Hello All! I just got turned on to Groupon.com….and I like it! Thanks Ally!

What is Groupon?

Each day, Groupon features an unbeatable deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in your city. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won’t find anywhere else. We call it “collective buying power!”

The “in your city” is what I really like about Groupon.

Visit the site, and then at the top check the city you are in. As you’ll see below, since I am in Dallas, I see a crazy deal for the day for Dallas:

Today’s deal for Dallas is/was: $99 for Six Laser Hair-Removal Treatments on Two Areas of the Body at Texas Laser Clinic in Frisco (Up to $1,275 Value). That is a pretty good deal even though it doesn’t apply to me.

Too bad I didn’t live in:

Boston: $75 for an Executive Room and Dinner for Two at Radisson Castle Nashua (Up to $243.34 Value)
Orlando: $15 for $30 Worth of Casual Fare at O’Charley’s
Colorado Springs: $25 for $75 Worth of Wine from Wine Insiders’ Online Store
Toronto: $25 for $50 Worth of Elegant Eats and Drinks at Bloom Restaurant

Go check it out now and LEAVE A COMMENT if you score a great deal! The best comment this month will win a special prize!

What: Planning site for expecting mothers or new mothers
Where: Planning Family.com

If you are “expecting” we just found a great new website that offers you a free planning guide during and after pregnancy as well as a ton of discounts on diapers, formula, clothing, bottles and more ( too much to list ).

From the website: By registering with PlanningFamily.com you will receive stage based pregnancy and baby email newsletters and offers as well as access to free baby samples, baby coupons, baby magazines and more!

So, go check ‘em out and tell ‘em OffCost.com sent ya!

Click here to visit Planning Family.com

What: RushCard Prepaid Visa
What: How to rebuild your credit so you can save money

What the heck does “RushCard” have to do with saving money? Yeah, I asked myself that same question when people kept telling me I should check it out. I told them, “this blog is about random deals found on the Internet and tips to save money.” Well, that second part is the key.

From the RushCard website: The credit reporting agencies we report to use your transaction history to create a positive credit file for you. When you apply for credit, lenders may use your positive credit file to qualify you and offer you lower interest rates.

Most Americans were effected by the recent downturn in the economy. Some lost jobs, some had to take pay cuts, some got behind on bills and mortgage payments. All of this can result in negative outcomes for your credit score. Your credit score in-turn determines what interest rate you are awarded and even whether or not you can even get the loan. So, when that credit score starts dropping your credit cards ( usually with balances ) start raising  your rates. How the heck are you supposed to get outta debt when they keep raising the rates? Uh…yeah…they figured that out when they issued the credit cards. You see, they don’t want you to pay it off so they make it difficult for you to do so.

OK, so back to RushCard. This program was created by Russell Simmons and is a way where you can start rebuilding your credit. When I started reviewing this it started making sense. It builds or restores your credit, it is safer than cash, there are no overdraft fees, it helps you manage your money, and best of all, 100% GUARANTEED APPROVAL! with no credit or ChexSystems® checks.

So, I’m giving this a thumbs up. You should check it out. To get the details I mention above you need our special link in the banner below: CLICK HERE

What people are saying about their RushCard

I got my RushCard because I couldn’t get a bank account. I heard that you could have your tax refund directly deposited to your RushCard. I knew that would be easier and faster than going through the pain of getting my tax refund in a check and then trying to cash it without having a bank account. – Cynthia W.

RushCard has truly been a blessing for me and my family. It’s really a lifesaver. I decided to get a RushCard because the fees of those check cashing businesses were ridiculous. I wanted to save money for my family and my kids, so RushCard was the best option. – Nicole J.

I have had many accounts with banks, and no matter what I did, I’d end up with huge overdrafts, which then affected my credit rating. Unfortunately I find bookkeeping tedious…it’s a discipline I just don’t have. I use my RushCard for paying bills. It was easy to set up, and now, every month on the 3rd I pay all my bills and I don’t have to worry about it again. – Jamil B.

Click here to get your Rush Card today!

Full disclosure: If you decide to take advantage of this credit rebuilding tool, I’ll make a small commission for referring you. If you don’t think I should get this you can just bypass me and just go directly to RushCard.com

What: Discount of 80% off cost on Restaurant.com’s gift certificates
Where: Restaurant.com
Coupon Code: SAVE – Expires on Thursday, June 10th – UPDATE! New code is FRESH and it expires on July 16, 2010

We’ve talked about Restaurant.com before on OffCost.com as a great place to get gift certificates for local restaurants at great discounts. Just about every month they have been putting out coupon codes where you can get 80% off but only for a couple of days. Then they go back to 50%, 60%, etc. So, if you miss out on this one ( or can’t find a restaurant you feel like visiting ) check back with us in a couple of weeks and you can get the updated code.

How it works: You visit the site, enter your zip code or city ( maybe you are traveling on vacation – enter THAT city ) and you will see the restaurants in that area that are currently participating in the program.  With the coupon code you can get 80% off which means a $25 gift certificate is now only $2. Important: Be sure to read the “fine print” on each restaurant’s offer. Some require you only visit during lunch, certain days of the week, or spend a minimum amount. But, some are wide open.

Example: We like a local Steak House in the north Dallas area called Parker Bros. Steak House. They are on the Restaurant.com website and you can purchase a gift certificate for $25 and pay only $15. But, when you enter the coupon code you get another $12 off so now its only $3. The “fine print” is: Minimum purchase of $45. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dinner, Dine In ONLY. Excludes: Holidays/Special Events, Other Offers/Promotions. Excludes Specials.

What my deal REALLY is: In the above example I am getting a $25 gift certificate for $3 but I have to spend at least $45.  So if my meal is $50 ( easy to do at a steak house ) then it really is only going to cost me $28! ($3 for the gift certificate + the remaining $25 balance ) Pretty cool huh? Especially since we were going to go there anyway! Go get it!

Hey! If you like this please tell your friends. You can do it easily below by just clicking the “Share” link and picking your favorite social network ( ie: Facebook! )

If you are like me you drink coffee…ALOT. It is the perfect way to get the day started. Don’t even talk to me before I get my morning coffee. How do people even drive to work without it? We all have our favorite locations like Starbucks or 7-11 and we all have our favorite home brews like Folgers but I want to share with you a new find called Boca Java.

So, what is Boca Java? Think of it as a “Coffee of the Month” club. Here is more information from their website:
The Boca Java Home Delivery Service provides you with ultimate flexibility. You can personalize practically every aspect of your account to suit your needs. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to customize your account settings, get immediate discounts on every purchase, and gain access to an exclusive members-only catalog, which features club-only coffee roasts, new flavor releases and product sales!

Alright enough already…this is a Blog about saving money so go here and get a great deal!

Visit a Starbucks today ( April 15th ) and get a free cup of coffee WHEN you bring in your own cup! Learn more here: http://www.starbucks.com/thebigpicture

What: Free Ice Cream Cone when you join Email Club
Where: TCBY

Visit TCBY for a limited time and you can get a free waffle cone when you join the TCBY eClub. Yeah, you’ll probably get SPAMed with Ice Cream offers but hey, a free cone! Sign up the whole family and print out the coupons.

What: E-Mealz meal planning
Where: E-Mealz.com
The Deal: For $5 a month you can get a shopping road-map to cut your grocery bill in half and put lots of food on the table.
The Catch: You have to sign up for 3 months so it will really cost you $15 but you are going to save WAY more than that the very first week!

E-Mealz has been around for a while now. I used to use it “back in the day” but they have come a long way with a new site, more choices, etc. I’m re-signing up for this for sure.

E-Mealz is the brainchild of Jane DeLaney. She has four children and a husband who are all picky eaters. But she is most famous in her circles for being a cheapskate. She knows how to maximize her grocery budget and beat the system. She has been known to leave the grocery store with a cart full of groceries, and the store will have given her money!

So, here is basically how it works. Let’s say you shop at Super Walmart and you want Low-Fat meals. You get a shopping list with prices designed to help you weave throughout the store in the most efficient manner. You’ll enter the produce section, work your way down the frozen foods to the back and them carousel through the isles back up to the front. The concept is crazy! Plus, you will have more food and spend less than you ever thought possible.

Now it looks like they have this working with a coupon site also.

“So, if it is so good, why did you stop using it in the first place?” I’m glad you asked! I got tired of saving money. No, at the time the menus were limited and I found myself repeating several meals and just got tired and mostly lazy. Now they have much more to offer than when I did it almost 2 years ago.

Here is a testimonial from the website: After one month with E-Mealz, not only did we make our food budget, but our food and grocery spending was nearly CUT IN HALF! E-Mealz has saved me time and money, not to mention provides great recipes that my husband actually likes! Thank you E-Mealz! -Melanie from Iowa

You can see a Sample Menu here.

I thought the “Sign Up” process was a little difficult to find so here is the direct link: http://www.e-mealz.com/amember/signup.php

Here is the Coupon Deal:

UPDATE! New code is FRESH and it expires on July 16, 2010

Where: Restaurant.com

We covered this earlier this month and several people missed out on the 80% off offer ( found a 60% off though ). Well, it is back. You can get $25 Restaurant Gift Certificates for only $2 plus to sweeten’ the deal for Valentines you will also get a $15 Free FTD Reward with each order.

What: 100% Free Grand Slam Breakfast
Where: Denny’s between 6am-2pm
The Deal: Visit any Denny’s on Tuesday, Feb. 9th and get a FREE GRAND SLAM Breakfast.

You can also go here for a chance to win a Grand Slam Breakfast every week for a year!

The Grand Slam breakfast is any 4 from the following:

• Bacon Strips (Two)
• Buttermilk Biscuit
• Chicken Sausage Patty (One)
• Egg Whites (Two)
• Eggs (Two)
• English Muffin
• Grits
• Hash Browns
• Hearty Wheat Pancakes (Two)
• Oatmeal
• Pancakes (Two)
• Sausage Links (Two)
• Slices of Toast (Two)
• Turkey Bacon Strips (Two)
• Granola with Milk (Premium item, add an additional charge)
• Yogurt (Premium item, add an additional charge)
• Seasonal Fruit (selection may vary) (Premium item, add an additional charge)

Don’t forget about our contest to win a FREE FLIP VIDEO camera.