CheapTweet Blog

If you can read this sentence, then it’s possible that you’re familiar with the ‘Twilight’ series of books and movies about vampires and werewolves. Maybe. I know, it really hasn’t been very popular, so it’s possible that you’ve missed it. Oh wait, I mean the exact opposite of that. Of course you’ve heard of Twilight – everyone’s heard of it. Babies know what Twilight is.

So, if you’re a fan of the series – or if you just want to take advantage of a good deal – we’ve got good news. This week’s release of “Eclipse”, the latest movie in the series, means there are a ton of Twilight-related deals on CheapTweet. Here are some of the best.  Some of these are expiring soon, so check the details before purchasing.

• Mary Kay $10 off a $30 purchase from @MaryKay_Diane. Just put “Eclipse” in comments when ordering.
• Twilight cast autographs on sale from @canadagraphs
• Scene It? Twilight Deluxe Edition for $18.15 from Amazon. Was $29.99.
• 22% off Eclipse soundtrack from Barnes & Noble
• Free shipping on jewelry inspired by Twilight from @Curly_Rocks
• 10% off vampire fang ice cube trays from WeeCanShop. Use code “tweet”.
• Free drink and Twilight cup from Cineplex Theaters. Valid with purchase of popcorn.
• Twilight DVD on sale for $14.99 from Amazon. Was $25.99.

Also, we made a Twilight-themed happy hour video a few months ago. Here it is again if you missed it. Hayes is totally on Team Jacob.

PS – I considered these (really terrible) alternate titles for this post. Can you do better? Add them in the comments.

• Deals with a Real Bite
• You Just Can’t Eclipse These Deals
• There’s no Twilight to These Savings
• (Were)Wolf Down These Good Deals
• These Deals Will Really Slay You
• Twilight + Twitter = Great Deals
• Forget Team Edward or Team Jacob – How about Team Savings?

Here’s a really quick video wrap up (only 1 minute!) of this week’s best deals. These deals are only good for a few a more days, so check them out now. Links are posted below.

• 30% off at Old Navy, ends 6/29
• BOGO entrees at Hard Rock Cafe, ends 6/30
• 20% off in-stock games from EA
• 10% off refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers at Best Buy, limited time

Check out the CheapTweet DealStream – get a personalized, constantly updated feed of deals just for you.

At CheapTweet, one of the most common requests we get is for specific online coupon codes, usually for a national brand like Old Navy or Victoria’s Secret. This makes sense – you can almost always save yourself a few dollars by finding a coupon code before you check out. In fact, if you shop online at all, you should always check for a coupon or promotion code before submitting your purchase.

So, given how many people are searching for online coupon codes, here are a few ways to help you find coupons quickly and easily, for any store you can think of.

Sometimes a quick Google search for the coupon you’re looking for will work. You definitely will get a lot of results. For example, a Google search for “Walmart coupon code” returns more than 2 million results! The problem with a general Google search is that you almost always have to click through a bunch of websites only to find expired or fake coupon codes.

You could look around on Twitter or Facebook for a coupon. This works well for currently popular coupon codes that people share on their profiles. But it can be hard to weed through all that information to make sure you find a code that works. Plus, Twitter only lets you search tweets from the most recent seven days, so if the code isn’t brand new, you might not be able to find it.

But usually, it’s better – and easier -  to have a designated coupon website that you trust that you check every time you need a coupon code. Of course we think CheapTweet is the very best deals search engine, but there are a ton of coupon sites that are almost as great. Wise Bread has nice list of the 50 best deals and coupon websites.

CheapTweet has thousands of coupon codes for online shopping and printable coupons for in-store shopping. We even have grocery coupons and restaurant discounts! Best of all, these coupons are all free for you to use. You don’t even have to sign up for an account to access the coupons, discounts and codes on CheapTweet.

So, however you find it, always check for a coupon before checking out when you’re shopping online. Got any other coupon-finding tips? Share them in the comments!

In this edition of Happy Hatchling, Heather – mom and CheapTweet blogger – shares some of the lessons she learned from a recent family beach vacation with her toddler. Be sure to follow Heather on Twitter!

1. Diaper wipes do not effectively remove sand. The only thing that removes sand from your baby’s bum is a shower. Period.

2. One-piece suits are a pain if you need to change a diaper and you aren’t near a hotel room. I found that the two-piece UV bathing suits are great for a diaper change on the go.

3. Go get a shaved ice and save the cup. It makes for a great pool/beach play item.

4. If you bring your own toys to the kiddy pool, expect them to be communal items and don’t get upset if you lose them.

5. A bucket and shovel set is cheap and will provide many hours of entertainment.

6. Use the kiddie pool to find out the kid friendly restaurants and hang outs from other mom’s.

7. Look for a restaurant with a patio deck on the beach… preferably with your table on the sand, so your little one can play in the sand before and after mealtime, which means you can relax!

8. Also look for spots with live entertainment. This is great for happy hour or restaurants because it again gives your kiddo another source of entertainment, so you can eat and drink in peace.

9. If your tot uses utensils, bring your own kid friendly silverware. Restaurant forks are often larger than normal and too heavy for easy tot use.

10. Umbrellas that come with fruity cocktails or smoothie drinks look like fun to your kid, but are dangerous toys. Ask the waiter to leave them out of your drink to avoid a tantrum or poked-out eye.

11. Ask for a side item other than french fries. Suggest fruit, beans or rice even if it is not routinely offered on the kids’ menu. (Otherwise, fries may be all your tot consumes for the whole vacation.)

12. Enjoy spending time with your baby/tot. Use this time to introduce them to new things and experiences.

Ever taken your kids to the beach? What lessons did you learn? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

It’s summer! To celebrate our most favorite season, Hayes and I share some deals on fun summertime activities. The deals we talk about in the video are listed below.

What are your favorite things to do in the summer?

• Buy one, get one free swimwear at Babies R Us, ends 6/6
• 55% off kids’ apparel at Sears, includes swimwear
• Discounts for Six Flags admission and food
• 25% off at Hilton hotels
• 40% off second passenger on Galapagos Islands cruise
• Discounts on Father’s Day gifts

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite parts of summer is travel. It probably stems from childhood, when my family would take long road trips to all kinds of fun (and often educational) destinations. As an adult, I look forward to summer trips to the beach, long weekends driving around the state, and visits to see friends and family.

The only problem with summer travel is that it can be expensive! With transportation, accommodations, entertainment, food, and everything else, vacations can cost a lot of money. So here are a few ways to keep costs lower when traveling this summer.

1. Look for vacation rentals and home swaps.

Instead of going straight for a hotel, see if you can find a more creative and cheaper place to stay. Vacation and home rentals are wonderful deals – they’re usually less expensive than a hotel and give you a lot more space. If you’re traveling to a popular travel desination like a beach or mountain town, there will likely be hundreds of homes and condos for rent. You’ll get a full kitchen, lots more living space, and many rentals have amenities like board games, beach chairs, bikes and other fun stuff. Check out VacationRentals.com.

Or, you might consider participating in a home exchange (also known as home swap) program. Essentially you let someone stay in your home while you’re on vacation and stay in theirs (or someone else’s). You’re not the only one who wants to save money on their summer vacation, and it’s a great way to really experience how locals live. Start with HomeExchange.com or your destination’s Craigslist site.

2. Don’t rule out flying to your destination.

Gas prices tend to rise in the summer, and driving almost always ends up being more expensive than you plan for it to be, after you calculate the cost of repairs, wear and tear, an extra oil change and other pre-travel service. And lately, airlines have been running a lot of fare sales, so you might be able to fly to your destination for less than you could drive. Of course, once you factor in rental cars and transportation to and from the airport, flying is likely to be the more expensive option, but if you’re heading somewhere more than four hours from your house, just check around first for discounts on airfare. You never know what you might find.

Also, check out Yapta.com for tracking price drops in airfares. I personally used it to keep track of flights to Las Vegas this spring and saved almost $100 on my plane ticket (which I promptly lost in slot machines once I got to Vegas!).

3. Get a parks pass.

The United States has numerous national and state parks, and they are definitely worth checking out this summer. Summer is a great time to get outside, and there’s bound to be a park in or near your travel destination.

Most of these parks charge entrance fees, usually per vehicle. However, you can purchase a year-long pass that grants to entrance to all parks in the system for one price. If you’re going to visit more than a few parks in a year, this could be a great deal. The national parks pass is $80. State park passes are cheaper (for example, a Texas parks pass is $60). And most state and national parks also have deal days when entrance fees are reduced or waived (for example, park entrance fees are 75% off in Florida on Father’s Day).

4. Go camping.

Speaking of getting outside this summer, camping can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re vacationing with a group. It’s a great way to get away from your house without spending a fortune on a hotel. If you don’t consider yourself an outdoors person, many campgrounds have cabins for rent and actual indoor showers and toilets. KOA campgrounds in particular have a ton of amenities and some of them even have Airstream trailers and other unique accommodations to rent. Plus, there’s nothing better than s’mores made over a real campfire after a day hiking and swimming outside.

5. Explore locally.

No matter where you live, there’s bound to be fun things to do nearby. Instead of taking one long vacation to a far-flung destination, take day or weekend trips in your area to save on transportation and lodging costs. CheapTweet is headquartered in Austin, Texas and there is so much to do within a few hours of our office. For example, we could take a dip in a swimmin’ hole, go on a wildlife safari, hike through Hill Country, visit art museums, tour wineries, experience the Alamo, see dinosaur tracks, visit the Gulf coast, and so much more. All of this is within three or four hours of our office! If you haven’t spend much time exploring your town or state, summer is a great time to be a tourist in your own home. I bet you’ll find something you never expected.

6. Use coupons.

Before you go, check for coupons or discounts for the attractions you plan to visit. We often see coupons for theme parks like Busch Gardens and Six Flags on CheapTweet, but you should also check the attraction’s website. Or, a month before you leave, sign up for email newsletters from the places you plan to visit; most places send out discounts in their newsletters. Just check for a coupon or sale before you buy. Those savings can add up.

Bonus! Remember that you get what you pay for.

The New York Times has a great article about how to protect yourself from travel scams. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Just make sure you read the fine print, pay attention to deadlines and expiration dates, and get everything in writing. Because, no matter how much money you save, it’s not worth getting ripped off!

Do you have any advice or tips on how to save money on summer travel? We’d love to hear them – leave them in the comments!