Purex Coupon!

These coupons do not last very long at all so get it while you can! Purex detergent is wonderful stuff, it smells amazing, and the price cannot be beat. Visit the banner to get your coupon before it expires.





*This post contains my affiliate link. This does not influence or change my opinion.

Get A Free Flatbread From Chili's!

Looking for something quick and cheap for dinner tonight?  How about something for FREE?  I found this from Chili's today and I'm super excited to go get mine!

For the first 1 million people to sign up for the Chili's email club they will give you a free full-size flatbread.  Not to mention, if you sign up you'll get notified of future deals and offers from Chili's.  If you've never eaten at Chili's before, this is a great opportunity for you to see how great their food is!

To sign up for the Chili's email club and get your free full-size flatbread, visit the banner below.  Do it now before everyone else does so you won't miss out!

Oh and FYI, when I went to sign up, I did see that you can claim this offer if you're already a member of the email club.  Click the banner below and it'll take you directly to the form to claim yours!

*This post contains my affiliate link. This does not influence or change my opinion.

Consumr, Helping You Decide What's Worth Buying

I haven't blogged in ages and I'm happy to say I'm making my return.  After working full-time and getting married, things have been very busy!  I'm now getting ready to have my first child any day now and have decided to stay home with my son once he's born.  During what small free time I have, I will work on my blog.

So during my hiatus, I discovered an app called Consumr that has really made my life simpler.  Have you ever picked up an item in a store only to wonder if it's worth buying or not?  Before you spend more of your hard earned money on junk, please read on!


Consumr is a free app that allows you to either scan a product's bar code or search by the product name to find out what real customers think of the product.  Since the application first launched, the developers have updated the app to accommodate more products and categories.  You can really benefit as a consumer using this app and know whether or not the product you're about to purchase is worth your money.

   

Using this app doesn't just provide you with peace of mind when shopping though.  Consumr rewards their loyal users a few different ways.  Users that post honest, descriptive reviews are rewarded with opportunities to win gift cards and other prizes.  Consumr also rewards frequent, trusted reviewers with boxes in the mail called ScanBoxes that contain products to try.  If you become one of Consumr's Elite reviewers make sure you try your products in your ScanBox and rate them using the app to continue receiving more ScanBoxes in the future!  You can also take pictures of your ScanBox "unboxing" and if you link them to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram you have even more opportunities to win prizes.  (Make sure to follow the simple instructions included in your ScanBox to be eligible for the contests!)  All of this is free of charge, and quite frankly it's fun :)

In my ScanBox this month I got samples of tea, peanut butter, strawberry preserves, cookies, candy, and a few other items.  Who doesn't like to try things for free and give their opinion?

Items from my most recent ScanBox!

Currently, Consumr is only available to iOS users and it is completely free of charge.  Hopefully in the future they will branch out and include Android users as well!  Visit http://www.consumr.com/ to learn more and to download the app.


*Disclaimer:  Consumr is in no way affiliated with my blog.  This post is my own opinion and I did not receive any compensation for writing this post.

Big Layaway Giveaway At Kmart!

This is a sponsored post, I am a Kmart Layaway blogger, though all opinions are my own.

So I know it's only October, but it's time to start holiday shopping. If you don't start now, you'll be scrambling to try and do it all at the last minute. Last minute holiday shopping results in impulse buying, spending more than you intended to at one time, and possibly forgetting items. The worst is waiting til the last minute and realizing that special item you wanted is out of stock! This is where layaway becomes your best friend for holiday gifts. So now that there are stores like Kmart, Walmart, Best Buy, and Toys R Us offering layaway, which store do you choose? Hopefully I can help you with that. I'm very familiar with how layaway works. What's exciting this year is that Kmart is offering their Big Layaway Giveaway! Keep reading to find out more.

 

The Giveaway

 

So you may be asking what is this big layaway giveaway about? From 09/09/2012 to 11/17/2012 Kmart is running what they are calling the Big Layaway Giveaway. No one else is offering anything like this. There will be one layaway giveaway per store per week until the end of the giveaway period on 11/17/2012. No purchase is necessary. (For all of the official rules visit Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway) What will happen is if your layaway is chosen at your store they will pay it off for you! Pretty awesome, eh?

 

My Plans...

 

I'm already making my layaway list. Seriously. My dear boyfriend is really wanting a deep fryer, so of course that's on my list. I can't keep it here or else he'll find it. This is where layaway comes in handy! He can't peek at his gifts! (And no he doesn't read my blog, he could care less haha) For myself, I'm going to put a Keurig coffee maker on layaway since I don't need it right away and it's also kind of a surprise for the boyfriend. I think I'm also going to stock up on some PS3 games like Borderlands 2. Maybe I'll even splurge and put some exercise equipment on layaway (since I'll be eating a lot of junk food and goodies during the holidays). Layaway is a great way to pay on all of it until close to the holidays since I've got bills to pay right now. I can't afford it all at once so this is a great way to reserve all the stuff I want to get and pay for it in smaller amounts.

 

My Past Layaway Nightmare...

 

Last year I tried to put stuff on layaway at Walmart and it was a nightmare! There I was with a cart, filled with most of my gifts for friends and family, and Walmart turned down most of the items I had! Their rules for layaway are ridiculous. I checked out their rules for layaway this year and they're just as ridiculous as last year. This year they are still only allowing toys, electronics, small applianes, jewelry, and "selet sporting goods" (which they don't elaborate on). OH and make sure each of your items are worth $15 or more because if each item isn't worth atleast that much, even though it's in a qualified category they won't take it. Your total minimum layaway balance must add up to atleast $50. Is your head hurting yet? Mine is. Forget you Walmart!

For those planning to buy a lot of high tech gifts, Best Buy is offering layaway as well. Good luck finding a store near you that offers it though. Not every store is offering it. I did a search of the stores near me that are offering layaway and the closest store is about 50 miles away from me. No thank you! Your total purchase must be atleast $250 or more. You cannot put open-box, clearance, special orders, or promo items on layaway.

If you check out the chart below, it explains how well Kmart's layaway stacks up against others. I have no experience with Toys R Us because I don't buy a lot of toys, but I'm sure there's is no better than Best Buy or Walmart's layaway.

 

Why Kmart's Layaway Rocks:

 

I'm totally going with Kmart for my layaway needs in preparation for this holiday season. How can you go wrong with free layaway? You can make payments online or in the store. Plus there's a nifty payment calculator online that gives you an estimate of how much you'll pay on your layaway! I love planning things ahead of time so this really helps. Kmart offers 8 week contracts for balances less than $300 and 12 week contracts for balances of $300 or more. And how can you not want to participate and have a chance to win Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway?? I'm really hoping to win with my layaway, it would really help me out! I guess I won't know til I try, right? Next payday I'm going down to Kmart to start my layaway!

One Stop Shop For Back-To-School Shoes

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whether you're a parent shopping for back-to-school clothing or if you're  just in need of a new pair of shoes for yourself, there is one company that is striving to cover all your needs.  Famous Footwear is a company that offers up all the best brands and follows the latest trends in shoe fashions.  Not only do they have over 1,000 physical locatons, but they also have a great website.  They sell shoes for women, men, and children.  Nike, Converse, and DC shoes are among the many famous brands that are carried by this store.

I took some time to look through their offerings for women's shoes and I was really impressed.  I need some new sneakers and work shoes...badly.  I really like the selectin they offer.  It's definitely way more than any of my local shoe stores offer!  They offer everything from sneakers to dress shoes.  I need both, so this store definitely has me covered :-)  Famous Footwear doesn't just sell shoes though.  You can also purchase accessories such as backpacks, socks, hosiery, and totes.

So there is not an actual physical location for this store within 50 miles of my home.  I used the store locator on the website.  I live in a rural area, so I'm not surprised.  It's ok though because for me, the website offers up a nice and easy way to shop.  Plus, there are some awesome bargains.  Everything is easy to navigate and the pictures show the shoes in great detail.  Want to know one of my favorite sections of the website?  The 'Sale' section!  Who doesn't love a good sale, right?

Speaking of sales, right now Famous Footwear is offering a Back-To-School Promotion.  Right now you can get a nice buy one get one half off special.  Take an additional 15% off (with promo code BTS15C) or if you're a rewards member take an additional 20% off (with promo code BTS20C). BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon Back-to-school shopping can become very expensive, so this is a nice deal to take advantage of.  This offer is only good from 8/12/12 through 8/18/12, so hurry and print the coupon to take advantage of these deals!

Rewards members save even more with Famous Footwear.  It's free and very easy to become a member.  At the top right-hand corner of the website you can click to become a rewards member.  The rewards system is a points based system.  You earn 1 point for every $1 you spend at Famous Footwear.  Your points can accumulate to earn you up to $100 in certificates each year!  Plus, just for joining you receive special discounts and perks throughout the year.  You get notices for private sales and a special deal for your birthday!

I'm definitly impressed with this site and am definitely going to purchase some work shoes from Famous Footwear, maybe even a nice new pair of sneakers :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dyeing Yarn With Kool-Aid

I'm sure I've mentioned how much I love StumbleUpon before, but I've just gotta mention it again.  I love sitting for extended periods of time looking at random websites related to knitting and crafts.  Tonight I found a great tutorial for dyeing your yarn with Kool-Aid.  I've heard of people trying this before with great results but haven't ever had the chance to try it myself. Here is a nice step-by-step tutorial that makes it nice and simple to accomplish!

Kool-Aid Dyeing

Common Courtesy - Be Careful How You Treat Your Phone Rep

It appears to me that our country has lost its ability to convey a courteous demeanor.  After working for call centers as a customer care representative it has become blatantly obvious.  I find it sad that people think just because we cannot see them through the phone they can treat us however they wish.  So for those of you with the "if I call in and scream I'll get what I want" attitude, let me break it down for you how WRONG you are.
First off, your customer service representative is going to be your best friend, if you allow them to be.  The more you mistreat them, the more you eat away at their nerves, the greater the chance they screw up your request.  I'm not saying we only mess up when an angry customer calls in because we're all human and can make mistakes.  Mistakes can be fixed, but why increase the likelihood of them in the first place? 
Patience is extremely important for the following reasons:
- 99.9% of the time, the agent you get when you call in DID NOT personally wrong you so don't tell them it's their fault.
- I cannot stress this enough, if you are not patient and you scream at the poor agent that is there to help you then you're just going to make things way more difficult for both parties.
- Listen to what the agent advises you of.  Most likely it is an easily resolved issue.  Talking over the agent assisting you or belittling them is only digging you further into the pit of despair you're already in.
Did you know we are paid very little hourly pay and our sole purpose is to cater to all of your needs?  Also did you know that most call centers record every call and also implement caller ID?
OK, I've saved the best for last.  Calling in and immediately requesting a supervisor will not get you your answer any quicker.  A customer service rep will be your best friend.  Chances are that while you're waiting for that supervisor to take your call the customer service rep could've already resolved the issue for you.  Also, screaming for a supervisor just because you don't like the answer we give you is probably not going to get you anywhere but one big circle.  That being said, yes if you feel like you legitimately need a supervisor then do not hesitate to ask for one.  They are there to assist when the agent has exhausted all possible options or abilities they have.
Please exercise respect next time you call a call center.  And if you really want to help us excel, give us a good review if you are offered a survey!