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American Express Flip Mino Video Camera Giveaway
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American Express wants to give away ten Flip Mino video cameras to ten Bargaineering.com readers.
The giveaway is in conjunction with a big promotional push they’ve been doing for their American Express Charge Cards and the Membership Rewards program, AMEX’s reward points catalog. They want to give Bargaineering.com readers a taste of the types of rewards they have in the Membership Rewards catalog… so they’re giving away ten Flip Mino video cameras.
Ten.
While I don’t have an AMEX charge card, one of my AMEX credit cards earns Membership Rewards points and I’ve accrued quite a tidy sum of them over the last couple of years. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Southwest Rapid Rewards points because we live near a huge Southwest airport, Baltimore Washington International, and they convert at a very attractive rate. Also, when it comes to gift giving time, I usually turn to the gift cards in the catalog because I can get favorable conversion rates and gifts cards that people love. That’s a win-win there.
So how do you enter to win one of these Flip video cameras? Answer this question in the comments below or in a post on your own blog (in case you want to get more in depth, some people have emailed me saying that a comments box just isn’t large enough to fit what they want to write… which can only help your chances!), linking back to this post:
What is the savviest way you have made your money work harder for you this holiday season?
(if you opt to blog about your savviest way, please email me too just in case the trackback doesn’t come through)
This contest will be open until noon on December 22nd, 2009, when we will select the ten best answers to win a Flip Mino camera. This isn’t a random drawing so try to be creative, we want to see some interesting ideas that other people can use to be savvier with their money. Three of the cameras will be earmarked for creative ideas from registered readers on the Bargaineering Bucks Leaderboard (AMEX rewards their cardmembers, we reward our loyal readers!).
One entry per person and household (we’re not shipping more than one camera to any one address, even if you have a cornucopia of savvy money ideas) and void where prohibited.
Get your thinking caps on and good luck!
Thank you for all the entries, I will post the first names of winners once they’ve been selected, validated, contacted, and confirmed.
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We budgeted for our Christmas fund at the beginning of the year. This helped us be thinking all year long about how much we had to spend & kinds of gifts we’d like to get. By the end of October, we had a pretty complete idea list which we split up–hubby got the fun shopping (he loves it, I don’t!). I did the functional online shopping. It’s our 1st year doing it this way, but so far so good. Thanks to FPU for getting us on the right track!!
I planned out exactly what my budget was for each person, stuck to it, and bought everything through websites that participate in Ebates or Upromise and offer free shipping. I spent my $200 budget and have gotten $8 back from Upromise and $12 from Ebates. It doesn’t seem like too much, but I effectively got 10% off, never paid for shipping, and only paid sales tax on one transaction. If you count my rebates, I came in 18% under budget!
[...] American Express Flip Mino Video Camera Giveaway at Bargaineering [...]
First I list down all the things/gifts that I plan to buy. Search those gifts online and see if I can find some great deals. Discount coupons and the like are love. I also compare the prizes of an item in every store that I can think of. And buy the cheapest one with a good deal.
And there are also times that it’s hard to pick a gift for someone so I just decide to make a personalized card for them. It’s really cheap since I only use materials available in our house like cutouts from a magazine, glue, paper puncher, stamps, etc. and recycling the used papers I have. I only need to spend an extra amount of my time and a little bit of money to finish the card. I guess the message inside would do all the talking. Anyway, it’s better that you remembered that special someone, right.
[...] Bargaineering [...]
The savviest way I had my money work harder for me this holiday is by contributing to Kiva. I made a goal last holiday to contribute to a different country through Kiva.org every month for all of 2009 and I am excited to say that I adhered to it, especially since I did my December contribution.
I say this because I firmly believe that the best way to make money work hard for us is by sharing it with others who are in need of it. It is a simple act of kindness and being grateful to the society that allowed me to live comfortably, I thought it to be my obligation to share part of that with those who drew the short straws in life. It is an idea that Warren Buffett taught me and I firmly believe in it.
I also believe that when you help others, it benefits all of mankind collectively. If this is not money working hard, I don’t know what is.
Thank you and I appreciate the opportunity to win a Flip.
Have a pleasant day.
Frank
I never realized how many Rewards Points I accumulated on my credit card. They sure came in handy in “purchasing” Christmas gifts. I never even had to open up my wallet!
Being a senior on a fixed income, I really took advantage of the Amazon/Walmart price war this year. With Amazon’s lightning specials, and free shipping, several of us in the family co-gifted our loved ones with way nicer gifts than we each could have afforded individually!
I entered a lot of giveaways online to get presents for family members. It was a very cheap (free) way to get them all something nice! Just required alot of work but was totally worth it. I also signed up for alot of store newsletters because usually when you first sign up for their emails, they give you some kind of promo deal and every percentage off helps! I signed up for a Macy’s card too to get an extra 20% my purchases that day so I made sure to get more than a few gifts there! It was awesome. And I also attended Walmart’s PRE BLACK FRIDAY Saturday sales and saved a bundle on electronics, which like the giveaways, took extra time and effort on my behalf but saved me alot of money! And I too believe in “paying it forward” so after receiving these deals, I gave to pet shelters and Cancer. And if I win, I am giving this flip to my friend Jaime, she’s been dying for once for her upcoming honeymoon! Thank you!!!!
I created a faux “hedge fund” for my dating budget. I allow myself $75 per week, and any money that doesn’t get spent during that week is automatically transferred into a “surplus” savings account, which I can transfer back into the date fund within the month if needed. If there is still a balance in the “surplus” savings account by the end of the month it automatically transfers into my Roth IRA.
Automation for the win!
Sales, Coupons, and Discounts!
Before purchasing ANYTHING online or heading to the malls, I search for online coupon codes or printable coupons. I also have been doing online searches to see who sells the products for less or is running the best promotions. I’ve started following many blogs like “fantabulously frugal” and similar sites to see what is featured each day and the deals and steals. I haven’t bought anything ‘full price’ in two months!
Not only do I try to save money, but I try to save money by saving in ways that help others or help me be healthier. I normally shop at Whole Foods (which everyone knows is expensive), I try to cut back on how often I go there and try to plan the trips there only when I know I need something that is only offered at Whole Foods or hard to find otherwise. I reuse my bags and save 5% to help the environment while giving myself a discount. Believe it or not, this is pretty close to how much the mark up is at WF compared to regular grocery stores. While I am there, I purchase items that are on sale and make food for the week. I use leftovers for lunch and have completely stopped buying my lunch each day from take out places.
I currently live with my parents and am not charged rent. I started putting “rent” in an account that I am using to save for a house. I put my savings into a CD with no fees and I use my check card as much as possible rather than cash to benefit my “keep the change” program. I even upgraded my card to get 10% back on my keep the change rather than 5%. I also switched my visa card to an interest free, cash back program. It should be known that my American Express is still my card of choice though!
I traded in my leased car early and negotiated the trade in to be $1000.00 more than the buy out. I used the savings for a down payment on a car that uses cheaper gas and has a lower monthly payment. Also, I took advantage of the tax rebate for buying a new car.
I stopped shopping at designer stores and purchase my clothes from TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I find they have the same styles at an upwards of 70% off the normal price. The first place I check is the clearance rack. I am still wearing Lucky Jeans, but not many people know that I got them for 6 dollars rather than 75.
I am doing a lot of group presents this year. My Girlfriend and I are treating my parents to a dinner and a night out, rather than both buying them each separate presents. I am using rewards points from my corporate American Express card to purchase the dinner and the show we are going to, and using Marriott points from my travels to pay for the hotel we are putting them up in. Normally that would have been a 600 dollar night. The only thing we will pay for are tips and taxi’s instead! (I only use the hybrid taxis!)
There are many ways to save, but try to keep the environment and others in the loop as saving can be contagious! Show people how you save, and they will want to do it and so on!
Happy Holidays everyone!
This is the first year that we used a credit card to make all our purchases. We pay off all our complete balance at the end of the month and then collect our points. Easiest money we’ve ever made.
I love making a donation in someone’s name as a holiday gift. Places like OxFam, The IRC, Acumen Fund, Susan G Komen and WWF for instance. Or to organizations/funds that are close to the recipient’s heart like -scholarship funds or research programs. This way the money I spend is really put to use in a positive and productive way and the recipient appreciates the gesture.
My savviest move for saving money this Christmas season was developing a plan for our extended family gift exchanges. As everyone continues to get married and/or have children, the Christmas gift-buying lest was getting very long & out of control.
I suggested that instead of buying a gift for everyone, we should draw names and each buy only one, nicer gift for one individual. Everyone loved the idea! Now we have less stress and will spend less cash on our gifts this year.
A 3%APR CD matured and the current rates are very low at less than 2%APR, so I placed the money in a municipal bond mutual fund that is paying about 3%APR and has appreciated in value too. Also, I reinvest those dividends, which are paid monthly in more shares of the fund. And the dividends are tax free. No more bank CDs for me!
I saved money all year and paid cash for Christmas! No interest. Interesting… =P
I start shopping right after Christmas for next year, I just add 1 size to the clothes I buy for grandchildren and I watch for coupons and special sales and no shipping sales on line.I also have items shipped to their house instead of mine if it is close to Christmas saves me mailing costly items. I plan on spending $20-30., dollars a month each month and I have a special place to put presents in my house so I don’t forget where they are I put a tag on each present bought so I won’t forget who the present is for.
We started saving money in a bank account that is not easily accessible. That means that come time for holidays, travel, and even emergency spending – we have money to use. Gonna keep this up until we have a pretty sizeable emergency fund and then scale it back a little bit. It’s been great so far, though. If something comes up we’re free to take care of it.
We booked plane tickets for longer duration so they were much cheaper (still not cheap though), and are working remotely for a few days!
My tip: Instead of Christmas gifts to teachers, coaches, etc. our family gives Thanksgiving gifts. It takes a bit of preplanning, but it’s a great was to save money, reduce stress at Christmas and stand out from the crowd. While Christmas shopping, there’s usually Thanksgiving-themed merchandise (kitchen towels, hand towels, throw blankets, tablecloths and runners, picture frames, other Thanksgiving decorations) at substantial discounts – sometimes 90%. I will tuck these away to use next year. My son, husband and I sign a Thanksgiving card, being sure to include a reason why we are thankful for this person. The Thanksgiving gift stands out because no one else does this, and the gift is actually used, since not many people buy specific Thanksgiving decorations. The comments we have received over the years have been overwhelmingly positive. Thanks for asking for ideas!
I use Fatwallet and slick deals (plus a few other places) to find reviews and deals on the gear i am buying for xmas gifts.
I was able to save quite a lot this Christmas by planning ahead and using the internet. I made my shopping list and then watched for and searched for sales, free offers, discounts, and coupons. I was able to get great deals on all the gifts I wanted and free shipping on most it! Even some of the gifts (like photo calendars) were free! There have been lots of printable coupons, too, that I was able to use at local stores for things like toys, clothing, and toiletries. I subscribe to many blogs that post these deals and also to newsletters of the shopping sites. It really takes only a few minutes a day to skim through what’s available and it’s been well worth the time! An added bonus…I did a lot of my Christmas shopping in my pajamas with a cup of hot cocoa at hand!
I have taught myself to knit and make all sorts of things. It is a homemade Christmas at our house!
First, we have been buying certain special things for particular gift recipients on sale throughout the year. Second, we have talked to the kids about the advantages of receiving cash, including is they can combine cash from several givers, and then pick out something they really want from after Christmas clearance sales, and even possibly buy some things together they both are interested in – now they are excited about the possibility of getting cash and relatives don’t have to fret what to get them if they aren’t sure, worry about potentially duplicating gifts, packing and shipping, etc.
Most of my gifts this year are handmade craft items. A quilt for my son and daughter in law. A scrapbook for the other set of grandparents. PJ’s for the grandkids. And of course, I bought all my supplies either on sale or with a coupon.
Everyone makes a pact that all of our gift exchanges be handmade.Takes thought and creativity but will make memories that last a lifetime.
This is really funny, but I really did use my AMEX rewards points to get gift cards for several people this year. I figured, why not. It saved me a ton! I also scoured the internet for free shipping and promotional codes.
FIRST I RE-USE STUFF FROM PREVIOUS HOLIDAYS. LIKE BOWS, RIBBON, CARDS, & ECT. THIS COMES IN HANDY FOR CRAFTING GIFTS. I ALSO SAVE MASON JARS, CANDLE JARS, COFFEE TINS, ECT. THESE WORK WELL IN CRAFTING SOME GREAT GIFTS, EXSPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN. I ALSO SHOP AFTER CHRISTMAS AND SAVE 50% TO 75% OFF TO PUT UP FOR NEXT YEAR. I ALSO SHOP ONLINE USING COUPON CODES, OR BUYING AN ITEM THAT OFFERS A FREE GIFT. FREE SHIPPING IS ALWAYS GREAT TO ONLINE. I ALSO GET AMAZON.COM DEALS. I USE MY ONLINE SURVEY PROGRAMS TO MAKE MONEY & GET GIFT CARDS. I ALSO SHOP AT MY LOCAL DOLLAR STORE FOR THEIR WONDERFUL X-MAS SELECTION, AND MOST TIMES THEY HAVE NAME BRAND STUFF. LIKE CANDLES, MAKEUP, DISNEY STUFF. POSSILBILITEIS ARE ENDLESS. MAKES FOR GREAT GIFT BASKETS OR STOCKING STUFFERS. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CVS ECB PROGRAM ALSO. USING COUPONS EVERYWHERE I SHOP HELPS SAVE TONS. AND OF COURSE FOLLOWING THESE WONDERFUL BLOGS!
By being kind of a scrooge & not spending any money & saving it. lol
By investing my money in college so i can get a great degree & make lots more money!!!
entering as many giveaways as possible (and i’ve actually won quite a few), so i don’t have to purchase as many gifts!
Dang Jim, 335 comments already with 3 days to go?! Winning one of these 10 puppies will truly be like winning the lottery! lol
It’s not based on random draw, it’s based on the best ideas and comments, so it’s not like the lottery … there’s skill involved.
During the year I took advantage of some sign-up bonuses (for a brokerage account, a checking account, and a savings account). This needs to be done WAY ahead of time as there are often some hoops to jump through before the bonus is awarded. By October, I had an extra $700 for presents. I could have easily stopped there, but as this was basically “found” money I experimented a bit with trading some ETFs through my new brokerage account and roughly doubled my money. I know enough to know that I don’t KNOW what I’m doing, and I quit while I was ahead–making enough to pay for travel and all other holiday expenses. Sure, my trades could have turned out differently, negating my bonuses, but I didn’t trade on margin or risk more than I could afford to lose. My holidays would have been fine without any of the sign-up bonuses or market winnings–but it sure made this year sweeter to have all of those expenses taken care of. My advice: plan ahead, find some “free”money, and if you can mitigate the risk, find a way for it to work for you! Happy Holidays
I have found lots of bargains by comparing items online before purchasing. Also, having 4 kids makes it easy to give homemade gifts for grandparents. This year I had the kids contort their bodies into letter shapes and used the pictures to spell out the grandparents’ names!
The savviest way I made my money work harder for me this holiday season was to have the kids give homemade and personalized gifts for friends and family and to have everyone spend more time doing volunteer work and helping elderly neighbors. I want the kids to understand Christmas is way too commercialized and isn’t supposed to be all about expensive gifts, and homemade baked goods and arts and crafts type presents make great gifts too.
The gift that keeps on giving – How I turned a past holiday gift into a new holiday gift (for myself and my brother!) without spending any money:
1. Last winter, I used a Best Buy gift card I had been given at work for a job well done and turned it into a Wii with Rock Band…a little present for myself!
2. I found out there was a Rock Band competition at a local bar. Being a “real life” drummer, I knew I could compete with anyone on a plastic drum set. I came, I conquered, and I went home with 8 free tickets to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Hartford!
3. At the sponsored tailgate before the concert that I had also won tickets to, I was one of 4 lucky winners (out of 250 attendees) to win a pair of tickets to a FREE cruise to the Bahamas. I brought my brother on the cruise, which also included free roundtrip airfare to Miami, a free private Dave Matthews Band concert in the Bahamas, and plenty of free beer!
Morals of the story:
-Work hard – it always pays off!
-Don’t forget to reward yourself sometimes…you deserve it!
-Look for opportunities to enter contests (such as on the Bargaineering site!) where the risk vs. reward is clearly in your favor.
Happy Holidays to all!!!
I have an American Express Fidelity card. I use it for everything and then get $50 for every 2,500 points I receive. I spend money for the holidays using the card but then end up getting back money towards retirement in the end.
I’m an incurable list-maker, so I started my list for intended giftees early, with a column for possible gifts, what I actually purchased and a running total. This helps keep me organized and ensures I won’t overdo spending on any one individual.
“It’s not based on random draw, it’s based on the best ideas and comments, so it’s not like the lottery … there’s skill involved.” Jim, I’m confused. Technically, it is random since it’s based on your judgement, randomness of selection, and subjectiveness as to what is and is not creative. Who is determining which entrie(s) are creative? Do you have an independent company or judge panel from a third party? Is their a disclaimer provided from American Express in relation to this giveaway? Also, how do you limit 1 per person per household for entries? I’m afraid people may use different names and email addresses just to increase the # entries and different creative ideas to the posed question. This is not fair! I’m afraid those people will go to the malls, airports, PaneraBread, Barnes and Nobels, libraries, schools, and such to get free internet service to post here. Are you doing something to prevent this?
To answer the question: I stretch my money by using creditcards and allowing my money to earn the highest with the high-yield reward checking accounts available. I used my DiscoverCard first for Oct-Nov-Dec on items such as groceries, restaraunts, and movie rental expenses (upto $400) to earn 5% cash back. Everything else, I use my Schwab credit card that earns 2% on everything (with the best part of cashing in every month instead of most other rewards programs where you gotta wait ’til you have accumulated 2500 or more points). In addition, I use my other credit card that allows me to earn 3% on gas, groceries and books. My reward checking account debit card transactions are used at the minimums by paying my utilities’ bills in small installments throughout the month so that I can be sure my 3% or 5% cashback credit card purchases are earned for my most purchases. When I shop online, I compare the DiscoverCard shops with my AMEX mall, and Chase mall for the highest cashback reward (and free shipping). A few stores I’ve found that DiscoverCard gives more than the others; 5% instead of 3%; 10% instead of 6% or 5%. It pays to shop around. In addition, I bought AMEX giftcard online using a special coupon that costed only $4 for shipping,handling,& activation/the-1-time-fee of a $1000 Giftcard that I got 2% cashback. Now that’s being savvy with the money.
I use reward sites like Swagbucks to earn Amazon gift cards to purchase holiday presents. I’m able to purchase gifts at little or no cost out of pocket to me!
Instead of buying presents, my family and I are trading charities. We agree to donate a small amount of money to each other’s chosen causes instead of buying overpriced “Stuff.” I think it’s going to be a great new tradition that saves money and does good for our communities.
I bought as many presents as I could using my AMEX card which is linked to my children’s future college account through Fidelty. I also used cash back websites like bing, bigcrumbs and ebates to earn back some of the money spent. The extra money earned will go into the children’s college fund.
I’ve accumulated a bunch of strategies to find the best prices online and in stores. I visit sites like Dealsea and Bargainist which highlight online sales and coupons. I also sign up for emails from my favorite stores to stay on top of friends & family and free shipping events. I shop around, I compare prices, and I shop early. Always search for coupon codes before purchasing; you’d be amazed at how many discounts are floating around. Therefore, nothing ever has to be purchased at full price. Having a credit card that rewards with cash back is another incentive to shop. I’ll clip coupons from the Sunday newspaper. I get online surveys from sites like Toluna where points can be redeemed for free magazines. I get Amazon gift certificates from Swagbucks instead of using Google. I also visit Blog Giveaways for the chance to win some cool stuff like this Flip Mino Camera from Bargaineering!
The savviest way we saved money this holiday season was by systematically budgeting out gifts for everyone on our list. We wrote down everyone we wanted to buy gifts for this Christmas, then assigned a dollar amount next to each person’s name. Then, we wrote down 3 to 5 ideas for what we wanted to buy each person on our list.
This method helped us stick to a certain dollar amount for each person and we were prepared to know what we were looking for when we went shopping. Shopping without a plan or a budget is a recipe for overspending.
To make our money work harder this holiday season, my wife and I made it a point to plan our Christmas shopping & expenses ahead of time this year, and by doing most of our shopping in advance, prior to Thanksgiving even, it allowed us to avoid getting caught up in the mad rush of holiday consumerism and spending and stick to our planned budget. It has also made the week before Christmas a lot more relaxed!
My kids are still little so they don’t notice there isn’t a ton of gifts.
coupons coupons coupons! i registered for updates, sales notices and coupons for the stores where i regularly shop. i also registered for free points or frequent shopper cards. I shop only on deep-discount or multiple points days, and i always always always use coupons!!! if i do online shopping, i try to find free shipping internet codes.
I shop at the Dollar Store. They have a lot of stuff to choose from. Besides paper product Dollar Stores carry some food items that are a good bargains.
What is the savviest way you have made your money work harder for you this holiday season?
I have actually kept track of my receipts and purchases this year, and I check the sale flyers everyweek to see if I paid the best price. I have saved over $130 by going back to where I bought gifts and having the stores do price adjuctments for things that have gone on sale!