Uncle Sam is Coming for Online Shoppers…

January 21, 2009 01:00 PM | Comments (0) | Posted in online shopping, walmart, coupons, jcpenney, amazon

Online shopping may not be carefree (read: sales tax free) for much longer. State governments are eyeballing bargain hunters, like you and me, who skip out on a sales tax by purchasing shoes, handbags, dresses, jeans, bracelets, and nearly everything else, on the Internet. Shoppers should report taxes on these items to the government – but few do.

According to Forrester Research, “online sales were expected to make up about 8 percent of all retail sales in 2008.” State economies are desperate to tap into these riches. New York and Amazon.com have been scuffling over the issue for several months.

Almost half of all US states, and retailers like JC Penney’s and Wal-Mart, have joined efforts to simplify the system of collecting sales taxes online.

For now, most of us can avoid the sales tax by avoiding brick-and-mortar retailers and shopping for clothes and accessories on Amazon, Overstock, and eBay. Already, the online sales tax is being rolled out in New York and a handful of other states,  though, so the honeymoon is over for some. 

In the future, will you be forced to report that adorable Banana Republic scarf to the IRS? Will you have to pay a little more for it online?

Get 50% Off Everything in the New York & Company Collection

January 10, 2009 07:00 AM | | Posted in coupons, new york and company, 50 percent off

The Deal: New York & Company Collection Everything 50% Off - Shop Now

The Lowdown: Even though we’ve been on New York & Company overload, when we clicked over to the NY&C Collection page to view this sale, we were suddenly ready to shop. Again. Maybe we’re just suckers for a pretty website (New York and Company’s is one of the better looking ones out there), but then again, we’ve never been unhappy with the quality. So we guess it’s a win/win.

This sale features the retailer’s special “collection”, and while we’re not sure it differs greatly from whatever else they’re selling, we are sure that the styling is pretty feminine and chic. We had a little trouble narrowing it down, but here’s what we’d pick:

Collection Woven Pencil Skirt, on sale for $32.20

Collection Cinch Waist Blouse, on sale for $33.60

Collection White Tailored Shirt, on sale for $33.60

Shop: New York & Company

Take 25% Off Apparel and Jewelry Orders $40 or More at Classic Closeouts

January 9, 2009 07:00 AM | | Posted in coupons, cheap accessories, classic closeout, zebra print, cheap jackets, 25 percent off

The Deal: Get 25% off apparel and jewelry on any order of $40 or more! Use coupon code : CJWB at check out to receive discount!

The Lowdown: Classic Closeouts is just what the name implies—a closeout store where you’ll have to wade through some chaff to get to the good stuff. This offer is good on apparel and jewelry, which led us to check out the jewelry department for the first time, where we honestly didn’t find anything that really set us on fire (though we did take a liking to these wooden bangles, for just $3.49 apiece).

In the apparel and accessories, however? Better luck—a casual military style jacket for $14.99 (retail $79.99); a funky zebra print clutch for $9.99 (retail $49.99); and this buckle tab waist stretch skirt for $5.49 (retail $39.99). And you’ll still get an additional 25% off those prices, once you get to $40. We’re guessing it’s not super high quality stuff, but a cute skirt, jacket, clutch and bracelets for under 40 bucks—not a bad way to spruce up even if it’s just for one season.

Shop: Classic Closeouts

The Best Online Coupon Sites

November 17, 2008 01:00 PM | Comments (4) | Posted in online coupon, coupons, discount coupon, coupons sites

The best budget shoppers always talk about finding and using coupons, but sometimes that’s easier said than done. But where, exactly, are these magical coupons? you might ask. Can’t use ‘em if you can’t find them, and just doing a google search can be overwhelming. Well, this time of year coupons are more important than ever, so as our holiday gift to you, here’s a list of 10 of the better coupon sites we’ve come across:
RetailMeNot.com. With an easy search function, a shopping forum and, oh yeah, loads of coupons to great stores we love, RetailMeNot.com is one of our go-to bookmarked sites.
Rather Be Shopping.com. This site gives you several options to find what you’re looking for, including alphabetical listing of stores, the most current deals, and a section for free shipping (which, especially this time of year, is our favorite).
Yahoo!Deals Coupons. Totally easy to navigate (and totally uncluttered by all those annoying ads), click under “clothing” for current fashion-related deals. You can also check out storewide sales, weekly ads, and save coupons to use later.
CouponMountain.com. We like this site because they feature some of our favorite stores, and gives you lots of different options to find what you’re looking for. You can also submit deals you’ve found to share the wealth . . .

Anycoupons.com. It’s a little overwhelming at first glance, but clicking around we find lots of great deals. Our favorite part is that when we select the store we want, Anycoupons.com frequently lists multiple deals for that store, so we can pick the one (or more) that suits our needs.
Fatwallet.com. Browse for coupons by store for multiple current deals, or by most recent, expiring, free shipping, and right now, holiday deals. There’s also a “compare prices” feature so you can know if you’re getting the best bargain, and a forum where folks post a whole host of other deals as well.
 
DealCatcher.com. Features both online and printable coupons (which we love) and rebate notices. Subscribe to the RSS Feed to keep abreast of the latest coupons available without overloading your inbox with another newsletter.

CouponWinner.com. We like this site because it’s well-organized and the coupon codes are prominantly displayed in red (so we don’t have to pull out the magnifying glass to locate them). Also, specific categories like “Handbags & Accessories” and “Plus Size Apparel” makes narrowing down our search so much easier. Finally, the CouponScout tool is fab—compare up to five retailers to see who’s got the best deal, in a click or two. Nice.

TheGreenApple.org. This is a specialty site focusing on eco-friendly products, including clothing and apparel—and if that’s a priority to you, you’re well aware of a) the higher pricetags, and b) how hard it is to find coupons or discounts that apply. This site is easy on the eyes and features both on- and off-line coupons.

CouponAlbum.com. Our favorite part of this site is that we can click sub-categories under our main choice (meaning when we’re in women’s apparel, we can narrow down to coupons, then to free shipping. Quick and easy with tons of great stores we shop at anyway.

20% Off Jackets and Sweaters at Shopbop.com

September 25, 2008 06:59 AM | | Posted in sale, online shopping, daily deal, outerwear, coupons, shopbop, shopbop.com

The Deal: Take 20% off regular priced jackets at shopbop.com and 20% off regular priced sweaters at shopbop.com.

The Lowdown: Head to Shopbop for warm and cozy fall options—in the form of jackets and sweaters—and take 20% regular priced pieces right now, with the code SHOPBOPSECRET. Want to treat yourself to a designer statement coat for the season? Try this Diane von Furstenberg Trente Coat. And if it’s a new luxe cashmere sweater you’re craving, we like this Rachel Pally Cashmere Pocket Cardigan, regularly $330. Yes, we know it’s not cheap—but if you are designer-inclined, the 20% off makes it just a little bit more manageable.

Shop: Shopbop.com and use code SHOPBOPSECRET.

Save Up to $75 on Your Lane Bryant Order: Daily Deal

September 9, 2008 07:00 AM | | Posted in sale, online shopping, daily deal, lane bryant, coupons

The Deal: Save up to $75 off your purchase with special codes at LaneBryant.com, through Oct. 14, 2008.

The Lowdown: Save between $25-$75 off your Lane Bryant order with special codes—which makes this a good time to see what the plus-size retailer has got lined up for fall. Our picks? This single button long cardigan sweater —you can wear this anywhere—for $59.50, and the Right Fit Houston pant, $29.99.

Shop: Lane Bryant, with codes.

Labor Day Sale: 40% off Bloomingdale’s Coupon—In Store and Online!

September 1, 2006 01:10 AM | | Posted in online shopping, coupons, bloomingdale's, sales, labor day

THIS COUPON IS EXPIRED. FOR CURRENT DEALS, PLEASE VISIT TBF’S ONLINE SALE PAGE.

Take An Extra 40% Off* Already Reduced Items
August 31st - September 4th
Shop Fashion, Shoes & Accessories For Her. Enter Code 40SALE At Checkout. Online & In Stores.

Thanks Megan for the tip!

Fashion Quick Tip:  Fashion & Beauty Coupons in Shop Etc.

June 13, 2006 10:20 AM | | Posted in coupons, cvs, fashion_magazine, smartchecks, shop_etc., lord&taylor;, lucky magazine

At the back of every issue of Shop, Etc (the fashion magazine that competes against Lucky) there’s a bunch of coupons called “Smartchecks” which can be used for substantial savings (like 15-20% off) at major retailers like Lord and Taylor, Bare Necessities.com, and even CVS.

Online Coupons: Zappos, Perscriptives, Gap

April 30, 2006 07:47 AM | | Posted in sale, gap, online shopping, walmart, coupons, prescriptives

THESE COUPONS ARE EXPIRED. FOR CURRENT COUPONS AND DEALS, PLEASE VISIT TBF’S ONLINE COUPON PAGE.