tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79156834184070944522024-03-08T00:26:14.773-08:00makeup bagin perfectionRogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-62712617238465914712014-03-30T06:30:00.001-07:002014-03-30T06:30:11.090-07:00Welcome couponers from the WRAL class! <p><a href="http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/smartshopper/image/12793251/?ref_id=13521501"><img src="http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/5oys/smartshopper/2013/08/19/12793251/12793251-1382447013-640x360.jpg"></a></p> <p>Here's a big welcome to all the folks who took the couponing class at WRAL this morning! Read on for a number of tips and links to resources we discussed that should help you get started in your couponing adventure and take you to the next level of saving!</p> <p>Price Book: Click the link in the box above to find my price book with the prices to look for when shopping for food and non-food essentials. You may want to print the list so you have it with your coupons while you are shopping.</p> <p>Grocery Store coupon policies: Click the link in the box above for a summary of the policies as well as links to the store coupon policies on their websites. You may want to print them and have them with you in case there is any coupon confusion.</p> <p>Drug Store coupon policies: I suggest you print them out so you have them handy in case of an issue at the register.</p> <p>CVS Coupon Policy <a href="http://www.cvs.com/bizcontent/general/help/coupon-policy.pdf"> HERE </a></p> <p>Walgreens Coupon Policy <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/topic/generalhelp/coupon_policy_main.jsp"> HERE </a></p> <p>Rite Aid Coupon Policy <a href="http://content.riteaid.com/stores/CustomerCouponAcceptancePolicyApril2012.pdf"> HERE </a></p> <p>Meal Planning: Click <a href="http://www.smartspendingresources.com/MenuPlanning.html"> HERE </a> for meal planning suggestions and resources. You can also post your meals on the daily What's for Dinner post here on the blog each day. It's a great way to share frugal meal ideas and recipes and find out where people are buying the ingredients.</p> <p>Printable coupon websites, coupon clipping services, sending expired coupons to military overseas: Click the link for New January <a title="Printable Coupons" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promotional Codes</a> in the box above for a list of printable coupon websites from legit companies. Click <a href="http://www.smartspendingresources.com/resources.html"> HERE </a> for a list of other helpful resources including how long to freeze food, coupon clipping services and information on where to send expired coupons to our military. You can donate your manufacturer coupons that are expired up to 6 months to our US military overseas who have access to an on-base commissary.</p> <p>Couponing abbreviations: You will find that couponers speak their own language so it helps to know the lingo. Click the link in the box above for some help cracking the abbreviations code and deciphering the BOGO's from the ECB's.</p> <p>Checkout 51 cash back coupons: <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> Checkout 51 </a> e-coupon cash back offers can be used in conjunction with paper coupons and other digital coupon programs! And you can use it with your smartphone or computer!<br>Here's how it works:<br>* Sign up on the <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> Checkout 51 website HERE </a> for free using your e-mail or Facebook info.<br>* Browse the available offers (and print out a list if you don't think you will remember them).<br>* Head to the store (any store) and buy the offers you want (like $1 cash back on ANY gallon of milk or .50 cash back on a package of Lenders bagels).<br>* Take a photo of your receipt and upload it to Checkout 51.<br>* Once they confirm your purchase, they will credit your account.<br>* When you accrue $20 in your <a href="http://www.shareasale. com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> Checkout 51 </a> account, you can cash it out in the form of a check mailed to your address.</p> <p>Additional information: This program is not store specific. You can buy the items at any store. New offers come out each Thursday and are available until the next Wednesday. You have to buy the participating product and submit the receipt during that week to get credit. Not everyone gets the same offers so make sure you log into your account to see what offers you received. For more information and to sign up for this free coupon site, <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> click HERE. </a></p> <p>SavingStar e-coupons: With the e-coupon site <a href="http://SavingStar.ojrq.net/c/47375/17146/758"> SavingStar, </a> you don't print out a coupon to redeem at the register. You enter your store reward card numbers on the SavingStar website, then load digital coupons to your reward cards, but the participating products at any of the participating stores and then the coupon savings are added to your SavingStar account a couple weeks after your purchase. Once you have accrued $5 worth of savings in your SavingStar account, you can cash the savings in for a gift card. You can choose to receive an Amazon gift card, have the money deposited into your Paypal account or checking account or donate it to a non-profit organization. My favorite aspect of this site is that you can use a hard copy coupon at the register for a product that also offers a SavingStar e-coupon (at least for now)! For more information and to sign up for this free coupon site, <a href="http://SavingStar.ojrq .net/c/47375/17146/758"> click HERE. </a></p> <p>Ibotta.com: Get cash back on groceries with the ibotta app <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> HERE! </a> The first step is to sign up on their website <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> HERE. </a> Click Sign up with e-mail to register. Then you will need to download the app on your smartphone or other mobile device as well. Just go to the app store on your phone and look for ibotta. Once you have signed up and have downloaded the app, you are ready to score the digital coupons!</p> <p>Here's how it works: 1. Before shopping, choose your offers through the app on your smartphone. The more you choose, the more cash back you'll earn. For each offer, you will need to complete 2 or more simple tasks to increase the amount of your digital coupons. Some of the tasks include taking a 1 question poll, looking at a recipe or watching a video. 2. Go Shopping. Buy your chosen products at any of the major retailers that Ibotta supports. 3. Take a photo of your receipt. They will verify your purchases and credit your account right away (you do not have to do this step at Food Lion. See below for details). 4. Cash in your earnings when they reach $5 or more. The money is sent to your PayPal account or cashed in for a participating gift card.</p> <p>Participating stores: <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> Ibotta </a> works at many local retailers, restaurants, grocery and drug stores including these stores in our area: Harris Teeter, Target, Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Food Lion, and various restaurants and retail stores.</p> <p>Food Lion shoppers: You don't actually have to scan your receipt at Food Lion. Once you have signed up and downloaded the app, go to the Food Lion section on the app and link your Food Lion MVP card to your ibotta account, Your qualified purchases will go right to ibotta and you won't have to download any receipts. Make sure you connect your MVP card BEFORE checkout.</p> <p>Special sign-up bonus: Once you redeem your first successful offer, you'll receive an extra $2 in your account as part of their referral program as long as you redeem your first offer within 10 days of registration!</p> <p>Like Savingstar.com discounts, the <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> ibotta offers</a> do not come off at the register. They are saved to your ibotta account. Once you reach $5 in earnings, you can have it deposited into your Paypal account or cash it out for specific gift cards. You can use the ibotta savings in conjunction with manufacturers coupons and savingstar.com e-coupons so you can stack a number of different savings avenues. This app does require a little extra work as far as taking pictures of the receipts but that doesn't take long at all.</p> <p>Swagbucks: One of the ways I earn free giftcards to CVS, Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart (and many other stores) is by using a site called <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=2532015&t2=69&t3=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swagbucks.com"> Swagbucks. </a> How do you get these super Swag Bucks? Each time you need to search for something online, use the Swagbucks search engine on their website (instead of Google). I actually have the Swagbucks toolbar installed on my desktop and it places a search box right on my screen making it easy to search. Every once in a while, they award Swag Bucks just for doing the searches I used to do using Google. There are also a number of other ways to earn Swag Bucks including taking surveys, answering polls, watching videos, playing games, referring friends and more. Swagbucks also posts additional bonus codes on their Facebook, Twitter and blog pages. We usually post the codes here on the blog each day. The codes are only valid for a couple hours usually. Once you find a code, you then copy and paste the code into the Swag Code box at the top of the homepage of <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=2532015&t2=69&t3=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swagbucks.com"> Swagbucks HERE. </a> Look for the circle with the words Swag Code next to it. It's free to sign up for Swagbucks and only takes a minute. New members usually get 30 Swagbucks when you sign up <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=2532015&t2=69&t3=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swagbucks.com"> HERE </a> but through the end of January, you can score an additional 70 Swag Bucks for a total of 100 Swag Bucks! To get the bonus Swag Bucks, click the text that reads "I have a sign up code" during registration and then enter the code: SMARTSHOPPER to get the bonus. Make sure you use all caps since it is case sensitive.</p> <p>Recyclebank: Not only will you learn about great ways to become more eco-friendly in your home and throughout your community with Recyclebank, you will also be able to earn freebies, coupons and gift cards to places like Panera, iTunes, Best Buy and more! It's free to join <a href="https://www.recyclebank.com/referafriend/?___store=us&bl=Rzc1NjUwODk=&tool=direct%20link"> HERE </a> and you can start earning points right away by doing easy activities like watching videos about recycling, pledging to recycle certain products and reading articles about eco-friendly topics.</p> <p>BzzAgent: Another program I recommend for getting free products to sample, free product coupons and coupons to share is BzzAgent. <a href="https://www.bzzagent.com/">Click HERE </a> for their website.</p> <p>Smart Shopper on Facebook and Twitter: For those of you who enjoy the social media sites, you can find the Smart Shopper Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WRALSmartShopper"> HERE </a> and the Smart Shopper Twitter page <a href="https://twitter.com/WRALShopper"> HERE. </a> </p> <p>Daily Smart Shopper blog newsletter: You can have an e-mail sent to you once a day with a list of all the new posts I have made in the last 24 hours. If anything interests you, just click on the link and it brings you to the blog on WRAL. It's a good way to remember to check the site daily so you don't miss any new printable coupons or good deals.</p> <p>To sign up for the blog, go to the home page of the Smart Shopper blog and click on the newsletter link on the right side of the page. Look for "Get the Smart Shopper e-mail newsletter". Once you sign up, WRAL will send you an e-mail once a day at 3:00 PM with the list of newest information I've posted. Of course, it is free to sign up.</p> <p>If you signed up at the class, it will be about a week before you start receiving your blog e-mails. Until then, feel free to read the blog daily through wral.com and click on Smart Shopper.</p> <p>Questions: Please post your couponing questions in the Share the Deals & Questions post I make every day on the blog or in the specific thread for the subject (if there is one). You can submit your questions and share any deals you find in the Comments section at the bottom of the post. In order to post anything, you will need to register, which is free and easy to do.</p> <p>Thanks again for coming to the class and please share your experiences as you embark on your couponing journey. Have fun!</p> <p>This post contains some affiliate links and I thank you for using them!</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-60343982870453701992014-03-30T04:00:00.001-07:002014-03-30T04:00:07.904-07:00Starz Digital Media Unveils Two New Series For YouTube Comedy Channel "Union Pool" <img src="http://gemsres.com/author/5726/prnewswire100.jpg"><p>BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Digital Media announced today the addition of two new web series to its YouTube comedy channel, "Union Pool," as well as the continuation of the animated pop culture mash-up series "Tvoovies." The live-action comedy "Llama Cop" premieres and "Popcorn Addicts" premieres April 15. "Tvoovies" continues to air new episodes that include "Zero Dark 30 Rock" and "The Hangover of Thrones." </p> <img src="http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnvar/20080522/LATH063LOGO-b"><p>Starz Digital Media launched "Union Pool" in September 2013 as a destination for original comedy programming. New episodes launch every Tuesday and Thursday at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/unionpool">www.youtube.com/unionpool</a>. </p> <p>"Union Pool has been so well-received over the past seven months that we are expanding our programming with more original content," said Mara Winokur, SVP, Digital for Starz Digital Media. "Tvoovies" has proven to be extremely popular and we look forward to offering more diverse content for our viewers." </p> <p><b>Popcorn Addicts<br></b>Co-produced by Reckless Tortuga of "The Online Gamer" and MTV's "Extra Butter, Please" fame, " <a href="http://bit.ly/popaddictTRAILER">Popcorn Addicts</a>" is an original sketch comedy series that parodies current blockbuster films and hit TV shows as well as fanboy culture. Upcoming episodes include "Assistants To The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," "The Genie Saga: Rubbing Lamp (a "Twilight" movie parody), "INERTIA from the creators of GRAVITY," and "Game of Thrones Charades." "Popcorn Addicts" stars Eric Pumphrey ("The Online Gamer"), Tommy Savas (TNT's "The Last Ship" and "The Moment") and Angie Simms ("Skin Traffik").<br><b>*See below </b><b>to embed "Popcorn Addicts" Season One Trailer </b></p> <p>In the live-action comedy <a href="http://bit.ly/LlamaCopTrailer">"Llama Cop</a>," a by-the-book detective, Riggs Bauer (Walter Masterson of TV's "The Girl's Guide to Depravity"), is partnered with unpredictable rookie, Buddy Callahan. Buddy breaks all the rules, doesn't listen to orders, and happens to be a live llama. Can this mismatched pair join forces to bring down the crime syndicate that may be responsible for the death of Detective Bauer's partner? Created by Maximilian Clark and Masterson, "Llama Cop" is directed by Charlie Zwick and features Antonio D. Charity ("Showtime's "House of Lies"), Vanessa Lengies ("Mixology," "Glee"), Lauren Francesca (YouTube sensation "IWantMyLauren"), Sunny Maybry ("The Client List") and others. <br><b>*See below </b><b>embed "Llama Cop" Season One Trailer</b></p> <p><b>Tvoovies<br></b> Created by award winning LA-based producers Cosmic Toast Studios in partnership with Starz Digital Media, "Tvoovies" is a pop culture animated mash-up where hit television series collide with blockbuster films. Whip-smart, tongue-in-cheek and often outrageous, "Tvoovies" parodies the biggest titles in entertainment, and episodes include "The Walking Ted," "Zero Dark 30 Rock," and "The Hangover of Thrones." The original concept for "Tvoovies" was inspired by casual conversations on the popular social news site <a title="Reddit" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">reddit breaking bad</a>. </p> <p>For more information about "Union Pool" or any of the upcoming productions, visit <a href="http://www.youtube.com/unionpool">www.youtube.com/unionpool</a>. </p> <p><b><u>About Reckless Tortuga<br></u></b>Reckless Tortuga is the production studio behind the widely successful online series "The Online Gamer". Other productions include MTV's "Extra Butter, Please," "Psycho Girlfriend," Bad Friends," "Racism in America" and more. Formed by Lindsey Reckis, Jason Schnell and Eric Pumphrey, the channel has over 235 million video views and 1.1 million subscribers. <a href="http://www.recklesstortuga.com/">www.recklesstortuga.com</a></p> <p>Ambitious Media ( <a href="http://www.ambitious.ly/">www.ambitious.ly</a>) is a full service media company involved in the development, production, marketing and distribution of the highest quality content for its clients as well as for its own independent film, television and new media productions. </p> <p><b><u>About Starz Digital Media<br></u></b>Starz Digital Media is a leading distributor of digital and on-demand content. Starz Digital Media distributes original programming content (Starz and AMC), feature films (The Weinstein Company, Anchor Bay Films), anime (Manga Entertainment) and other filmed entertainment utilizing various business models including download-to-own/electronic sell-through, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, subscription video-on-demand and ad-supported streaming. Starz Digital Media also programs and supports numerous ad-supported broadband channels and develops games, applications and other related content from many of its properties for distribution worldwide. Starz Digital Media is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, <a href="http://www.starz.com/">www.starz.com</a><u>.</u></p> <p>Contacts:</p> <p>Michelle Portillo <br>Star<br>(720) 852-4063<br><a href="mailto:michelle.portillo@starz.com">michelle.portillo@starz.com</a></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J_ocoGjZ3T4?list=PL4qTruTIFdZ-f3JQdmOBkBq8C2Rx1B1D-" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-6pWMOO6orw?list=PL4qTruTIFdZ9W7kL2MSfNyLJ5hBQOGtmE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>Logo - <a href="http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080522/LATH063LOGO-b">http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080522/LATH063LOGO-b</a> </p> <p>SOURCE Starz</p> <p>Published March 27, 2014 – Reads 147 <br> Copyright © 2014 SYS-CON Media, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.<br> Syndicated stories and blog feeds, all rights reserved by the author.</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-39821200854556934402014-03-30T02:45:00.001-07:002014-03-30T02:45:04.997-07:00Welcome couponers from the WRAL class! <p><a href="http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/smartshopper/image/12793251/?ref_id=13521501"><img src="http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/5oys/smartshopper/2013/08/19/12793251/12793251-1382447013-640x360.jpg"></a></p> <p>Here's a big welcome to all the folks who took the couponing class at WRAL this morning! Read on for a number of tips and links to resources we discussed that should help you get started in your couponing adventure and take you to the next level of saving!</p> <p>Price Book: Click the link in the box above to find my price book with the prices to look for when shopping for food and non-food essentials. You may want to print the list so you have it with your coupons while you are shopping.</p> <p>Grocery Store coupon policies: Click the link in the box above for a summary of the policies as well as links to the store coupon policies on their websites. You may want to print them and have them with you in case there is any coupon confusion.</p> <p>Drug Store coupon policies: I suggest you print them out so you have them handy in case of an issue at the register.</p> <p>CVS Coupon Policy <a href="http://www.cvs.com/bizcontent/general/help/coupon-policy.pdf"> HERE </a></p> <p>Walgreens Coupon Policy <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/topic/generalhelp/coupon_policy_main.jsp"> HERE </a></p> <p>Rite Aid Coupon Policy <a href="http://content.riteaid.com/stores/CustomerCouponAcceptancePolicyApril2012.pdf"> HERE </a></p> <p>Meal Planning: Click <a href="http://www.smartspendingresources.com/MenuPlanning.html"> HERE </a> for meal planning suggestions and resources. You can also post your meals on the daily What's for Dinner post here on the blog each day. It's a great way to share frugal meal ideas and recipes and find out where people are buying the ingredients.</p> <p>Printable coupon websites, coupon clipping services, sending expired coupons to military overseas: Click the link for New January <a title="Printable Coupons" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Printable Coupons</a> in the box above for a list of printable coupon websites from legit companies. Click <a href="http://www.smartspendingresources.com/resources.html"> HERE </a> for a list of other helpful resources including how long to freeze food, coupon clipping services and information on where to send expired coupons to our military. You can donate your manufacturer coupons that are expired up to 6 months to our US military overseas who have access to an on-base commissary.</p> <p>Couponing abbreviations: You will find that couponers speak their own language so it helps to know the lingo. Click the link in the box above for some help cracking the abbreviations code and deciphering the BOGO's from the ECB's.</p> <p>Checkout 51 cash back coupons: <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> Checkout 51 </a> e-coupon cash back offers can be used in conjunction with paper coupons and other digital coupon programs! And you can use it with your smartphone or computer!<br>Here's how it works:<br>* Sign up on the <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> Checkout 51 website HERE </a> for free using your e-mail or Facebook info.<br>* Browse the available offers (and print out a list if you don't think you will remember them).<br>* Head to the store (any store) and buy the offers you want (like $1 cash back on ANY gallon of milk or .50 cash back on a package of Lenders bagels).<br>* Take a photo of your receipt and upload it to Checkout 51.<br>* Once they confirm your purchase, they will credit your account.<br>* When you accrue $20 in your <a href="http://www.shareasale. com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> Checkout 51 </a> account, you can cash it out in the form of a check mailed to your address.</p> <p>Additional information: This program is not store specific. You can buy the items at any store. New offers come out each Thursday and are available until the next Wednesday. You have to buy the participating product and submit the receipt during that week to get credit. Not everyone gets the same offers so make sure you log into your account to see what offers you received. For more information and to sign up for this free coupon site, <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=544885&u=906545&m=49403&urllink=&afftrack="> click HERE. </a></p> <p>SavingStar e-coupons: With the e-coupon site <a href="http://SavingStar.ojrq.net/c/47375/17146/758"> SavingStar, </a> you don't print out a coupon to redeem at the register. You enter your store reward card numbers on the SavingStar website, then load digital coupons to your reward cards, but the participating products at any of the participating stores and then the coupon savings are added to your SavingStar account a couple weeks after your purchase. Once you have accrued $5 worth of savings in your SavingStar account, you can cash the savings in for a gift card. You can choose to receive an Amazon gift card, have the money deposited into your Paypal account or checking account or donate it to a non-profit organization. My favorite aspect of this site is that you can use a hard copy coupon at the register for a product that also offers a SavingStar e-coupon (at least for now)! For more information and to sign up for this free coupon site, <a href="http://SavingStar.ojrq .net/c/47375/17146/758"> click HERE. </a></p> <p>Ibotta.com: Get cash back on groceries with the ibotta app <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> HERE! </a> The first step is to sign up on their website <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> HERE. </a> Click Sign up with e-mail to register. Then you will need to download the app on your smartphone or other mobile device as well. Just go to the app store on your phone and look for ibotta. Once you have signed up and have downloaded the app, you are ready to score the digital coupons!</p> <p>Here's how it works: 1. Before shopping, choose your offers through the app on your smartphone. The more you choose, the more cash back you'll earn. For each offer, you will need to complete 2 or more simple tasks to increase the amount of your digital coupons. Some of the tasks include taking a 1 question poll, looking at a recipe or watching a video. 2. Go Shopping. Buy your chosen products at any of the major retailers that Ibotta supports. 3. Take a photo of your receipt. They will verify your purchases and credit your account right away (you do not have to do this step at Food Lion. See below for details). 4. Cash in your earnings when they reach $5 or more. The money is sent to your PayPal account or cashed in for a participating gift card.</p> <p>Participating stores: <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> Ibotta </a> works at many local retailers, restaurants, grocery and drug stores including these stores in our area: Harris Teeter, Target, Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Food Lion, and various restaurants and retail stores.</p> <p>Food Lion shoppers: You don't actually have to scan your receipt at Food Lion. Once you have signed up and downloaded the app, go to the Food Lion section on the app and link your Food Lion MVP card to your ibotta account, Your qualified purchases will go right to ibotta and you won't have to download any receipts. Make sure you connect your MVP card BEFORE checkout.</p> <p>Special sign-up bonus: Once you redeem your first successful offer, you'll receive an extra $2 in your account as part of their referral program as long as you redeem your first offer within 10 days of registration!</p> <p>Like Savingstar.com discounts, the <a href="https://ibotta.com/register?friend=Cgw3Kg"> ibotta offers</a> do not come off at the register. They are saved to your ibotta account. Once you reach $5 in earnings, you can have it deposited into your Paypal account or cash it out for specific gift cards. You can use the ibotta savings in conjunction with manufacturers coupons and savingstar.com e-coupons so you can stack a number of different savings avenues. This app does require a little extra work as far as taking pictures of the receipts but that doesn't take long at all.</p> <p>Swagbucks: One of the ways I earn free giftcards to CVS, Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart (and many other stores) is by using a site called <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=2532015&t2=69&t3=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swagbucks.com"> Swagbucks. </a> How do you get these super Swag Bucks? Each time you need to search for something online, use the Swagbucks search engine on their website (instead of Google). I actually have the Swagbucks toolbar installed on my desktop and it places a search box right on my screen making it easy to search. Every once in a while, they award Swag Bucks just for doing the searches I used to do using Google. There are also a number of other ways to earn Swag Bucks including taking surveys, answering polls, watching videos, playing games, referring friends and more. Swagbucks also posts additional bonus codes on their Facebook, Twitter and blog pages. We usually post the codes here on the blog each day. The codes are only valid for a couple hours usually. Once you find a code, you then copy and paste the code into the Swag Code box at the top of the homepage of <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=2532015&t2=69&t3=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swagbucks.com"> Swagbucks HERE. </a> Look for the circle with the words Swag Code next to it. It's free to sign up for Swagbucks and only takes a minute. New members usually get 30 Swagbucks when you sign up <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=2532015&t2=69&t3=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swagbucks.com"> HERE </a> but through the end of January, you can score an additional 70 Swag Bucks for a total of 100 Swag Bucks! To get the bonus Swag Bucks, click the text that reads "I have a sign up code" during registration and then enter the code: SMARTSHOPPER to get the bonus. Make sure you use all caps since it is case sensitive.</p> <p>Recyclebank: Not only will you learn about great ways to become more eco-friendly in your home and throughout your community with Recyclebank, you will also be able to earn freebies, coupons and gift cards to places like Panera, iTunes, Best Buy and more! It's free to join <a href="https://www.recyclebank.com/referafriend/?___store=us&bl=Rzc1NjUwODk=&tool=direct%20link"> HERE </a> and you can start earning points right away by doing easy activities like watching videos about recycling, pledging to recycle certain products and reading articles about eco-friendly topics.</p> <p>BzzAgent: Another program I recommend for getting free products to sample, free product coupons and coupons to share is BzzAgent. <a href="https://www.bzzagent.com/">Click HERE </a> for their website.</p> <p>Smart Shopper on Facebook and Twitter: For those of you who enjoy the social media sites, you can find the Smart Shopper Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WRALSmartShopper"> HERE </a> and the Smart Shopper Twitter page <a href="https://twitter.com/WRALShopper"> HERE. </a> </p> <p>Daily Smart Shopper blog newsletter: You can have an e-mail sent to you once a day with a list of all the new posts I have made in the last 24 hours. If anything interests you, just click on the link and it brings you to the blog on WRAL. It's a good way to remember to check the site daily so you don't miss any new printable coupons or good deals.</p> <p>To sign up for the blog, go to the home page of the Smart Shopper blog and click on the newsletter link on the right side of the page. Look for "Get the Smart Shopper e-mail newsletter". Once you sign up, WRAL will send you an e-mail once a day at 3:00 PM with the list of newest information I've posted. Of course, it is free to sign up.</p> <p>If you signed up at the class, it will be about a week before you start receiving your blog e-mails. Until then, feel free to read the blog daily through wral.com and click on Smart Shopper.</p> <p>Questions: Please post your couponing questions in the Share the Deals & Questions post I make every day on the blog or in the specific thread for the subject (if there is one). You can submit your questions and share any deals you find in the Comments section at the bottom of the post. In order to post anything, you will need to register, which is free and easy to do.</p> <p>Thanks again for coming to the class and please share your experiences as you embark on your couponing journey. Have fun!</p> <p>This post contains some affiliate links and I thank you for using them!</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-33583150576696323182014-03-23T15:45:00.001-07:002014-03-23T15:45:05.464-07:00GDC 2014: Watch Us Get Wrecked in 'Turbo Dismount', Upcoming Sequel to 'Stair Dismount' <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Deal News</a>p><a href="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/TurboDismountLogo.png"><img src="http://toucharcade.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif"><img src="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/TurboDismountLogo.png"></a>One of the quirkiest and most oddly entertaining iOS games is Secret Exit's Stair Dismount [ <a href="http://toucharcade.com/link/http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=326469137&mt=8">Free</a>]. The original dates all the way back to 2002, and sees you pushing a helpless crash test dummy-like character named Mr. Dismount down a flight of stairs and racking up the most damage possible to his body. It used rag doll physics so the dummy's tumble often resulted in hilarity, and there was a twisted sense of satisfaction as you inflicted injury on poor Mr. Dismount. Shor tly after the original Stair Dismount came Truck Dismount, which again tasked you with inflicting as much damage to Mr. Dismount as possible but this time gave you a vehicle, ramps, and booster pads to do it with.</p> <p>Fast forward to GDC 2014 and Turbo Dismount is something of a hybrid of Stair Dismount and Truck Dismount. The goal again is to hurt Mr. Dismount as much as possible by forcing him to get into an auto accident. There's a ton of different levels which feature various types of intersections or other setups to launch your vehicle off of, and there's ramps, booster pads and other objects which you can use to set up the ultimate crash. There's also a ton of different vehicles to put Mr. (or Mrs.) Dismount in along with a variety of different positions for them. Basically, it's an auto crash simulator with tons of options, and it's a hell of a lot of fun to play. Check out our lengthy video where Jani from Secret Exit and myself get wrecked over and over playing Turbo Dismount.</p> <p>The iOS version of Stair Dismount arrived all the way back in November of 2009, and is one of my favorite iOS pastimes. It's been updated a ton over the years, and features many, many different levels and playable characters. If you haven't played it before, check it out, it's free. We <a href="http://toucharcade.com/2013/03/25/gdc-2013-the-next-iteration-of-stair-dismount-is-looking-awesome/">checked out Turbo Dismount</a> at GDC last year, and it was a very different game back then. While I really liked what we saw then, I'm really happy with the direction Turbo Dismount has gone and the state it was in when playing it at this year's GDC. It should hopefully arrive on iOS in the next few months, and for a brief teaser check out the web demo which you can <a href="http://turbodismount.com">find at TurboDismount.com</a> or you can buy the <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/263760">Early Access version on Steam</a>.</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-13545734404696515052014-03-20T13:45:00.001-07:002014-03-20T13:45:04.719-07:00Deals of the Day: Dow Looks to Deal, Alibaba Looks to Tango Deals of the Day is your one-stop-shop for the morning's biggest news from the finance beat, including M&A, IPOs, banks, hedge funds and private equity. Here's what's happening today: <h3>Mergers & Acquisitions</h3> <p>Deals for Dow. Dow Chemical Co. plans to sell an additional $1.5 billion to $2 billion of assets this year at it seeks to streamline operations by shedding old business lines, CEO <a href="http://topics.wsj.com/person/L/andrew,-liveris/20">Andrew Liveris</a> said. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303802104579449360105980786">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Alibaba looks to tango. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has invested $215 million in Silicon Valley startup TangoMe Inc., giving the Chinese e-commerce giant access to a formidable competitor in the mobile-messaging race. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304026304579449702693441792">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Book <a title="deal" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Super Sale</a>. Spain's Promotora de Informaciones SA is selling the fiction and nonfiction units of its publishing house Santillana to Penguin Random House, a deal that will add significant scale to the Spanish-language unit of the New York-based publisher. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304026304579449611289681756">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Satellite shortlist. Loral Space & Communications Inc, which holds a majority stake in Canadian satellite communications company Telesat Holdings Inc, has selected private equity firm Apax Partners LLP and two Canadian pension funds to negotiate a sale of Telesat. [ <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/19/us-loral-space-telesat-idUSBREA2I21920140319">Reuters</a>]</p> <p>Heard on the Street. Japan's <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=9983.TO">Fast Retailing</a> wants to be the world's biggest clothing retailer by 2020. In its ambition, it thankfully hasn't tried to bag every elephant it can find. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303802104579448901969149142">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Real M&A. After losing a bidding war for SFR, France's second-biggest mobile carrier, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=EN.FR">Bouygues</a> SA's best move may be to turn from buyer to seller. [ <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-19/bouygues-turns-into-iliad-target-after-sfr-loss-real-m-a.html">Bloomberg</a>]</p> <h3>IPOs</h3> <p>Icahn seeks partial IPO for PayPal. After pursuing a spinoff of <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=EBAY">eBay</a> Inc.'s PayPal payments unit since January, <a href="http://topics.wsj.com/person/I/carl,-icahn/65">Carl Icahn</a> now says he would be satisfied with a partial sale of the division to the public. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304026304579449383086302504">WSJ</a>]</p> <p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=VOYA">ING US</a> offering. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=ING">ING Groep</a> NV raised $1.18 billion with a sale of shares in its U.S. insurance unit as the parent company ended its majority stake, selling 26.5 million shares in a public offering at $35.23 apiece. The US unit will soon change its name to Voya Financial. [ <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-19/ing-groep-sells-26-5-million-shares-in-u-s-life-unit.html">Bloomberg</a>]</p> <p>Alibaba hype builds. Alibaba has been valued at up to $250 billion in unofficial "grey market" bids that allow traders to bet on where the company's market cap will close after the first day of trading. [ <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/101509742">CNBC</a>]</p> <h3>Buyside</h3> <p>DSK eyes hedge fund. <a href="http://topics.wsj.com/person/S/dominique,-strauss-kahn/156">Dominique Strauss-Kahn</a> is seeking to translate his extensive experience at the top levels of global policy-making into a career as an investment manager, hoping to raise $2 billion for a hedge fund. [ <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/03/20/strauss-kahn-seeks-to-start-2-billion-hedge-fund/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Hedge%20Funds&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body">NYT</a>]</p> <p>New tech fund. Vista Equity Partners, a San Francisco private equity firm focused heavily on the software industry, expects to attract as much as $3 billion in initial commitments for its latest flagship fund this month. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20140319-709784.html">WSJ</a>]</p> <h3>Legal & Regulatory</h3> <p>Banking union. The EU struck a deal Thursday on the final leg of its banking union after all-night talks, closing the chapter on a key project that it is hoped will prevent euro-zone banking crises from bankrupting entire countries. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303802104579450814068570306?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection&mg=reno64-wsj">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Eating Post-Its. Three men ran an insider-trading ring with information from one of New York's premier M&A law firms, prosecutors say, taking care to chat in code and flash stock tips on napkins or sticky notes before gobbling them down under the clock in Grand Central. [ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304756104579449240980064348">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>SEC monitors funds on Russia. The SEC has contacted public funds with investments in Russia to make sure they are properly managing risks and disclosing their holdings to investors. [ <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/19/us-usa-sec-russia-funds-idUSBREA2I29X20140319">Reuters</a>]</p> <p>No more fine. France's highest appeals court Wednesday upheld a three-year prison sentence for former Société Générale SA trader Jérôme Kerviel but overturned €4.9 billion ($6.83 billion) in civil damages. [ <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/03/19/court-drops-fine-for-former-socgen-trader-kerviel">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Payday lender loses. The FTC wins a case against an online payday lender with ties to an Indian reservation and a Nascar driver that charged 684% interest. [ <a href="http://on.wsj.com/OxMT7I">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>Gambling on bitcoin. Literally. The SEC is conducting a formal inquiry into an online gambling website's Bitcoin-denominated stock sale after the agency signaled that such dealings may break U.S. laws. [ <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-19/gambling-website-s-bitcoin-denominated-stock-draws-sec-inquiry.html">Bloomberg</a>]</p> <h3>Financial Services</h3> <p>Bank dividends head north. Big banks this year will pay shareholders the fattest dividends since the financial crisis, according to analysts' estimates. [ <a href="http://on.wsj.com/1miewjd">WSJ</a>]</p> <p>"Revolt of the Muppets." In a fight over a hotel company that went "dark," investors have accused <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GS">Goldman Sachs</a> of having conflicting interests. [ <a href="http://nyti.ms/1lOZVZJ">WSJ</a>]</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-21519851478099740352014-03-20T11:15:00.001-07:002014-03-20T11:15:06.545-07:00GDC 2014: Hands-on with Tiger Style's 'Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon' <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Amazon Sales</a>p>With such hits as Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor and Waking Mars, Tiger Style are easily one of my favorite iOS developers. That's why it was such a big deal this past October when they <a href="http://toucharcade.com/2013/10/29/tiger-style-reveals-new-game-through-teaser-site/">revealed</a> a new project through a cryptic teaser site that alluded to something called Blackbird Estate. About a month later, it was then <a href="http://toucharcade.com/2013/11/26/remember-that-mysterious-tiger-style-game-its-a-spider-sequel-coming-spring-2014/">revealed</a> that their new project was actually a sequel to Spider, and Blackbird Estate would be the new location that you'd be exploring as an eight legged creature. Today we got to sit down and get a nice, long demo of Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon, and it looks fantastic.</p> <p>If you were a fan of the original Spider, then I think Rite of the Shrouded Moon will be right up your alley. It's familiar enough to the original that it feels like an extension of the world they created, but comes with quite a few new features and secrets to discover, which is something that made the first Spider so special. Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon will be done "when it's done" but it sounds like we'll be playing it sometime before the end of the year. I can't wait.</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-50049679301090342482014-03-17T11:45:00.001-07:002014-03-17T11:45:05.509-07:00Target deals 3/16: Eggs, cheese, apples, granola bars and more! <p><a href="http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/smartshopper/image/13041121/?ref_id=13484060"><img src="http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/5oys/smartshopper/2013/10/26/13041121/42734-Target-640x360.jpg"></a></p> <p>Target has some good deals this week on eggs, cheese, apples, granola bars and more! There is also an in-ad coupon for pet food and litter. Please share any other deals you find at Target this week!</p> The deals from the ad this week are valid 3/16 - 3/22/14. <p>In-ad coupon: $10 off dog/cat food or cat litter purchase of $40 or more (excludes treats and rawhides). Valid in-store only. Coupon expires 3/22/14. </p> Deals from the ad: <p>Eggs, 1 dozen, $1.79 - .50 mobile coupon when you text THANKS to 827438 AND 5% off Cartwheel discount</p> <p>Market Pantry shredded cheese, 6 - 8 oz, $2.00 - .75/1 mobile coupon when you text THANKS to 827438 AND 5% off Cartwheel discount</p> <p>Market Pantry granola bars, 6 or 8 count, $1.50 - %5 off Cartwheel discount</p> <p>Gala or Granny Smith apples, 3 lb bag, $2.99 - $1 fresh fruit mobile coupon when you text THANKS to 827438 AND 5% off Cartwheel discount for bagged apples</p> <p>Hormel Always Tender baby back pork ribs, $2.99/lb - $1 coupon from 2/9 SS</p> Additional ways to save at Target: <p>Target.com <a title="printable coupons" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Best Offer</a>: You can find printable coupons at <a href="http://www.target.com/"> Target.com </a> when you scroll down to the bottom of the home page and click on Coupons. The store Target coupons can be combined with manufacturer's coupons on the same item. </p> <p>Cartwheel discounts: There are also coupons available through their <a href="http://cartwheel.target.com/"> Cartwheel program HERE. </a> With the Cartwheel discounts, you can load specific % off savings to your Cartwheel account and then print out a barcode that is scanned at the register at the store or show the barcode on your smartphone through the Cartwheel app (which is what I usually do to save money on ink and paper). These Cartwheel savings can be combined with store and manufacturer's coupons for even greater savings. No more than one manufacturer coupon, one Target coupon and one Cartwheel offer can be combined per item. Each Cartwheel offer may be used for up to a maximum of 4 qualifying items per offer per transaction. Limit of 1 Cartwheel barcode per transaction and 6 Cartwheel barcode transactions per day.</p> <p>Mobile coupons: Target offers mobile coupons regularly (inlcuding some grocery coupons!). Sign up for them by texting OFFERS to 827438. These coupons can be used with the other discounts. See their website for more information. </p> <p>Coupon Policy: You can see the full Target coupon policy on their <a href="http://www.target.com/HelpContent?help=%2Fsites%2Fhtml%2FTargetOnline%2Fhelp%2Fpromotions_sweepstakes_and_discounts%2Ftarget_coupon_policy%2Ftarget_coupon_policy.html"> website HERE. </a></p> <p>Red Card: If you have the Target Red Card credit card, you get another 5% off. </p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-35334672251079840672014-03-11T19:15:00.001-07:002014-03-11T19:15:06.068-07:00When being cheap doesn't pay off <p>We're all about shopping wisely and saving money. Comparison shopping for the best refrigerator within your budget on the market? We're so there. Researching online to find out what consumers say about the new digital camera you want to <a title="buy" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Printable Coupons</a>? Awesome. Monetizing your hobby? You must read our website a lot to be that smart.</p> <p>Undertaking a DIY project to redo the plumbing in your bathroom? Well... not so fast. Are you equipped to handle that project?</p> <p>There's a big difference between frugal and being cheap. Frugality means you're conscious about how you use and spend your hard-earned money.</p> <p>Being cheap means you want to spend the least amount of money possible - no matter what. And that's not always the best approach to spending money. There are times when being cheap just isn't smart. Here are 13 examples of when it doesn't pay off to be cheap.</p> <b>1. Buying in bulk</b> <p>Going to Costco or Sam's Club to buy items in bulk is great in theory. You can save money by stocking up on some much-needed goods, such as toilet paper and vitamins.</p> <p>But buying that big jug of spaghetti sauce or that loaf of bread won't pay off when you're throwing it away. Chances are that you'll still have to make a run to the regular grocery store, so don't buy anything perishable or that would be cheaper to buy elsewhere. Remember: just because you can buy in bulk does not meant it's a bargain!</p> <b>2. Driving far away to save on gas</b> <p>It seems that every so often we hear about how gas prices are rising. In our commuter culture, who wouldn't want to save on gas? But if you're driving out of the way to save a few bucks on gas, well, you've got to calculate if it's worth it.</p> <p>First, figure out how many miles your vehicle gets per gallon. Then find out how far away the gas station is and the price of gas. Calculate how far you'd have to drive and how much it would cost to get there to fill your tank.ou're driving out of the way to save a few bucks on gas, well, you've got to calculate if it's worth it.</p> <p>Would it be cheaper to go to a closer station with more expensive gas? If you're confused, websites like Gas Buddy might help you figure out if driving further away for gas is worth it.</p> <b>3. Eating cheap food</b> <p>Getting a cheap lunch or buying an overpriced bag of chips from the vending machine is OK every once in a while. But making the local fast-food restaurant or vending machine your constant go-to during lunch or dinner is unhealthy.</p> <p>Saving money on cheap eats won't matter when your health takes a toll (and you get that health care bill) and you spend hours in the bathroom. That said, you don't necessarily have to stock up on organic produce either. Consider purchasing healthier snacks instead. Your waistline and wallet will thank you.</p> <b>4. Going for cheap over quality clothing</b> <p>Buying cheap clothes is OK if you're looking for something disposable or to buy in bulk, but when it comes to important garments, it pays to pay.</p> <p>One quality jacket or blazer might be worth the investment if you're planning to wear it over time or as a statement piece. The alternative is buying something cheap that might break after a few washes or go out of style after a few seasons.</p> <b>5. Cheap shoes and mattresses</b> <p>You'll spend most of your life in one of the two. Buy comfortable shoes, not just the cheap stuff. Cheap shoes are likely to break soon and don't have much heel support. That might cause irreparable damage to your feet and back.</p> <p>As for your mattress, think of how many hours you spend sleeping. Spending a couple hundred bucks for a cheap mattress might feel good to your wallet, but could cost you in back problems later. You don't want to sleep on something that feels like concrete. So invest your money into something that will give you countless hours of comfort.</p> <b>6. Using cheap services</b> <p>Whether you're looking to hire a contractor or plumber, it's a good idea to shell out some bucks so that you get good service. Of course, that doesn't mean you should choose the most expensive service provider either.</p> <p>Go with someone who has solid reviews and won't break the bank. In the long run, it will cost you more money if you hire someone cheap who does a shoddy job.</p> <b>7. Vehicles and repair</b> <p>There's no problem with buying a quality used car. But if you try to pinch pennies and buy a vehicle that's dirt cheap, you might end up paying more than expected when it comes time for repairs.</p> <p>Make sure you know the type of car you're buying and ask questions about wear and tear. In the end, it might be worth spending a bit more for a car that's better quality and will cost less to repair.</p> <b>8. Skipping health visits</b> <p>Have you visited the doctor or dentist within the last 12 months? Having regular health checkups can sometimes be a pain, but it's worth it. Don't skip on these health visits, which can help identify problems before they worsen.</p> <p>Regular health exams will help identify health issues early, when your chances for improving and getting treatment are better. You don't want to find out you've got a serious problem a few months down the line for something that could have been treated early on. That would be bad for your health -- and pocketbook.</p> <b>9. Pet care</b> <p>Just as you shouldn't be cheap when it comes to your own health care, you shouldn't pinch pennies when it comes to taking care of your pet. Buying cheap pet food might result in a visit to the veterinarian.</p> <p>When it is time to visit the vet, you can save by looking into what the costs for a shot might be at your local animal shelter or the Humane Society. If your pet needs to undergo a procedure, try negotiating the price tag with your veterinarian or checking out local veterinary schools.</p> <p>Some animal welfare organizations can also help with vet bills.</p> <b>10. Anything for safety</b> <p>Fire alarms, smoke detectors, child car seats -- these are not items that you should buy at the dollar store. When it comes to safety, it's OK to budget for a bit more than you normally would.</p> <p>Besides, you'll feel so much safer knowing that you've bought something that will give you (or your loved ones) the best protection possible.</p> <b>11. DIY</b> <p>Do It Yourself projects can be a ton of fun -- and even earn you money if you're talented at, say, knitting scarves or creating skateboards. The great thing about DIY projects are that anyone can do them and there's a wide variety of stuff you can do or make.</p> <p>But DIY can also go very, very wrong. If you're trying to save money by fixing cracks in your drywall or making a bookshelf -- and aren't equipped to handle the project or see it through -- it can spell disaster.</p> <p>Don't DIY if you don't think you've got the goods. Hire someone else with the talent instead.</p> <b>12. Buying daily deals</b> <p>Everybody loves a good bargain and daily deal sites are so enticing, dangling their gift certificates in front of you. The problem with these sites is when you act impulsively and purchase too many of the deals.</p> <p>Many of these sites count on urgency because the deals expire after just a few hour or days. If you're still waiting to use that certificate to see a comedy club show or find yourself forcing friends to go with you to a local restaurant before your Groupon discount expires -- it's time to rethink buying these daily deals.</p> <b>13. Date</b> <p>It never pays off to look like a cheapskate on a date. Ever. It's not a good look if you're trying to court someone. Nobody's asking you to drop hundreds of dollars on a meal, but don't start counting dimes and using discounts when you're trying to impress someone!</p> <p>Even if the date is actually cheap, don't make it seem so! Be creative, think outside the box. Go to the beach or take a walk around the city. Make a home-cooked meal rather than go out to a restaurant. Just please, don't look cheap.</p> <i>The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.</i> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-45840278631847119402014-03-08T23:00:00.001-08:002014-03-08T23:00:07.529-08:00Milk price, production comparison tool <p>Dairy producers are often exposed to not only the highly variable nature of milk <a title="price" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Online Deals</a>, but also the highly variable costs of the feeds they supply to their herds. This variability often creates a situation where dairy farmers are tasked with making many choices affecting milk production and feed costs without being able to visualize the outcome.</p> <p>Milk price is affected by several factors including milk volume, milk components (fat, protein, and other solids), and any bonuses or deductions applicable to the producer. While milk volume is important, many of the performance indicators of today's industry overlook the value of a herd with slightly lower milk volume and higher solids. Additionally, feed choice may have an impact on milk volume or solids. The effect of using different feeds to boost milk volume or milk solids is not only hard to calculate, but also to compare and contrast.</p> <p>An example of this situation would be a farmer making the decision to spend more money on new feeds to boost component production. If this feed were to increase the production of milk solids, it may be more economically justifiable than the current feed, even if it costs more. This new feed could be more economically justifiable if it increased milk components, milk pay price, and income over feed cost values.</p> <p>In order to visualize and quantify the economic impact of changes to milk volume, milk composition, milk price, and feed costs to dairy farm profitability, the University of Kentucky and DFA have developed a dashboard tool. This tool can be found at: <a href="http://afsdairy.ca.uky.edu/productioncomparison">http://afsdairy.ca.uky.edu/productioncomparison</a>.</p> <p>This tool allows farmers to quantify the difference slight changes in milk production and component levels could have on milk price. An additional feature of this tool is to compare feed costs, and their impact on milk income. Within this tool, you will find places to input production values, milk check values, and feed costs. From these inputs, economic values are computed, giving a better picture of the viability of herds with varying milk prices and feed costs.</p> <p>In short, this tool will then allow you to:</p> <p> </p><ul><li>Calculate your milk price</li> <li>Compare possible production scenarios and their effects on milk price</li> <li>Compare income over feed costs between different production and feed cost situations</li> </ul>Instructions <p>The arrows on the following pages will help to direct you in using the actual Milk Price and Production Comparison Tool. While the arrows in the following pages will not appear on the actual tool, using these pages as a guide will assist you in utilizing each element of the tool to its fullest potential.</p> <br> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-4135209775889820712014-03-05T05:45:00.001-08:002014-03-05T05:45:06.738-08:00Famous Smoke Shop Releases New Cigar Promo Codes <p>Easton, PA (PRWEB) March 03, 2014 </p> <p> Famous Smoke Shop is an online distributor of discount premium <a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com">cigars</a> specializing in offering the web's widest cigar selection, best prices, and expert customer service. The company has just announced its release of <a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com/sale/coupons">new cigar <a title="promo codes" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Printable Coupons</a></a> they will offer. Each coupon is applicable to any order made through Famous-Smoke.com or over the phone at 1-800-564-2486</p> <p>Starting now, <a href="http://www.famous-smoke.com">Famous Smoke Shop</a> will be extending coupon offers to all of it's customers to take advantage of free products and instant cash back off their order through the middle of this month. Some of the coupons available are $20 instant cash back on any order over $200, free 6 pack samplers and 5 packs with an order of $125 or more. There are also bonus 5-packs, bonus ashtrays, and even free boxes of cigars with an order, as well as other bonus items. No matter what a customer wants to order, they are able to use a coupon on it to either save money or get free product ranging from La Floridita to Arturo Fuente.</p> <p>Each order allows customers an opportunity to receive instant cash back of bonus items and every order may be able to include a coupon. This allows customers to customize their orders and get more for the money they spend. </p> <p>Since the coupons were released, there has been a big splash at Famous Smoke Shop by customers rushing to take advantage of the deals. All of these deals and coupons are available not only on the web but through phone orders as well. People interested in learning more about Famous Smoke Shop's cigar promo codes can call 1-800-564-2486 or log on to Famous-Smoke.com. Customers should be advised that restrictions may apply on particular items. Full restrictions can be easily viewed on the company's website.</p> <p>About Famous Smoke Shop <br>Famous Smoke Shop is the nation's #1 discount retailer of premium cigars online, offering one of the largest selections of handmade cigars, machine-made cigars, cigar humidors and accessories. Famous offers the web's lowest prices on a wide selection of cigar brands including Acid, Davidoff, Macanudo, Romeo y Julieta, Ashton, Padron, Oliva and Perdomo cigars, and many more. Famous offers their customers the best prices on all premium cigars as well as friendly and knowledgeable customer service.</p> <br> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-82952590142520338992014-03-03T23:45:00.001-08:002014-03-03T23:45:09.315-08:00Opus Virtual Offices offers special Spring promotion for new clients <p>( <a href="http://www.prnewschannel.com">PR NewsChannel</a>) / March 3, 2014 / BOCA RATON, Fla.</p> <p><a href="http://prnewschannel.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Opus_4.jpg"><img src="http://prnewschannel.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Opus_4-300x62.jpg"></a>No matter how long the winter is, the spring is sure to follow. So as we all wait for this harsh winter to come to an end, its time to prepare for a successful spring. For college students this means spray tans and extra gym sessions. For entrepreneurs, however, the small business equivalence to getting ready for springtime is revamping that business plan. Thanks to <a href="http://www.opusvirtualoffices.com/">Opus Virtual Offices</a>, there has never been a better time.</p> <p>Spring is the season of renewal and renovation, and Opus Virtual Offices, a leading provider of the virtual office solution, delivers the perfect opportunity for a small business owner to tighten up his or her business. For those entrepreneurs ready to make the move to Opus this season, all setup fees will be waived, instantly saving new clients $100.</p> <p>"With the end of winter finally approaching, and spring right around the corner, we wanted to give virtual office prospects something to look forward to. Therefore, we will waive all setup fees when new clients sign up using the <a title="promo code" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promotional Codes</a> 'spring'", says Yori Galel, CEO of Opus Virtual Offices.</p> <p>Mr. Galel understands that for small business owners, keeping costs <a href="http://www.opusvirtualoffices.com/services.html">as low as possible</a> is crucial for success. That is why people, now more than ever, are switching to virtual office solutions.</p> <p>Opus provides its clients with quick and easy access to a professional office identity, without the cost associated with a physical office. This service offers business owners a distinguished corporate mailing address with a corresponding phone number, fax, personalized voicemail, and exceptional receptionists readily available to take phone calls from clients. The complete package is available for $99 a month, and absolutely no setup fees when using the promotional code online.</p> <p>Spring is a time for brushing off the dirt and dust from a sedentary winter and getting ahead. And with Opus Virtual Offices' spring promo, you can get ahead with an extra $100 in your pocket. </p> <p>MEDIA CONTACT<br>Vadim Zimet<br>Phone: (561) 988-6900<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:Vadim@opusvo.com">Vadim@opusvo.com</a></p> <p>Direct link: <a href="http://www.prnewschannel.com/2014/03/03/opus-virtual-offices-offers-special-spring-promotion-for-new-clients/">http://www.prnewschannel.com/2014/03/03/opus-virtual-offices-offers-special-spring-promotion-for-new-clients/</a></p> <p>SOURCE: Opus Virtual Offices </p> <p>This press release is distributed by <a href="http://www.prnewschannel.com">PR NewsChannel</a>. Your News. Everywhere. </p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-2779348637054585742014-02-03T07:15:00.001-08:002014-02-03T07:15:08.996-08:00Best Nokia Lumia 520 price deals for February 2014 <p><a href="http://www.noknok.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/nokia-lumia-520-price-deals-february.png?2add53"><img src="http://www.noknok.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/nokia-lumia-520-price-deals-february-300x300.png?2add53"></a>The <a href="http://www.noknok.tv/nokia-lumia-520/">Nokia Lumia 520</a> is the most affordable and <a title="best" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Amazon Deal</a> selling Lumia in the range and is perfect for the first-time smartphone user. While it is cheap, it offers plenty of features, as well as a great design and build quality. Check out the best Nokia Lumia 520 price deals for February 2014.</p> <p>The Nokia Lumia 520 is a stunning looking smartphone that costs less than £100 (inc. VAT) and comes with a 4-inch touchscreen that acts as a fantastic display for web browsing, making notes, or just about anything you need to do on the go. Sure, it's the budget member of the Windows Phone 8 family but that doesn't stop it from being a fully-featured phone capable of handling apps with ease.</p> <a href="http://www.noknok.tv/2013/04/30/nokia-lumia-520-owners-top-5-tips-you-need-to-do-right-now/">Nokia Lumia 520: How to get started</a><p>What's more, you get full access to the exact same Nokia apps as you would on a top-of-the-range handset like the <a href="http://www.noknok.tv/nokia-lumia-925/">Nokia Lumia 925</a>. We're talking about the likes of HERE Maps, Nokia Music, Smart Shoot and Cinemagraph.</p> <p></p> <p>You'll find the Nokia Lumia 520 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and backed by 512MB of RAM. This is more than enough to deliver a full Windows Phone 8 user experience. What's more with 8GB of storage and microSD slot you'll be able to store all your files, media and music with ease - try and do that with some budget rivals out there. </p> <p>We've also found the Nokia Lumia 520 to be a great smartphone for playing games, as this hands-on video attests:</p> <p></p> <p>Nokia builds all of its handsets to last, of course, while the Lumia 520 doesn't lack anything from an attractive design perspective either. Check out these Nokia Lumia 520 deals, whether you're after a PAYG bargain or a top contract offer - prices correct at time of writing.</p> <h2>Nokia Lumia 520: Best monthly deal on 24 month contract</h2> <p>If you want to get the phone for free with the minimum of monthly outgoings, you'll be wanting a 24 month contract. Right now, you can pick one up for as little as £7.50 (inc. VAT) a month and all the major networks offer a range of deals to entice you in.</p> <a href="https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/tariffs/nokia/lumia-520-black/">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on O2 24 month contract</a><a href="http://store.three.co.uk/view/product/ql_catalog/threecatdevice/2640">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on 3 24 month contract</a><a href="http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/NOKIA_LUMIA_520/MONTHLY?colourCode=BLACK">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on Orange 24 month contract</a><a href="http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/nokia-lumia-520-black/t-mobile-3g-100-plan-11-99/extras/">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on T-Mobile 24 month contract</a><a href="http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/nokia-lumia-520-black-paym?dfacid=1&cid=aff-aw-default-129411">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on Vodafone 24 month contract</a><h2>Nokia Lumia 520: Best monthly deal on 12 month contract</h2> <p>Of course, some people don't want to be tied in to such a lengthy contract. Never fear - the Nokia Lumia 520 is such good value that you can get it on a 12 month contract with no initial fee! Head to Carphone Warehouse, and they'll give you the Nokia Lumia 520 for free on a 12 month Vodafone contract for £35 per month. This will get you 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and 100MB of data.</p> <a href="http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/NOKIA_LUMIA_520_V169F_FCONB">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on Vodafone 14 month contract</a><h2>Nokia Lumia 520: Best SIM Free price deal</h2> <p>If you're happy with your contract deal and just want to get your hands on the Nokia Lumia 520, you can opt for the SIM free price deal option and slap your current microSIM card into your new Lumia. Here we check out a couple of great deals to be had right now</p> <p>Click <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BYYDTI6/?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=nouk-21">Amazon</a> for the Nokia Lumia 520 at £99.99 (inc. VAT) SIM free</p> <p>Click <a href="http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/sim-free-nokia-lumia-520-black-p38784.htm">Mobile Fun</a> for the Nokia Lumia 520 at £159.98 (inc. VAT) SIM free</p> <h2>Nokia Lumia 520: Best PAYG deal</h2> <p>When it comes to getting a smartphone on a budget, opting for a PAYG (Pay As You Go) deal is a great way of getting the features you want without having to tie yourself to a contract. With prices starting from as little as £68.99 (inc. VAT) for the Nokia Lumia 520, it's now more affordable than ever.</p> <a href="http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/NOKIA_LUMIA_520_O2PYG_WEB10">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on O2 PAYG</a><a href="http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/NOKIA_LUMIA_520_VOD10_WEB10">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on Vodafone PAYG</a><a href="http://store.three.co.uk/view/product/ql_catalog/threecatdevice/2640">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on 3 PAYG</a><a href="http://www.phones4u.co.uk/basket/ShowBasket.asp?ik=698048">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on Orange PAYG</a><a href="http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/NOKIA_LUMIA_520_TMOB_WEB10/18654434">Click here for the Nokia Lumia 520 on T-Mobile PAYG</a><p>If you're after another kind of Nokia Lumia 520 deal, <a href="http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/phones/phone/lumia520/offers/?ct=Post&opp=10">click here</a>.</p> <ul><img src="http://www.noknok.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/the_nok_january.png?2add53"></ul> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-43712906184791180722014-01-27T03:30:00.001-08:002014-01-27T03:30:06.973-08:00LongHorn Steakhouse $4 off 2 adult entrees mobile or printable coupon <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Deal Now</a>p>Congratulations!</p> <p>Your weather is set to . You can change the location at any time.</p> <p>Want to set your local edition?</p> <p>Select an edition for more focused local news.</p> <p>AccuWeather.com Quick Look</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-88983883715705907352014-01-26T20:00:00.001-08:002014-01-26T20:00:25.209-08:00Dress Barn Coupons 2014: 50% off Coupon, Promo Code & Deals <p><a href="https://secure.repost.us/syndicate/create"><img src="http://static.1.rp-api.com/buttons/repostus_bttn_shrt_repost.png"></a></p> <p> </p><p>Los Angeles, CA -- ( <a href="http://www.sbwire.com/">SBWIRE</a>) -- 01/22/2014 -- Dress Barn is a discount beauty retail company that makes it easy for a woman to shop for all of her beauty products in one place. Dress Barn carries many of the mass brands as well as the more prestigious brands at very competitive prices. With more than 800 stores in 42 states, Dress Barn really does make beauty easily accessible to any woman. When ordering products online, Dress Barn gives away three free samples with the order every time! In addition to the competitive prices and sales offered by Dress Barn, customers can apply Dress Barn coupons to get the best discounts on sportswear, dresses, suits, blazers, tops, pants, petite, tall, feminine clothing, stocking pants, gowns, suits, denim, shirts, dresses, handbags, scarves, footwear, jewelry, gifts, blazers, jackets, suits, accessories and other items for the career-minded woman.<br><br> dressbarn.com: <a href="http://www.cheaperseeker.com/DressBarn-coupons">Get 15% Off Regular Priced Items</a><br><br> dressbarn.com: <a href="http://www.cheaperseeker.com/DressBarn-coupons">Enjoy Free Shipping On All Orders</a><br><br> dressbarn.com: <a href="http://www.cheaperseeker.com/DressBarn-coupons">View All Available Finish Line Coupons</a><br><br> Dress Barn will inundate shoppers with <a title="promotional" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Promotional Codes</a> offers when they go to their website. Shoppers can take advantage of Dress Barn coupons to make their shopping experience even more enjoyable and budget friendly. They will find lots of free items with a purchase, percentages off certain items and Dress Barn coupon codes for a variety of discounts. There is Daisy Dollars, with which shoppers can earn 1 point and $5 store credit for every $25 they spend at the store or online. Dress Barn also provides free shipping and samples on orders over $50. Shoppers can also sign up for the reward program (free) of Dress Barn to earn points that can be redeemed for future discounts on every purchase.<br><br> Dress Barn prides itself on offering a wide variety of sizes for women at very reasonable prices, so they have something that will fit all and offering a warm and supportive environment in which to shop. Consumers particularly like the Dress Barn Company's economical prices and its hassle-free online shopping portal. There are several premium brand names available to choose from at Dress Barn including Maurices, Justice, Lane Bryant, and Catherines clothing store brands and hundreds of others. If Dress Barn consumers have a favorite, there is an excellent chance they will find it at Dressbarn.com.<br><br> About Cheaperseeker<br> Cheaperseeker provides not only dressbarn.com online coupons, promotions, and discounts but also for hundreds of other top stores throughout the US and around the world, so remember to check over at Cheaperseeker.com before doing any online shopping at dressbarn.com or other online store to make sure the prices paid are as low as possible.</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-10018966911709708252014-01-19T21:00:00.001-08:002014-01-19T21:00:08.279-08:002014 A2Hosting Promotion & Coupon Codes Are Released at HostingReview360.com <i>HostingReview360.com has introduced the new A2Hosting promotion in 2014 which comes with 2 coupon codes bringing an up to 51% discount that decreases the price of the companies' shared hosting packages to $3.92/mo.</i> <p>San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 14, 2014 </p> <p> The web hosting review site <a href="http://hostingreview360.com">HostingReview360.com</a> has introduced the new A2Hosting promotion in 2014 which comes with 2 exclusive coupon codes bringing an up to 51% discount that decreases the price of the companies' shared hosting packages to $3.92/mo. This is regarded to be one of the most favorable promotions that the company has ever carried out.</p> <p>A2Hosting has been offering a wide variety of products including shared, managed VPS, Cloud VPS, dedicated server and reseller hosting, among which the shared service is powering most of the customers' websites. There are 2 shared hosting packages named Prime and Prime+SSD, and the only difference between them in feature is that the latter uses SSDs and Railgun Optimizer for free.</p> <p>The regular price of the 2 packages starts from $5.99/mo and $8.99/mo. As the company offers a 17% discount by default, visitors subscribing to the services directly can get the price down to $4.97/mo and $7.46/mo.</p> <p>In the current promotion, A2Hosting provides <a href="http://hostingreview360.com/go/a2hosting">this <a title="promotional" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Promotional Code</a> link</a> which has already had the coupon code BHSCODE activated automatically. Designed for people who only need a short-term plan to reduce risks, this code brings a 51% discount for both packages and cuts the price of the 1/6/12 month(s)' subscription down to:</p> <p>Prime: $5.39/mo, $4.90/mo and $3.92/mo. <br>Prime+SSD: $6.86/mo, $6.37/mo and $5.39/mo.</p> <p>Another coupon code offered by the company is BHSA2CODE which is suitable and beneficial for webmasters planning to use the services for a long time of at least 2 years. This unique code comes with a 34% discount with which the effective price of the 24-month and 36-month billing of the packages is:</p> <p>Prime: $4.61/mo and $3.95/mo. <br>Prime+SSD: $6.59/mo and $5.93/mo.</p> <p>Both of the packages cover unlimited RAID 10 disk space, monthly data transfer, databases (MySQL and PostgreSQL) and email addresses, support to host unlimited domains on a single account, and include advanced technologies like SSH, SFTP, shared SSL, PHP 5.5, MySQL 5.5, Apache 2.2 and Perl 5.10.</p> <p>In addition, A2Hosting provides customers with free access to the following features.</p> <p>1) A2 SiteBuilder, cPanel control panel & Softaculous application installer. <br>2) CloudFlare CDN, server rewind backups & HackScan.<br>3) Solid State Drives & Railgun Optimizer (included in Prime+SSD only).<br>4) $25 Bing/Yahoo search credits, $20 Bidvertiser ads credits, Constant Contact and iContact email marketing trial & SubmitNET SEO suite 30-day trial.<br>5) 99.9% uptime & 30 days full refund guarantee.</p> <p>About HostingReview360.com <br>HostingReview360.com is an independent web hosting review site that releases reviews to reveal the secrets in the industry and to help webmasters focus on their own businesses without worrying about the selection of hosting platform.</p> <p>For the original version on PRWeb visit: <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/a2hosting-coupon-discount/2014/prweb11487177.htm">http://www.prweb.com/releases/a2hosting-coupon-discount/2014/prweb11487177.htm</a></p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-92191884819659386772014-01-19T08:15:00.001-08:002014-01-19T08:15:05.223-08:00Attack of the coupon fairies: Don't do it <a href="http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/GE/20140119/LIFESTYLES06/301199989/AR/0/AR-301199989.jpg&MaxW=900&MaxH=900"><img src="http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/GE/20140119/LIFESTYLES06/301199989/AR/0/AR-301199989.jpg&maxw=72"></a> <p>What's a "coupon fairy?" Coupon fairies are people who leave coupons in the store for others to find. Do you do this? As it turns out, some of my readers do.</p> <p>Dear Jill: After I cut out coupons from the newspaper that I will use, I cut out about 200 more. Then, I will go to our local store and head up and down the aisles leaving these coupons on empty spots on the shelves. I will see people picking up the coupons that I leave, going through them.</p> <p>I don't know if this is against the store policy, but the "coupon police" never arrested me. -- Ron H.</p> <p>Dear Jill: At the end of the month when many of my unused coupons are expiring, I will cut them and take them to the store and put the cereal coupons on the shelf in the cereal aisle, juice coupons in the juice aisle and so on. I put stacks of them on the shelf and leave them for people who need them. -- Amanda M.</p> <p>While I believe that everyone who's cutting coupons and leaving them in the store has the best intentions, there are several reasons why this isn't the best idea. First, stores may not wish to have stacks of cut coupons placed on the shelves for aesthetic reasons.</p> <p>Many brands believe that a coupon is void at the moment it changes hands from one person to another.</p> <p>Now, this certainly isn't something that is enforced heavily -- coupon clubs and swaps abound. But it is technically a violation of the terms of some coupons. If you're sharing <a title="printable coupons" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Best Deals</a>, you personally can get in trouble for transferring your coupon to another person.</p> <p>Consider that each printable coupon is unique and contains markers traceable to the computer that printed it.</p> <p>If someone picks up a printable coupon that you leave in the store, and that person takes it home, makes dozens of photocopies of it and then uses the photocopies at the store, guess who's liable? You.</p> <p>While many generous shoppers want to share their leftover coupons, the rules are clear, and it's best if we follow the intentions of the manufacturers.</p> <p>JILL CATALDO corresponds with readers at www.super-couponing.com.</p> <br> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-58069387416533251352014-01-14T20:00:00.001-08:002014-01-14T20:00:07.776-08:00New Ebay Promotional Codes in January 2014 Announced by CheckBestCoupons.com <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Discount</a>p><a href="https://secure.repost.us/syndicate/create"><img src="http://static.1.rp-api.com/buttons/repostus_bttn_shrt_repost.png"></a></p> <p> </p><p>New York, NY -- ( <a href="http://www.sbwire.com/">SBWIRE</a>) -- 01/08/2014 -- In uncertain economic times, consumers are turning to age old practices reengineered for the digital world. Gone may be the days of clipping coupons from magazines, but couponing, and the thrifty mindset, is anything but history. That's why more shoppers than ever are turning to CheckBestCoupons.com.<br><br> Launched 2013, CheckBestCoupon.com is designed to supplant other online coupon and discount providers. Where before consumers had to jump through hoops for their discounts, now they have a streamlined option in CheckBestCoupon.com.<br><br> For 7 years, the site's CEO closely monitored other digital couponing tools. His research allowed for the creation of a smooth platform, where no gimmicks that stand in-between shoppers and discounts. And not a moment too soon.<br><br> CheckBestCoupons.com strives to give consumers a free concise method to access the best available popular deals and discounts such as <a href="http://checkbestcoupons.com/ebay">ebay promo codes</a>, without the headache. The simplicity lies in the fact that the top deals are directly based on customer feedback. Offers which are the most frequently voted for and commented on show up at the top of the page. Truly a site of the people, CheckBestCoupons.com puts the power in the purchaser's hands. And continual updates, taking into account the most recent data, ensure it stays that way.<br><br> According to PSSmarketing, an online publication for "marketing, branding, sales and advertising specialists," online couponing is on the rise. "Digital couponing has been growing in leaps and bounds recently, a trend that is expected to persist for the next few years," said their mobile marketing division.<br><br> They also cited an eMarketer survey which indicated that over 92 million people redeemed digital coupons in 2012. By 2014, that number has soared to over 100 million.<br><br> To ring in the New Year, CheckBestCoupons.com is now promoting its new collection of deals on EBay, as well as a whole list of free samples. Individuals can try dozens of products from familiar companies including, Philips Norelco, Hormel, MARS Chocolate and other everyday brands.<br><br> Unlike at competing sites, patrons of CheckBestCoupons.com will be spared the tedious process of building profiles and surrendering mountains of personal information. Instead they need only enter their name an email if they want to leave a comment. And if they only wish to vote on a particular deal? No information is required at all. Not only is CheckBestCoupons.com more efficient than other deal websites, it is far safer.<br><br> Coin conscious shoppers should see where they can save by checking: <a href="http://checkbestcoupons.com/ebay">http://checkbestcoupons.com/ebay</a>.<br><br> Additional information is available on the site's YouTube videos, which offer quick how-to lessons:<br><br><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVvtpIRZLac">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVvtpIRZLac</a><br><br> Despite the shifting sands of physical commerce, the dependability of finding online discounts is stable. Nowhere is this truer than at CheckBestCoupons.com. The site that consumers have come to trust will continue to deliver throughout the coming year, and beyond.<br><br> Contact Information:<br> Jesus Sanchez<br> Email: <a href="mailto:Admin@CheckBestCoupons.com">Admin@CheckBestCoupons.com</a><br> Ph: 408-471-8047</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-35312928034724542922014-01-13T03:50:00.001-08:002014-01-13T03:50:25.401-08:00New D.C.-Based Price-Comparing App Launches <img src="http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/files/2014/01/PriceSpotting-3Screens-300x296.png"><p>The D.C. tech scene now has another home-grown app. PriceSpotting-a free app that allows users to compare prices of items at local stores-launched this week and is available for iPhone and Android users to download.</p> <p>Here's how it works: Users can search for items on the app to see which local store is offering the product at the lowest price. Or users can scan items while they're at a store to see how its <a title="price compare" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">On Sales</a> with other retailers. If the item isn't available in the app's database , users can upload it themselves so that others can eventually search for it. The success of the app depends on whether people contribute to its inventory; as an incentive, users earn points for the items they upload, which can be redeemed for cash or special sales.</p> <p>"We help consumers save money and time for local purchases," says Neil Kataria,the CEO and founder of D.C.-based Blue Tiger Labs, the company that developed PriceSpotting. Kataria said during the beta-testing stage of the app, about 5,000 users submitted about 3 million prices (for around 219,000 unique items) in D.C. Next, Kataria says he plans to expand the app to San Francisco and Atlanta.</p> <p>"It takes four to five seconds to enter some prices," says Kataria. "It's incredible, incredible just to see the activity during the testing period."</p> <p>The app debuted this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Blue Tiger Labs launched PriceSpotting alongside another one of its homegrown apps: Mobile Merchant, which allows shopkeepers to manage their inventory digitally.</p> <p>Blue Tiger Labs has its office in Chinatown and currently has 13 employees, nine of them based in D.C.</p> <p>The apps received money from a number of investors including Mark Ein, chairman of Kastles Systems.</p> <p><a href="http://www.linkwithin.com/"><img src="http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png"></a></p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-7072442814881543262014-01-05T03:31:00.001-08:002014-01-05T03:31:02.383-08:00Stylish parents of Bethenny Frankel's boyfriend were target of online haters after couple was featured in New York magazine's Look Book section <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">business christmas card</a>p> <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/authors?author=Confidential"> <img src="http://www.nydailynews.com/nydn/img/static/columnists/hdr/col_hdr_confidential.jpg"></a> </p> <h2>Photo of Kathryn, clad in mink coat, and Michael Cerussi, dressed in shades and trench coat, didn't sit well with readers</h2> <img src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1566001.1388804333!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/110964pcn-frankel.jpg"><h4>Manuel Munoz, PacificCoastNews</h4> <p>Bethenny Frankel and her financier boytoy, Michael Cerussi</p> <p>Bethenny Frankel's new financier boytoy Michael Cerussi III continues to fall under media scrutiny - as it was discovered by Confidenti@l he was accused of rape while a student and frat boy at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., back in 2000.</p> <p>He was expelled following the victim's claims, then sued the school and the alleged victim. The suit was ultimately settled and Cerussi reportedly was reinstated at the school, though he never actually returned.</p> <p>It appears Cerussi's late father, Michael II, and his mother, Kathryn, have also been the target of online haters who made fun of their opulent style when they were featured in New York mag's popular Look Book section in 2004.</p> <img src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1566397!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/lehman-gekko.jpg"><p>HO</p> <p>A photo of the duo, featuring Kathryn clad in an obnoxious floor-length mink coat and Michael II behind her in a long trench coat and shades, didn't sit well with many readers.</p> <p>"My fur coat is mink, from Saks," Kathryn had told the weekly, explaining how she deals with animal rights activists. "In the early '80s, I worked for Glamour magazine. I was walking to a lunch date on Park Avenue and there were people with buckets of red paint. I had on the first mink I'd ever owned! I hid in the Athletic Club until a nice man came down, put my fur in his bag and walked me to Madison."</p> <p>Michael II goes on to say that he was more concerned about how he looked than all the guys in his office, where he was a corporate lawyer.</p> <p>"The New York Times once, after I'd won a big trial, described my appearance as a throwback to Gordon Gekko," he bragged. "My clients got a big kick out of it. The reporter was from the New York Times, you know? He hadn't bought a new suit since he got out of college. Michael Douglas did dress very cool in that movie."</p> <p>Media site Gawker soon corralled editors to dissect the duo's style.</p> <p>"We haven't been this horrified by looking at a couple since the bathtub scene in 'Party Monster,'" they wrote.</p> <p>Writer Tricia Romano said: "To all wealthy people living on the Upper East Side: DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT get fashion tips from mid-'80s movies starring Michael Douglas, in which everyone is a rich a**hole. As for Michael (II), you're loaded. ... Don't slick back your hair; only gross corporate trial lawyers and guidos from Staten Island do that."</p> <h3>JENNY CHANGES HER 'VIEW' </h3> <p><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Jenny+McCarthy">Jenny McCarthy</a>'s immunization bashing may be coming to an end. "The View" host, who rallied publicly about her belief that MMR shots caused her son, Evan's, autism, was interviewed for a Time magazine article, which suggests her son instead suffers from Landau-Kleffner syndrome, "a rare childhood neurological disorder." McCarthy had been a voice to help those with autism since Evan's diagnosis in 2005. </p> <p>Taylor Swift recently told Bon Appétit that this time of year brings out her inner foodie. She proves it by leaving a West Hollywood Ralph's grocery store double-bagging it. How does she keep her amazing figure?</p> <h3>BETH'S SU-PURR BOWL </h3> <p>Get ready to meow for your favorite team. The first-ever Kitten Bowl is coming to the Hallmark Channel on Feb. 2, hosted by kitty-krazed animal lover Beth Stern. Competing in the game will be four-legged players Tomcat Brady, Mr. Whiskers, Feline Manning and the "dashing" Ferrell Owens.</p> <p>A behind-the-scenes look has just been released, with Rachael Ray, Kelly Rutherford, Hoda Kotb and Regis Philbin all stopping by to pet the little critters. The best part? They're all up for adoption following the game. The cats, not the celebrities.</p> <h3>KELLY GREEN </h3> <h3>FAMED SPOKES WOMAN </h3> <p>They don't have Citi Bikes in Hampstead, North London. That's where eccentric actress Helena Bonham Carter was spotted spinning her wheels in the rain while wearing a tartan skirt, woolly raincoat and floral helmet.</p> <h3>SEEN & HEARD </h3> <p>Beantown buddies and business partners Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer celebrating their two-star New York Times review at Toro restaurant Tuesday night ... Sports Illustrated model Julie Henderson hosting Professional Bull Riders Monster Energy Buck Off at Madison Square Garden ... David Duchovny snacking on health food at W. 92nd St.'s Equinox gym ... Chefs John DeLucie, Geoffrey Zakarian, Andrew Carmellini and Marc Murphy will host Hale and Hearty's Chef Series Taste and Toast event Tuesday in the West Village.</p> <h3>NEW YEAR, BUT SAME OLD GWYN </h3> <p>Elitist actress <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Gwyneth+Paltrow">Gwyneth Paltrow</a> seems determined to stay as out of touch in 2014 as she has been for the past 41 years.</p> <p>The "Iron Man 3" star has posted a New Year's detox menu on her Goop website that walks the line between funny and bizarre. Paltrow, who is looking more in shape than ever, introduces the info, writing, "It is that time of year, folks. I need to lose a few pounds of holiday excess. Anyone else?"</p> <p>It only gets sillier from there. On day one, Paltrow recommends drinking room-temperature lemon water at 7 a.m., followed by a glass of herbal tea at 8 a.m. Then, for "breakfast" she suggests a 10 a.m. blueberry and almond smoothie. Paltrow advises waiting an hour and a half, then drinking coconut water, adding: "Make sure that the coconut water has no added sugar."</p> <p>We suppose that's one way to wash down a heaping spoonful of B.S. Keep in mind that this is the same Gwyneth Paltrow whose "Holiday Gift Guide" inc</p> <p>luded a $258 deck of playing cards and $75 colored pencil set.</p> <h3>THE 'WOLF' PACK </h3> <p>It was date night in Hollywood for Jon Hamm, Jennifer Westfeldt and Adam and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Naomi+Scott">Naomi Scott</a>. The fun foursome took in a screening of "The Wolf of Wall Street" at ArcLight Hollywood Thursday. </p> <p><img src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1565996!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/jon-hamm-adam-scott-jennifer-westfeldt.jpg"></p> <p>ROLO/ROLO/AKM-GSI</p> <p>Hamm and Scott are no DiCaprio and Scorsese, but the handsome pair in October did team for a short film in which they re-enacted the opening scene of CBS' "Simon & Simon"<br> detective series for Adult Swim.</p> <h3>SANDY SANDLER DOES THE WAVE </h3> <p>"Grown Ups 2" star <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Adam+Sandler">Adam Sandler</a> enjoys plastic toys, bulldogs and long walks on the beach.</p> <p>The zany comic strolled the beaches of Malibu with his daughters Sadie and Sunny, with whom he spent<br> New Year's Eve in Hawaii.</p> <h3>KIM, FROM HEAD TO TOE </h3> <p>A bare-faced <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Kim+Kardashian">Kim Kardashian</a> walks bare-toed in a Beverly Hills salon where she got a much-needed mani-pedi after a workout.</p> <h3>HE'S ONE SHELL OF AN ARTIST </h3> <p>Artist Steve Casino can sum up his favorite celebs in a nutshell. The Kentucky-based sculptor says he spends up to 20 hours a day making 4-inch celebrity statuettes out of peanuts, which he colors with acrylic paint. Casino uses bamboo skewers for arms and legs as seen here in a tiny replica of Elvis Presley shaking, rattling and rolling on a sandwich made from bacon and bananas. He also did a nutty mockup of Donald Trump celebrating one of his favorite things: money.</p> <h3>AN ASH-TON OF LAUGHS </h3> <p>Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis yuk it up at LA Lakers game against the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center Friday night. The Lakers won the game 110 to 99, but that might not have been the final score.</p> <h3>SPIDEY TALK IS NOW A 'TURN OFF' </h3> <p>Broadway's "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" turned out the lights Saturday at Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre, and Glen Berger, who co-wrote the musical's script and the backstage tell-all "Song of Spider-Man," told Daily News critic Joe Dziemianowicz there's no point in thinking about what he would have done differently.</p> <p>"Knowing what I know now, I also wouldn't have driven over that spike in 1989, and I would have asked Kendra C. to the junior prom," he joked.</p> <h3>SWIFT SHOPPER </h3> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-67012454839559113722013-12-31T08:24:00.001-08:002013-12-31T08:24:07.843-08:00Rhonda Abrams: Lull after Christmas perfect time to declutter <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">3d christmas cards</a>p>How do I accumulate so much junk in just one year?</p> <p>If you run a small business, you know what I mean. Look around your office, your desk, your home, your car.</p> <p>You're probably surrounded by a whole lot of stuff.</p> <p>That's why, every year, between Christmas and New Year's Day, I take this slow week to go through the ritual of cleaning out my office. If you run a small business or are self-employed, I invite you to join me in getting your space ready physically for 2014.</p> <p>Any article about small-business organization these days is likely to focus entirely on which apps you should download to transform your life – not today.</p> <p>Today I'm focusing on the real, not the virtual, junk in your small-business life: papers, business cards, receipts, samples of products you never ordered, swag you've received, mementos, excess inventory, gifts you got that are too good to throw out but that you'll never use.</p> <p>This year, I'm determined to attack my home office as well.</p> <p>It's become the default place to store all my excess junk. I've got at least two nonworking printers, old office supplies, files from the 1990s – and because I'm in publishing, stacks and stacks of books other publishers have given to me. Sure, I had hoped to read them one day, but meanwhile, these gems of literature are clogging my hallway and staircase.</p> <p>So I've come up with Eight "Rhonda's Rules" to clean your small-business workplace and home office successfully.</p> <p>1. Get rid of stuff.</p> <p>2. Don't keep receipts.</p> <p>3. Get business cards into a database.</p> <p>4. Keep your shredder handy.</p> <p>5. If you need piles, not files, make room for them.</p> <p>6. Get help.</p> <p>7. Make your workspace look good.</p> <p>8. Get rid of stuff.</p> <p><b>The first, last, and hardest rule of any cleanup is to get rid of stuff:</b> "When in doubt, toss it out." Trash, recycle or donate.</p> <p>My piles of books? Off to the Friends of the Public Library. The blue satin travel kit? Goodwill, here I come. Be sure to get all of this out of your office before Tuesday. Start 2014 fresh – and get the charitable tax donation, too.</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-44856797338157539082013-12-11T09:00:00.001-08:002013-12-11T09:00:21.915-08:00Can BlackBerry's Earnings Right The Ship, Equinix Is A Buy, And What's Next For The Market <p>In today's Oxen Group recap, we will be looking at Equinix ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/eqix">EQIX</a>) in our daily deeper look. We want to update our EQIX 12-month price target as the year-ends and 2014 is starting to take shape. The Oxen Group covers Equinix year round, and we want to update our current pricing to reflect recent occurrences. In our Company News section, we will take a look at Blackberry ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/bbry">BBRY</a>) as the company had significant volume today. Additionally, as always, we will do our typical market overview, important news breakdown, and give our perspective on what's moving the market.</p> <b>Market Overview</b> <p>The market was weaker on Tuesday on the back of three Fed officials saying that December taper was a real possibility on Monday. These were the last speeches before the FOMC meeting next week, and many are still unsure as to what the Fed will do. That question has left the market somewhat helpless. Without much other news today, the market drifted a bit lower for most of the day. On the data side, we got news that there were 3.93M job openings in October, rising from 3.88M in September. Wholesale inventories rocketed to 1.4% in October from 0.3%. The inventor/sales ratio, though, stayed at 1.18, but rises in inventory are never a good sign if they last awhile.</p> <b>Deeper Look</b> <i>Equinix</i> <i>Overview</i> <p>Today, we are taking a look at Equinix. Coming into today, we had a Hold-rating with $217 price target on this name. The company is an attractive growth name that is slightly overvalued. We want to update that thesis today and see what is in store for EQIX in 2014.</p> <p>After our update, we have found that shares are now Buy-rated with a $225 price tag.</p> <i>Industry Trends</i> <p>Equinix operates within the colocation industry as a data center service company that protects and connects companies to customers/partners/third parties. The company offers it clients <i>Platform Equinix</i>, which offers global data centers, interconnection between 900+ networks, and work within the Equinix Internet Business Exchange (IBX).</p> <p>The company's main services are colocation, network connectivity, cloud storage, and reliability. The cloud business is a crowded one, however, and there are a lot of data center companies that are offering a lot of what EQIX does with a different name and slight changes.</p> <p>Here are some general industry statistics important for Equinix:</p> <p>- The <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2013/12/03/idc-predicts-boom-times-in-2014-for-cloud-services-social-mobile-big-data-bust-for-pcs/">IDC believes</a> that cloud network spending will increase 25% in 2014 and account for 89% of all IT spending growth.</p> <p>- The cloud <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2013/12/03/idc-predicts-boom-times-in-2014-for-cloud-services-social-mobile-big-data-bust-for-pcs/">could produce $100B</a> in sales in 2014 as more data centers come online, as well as an increase in cloud infrastructure services.</p> <p>- <a href="http://www.liquidaccounts.net/growth-in-cloud-set-to-continue-throughout-2014/">According to some studies</a>, 69% of businesses that have separate budgets for cloud computing believe that they will increase that budget.</p> <p>- Emerging markets are expected to account for $740B of <a href="http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/2316962/it-spending-to-top-usd21tn-in-2014-as-cloud-and-big-data-soar">IT spending in 2014</a></p> <p>- <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/08/forrester-forecast-online-retail-sales-will-grow-to-250-billion-by-2014/">Online retail will continue to grow</a> with another 10% jump in 2014 and potentially $250B in sales, making up 8% of the entire industry.</p> <p>Here were recent comments from company CEO Stephen Smith about the industry:</p> <p>Positive secular trends are driving significant demand in the broader data center market. As capital has flowed into this sector, the market has further segmented and we are seeing customers continue to embrace more sophisticated infrastructure strategies, such as multitier architectures and hybrid cloud.</p> <i>Major Catalyst</i> <p>For Equinix, the company has two main catalysts - growth of cloud-hybrid offerings as well as conversion into a REIT. The company is working to take advantage of the REIT. As the company has noted in their <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1766582-equinix-management-discusses-q3-2013-results-earnings-call-transcript">latest quarterly</a> call, cloud traffic will grow 35% CAGR through 2017 when 2/3 of global data center traffic will be based in the cloud. As a more classic data center company, these statistics threaten EQIX's future for sure. So, the company is undergoing two major transformations of their business.</p> <p>Let's take a look at the REIT status first. The company, since it owns and installs its data centers with products (servers), considers itself a real estate location and can therefore come under the tax shield of the REIT-status. Here were <a href="http://www.equinix.com/company/news-and-events/press-releases/equinix-board-approves-plan-to-pursue-reit-conversion/">company comments on the REIT:</a></p> <p>Peter Van Camp, Executive Chairman of Equinix, said, "We are committed to creating long-term shareholder value. The REIT structure supports this objective and positions us to achieve profitable, strategic growth domestically and internationally. We believe the conversion process, and the REIT structure itself, will have virtually no impact on the delivery of services to our customers or the performance of our global platform of high performance data centers."</p> <p>"As a REIT, we will be able to provide our shareholders with regular distributions from earnings. While operating as a REIT, we will continue to fully execute on our global growth strategy of expanding in markets where demand and financial return warrant. We are executing with discipline and focus, and remain on target to generate over $3.0 billion in annual revenue by 2015 and positive adjusted free cash flow in 2013, excluding REIT conversion costs and tax liabilities," said Steve Smith, CEO of Equinix. "We have already seen several of our peers in the data center industry operate under a REIT structure, and we believe that this tax-efficient structure will enhance shareholder value and enable us to be even more competitive."</p> <p>What exactly could the REIT status do for Equinix? The REIT tax shield is estimated to save EQIX <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1499732-equinix-reit-status-misunderstood-sell-off-overdone">around $312M</a> in taxes in 2015 and 2016 and would have a very low tax rate. The company would then return about 90% of its income to shareholders through lofty dividends. The advantages of the REIT-status will be fleshed out further in the pricing/valuation section. Overall, though, this move would allow EQIX to save a lot of money as they have 100s of sprawling data centers that have become much more of investments in real estate.</p> <p>The issue, though, is on the other end that Equinix in many ways is a more old-school data center provider. The company is a more basic data center storage company, but they realize pushing into the cloud is going to be essential for their future. Yet, the drawback of moving into a hybrid cloud is that it means less large deals. With hybrid clouds, the combination of servers and software for IT and standard colocation both springing up, it has created a decision for most companies. The company is benefiting from the cloud because it is an integral part of the cloud and additionally colocation. The issue is that the length of deals now takes longer as the hybrid cloud is more complex. With the trends towards a multi-tiered architecture to IT and data storage, the company is following the trend:</p> <p><a href="http://www.equinix.com/company/news-and-events/press-releases/equinix-reports-third-quarter-2013-results/">This quarter</a>, cloud and IT services again delivered record bookings and continues to be our highest growth vertical as many cloud players leverage Platform Equinix to deploy their service. With over 1,200 cloud and IT services customers, Equinix is the best location for enterprises to access leading Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service and cloud enablers to leverage the cloud. Hybrid cloud deployments are a major growth opportunity for Equinix, as enterprises seek to take advantage of bursting into the cloud while retaining control over critical data and application.</p> <p>The company has noted that a lot of cloud companies are using them to leverage data storage. In the latest quarter, the company had 1200 cloud company customers. Additionally, the company made a great move in partnering with Microsoft's ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/msft">MSFT</a>) Azure. Customers can now connect directly into Azure with a private connection provided by EQIX. The company, further, will build 10 new cloud hubs in 2014 to continue to develop its hybrid offerings.</p> <p>How much growth can the company expect to see?</p> <p>The company is already seeing 25% of its revenue coming from cloud and IT services, and they want to be the largest cloud infrastructure provider. So, as Salesforce ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/crm">CRM</a>) and F5 Networks ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/ffiv">FFIV</a>) grow, EQIX can grow right along with them. Here was the company's CFO <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/1874711-equinixs-management-presents-at-nasdaq-omx-investor-program-transcript">responding to</a> exactly what this infrastructure will look like and where EQIX fits into it:</p> <p>Yes, well certainly as it relates to cloud based companies is really all of the above, it's not only the SaaS providers, is the pass providers and the IS providers; and certainly recognizing infrastructure, and platform providers are going to be highly important. And one of the things that we've been very clear on as we look forward there is a subset of 10, potentially 20 of those platform companies that will be of such significant scale around the globe that we need to win their critical infrastructure because they will then sell their services to the enterprise. Now then a subset of that or not a subset -- increment to that is the SaaS providers and it will be -- whether it's an Oracle or Workday or Taleo, I guess the service now a Box.net or a <a title="Dropbox" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">dropbox sign in</a>. These are companies who will continue to sell their services to others.</p> <p>And I am very intrigued by what I think that potential opportunity is. Again, it's not only about what we have today, its how they'll continue to scale and globalize within the Equinix framework. So I think that we continue to -- we could experience a significant growth spread through and continue to expand globally, but I also think as they sell to the enterprise that's the accelerant that we're really looking for as a business.</p> <i>Pricing/Valuation</i> <p>Revenue - The company expects to be making $3B by 2015 with about $2.4B in 2014. A 10-12% growth rate still looks solid for this company as they do have a lot of potential in the cloud moving forward. In our model, we will use a 2017 revenue projection of $3.6B.</p> <p>Operating margin - What will end up happening is that margins will likely move down some as the hybrid structures will not be worth as much. The sales will take more work to get, and the crowded space creates competition. We would expect a drop back to around 18-20% in margins.</p> <p>Taxes - This is the key spot where the company will see some changes. The company operates with a 28-30% tax rate right now, but when they transfer to a REIT, taxes will become much less around 5% or less.</p> <p>Capital Expenditure - These will stay high at 25-30% of revenue because of the nature of the high expenditure business that EQIX operates within. It costs them a lot to buy servers, buildings, and continue to expand to incorporate networks to stay ahead of the curve.</p> <p>With this updated model, we came up with a price target of $225. While we have decreased some overall estimates, we have also seen the discount rate drop with lower beta and better cash. Additionally, we are more confident in the REIT structure passing. Without the REIT structure, though, shares are worth around $115 in our model, so the decision there is crucial.</p> <b>Company News</b> <p>On the company news side, we will be focusing on BlackBerry today. After the company traded almost twice its typical volume and popped nearly 4%, we were wondering what was up. The company has its FY2014 Q3 <a href="http://www.phonearena.com/news/Circle-your-calendar-BlackBerry-to-announce-Q3-earnings-on-December-20th_id49637">earnings call scheduled</a> for next Friday AM. There is likely to be quite a bit of volatility into this report, and we want to breakdown what to watch in this report.</p> <p>This report will come after the company failed to get the financing necessary for a $9 per share buyout. Instead, the company locked in $1B in financing for convertible debt. The company's latest rebound efforts were through the BlackBerry Z10 model that was expected to bring about a bounce back. Instead, the company had to take a $1B write-down on the units. The Z50, though, will be very interesting with a 5.2inch 1080 x 1920 resolution display as well as Qualcomm ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/qcom">QCOM</a>) Snapdragon 800. Yet, the company is vastly behind Apple ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/aapl">AAPL</a>), Samsung, and now even Microsoft with its push into phones.</p> <p>This report is likely not going to be good, and we all know that. Losses will likely be quite large for the company, but it's the first call with new CEO John Chen. We will be very curious to see what he is planning to do to turnaround this fledgling company. Overall, there is not much to be excited about going into the report, so downside from here seems somewhat small (outside of bankruptcy). The company is trading at only 0.3x sales and 0.3x book.</p> <p>What might John Chen say to spark excitement or the reverse?</p> <p>Chen <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/2/5166910/blackberry-ceo-john-chen-says-company-very-much-alive">has iterated</a> that the company is no longer for sale, and that the company is looking to enterprise over consumer products moving forward. The company will have four target areas: hardware, enterprise, cross-platform messaging, and software. The company could definitely go places with messaging if they advance their technology and make it more widely available. The company also was once the enterprise leader, and they hope to get back to that place.</p> <p>This conference call and report will be mostly a conversation about how this will go moving forward. Frankly, we are very excited about the call, as it could be a very important moment for the company. If the plans are decent even, we could see some new cash flow coming into the name. This stock is priced about as cheap as you can get without being bankrupt, so it's not a bad time to take a flyer.</p> <b>Wednesday's Outlook</b> <p>The market got flushed a bit on Tuesday, and things do not get much more exciting on Wednesday. The only data will be crude inventories and the Treasury Budget. Neither of those have much authentic market impact, nor we will likely drift and speculate on taper for most of the day. Overseas, we don't get much action as well with German CPI and Japanese Machine Orders about it. So, we should expect another very light day. The Dow Jones ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/dia">DIA</a>) dropped over 50 points on Tuesday while the S&P ( <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/symbol/spy">SPY</a>) dropped 5.</p> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-5804160822206015492013-11-12T05:45:00.001-08:002013-11-12T05:45:07.190-08:00Nikon finally adds built-in Wi-Fi to its DSLR line-up with the D5300 <<a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Cyber Monday Deal</a>p> <img src="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/nikon-d5300.jpg"></p> <p>As cameras all around them have gained built-in wireless capabilities, Nikon DSLRs have begun to feel strangely dated with their need for an additional Wi-Fi adapter to keep up with their wireless sharing and remote shooting counterparts. But with the freshly announced D5300, Nikon has finally revealed its first DSLR with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS.</p> <p>The Nikon D5300 is an update to the mid-range D5200 which was released last year and arguably closes the gap to the enthusiast-targeted D7100. While it still features a 24 megapixel DX format (23.5 x 15.6 mm) APS-C CMOS sensor, and a 39-point autofocus system with nine cross-type sensors, the D5300 has now been designed without an optical low-pass filter to enable it to capture a greater level of detail than equally megapixeled cameras.</p> <p>It's also been upgraded to use the Nikon EXPEED 4 image processing engine which enables a larger ISO range of 100 to 12,800 (expandable to 25,600 equivalent) though the camera still has a top continuous burst speed of 5 frames per second. Other improvements include the flipping, tilting and turning LCD on the rear which now measures 3.2 inches and has a 1037K dot resolution. Full HD 1080p video can now also be recorded at 60/50 fps and a new pentamirror increases viewfinder magnification to approx. 0.82x.</p> <img src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/nikon-d5300-9.jpg"> <p>But it's the built-in Wi-Fi ability which will arguably be seen as the biggest improvement over the D5200, which required the optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter. Wireless functions in the Nikon D5300 include the ability to transfer images without interrupting your shooting, and to manually select the files you want to send to a phone or tablet for instant sharing.</p> <p>There's also the option to use an iOS or Android device as a remote monitor or controller for things like adjusting focusing and shutter control when not directly with the camera. This can be handy for things like shooting group pictures with yourself in, or just times when awkward camera positioning would make it too difficult to use on-camera controls. Built-in GPS also means images can be geotagged with latitude, longitude, and altitude data, without the use of external adapters.</p> <img src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/nikon-d5300-15.jpg"> <p>Measuring 125 x 98 x 76 mm (4.9 x 3.9 x 3 inches) and weighing 530 g (1 lb 2.7 oz) the D5300 is slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor. Nikon says this is because it's used a newly developed monocoque-structure with carbon fiber reinforced plastic material for the camera body, allowing it to be both more compact and durable.</p> <p>The Nikon D5300 will be available in black, red or gray in November. It's due to sell for US$800 body-only, or $1,400 with a AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR kit lens.</p> <p>Product page: Nikon D5300</p> <br><p> <img src="http://images.gizmag.com/author_profiles/165.jpg"> Simon is a journalist and photographer who has spent the last ten years working for national UK newspapers - but has never hacked a mobile phone - and specializes in writing about weird products and photography technology. When not writing for Gizmag, Simon is often found playing with LEGO and drinking far too much coffee. All articles by Simon Crisp</p> <p>Post a Comment Related Articles</p> Just enter your friends and your email address into the form below <p>For multiple addresses, separate each with a comma </p> <p>Privacy is safe with us because we have a strict privacy policy.</p> <br/>Source: <a href="http://www.gizmag.com">Gizmag</a> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-68987739333501221252013-11-01T07:45:00.001-07:002013-11-01T07:45:18.734-07:00Nikon D5300 Digital SLR Wi-Fi Camera <img src="http://cdn.ecoustics.com/db0/wblob/17BA35E873D594/976/3518C/ywiGzjMuWX-FlwUgBPx2Yyz6dmFTgF6JpLSo3JEAxNY/nikon-<a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Deals</a>.jpg"><p>Nikon just introduced the D5300 DSLR camera, which offers an enhanced 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, EXPEED 4 image processing, Vari-angle LCD, GPS and the convenience of built-in Wi-Fi. The mid-range SLR is compact and lightweight (16.9 oz.), and can easily be packed for a day trip or a planned getaway. The small body of the D5300 affords the photographer the freedom to travel while still being easy to handle and comfortable to use.</p> <p>The D5300 is Nikon's first D-SLR to feature built-in Wi-Fi, allowing the user to share high quality photos instantly. The Nikon D5300 sends images to the user's smart device, allowing them to share their D-SLR quality photos through e-mail and social media. The Nikon D5300 also includes built-in GPS, another first for Nikon D-SLRs. Now the user can geotag images and allow others to see where life has taken them.</p> <p>The enhanced 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers stunning images and HD videos with heightened clarity and detail due to the removal of the optical low pass filter (OLPF). Its 39-point high-density autofocus system with 9 cross-type sensors quickly locks onto your subject, and Nikon's unique 3D-tracking uses the 2,016-pixel RGB sensor to recognize and follow it across the frame.</p> <p>Features:</p> <p> </p><ul><li> Amazing Low Light Performance - For clean, sharp details even in the most challenging lighting conditions including night games and dimly lit restaurants, the Nikon D5300 covers a wide ISO range of 100-12,800 and is expandable to ISO 25,600.</li> <li> EXPEED 4 Image Processing - Nikon's most recent image processing engine drives the rapid response and swift performance of the D5300, while maximizing energy efficiency, reducing image noise and delivering true-to-life colors.</li> <li> Scene Recognition System - To further help users capture the image they intend, the Nikon D5300 features Nikon's Scene Recognition System and 2,016-pixel RGB metering system to analyze and recognize the scene. Utilizing these systems results in adjustments to exposure, AF and white balance to deliver the best photo possible, whether it's a landscape or portrait.</li> <li> 39-Point AF System - Nikon's quick and precise 39-point AF system works with the Scene Recognition System to accurately acquire and track subjects throughout the frame, resulting in tack-sharp images. Kids too active to pose for a photo or pets chasing after a toy are easily captured in brilliant sharpness for memorable photos.</li> <li> 5 Frames-Per-Second - While using the optical viewfinder or in Live View, capture great moments that would have otherwise been missed with the D5300′s 5 frames-per-second (fps) rate.</li> <li> 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD monitor - Whether shooting above a crowd or getting low to capture the details of a flower, users can explore new shots from a dramatic point of view with the large 3.2-inch Vari-angle LCD monitor. This super sharp (1,037K-dot) screen allows photographers to easily make camera adjustments and read menus, while also allowing them to compose the photo they want clearly when shooting from high or low angles. The rotating LCD makes it easy to capture "selfies" at an arm's length away or frame creative perspectives when capturing still photos and HD video.</li> <li> Full HD 1080p Video Capture - Create movies fit for the big screen with Full HD 1080p video capture at 60p with built-in stereo, wide ISO range for high quality videos in any light and improved full-time AF to keep the subject in focus.</li> <li> NIKKOR Compatibility - The Nikon D5300 is compatible with Nikon's legendary NIKKOR lenses and powerful system accessories, further adding versatility and creativity.</li> </ul><p>Price and Availability<br> The Nikon D5300 kit with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens will be available in October 2013 for$1,399.95. Available colors include Black, Red and Gray.</p> <img src="http://cdn.ecoustics.com/db0/wblob/17BA35E873D594/976/35187/MQN7wcO3Oqmu-NPP7xnCNTd3loxNzLV-CSHhrYwriYI/nikon-d5300-top.jpg"><img src="http://cdn.ecoustics.com/db0/wblob/17BA35E873D594/976/35182/4e78wnibDKwb4ZRPlO9dj1cWja-9KlpWp_0HiM-Gzs4/nikon-d5300-lcd.jpg"><img src="http://cdn.ecoustics.com/db0/wblob/17BA35E873D594/976/3517D/Bv4Mv9eSCZr0PTSMYX0C53ucFsRmQx-kWVMUfl2ci-I/nikon-d5300-back.jpg"><br/>Source: <a href="http://www.ecoustics.com">Ecoustics</a> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-51255581047326917622013-10-26T10:45:00.001-07:002013-10-26T10:45:05.225-07:00Nikon refines its enthusiast-level DSLR with GPS-equipped D5300 <img src="http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/j/streams%5C2012/November/121108%5C1C4677579-59985-1588614511747-6970845-n.blocks_desktop_avatar.jpg"><p>Oct. 17, 2013 at 8:18 PM ET</p> <img src="http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/streams/2013/October/131018/8C9413585-d5300-bk-18-55-frt34l-high.blocks_desktop_medium.jpg"><p>The latest from <a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Cheap</a> is a refresh of the popular D5200 that doesn't fix anything that wasn't broken, but makes a few welcome changes under the hood, such as adding built-in Wi-Fi and GPS.</p> <p>The predictably named D5300 doesn't just add extra bullet points to the feature list, though. The actual picture-taking parts have gotten an upgrade as well. Its 24-megapixel sensor has lost the anti-aliasing filter - this optical filter was necessary on digital cameras for years, but recent advances in high-resolution sensors and in image processors have made it obsolete. Removing it can improve image quality, and that's just what Nikon has done.</p> <p>Also updated is the image processor, which will allow the D5300 to shoot five stills per second, or video at 1080p and 60 frames per second. It's only a small step up from its predecessor, but every little bit counts.</p> <p>Its articulating rear LCD has also gotten slightly larger, and the viewfinder is a bit better now as well. Again, nothing that will make D5200 owners particularly jealous.</p> <img src="http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/streams/2013/October/131018/8C9413586-d5300-bk-18-55-lcd-2-high.blocks_desktop_large.jpg"><p>Wi-Fi and GPS, however, might come in handy. Being able to geotag your shots and sync them with Dropbox quickly becomes indispensable, and perks like being able to activate the shutter from your smartphone don't hurt either. </p> <p>At $800 for the body or $1,400 with a capable 18-140 F/3.5-5.6 zoom, the D5300 is competitive with the likes of Canon and Sony for consumer-grade DSLRs. That said, if none of the new features are calling your name, just remember: pretty soon you'll be able to pick up the D5200 for a song.</p> Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc. <br/>Source: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com">Nbcnews</a> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7915683418407094452.post-58654100282614069472013-10-24T17:15:00.001-07:002013-10-24T17:15:04.844-07:00Nikon Unveils D5300 D-SLR With Wi-Fi <img src="http://www1.pcmag.com/media/images/403944-<a href="http://ask2save.com/nikon-d5300-coupons/">Nikon D5300 Cyber Monday Deal</a>-d5300.jpg?thumb=y"><p>Nikon didn't wait very long to update its excellent D5200 digital SLR. That camera, announced internationally last November, didn't make its U.S. debut until CES in January, and less than a year later we have its successor.</p> <p>On the exterior the new D5300 is pretty much the same as its predecessor-the only notable change is an LCD that's a bit larger (3.2 inches) and sharper (1,037k dots) than the 3-inch, 921k-dot vari-angle display found on the D5200.</p> <p>Despite boasting the same 24-megapixel resolution as its predecessor, the D5300's image sensor is a different design. It's the same one that is found in the D7100. That means that it omits the optical low-pass filter (OLPF). Professional medium format digital cameras have long done away with the OLPF, which saps up a bit of detail in order to eliminate the possibility of color moire appearing in images. Over the past couple years, more and more smaller format cameras have dropped the OLPF, including Nikon's own D800E and the Pentax K-5 IIs. But the D5300 is the first camera we've seen that is squarely aimed at the consumer market to take this approach.</p> <p>The EXPEED 4 image processor is also new to the D5300, replacing the EXPEED 3 chip that powered the D5200. This is the first Nikon camera with this image processor, but the company promises that it will deliver improved performance in low light and faster operation overall. The native ISO range is ISO 100 through 12800, with 25600 available as an expanded option. The metering and focus systems are the same as the D5200-that gives the camera a 2,016-pixel RGB sensor for scene recognition and 39 selectable autofocus. Like its predecessor, the D5300 is rated to shoot at 5 frames per second.</p> <p>The other big internal upgrade is the addition of built-in Wi-Fi. Previously Nikon D-SLR owners had to purchase the WU-1a adapter to add wireless connectivity to their cameras. This feature is built into the D5300, so you can transfer photos wirelessly to an iOS or Android device without the need for an add-on. A GPS module is also built into the camera, so your location is added to photo metadata automatically. You'll be able to look at shots on a map when using software like iPhoto or Picasa, or sharing online via a hosting service that includes a map view, like Smugmug.</p> <p>The D5300 will be available in black, red, or dark gray. It's priced at $799.95 as a body only, or $1,099.95 with an 18-140mm lens. It will be available to purchase in mid-November.</p> <p>This announcement comes on the heels of news of the D610, a very minor update to the full-frame D600. It's essentially the same camera, but with an improved shutter that allows for a 6fps continuous shooting rate. Many D600 owners reported that the camera has a tendency to pick up dust on the sensor after extended use. It wasn't something we saw with our review unit, and sensor dust is a common issue with all interchangeable lens cameras, but the noise that D600 owners made indicated that it was something beyond what is normally expected.</p> <p>Nikon issued a service advisory for the D600 relating to the dust issue. The company is not saying that the new shutter is there to reduce the instances of dust accumulation; rather, the official line is that it improves the burst shooting rate and also introduces a new 3fps quiet continuous mode.</p> <p>The D610 comes in at a $100 less than its predecessor; it's priced at $1,999.95 as a body only, and can be purchased in a kit with the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens for $2,599.95.</p> <p>Rounding out the Nikon announcements is a new high-end prime lens. The AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G matches the focal length of the classic Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2, but its aperture isn't quite as ambitious. The new lens features the latest nanocrystal coatings, ED and aspherical elements, and an internal SWM focus motor. It's priced at $1,699.95 and will be available at the end of October.</p> <br/>Source: <a href="http://www.pcmag.com">Pcmag</a> Rogerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13983623291105869523noreply@blogger.com0