Getting Started
Hi! I’m Cali and JustPlainFrugal.com is my way of sharing the discount stuff I find with friends and family. I hate flooding inboxes so I started this blog and it has been a lot of fun!
So why are you here? Are you a student trying not to drown in debt? Are you a busy mom who needs budget tips without wasting time? Are you looking for a new challenge in a tough economy? You’ve come to the right place!
How do you get started?
1) Open a new email address I refer to this as your “deals” email address. A lot of deals suggested here require an email address and you do not want to spam the heck out of the email address you normally use. I suggest something like CaliDeals @ website.com (that’s not a real email address by the way)
2) Register for rebate sites. This is HUGE!
My personal favorites are:
AND
Click on the images to register*
Why should you? Well, for example, the last time I went to buy laser printer ink at my local Staples they were charging $108. I thought that was insane since the printer itself had only cost me $200. I found a site called 123inkjets.com where they sell generic cartridges for a fraction of the price ($48.99. Yes that’s more then 50% off). I then bought an extra inkjet cartridge for a color printer ($24.99 at the store, I bought it at 123inkjets for $7.99 generic over 60% off), got free shipping for having an order over $50. Good deal right? Not yet.
Before I committed to anything I went to MrRebates.com and ebates.com. I checked to see which program gave me better cash back. In this case it was MrRebates.com who gave me 18% back in CASH. I logged into the MrRebates site first, then clicked on 123inkjets and completed my order.
By the way, when you sign up for those two sites you want to give them real info because they will send you a check in the mail every quarter. I know this is true I’ve done it. So I saved a fortune on the ink (and other things), got free shipping, AND got money back.
This works with almost everything. Ordering a laptop from Dell.com? Go through one of these two rebate sites (I check to see which gives me the better deal) and get money back! Need a gift for a friend? Order online, get money back and you can probably get free shipping. It will save you a fortune.
*Please note I get referral credit for your joining through this site. It’s not much money but it does compensate me for the time I spend posting deals here. What started out as a little place to post stuff has grown considerably and takes time to update. Thank you for understanding.
3) Check out the coupons.com in the blue box on the right of your screen. Click the “see all coupons.” You will have to install the coupon printer (you won’t see any evidence of this) plus those coupons change all the time and will save you a fortune! Recent coupons include $5 and $3 off Huggies diapers.
4) Join this website by bookmarking this page, and visiting often. The more you know about deals we suggest, the more money you can save.
5) Make yourself at home and check the full site out! click on all the buttons, read all the pages, email me or post comments any time if you have questions. And if you have suggestions or know of a good deal please share. It’s a financial jungle out there and we’re all in this together!
Best of luck!
