The Cheapskate

Two Pixar classics on Blu-ray for just $11. How can you go wrong?

Here's an interesting deal for anyone who has:

1. Children
2. A Blu-ray player
3. A nearby Target store
4. A love of Pixar films

With a little coupon magic, you can score the "Monsters, Inc." and "Up" Blu-ray combo packs for $10.98 (plus sales tax).

Each bundle has four discs: two Blu-ray Discs (one with the movie, one with extras), one DVD of the movie (bonus!), and one disc containing a DisneyFile Digital Copy (for viewing on, say, a laptop or iPhone).

Start by printing this $8 off "Monsters, Inc." coupon. You'll need to install a small app called Coupon Printer, but it appears to be harmless.

Next, print this $10 off "Up" coupon. It also requires Coupon Printer.

Finally, head to this Hot Coupon World post, scroll down to the Expiring November 25, 2009, section, and enter a '1' in the field next to "Blu-ray movies: "Up AND Monsters, Inc. together." Then scroll all the way down, click "Get Coupons," and print the coupon.

Now hop in the car and drive to your local Target. I'm not 100 percent sure they'll take all three coupons, but a blogger over at Frugal Find (source of this nifty deal) reported they had success using it.

As someone who has children, a Blu-ray player, a nearby Target store, and a love of Pixar films (particularly these two), you had better believe I'm looking for my car keys. How about you?

Save 50 percent on hundreds of Skinit decals for dozens of devices.

(Credit: Skinit)

I'm a longtime fan of Skinit, which sells nifty vinyl "skins" (i.e. decals) for laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, and other devices.

These custom stickers are a great way to dress up otherwise drab gadgets. For example, I slapped a big ol' Michigan State University logo on the boring black lid of my Acer Aspire laptop.

From now until tomorrow (Oct. 22), Skinit is offering one of the best deals I've seen yet: 50 percent off all skins with coupon code HALFOFF.

Shipping will run you $2.99, unless your order tops $40, in which case it's free.

Skinit offers a gazillion designs, ranging from cars to sports to flags of the world. You can also create a custom skin by uploading your own photo or artwork.

The skins themselves are made of glossy 3M vinyl that promises to leave behind no residue if and when you decide to peel it off your hardware.

A 17-inch laptop skin usually sells for around $30, while an iPhone skin will run you $15. Cut those prices in half with the coupon and you've got some seriously good deals. Great gift item, too!

Sites like RetailMeNot are an excellent source of coupons you can use when you get to the checkout page.

(Credit: RetailMeNot.com)

This post is an update of one I wrote nearly a year ago. Due to recent events, I thought it deserved a second look.

There I was, about to order a pack of paper for my new Dell Wasabi printer, when I spied one of those omnipresent promotion/coupon code boxes.

The paper was already on sale at Dell, but I figured, hey, might as well try. So I did what I always do when faced with a checkout page: I went trolling for coupons.

In other words, I searched Google for "Dell coupon codes." These searches routinely lead me to sites like DealLocker, RetailMeNot, and Techbargains, which collect discount codes under one roof for easy searching and browsing.

And guess what: found one! There's usually trial and error involved, as some codes work and some don't. (Sometimes you'll know from the description if a code is valid for your item.)

But this past weekend I batted 1.000, scoring discount codes for four out of four purchases: the aforementioned printer paper, a Brother toner cartridge from SuperMediaStore, a hard drive from HP, and a patio furniture cover from Kmart. Total savings: about $30. Not a fortune, but a pretty good return on my investment of about 10 total minutes.

I can't guarantee you'll have the same level of success (I'd say normally I manage to find a working coupon one time out of three), but for heaven's sake, try! A few minutes of searching might save you a few bucks--or more than a few.

Got a "found coupon" success story to share? Hit the comments and make your fellow readers jealous.

Get 20 percent off your next Denny's Grand Slam (and everything else on your bill) with this coupon.

(Credit: Denny's)

People--supermodels, mostly--often stop me in the street and say, "Rick, your tech deals are insanely awesome, but what about food? Surely finding all those bargains makes you hungry?"

Then I say, "Yes, but don't call me 'Shirley,'" and they shake their heads sadly, having realized that bloggers are just as unfunny in person as they are online.

Anyhoo, it being Friday and all, I thought I'd take a tech break and serve up some cheap eats you can score this weekend:

• This printable coupon from Boston Market (PDF) gets you 20 percent off "any restaurant purchase." I'm not sure if that means the entire bill or just one item. Anyway, it's good until October 24. I recommend printing several.
• This printable coupon from Denny's (PDF) gets you 20 percent off your entire check. It's good until October 24. I recommend printing several.
• At Jamba Juice, you can buy one smoothie and get a second one (for a friend or kindly blogger) for $1. Here's the printable coupon. It's good through September 27.
• At Papa John's, you can buy a large two-topping pizza and get a large cheese pizza for 25 cents by applying coupon code 92209 at checkout. (Obviously you have to order online.) In other words, one pizza for the grown-ups and one for the kids. Good through October 4.
• Finally, old standby Restaurant.com is offering major savings on its gift certificates when you apply coupon code TREAT. $25 certificates will cost you just $3 apiece, while $10 certificates drop to just $1.20. That's some cheap eatin'! I'm not sure when the code expires, but you should definitely check out each restaurant's requirements before purchasing.

OK, there you go, food fans. Anything here whet your appetite? Me, I'm all about the pizza, the world's most perfect food.

Also, speaking of this weekend, my CNET overlords are chaining me to my desk for the remainder of this "100 Days of Deals" holiday thingy, so check back tomorrow (and every Saturday until 2010, apparently) for another deal from yours truly.

As for Sunday, well, it's anybody's guess what those crazy "CNET Staffer" kids will come up with, but if it's as bad as last weekend, we'll all have a good laugh on Monday.

Cheapskate out. (Wow, that's a terrible sign-off.)

Keep BetterDeal on hand at the grocery store to figure out which size offers the best deal.

As I often tell people, it's not the price of the iPhone that bothers me--it's the monthly fees! (Grumble, grumble, AT&T, grumble.)

Alas, while there's no way to get around that $70/month minimum, at least I can use my iPhone to save money on other things: gas, groceries, books, DVDs, and even energy. Let's take a look at five killer apps that can help you pocket extra cash.

• BetterDeal Next time you find yourself standing in a supermarket trying to figure out which size box of corn flakes provides the best bang for the buck, fire up BetterDeal. This 99-cent app lets you compare prices for up to four packages to see which is, well, the better deal.
• Gas Buddy Saving a nickel or dime per gallon of gas may not seem like much, but it adds up over time. Gas Buddy ($2.99) shows you which nearby stations have the lowest prices (and provides maps if you don't know the area), so you can pocket that extra change every time you fill up. (Obviously this app works best for those who live in densely populated areas--and drive a lot.)
• MeterRead You know the mantra: Save electricity, save money, save the planet. But does turning off lights when you leave a room really make an impact? MeterRead helps you find out by keeping tabs on meter readings (which you record periodically) and projecting your energy usage. It's strictly an informational tool (one with a mediocre interface), but if you're serious about saving energy, this 99-cent app should help.
• pic2shop So you're at Target, about to plunk down your cash on Firefly: The Complete Series on DVD (good call), but then you wonder: Is this the best price? Find out fast with pic2shop, which scans product barcodes and quickly pulls up the prices from "thousands of online retailers" (according to the developer). The live (i.e. real-time) barcode scanning is seriously cool, and the app itself costs nothing. Win-win!
• Yowza Mobile Coupons In an ideal world, your iPhone will serve up proximity-based coupons, like "get $1 off now!" when you drive by a Jamba Juice. For now, Yowza (free) is the closest thing. It finds deals in your area, though only from merchants that have partnered with the service. That may limit its viability for some users (get more partners, Yowza!), but I found about half a dozen coupons within 15 miles--including one for Finish Line, and I'm in the market for new running shoes. Score!

I know a lot of people are partial to AAA Discounts, which serves up deals near your location. Great app, but only if you're a triple-A member.

I'm also a fan of the suggestion over at Wise Bread to use Pandora instead of buying music, though why limit yourself to one music-streaming app? Grab Last.fm and Slacker while you're at it.

OK, you've got my picks. Now tell me what apps you've used to save money--and how much you've saved!

One of the all-time great Cheapskate deals: 800+ free MP3s.

(Credit: Rick Broida)

I've been at the helm of The Cheapskate for about 18 months now. I don't know how that works out in dog years, but I figure it's the musical equivalent of cutting six or seven albums. (Don't ask me where that math comes from. I was an English major, and I'm working toward a metaphor, dammit.)

Consequently, I decided it was time for a "Greatest Hits" post--a collection of some of my favorite money-saving tips. If you're new to the blog or just missed these the first time around, I hope you'll find them useful.

• Before you click "buy," search for coupons: Do you wish you had a big, juicy coupon code for the checkout page? A quick bit of Google searching may produce one. Or hit up Web sites like DealLocker and RetailMeNot to browse their coupon collections.
• Save a small fortune on prescription eyeglasses: Are you still paying hundreds of dollars on every pair of glasses? Order online and you can get out the door for less than $40, possibly even less. I probably wouldn't use Zenni Optical again, if only because of their slow shipping and poor communication. But there are plenty of other online eyeglass-makers to try.
• Get 770 free MP3s from Amazon: Actually, the count is now 827, with more tunes being added on a weekly basis. You may not recognize many of the artists, but trust me, there's some good, good stuff in here.

Did I leave out any of your favorite "hits"? Needless to say, I'd love to hear what deals really made your day. In the meantime, thanks for 18 months of kind words and support. I'm looking forward to the next 18 months!

Score a day's worth of deals at Sam's Club with a one-day membership pass.

(Credit: Sam's Club)

Want to stock up on batteries, toilet paper, rice, and other bulk essentials? Head to your local warehouse club.

Of course, normally, you have to pay an annual membership fee to reap the savings, but Allstate has a coupon (PDF) that'll get you into Sam's Club for a day--and waive the usual 10 percent upcharge that nonmembers pay.

I realize this isn't a tech deal, per se, but Sam's Club does carry a variety of computers, electronics, and the like. Plus, the coupon lives on the Web, so it kinda sorta fits, right?

Anyway, there's nothing to indicate you need to be an Allstate customer to use the pass (which is good until March 31), but you do need to visit an actual Sam's Club store: The coupon isn't valid for Samsclub.com.

What say you, fellow cheapskates? Are you already out the door and heading for your nearest Sam's Club? Or do you find warehouse clubs much ado about nothing?

Personally, I'm a Costco guy. While I do love their produce and bulk batteries, I find their computer/electronics prices to be a little on the high side. Of course, Costco's return policy is pretty awesome.

(Credit: Rick Broida)

There I was, about to order something from Buy.com for Mrs. Cheapskate (am I way ahead on holiday shopping? Yes I am!), when I noticed the ever-popular Promotion Code box.

Rats, I thought--I don't have a promotion code. But then, a light bulb: maybe the Web does.

A quick Google search later ("Buy.com promotion code"), I'd snagged a 5-percent-off coupon. Total savings: $7.50. Not a fortune by any stretch, but a pretty good return on my 30-second Google effort.

There's also a site called DealLocker that collects coupons under one roof for easier searching and browsing.

I've done this a few times before. While at the checkout page for an online store, I'll pop open a new browser tab and search for coupon codes. Sometimes the results are fruitful, like today, but not always. Sometimes the codes are expired or invalid. But, hey, it never hurts to try. The moral of the story: a few minutes of searching can often save you a few bucks--and maybe even more than a few. Give it a try the next time you buy.

(Credit: Free Shipping On)

There's a new Web site in town that has Cheapskate written all over it: Free Shipping On. Terrible name, great service: It enables you to search Amazon and eBay for only those items that have free shipping. It also corrals free-shipping deals from over 500 other stores, from Apple to Home Depot to WebUndies.com.

I particularly like the eBay search tool, as it drives me nuts when I find a seemingly great deal on something and then discover a ridiculously inflated shipping charge. Both the Amazon and eBay tools can be added to your browser's list of search engines, meaning you can use them without having to visit Free Shipping On proper.

While you're at it, stop by Deal Locker, a discount-coupon site from the same developers.

via AppScout