Civilization IV Gold Edition for $20 on Amazon - Jan 30 only

Amazon has the Civilization IV Gold Edition for just $19.99 on Jan 30. While it qualifies for free shipping, its actually not free since it is below $25. Buy something else you need priced at least $5.01 to get free shipping.

W Hotels Bed @ 40% off until Feb 29

If you have stayed in W or Starwood hotels and loved their beds, here is your chance to get them at a 40% discount. Go to the W Hotels Store and once you are done shopping for a W bed, featherbeds, pillows, comforters and sheets, use code Q96TE. This is an employee code that gives you the discount.

Please do not call for this deal as its an employee discount code, its for online use only!

Kingston 4Gb 133x Compact Flash card Free after rebate + shipping at Norman Camera

Norman Camera has the Kingston 4Gb 133x Compact Flash card free after rebate but you still pay shipping. Their website only carries a $15 rebate form instead of the $40 purchase price. However, you can find the correct rebate at this link.

EVGA eGeForce 7300GT 128MB PCI-E Video Card for $20 after rebate on Amazon

Amazon has the EVGA eGeForce 7300GT card for only $20 after a $40 rebate. Nice budget card if you are not looking at high-end gaming. Rebate is valid until Jan 31 only. As always, this qualifies for free shipping and no sales tax in most states.

Crucial 2Gb DDR2 Laptop DIMM for $20 + shipping at Fry's

Fry's has a Crucial 2GB DDR2 Laptop DIMM for $20 + shipping after a $24 rebate. Rebate is valid from Jan 30 to Feb 5, 2008. The rebate form is not yet up on the Fry's website but if you email them, they normally send it back to you pretty quickly.

Element 50" 720p Plasma TV for $700 + tax at CircuitCity

CircuitCity has the Element 50" 720p plasma TV on sale for $1000. Sign up for DirecTV in store to get an additional discount of $300 dropping the price for $700. Cancel the service once you get home.

Some people may argue that 720p is old technology. Given that there is no TV channel broadcasting in anything higher than that (and with no future plans either), it shouldn't really matter and you end up getting a good TV at a very good price.

If you have a Discover card, shop through the Discover website and get another 5% off making the final price $665 + tax. You will have to use instore pickup to get this discount.

Citi Cash Returns Mastercard - make money paying taxes

Citi Cash Returns Mastercard pays you a straight 5% cashback on everything for the first 3 months. There are no points to track or phone calls to make - any time your cashback amount exceeds $50, they automatically mail you a check. This card is perfect when you plan to make some large purchases like home appliances, furniture, etc.

You can also use this to make some money this tax season. Authorized websites likes OfficialPayments and Pay1040 normally charge a 2.5% convenience fee if you pay taxes using your credit card. However, using this Citi card, you can pay taxes and still get 2.5% cashback. You can probably overpay as well to get some additional cash, but note that the IRS typically takes about 2-3 months to refund your excess payment. Its still not a bad rate of return.

Seagate 320Gb SATA drive for $64.99 at Fry's with free shipping - 01/26 only

As the title says - Fry's has the Seagate 320Gb SATA drive for around $65 with free shipping. Purchase is limited to 2 units, offer is valid on Jan 26 only.

Walgreens Free Stuff - EasySaver Catalog valid Jan 25 to Feb 23

As most consumers are aware, Walgreens publishes their EasySaver catalog 12-13 times a year. Most editions have something useful that is typically free after rebate. Walgreens rebates are quite easy to collect as well - just fill up the form in the catalog (you can find them at the store entrance), attach all your purchase receipts highlighting the purchases, then send it in. Nothing to cut out from the product purchases but note that you can only send in one submission per catalog which means you have to wait until completing all purchases. Walgreens has also enabled Internet submission for some states, so check if you are eligible to save on a 41c stamp.

So what's free in this catalog? Garnier Fructis shampoo, Clear Care Travel or Convenience Pack, Gillette Venus Embrace Razor System, 5-hr Energy Drink 2-pack, Softsoap Spa Body Wash and Mennen SpeedStick Deo.

Catalog link

If you opt to get a Walgreens gift card in lieu of  a check, you also get a 10% bonus. Get a gift card and use it every month for these free things.

Thanks to these steady offers from Walgreens and RiteAid, I don't think I have actually paid for shampoo or toothpaste in over 2 yrs now.

Big Lots coupon - 20% on your entire purchase, valid from Jan 27 to Feb 3

If you like shopping at Big Lot (especially furniture), here is a coupon that gives you 20% off on not just one item but on your entire purchase!

Antec Sonata III Case for $50 after rebate at Fry's - Jan 19 only

 

Fry's has the Antec Sonata III Midtower ATX Case for $74.99 with free shipping (but you pay tax if they have a store in your state). Throw in a $25 mail-in rebate for a final price of around $50 + tax.

Offer is valid on Jan 19 only.

Pharos PDR250 GPS $120 after rebate at Dell

Dell has the Pharos PDR250 GPS on sale. Use coupon code 5G67XFK?NTX92Z for another $100 off (this replaces the other instant discount) for a pre-tax price of $169.99. Then send in the $50 rebate for a final price of $119.99 + tax. Shipping is free.

Rebate is valid till Feb 29, the form is not displayed on the item page, Dell has chosen to keep it a secret.

If you have a Dell DPA account, save another 3% - choose a credit card to pay, then change your mind to use DPA. This triggers the discount.

XFX GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI-E HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card for $80 after rebate at Newegg

Newegg has the XFX GeForce 8600GT 256Mb PCI-E graphics card for $80 after a $30 rebate. Shipping is free as well, you only pay tax in a few states.

Great specs - 680MHz clock speed, SLI ready, 2 DVI-out ports, HDCP ready and comes with its own cooler! Most customer reviews also state this is a pretty quiet card, so an added bonus.

Uniden Black 2.4GHz Cordless Phone Free After Rebate at Circuit City

 

CircuitCity has this Uniden EXI 4246C 2.4GHz cordless phone for $14.99 with a $15 rebate. This is not available in stores, you have to order for shipping only. Since CircuitCity gives free shipping only if the purchase is over $25, buy something else (maybe a $11 gift card) to avoid paying for shipping.

Rebate is valid until March 31. The form can be filled online, just follow the link. You still have to print it out and mail in the paperwork though, the online filling seems to help the rebate processing move a little bit faster without errors.

Corsair XMS2 2x1Gb 240-pin DDR2 800 SDRAM for $25 after rebate at Newegg

 

Newegg has the Corsair XMS2 2x1Gb 240-pin DDR2 800 SDRAM for just $25 after a $24 mail-in rebate. Shipping is free as well but you pay tax in a few states where Newegg has a physical presence.

Rebate is valid until Jan 21 and must be postmarked within 21 days of purchase date but no later than Feb 11.

Maxtor 500Gb SATA hard drive for $90 at Fry's on 01/18 only

 

As the title says, you can get it on Fry's website. No free shipping though but comes with a 3-yr limited warranty.

800 checks for $12.38 shipped at Checks Unlimited - New customers only

Checks Unlimited has a great promotion for those who still use paper checks. Go to their website, add 2 boxes (400 checks each) of any design to the shopping cart and use the coupon code FYWQ (valid till 01/30). Final price - $12.38 shipped. This is for new customers only.

Acer 24" LCD monitor for $317 at Staples in store starting 01/20 - 01/26

 

Staples will have Acer's latest P series 24" LCD on sale for $359.98 starting 01/20 until 01/26. Use the 12% Customer Appreciation Coupon to drop price to $317 + tax. Great specs and reviews plus a 3-yr warranty.

Alliant CU 5.40% APY 12-24mth CD

 

Alliant Credit Union is offering a 5.40% APY rate for a 12-24mth term CD. Clearly, this is better than almost everything in the market today. Minimum deposit is $25,000. You can be eligible to become a member of this credit union by becoming a member of the National PTA. Membership isn't free, costs $25 - in my opinion, a small price to pay to get a pretty good CD yield.

Alliant also has a Savings account with a yield of 4.85% APY, again pretty good compared with market rates.

As always, check their website for the latest info and don't forget to do your own due diligence.

Western Digital Passport 250Gb External Portable Hard Drive $114 after coupon at BestBuy

 

Similar deal to my earlier post on the Hitachi drive, so follow the instructions there. The drive itself can be found here. Note that only the black version is on sale.

Refurbished 4Gb Ipod Nano for $129 at the Apple store with free shipping

 

As the title says, find it here.

Hitachi 200Gb External Portable Hard Drive - $117 after coupon at BestBuy till Jan 21

 

BestBuy has the Hitachi 200Gb External Portable hard drive on sale for $132.99. But before you buy it, you need to become a reward zone member by going here. Once you become a member, print out your temporary card. Then go here and print out the coupon that entitles you to get a 12% discount on this purchase. Final price will be around $117 (+ taxes, of course).

Coupon is valid until Jan 21.

PQI 4Gb SDHC Card $8 after rebate till Jan 22

 

If you are in the market for a high capacity SD card, Fry's has one for you here. Their page says the rebate is $5, but the form says the rebate is $7. Shipping is free.

Offer is valid till Jan 22. Note of caution - not every device that takes SD cards can take a high capacity card, so check your device manual first.

HP 1Gb DIMM $2.99 after Rebate

 

CostCentral has HP RAM 1Gb DIMM on sale (PC2-5300) for only $2.99 after a $20 rebate with the rebate limit at 5 and free shipping. Rebate is valid until Jan 31, 2008 but the bigger problem is if stock will be available.

Rebate form can be found here. HP rebate processing for this one is handled out of their shared service operation in Puerto Rico and is pretty fast based on my prior experience.

For Cat Lovers - Feline Pine Cat Litter 7lb bag Free after rebate

 

Get the rebate form here, then follow the instructions.

Western Digital 500Gb SATA internal drive for $90 at Fry's - valid 01/16 only

 

Finally, a slight drop in price for this capacity. Find it here. The best part - no rebates to deal with and ground shipping is free.

Offer is valid only on Jan 16, '08 so hurry.

Buy 1, Get 1 Sundae Free at Baskin Robbins until 01/31/08

 

Print this coupon and take it to your nearest Baskin Robbins store to get a sundae free when you buy another one. Offer is valid until Jan 31, 2008. As always, don't forget to read the fine print on the coupon.

Cheap Desktop and Laptop RAM at Fry's on 01/16 only

 

Fry's is having a special promotion with OCZ, the memory manufacturer. For any purchase made on their website on Jan 16, 08 only, you can get one of the following -

 

2x1Gb Laptop Memory for $19.99 OR

2x2Gb Laptop Memory for $59.99 OR

2x1Gb Desktop Memory for $19.99 OR

2x2Gb Desktop Memory for $54.99

All prices are after a $30 rebate, the rebate form can be found here. Note that the rebate submission must be postmarked by Jan 26, so if your shipment is going to get delayed, it may be a good idea to cancel the order.

TaxCut Premium + State + eFile - only $19.99 at OfficeDepot 01/13 - 01/19

 

Tax season is here, so save some money buying tax software. Go to an Office Depot store by Sat, Jan 19 and purchase this software for $29.99 - $10 Gift Card Mail In Rebate. You will obviously pay sales tax on $29.99. This includes both Federal and State e-filing (one state only) without any extra fee.

OfficeDepot item # is 592810, offer available in store only and not online.

Save even more money if you have an old empty HP ink cartridge lying around as OfficeDepot gives you a $3 discount on your purchase per cartridge you turn in.

$30 Gift Card for a transferred prescription at Rite Aid

 

Print this coupon, take it with one of your current prescriptions to RiteAid, get a $30 gift card. Its that simple :-).

Offer valid till Feb 29, '08.

Make $2.50 on 5 Walgreen's Tissues or Hand Sanitizer Purchase 01/13 - 01/19 only

 

If you go to a Walgreen's store, pick up the Saver Rebate Book (typically right in the front when you enter) and look for offer #13 - $10 rebate on 5 boxes of tissues (100 or 200 ct) or Walgreen's brand Hand Sanitizer (you can mix them up). They are on sale this week at 2 for $3.

Buy 5, spend $7.50 + tax and send in the rebate form to collect $10. Get paid to buy cough-and-cold season essentials. If you choose to get a Walgreen's gift card, get a 10% bonus.

Toshiba HD-D3 HD DVD Player $128.84 (w/HDMI Cable + 2 DVDs) at Sam's Club

 

Sam's Club has the Toshiba HD-D3 HD DVD Player for just $128.84. The packaging comes with a HDMI cable and 2 HD DVDs. You are also eligible to get 5 more DVDs through a mail-in rebate from Toshiba.

Link to item at Sam's

Costco may also have it at the same price in store. Check your local store for details.

Fidelity MySmartCash Checking Account

If you keep a lot of cash in your zero interest or pitiful interest bearing checking account, then this product from Fidelity is for you.

Some really great features -

• 3.0% APY interest
• Zero minimum balance
• Unlimited check writing with free check books
• Free ATM card with unlimited ATM fee refunds
• FDIC insured upto the usual $100k limit
• Works as a brokerage account as well, so you can buy higher yielding mutual funds (I prefer FSLXX)

So, what's the catch? The only catch is that this is an online only account. So if you have physical checks to deposit, you need a account at a local bank. However, once you deposit the checks, you can always move them to the Fidelity account via ACH transfer (which is how I have set it up linking it to my Bank of America zero balance checking account).

More info at Fidelity's website.