c/deals-and-steals

Had a record week finding clearance deals at Target last month

I usually have pretty average luck with clearance racks, but last month I hit some kind of jackpot. Over the course of one week I found four different items - a slow cooker, a set of sheets, a small rug, and a handheld vacuum - all marked down over 70 percent each. The slow cooker was originally $60 and I got it for $12. I still don't know if it was a pricing error or what, but I went back three days in a row and kept finding more. Has anyone else ever had a week like that where everything just lined up?

Tried one of those cheap Amazon HDMI switches and it melted after 3 months

Picked up a 4 port switch for like $15 back in February to hook up my console and streaming stick to one TV input. Worked fine at first but last week I noticed the picture getting fuzzy and the plastic casing was actually warm to the touch. Pulled it out and the port I was using had a dark spot around it. Learned my lesson about paying more for something that handles power properly. Anyone had a switcher last longer than a year?

Lost $60 on a fake "vintage" watch from a sketchy site

Back in June I saw this deal for a vintage Seiko on some site called timedeals4u or something. Paid $60 thinking I scored a classic piece. Showed up and the dial was crooked, the second hand didn't move, and the case was clearly plastic. Should have known better. Anyone else get burned by those too-good-to-be-true watch deals?

My neighbor made me rethink those flash sale emails

I was telling my neighbor about this 70% off deal I snagged on a coat last week. She just looked at me and said "you wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't on sale though right?" And honestly it hit me hard because she was right. I have this habit of grabbing stuff from those daily deal sites just because the timer is counting down. Last month I got a set of kitchen knives for $40 that I haven't even opened yet. She told me she only buys things she already planned to need no matter the price. Now I'm sitting here looking at my closet full of "deals" I never use. Has anyone else had a moment where a friend called them out on this stuff?

Scored $60 off my grocery bill with a simple price match trick

I was at the checkout line at Kroger last week and the lady in front of me pulled out her phone to show the cashier a Target ad. They knocked $60 off her total just by matching the price on stuff like eggs and cereal. I tried it myself this morning at the same store with a Walmart ad for chicken and saved $12 on a $50 trip. Has anyone else had luck price matching at bigger chains? It feels like a hidden cheat code.

Coupon stacking vs price matching: I tested both and one saved way more

I spent an afternoon comparing two different approaches for buying groceries online: stacking digital coupons vs using Walmart's price match feature from my phone. The coupon stacking got me 23% off my total, but the price matching took half the time and got me 18% off with way less hassle. Which method do you guys swear by when you're trying to cut costs?

I used to never buy refurbished electronics until I rolled the dice on a laptop

Needed a laptop for freelance work and was about to drop $800 on a new one, then saw a refurbished model for $350 on some deal site. Took a chance on it and it's been running perfect for 6 months now, not a single hiccup. Anyone else had good luck with refurbished stuff or am I just lucky?

Went to a salvage yard in Dayton and found brand new tires still with nubs for $40 each

Everyone says to avoid used tires, but I pulled four Michelins off a wrecked 2023 sedan that barely had 500 miles on them. Has anyone else found real steals at a junkyard or is this just a dumb luck thing?

Showerthought: I wasted $60 on protein bars that taste like cardboard

I ordered a bulk box of those 'keto friendly' protein bars off a flash sale site last month because the price was too good to pass up. Turns out they are so chalky and weird that I can barely choke one down, and now I have 40 of them sitting in my pantry. Anyone have a good way to repurpose these things or am I just out the cash?

TIL you can stack coupon codes on Chewy if you use the mobile app instead of the website

I was ordering cat food last week and had a 20% off code but also a free shipping code. On the website it only let me use one. Out of frustration I tried the mobile app and it let me put both in. Saved $14.50 total on a 40 pound bag of kibble. I have no idea why it works that way but I tested it again with a smaller order and same thing happened. Has anyone else noticed this trick working on other sites too?

My coupon clipping habit from the 90s is finally paying off again

I started digging through my parents old filing cabinet last month and found a stack of grocery coupons from 1997. Most were expired of course but about 12 of them were still valid because the companies never put expiration dates on them back then. I took them to the local Food Lion and saved $8.47 on things like canned soup and laundry detergent. Has anyone else had luck with really old coupons or is this just a fluke?

Had to choose between a $50 generic water filter pack and the $25 name brand set from a different shop

Picked the name brand ones since I read the generics had a bad seal and ended up saving $25 on a pack that actually fits my faucet, anyone else find that generic kitchen stuff is a gamble?

Coworker swore by price matching at Best Buy and it saved me $112 on a laptop

So I was about to buy a new laptop for my side hustle - needed something decent for running showing houses with 3D walkthroughs. My coworker Dave, who's always bragging about deals, told me Best Buy will match any online price from Amazon or even some smaller sites. I didn't believe him at first, but I found the same laptop on Amazon for $112 less and took the risk. Walked into the store, showed them the listing on my phone, and they matched it right there at the register. Has anyone else had luck with price matching at other stores like Home Depot or Target? I'm wondering if I've been leaving money on the table this whole time.

Told my deal-sharing was too wordy, now I just post the price and link

Someone in the comments said my paragraphs were killing the vibe so now I just write "$12 at Target" or "40% off with code SAVE" and engagement actually went up, anyone else cut back on explaining and just let the savings speak for themselves?

Why does EVERY deal post now require 3 different apps to work

I saw a coupon for 40% off gardening gloves at a site I use all the time. Then I click it and it says download their app, then scan a QR code at checkout, then enter a code from a text message. By the time I did all that I had wasted 20 minutes and the gloves were out of stock anyway. What happened to just typing in a promo code and moving on with your day? Is this just me or is everyone else fed up with these 5 step deals that take an hour to redeem? Has anyone found a way to filter these out because they are ruining the whole point of saving time and money.

Had a weirdly good coupon stacking day at Kroger last Tuesday

I usually never bother with coupons because it feels like too much work. But last Tuesday I had an hour to kill before picking up my kid, so I sat down and clipped like 15 digital coupons on the app. Turns out I had a $5 off $50 store coupon that stacked with a manufacturer one for pasta sauce. My total went from $62 down to $41. I felt like I won a small lottery. Has anyone else had a surprisingly good single shopping trip like that recently?

Stacking coupon codes on Target's app actually saved me $47 last week

Found a price glitch on kitchen gadgets at noon yesterday and snagged 4 items for $12

I was just browsing around lunchtime yesterday on that big site and noticed a set of silicone spatulas listed for $1.50 instead of $18. Then I checked the mixing bowls and they were $3. My total came to $12 for stuff that normally runs $70. The trick is catching these right when they update prices around noon eastern. Does anyone else stalk specific times of day for these glitches or am I just that desperate for cheap spatulas?

Appreciation post for the slow shift in grocery delivery deals

I noticed something interesting over the last few months with grocery delivery services. Back in May, I was paying around $8 in fees and tips for a $40 order from the big chain store. Now, I see that same order costing closer to $12 or $13 with all the added charges. What changed seems to be them quietly dropping the free trial perks and adding smaller service fees. I also spotted a few coupon codes for free delivery if you sign up for their monthly subscription, which runs about $10. That actually saved me money on my weekly shop since I order every Tuesday. Has anyone else seen their grocery bill creep up this way without clear notice?

Trying to stack 3 coupon codes on DogFoodDepot took me 45 minutes yesterday

I spent way too long trying to combine a 15% off email code with a free shipping code and a buy one get one free deal on the same order. The website kept erroring out and I finally had to call customer support, who told me their system only lets you use two codes max at a time. Has anyone else run into store sites that make stacking coupons way harder than it should be?

Bought a $40 'energy saving' power strip and my bill went up

Saw this smart power strip advertised as saving you money by cutting power to idle devices. Hooked it up in my living room with the TV and game console. After two months my electric bill actually went up by about $12 because the strip itself draws power constantly for its wifi chip. Anyone else find these things do more harm than good?

Vent: That "free shipping" code that only works on orders over $75

I keep seeing people post these coupon codes that promise free shipping, then I click through and read the fine print. Its always orders over $75 or $100. I mostly buy small stuff under $30. By the time I add junk to hit the minimum, I've spent way more than shipping would have cost. Why do people even share these without mentioning the catch? Anyone else fall for this or do you just pay the $5 for shipping instead?

My cheap air fryer died after 4 months, no warning.

Was making wings last Tuesday and it just stopped mid-cycle, smoke smell and everything. Anyone else have luck with a specific brand replacement under $80?

Pro tip: stop buying brand name trash bags

I used to grab whatever Glad or Hefty bags were on sale at the grocery store, spending like $12 a box every month. Then I tried the generic ones from a bulk store near Durham for $3.50 per box about 6 months ago and they hold just as much without ripping. Has anyone else found a random off brand that actually beats the big names?

Shoutout to the person who posted about price matching at Target

I spent way too long trying to find a good deal on a vacuum last month, wandered around the store for like 20 minutes before I remembered the tip to just show them the Amazon price on my phone. Saved $35 on a pretty good model right there at the customer service desk. Anyone else have luck price matching things lately?