I have been very pleased with Proflowers ever since I met some of their senior management about 6 years ago when I was with JCPenney.  With an amazing business model that delivers top quality products very quickly, I knew they had to have something that would put a smile on a 3 year olds face.  I found the “Beary Happy Birthday Box“.  It was 7:30 pm PT the night before the birthday, yet I was able to order it and get it shipped for delivery the next day.  The excitement and smiles were awesome and I am thankful that Proflowers had a solution for me to make it happen.

I had hoped to get a plug in for her on the TV spot, but it ended up a bit shorter than planned and I was not able to.  So, hopefully this post will be a chance to make up for that.

Stretching those dollars became a little more personal for the DT staff yesterday.  Our parent company announced that we are to be taking a mandatory 10 days off over the course of the rest of the year without pay – a furlough.  It is something that caught us off guard, but at the same time seems to be in line with what so many other people, at companies from all walks of life, are facing.  In the end, we see it as a sacrifice for the greater good – something that all Americans have to embrace as this country works through deep-cutting issues.

So, know this, as has always been the case, we will not only be posting and facilitating great deals on DealTaker.com, we will also be using them – trying to save some money to make up for some of that salary sacrifice we have ad to make.   Things like:

• Buying necessities
• Getting clothes for our kids
• Ordering gifts for loved ones
• Occasionally splurging on that special item that just helps us to cope with these times through which we are going. 

That’s what makes the DealTaker community important and why it is especially important during this time.  We’re committed to finding the best deals we can and sharing them with you and we encourage you to share with the DealTaker community.  We have fun doing this day to day and we take advantage of these deals just like you do.  Working together we can all help each other.  With a few pennies here and a couple of dollars there we will save….because every little bit helps.

Just recently I was caught out wearing a leather Def Leppard jacket (retail $395) and my friend asked how much I got it for. Being very proud of myself and shopping/saving money skills I simply said, “Only $35 shipped to my front door from Wilsons Leather.”

You should have seen her chin hit the floor…. PRICELESS! As you can imagine this led into some of the other bargains I have purchased and my savings throughout the year. She was amazed, almost speechless. I shared a few simple steps for saving money with online shopping, and would like to share with you too. Happy Shopping & Saving!!
1. Know what it is you want/need to shop online for.
2. Then using Pricetaker search the item you want to purchase. This will allow you to find the vendor with the cheapest available price. But wait, it gets better!!
3. Going to our coupon section locate the store you will shopping at. There you find current coupon codes to enter at checkout. This will drop your price even further!! Some stores will even let you stack coupon codes! (For example, you might find a code to get $30 off a $100 purchase and then a second code for free shipping!) But wait, it still gets better!
4. Use a credit card to pay for the purchase that gives you points, cash-back, air-line miles, hotel savings, etc just for using it. It’s very common these days to have a card in your wallet that awards you just for using it. (Pay off monthly balance)
Tips:
Internet shopping is all about convenience, bookmark site before you start shopping for quick and easy access.
Plan ahead – make a list of the things you need. Ex: Birthdays, Anniversary’s, etc….
Don’t make purchases just because you’re getting a great deal. Make sure you’re shopping for things you need and/or will use in the near future.