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If you are an online shopper, you’ve probably seen the “do you have a coupon code?” box during the checkout process. Most people skip this because they don’t know a code. Smart consumers have discovered how many coupon codes there are and how easy they are to find and use. They’ve also discovered the incredible deals that exist when combining coupons with sale prices and other discounts.
I estimate that 90 percent of the stores you shop at have a coupon, at any given time. For example, BradsDeals.com is currently tracking over 2,300 active coupons for over 800 stores. Taking 30 seconds to grab a coupon code can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars over the course of a year. Here are a few of the best:
- 25 percent off $999 on notebooks at Dell
Enter coupon code L3S0KX1RF42WV1 through 4/16. - 10 percent off at HomeDepot.com
Enter coupon code APRILSAVINGS31 through 4/14. - 25 percent off one item at BN.com (Barnes & Noble)
Enter coupon code A8P8N9P through 5/26. Valid for new customers only.
Another way to find outstanding deals is to combine a coupon with a sale price. Here are a few top examples of this:
- Dyson DC14 Vacuum $380: This retails for $505 and is on sale at Overstock.com for $439.99. An additional $60 discount is applied through a link on BradsDeals.com, cutting the price to $379.99. $2.95 shipping and no sales tax are an additional savings.
- Time magazine subscription, $11: 28 issues has a cover price of $138.60. Magazines.com has subscriptions for $16. Entering coupon code springmags cuts that price to $11.
- 5-piece Samsonite luggage set $128: This retails for $250. eBags.com has it on sale for $159.99. Entering 20 percent off coupon code MC003 cuts the price to $127.99.
Don’t shop online? You should. In addition to thousands of coupon codes and lower prices, many stores offer free shipping and you’ll also save up to 10 percent by avoiding sales tax (if a company is not physically located in your state, your purchase is sales tax free). Many online stores now offer free return shipping, too. For example, at a shoe store (I like Shoes.com or Shoebuy.com), this allows you to order multiple sizes and only keep the pair that fits.
If you’re concerned about safety, just use a good credit card with strong consumer protections. They will back you up if anything bad happens.
Brad Wilson finds and publishes online shopping deals and coupons on his Web site, www.BradsDeals.com.
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints
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