Lowe’s puts out scratch-and-dent appliances regularly.  These are display models, appliances that got slightly damaged by a forklift, or customer returns.  They’ll knock down the price for someone who doesn’t mind a little blemish on the appliance, or one that’s slightly used.

We’ve gotten a few good deals with scratch and dent appliances, but for me the shopping experience hasn’t been the same kind as shopping for a brand-new (i.e., full price) unit.  The units are taken as-is, where-is, with no reservations, and the employees on occasion haven’t been that willing to answer a lot of questions about the items.  (Not that they should, I suppose.)

Well, my wife really hit the jackpot with one last week, and they took really good care of her.  Our new house’s refrigerator/freezer is a side-by-side unit, and has less space than the one in our old house, which had the freezer compartment at the top.  We looked for another on Craigslist, but weren’t having much good fortune, so we decided to get a new one, figuring that in the long run the operation costs of a more modern unit would justify the extra cost up-front.

Off to Lowe’s she went.  She found a scratch-and-dent unit (18 cubic ft.) that originally was $499.  The “scratch” was literally that: a tiny scratch on the back bottom of the right side of the unit.  For this, they knocked off $100.  But wait!  There’s more.  She was able to use a 10% off coupon with this item.  Down to $359.  But that’s not all!  They had a deal running with free delivery on appliances.  She got free delivery.  The next day.

Yeah, Lowe’s treated her pretty well.

(This guest post is by Ann Smarty, a search engine geek, social media enthusiast and a passionate blogger. She has recently started a community of guest bloggers, so if you have a blog and want to promote it for absolutely free, go help Ann build the valuable tool for that by joining and participating.)

Bargain hunting is only effective when done right otherwise you find yourself using a coupon whenever you are aware of one (which causes even more spending) or always forgetting to use a coupon (how many of us first buy something and only then remember they saw a deal for the same product in another store?).

Anyway, here’s my point: to take advantage of special offers, you don’t need to be a bargain hunter (meaning that you don’t need to keep track of all the deals and coupons around the web). All you need is to know how to find a good deal only when you need one.

And, quite naturally, when it comes to searching, Google is more often than not the only tool you will ever need. So here are the 3 (somewhat advanced) Google search tricks to help you find a good timely deal:

1. Search for Synonyms and Related Words

Various sites can use various words to call its special offer: a bargain, a coupon, a sale, etc, etc. To make sure you include all those in your search results, try the following tricks:

1. ~ operator

This search operator will include all synonyms which it refers to, for example [laptop ~coupon] will include [laptop promotion], [laptop deals], [laptop sale], etc and even [laptop free shipping]:

2. OR operator

If you want search results to include any of the terms you mention, use OR between them, for example laptop (coupons OR deals OR promotions):

3. * operator

If you are unsure what exactly you want to search (for example, you don’t know which exactly computer you plan to buy), use * (wildcard) operator. Google will substitute it for one or more related words. For example, [ "* laptops coupons" (with the quotes) will include Dell laptops coupons, cheap laptops coupons, instant laptops coupons, etc:

2. Search For the Recent Results

One of the search options I use most of the time is Google's date search: it is accessed via clicking "Show options" link above the search results. It opens up a search side panel which contains the following options:

• Latest (to see real-time search results from social media sites like Twitter);
• Past 24 hours (to see pages created/updated over the past 24 hours);
• Past week (to see pages created/updated over the past week);
• Past year (to see pages created/updated over the past year);
• Specific date range (to choose the time frame).

These options are an awesome help if you need to find most recent search results (in our case, to find fresh deals and newest coupons).

3. Search Within a Site

We all have our favorite sites when it comes to any daily tasks and interests. For example, for me, Google is the only tool to do web search (I never need to use any other) and Buxr is the only site to locate a shopping deal. For the maximum efficiency, I just need to combine the two.

Google's SITE: operator allows to restrict your search to any given domain, for example [site:buxr.com], plus you can take advantage of any search tip listed above:

Why do I need to search within any site using Google? It is simple: Google offers plenty of unique search options no other site has: besides the two most awesome ones mentioned above, there are other advanced search operators as well as advanced search features and recent advances. With Google’s SITE: operator, you get the freedom to use all those great search opportunities to search any site.

So the fact is, Google is a nice service in itself but when used to its full capacity it becomes your #1 tool no matter what you need to do.

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My wife and I have recently discovered the wonders of raw organic agave nectar for sweetening tea and other things.  (It’s low-glycemic index, and it doesn’t overpower the taste of what we’re sweetening the way honey or maple syrup does.)

We tried a small bottle from the grocery store, and like it enough that we want a supply of it.  Amazon.com carries the brand we use at a price substantially cheaper than what the grocery store charges.  (We have Amazon Prime.)

What makes an even better deal of the whole thing is that this item qualifies for Subscribe & Save.  In exchange for agreeing to have the product automatically delivered, I get a 15% discount. The quantities and delivery frequency are flexible, and I can back out at any time.  Now, I don’t just “subscribe” to get the 15% and then back out, without ever having the intention of buying more than one.  That’s probably something that’s going to get me flagged as a problem customer, and I don’t want that.  But we estimated about how much we would use, and Subscribe’d & Save’d accordingly.  The other item we have on Subscribe & Save is the sugar-free vanilla syrup that we use to make my wife’s steamers.

Anyway, this is an easy way to make good deals at Amazon.com 15% better.

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I use RetailMeNot.com regularly for purchases on the web, especially when I register new domain names. There’s usually a coupon that knocks a buck or so off the price for the first year.  I like the ease with which I can look up coupons, as well as the user voting that gives a good picture which codes are still good.

Anyway, RetailMeNot is giving away a $100 gift certificate each day through December 22nd, 2009. To enter, here’s what you need to do:

• Follow @retailmenot on Twitter
• Tweet about your favorite store (or stores) with the hashtag #retailmenot (like I did here)
• Rinse and repeat through the 22nd

Whether you find some good coupons, or whether you actually win $100, RetailMeNot is an easy way to take a little bite out of the holiday shopping season!  (Be sure to check out the official rules on the site.)

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Now that it’s officially official that we’re into the official holiday shopping season, Mr. Rebates has increased its rebate percentages on 300 stores.  Using this and other rebate sites give you more bang for your buck.

Some bump-ups that caught my eye:

• Walmart – 3% (up from 2%)
• TomTom – 10% (way up from 2%)
• Reebok – 10% (up from 6%)
• Men’s Wearhouse – 10% (from 5%)
• Godiva – 7% (up from 5%)
• Franklin Covey – 10% (from 7%)
• Elizabeth Arden – 11% (up from 6%)
• David’s Cookies – 10% (up from 5%)
• Brookstone – 8% (up from 6%)
• Borders – 6% (up from 4%)
• Aeropostale – 6% (up from 3%)

That’s just a few.  Plus, Mr. Rebates is also giving away approximately five random $100 bonuses each day through Christmas!  The short version is that there’s a chance to win with each eligible click-through to a store.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Sign up with Mr. Rebates for free. They’ll even start you off with five bucks.
2. Check out the link at the top of the page (”Extra Cashback at 300+ Stores”) to see all of the stores that have bigger holiday rebates.
3. Scroll to the bottom of that page to read the official rules of the contest.
4. Relish the fact that you’re spending a little more wisely

Again, there’s no cost to join Mr. Rebates, and you always have complete control of how, where, and even if, you spend your money.

Enjoy!

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Restaurant.com is running an 80% off coupon through the end of September, 2009.  The coupon code is CHEF.

I think largely that people are happy with the deals that they get through Restaurant.com.  I’ve used the service, and I’ve been quite happy as well.  But to avoid any misunderstandings this time around, I’ll play the skeptic and try to explain as many caveats as I can so that you can see the other side of the plate.

• Restaurant.com dining certificates are more like coupons than gift certificates. Dining certificates may be applied to your meal purchase at participating restaurants, but only if the restaurant’s restrictions are met.
• There are usually restrictions on redeeming the dining certificates. These may include one or more of the following:
  • Minimum purchase amount
  • Minimum number of entrees
  • Exclusion of certain purchases toward this minimum, like drinks, tax, tip, etc.
  • Restriction as to which hours of the day, or days of the week
  • Mandatory tip of X% on the pre-discount amount
  • Dine-in only
  • Cash only
  • Possibly others
• I’ve heard that there is an additional restriction of one dining certificate per month per restaurant, but I don’t know where this is stated.
• There is the possibility that your favorite restaurant could drop out of the program in between the time you buy the certificate and when you go to redeem it.  This has happened to me, and it is a risk.
• You can search for participating restaurants before you purchase. On the home page of Restaurant.com, at the upper right, you’ll see a box that says “Step 1:  Find a Restaurant.”  Not all areas of the country have a wide selection of restaurants.  You can check before you buy.
• A particular restaurant’s restrictions are shown directly below the corresponding “Add To Cart” button. The restrictions should not be a surprise.  Here’s an example restrictions clause for a $25 dining certificate: “Valid Sunday-Thursday for Dinner Entrees only with a minimum $50. Not valid with any other offers. Excludes Alcohol. 20% Gratuity added. Cash Only.”  This is restrictive, but it’s anything but unclear.
• It never hurts to verify with the restaurant before buying. Restaurants should honor their word, but they might not.  This is not the fault of Restaurant.com, though; it’s the fault of short-sighted business practices.
• You do not need to sign up for recurring charges for either individual dining certificates or the Dinner of the Month Club. Both of these purchases are one-time purchases.  Some people have been hit by a third-party offer at checkout that results in a recurring charge.  This is not a charge from Restaurant.com.

Now, having said all of this, 80% off brings the cost of the 12-month Dinner of the Month Club down to where you can recoup the cost of the entire year with the redemption of just one of your 13 dining certificates.  The regular price is $120 (again, billed just once) for $300 worth of dining certificates plus a bonus $50 dining certificate.  With coupon code CHEF, the price is 80% off of $120, or $24.  So, by redeeming just one of the dining certificates — good for $25 off of qualified dining expenses as outlined above — you’re ahead of the game.  The rest of the dining certificates are gravy.

Anyway, I hope that this presents you with a well-rounded picture of Restaurant.com so that you can purchase wisely and with full understanding of the service.

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It’s a first!  For 99 hours only, starting today, 9/9/09, and ending on September 13th, 2009, at 3:01 PST, Restaurant.com is offering an unprecedented 90% off its Dining Certificates and Dinner of the Month Club!

The one-year Restaurant.com Dinner of the Month Club is only $12!  This gives you twelve $25 Dining Certificates, one per month for a year, good at thousands of restaurants for qualifying dining expenses.  Plus, you get an additional $50 Dining Certificate!

That’s $350 worth of Dining Certificates for only $12. If you use only one of the thirteen Dining Certificates you’ll get, then you’ve more than doubled your money!  The rest is gravy!  (And mashed potatoes, and filet mignon, and chicken marsala, and …)

Use coupon code NINETY to snag what might be a once-in-a-lifetime deal at Restaurant.com!

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Saw some recent retweets of my post on why you should stay far, far, far away from Swoopo (thanks to @SFBoater and @BidzillaDOTcom) and it reminded me of an important change that Swoopo had made recently.

A quick recap of the characteristics that made Swoopo (before the change, anyway) little more than thinly-veiled gambling:

• You bought the right to bid up front.
• Auctions started low, and each bid incremented the price only a small amount, less than what the bidder paid for the right to bid.
• Each bid pushed the auction end 20 seconds (or so) into the future (up to a month, when the auction ends for sure).  This rendered sniping irrelevant.
• Since there was only one winner of that auction, everyone else bidding lost what they paid for the bids.

Recently, Swoopo introduced the “Swoop It Now” feature.  If it sounds like eBay’s Buy It Now feature, then that’s basically what it is.  Up to one hour after the auction’s end, you can buy items for a set price. Not just for a set price above and beyond what you’ve sunk into bidding, but a set price, period.  Swoopo will discount your Swoop It Now price by the amount that it cost you to buy the bids you’ve spent in the auction (up to the amount of the item).

This makes the whole process quite a bit less “gambly” because you go in knowing that you can always cut bait and buy the item.  If you bid at the right time and get the item for a 92% discount, well hey, jolly jiggles for you, but you no longer have to be concerned about throwing your bid money down the drain.

At least, that would be the rational way to think about Swoopo auctions.  If you’ve done your research and if the price they’re offering looks reasonable, and you were going to buy the item anyway, then there’s little wrong with playing Swoopo.  It’s when you’d buy it only at a steep discount — or don’t really think about whether you even really want what’s offered — that it becomes dangerous.

Overall, this looks like Swoopo putting its ear to the ground and making itself more legitimate before it becomes too well-known how much money it’s raking in.

(Oh, was that casino parlance I just used?)

Anyway, do you Swoopo?  Will this change make you more likely to Swoopo, or will you still stay far away?

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I visited my parents this past weekend.  My mother was telling me about what happened at a recent garage sale she went to.  Someone was selling a Corning Ware cornflower piggy bank.  These were made in England, and they’re very hard to find now.

The lady had marked the pig with a price of $5.  My mother snapped it up, took it up to her … and asked her, “Do you know that you could sell this for $100?”

My mom was right.  There are two listed on eBay right now.  One doesn’t have any bids but it’s starting at $25.  Another is Buy It Now and the seller is asking $200.  She didn’t need another one, but she didn’t want someone else to get it that cheaply, and there were plenty of dealers in town who would have spotted it easily and probably even would have tried to talk the seller down to $2, knowing full well it was worth $100.

So, she helped the seller out. I probably would have bought it for $5 myself, and not said a word.

I’ve come to be pretty careful about tipping my hand to what I know.  I made this mistake at a pawn shop when I bought a coin.  Not only was the coin marked below what it should have been, they got the weight wrong … and it was low.  Meaning:  I could have practically stolen that coin from them, and they never would have known.  But I made the mistake of saying, “Gee, that seems heavy.”  Sure enough, they weighed it, and promptly marked the price up.

At another pawn shop, though, I learned my lesson.  I bought some more coins, including some Peace and Morgan silver dollars.  The owner didn’t know which dates were the key dates.  I got a 1921 Peace dollar for a common-date price.  Just smiled, put them into my pocket, and walked off with a little spring in my step.

Some other time, I saw a set of handbells on eBay.  The seller had said that the bells were Schulmerich bells.  There were a few bids on them.  A commenter piped up and said, “Those are Whitechapel bells.”  Whitechapel bells are English bells and command higher prices.  The seller cancelled the listing, and relisted the bells, identified them correctly … and started at a much higher price.  They didn’t get any bids.  (Serves her right.)

I just don’t feel that it’s my job to educate people when I’m in negotiations with them.  If they’ve set a price on something, why should I argue that it’s worth more?  They’ll be happy if I buy it from them at that price, unless someone else tells them what it was really worth.  Then they’re the bad guy.

I just don’t see any good reason to kick good deals like these out the door.  How about you?

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This is a special trick you can use if you haven’t signed up for Mr. Rebates yet:

• Sign up for Mr. Rebates, and get a $5 sign-up bonus.
• Buy a $25 dining certificate from Restaurant.com through their site (most are $10) and get a 20% rebate from Mr. Rebates.
• That brings your price down to $3 ($10, minus the $5 sign-up bonus, minus the $2 rebate), for a 70% savings, with no coupon!
• Through July 17th, 2009, using coupon code SEVENTY, you can get 70% off the regular price PLUS a free $10 Dining Certificate!  Since this makes the certificate only $3, you can get paid for buying a Restaurant.com $25 dining certificate after the sign-up bonus and the rebate!

Pretty cool, huh?

If you aren’t interested in signing up for Mr. Rebates now, (1) shame on you, but (2) no problem; you can still take advantage of the 70% off coupon directly through Restaurant.com. 

Once you have a Mr. Rebates account, there are hundreds of other online merchants that you can earn rebates for.  Restaurant.com is just the start.

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