The Ultimate Boxing Day Shopping Guide

While I'm not the biggest fan of Boxing Day/Week shopping, I will be the first to admit that you can get some really good deals at this time of year. So many flyers, e-mails, promo codes... it's a lot to research if you are looking for a particular type of deal. To make things a little easier, I will be posting links to Boxing Day/Week flyers and promotions over the next few days.

Please check back regularly: I will continue to add links as I come across them.

Please note that businesses highlighted in yellow are Air Miles partners. Sign into airmilesshops.ca and redirect to the retailer's website to earn Air Miles on your purchases.

Boxing Day/Week Flyers and Promotions

Aeropostale (Dec 26th only; Promo Code: "10HOLIDAY" for $15 off $100 purchase ending 1/7)

Amazon.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $25)

Apple Canada (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $75; earn 2x the Air Miles on the iPad2)

Banana Republic.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $50; save up to 50% on select mens and women's styles + an additional 40% off select styles promo code: BRC40SALE)

Best Buy (Note that there is an in-store and online flyer; input your Postal Code to get your local version)

The Brick

Brown's Shoes (up to 70% off)

The Bay (advance list thanks to Smart Canucks.ca) (Air Miles via HBC Rewards Redemption)

Canadian Tire

Chapters.indigo.ca (10x the Air Miles + 3x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $25; Promo Code: OLDEC11 for $5 off online purchases) 

Additional Deals:

• Some recent bestsellers for under $10 until Jan 1, 2012
• $20 off Kobo Touch + 3x the Air Miles (expires Dec 31, 2011)

Cineplex Store (2x SCENE Points and up to 65% off your purchase)

Danier

Dell (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011 + 3x the Air Miles until Jan 6, 2012) 

Promo Codes:

• "Save $50 on all Home and Home Office Laptops and Desktops when you spend over $999.99" Promo code: HRMWV2N$0803TT (expires Jan 15, 2012)
• "Save $200 on all Boxing Week Blowout PCs when you spend over $2199.99"                  Promo code: 5XRZHPQ83W23FD (expires Jan 6, 2012)
• "Save $25 on all Home and Home Office Laptops and Desktops when you spend over $599.99" Promo code: KSFSVXZ9TL6NL3 (expires Jan 15, 2012)
• "Save $100 on all Boxing Week Blowout PCs when you spend over $1399.99!" Promo code: 34JT4S5TWG3X1H (expires Jan 6, 2012)
• "Save $100 on select Dell Canada Desktop and Laptop Systems when you spend over $899" Promo code: NCB47MS8??$911 (expires Dec 29, 2011)
• "Save $50 on select Dell Canada Desktop and Laptop Systems when you spend under $899" Promo code: FH4NXZC84LTF9Z (expires Dec 29, 2011)
• "Save $150 on all Boxing Week Blowout PCs when you spend over $1799.99" Promo code: 2CK14$Q5LM5L1F (expires Jan 6, 2012)
• "Save $150 on ALL Home and Home Office Laptops and Desktops when you spend over $1799.99" Promo code: 2CK14$Q5LM5L1F (expires Jan 15, 2012)
• Other possible promo codes here

Ebay.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Eddie Bauer (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Future Shop (Note that there is an in-store and online flyer; input your Postal Code to get your local version)

The Gap (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $50)

HMV

Home Depot (possible promo code for free shipping here)

Home Outfitters (Air Miles via HBC Rewards Redemption)

Home Sense 

J.C. Penney (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Leon's

London Drugs

Lowe's

Old Navy.ca (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders.over $50)

Roots (10x the Air Miles + 3x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; up to 50% off + an additional 20% off select items; see roots.com for restrictions; possible promo codes here)

Sears.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; other possible promo codes here)

Sephora.ca (10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; free shipping on orders over $120 CDN until Dec 31, 2011; 
Additional Deals:

• Free Holiday Sample Kit with any $25 purchase until Dec 31, 2011: promo code "PREPKIT"
• Free skincare sample bag with 7 of Sephora's best-selling skincare samples (until Dec 31, 2011 or while supplies last): promo code "SKINSTARS"

Shoppers Drug Mart

Sony Style Canada:

• Spend $99.99 or more before tax and receive $5 off
• Spend $249.99 or more before tax and receive $15 off
• Spend $499.99 or more before tax and receive $40 off
• Spend $999.99 or more before tax and receive $100 off
• Promo Code for the above four deals: "SONYVIP". Expires Dec 31, 2011

The Source (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Sport Mart

Sport Chek

Spring

Staples.ca

Suzy Shier (50% off all fall merchandise in store and online)

TigerDirect.ca (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011)

Town Shoes

Toys "R" Us (10x the Air Miles + 2x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011; possible promo codes here)

Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale is already on! 10x the Air Miles until Dec 31, 2011. Free shipping on orders over $100 (Promo Code: VS100)

Vision's Electronics

Walmart.ca

Winners

Zellers (Air Miles via HBC Rewards Redemption)


Also, check out the Airmilesshops.ca 25,000 Air Miles Reward Miles Contest. You'll earn 10, 25, 100 or 1000 reward miles just for playing to be credited to your account as long as you make a qualifying purchase of $40 or more within 5 days (before December 31, 2011). A great way to get a few extra bonus Air Miles on your purchase!


Until next time, happy holidays! Thanks for reading!

Young Professional Savings Tip: Consider a Tax-Free Savings Account

Video courtesy of YouTube and Scotiabank 

With the new year upon us, now is a great time to check your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) balance and examine if you've utilized your annual contribution room of $5000. No funds to add? No sweat: unused contribution room can be utilized in future years. The sooner you use your contribution room, the more your TFSA can work for you. Just remember that if you've made any withdrawals from your account(s), you cannot replenish this contribution room until the year following that in which the withdrawal occurred.

If you don't already have a TFSA and want to learn more, check out the above video (happens to be from Scotiabank, although you can setup a TFSA through most banks). I think it does a great job of explaining the basics and any financial advisor would be happy to assist with specific questions. It's really important to be familiar with the "rules" so that you don't contribute too much in a calendar year and wind up paying a penalty. To learn about the rules governing TFSA contributions and withdrawals, speak with a financial advisor and/or consult your bank's website as well as that of the Government of Canada.

A few cool things I've learned about TFSAs:

1. If you turned 18 prior to 2009, you've accumulated $5000 of contribution room each year since 2009. You didn't need to open a TFSA in order to accumulate this contribution room. If you turned 18 in 2009 or 2010, you accumulated contribution room from the year you turned 18 onwards.

2. You can hold more than one TFSA account at a time but it is up to you to ensure that your total contributions do not exceed your contribution room so as to avoid receiving a penalty. You can use this opportunity to take advantage of higher interest rates at one financial institution without withdrawing funds from an existing TFSA at another (which could impact your contribution room in a given year). While it is possible to transfer TFSA funds from an account at one institution to another, it can come with an undesirable transfer fee. You might examine how a late-December withdrawal from an existing TFSA account followed by an early-January deposit to a new TFSA account could help you avoid the transfer fee.

3. Whenever possible, take advantage of new TFSA contribution room as soon as you receive it (January 1st of each year). Doing so will help you maximize the amount of interest you can earn over time.

4. TFSAs can be a good home for your tax return. If you are making RRSP contributions, you might consider the domino effect when planning for your TFSA:
- How much of a tax refund are you expecting to receive?
- How does this refund amount compare to your contribution room?
- Assuming the tax return will be coming in a few months, what can you contribute to your TFSA in January?

Again, I am not a pro at TFSAs nor do I claim to be. It can be a really helpful savings tool and not enough young professionals know about it hence why I thought it would make a good topic for a blog post. Have questions? Connect with your bank or a financial advisor. You will be on your way before you know it!

Gift Card Deals at Safeway this week

If you aren't a Safeway "e-mail direct" recipient, it would be a great week to sign up! Doing so will give you access to coupons for the following offers:

25 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $25 Empire Theatres Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 Future Shop Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 Home Depot Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 HBC Celebrate Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 HBC Gift Card (coupon required)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $50 Moxie's Gift Card (coupon required)

25 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $25 Winners Gift Card (coupon required)

25 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase a $25 Golf Town Gift Card (coupon required)

And...

Save $20 when you purchase $100 worth of iTunes Gift Cards (coupon required)

All offers are valid from December 9-15, 2011. See each coupon for rules and restrictions.

In addition to serving as gift cards, you could always use these to facilitate some of your holiday shopping and earn bonus Air Miles in the process.

To join Safeway E-mail Direct, click here. You'll earn 100 bonus Air Miles just for signing up!

Enjoy!

4 tips to help you offset retail markup during the holiday shopping season:

As a young professional who has to closely monitor Christmas spending, I prefer to only give gifts that are meaningful and/or will be frequently utilized. It can be frustrating when your “amazing gift idea” comes with a steeper-than-desired price tag attached. Before exceeding your budget or ruling out your great idea, why not try some of the following strategies? Earlier today, I used these steps to purchase a gift for less than $60 (including tax) that currently retails anywhere between $100 and $180 (without taxes!).

The way I see it: why should anyone pay 2-4 times more for the same product in the same brand-new, unopened condition? Especially when it won’t impact the recipient’s experience in any way? The extra money can be saved, used towards other gift purchases... even taking the gift recipient out for coffee or brunch!

While it’s certainly not possible to find products at such reduced prices in all cases, there is almost always a way to score a deal! The key is to become an active shopper. Here are some tips to help you find the best deals possible on that “perfect gift”:

Step One: Use price comparison websites to identify a price point

The Canada Post Price Comparison Shopper is a website that allows you to search for products and identify retailers offering the lowest prices after factoring for shipping + customs (when applicable). It also uses graphs to illustrate the product’s pricing fluctuation over time.

The website does a good job of presenting information from a number of Canadian as well as U.S. retailers that will ship to Canada. That being said, it is also worth become familiar with other price comparison websites as for whatever reason, some U.S. retailers are not featured on the Canada Post website. Just remember to add duty/brokerage to the total cost of the product if not otherwise indicated.

Pricegrabber.com

Nextag.com

Shoptolt.ca

Shopbot.ca

Dealgenius.ca

Step Two: Search for promotion codes or sales linked to competitive retailers

After searching on price comparison websites, you might think you’ve found the most competitive retailer. Think again. Although useful tools, price comparison websites do not consistently reflect sales and promo codes that can further reduce the cost of the product you seek.  

In other words, the retailer with the third-most competitive offer according to the price comparison website might take first-place after applying a promo code.

After using price comparison to identify 3-4 of the most competitive retailers, I suggest visiting their websites to see if there are any current sales that indicate further reductions on the listed price of the product. I also suggest searching for promo codes that can be used upon check-out. If you’re not familiar with promo codes, they are the online version of a coupon. How to find them:

My personal favourite is retailmenot.com. You can search over 140,000 online retailers! Users post active promo codes; admittedly not all work as described, however visitors can click “green checkmarks” to indicate which promo codes which have worked for them. Results appear to the left of listed promo codes. This gives you a good idea as to whether a promo code is reliable or not.

Step Three: Compare the best retail offer with comparable deals on eBay

Is the item you are looking for available on eBay? What is the average price point? How does this compare with the “winner” from your price comparison website/promo code search? Are the eBay products of the same quality? Would the eBay seller’s return policy meet your needs or those of your gift recipient?

Through eBay, you can participate in auctions and in some cases you can “buy it now” by matching a seller’s desired price. By setting up a paypal account, you can keep your payment information private from the seller. 
As well, you can sign up to receive eBay bucks (2% of your purchase in the form of quarterly gift certificates for future eBay purchases good for 30 days upon issue). See ebay.ca for program details and restrictions.

In addition to eBay, there’s always local flyers classifieds to check, for example:

·      eFlyers for local businesses

·      Local newspaper

·      Kijiji.ca

·      Facebook marketplace

·      Craigslist.ca

It’s always wise to exercise caution with sharing of personal information when interacting directly with a seller. It’s worth checking these postings though: you might be surprised by all of the great deals you can find!

Step Four: If you can’t lower the price, try to select the deal that offers the greatest amount of loyalty points

Can’t find a product at the price-point you hoped for? Perhaps you can leverage the additional cost with the value of loyalty points accrued as a result of making the purchase. In addition to typical credit card points, here are several ways to accrue significant bonus loyalty points:

Airmilesshops.ca: By inputting your Air Miles account number, selecting the desired partner retailer and redirecting to the regular website for that company, you can earn many bonus Air Miles on your purchase. 

Check back regularly for multiplier events! For example, a retailer might normally offer 1 Air Mile for every $20 spent. Frequently there are 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x the points events! Now is a great time to visit airmilesshops.ca as several retailers are offering 10x the points (until December 8, 2011).

Tip: Register for the Airmilesshops.ca Holiday Contest. You’ll earn 10, 25, 100 or 1000 bonus Air Miles on your next qualifying purchase ($40 or more). See airmilesshops.ca website for contest details and restrictions.

Aeroplan.com offers an eStore as well that operates in a similar way.

Costco.ca is offering 1 Aeroplan Mile per dollar spent on Costco.ca until December 11, 2011. To register your Aeroplan card with Costco.ca, visit here.

You might be pleasantly surprised by how many points you can accrue on a single purchase: in some cases it’s possible to earn more than 1 Air Mile per dollar spent.

Anyways, this has been a longer blog entry: congrats for making it this far! I hope this is helpful information and that you learned something new.

Some other helpful tips as you shop: 
Carry your smart phone or tablet while you shop. You can quickly check price comparison websites and determine whether the in-store price tag is competitive. I once saved myself from spending twice as much at Chapters by purchasing a book online… ironically from chapters.indigo.ca (combining online price + irewards + promo code + free shipping) 
Smartcanucks.ca. If there’s a sale, coupon or deal to be had, this community of Canadian shoppers will know. 
Know your retailers inside and out. For example, if you’re an Apple fan, it’s good to know that:
- They only have sales once-a-year on Black Friday
- They offer educational discounts to students, teachers, faculty and staff of colleges and universities
- You can earn Aeroplan Miles and Air Miles on purchases made online at the Apple Store provided you sign in and re-direct from the appropriate website
- Sometimes Apple participates in multiplier events associated with the above loyalty programs (eg. timing your purchase with the Air Miles10x the points event on now until December 8, 2011)
- When new models are introduced, older versions are often discounted
- Apple offers refurbished products at reduced cost (see website)

And after all of this… of course, some of the best gifts can’t be purchased or wrapped. Time spent with family and friends doing a favourite activity. Personalized craft projects and photo albums.

Good luck with your search for the “perfect gift”. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Shopper's Drug Mart "Spend your points" event on through Sunday, December 4th

Photo credit: Shopper's Drug Mart (e-flyer)

Have you checked your Shopper's Optimum Card balance recently? If you have at least 30,000 points to spend, you might want to head to Shopper's tomorrow (Sunday) and pick up some household items or gifts.

During the "Spend Your Points" event,

30,000 points will get you $60 off your total bill (for an added value of $20)

50,000 points will get you $125 off your total bill (for an added value of $40)

95,000 points will get you an extra $250 off your total bill (for an added value of $80)

Also a good idea to check the e-flyer before you shop. There are some good deals this week. For example, several varieties of John Frieda hair care products are on sale for $7.99 + 15x the Optimum Points.

For additional information and restrictions, consult the Shopper's Drug Mart flyer and website.

I really wish I had 95,000 points to spend!

You're never too old to sit on Santa's lap

As the holiday shopping season gets underway, thought I'd share this enjoyable You Tube video from Improv Everywhere.

Good luck to all with your adventures at the mall!

Travelling to Vancouver? Receive a $125 gift card!

As part of Vancouver's "125 Years" celebration, you can receive a $125 gift card when booking a two night consecutive stay through Tourism Vancouver.

There are dozens of participating hotels. To see the full list, click here.

This is a great deal, whether you are interested in seeing the sights or doing a little shopping. Just remember to make your hotel booking through the Tourism Vancouver Website.

To be eligible for this offer, bookings must be made before December 31, 2011. Travel must be completed by March 31, 2012 (or while supplies last). This offer cannot be combined with other offers and/or packages. For additional details and restrictions, please see the Tourism Vancouver Website.

You receive your Tourism Vancouver $125 Gift Card upon check-in, which you then take to a Visitor's Centre to exchange for other gift cards, tickets and services.

What can you spend your $125 gift card on?

1. Exchange it for a $125 HBC gift card to be used at the downtown location of the Hudson's Bay Company.

2. Transit Passes

3. All of these attractions, activities and services:

• Accent Cruises
• Alfred Guest Services (A.E. Vancouver Private Tours)
• Aquabus Ferry
• Bayshore Bicycles
• BC Ferries
• BC Museum of Mining
• BC Sports Hall of Fame
• Big Bus
• Bill Reid Gallery
• Canadian Outback Adventure
• Canadian Adventure Rentals
• Canadian Snowmobile Adventures
• Cantrail Coach Lines
• Capilano Suspension Bridge
• Club ESL
• Cypress Mountain
• Deep Cove Kayak
• Ecomarine Ocean Kayak
• False Creek Ferries
• Greyhound Canada
• Greater Vancouver Zoo
• Grouse Mountain
• Gulf of Georgia Cannery
• Harbour Air
• Harbour Cruises
• Heading North Recreation
• Helijet International
• Hostelling International
• HR MacMillian Space Centre
• Key West Travel & Tours
• Landsea Tours
• Living Earth Eco Tours
• Lookout at Harbour Centre
• Moose Travel Network (Bigfoot Adventure Tours)
• Museum of Vancouver
• Pacific Coach Lines
• Prince of Whales
• Samesun Backpackers Lodges
• Seair Seaplanes
• Sewell's Marina
• Science World
• Sightline Tours
• Snowbus
• Spokes Bicycle Rentals
• Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
• Stay & Tour
• Tofino Bus
• UBC Museum of Anthropology
• Vancouver Art Gallery
• Vancouver Aquarium
• Vancouver Maritime Museum
• Vancouver Police Museum
• Vancouver Trolley Company
• VanDusen Botanical Garden
• Vantage Whistler
• Vantoptours
• West Coast Sightseeing
• West Coast Air
• West Trek Tours
• Whistler Air
• Whistler Blackcomb
• Whistler Bungee
• Whistler Direct Shuttle
• Wild Play Whistler
• A Wok Around Chinatown

Happy Travels!

Check your mailbox for McCafe coupons

In all honesty, I'm not much of a fan of McDonald's food. That being said, their new-ish coffee line is actually quite good not to mention affordable. Check your mailboxes as you might have received a booklet of "McCafe" coupons. Valid from November 15 to December 19, 2011, here are some of the offers in the booklet:

Please note that all of the coupons are "valid only on Latte, Mocha, Cappuccino and Deluxe Hot Chocolate". See the back of coupons for additional limitations.

• "Get a free small hot McCafe specialty beverage"
• "Buy one, get one free" (second drink has to be of equal or lesser value) (3 coupons in booklet)
• "$1 off a hot McCafe specialty beverage" (2 coupons in booklet)
• "McCafe your breakfast meal for free" ("Buy a breakfast Extra Value Meal and substitute your small coffee with a small hot McCafe specialty beverage at no extra charge") (2 coupons in booklet)
• "Buy a hot McCafe specialty beverage and get a free baked pie"
• "Buy a hot McCafe specialty beverage and get a cinnamon melts for 49 cents"

Above is an image of what the outside of the booklet looks like. Keep an eye on your mailbox for yours.

$15 worth of coupons for chicken from Maple Leaf

I noticed a new product at my grocery store on the weekend: Maple Leaf Prime Portions. It consisted of four chicken breasts individually vacuum-wrapped inside a larger bag. It provides an easy solution to the problem of discarding unused meat due to expiry dates or freezer burn.

What I didn't notice was that the package came with $15 in coupons for Maple Leaf Chicken Products:

$5 off Maple Leaf Prime Portions

$5 off Maple Leaf Prime Marinates Boneless Skinless Breasts, Seasoned Flattened Chicken or Boneless Skinless Breasts

$5 off Maple Leaf Prime Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Chicken Scaloppini Folds or Chicken Tenderloins

All of the above coupons have an expiry date of June 30, 2012. Plenty of time to use them.

While it can be difficult to find coupons for meat and produce, it is not impossible if you know where to look. Enjoy.

$25 gift cards from the Bay for $75 purchase in store or online (ends today)

Source: thebay.com

Have a wedding gift which you need to purchase? Or a new kitchen gadget? How about some items from the recently released Olympic Clothing Line? Drop by the Bay today, Sunday November, 13th (in-store or online) and receive a $25 gift card with a $75 minimum purchase.

You can redeem the $25 gift card on any in-store purchase of $100 or more between November 21st and December 24, 2011.

Essentially, the way this deal works is that you have to be willing to spend $75 (first purchase ) + $75 (second purchase after gift certificate) for a total of $150 plus taxes.That being said, if you know of an upcoming expense... why not save $25 in the process?

Enjoy!

BOGO event at Starbucks (Safeway Locations) from Nov 17-20th 2011, 2-5 pm

Don't forget your Safeway Club Card when you are grocery shopping this week. You could get 2 Holiday Beverages for the price of one. I received the above advertisement in a Safeway e-mail direct flyer.

Air Miles Mail-Out Coupons

Guess what was in my mailbox this afternoon... more Air Miles Holiday Bonus Offers!!!

Here's is a listing of the coupons that was in the package:

100 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase $200 or more at IRIS (up to Feb 5, 2012)

50 Bonus Air Miles when you purchase Nikon lenses including the Nikon I-View (up to Feb 5, 2012)

10 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $30 or more on Sesame Street Plush (Nov 4- Dec 2) (No coupon required)

10 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $20 or more on Chuck & Friends toys (Nov 4- Dec 2) (No coupon required)

60 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $60 or more at Michael's. Valid Nov 18-20, 2011

250 Bonus Air Miles when you spend at least $250 on a repair at Craftsman Collision (Nov 7- Feb 24, 2012)

15 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $30 or more (before taxes and gratuities) at Boston Pizza before December 31, 2011

25 Bonus Air Miles when you spend $50 or more (before taxes and gratuities) at Boston Pizza before December 31, 2011.

See coupons for complete lists of restrictions.

The following offers apply to Gold Collectors:

• 40% off Random House titles when you spend $50 or more from Nov 7- Dec 31 (randomhouse.ca; PROMO CODE= AIRMILES)
• 15% off Delta Hotels from Oct 26 - Dec 30 (deltahotels.com; PROMO CODE= NAPN)
• Updated benefits for Gold Collectors:
• Double the amount of discounted merchandise
• 20% off reward miles on ski lift tickets (see Airmiles website for restrictions)

I think that the coupons differ depending on where you live in the country.

You might also have received an Air Miles magazine. I noticed a few coupons in the issue:

• Earn 5x the rewards miles at People's The Diamond Store on any purchase including at least one participating product as seen in the Air Miles Holiday Shopping Guide (Expiry Dec 31, 2011)
• Earn 5x the reward miles at Mappins Fine Jewellers on any purchase including at least one participating product as seen in the Air Miles Holiday Shopping Guide (Expiry Dec 31, 2011)
• Earn 50 reward miles with your choice of any two magazines with Rogers Magazine Service (Expiry Dec 31, 2011)
• Earn 5x the reward miles at The Shoe Company when total purchase is over $80 (Expiry Feb 29, 2012)
• Earn 7x the reward miles at The Shoe Company when total purchase is over $120 (Expiry Feb 29, 2012)
• Earn 10x the reward miles at The Shoe Company when total purchase is over $150 (Expiry Feb 29, 2012)
• Earn 50 bonus Air Miles at Budget Rental Car on rentals of 5 days or more (Expiry Feb 15, 2012)
• Earn 25 bonus Air Miles at Budget Rental Car on rentals of 3 or 4 days (Expiry Feb 15, 2012)
• Earn 10 bonus Air Miles at Toys R Us when you spend $50 or more on Barbie, Hot Wheels or Fisher Price Toys (Nov 4-17, 2011)

Again, see the magazine for full list of restrictions.

Gotta love this time of year!

2012 Canadian Olympic Clothing is here

Go Canada! Get ready for all of this summer's Olympic action with the recently released London 2012 line of Team Canada replica clothing from The Hudson Bay Company.

Find it here!

Makes for a great Christmas gift! I really hope my family gets me this red "patch" hoodie!

Holiday Offers on Airmilesshops.ca

Are you starting your holiday shopping soon? Visit Airmilesshops.ca and check out their holiday offers. By visiting their website and redirecting to the regular website for partnered retailers, you can earn a lot of bonus Air Miles. For frequent travelers, this is definitely a good way to shop.

Current holiday offers on Airmilesshops.ca:
Earn 25 Bonus Reward Miles when you spend over $100 on an American Express Air Miles Credit Card at any of the following stores:

• Toys R Us
• Amazon.ca
• Expedia
• Bose
• Dell
• Sears
• The Source
• Victoria's Secret
• Apple Store
• Indigo.ca

Expires December 31st, 2011

With an Air Miles Collector Card Number:

Earn 3x reward miles at Indigo.ca (Chapters)
Earn 2x reward miles at Dell
Earn 3x reward miles at Bose
Earn 2x reward miles at Expedia
Earn 2x reward miles at People's The Diamond Store
Earn 2x reward miles at the Source
Earn 2x reward miles at Beyond the Rack
Earn 3x reward miles at Land's End
Earn 2x reward miles at Toys R Us
Earn 2x reward miles at Banana Republic
Earn 2x reward miles at the Gap
Earn 2x reward miles at Old Navy
Earn 2x reward miles at Macy's
Earn 2x reward miles at Bloomingdale's
Earn 2x reward miles at TigerDirect.ca
Earn 3x reward miles at Roots
Earn 2x reward miles at Ebay.ca
Earn 2x reward miles at Nordstrom's
Earn 2x reward miles at Oconnorflorist.ca
Earn 30 reward miles per subscription at Rogers Magazine Service
Free shipping at Apple Store.ca
Free shipping at LL. Bean

Plus, there is a contest where you can win up to 25,000 Air Miles as well as online coupons for bonus Air Miles on purchases made within five days of your contest entry.

See website for full details and description of offers and limitations.

Happy shopping!

Porter 50% off sale extended until November 7th!

Fresh off the presses... I just received a fabulous notification in my e-mail inbox:

"50% off all Porter flights!"

In celebration of Porter's 5th anniversary, they are offering 50% off the base fare of any Porter flight. Travel must occur by March 31st, 2012.

The promo code you'll need is FIVE 50. Be sure to make your bookings by November 7th, 2011.

Also good to know that this deal can't be combined with other offers or programs.

Check out Porter Airlines on the web and on Youtube:

(Video courtesy of You Tube)

Where does Porter fly?

• Ottawa
• Toronto
• Montreal
• St. John's
• Halifax
• Quebec City
• Mont Tremblant
• Moncton
• Sudbury
• Sault Ste. Marie
• Thunder Bay
• Windsor
• Boston
• Chicago
• New York
• Myrtle Beach
• Timmins
• Burlington, Vermont

	Christmas shopping in NYC, anyone?

Banana Republic 30% off sale + 10x the airmiles... does it get better?

I received an e-mail for Banana Republic's "Thank You" event where they are offering 30% off all purchases excluding factory store between October 20-23, 2011.

On top of that, Airmilesshops.ca is offering 10x the airmiles on all Banana Republic purchases until November 1st, 2011!

Think about it: hypothetically speaking, you could get $100 worth of clothing for $70 + taxes AND earn 50 airmiles + any additional airmiles you might earn by paying using an airmiles credit card. That's a pretty sweet deal.

Not to mention that shipping is free for all purchases over $50.

To get your airmiles, first log in to Airmilesshops.ca and redirect yourself to the Banana Republic website.

To get 30% off your purchase, use the promo code BRCTHANKS.

Happy shopping! (And traveling)

Looking for a new pair of TOMS Shoes?

Video embedded via YouTube (TOMS Shoes)

For those of you who aren't familiar with TOMS Shoes, with every purchase of a pair of shoes they donate a second pair of shoes to a child in need.

Because of the charitable cause attached to your purchase, it's a great idea to pay full price for your shoes if you can. But if you're a little strapped for cash and still want to contribute to the cause, try this coupon code to receive $5 off you purchase: CC47. According to MommyMatter.com, the code is said to be good for any of the new fall styles.

Happy shoe shopping! And enjoy helping others in the process.

Save up to $250 on a Blackberry Playbook and Case

As part of Sears Days this weekend, you can purchase a Blackberry Playbook (tablet) and Case for $250.00 off the regular price.

For more information, see the following link:

http://www.sears.ca/custom-content/playbook-case?intid=L1_Sep52011_Marquee_playbook

And don't forget to claim Airmiles on your purchase by first visiting airmilesshops.ca and redirecting to the Sears Website. You can earn 10x the points by registering for the 10x the points event on airmilesshops.ca

Pharmasave Double Coupon Event

 
Watch the above embedded YouTube video for a retro Pharmasave Commercial: get "Pharmasaved" hehehe.

A great idea to check your local Pharmasave flyer to see if they are offering a double coupon event. What this means is that if you present a manufacturer's coupon at the time of purchase, they will double the value of the coupon. See the flyer for full details re: restrictions. For example, the deal does not apply to coupons for a free product.

50% off sale on Porter Airlines!!!

Above video is embedded via YouTube; shows Porter experience from Toronto City Airport. Great video ktedford.

This is too good to be true... but it's true!

Please see a previous post on Porter Airlines, where it flies, and how much FUN we had flying Porter from Toronto City Airport to NYC (via Newark).

On select flights, you can use the following code to receive 50% off the ticket price: FLY50

Thanks to the folks at smartcanucks.ca for the heads up about this sale.

There are limitations on when the promo code applies, though I have been unable to find these posted. I was also not able to find the expiry date for the promo code. If you are aware of the limitations, please respond with a comment.

Until then, happy flying! If only I lived on the east coast to be able to take advantage of this.

Air Canada Student Passes

Whether you are traveling across North America to go to school, or headed somewhere down the highway, Air Canada Student Passes can help you save on the total cost of flights you'll incur in a year.

Full details can be found at this link. Costs vary depending on the type of pass you'll need.

Benefits include:

- savings

- the ability to choose seats in advance for no extra fee

- Aeroplan miles! = free flights!

Please see the website for full details and limitations.

Passes provide students with six flight credits (aka. one way plane ticket).

Frequent traveler but not a student? There are other regional and national passes that may be of interest to you. Check it out!

I've never used one of these passes but would be curious to know some feedback from users.

Happy travels!

How to get 52 loads of Tide Laundry Detergent for $8.18! (taxes included)

If you can find a better price than this, please let me know!

Tide laundry detergent is great but tends to be on the expensive side as we all know. That is, unless you watch your local Pharmasave flyer!

Every so often, Pharmasave offers 26 load bottles of Tide for $4.99 plus tax. It's pretty much the best price in town, at least from what I can recall.

What makes this deal even better: having a Brandsaver coupon for $3.00 off any two Tide liquid detergents (26 loads or higher).

The math:

$4.99 + $4.99= $6.98

Add taxes ($1.20) and your total is....

$8.18 for 52 loads of laundry!

I should mention there is a two bottle limit per customer.

Don't have a Pharmasave where you live? Check out your local Shoppers Drug Mart. 26 load bottles of Tide are on sale for $5.99 at some locations. A little more expensive, but still a good deal.