freesia39

MyPoints is great. last year i accumulated as many points as possible and used them to get giftcards for members of my team at work for christmas. i rarely sign up for their offers, but just reading their emails and trying out for the surveys they send out do add up. and if you purchase items from their vendors, remember to go through their links for extra points. if you need more info or a referral, PM me.

i get most of my rebates on time. the only one i never received was for a soyo motherboard, and any amount of pushing i'll never see it. make sure you always: 1. fill out the form NEATLY. 2. make photocopies of everything. EVERYTHING. 3. cut the UPC neatly. 4. if you're VERY paranoid about the date stamp, i ran the envelope through the meter mail machine at work, then photocopied the envelope for further backup. or you can get a certificate of mailing from the post office. 5. follow directions to the letter. if it says "do not staple" believe me, do not staple.

the company i work for has discount disney tickets - they currently offer through another website an awesome deal for tickets - buy 4 days, get three free, which gives you admission to all the parks. i don't like the timeshare meetings - everyone i know gets suckered into them. they buy the entire "it's a good investment" line hook and sinker.

no. when i worked customer service at circuit city, we would have known about the typo and instructed all CS to not PM the ad. also we would not PM if the item was not in stock, in case some small store tried to pull a bait and switch. you may be able to find a smaller store that may match it - it's always worth a shot. but the big stores probably will not because this typo was pretty well advertised.

my ad was wrong - it's not the price, it's the size of the TV. they meant to put the 42" at 1799.

very doubtful. they are very protective of their price points and don't make exceptions for black friday. people buy it at regular price already.

also, my favorite wedding websites: the knot, the granddaddy of wedding websites weddingbee, my favorite wedding blog site mygatsby - for invitation ideas cards and pockets - for cheaper paper purchases paper source, the ultimate crafting store/site there are tons of wedding websites out there, and after a while your eyes glaze over and you wonder "didn't i look at this already..."

it really is hit or miss - it's actually up to the cashier to check if it's expired. sometimes you can get away with it, and the next time you go, you can't. the only place i know for SURE that takes expired coupons are the stores on overseas military bases.

i actually don't. my last good set of black friday deals, i went to fry's at 11am and got almost everything i wanted. sure they weren't doorbusters, but i had a custom made computer with parts i wanted and i didn't have to spend hours trying to uninstall the programs i didn't want. i'm also usually pretty tired the day of thanksgiving - i've been in southern california the last few years, and my parents live in northern california. since i made the mistake ONE YEAR of driving back up north on the wednesday before thanksgiving, we have never done it again since and we drive back home on thursday morning, usually around 5am. then i get to my parents and start helping my mom out, and then i'm just too tired to sit outside all night. the only things i ever really wanted were like the 10 dollar memory cards, and i wasn't going to wait all night for that. i wanted the TV last year but there was definitely no room in the car and my living room isn't big enough for a 32" LCD (i measured... i need at least another foot for optimal viewing.) i'll be watching the boards! if i'm conscious! and not saving my fiance from my family bothering him!

ace is definitely the place... for early ads.

the closest one to me i think is about 15 miles away, the closest semi desirably one is about 15 miles away in the other direction, the first NICE one is about 25-30 miles away. the city center area of los angeles is not very wal-mart friendly. and yes, store location = higher prices. if you are located in a nice area, land will cost more, which will usually lean towards higher prices. our 24 hour drug stores here charge more also because of the labor costs to keep it open all night long.

i haven't been to italy yet but: 1. buy the rick steves book for italy. i LOVE his books and they were a HUUUUUGE help when i was in paris and london. he also tells you how to get around cheaply, when to go to certain places with reduced admissions, what days attractions are closed, etc. 2. check out the lobby of your hotel for discounts. even in the hostel i was in in london, they had coupons. and every tourist attraction you go to usually has some sort of coupons, or at the very least, someone trying to walk around and sell cheap souvenirs. i am very jealous of your trip. if i ever get the chance, i want to spend 2 weeks in italy. but i want to learn some italian first - it helps SO much when you're travelling in a country without a tour guide!

coupons? in italy? it might help to tell us where in italy you will be - rome, venice, florence, milan, pisa, etc.

you're in the right place. start that gym regime now to get yourself into optimal BF shape. run past everyone into the store! (of course, a moot point if you're at a store that hands out tickets..)

we have a gazillion and a half in CA. hehe. i worked at fry's during part of my senior year in high school and then that summer. but the discount at circuit city is probably the best... although with fry's they have so much random stuff from random suppliers it could be cheaper.

you can also buy those folding chairs at wal-mart or target - they collapse into a bag you can carry. be prepared to strap them on and fight the masses!

you may want to look around at the ads now - there have been some decent laptop deals that can be found throughout the year. also check with your future college to see if they have discount programs - although i've found the discounts haven't been as fantabulous as the ones you can find here.

does your car insurance offer home or renter's insurance also? i'd start there, and to top it off, you'd get a discount on BOTH your policies. i'm in southern california also, and my renter's insurance is with AAA. i never had to file a renter's claim, and when i insured my engagement ring it was a very quick and painless process. when a car ran into me when i was on my parent's AAA policy in northern california it was very easy to report (helps when you're not at fault!) with AAA you must also buy the club membership, which is an additional 47 per year minimum depending on which membership you buy. you can also check out progressive, farmer's, allstate.

please check this thread for more info about ordering a shirt

i remember at one of these fancy LA malls, they charged 5 bucks if you were going to use your own camera.

where did you win it from? you should contact them regarding shipment.

as for the DJ thing: a lot of people are just doing the "load music into ipod, hook up to speakers, have someone watch it during the night." if your reception won't be heavy into dancing and just background music, and making sure certain songs are played at the right times, this is a much cheaper option. then find a friend who can act as the MC most of the night (and one that you can trust.) the target dresses aren't bad - they are simple. it's an option if you don't want to spend a lot on your dress. jcrew also has wedding dresses and a nice return policy (since they're not in store and you must ship back and forth.) (same with target actually.) just remember... the heavier that dress is... the more it'll cost... the more you'll sweat... i was sweating bullets just trying those darn things on. plus all the samples they had in store seemed to be tiny. you can get "vendor meals" from many venues - usually something basic like a sandwich/salad box dinner, out here in CA i've seen them run for about 25-35 dollars. i'd want my photographer to eat also! i love the jessica mcclintock outlet, i'm hoping i can score all the bridal party dresses there, either at the san francisco location or the montclair location. hopefully san francisco, i think that location is larger.

there are various ideas towards the alcohol: 1. in some parts of the country, it is actually acceptable to have a cash bar as it is local custom 2. never let your guests pay for anything - they're your guests and you provide their food and drinks most people subscribe to the second theory. however, open bar at the venues i've been looking at (hotels) charge a crazy amount per person for open bar, and they differentiate between call brands and premium brands. you could also do "per consumption." since your venue allows you to bring your own alcohol (i'd do it but they charge a 10 dollars per bottle corkage fee) take advantage. buy your alcohol at costco (return what you don't open.) if you're near a bevmo, buy wine during their "buy 1, get the second for five cents" sale. get what you want. i don't really want to pay for an open bar all night (i think it'd ridiculous, i'm not paying for you to get drunk at my wedding), but i'm compromising by having wine service most of the night, and the venues do include champagne for the toasts. i haven't found the "it" dress either - but my mom's friend is a dressmaker and i'm saving MAJOR dollars by having her make the exact dress i want (or well close to exact) in addition to my chinese dress. but trying them on has been interesting! HINT: bring your own strapless bra. you don't want to wear the "community" ones. i went to one (fancy) salon and they said to take off my bra also. you get pretty comfy pretty fast with the employees. check out the knot for tons more details and become a knottie!

i'm pretty much the same. thanksgiving is a big thing in our family for some reason, plus my brother's birthday is falling on thanksgiving again this year. .... unless of course there's a super deal on a 32" LCD tv... or a new laptop for the future hubby.

hellooooooooo! what kind of deals are you looking for? i'm trying to plan a wedding on a budget within reason because i'm located in stupid expensive los angeles. i'm an august 2008 bride. these are just the ways so far that i'm trying to save money: - anything printed DIY. invitations, menu cards, table numbers, escort cards, etc. - trying to find the best bang for your buck venues. my situation is that we're trying to find an "all in one location" since we're not marrying in a church but yet appease our out of town guests. some places have great packages, that include alcohol, the cake, etc. - call up every favor you have ever known in your life. - start shopping any sale you can for the bridesmaids dresses. if you don't require uniformity, tell them a color and then let them go nuts. - for your dress, buy either the sample (the dress that everyone tries on) or during a massive sale (david's bridal will have 99 dollar sales every now and then. sign up on their website.) - make your own veil. it's not that hard if you can sew. how far are you in the planning? we've already started looking at venues and we're pretty close to reserving one, but because our date is labor day weekend of next year and some places are already booked.