Ebates and other online cash back portals are my secret weapon during the holidays. I cannot understand for any reason people do not use them to earn cash back when buying gifts or buying anything such as travel. Using coupons online is a must for saving money, but why not earn cash back on top of coupons, and promo codes? Programs such as Ebates actually pay you for cash back and they are giving you an extra $10 incentive now for signing up and clicking through their links which only takes a few extra minutes.
Everyone spends money around the holidays so you want to maximize all of the means of cash back and rewards possible using certain credit cards but first doing this with an online shopping mall such as Ebates to stack up the cash back. One truly great thing is that Cash back for purchases is unlimited with these programs. You can get paid for clothing, shoes, airline tickets, hotels, furniture, food, flowers and gifts, and anything you find that you can click on in their portal!
Here is how you sign up for Ebates to get the $10 Gift Card and Start Earning Cash Back-
Steps to get the Ebates Bonus:
1. Join Ebates Here (It’s Free and never any fees)
2. Pick a FREE $10 Gift Card ($10 Walmart, $10 Macy’s, $10 Lowe’s)
3. We recommend downloading their browser button to tell you the shopping sites that have cash back or just going to Ebates before buying on any site and clicking on that sites link even if already in the shopping cart.
4. You should get a check soon from Ebates. Read more about the program here. (more…)
Amazon announced their 10th Prime Day coming on July 16th and 17th. Deals will begin at 12:01 am PDT on the 16th and continue throughout the 16th and 17th.
. Not only should you be able to snag a ton of deals during this 48 hour event, typically, there are many ways to stack your savings. In past years, this included using your Amazon credit card, earning Amazon credits and applying just a single credit card point — I am sure we will see these opportunities start to pop up over the next few weeks.
Additionally, Amazon has already announced some pre-saving Prime Deals which you can jump on now and not have to wait until July.
What is Amazon Prime Day Amazon Prime Day is a yearly two-day event where you’ll see different daily or flash discounts on many popular items. Many offers continuously pop up and while some deals will last all day, many will quickly sell out.
To take advantage of many of the discounts you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member. If you don’t have a Prime Membership, you can sign up for a free trial which will give you 30 days of free prime access. After the free trial expires, you’ll be charged $139 for the year or $14.99 per month — you’re choice (or you can cancel before the free trial expires).
Early access Amazon Prime Day Amazon is starting Prime Day early with early access to many of their own Amazon devices. This is similar to what we’ve seen in the past and typically the pricing stays the same. However, if pricing by chance drops, you can always re-purchase at the lower price and return your previous purchase within the return window (typically 30 days).
You can shop all of the Amazon device deals here, but some of the better ones include:
If you’re looking to signup for Prime to get in on Prime Day, here are some options (let us know if anything is missing):
Get free Amazon Prime trial for 30 days. Interestingly, readers let us know that Amazon will sometimes let you get the free trial even if you previously had a trial at one point on the same account. You can also try adding a large item to cart and going to checkout, see if they pop up with another free Prime trial offer for you.
A yearly subscription costs $139. Instead of using our links (found in this post), we recommend going through a shopping portal to get a bonus when you signup. Swagbucks is offering a $15 Amazon gift card. Topcashback is offering the same.
Amazon Shop With Points & Card Link Deals
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Get 40%/$60 Discount When Using 1 American Express Membership Rewards Point
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Use 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards Point & Get 50% Off (Max $60 Discount)
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Get 30% off Amazon when Using 1 Discover Point
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Add Discover Card And Get $20 with promo code 23DISCOVERPD
(Direct Amazon Link) Amazon: Add Citi Card & Get $15 Off (Promo Code CITICARD15)
(Direct Amazon Link) Amazon: Get 40% Off Amazon when Using 1 U.S. Bank Point (Max $15 Savings)
Amazon has 24-Count 8.4-Oz Red Bull Energy Drink (Sugar Free or Original) on sale when you follow the instructions below. Shipping is free.
Step Two of Redbull Amazon Deal
Note: Be sure to follow the deal instructions below. You must clip 3 coupons (15% general coupon, one-time purchase, and Subscribe & Save) to get the deal prices. 15% coupon is one-time use so you will only be able to purchase one of the below items at the deal price.
The price should be as listed above + free shipping
Note: You must be logged into your account. Coupons are typically one use per account. You have the flexibility to manage your Subscribe & Save subscription at any time after your order ships. View Subscribe & Save filler items and our current Subscribe & Save deals to unlock up to extra 15% savings when you have 5 or more items in your current monthly subscription.
Editor’s Notes & Red Bull Price Research
These prices are 17.5% (original) to 24.6% (sugar free) less
4.7 (original) to 4.8 (sugar free) out of 5 stars rating at Amazon
Don’t have Amazon Prime? Students can get a free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
If you’re not a student, there’s also a free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.
Can RedBull Replace Panera Bread’s Sip Club Charged Lemonade?
Panera’s caffeinated Charged Lemonades contain significantly more caffeine than standard energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster.
A large (30 oz) Panera Charged Lemonade contains approximately 300 milligrams of caffeine.
A can of Red Bull (8.4 oz) contains 80 milligrams of caffeine.
A can of Monster (16 oz) contains 160 milligrams of caffeine.
Important Considerations:
Caffeine Sensitivity: Panera’s Charged Lemonades contain a large amount of caffeine, which may not be suitable for everyone. Consider your caffeine tolerance before consuming these beverages.
Health Concerns: High caffeine intake has been associated with various health issues, including increased heart rate, anxiety, and insomnia. Consume caffeinated beverages in moderation.
Labeling: Panera faced criticism for not clearly labeling the caffeine content in their Charged Lemonades. Always read labels carefully to be aware of the caffeine content in any drink.
Where to Buy Energy Drinks for the Lowest Price:
Warehouse Clubs: Stores like Costco and Sam’s Club often sell energy drinks in bulk at lower prices per can.
Grocery Stores: Look for sales and coupons on energy drinks at your local grocery store.
Gas Stations: While convenient, gas stations tend to have higher prices on energy drinks.
Online Retailers: Websites like Amazon may offer competitive prices on energy drinks, especially when purchased in bulk.
Remember to always compare prices and consider the caffeine content and your personal preferences when choosing energy drinks and use the best credit card to maximize your cash back!
Ibotta is an app and site which offers rebates and cash back for in-store purchases and, app purchases, and online shopping.
Sign-up here to get a $10 Bonus from Ibotta! See how to get the bonus below.
In-Store Rebates
My recent run to Walmart got me a free 2 Liter of Cherry Coke, soup, a free energy drink, and the best deal was the totally free 4-pack of IZZE sparkling juice.
The majority of the site is dedicated to in-store rebates which offers cash back when you purchase specific items from a participating store.
After saving a specific deal in the app, proceed to buy the product and get cash back into your Ibotta account. You might get $.75 back on the purchase of Toiletry Wipes, $.25 back on milk, or $3 back on a case of beer, for example. They normally offer cash back on just taking a photo of a receipt or buying a generic (any) brand of milk or cheese.
Just make sure to save or unlock the deal before making the purchase. Go to the Unlocked Deals tab in the app to see which ones you’ve already added. Once added, it doesn’t need to be added again until it expires.
Sometimes you have to answer a poll or question about the brand before being able to save the deal. Which is no hassle at all and is probably how the brands pay iBotta to give you generous discounts.
Get FREE Stuff on T-Mobile Tuesdays! You will be able to access this promotion using their Android or iOS app. Non-T-Mobile customers may also be able to access this promotion here: amoe.t-mobiletuesdays.com.
Each Tuesday, T-Mobile releases a number of freebies and deals for their customers. This week they are as follows:
Tropical SMOOTHIE Cafe: Free 24 oz Smoothie
Forever 21: 40% off regular price items
PlayKids+: 4 free months of PlayKids+
10 cents off per Gallon at Shell Stations – TIP – combine that with the extra 25 cents off per gallon offer on Wednesday December 20th offered in the Fuel Rewards app. 10-35 cents off per gallon at Shell Gas Stations through Fuel Rewards Program. See below to increase it up to 65 cents a gallon!!
The no-brainer in this week’s gifts for T-Mobile customers is $0.35 off a gallon of gas at Shell, up to 20 gallons. The biggest prize if you ask us is that they are giving away free Gas! This is $0.25 off per gallon at Shell. Make sure to sign-up for the Fuel Rewards program here (to extend this to up to 65 cents a gallon savings) for the Free Shell Gas and the promo code will automatically open in your app after you redeem it in the T-Mobile Tuesdays App.
T-Mobile is known for doing things a little differently to other carriers, and its rewards program is much the same. When T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced that the company will give all customers a weekly gift, one share of stock, and free in-flight Wi-Fi we were grateful.
Back-to-school buying just got cheaper with this tax-free weekend guide where states cut sales tax on certain items just in time. While 16 states are participating in the tax-free days you also have Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon that never charge sales tax. Be aware that most of the tax holidays begin at 12:01 a.m. and end at midnight. Is your state lacking this tax-free day? Then it may be time to take a road trip. Here’s some free gas for all of the driving from store to store.
Maximize Rewards! Another tip for back-to-school shopping is to make sure you have a proper credit card to maximize your savings. From initial bonuses worth $600+ to 2% cashback on all purchases, there are plenty of great credit card deals available to parents this back-to-school season. You can even get 5% back on restaurant purchases while dining and shopping with these cards.
On top of a cashback credit card why not sign up for Drop and iBotta. Two amazing apps that are paying huge and you can double dip all of these programs. iBotta, for instance, will allow you to send in your receipt into the app if you shopped at Target to claim money back. With Drop, you simply add your credit cards and it knows where you shopped and will give you cash back from places such as Starbucks, Old Navy, Nike, Aerie, and other retailers. You then redeem the cashback for gift cards. If you use this link for Drop you’ll get $5 towards your first gift card.
What is a sales tax holiday?
A sales tax holiday is a period of time during which many states remove sales tax on certain types of items. Often, the tax-free benefits are limited to a single weekend, but sometimes there are much longer terms.
Sales tax holidays typically restrict eligible purchases by criteria such as product and price. For example, you might be able to purchase computer models that cost up to $1,000 tax-free, but not ones that cost more.
When is the sales tax holiday or tax-free weekend in my state?
Sales tax holidays vary by location — and not every state has one. In some cases, the state sales tax may be zero during the holiday, but stores might still have to collect a city or local sales tax. Keep in mind that some states already don’t collect a state sales tax. Local governments (the city or county, for example) can still levy tax in those states, though.
Here’s a look at the states with sales tax holidays in 2023 and the items that will be tax-free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrator.
Energy Star products / No maximum Air conditioners / $6,000 Other / $2,000
Aug. 11-13
Clothing, backpacks, school supplies / $100
West Virginia
Aug. 4-7
Clothing / $125 School supplies / $20 Sports equipment / $150 Computer or tablet / $500
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators
How to save big with a sales tax holiday
Here are some tips for leveraging sales tax holidays to save money:
For back-to-school savings, reserve major purchases like laptops for the tax-free periods in late July or August. For weather-preparedness savings, try to time purchases with tax holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
Keep an eye on the price tags. Typically, only items priced below the limit qualify for the tax-free treatment. When back-to-school shopping for new outfits, for example, if the limit is $100 on clothing then, as long as each piece of clothing in your cart is priced below $100, you should save on sales tax for those items. But if the limit on shoes is also $100 and you’re buying a pair priced at $125, you might have to pay sales tax on them.
Check with the state for exceptions. Before you start shopping, head to your state’s taxation and revenue website and find out if there are unusual exceptions. Previously in New Mexico, for example, clothing was part of its tax-free weekend, but sports uniforms and bathing suits didn’t count, which meant they were still taxable.
Shop around. Eliminating sales tax shouldn’t be your only means of saving money. Check out local kids consignment shops for clothes and shoes not covered by the tax-free holiday. You might also try using websites like Google Shopping or apps such as Flipp to search for products by name and compare their prices at multiple merchants. Doing research ahead of time for bigger purchases, like Energy Star appliances or hurricane-preparedness items, is also key.
Remember to Stick to a Budget! It’s hard to avoid overspending if you don’t have both a shopping list and a budget. Before heading to these retail or outlet stores, make a list of what you need and do a quick search to see how much each item costs. This will help you make an overall back-to-school budget and decide how to allocate the funds. It’s too bad Amazon is not able to get in on the B2S offers but you can get Boxed tax free year long.
Ebates and other online cash back portals are my secret weapon during the holidays. I cannot understand for any reason people do not use them to earn cash back when buying gifts or buying anything such as travel. Using coupons online is a must for saving money, but why not earn cash back on top of coupons, and promo codes? Programs such as Ebates actually pay you for cash back and they are giving you an extra $10 incentive now for signing up and clicking through their links which only takes a few extra minutes.
