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Legitimate ways of double dipping

November 21, 2015 01:32PM
@Reeses200 wrote:

I have found that using coupons benefits the company not me. If they reimburse up to $10 and I use a $3 coupon, they only reimburse me $7. I don't think I have ever done a shop that reimbursed more than I actually spent on a shop.

No, but having the coupon allows you to get more for your reimbursement. You can get $13 worth of merchandise for $10 instead only $10 worth.
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November 21, 2015 02:44PM
I love this thread. Some of you mentioned buying gift cards to earn points - I thought there was a surcharge when you buy them at a different store. How does that help you?
Regarding credit cards there are helpful websites that will tell you which card is currently running the best deal.
How do you keep track of all your gift cards?
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November 22, 2015 04:29AM
@pony123lucy wrote:

I love this thread. Some of you mentioned buying gift cards to earn points - I thought there was a surcharge when you buy them at a different store. How does that help you?
Regarding credit cards there are helpful websites that will tell you which card is currently running the best deal.
How do you keep track of all your gift cards?

Nope, most of those racks of giftcards that you see at places like office stores, grocery stores, drug stores, etc. are sold at face value. The only ones that generally have surcharges are the prepaid debit cards (Visa, Amex, etc.)

One website that helps you find the best deal on discount giftcards is giftcardgranny.com.
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November 22, 2015 05:35AM
I am honestly looking for a new car. Took a nissan shop at my local dealership about 2 weeks after having gone there looking for a new car. I now have 3 salesmen helping me find just the right car. Since obviously the one I test drove was a bit too big.
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November 22, 2015 08:45AM
@Reeses200 wrote:

I have found that using coupons benefits the company not me. If they reimburse up to $10 and I use a $3 coupon, they only reimburse me $7. I don't think I have ever done a shop that reimbursed more than I actually spent on a shop.

If there are no coupon restrictions in the guidelines, I will use a trashmail.com email account and join the restaurant email club. This will result in a coupon for a free appetizer or desert 99% of the time and can allow you to then upgrade from a chicken dish to to fresh seafood dish and still stay under reimbursement. I know people that are not shoppers that will abuse this and put that they are having a birthday a week out when joining to get an even better deal emailed to them as only the ones that have a free meal will actually card you to see that it really is your birthday. I don't do that as it's very unethical.

Ever since I posted earlier about the gift card resellers, I notice that they are not as discounted or selling out. Darden is down to only 17.5% off, where I was getting them all day long for 23%.

Miller's Ale House is selling them till Christmas at 20% off. You can just walk in and go up to the bar and buy a gift card and walk out before the shop. If you have 8+ locations near you and shop them all, you can buy $500 worth and get an additional $50 added to that. They used to be called Orlando Ale house. I think I have eaten at every single one of them in all of CFL.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2015 08:46AM by scanman1.
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November 24, 2015 07:53PM
@Reeses200 wrote:

I have found that using coupons benefits the company not me. If they reimburse up to $10 and I use a $3 coupon, they only reimburse me $7. I don't think I have ever done a shop that reimbursed more than I actually spent on a shop.

Reeses, the key to coupons if allowed is that you can purchase an item that is $13 with your coupon and get reimbursed the full $10 you spent. So buy more and you will win with that coupon.
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November 24, 2015 07:59PM
Having a coupon also means that you are shelling out less money or putting less on your credit card. If I am not planning on using the coupon anyways it is no big deal...
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November 24, 2015 09:10PM
@elynbeth wrote:

@pony123lucy wrote:

I love this thread. Some of you mentioned buying gift cards to earn points - I thought there was a surcharge when you buy them at a different store. How does that help you?
Regarding credit cards there are helpful websites that will tell you which card is currently running the best deal.
How do you keep track of all your gift cards?

Nope, most of those racks of giftcards that you see at places like office stores, grocery stores, drug stores, etc. are sold at face value. The only ones that generally have surcharges are the prepaid debit cards (Visa, Amex, etc.)

One website that helps you find the best deal on discount giftcards is giftcardgranny.com.

I find some at costco so if you belong to them or sams or a place like that they are usually sold at 20% off and are returnable if you do not use them...(i will find out today when i try to return one for a shop that is not contracted anymore.). Also at xmas time many stores will give you a bonus small gift card when purchasing one of theirs so check websites of where you shop for the next few weeks...many times the "bonus" gift card is only good for a few months so be careful. And some grocers and drug store chains waive the fee for the amex and visa ones this time of year.
Keeping track of gift cards is one of the issues I have so I do not buy them unless i get a discount or it is a gift from someone. The ones I have for shopping I keep in the folder of the msc that I do that shop for under a paper clip so I can always find it when looking for the shop rules cheat sheet I use. I also usually wrap the last receipt with the current balance around the card so i know how much is left without calling or worrying they are cheating me. When I know I will use what is left up in one shop I use a black marker and write the balance left right on the card. Otherwise I put a sticker on the card and update the balance each time I use it.
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