Saving on Holiday Shopping (Janssen)

I cannot believe it is December. . .this year has RACED by for me.

And now the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Which likely means at least some shopping.

Two things to help you save a little money this year:

First, my annual plug for Ebates. There are about 1200 participating stores and you get cash back from any purchase you make through Ebates. Just sign up for a free account (you also get a bonus $5 or a $10 gift card for signing up) and then navigate to the store through the Ebates website, then make your purchase as normal. And voila, some percentage back of your purchase price. You'll get a check in a couple of months. I checked earlier this week and over the last couple of years, I've made over $250 (in fact, I have my most recent check for $26 in my purse waiting to be cashed at this very moment). And that's for someone who doesn't do a ton of shopping online. I'm never one to say no to free money.

Second, I just found out about ShopRunner, a program that works much like Amazon Prime (where you pay a yearly subscription fee and then you get free two day shipping on your purchases). Shoprunner works for a number of stores (right now the list is somewhat limited, but it does include Borders, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, The Sports Authority, etc) and if you purchase a membership, you get free shipping with all those stores. But, of course, who wants to pay $79 for that privilege?

As I mentioned, I don't do a lot of online shopping, so I would never pay for an account, but I was certainly happy to sign up for the free 30 day trial. I got three books for five dollars and didn't pay a dime of shipping last week and then I made a HUGE note in my dayplanner to cancel my membership before the 30 days is up. If you're ordering Christmas gifts through any of the participating stores and you can remember to cancel your membership before you get charged, you can get all your shipping free and fast with the 30 day trial. No minimum purchase and, at least at Borders, even items from other sellers (including used items) qualify for free shipping. Also, you can get free return shipping on any purchase, so if you sign up now, you'll still have a few days after Christmas to return things as needed before your free membership expires.

Let me say it again, though, don't forget to make a note to cancel it before you get charged! Spending $79 to save $50 on shipping isn't saving money.