I went through a lot of changes when I became a mom, sure, we all do right? Stretch marks, chronic fatique, never peeing alone….so many changes. But for me, once I had my first child, I suddenly morphed into someone extremely frugal! The days of using up my disposable income at the mall or beauty counter were long gone and so were the days of receiving a biweekly paycheque. I didn’t like going from independent and working for my own money, to stay at home mom on a maternity leave wage income one bit. It was definitely time to look at other ways to help out the family and if you weren’t making it, you could still chip in by saving it. Coupons soon became my best friend, and today with three kids under our roof, saving money has just become a way of life.
Recently, I was asked if I would like to take part in a shopping challenge with RetailMeNot.ca. Any time I go shopping it feels like a challenge, so why not right? I was provided a gift card loaded with $250 and free range to buy whatever I saw fit, all while trying to save myself a buck. Ready, Set, Shop!!
RetailMeNot.ca is a digital offers site that compiles the best in-store and online deals for some of your favourite retailers. Relatively new to Canada, RetailMeNot.ca aims to help every Canadian develop savvy spending habits on everything from clothes to more practical purchases like savings on tax returns! No more surfing the net to find the best deals, now they are all in one spot at RetailMeNot.
I started by looking for a birthday gift for my nephew who turns 5 next month. I knew he had his eye on some big boy LEGO so I searched the RetailMeNot site for and discovered Toys R Us had a coupon code available for $10 off when you spend $50 or more. They also had a deal where you could get free shipping on orders valued over $49.
I found the Large LEGO Creative Brick Box and loved it because it comes with 790 pieces plus the brick storage box holds them all and looks cool too. I know my nephew will love it and there is plenty of bricks to share with his twin brother. It was available for $59.99 with $12.46 for shipping. I applied the code I found at RetailMeNot.ca and my order dropped to $49.99 with shipping removed for being over $49.
So my total order came to $56.49 and I saved $32.46 on this purchase. Plus, I collected some Air Miles along the way.
Next up Shop.ca, they have a little bit of everything and I noticed at RetailMeNot.ca that I could use a code for $40 off a $100 purchase, plus free shipping again!
With the end of the school year coming up fast, I wanted to get my boys a gift for passing their grades and finishing the school year off well. They are video game fanatics so I checked out the PS3 selection of games and noticed a brand new LEGO Jurassic Park game that was coming out really soon. I pre ordered it for $54.99 and can’t wait to suprise them with it!
We are also in need of some new frying pans so I was really happy when I spotted a Green Pan set of Stockholm frying pans on for $61% off! The pans were originally $229.99, but were marked down to only $89.99 – great deal! This put my cart over $100 as well, so I was able to use the RetailMeNot code and an extra $40 was removed from the order. I also had a bit of credit built up which knocked my oder down some more, that was a bonus!
I saved $140 on the pans, plus the $40 from the code for a total of $180. I’m not sure what the shipping savings were.
Now that we had some gifts out of the way and practical items taken care of, it was time to update the wardrobe. I still had some money left on the card, so I checked out what deals I could find on clothing.
I found this great code for 25% of my order, that was only valid for that day. I immediately headed to the Old Navy website to see what I could find! Here’s what I scored there
Boys Pants $16.94 on sale for $10 – no further discount = $10
Ladies shorts $24.94 on sale for $22 – 5.50 off with discount = 16.50
Ladies Pants $36.94 on sale for $25.50 – no further discount = $25.50
Ladies Jeans $39.50 one sale for $27.50 – 6.87 off with discount = $20.63
Ladies Fleece $22.94 on sale for $8.99 – 2.25 off with discount = 6.74
Free Shipping – $8 savings
That’s $141.26 in clothing for only $79.37!
When all was said and done, I tallied up my total with taxes and I had spent $251.21 going over the $250 budget by just a hair (silly taxes lol). The value of my purchases were $523.56 for a total of $272.35 in savings (plus a shipping charge, cost unknown). Not bad!
If you do a lot of online shopping, it’s always best to pop over to RetailMeNot.ca first to see if you could be saving even more. I used to try a google search for coupon codes and always came up empty or with old expired ones. I love that RetailMeNot.ca has so many of the stores I shop at regularily and you can easily see which codes are valid and even how many people have used the code that day! You are able to thumbs up or down a deal and even leave comments for fellow deal seekers hoping to use the deal as well. It has a really fun sense of community that way, where everyone is helping you save money!
I love shopping on Amazon and Walmart
I would say my favourite place to shop is Walmart.
Mine are Walmart and Amazon.
My favourite place to shop is amazon
I love to shop at Walmart or Rickis
amazon.ca
I love to shop at Winners!
I love shopping at Reitmans
I like shopping at Old Navy and thrift stores!
I love to shop at Amazon, Old Navy, Carter’s, Oshkosh, Winners and Toys R Us.
Carter’s, Wal-Mart depends what I’m looking for
Love to shop at Amazon!
Amazon
love to shop at Amazon and Wal Mart
I love shopping at Walmart
I like to shop at amazon
amazon.ca
I love to shop at Indigo.
I love amazon…..but Indigo is a close second for me!
Walmart
I like to buy stuff on Amazon.
Beyond the rack
I like shopping at amazon.ca
Walmart is my favorite place to shop.
I like shopping at amazon.ca
I love grocery stores!
amazon!
I like Winners, I can often find something I like there.
I love shopping at Garage clothing
Whole Foods!
Sephora…Old Navy… Carter’s OshKosh…and Value Village.
I love shopping at Wal-mart and old navy most.
i love shopping at amazon
I love to shop at Sephora and Old Navy!
I like to shop on eBay the most.
I like shopping at Amazon!
Home Outfitters, Best Buy are 2 of my favorites
Lately, it has been Amazon because I havent had time to go to a store physically
My favorite place to shop is Amazon.
Target was always a favorite of mine to browse 🙂 I love browsing Etsy too
I love shopping at the Gap.
Online – I used to like shopping at indigo but it’s been a bit wonky lately.
I like to shop at Old Navy, winners and walmart.
Real Canadian Superstore
Amazon, Chapters & TCP
Old navy is my favourite place to shop
love shopping on amazon
Hmm, I think that’s probably Winners (plus of course Home Sense and Marshalls). 🙂
I love shopping at Winners 🙂 thanks for the chance !
I like shopping at Harry Rosen
I love shopping at Walmart and Amazon.
I love to shop at Amazon for their selection and great prices
Penningtons
I like Old Navy
I love using Retail Me Not for Old Navy and Shop.ca! Thank you for an incredible giveaway!
I like shopping at Walmart
Walmart and Chapters/Indigo are my top favorites to shop at!
Amazon!
I love shopping at amazon
Either Walmart or Amazon are my favourite places to shop 🙂
walmart
Walmart
Old Navy and Walmart….and Roots when I can afford it!!
I like to shop at The Bay.
My favorite place to shop is Costco and Walmart
Costco
Forever21
I like Aldo…. <3 some shoes.
Kohl’s
It used to be Target but since we don’t have it anymore, I will say HomeSense/Winners.
I really enjoy the bay
On Etsy is my favourite place to shop!
I enjoy shopping at Winners!
Kent
I love Winners and Homesense.
I love Pier 1 imports
My favourite place to shop is The Bay!
I love shopping at Mark’s Work Warehouse, Rickis,Walmart,Amazon.ca
I love shopping at amazon.ca or at the Gap
I like shopping Amazon
depends on what it is for. usually walmart but if its for clothes Old navy
Bath and Body Works
I like to shop on Amazon and at Walmart.
Oh gosh! I love shopping at so many places like Amazon and old navy
Right now I would say its a tie between The Bay and The Gap
I like to shop Amazon as they usually have EVERYTHING I am looking for!
i guess Walmart cause it’s got a bit of everything and with five kids I take whatever retail therapy I can get!
I love shopping at the bay!
I like to shop at Sears and Walmart
I like shop.ca, you can find almost everything on this site.
Love shopping on Amazon.ca and at Lululemon!
For food, Thriftys but for everyday essentials I suppose Wlamart
I love shopping at Winners!
Old Navy
My Favorite Place To Shop is on Retailmenot.ca!
walmart old navy value village
Does Ebay count?
Winners
I enjoy shopping at Winners & Walmart
I love shopping at Dominion
Trust me – Old Navy Online – ideal shopping for my 11 year old son….Women’s sundresses and sweaters are outstanding too
I love shopping at Old Navy 🙂
Probably Walmart- convenient, has everything, and it’s cheaper!
I love to show at Free People!
Sephora and Amazon is my fave!
Sephora!
My favorite place to shop is Walmart.
I love shopping on Amazon.
Love Sephora & Chapters.
I love to shop Amazon.
I love to shop on Amazon.
target
Depends on what I am shopping for… I shop at Walmart a lot, but mostly because the prices are right. I love shopping at Chapters, and Toys R Us. I used to love Future Shop, but will have to shop at Best Buy now for the things I used to buy at Future Shop 🙂
I love to shop at The Bay and WalMart
I love to shop Walmart and Gap/Old Navy. Great Deals, Promos and Free Shipping
Amazon
Amazon-free shipping 2 day delivery, no lines no waste of gasoline and can’t beat the prices
I love shopping on line, if it’s an online store then I love it! No faves, love all of them!
Grocery Stores
Love to shop at Amazon
My favourite place to shop is Amazon.
Amazon of course!!
Walmart and Michaels
Online mostly… amazon
COSTO and WALMART are my favorite places to shop.
Count me in for loving to shop at Walmart!
I shop at Walmart a lot!
I like shopping at Walmart.
Costco
Target
I love shopping at Amazon. I can get just about anything at a great price and it’s delivered to my door.
i like sephora the best
I like Walmart
MEC
My favourite place to shop is actually thrift stores. I love to find buried treasures!
I love shopping at Walmart – everything under one roof!
I love to shop on Amazon, but I guess my favourite physical store to go to is probably Walmart, because of the wide variety of things you can get there.
I really like Amazon and RetailMeNot.
My favourite place to shop is Winners
Shopping online at amazon, ebay, wherever. So convenient.
I like shopping online at amazon as there is just so much variety
Walmart or H &M are my favorites.
Online I prefer Amazon…in real life, the West Edmonton Mall!
Winners
I love Amazon and Walmart because I don’t have to leave the house to do it.
Staples.
Hospital thrift shops- have wonderful treasures at great prices. For new can get a lot of bang at Walmart
My favourite place to shop is Winners.
I love shopping at source.ca!
amazon.com – I don’t like real stores 🙂
Well.ca is a favourite.
I like shopping at thelowcarbgrocery.com
I love shopping at Michaels!
Forever 21
My favourite store right now is Forever 21.
Free boxes and the curb on garbage day! 😉
Walmart
My favourite place to shop is Walmart! 🙂
I love amazon.thanks for for chance!
I guess it would be a candy shop or Bulk foods I love the feeling of having so much choice and not being able to decide. My other favorite places to ‘window shop’ are electronics, Futureshop or Bestbuy.
Best Buy
I love Amazon for all of the variety of stuff.
my favorite place to shop is Sephora
Wal-mart! Great prices and selection!
My current fave place to shop is Winners. Fab garden and patio accessories.
I like to shop at old navy
Thrift shops!
My favourite place to shop is Chapters bookstore.
I like shopping at Ricki’s
Victoria’s Secret
The B ay!
My favorite place to shop is at Costco! 😉
Winners
Online is Amazon
Physical is Walmart
I love shopping on Amazon
I just love online shopping on the Walmart site and I love Amazon .
My favourite place to shop is Value Village where you can find one-of-a-kind items at an amazing price.
My favourite place to shop is Walmart, since they closed all the Targets in Canada.
Superstore
my favorite store to shop at is dynamite.
i like to shop at amazon, walmart & winners.
I like exploring in thrift shops and bargain marts. You never know what you might find! 🙂
For clothes for myself I would have to say Addition Elle.
I like Homesense
Winners, Kijiji and Value Village
I love amazon, homesense and old navy.
My favorite place to shop is wherever the best sales are with free shipping!
chapters!!
I love Costco but Chapters is a close second.
I love shopping at Costco.
I like to shop at Shoppers Drug Mart.
I love shopping at Costco.
I love shopping at Superstore
Forever 21
I love shopping at Dynamite.
ebay and walmart
I love shopping at Walmart
I buy from Old Navy and GAP online a lot.
zappos
I love well.ca, but it depends 😀
i love shopping at Winners
I love Amazon. With family spread far and wide, it’s perfect for mailing gifts afar. Plus I love that I can shop while lounging on my couch.
I really do love shopping at Walmart.
my fave place to shop is Bath and Bodyworks and also Chapters
Walmart
I love shopping ay Carter’s and Wal-mart 🙂 Thanks so much for the opportunity! 🙂
I love old navy and indigo books
for a physical store I like Walmart.. and for online I LOVE Amazon.
Marshall’s or Winners
Love shopping at The Mustard Seed!
I love to shop at Walmart, Children’s Place, Lego Store & Disney Store.
Amazon and Winners
For clothes I prefer shopping at Salvation Army.
Amazon.ca
I love amazon
My favourite place to shop is The Bay.
i think its safe to say that my favourite place to shop is wal-mart , considering i go there more often than i go anywhere else 😛
I like shopping at Wal-mart.
I love target
love Nygard when I can get to a store.
My fav place to shop is Amazon! Love their prices and fast shipping.
My favourite place to shop is Amazon and Walmart! 🙂
walmart
I would honestly have to say amazon…they tend to have a great selection for everyone
RW&Co!
I shop online, lately Etsy has been my favorite.
i shop gap online alot – they have great sales
I like to shop at Walmart
I like amazon.ca
My favorite place to shop is amazon.com. They have everything at the best prices, especially in the amazon marketplace. Thank you for the great giveaway. Happy Spring!
I like shopping at walmart
i would have to say my favorite place to shop is on amazon !
My Favorite place to shop is E-Bay