Guide to Daily Deal Sites

So I want to start posting some of the great deal-of-the-day type deals that I find. I figured first that I would do a little post about which sites I use and little tricks I've discovered. There are 3 sites I like and they all basically offer services, goods, or travel deals.

Groupon is probably the most well known of the daily deal sites and it is probably the best. I consistently see the most deals that I would want to participate in on Groupon. Whether it's spa days or restaurant food it is definitely a great place to keep checking. Sadly, there aren't dedicated Groupon sites for small towns. Aka no Swift Current. I do, however, consistently check Saskatoon and Calgary especially when I know I'm going to be in town. BUT...there are also tons of deals that you can get all over Canada for general merchandise or things that get mailed out.

TRICK: This took me soooo long to figure out, but I recommend, even if you live no where near Toronto, that you check Toronto's Groupon tab. There seems to be a bunch of nation wide deals that I have only seen in the Toronto tab.

Also get a $10 credit when you sign up!

SIGN UP HERE: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu40127524

Yes, it's basically the same. Different tabs for different cities. Again no small towns (BOOO).Here's the awesome thing with Wagjag, if you are a Telus mobile customer you can register your cell number on our Wagjag profile, and you get a free $10 credit every month. Sadly they don't roll over, so you aren't just going to sit there and accrue money :( but there are tons of deals in the $20-$30 range. Take an additional $10 off every month and you'll have yourself a pretty good deal!!

NOTE: The $10 Wagjag credit is through Telus!! So you aren't going to get a bunch of harassing calls or texts. You can check the deal out on Telus's website here: http://www.telusmobility.com/en/index.shtml?ref=http://www.telusmobility.com/en/ON/promotions/index.shtml?INTCMP=QLCpromotions

SIGN UP HERE: http://www.wagjag.com/?wid=aa51791032cbe17e8cc7fc2db2832f99

I haven't gotten a good hold on this site yet. It seems a little extra complicated, more tabs, more choices. But I have seen some pretty decent deals. I don't check this as faithfully as the other two, but I'm glad I signed up in case there's an awesome deal! Plus get $5 off your first purchase.

SIGN UP HERE:http://www.dealfind.com/?a=af19163dc206

March 11, 2012 Shopping Trip

March 11th Shopping trip! It's just a little one because we're planning on hitting up shopper's tomorrow for some hopefully sweet savings! But here's our shopping trip to Canadian Tire, Safeway, and Walmart!

Safeway

Cascades Action Pacs @ $3.29 - $1.50 coupon = $1.79 (savings = $2.20)
2 x Old Spice Antiperspirant @ $2.99 - $3 off WUB 2 = $2.98 (savings = $6.48)
Romaine Lettuce @ $0.99 (savings = $0.30)

Total Value of Products = $15.20
Total Paid = $6.68
Savings = $8.28
Percent = 59%

Walmart

12 x McCain Pizza Pockets Peperoni @ $1.00 = $12.00 (Last week (I think) they were $2.27 so I'm going to compare to that for savings: savings = $15.24)
Cactus Potting Soil @ $3.47
Listerine Zero (250ml) @ $3.97 - $3.00 coupon = $0.97 (savings = $3)

Total Value of Products = $34.68
Total Paid = $17.01
Savings = $18.24
Percentage = 52.6%

Canadian Tire

White Swan Paper Towel (6 rolls) @ $2.27 - $0.50 coupon = $1.77 (savings = $6.32)
Royale Double Roll Toilet Paper (32 rolls) @ $12.97 (savings = $9.00)

Total Value of Products = $30.82
Total Paid = $16.26
Savings = $14.56
 Percentage = 47.2%

Total Value of Everything = $80.70
Total Paid = $39.95
Total Saved = $40.75
Percentage = 50.5%

Latest Shopping Success

WOOHOO!

More shopping deals this week! I think we did really well! Here's what we got;

Walmart

Purex 12 Roll Toilet Paper @ $5.47 - $1.00 coupon = $4.47 (saved = $4.49)
2 x Red Rose Tea Canadian Breakfast @ $2.97 - B1G1 Free coupon = 2.97 (saved = $8.61)
2 x Ziploc Sandwhich Bags @ $2.37 + 2 x Ziploc Freezer Bags @ $3.27 - B3G1 Free coupon = $9.51 (saved = $6.85)
Kraft Dinner Smart @ $1.27 - $0.75 coupon = $0.52 (saved = $0.75)
2 x Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza @ $4.97 - $1.50 off 2 coupon = $8.44 (saved = $6.22)
Nature Valley Trail Mix Bars (32) @ $11.27 (saved = $3.23)
10 x Great Value Pastas @ $1.00 = $10.00
AstroZero Yogurt @ $3.97 - $1.00 coupon = $2.97 (saved = $6.59)
12 x Simply Steamers @ $1.00 = $12.00 (saved = $23.64)
3 x Minute Maid Orange Juice (1.75L) @ $2.00 = $6.00 (saved = $6.57)
Sour Cream @ $1.80 (saved = $0.19)
Eggs @ $2.87
2 x McCain Crinkle Cut Fries @ $2.77 = $5.54 (saved = $2.84)
McCain Sweet Potato Fries @ $2.77 (saved = $1.42)
2 x Freebreze 2 Go @ $1.97 + Freebreze 2 Go Aerosol @ $2.47 = $6.41 - 4$ off WUB 3 coupon = $2.41 (saved = $4)

Total Paid = $85.16
Total Saved = $75.40
Savings percentage = 46.96%

Safeway

El Paso Seasoning @ $1.99
Honey Nut Cheerios @ $5.39 (saved = $1.94)
Kraft Raspberry Jam @ $5.14
2 x Dawn Ultra Plus @ $1.84 - 1$ coupon = $2.68 (saved = $5.68)
Greenworks Laundry Detergent @ $4.49 - $1 coupon (saved = $6.00)
Coffee Filters (100) @ $3.59 (saved = $6.39)
Kraft Parmesan Cheese @ $6.49 (saved = $1.90)
Kraft Barrel Cheese @ $8.99 (saved = $3.09)
Axe Shower Gel @ $3.99 - $2 coupon = $1.99 (saved = $4.30)
2 x Mr Clean Citrus (1.2L) @ $2.50 - $1 coupon = $4.00 (saved $6.48)
Tampax Pearl @ $ 4.49 - $1 coupon = $3.49 (saved = $2.07)
White Bread @ $2.99
4.1 Kg Box of Chicken Breasts @ $26.36 (saved = $8.63)
Extra Lean Ground Beef @ $12.28
Fresh Stirfry Chicken @ $9.38 (saved = $2.13)
Orange Bell Pepper @ $1.22
Yellow Bell Pepper @ $1.68
Granny Smith Apples @ $5.60
Red Plums @ $2.44
Red Onion @ $1.01
Roma Tomatoes @ $1.17

Total Paid = $100.91
Total Saved (Including the 10% Tuesday + 10$ coupon for next purchase) = $70.35
Savings Percentage = 41.08%

Total Saved Between Both Stores = $145.75

When I calculated the Walmart savings I also included the differences I wrote down between the Safeway prices and what I paid for it at Walmart (ex, at Safeway the Simply Steamers were $2.97 and only 1$ at Walmart, giving me $1.97 savings on one box even without coupons). Bottom line I found, if it's not on sale (and even often when it is) at Safeway it's probably a better deal to get it at Walmart. Our Walmart isn't a superstore so we have to get meats and produce somewhere else. Boo!

How do you think I did this time around?!? We have so much food now we had to play Jenga with the freezer to get everything in!

Free Magic Crystal Plant Soil - Purple

If you didn't get your free magic crystal plant soil last time it was offered, here's your chance again!! And I think it's in a much prettier colour! Follow the link to order your free sample now!

Crystal Soil

Movie Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene

Brief Summary:
A young woman tries to reconnect with her sister while being plagued by memories of her recent experience in an abusive cult.
Cast - Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson
Genre - Drama, Thriller
Runtime - 102 min

Woah, yes the Olsen Twin's have a little sister and boy, can she act! Maybe I shouldn't seem so down on the twins as I secretly loved them (Who didn't love "It Takes Two"?). But whereas the Olsen twins really only seem to play themselves in my mind, the younger sister, Elizabeth Olsen, is totally fresh and unbranded. Which is why she is completely, and almost terrifyingly, believable as the young Martha Marcy May Marlene.

I had absolutely no idea what this film was about. I'd seen it had gotten pretty decent reviews and had heard the buzzword "cult" associated with it. But other then that, I had zero conceptions about it. I was a little worried that my boyfriend would find it completely boring, and I was about 99% sure I was right when half an hour into the movie, he still hadn't said a word. I was sure he was asleep. When I glanced over and saw that he was only silent because he seemed to be fully taken in by the movie thus far, I was impressed.

It's not exactly a thriller in the traditional sense, but the entire movie fills you with unease. There's not often actually much going on from scene to scene, but something always just feels wrong. There's something bad coming, you can sense it the whole time ("why can't she see it coming?" you think) and you feel nervous and uncomfortable. And it's not just when she flashes back to her experiences with the cult that are uneasy, it's everything, even when you think it's going to be better for her.

The flashbacks to the cult and the scenes from reality blur together dizzily. Every new scene you are unsure whether she's back in the cult or if she's in her present with her older sister. At first, I found it a bit annoying. I continuously felt confused and lost, but that's exactly the point. Martha is having a hard time assimilating to her free life outside the cult. She was abused, brainwashed, and maybe most painfully, accepted. Now she isn't always sure what's real. And she has certainly lost track of what's considered appropriate in our society.

This movie is compelling on so many levels. Nothing really happens, and yet for 102 minutes you sit there, knots in your stomach, scared, uncomfortable, and mesmerised. As a young woman I feel like I could connect with her on some level. You do sit there wondering "how does anyone get sucked into something like that?". But if you were ever a teenage girl just needing a place to fit in, then you know how she could get pulled into a cult (we just called them cliques).

Overall rating: 8/10

Watch the Martha Marcy May Marlene trailer here, then give the movie a chance. It will steal your breath away.

Reactine Over

The free Reactine sample give-away is now over on Living Well.ca. But if you missed it, you can still go on over and get a $2.00 off Coupon!

Last Chance for FREE Reactine

If you didn't get your free Reactine sample from Living Well yesterday, then hurry up because it is still active!! Less than 400 Freebies left! Head over to Living Well.ca create an account (if you don't have one) and nab your freebie now! Good Luck!