Category: Money Mondays

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Amanda Doerr Angelo Zucaro budgeting money charity daily deals fairfield county Fairfield University fairfieldcoupon.com Money Mondays New Haven county Quick Center for the Arts Richard Lewis

Move Over Groupon and Livingsocial…

If you follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you know that I am no stranger to the numerous daily discount deal websites.  I stalk these sites all day and all night, gladly sharing them with you since I cannot shop; not for another 50+ days or so.

The NEW comer of daily deals is Fairfieldcoupon.com.  On the scene since Mid-January, they began carrying deals for Fairfield County.  The site now caters to both, Fairfield and New Haven County.  The site is easy to use.  If you see a deal you like from an email, Facebook Page share or Tweet, you buy it.  When you share it and your friends also get the deal, you’ll get Fairfield Coupon Bucks good towards any future daily deal.  Then you use your deal!  The awesome thing is that when you do buy a deal from Fairfieldcoupon.com they share a portion of your purchase with the local schools and non-profit organizations that are important in the community.
This website has already done its first deal where 100% of the proceeds went directly to the Boys & Girls Village, a non-profit organization that helps At-Risk Children in Connecticut.  If you missed it, the deal was $22 for $45 tickets to “Laugh out Loud” event  Featuring Richard Lewis (Who currently stars in the HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm Show).  The event took place at Fairfield University’s (GO STAGS) Quick Center on March 31, 2012.
When we can take advantage of a great deal, save money, have fun AND support our local organizations, its a win win for everyone.  Not to mention it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside and who doesn’t want to feel that?  Clicking on the FairfieldCoupon.com banner below will bring you their latest deal.  Stop by daily as there are new deals everyday.
Until then,

PS.  You can stalk FairfieldCoupon.com Deals to by clicking on the FairfieldCoupon Banner below this post.  (look down)  Or their own Facebook Page OR their Twitter Page OR their website, FairfieldCoupon.com!  Happy shopping!

PPS.  The Boys & Girls Village offers really valuable child and family services.  They are a resource for any child or family struggling with emotional or psychological issues.  Please visit them at www.bgvillage.org if you have any questions or would like to figure out a way to help their cause.  Feel free to follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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401k Money Mondays savings

Do you 401K?

Whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or 50s, we are ALL at that age where we should start thinking about our retirement, if we haven’t done so already.  Facing the fact that Social Security will not be around when we actually reach retirement age is a little scary.  Especially since so much money has been taken out of our paychecks to go into this system.  Fact is if you want to truly retire and be able to still pay your bills, and you haven’t started a retirement savings account then you NEED to start saving NOW!  401ks are essentially free money if your company matches your contributions so make sure you’re taking advantage of it.  I found this article online about mistakes people make with their 401ks and thought I’d share it, here it goes 🙂

5 Costly Retirement Mistakes 
Until then,
 
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Eating out doesn’t have to be $$$!

Taco Loco Receipt after Groupon Voucher

It makes sense, to cut back on spending unnecessarily, if you’re feeling the crunch of the times.  Raises for most people are on pause, jobs continue to come or go, and prices on our basic necessities keep climbing to ridiculous highs.  Ten years ago I can honestly remember eating out almost every night and not worrying about the cost (my body suffered more than my wallet :/ ).  Today I think about eating out differently.  As I do with everything I spend money on these days, my first thought goes to how can I pay less.  With so many different programs out there it is hard NOT to save money on your favorite dining out experiences.  The photo on the left depicts my Groupon deal at a local Mexican Restaurant.  The deal was $12.00 for a $25.00 voucher good for Lunch.  I just cut my bill in half without even ordering anything!  My niece and I enjoyed a yummy meal and after tip I spent $5.33.  A total of $17.33.  I could have spent an additional $3.00 but we were running short on time.

Here are a few of the sites I have found to get deals:
groupon, restaurant.com*, living social, spotlight deals on OpenTable, the facebook page of your favorite restaurant and of course the twitter page of your favorite restaurant

Finding and using deals gives local businesses, well, business.  It gives you a break from the kitchen.  You can try out new locales you might not have thought of going to OR where you’ve always wanted to go to.  You might hear additional specials along the way that do not require a coupon or voucher.  You might find that most restaurants now feature a Pre-Fixe menu on certain days of the week to strum up hungry tummies. 

My only tip is that you read the fine print, ALWAYS before purchasing.  While you can find a CRAZY deal on you favorite restaurants, there is ALWAYS the fine print.  Some restaurants restrict what night it can be used, what time of day it can be used, specials and location restrictions, number of minimum guests, minimum amount to be used, and gratuity automatically added.  The point is you can go out for a night on the town without breaking the bank, with some planning before hand.

Where do you look for deals on eating out?

Until then,

*I find that restaurant.com saves the most once you catch their discount code deals (acquired from their facebook page) overall.

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discount code gifts happy holidays Janice Strileckis Massage Money Mondays Swedish Massage

Happy Holidays and Happy Massaging!

Picture yourself here 🙂

I hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend filled with lots of laughter, love and warm memories!  This past week I gave my boyfriend and myself the gift of massage!  I got a Groupon deal with Massage Therapist Janice Strileckis and I was thankful.  Who doesn’t want to pamper themselves at a deal on this Money Monday?  She seemed to find every spot that ached and at the end I was super relaxed!  Everything a massage should be!

I got to talking to her for a bit and we both agreed that if you didn’t take advantage of the Groupon deal, that doesn’t mean you still can’t treat yourself for an after holiday treat!  So for My Pocketful of Thoughts readers, we’re saying Happy Holidays with a 60 minute Swedish Massage for a whopping discount for $60!  Mention code DjRelat7 from My Pocketful of Thoughts to get the discount.  Appointments are required and are subject to availability. See the PS below for contact information! This is available for a limited time, so take advantage of it today!

Happy Holidays from myself and Janice!

UPDATE: This offer is no longer available!

Until then,

 

 

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Where to Shop…Parte Dos!

With all the deal sites out there, we no longer have to be strapped down to a particular day like Cyber Monday to find the right gift for the holidays.  My only tip to you is that if you see something you like or that screams ‘buy it for danny’ (fill in a name), then get it RIGHT AWAY.  Do not wait and think about it.  I have done that on a couple of deals and then I decide let’s do it, and then its SOLD OUT.  Check out my PS in The Giving Season is Upon Us…where to shop for your holiday gifts for you and for everyone on your list! for how to handle seeing a lower price after you’ve made your purchase.  Keeping that in mind I give you another batch of sites to find the deals!
Ideeli – I have purchased quite a few things over the last few years from this site.  It is by far one of my favorites!  Here you can find clothes for women, men and children.  Shoes, jewelry, outerwear, high designer items, new designer items, travel, houseware, experiences and they are always adding more things.  YOUR INVITATION  
Ruelala – This is a site I recently discovered.  This covers items for men, women, kids, clothes, accessories, footwear, home, wine, gourmet food, local services, travel and special fixes 🙂  This site has a nice feature 9.95 covers shipping for a month.  YOUR INVITATION 
Groupon –   This site offers tons of great things that are in your neck of the woods.  Support your local businesses in your area while making memories to boot and not hurting your wallet.  YOUR INVITATION
LivingSocial – This is another great site for getting to know your local businesses and if you buy a deal, refer it and 3 friends also get it, yours is free!  How awesome is that!
Vacations To Go –  Get daily deals to vacations of all price ranges, including river cruises, hotels and resorts, escorted tours, and African Safaris.  Feel free to email Alan any inquiries, he’s emailed me back on numerous occasions.
Until then, Happy Shopping,

PS: Look for the Discount Shopping Page!
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discount shopping gift ideas Holiday Shopping Invitaiton Only Sites Money Mondays presents Shopping Deals Shopping Websites

The Giving Season is Upon Us…where to shop for your holiday gifts for you and for everyone on your list!

While Cyber Monday has come and gone, fear not there are plenty of sites to get daily deals for the best gifts for your friends and family. Some deals are so good you might just want to get it for yourself!

Daily Candy –  Here you will get an email of articles of things to read that come from their site. Topics range from fashion, beauty, food & drink, home & garden, travel, culture, gift ideas and deals. I am signed up on their New York version but many of the major cities are represented; just pick the closest to you!  The nicer feature is the deals that you get from different vendors in the area that you live in. Be creative and pick up some deals to create memories with various experiences around town. I have actually picked up quite a few deals on here, including Christmas gifts!

Gilt.com – Invitation only website that has a few categories to choose from…clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, luggage, beauty products, men women and children …all higher end goods at deep discount prices, don’t have an invitation? But of course you do 🙂 YOUR INVITATION

Gilt Taste – Get the goods on meats, seafood, cheeses, prepared goods, pantry items, sweets, produce, beverages, wine and equipment…

Gilt City – Another great website that gives you deals for your city…choose your local and enjoy exclusive dining experience, sold-out show tickets, luxury salons, spas, cool shops…etc YOUR INVITATION

PARK & BOND – A site for the fellas; clothing, accessories, footwear, designers, vintage watches 🙂

JETSetter – Luxury Travel Deals – YOUR INVITATION

Portero Luxury – Premium Pre-Owned Prized Bags, Totes, Scarves, Wristwatches, wallets, cluthes and other things including vintage. You can also sell items on this site. Does not require an invitation.

Lot 18 – An invitation only Wine Store that has recently added gourmet items and experiences.  YOUR INVITATION

Snique Away – An invitation only Discount Travel Site YOUR INVITATION

Open Sky – Tailored Shopping by creating a team of celebrities that recommend their favorite things and how to get it at a discount. YOUR INVITATION

This is just the tip of the iceberg!  Stay tuned to more places to shop for yourself and others this holiday season and into the next year.
Until then, Happy Shopping!

PS  If you happened to notice that Cyber Monday seemed to extend for the entire week and you feel like you should wait for a better price, don’t.  I have made several holiday gift buys over the last few weeks only to find it at a lower price the next day.  Check out the return policy of where you purchased the item.  Some places will give back a price difference after a certain amount of days, typically seven.  However some vendors have strict no price difference policies.  If you run across the latter, simply contact their customer service.  Let them know you just purchased an item that has appeared at a lower price than what you purchased it at.  Ask them what is the best way to go about getting the price difference.  Be clear and let them know that you are aware that they do not issue price difference refunds for items purchased when the price drops but that you were wondering if there was an easier way than returning and repurchasing.  You would be surprised how accommodating vendors can be.  If they happen to be a stickler for their policies than re-buy at the sale price and return the one at the higher price.Good Luck and feel free to share your story!

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Money Mondays Thought of the Day

Thought of the Day

“All the so-called geniuses probably gained their reputations because, by mere chance or otherwise, they formed alliances with other minds which enabled them to “step up” their own mind vibrations to where they were enabled to contact the vast Temple of Knowledge recorded and filed in the ether of the universe. ” ~ From THINK and GROW RICH Every Day, 365 Days of Success From the Writings of Napoleon Hill with Joel Fotinos and August Gold

Our thoughts emit frequencies.  Are you keeping your thoughts in check? Are you sending out positive thoughts?