Next weekend, I have to cover a conference as a tech reporter, so it was time to get serious about my technology. I can’t afford to be stopping to reconnect. Today, I ordered this: Logitech Tablet Keyboard (Keyboard-and-Stand Combo) for iPad, iPad 2, iPad (3rd/4th gen) for $47.34.
But I was too anxious to wait for it to arrive. Besides, I have a little reporting gig tomorrow and would like to practice using my iPad to take notes. So, at OfficeMax today I picked up the Rocksoul Bluetooth Keyboard for $34.99, plus tax.

Both the Logitech and the Rocksoul take AAA batteries that are supposed to last a long time, so the charger issue will no longer be a problem. So far, I’ve typed this whole post on the Rocksoul without losing the connection, so I’m hopeful about that issue. And they’re both full-size keyboards.

The drawback of the Rocksoul is that it has no case/stand and does not store along with the iPad in any way. All full-size keyboards are slightly longer than the iPad. But I already had a cheap case/stand for my iPad, so that’s not such a biggie. I’ll just slip both of them into a laptop sleeve and have room to spare.

Anyway, I will demo both these things and return whichever one I like least.

Disclosure: The links in this post? Affiliate ones. If you click through and buy something on Amazon, I may make a commission. 

I should take my own advice more often! I think I’ve said here before that if you don’t like the answer you got from customer service, one strategy is to simply call back later and talk to another rep. I inadvertently used this strategy today and it worked like a charm.

See, about a week ago my bargain basement slider phone — a Kyocera Rise from Virgin Mobile — completely fell apart. First, it started feeling wobbly when I opened and closed it, and then, some screws fell out and suddenly I was holding two separate pieces connected by a thin strip. It still worked fine, but after a few days the thin strip broke as well and then, of course, nothing.

I checked the Web site and found out my phone came with a 1-year warranty. I called Virgin and described the damage, but they told me that they would not replace it because it was in two pieces and they would not be able to refurbish and resell it.

Nice, jerks.

Then, I did nothing for a few days. Today, I thought, I should really call them and tell them to put my account on hold until I get a new phone. When I called and told the rep the situation, he immediately said they’d be able to send me a new phone, and transferred me to tech support. I expected that the tech support person would give me the same (jerky) answer as before, but instead, she cheerfully took my address and told me my replacement phone would be arriving in a couple days by FedEx.

So there ya go! If you don’t like Mom’s answer, ask Dad. Works for kids, and it works with customer service.

Since even my kids have been telling me I need a new bathing suit lately, and I remember wearing my current suit during at least one pregnancy which means it’s four years old or maybe more like seven years old, I am kind of in the market. I don’t want to show any part of  my body to my neighbors, of course, so I’m thinking at minimum a tank and shorts, or preferably one of those chin-to-ankles get-ups that they used to wear at the Sutro Baths.

This top ain’t bad, but jeez, it’s $99 before the coupon code! Remember when you used to get a whole bathing suit for that price and not just one piece? I guess it has fancy engineering in it to make one look bustier and thinner, or maybe it will protect you a nuclear attack or something.

This one, without the high-tech “enhancement,” is $49 before the discount, so it should be about $30 after. That’s better, I guess.

]]> http://www.frugalisticmom.com/2013/04/40-off-at-lands-end/feed/ 0 http://www.frugalisticmom.com/2013/04/deals-on-customized-mothers-day-gifts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=deals-on-customized-mothers-day-gifts http://www.frugalisticmom.com/2013/04/deals-on-customized-mothers-day-gifts/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:43:37 +0000 http://www.frugalisticmom.com/?p=6053 Here’s a little grab bag of coupon codes for potential Mother’s Day presesnts before I dive into a couple of freelance writing deadlines which are sitting there glaring at me.

(They don’t actually have eyeballs. I’m showing off my picturesque writing style.)

Mother’s Day already? Yeah, it’s coming up May 12. So we’re pretty much down to the wire if you want to order anything with your photo or your kid’s photo or your mom’s favorite dog’s photo on it.

• On Groupon, get a 20-page photo book from MyPublisher for $4.99 with free shipping. That is really cheap, because even when Shutterfly gives you a coupon code for a free photo book, their shipping is $7.99, I think. Take note that if you buy this, you have to use it by June 26. And they take 2.5 weeks to ship, so if you are ordering it for Mother’s Day, you wanna make that photo book, like, TONIGHT.
• TinyPrints, that print company that makes everything look just a little bit nicer with their classy designs, has a coupon code for 25 percent off personalized gifts through tomorrow, April 26, at 8 p.m. Pacific Time: DEAL0425.

Dislcosure: This post contains an affiliate link. You buy, I earn. 

This black “jersey tunic” looks promising at $44, regular price $88. It’s currently available up to size 12 in this color. They also have prints, but the prints are ugly.

The vintage steel flower stamp shirt dress is marked down to $74, from $148, and almost all sizes are in stock.

Today only, all orders ship free at The Children’s Place, where they are advertising spring clearance discounts of up to 70 percent. But that’s not all. Use the coupon code T3G153E to take an extra 15 percent off, through April 25. Or, print this email or show it on your mobile. The above baby dress is $11.39 before discount.

Print this coupon to get three free bagels at Bruegger’s on April 25 before 2 p.m. I really miss my Bruegger’s back in Oak Park!

It ain’t exactly the Oscars, but the first 50 people to arrive at an event Saturday at 10 a.m. at Crate & Barrel stores will get a goodie bag.

Will do!

I have belonged to SwagBucks for a long time. Originally, it was just a site that rewarded you for using its search engine. Its search engine offers up results similar to Google, but it tacks on a lot more paid ads on the front. Still, in general it works pretty well to find what I’m looking for.

Nowadays, SwagBucks is also rewarding people for shopping at various sites, including certain categories of Amazon. You can also earn SwagBucks for watching videos, signing up for free trials (for example right now you can get 50 SB for signing up for SavingStar and adding one loyalty card to your account), and taking surveys. But personally, I only have time to do the search thing. I installed a SwagBucks tool bar on my browser and try to remember to use that.

Once you’ve accumulated a few hundred Swag Bucks, you can cash it in for gift cards. I always get the same thing: a $5 Amazon gift card for 450 Swag Bucks. What I really love about the program is that this cash-in is so easy. You visit the Swag Store, choose the gift card you want to buy, and then you get an email with a gift card code you can type into your Amazon account. If you’re really diligent about earning Swag Bucks, especially if you get other people to sign up, you can save up a decent amount of Amazon gift cards and use it to finance your Christmas. I know a blogger, Tifanny of MyLitter.com, who does just that for her 7 kids. Personally, I haven’t been so diligent in the past year or so, but I currently have almost 3,000 SB sitting there on my account so I’m due to cash them in for gift cards. Apparently I have earned 78,555 SwagBucks during my whole membership — the equivalent of more than $800 worth of Amazon gift cards, if I did my math right.

So anyway, SwagBucks.com just gave me a code that you, my readers, can use to get 70 bonus Swag Bucks when you sign up. This is in addition to the 30 Swag Bucks they’ll give you to sign up and fill out a profile. The code is:

70FRUGALISTIC

To use it, go to SwagBucks.com and, just under the sign-up space, click the link that says “I have a sign up code.”

You’re welcome!

Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links. If you sign up and earn Swag Bucks, I’ll earn up to 1,000 Swag Bucks too.