money I can get to come my way this year.

Here's how I did in February

Amazon sales $.76 (I know, lame, March will be much better)

Rebate cards (moneymakers due to sending in regular rebate and "upgrade rebates," here's some info on the deal I did) $80

Staples MM $10.91

Total $91.67

 

The inspiration for my caption above

Tracking my snowflake money

Love getting money in my mailbox!--though only a little bit is a snowflake, the rest is reimbursement

The term "snowflake money" has different meanings to different folks, but, at its simplest, is just extra money.
This year I've decided to keep track of my snowflakes, with a goal of earning $800-$1,000. I think this is a great way to save up money for travel/future expenses OR pay off debt (as is commonly associated with snowflakes).

Here's what I consider "snowflakes" and what I'm doing to earn them:

• Rebate overages--I previously mentioned I buy free after rebate items at Staples to help meet minimum spends and how you can often combine with a coupon to make the deal a "moneymaker" or MM. Here's the post explaining Staples rebates and here's a post with an example of a moneymaker. So, I only consider the MM amount or overage part of my snowflake. The rest goes to paying off the credit card bill when due.
• Bank deals--last year I signed up for a couple new bank accounts to get cash bonuses (ie Chase's checking promo). I plan to do at least two this year as well. Only drawback is that the bonus is reported as interest--thus I'll get a 1099.
• Amazon selling--recently I dipped my feet into the Amazon Seller world and have listed and sold a few items. I'm selling those free after rebate items (see above) and other things around the house I don't need. This has the added benefit of helping me declutter as well. The drawbacks are packing/shipping fees and that Amazon takes a chunk of your profit.
• Free money promos--last year I made a few bucks from signing up for some prepaid cards (Visa Buxx, Amex Serve, Amex Prepaid), and I won a gift card. I'm hoping I'll find similar deals this year.

What I don't consider snowflakes, but others might

• Credit card sign ups for miles/points bonuses--since I don't take the cash back option, I can't exactly convert these bonuses to money to deposit in my bank account. Besides, the point of those bonuses is to travel for cheap!
• Cash/gift cards from friends/family--I like to spend cash/gift cards to splurge on things I wouldn't normally buy for myself.
• Statement credits--Such as Amex Twitter/Facebook/Foursquare promos and Small Business Saturday, again not really cold hard cash that I can deposit in the bank.

Now that you know how I define snowflakes, here's how I did in January
Amazon sales $22.33
Duracell rebate gift card $25 (bought $100 worth of free batteries from Staples)
Staples MM $5.99
Total $53.32
YTD: $53.32

Freebie Roundup: Mooyah burger, 9 months of Shoprunner 2-day shipping, greeting card, Unreal candy and more

Free Mooyah Burger

"Like" Mooyah’s Facebook page, submit name and email, wait for coupon to appear in window and print. Coupon expires five days from “like.” Mooyah has locations in AR, CA, CT, KS, MT, TN, TX and VA.

Get 9 months (6 months+90 days) of free 2-day shipping from ShopRunner

You can get free 2-day shipping from these merchants through ShopRunner

ShopRunner provides free 2-day shipping from a number of online merchants. One of the merchants is newegg.com, which I find myself using frequently to purchase free after rebate items to help meet minimum spends on new credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and my new Amex SPG card.

This is the direct link for six months of free membership. This promotion is for new members only. Deal is available until Aug. 31 or while supplies last. However, I signed up for a Cozi account here first since they are sponsoring the deal.

Add 90 days to your membership via ShopRunner Central

Go to your order history to find the free 90-day offer

You can get an extra 90 days for free by signing up for ShopRunner Central. After logging in, click “My Account” underneath your name at the top right corner. Then click “Track All Shipments and Orders” and you should see the offer for 90 extra days. Signing up for this extended my expiration date from February to May 2013.

From the FAQs

What is ShopRunner Central and why should I sign up?

ShopRunner Central is a free benefit to ShopRunner members that simplifies your shopping and organizes all your receipts in one place.

You will need an email account from Yahoo or Gmail in order to use ShopRunner Central. This apparently gives ShopRunner access to all of your emails so you may want to set up a “junk” email account for this or you can utilize the information from a post on fatwallet.com that describes how to revoke ShopRunner’s access to your email after extending your expiration date.

*The extra 90 days promo is for good for existing members as well as new members.

Cardstore: Free Personalized Greeting Card + Free Shipping

Cardstore.com has yet another free personalized greeting card offer with free shipping. Use coupon code CCK2248. Offer is available until Aug. 26.

Free sandwich from RaceTrac gas station

Join RaceTrac Insider for monthly coupons. This month’s coupon is for a free sandwich.

Free Unreal candy bar from CVS

"Like" the CVS Facebook page, enter your ExtraCare card number and email address, coupon will be sent to your email.

Possible $5 off coupon from cvs.com

I logged into my account on cvs.com and found a coupon for $5 in extra savings, redeemable in-store only and expires Aug. 26. I had the options to print or send to card, so I sent it to my card. So check your account for this coupon as well.

I didn’t see any minimum purchase requirements, just the usual fine print associated with all CVS coupons.

*Some restrictions apply. ExtraCare card must be presented to get these savings. Savings applied to total purchase with specified product. Excludes prescriptions, alcohol, gift cards, lottery, money orders, postage stamps, pre-paid cards and tobacco products. No cash back. Tax charged on pre-coupon price where required.

Free sample of Vi-Jon's Simply U Shampoo & Conditioner

Get a free sample of Simply U Shampoo and Conditioner from walmart.com. There is also a coupon available for printing for $1 off 2 bottles. You can also go directly to the sample form here.

Free sample of Purina Cat Chow Healthy Weight

Walmart.com also has a free sample of  Purina Cat Chow Healthy Weight. Or you can go directly to the sample form here.

Free 5x7 back to school print at Walmart

No coupon required, but you may want to print the pdf in case your associate isn’t familiar with the promo.

Good on instant or one-hour photo prints in Walmart Supercenters with 1-Hour Photo Centers.

Limit one per child.

Valid through the end of September.

Free (after rebate) printer/copy paper at Staples

Use this coupon to get two free reams of Hammermill CopyPlus Paper from Staples. You will pay $4.99 each plus tax in-store. Then go online and submit your information for an Easy Rebate. Your check will be mailed in 4-6 weeks. Make sure your cashier scans the coupon twice or print two coupons. Coupon valid until Aug. 25.

Recent shopping trips: CVS, Staples, Target

I use coupons to pay less for the things I need, so I have more money to spend on the things I want, like travel.

CVS

I spent $2.41 on these items and have $3 to use toward my next CVS purchase.

Why I shop there: CVS offers valuable ExtraCare Bucks (ECB) through its ExtraCare Rewards program. Basically, you get a coupon for X dollars off your next purchase when you buy certain advertised items. I roll the ECB from week to week to lower my out of pocket cost. I sometimes do multiple transactions in one shopping trip to roll rewards and minimize costs.

Transaction 1

Renu Sensitive--pay $7.99, get $4 ECB

Used $2 off manufacturer coupon--printed from coupons.com
Price: $5.99

 

Stayfree Ultra Thin--price $2.00

Used $2 off manufacturer coupon from newspaper
Price: Free!

 

(2) Milky Way bars--price $.50 each

Used $1 off 2 Milky Way manufacturer coupon--printed from coupons.com
Price: Free!

 

(2) Twix bars--price $.50 each

Used $1 off any 2 Mars candy bars from CVS Coupon Center (aka Magic Coupon Machine)
Price: Free!

 

Other coupons

Used $1 ECB from previous purchase
Used $3 ECB from email promo

Total (out of pocket): $2.15

Received $4 ECB

 

Transaction 2

Revlon Nail Polish--pay $4.99, get $3 ECB

Used $1 Revlon coupon from newspaper
Price: $3.99

 

(2) Milky Way bars--price $.50 each

Used $.75 off 2 Milky Way manufacturer coupon--printed from coupons.com
Price: $.13 each

 

Other coupons

Used $4 ECB from first transaction

Total (out of pocket): $.26

Received $3 EC

Total (out of pocket) for CVS: $2.41+ I have $3 in ECB for my next purchase.

Staples

I will make $4.02 after rebates on this transaction.

Why I shop there: This post explains why I like Staples. To sum up: free after rebate items can be a good way to meet a minimum spend for a credit card sign-up bonus, Easy Rebates that require no postage or cutting of UPCs and the potential to make money on a purchase when rebates are combined with coupons. Of course, they also have good deals on school and office supply products.

Week of 7/15

Titanium Antivirus Software $15.00
Bicmatic Grip Pencils $4.29
Staples Photo Paper $14.99

Used store coupon $5 off purchase of $30 or more
Used store coupon $15% off all software

Total: $29.26

Submitted the following Easy Rebates for $33.28
Titanium Antivirus Software $15.00
Bicmatic Grip Pencils $4.29
Staples Photo Paper $14.99 $13.99

Total after rebates: $4.02 moneymaker! 

 

Week of 7/22

Total after rebates: $.77

HP Photo Paper $9.99
Pentel RSVP Pens $4.00
Zebra #2 Pencils $4.00
(2) 8.5x11 Multipurpose Paper $6.99 each

Used store coupon $5 off purchase of $30 or more

Total: $29.20

Submitted the following Easy Rebates for $29.97
HP Photo Paper $9.99
Pentel RSVP Pens $4.00
Zebra #2 Pencils $4.00
(2) 8.5x11 Multipurpose Paper $5.99 each

 

Total after rebates: $.77

Target

Total: $2.02

Why I shop there: You can “stack” their store coupons with manufacturer coupons. Many store coupons can be printed on Target's website. Target also gives you $.05 for each reusable bag you bring.

Comet Stainless Steel Cleanser—regular price $1.99

Used $1 off Target coupon—printed from coupons.com

Used $1 off manufacturer coupon— printed from coupons.com (doesn't have be to redeemed at Wal-mart)

Price: Free!

 

Up & Up (Target brand) Cotton Balls--regular price $.99

Used $.50 off Target coupon
Price: $.49

Up & Up Isopropyl Alcohol--regular price $1.24

Used $.75 off Target coupon
Price: $.49

(2) Up & Up Aluminum Foil 25 sq. ft.--regular price $.99 each

Used $1 off 2 Target coupon
Price: $.49 each

Total: $2.02

*Some of the links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here
 

Freebie Roundup: Relaxation Music, Raising Canes

Lots of freebies this week!

Free 60 minutes of Relaxation and Meditation music

Relaxation & Meditation (Exclusive Amazon Sampler Featuring 60 Minutes of Music for Relaxation, Meditation, Massage, Spa & Yoga)

Free $2 Amazon MP3 credit with Tweet

Expires at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on July 27, 2012.

Free $2 MP3 credit

1. Connect your Amazon.com and Twitter accounts. (If you are not already signed in, you will be prompted to do so). A window will pop up when you connect your Amazon.com and Twitter accounts for the first time. The window will provide some information about the permissions you're giving Amazon.com. Although these permissions allow us to post tweets for you, we will only post the following message once automatically after you click the button below: "I just got a $2 credit for music from @amazonmp3 and @imdb.

2. Automatically follow @amazonmp3 and @imdb.

3. A $2 credit towards purchases at Amazon MP3 will be automatically added to your Amazon account.

4. After completing these steps successfully, browse for music at Amazon MP3, and click the "Buy MP3 album" or "Buy MP3" button.

5. If at any time you would like to disconnect your Amazon.com and Twitter accounts, you can do so from the Applications tab of your settings page on Twitter.

Amazon has many 25-cent songs available, including this catchy hit We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe).

Free shredding at Staples

Up to 5 lbs.

July 29-August 4

No coupon required

Free Chicken Finger

http://www.raisingcanes.com/locations/

Raising Cane’s is giving its customers one free chicken finger on Friday, July 27 (tomorrow!). Go to their Facebook page to print the coupon. I know where I’m going for lunch tomorrow!

Free Tea at McAlister’s Deli-Today, Thursday July 26

https://www.facebook.com/TeaFreaks

http://www.mcalistersdeli.com/locations/

Finish Quantum dishwasher detergent

You can skip the invite three friends part and just click submit after typing your info.

https://www.facebook.com/FinishDishwashing?sk=app_175604282562989

Eucerin Daily Replenishing Lotion

http://www.facebook.com/EucerinUS/app_367905096582525 

or

http://m.eucerinus.com/pledge/index

Dark And Lovely Anti Reversion Cream Serum

Answer YES to the first question.

https://www.facebook.com/darkandlovely/app_458785200812890

*Some of the links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here

 

The check is in the mail

I love checking my email and seeing a “the check is in the mail” message from Staples.

If you’re looking for a way to meet your minimum spend for a lucrative credit card sign-on bonus, then take a good look at Staples.

In thisblog post, I discussed how I used free after rebate items to help me spend $3,000 in three months. Well, Staples just happens to be my favorite store for this task. Why? Because of their Easy Rebates that require no postage or cutting of UPCs.

You simply go to their website, type in the information from your receipt and Staples does the rest. All of my easy rebates have arrived quickly with no hassle. The tiny drawback is the postcard-style check that can easily be overlooked and accidentally thrown out with junk mail. Still, Staples has always sent me a “the check is in the mail” email, so I know it’s on the way.

And if you pair the free after rebate items with a coupon (sign up for Staples emails), you can actually make money! Way cool, right?!

Staples also has a Rewards program. From the website: Staples Rewards are issued monthly when the value of the Reward is at least $10. Monthly balances of less than $10 will roll over each month until the minimum is met for that calendar quarter. If the $10 minimum for the quarter has not been met, the balance will expire at the end of the quarter.

The Rewards program seems pretty good if you buy a lot of paper or ink or recycle ink cartridges. Also, they frequently offer items that are free after rewards, which is different from a rebate. I haven’t been maximizing the Rewards program, but I signed up for it, just in case a good opportunity arises.

Check out thisweek’s ad for lots of free and sub-$1 office and school supply deals (some are after rebate, some are not). Happy shopping!

How I’m spending $3,000 in three months

When I signed up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, I knew I’d have trouble meeting the required spend to get the 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points. For some people this would be a breeze, but for a small spender like me, it presented quite a challenge*. Even if I charged every single expense I had that takes credit cards (gas, groceries, restaurants, cell phone, internet, water bill, car repairs, gifts, clothes, miscellaneous stuff), it wouldn’t come to $3,000. *I pay off my bill in full every month.

Plus, during the first two months I was still trying to spend $3,000 in four months to get 50,000 Aadvantage (American Airlines) miles from Citibank (there was a two month overlap). So I knew I needed to get creative. Initially, I thought I’d just buy some Visa gift cards at the grocery store. This would require me to take money out of my savings to pay the initial credit card bill and then “pay myself back” over time. I didn’t really want to do that.

Then I read how some bloggers were using rebates. Stores like Staples, Fry’s and newegg.com often offer software and other items for free after rebate. To date, I’ve bought about $550 of products and submitted 24 rebates. Whenever possible, I used a coupon as well, to help offset the sales tax, since rebates don’t refund the sales tax. I now have more photo paper and anti-virus software than I know what to do with!

My rebate goodies (minus a couple items that are in the mail)

Since most rebates take anywhere from four to eight weeks to send the check, I always purchase stuff at the beginning of a new statement cycle. That way the bill wouldn’t be due for two months, giving enough time for me to receive and deposit the rebate checks.

I realize there is some risk involved in rebates being that companies sometimes find various bogus reasons to deny them or my own human error could cause a denial.

I’m also participating in a few hotel promotions, one that provides a $75 mail-in rebate card and three others that will net me more than 100,000 hotel points to use in the future.