Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with discount

travel fixed date-flexible destination

tangonerd — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:09:25 -0800

Any tips for travel deals where your dates are fixed but you are open about possible destinations? I have some days off work and would like to go somewhere. Rather than hunt by date for everyplace I might like to go, are there any sites that suggest deals based on your available dates?

Looking for Amazon.com discount websites

Sufi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:46:23 -0800

Amazon.com discount search? JungleCrazy, a site that shows Amazon items with at least a 70% discount, has gone offline. Are there any other sites that let me search by discounts?

How can we make our low-income year a little easier?

ORthey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:45:13 -0800

My girlfriend and I are making very little money this year. What are some services/discounts/aid we can qualify for? This is in Berkeley, CA, USA, and we live together. The gal & I make less than $35K combined this year (pre-tax) - she is a student getting a teaching credential and works part-time as a teaching assistant (no benefits), and already has large debts from college and so is trying to take out only enough loans to pay for tuition. I have a part-time job that luckily provides full medical benefits for me, but doesn't pay a ton. The Bay Area is an expensive place and it's proven challenging to make it work.

We are lucky enough to have low rent, and neither of us needs to drive to work very often so we don't spend much on gas. We can definitely survive the year as is, but are wondering what type of financial help there is out there - so far, we have qualified for a reduced gas & electric bill (20% discount for low income). We've thought about joining the YMCA, which offers very good financial aid, but that may end up being frivolous even with the discount. I also have a free Costco card through work, which helps.

Regular expenses include cell phone, internet, car insurance, basic health care (for her), BART (the subway), food... the usual, really.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have! Oh, and this is hopefully temporary - next (academic) year she should get a full-time job, and I will hopefully start supplementing my hours with more income fairly soon.

What is the gift/token of appreciation etiquette for teacher recommendations?

KWittman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:15:01 -0800

My oldest, a HS senior, is applying to college and we are asking teachers to complete recommendations. Would it be permissible to include a note and small token of appreciation for each teacher in advance of the recommendation? We were thinking of including for each teacher a note of thanks in advance for their time, and an area business discount card that is being sold by one of the school district's sports teams as their fundraiser. The cards cost us $10 each, which we are happy to donate to the sports league. There is no cash value to the user of the card unless or until it's used.

We would obviously follow up with another token of appreciation at a more appropriate point later in the year, but we wondered about the ethics of this. Personally I feel they have enough demands on their time, and a token like this would be appropriate. But, the thought "in advance" of the recommendation brings pause. The "B" word, to wit.

Of course, we never do see the recommendations. What does everyone else think?

Teacher Discounts @ Clothing Stores? What Other Perks Am I Missing? Astronaughts get half off at Banana?

WhereAmI — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:33:18 -0800

What "secret" discounts/benefits exist at major retail businesses (J. Crew, Banana Republic, Express, etc.) and what could qualify me for these discounts. I'm talking more long term (i.e., Teacher, Employee, etc.) as opposed to coupons or specials. I'm a teacher. I recently ran into J. Crew at lunch to grab a new shirt after a mishap with a cup of coffee and a student turning the corner without looking (I looked around for a movie film crew, but all I saw was my 6th period laughing at my stained clothes).

Luckily I had about 45 minutes before my next class so I ran to the J. Crew a few blocks away. For some reason (embarrassment?) I offered my story to the kind employee at the store who assisted me in a quick wardrobe change, and in stead of charging me full price, they scanned a bar code (one of many on a big key ring) and took 15% off of the new shirt's price.

I was stunned when he told me that J. Crew offers a 15% discount to all teachers (and he didn't even ask for my school ID or any other proof). I pointed to the multiple bar codes hanging from the key ring and asked what else I didn't know I was entitled to and he started running through a list of discounts for various qualification that J. Crew honored (teachers, students, armed forces, etc.).

I guess my question is 2 fold:

1. What other discounts are there on a semi-permanent basis (i.e., Teacher, not including coupons which don't seem like they would make it to the laminated bar-code key ring)

2. Where can I find a list of these discounts and applicable stores? I'm mainly a J. Crew, Bannana Republix (yes I have a Lux card, no I've never mentioned I'm a teach at their checkout line, but I will now!), Express.

I'm thinking there may be an equivalent retail store discount site like FlyerTalk's "stickies" (the site has a lot of time sensitive "deals" but it also has tons of old information that is permanently posted (aka "sticky") that describes how to get upgraded for free on certain airlines if you know you'll be traveling a lot in the future (for professional travelers)) that offers inside knowledge about ways to stay dressed in a classy way without breaking the bank. I'm not necessarily talking about coupon or deal sites like SlickDeals.net or DealNews.com (these seem more "rushed" or "quick coupons").

What I'm looking for is a repository of data, and maybe even some inside tips (i.e., If you tell the guy at J. Crew you are a Teacher you save 15%. What if I tell the guy at Express I am an astronaut or bring my 65 year old grandmother, will I save 40%?).

I don't want to be dishonest, I just want to be informed. Heck, I'd even bring my granda out with me and take her shopping if it saved me 40%!

TIA!

Travelling with Swine flu risks: Safety vs Bargain

gttommy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:12:08 -0800

Safety and budget -wise, should I buy a heavily discounted ticket now to SE Asia in January 2010? More details inside... Hi guys!

I am calling on the powers of mefi to help me in a time of swine flu fear...

I am afraid of the Swine flu getting worse and I hear it's pretty serious in those hot tropical countries.

While at the same time I would like to know whether there would be cheap flight deals leading up to Jan next year, based on historical trends. Any bargain travel shoppers here who can speak from experience?

If it is unlikely, I will have to just take up the bargain and hope that Swine flu doesn't get too bad in around 5 months time!
If likely, I will play the pragmatist and just wait it out a little more for the next hot airfare deal.

Many thanks.

Fun and cheap in San Francisco

RajahKing — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:18:21 -0800

What's fun for me and my 3.5 year old daughter to do in San Francisco and San Jose from July 22 to July 27 for cheap? Me and my lil one will be in San Francisco, as well as San Jose, starting next Wednesday. We'll be back and forth between cities visiting friends and family. We'll have about 4 little kids running amok amongst the crew. So two requests for the knowledgeable:

a) I'd love to know about timely things, like festivals, events, etc., but also we are totally ignorant of the area - so please let me know the standard fare. This is how ignorant I am - I know there are sea lions in SF, the Golden Gate bridge, and its hilly. So fill me in.

b) Please specify the cost - we are terrible misers and love a discount, super cheap, preferably free experience.

Thanks so much in advance.

How to get cheap tickets for Broadway shows?

howgenerica — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:33:23 -0800

A couple of my friends are coming to New York to visit near the end of July, and we want to take in a show (preferably a musical). We're all students and we're trying to find cheap tickets, but we want to have this sorted out in advance instead of waiting to buy tickets day-of. Does anyone know a good way to do this? I'm in New York if it's something that needs to be done in person, although through a website would be preferable. We're just looking for good deals or discounts, or something. Also I know nothing about Broadway, so recommendations for fun shows would be very welcome!

You mean I have to pay you, for you to charge me less?

ArgentCorvid — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:24:31 -0800

How do I tell if a "Discount Club" is worth it? An online retailer I use somewhat frequently has the option to join a discount program where you pay $49.99 (yearly) and in return, you get 10% off (almost) everything in their catalog, a lower target for free shipping, and a couple sales a year where you get 15% off.
I know that in order to break even, I'd have to buy $500 worth of stuff (maybe a little less due to shipping). Adding up the cost of supplies for an upcoming project (that I was going to do anyway) has me coming close to this magic number, but the little nagging voice in my head is saying that's not such a great deal. Am I wrong on that?

How Do I Set Up a Frequent Buyer Program for a Retailer?

jurczyk — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:21:05 -0800

Where do I look (web site, trade association, etc.) to get information on setting up a frequent buyer/member program for a retailer? Many retailers have membership programs for their customers (members) that enables the retailer to offer discounts, send coupons (via mail or email) and track purchase history by scanning in a barcoded card at the time of purchase. (The physical membership card tends to be the size of a credit card to keep in a wallet or small so that it fits on a key ring. Often, the membership information can also used on the retailer's web site to receive the same benefits.)

I'm looking for information on how to set up such a program for a local retailer with multiple storefronts.

Bermuda Attraction bundle?

mysterious1der — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:48:02 -0800

I know I saw a 10-attractions-in-1 bundle deal for places of interest in Bermuda, but now I can't find it (with Google). Does anyone recall seeing something like that? I saw such a deal on the internet approximately 2 months ago. It was around US$40 per person and included things such as:

* the Aquarium
* the Zoo
* a boat ride
* a lighthouse tour
* other touristy things of that nature

I remember thinking what a great deal it was, and now that I'm ready to buy it, I can't find it!

====================

I did look here, here, and here.

Who has overestimated the American public's desire for chocolate this year?

doift — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:09:40 -0800

My favorite holiday, Half-Price Candy Day, happens four times a year: Nov. 1, Dec. 26, Feb. 15, and the day after Easter. I usually hit a chain drugstore or grocery store for my Conversation Hearts or Robin's Eggs, but it just occurred to me that I could probably do better. Where will I have the best luck finding discounted high-end candy this Sunday? I usually see a lot of extra holiday stock at Godiva, so that's going on the list. Have you walked into a store this week and thought "There's no way they're going to sell all these pink boxes before Saturday?"

I'm in New York City, so I'm particularly interested in local places, but chain and web stores are good too.

I'm still going to stock up on Conversation Hearts, though. I like the white ones.

SLI VS CROSSFIRE VS MY BRAIN

Bageena — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:00:25 -0800

Question: where can I find a valid coupon/discount code for a Dell XPS 730x. I've heard there's some out there for 20-25% off, but I can't seem to find anything online that's working. Failing that, how much of a difference is it really if I just build a really sweet XPS 630? The system I want, the 730X, has an Intel® Core™ i7-920 (2.66GHz, 8MB cache), 3GB3 Tri-Channel DDR3 at 1066MHZ (3x1GB DIMM), and a pair of nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB3 setup SLI along. If I can't find a coupon to get the price lower, I'm looking at building (XPS 630) would have a Intel® Core™2 Q9550 (12MB,2.83GHz, 1333FSB), 8GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz (4 DIMM), SLi Dual nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB... the difference without a coupon is nearly $1000. It's been a lonnnnnnnnnnng, long time since I've built a PC or even scoped out the specs on the newest processors, video cards, shit, rigs at all. Like, for instance, instead of getting the SLi, Dual nVidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB on the XPS 630, should I spend the extra $100 and get CrossFireX, Dual ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB instead?
For the record, I don't do a whole lot of gaming YET on the PC, but I could. I do use it for a lot of multimedia (like 3 to 4 TB of movies and music and stuff) and graphic design. I spent a lot of time on the computer and it'll be awhile before I get to buy a new PC again. Help?

roommate's leaving. any chance of negotiationg a way to keep the place myself but with a lower rent for single occupancy?

bartleby — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:56:44 -0800

Longtime roommate is moving out, and I'm not so hot on getting a new one. Any tips on the possibility of negotiating a rent decrease based on single-occupancy vs. double? So I've had the same roommate for many years. But she's moving out to live with her boyfriend (not a temporary thing).

We had each other pretty well "trained", and so I'm not that enthusiastic about getting another roommate.

But I'm also not that enthusiastic about doubling my rent either. As much as I really like our current place, it's a bit too pricey to carry all by myself for more than a few months while I decide what to do.

So I'm thinking, if anyone has ever negotiated with a landlord (amicably, he's a nice fellow ans has treated us right) and had any success on a "there were two people in the unit paying X dollars a month, now that there's only one tenant, any chance of knocking a couple hundred dollars off the rent?" type deal, could you give me any hints?

I'd like to stay put, but not at the current price. A couple hundred dollars a month either way is the difference between keeping the place or moving elsewhere that's cheaper but not so nice.

I'm in San Francisco, which has a notoriously tight (read: insane) rental market, but I figure it couldn't hurt to ask. But I also figure it couldn't help to get any pointers that the hive mind might be able to give me first.

lil' help?

best time of the year to catch deeply discounted seasonal clothing at retail or online stores?

l2yangop — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:04:58 -0800

When is the best time of the year to catch deeply discounted seasonal clothing at retail or online stores? I like to buy winter clothes when spring stuff comes out, and summer clothes when fall/winter stuff comes out. I don't care that much about trends, as most of them last more than a year. I have found that i can save lots by checking clearance rack, but I want to know the best times for this.

Getting a deal for wireless phone/data service?

onlyconnect — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:26:59 -0800

Is there a good way to get a reduced rate from Verizon on data and voice service on a wireless phone like a Blackberry for my husband? I've heard people get deals on wireless phone service by threatening to switch providers, and wondered if that or signing up for a long term plan could get me a deal. I'd like to give my husband a Blackberry and voice/data service for a few years this year for the holidays. He is okay with getting signed up for a long term plan if it would save money. Does anyone have any strategies that I could use to get a deal? Right now a regular voice plan in our area would cost about $30/month and the data on top of that would cost about $50 extra.

It would be best if I didn't have to change my own service at this time to get the deal, because I currently have a crazy deal on my own blackberry service (but I don't remember how I got it!). I know they won't give out the same deal I have b/c I asked. Does anyone know whether I might get a good deal if my husband is thinking about switching to another provider, or alternatively is willing to sign up for a long period, or for some other reason? Thanks!

Mac Apps bargains on CyberMonday?

fcoury — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:23:16 -0800

CyberMonday deals for download software, specially Mac Hi, I'm trying to take an opportunity this Cyber Monday and see if I can buy Mac apps I've been really eager to have.

What are the best deals you know for downloadable Mac Applications on sale today?

Will CES make the price of this camera drop?

nitsuj — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:47:31 -0800

Does it make sense to wait until after CES to buy a new video camera? I've got my eye on the Canon HF100, which has been hovering around the $500-$550 mark for the past few months. It appears to have been released in March, 2008 at an MSRP of $899.

Would it make sense to wait until after CES (January) to buy this? Is there any way to tell whether Canon will be releasing newer, similar models at CES? And if so, would that make the price of this camera go down?

I'm not really in any rush to buy, but if the price is going to stay the same for a while I might as well buy it now. I'd like to own the camera by mid February regardless.

How to money off rent for time spent without shower and washing machine? (UK)

Urtylug — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:00:06 -0800

Looking for information about how get to get recompense from a landlord for three weeks spent without a working shower or washing machine. (UK) I recently moved into a new rented house. I'm sharing with 3 other people, none of whom I knew before moving in. It's decent enough, but a bit expensive considering its location and condition.

Two weeks after I moved in, I came home from a weekend away to find that the shower had been removed, and the washing machine disconnected. Apparently the takeaway downstairs had complained about water dripping down from our shower, and so the landlord came in and dealt with the problem immediately. After that, three weeks passed where we had access to neither a shower nor a washing machine. We were told that it was drying out. The washing machine was reconnected after two weeks, and the shower was fixed after three, although not very well - the hot/cold handle on the shower is fitted backwards, there's still plastic sheeting all over the place, and the landlord is now saying that he needs to re-seal it because someone used the shower before the sealant was dry. As far as we are aware, no one did.

I have been pressing the landlord for a rent reduction for the three weeks when we didn't have a shower/washing machine, both by email, phone and in person when he visits. I'm asking for a rent reduction of ~25% for all three weeks, although I expect to be haggled down a bit. The landlord's response has been to emphasize how hard he worked on fixing the problem, how he was unwell at the time, how it could have not been done any faster, how worried he was about us, etc. He has also claimed that there's nothing in the contract to say that we should get a discount, which is arguable. The most relevant-looking phrase in the contract reads: "The landlord agrees with the tenant... ...to keep the exterior and structure of the premises in good repair and to keep in good repair and working order the installation for water, gas, electricity and sanitation..."

What do we do here to stop him simply ignoring us? I feel that we have a clear moral case for some money back, and the contract appears to agree. One housemate thinks we should simply withhold a portion of our next month's rent, but that seems like asking for trouble. However, other than that, what power can be exert over the landlord to make him start taking us seriously?

I'm in England.

Get me to Chapel Hill from NYC!

greta simone — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:33:52 -0800

How to get to Chapel Hill from NYC? Hey y'all. So I'm riding up to NYC from Chapel Hill, NC around the first of August, with a friend who is moving there. I was hoping to hang around for a few days and see friends, but I'm struggling with the best way to get back. I have always flown round-trip when visiting NY, when airline prices were more reasonable. Presently, I have very little money, so I'm trying to come up with the most economical way to take a one-way trip back to CH from NYC. I have looked at one way flights and Amtrak. While those options aren't super-expensive, I am looking for alternative ideas that I might not have considered.
A few things:
Please do not suggest taking a bus. I have my reasons for not wanting to take a bus.
As long as I can get to the general Chapel Hill area (Greensboro to Raleigh), I could have someone pick me up at the end.

Mostly, I'm just looking for secrets that others may have discovered when making this trek. Is there a website to find a good rideshare? I have looked at craigslist already, but haven't found much, and I'm not sure I would trust anyone from craigslist. Is there a place to find discounted Amtrak deals? Do you or any of your friends want to drive me?

I'm just trying to save a couple of bucks.
Thanks!

Good online discount fashion retailers?

detune — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:26:42 -0800

Good online discount fashion retailers? I'm looking for recommendations on discount designer clothing / accessories, etc. web sites. I am a big fan of BlueFly, but although they have a decent selection, the discounts are not terribly impressive. The other side of the spectrum is sites like StyleSell, which - though I have no first experience with it - looks very shady, but has great discounts. I am hoping to find a couple of web sites that are in between the two extremes. Any recommendations?

Groceries discount if you don't have enough money?

ClanvidHorse — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:37:16 -0800

Is it normal to be given a discount off of your groceries at the checkout if you don't have enough money? I went to a huge chain supermarket in the UK earlier today to buy some groceries. When I got to pay, it came to £27 altogether. I checked my wallet and I had £26.15 and I said to the cashier, 'damned, just short'. As I went to get my debit card to pay, she said 'Never mind' and pressed a button that knocked a £1 off my total bill then accepted the cash for the reduced amount. When I checked my receipt a manufacturers coupon code had been put through for £1.

What I want to know is: was this the kindly act of a good person doing me a favour? Is it company policy at these massive chains to knock off the odd few pence here or there occasionally to engender goodwill? Has this ever happened to anyone else? I have never heard of this happening before to anyone I know and it has certainly never happened to me.

*It's one of the four hugr chains in the UK but I didn't want to name it in case for some bizarre reason the cashier got into trouble: take your pick from ASDA(Wal Mart)/ Morrisons/ Sainsburys/Tesco.

A discount for buying two laptops?

Plutor — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:38:01 -0800

I want a laptop. So does my wife. Is there anywhere I can get an especially good deal for two laptops? We don't have any requirements in particular. I do web programming, and light gaming, and she does mostly web surfing and office-type stuff. I'd like to be able to run Linux on mine, but as far as I know nowadays, pretty much every laptop can do that. Ultra-portables would be a plus, but it's far from necessary.

Basically, we want two average new laptops for as cheap as possible. Is there anywhere we can get a "buy one get one half off" deal or something?

Members Only!

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:23:06 -0800

What are some retail credit card accounts (ie Macy's Card) that deliver good freebies, coupons, discounts or other promos for members? I have an Express Card, and for as much as I will shop there, every time I go I have a pretty good discount coupon in hand. Once a month at least, they send a "$15 off your next purchase" or "$30 off $100" or similar discount to me, as well as coupons for freebies like travel bags, compacts, purses, with next purchase. The retail value of these promos covers the fees on my card's low balance, and though I know that's a soft value, I'd already be shopping there, so it definitely feels win-win for me.

But, I can't just buy sequined tanks ad infinitum. I have to buy housewares and power tools at some point!

So, what are some other retail credit accounts that supply good member perks like this?

How best to purchase a Mac for a German friend visiting the US?

felix betachat — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:41:53 -0800

How best to purchase a Mac for a German friend visiting the US? I have a friend visiting from Germany who is considering buying an iMac here & taking it back with her. If I buy it for her with my educational discount, will she have problems registering it in her name? Will she be able to get AppleCare support in Germany on a machine purchased in the US?