Take a close look at the site. Does it have a professional look and feel? Do the links work? Does it load properly? Does it use proper grammar and spelling? Although these aren’t proof that the site is legitimate, the absence of them is a sure sign of trouble. Stick to well-known sites, companies and brands. Also, check for things like copyright statements, privacy policies and terms of use on the site. Again, though they’re no guarantee of legitimacy, they are usually missing from scam sites.

Beware the pop-up. Although many legitimate sites and services use pop-up windows for one reason or another, be extra wary when following a pop-up advertising something free. Once you arrive at the site, if attempts to get more information about the free offer lead you to more pop-ups or to other sites, it’s time to click close.

If it’s free, why do they need your bank account information? Be extremely cautious about entering personal financial information on a website. Don’t do it unless you trust the site and know that it’s secure. For instance, you might be given the option to link your bank account to a credit card account that you manage online in order to pay your bill electronically. That makes sense, but giving your banking or credit card information to a site you found through a pop-up ad or an unsolicited email? That’s a sure way to lose your money. Don’t. Do. It. Period.

Don’t pay to play. If a site requires you to pay a fee or charge of some sort in order to claim the free service, how is that free? Some legitimate deals offer “free when you pay shipping and handling” but even with those you need to check all of the details and amounts up front to make sure that it’s actually worth what they’re charging for your “free” item. Also, be alert to offers of something free that require you to purchase something else or to sign up for a monthly service or other such ongoing commitment. Some of these (like our Perfect Match Coupon offer) are worthwhile deals, just make sure you understand the fine print, including any cancellation details, before you sign up.

Also, be aware that some scam operations put up new sites and take old ones down every day. You sign up for a free trial, and when you go to cancel before your credit card is charged you find that the site doesn’t exist and the phone number you have for cancellation doesn’t work either. Once again, stick to well known brands and sites.

Follow your instincts. The old cliche “if it seems to good to be true then it probably is” holds true more than ever on the Web. If your gut or common sense is ringing warning bells, don’t let your desire for something free drown them out.

You’ve got mail! Be especially suspicious of unsolicited offers you receive by email. Sometimes when you follow a link nothing seems to happen. This is often just a way for scammers to collect valid email addresses to sell or to use with other scams. Also, never send your personal financial information via email. Legitimate sites use secure methods for exchanging private information.

Do your homework. Be sure to read all of the terms and conditions for an offer before you sign up, and check around with other reliable sources for information. Simple searches on the Web about your offer will often reveal current scams. Check with others online that you trust, and see what deals they recommend. Scammers, as well as legitimate online businesses, will usually have a reputation if you take time to seek it out.

Quality businesses often use free goods or services to help market their products. Just make sure you know who you’re dealing with and understand all of the terms and conditions upfront. More than anything else, pay attention if there’s ever a little voice inside your head screaming “RUN! YOU FOOL!”

Why, you might ask, are companies giving away stacks of cash to entice you to buy their products? Or why don’t they simply set the product’s price lower rather than setting it higher and offering a rebate? We’ve got two words for ya. “Human Nature.” Although offering a rebate may indeed help someone decide to make a particular purchase, according to estimates somewhere between one-third and one-half of rebates are never claimed!

You don’t want to be in the group that fails to collect, do you? Of course not. Here’s a quick primer on rebates and how to make sure you get those stacks of cash back after your purchases.

There are basically two types of rebates available, the instant rebate and the mail-in rebate. Although called a rebate, the instant variety is more or less like a coupon, except usually with a higher value. When you purchase the item the rebate amount is deducted then and there, lowering the price you pay. These also have the added advantage of lowering the amount of sales tax that you pay, since you’re only charged tax on the discounted price. Pretty simple, eh?

The mail-in rebate, on the other hand, requires that you pay full price for the item and then receive a refund in a certain amount later on – usually after jumping through more hoops than a tiger in the circus ring.

First, some good news. Your rebate check won’t be counted as income for tax purposes. The bad news is that since you’ll be paying full-price up front, you will also be paying sales tax on the full purchase price, and you won’t get that money back with your rebate. It’s pennies on the dollar, but still something to consider when making your purchase decision.

Whether you find your rebate offer online, in a store, by direct mail or even in the packaging of the item being purchased, it’s important to read the fine print and understand all of the restrictions and requirements before you make the purchase. Is there an expiration date? Does it only apply to purchases made at a particular store or online site? If you’re buying online and the rebate requires you to send in the original UPC code within so many days of purchase, are you sure the item will even arrive at your home in time? Does the offer require you to make an additional purchase of some sort? Take a look at all of the requirements and make sure you are willing and able to meet them.

Once you’ve made your purchase, carefully follow all of the instructions on the rebate offer. Complete the form in its entirety according to directions. It may ask for serial numbers or item stock numbers or a variety of other information about the product. It may also ask for fairly detailed information about where you made the purchase, as well as all of your own personal information. You may have to highlight or circle the item on your store receipt, and may have to include other original documentation such as the UPC code from the product packaging mentioned earlier. Follow each and every requirement to the letter. If it asks for your original receipt, don’t send a copy, etc. With rebates, you have to make sure you dot every i and cross every t or you’re likely not to get your money.

Be sure to make copies of everything before you send it in so you’ll have the information you need to pursue a claim if your rebate doesn’t arrive. Remember that you may be waiting a long time for it to come, sometimes as long as 90 days, so make a note on the calendar as a reminder of when to expect it. Otherwise, you might forget it altogether and fail to follow up if it doesn’t arrive.

Some offers will have a website where you can register your information and track the progress of your rebate. Remember that registering on the site is not the same as submitting the rebate. It’s usually in addition to the rest of the process.

Also, don’t plan on making a purchase, getting the rebate, and then returning the item for a full refund. You’re very clever, but you’ve already sent in the UPC and original receipt, remember? Who needs the bad karma anyway?

Here’s the best tip of all. Don’t buy something you don’t really need just in order to receive a large rebate. Even “free after rebate” mail-in offers will cost you sales tax on the initial purchase, not to mention your time and effort spent jumping through the hoops. Do you really need that new multi-blade razor handle or gel pen just because it’s “free?” The replacement cartridges are gonna cost you big time. Think about whether the product is something you really want or need before you buy it just for the rebate.

Rebate shopping can be fun and it can help you save big on major purchases, so long as you keep your head when making the purchase decision and jump through all the hoops, and above all remember to submit your claim!

By the middle of the 20th century, more than half of the households in the United States were clipping coupons to help save on household expenses, and by the mid-1970s that number had risen to three-quarters, where it has remained for consumers in nearly all household income brackets ever since. Of course, in addition to coupons offered in stores, in newspapers or magazines and by mail, more and more people are finding their coupons online these days. In fact, dozens of millions are now using coupons available on the Internet. Many of these coupons can be used directly online, but there are also many that can be printed off and redeemed the old fashioned way in a brick and mortar store. Here’s how to find and use coupons of that sort.

Do a simple search. Use your favorite search engine to look for “printable coupons” and you’ll get a return approaching 20 million pages, so the biggest problem you’ll have is in determining which sites are legitimate and have the best and most current offers. Many of the more prominent sites have active communities and forums so take a look at what others are saying to help you decide which sites are best and which to avoid.

Do a little more complex search. If you’re looking for a coupon to use on a specific product, add that product name or the parent company name to your search. For instance, “printable Gillette coupons” just gave me a return of nearly two million pages in Google, and several of the returns on the first page brought me to legitimate coupons on Gillette products.

Visit Brand Websites. A quick visit to Colgate.com just now showed me $1.00 off coupons for four or five of their products within a click or two. You can also register on many brand or retail sites to receive emails with special offers and coupons. The email I receive each month from Procter and Gamble, for instance, links to coupons and samples for everything from personal care products to dog food to water filters. They’ve even got coupons available by RSS feed!

Use a specialized coupon search site. Sites like Retail-Me-Not, Slick Deals, Coupon Cabin, Wow-Coupons and others allow you to search for printable coupons for a particular product or retailer. Some sites require registration or have other requirements, so check terms of use before you begin.

Here are a couple more tips for using your printable coupons. Be sure to print the entire coupon page out (including the website URL, etc.) when you do find it so you’ll have fewer questions about validity when you go to use it. Also, some merchants have a policy not to honor home-printed coupons at all due to fraud. You may want to ask about any restrictions or policies at the store’s service desk before shopping.

Welcome to the world of printable coupons!

It’s the same with online coupons. You might see a very attractive offer of a generous percentage savings, alongside an offer that saves you only a buck or two. Be careful. You may be comparing apples to oranges. Before you jump on the offer that appeals to your gut instinct, be sure to take a look at the actual percentages involved.

For example, let’s take a look at several offers from the same online storefront. “Offer A” gets you 10% off any order. “Offer B” gets you $5 off an order of $30 or more. “Offer C” gets you a product that normally sells for $10.69 at a discounted price of $7.49 (a savings of $3.20). How do you decide which offer to choose?

Well, first of all, let’s say you’re not interested in the product available through Offer C. We’ll come back to it in a moment. First let’s do a comparison between Offers A and B.

• If you’re order is under $30, you’ll have to use Offer A, since B isn’t available to you.
• If your order is exactly $30, ten percent would be only $3, so if you choose Offer A, you’re cheating yourself out of an additional $2 you’d get with Offer B.
• At $40 total, B is still the better choice, saving you 5 bucks rather than the 4 you’d save with A.
• By the time your total is $50, either A or B gets you the same $5 discount. Obviously, anything over $50 you’d be smart to use Offer A, since it gets you more than the $5 available with B at that point. Got it?

Now let’s throw Offer C into the mix. If you’re planning to buy 4 of whatever product is available under C, your total before the discount will be $42.76, so you want to use Offer B, yes? WRONG!

Your savings using Offer B would be $5. Using Offer A, it would be $4.27 (10%). But Offer C saves you a whopping $12.80! That’s more than twice what Offer B saves you and almost three times as much as Offer A.

See why you have to play the percentages?

It pays to take a little bit of time to compare the various offers so you’ll know which one to select. In our example above, you could either convert everything to dollar savings as we did for the comparison, or you could convert it all to percentages. So Offer A always saves you 10%. Offer B saves you 16.6% on an order of $30 (decreasing to 10% on an order of $50). Offer C saves you almost 30% on a particular item.

You might have to do a little research to find out what the usual price of an item is in order to determine the amount or percentage of savings if it’s not mentioned in the offer, but the extra effort is often worth it.

By the way, if the offers given for example seem familiar to you it may be because they are among the discounts available right here from Mevio Offers for products and services at GoDaddy.com.

Now, if somebody could remind me that just because the last guy hit on red fifteen times in a row, that doesn’t mean i should put my money on black. Hoo boy…

But what about the good promo codes that ought to be valid and are from a reliable source but they don’t seem to work when you go to use them? Here are some of the reasons that a bonafide valid promo code might not work.

1) It’s a private offer. These are meant to be used only once and by a particular customer. Sometimes merchants send these out by email to those on their permissions lists. They may be set up to only work when that individual customer is logged on to their site. If you got it as an email forward from someone, even your spouse or another household member, it might not work for you. It’s a valid code or coupon, but only for the original recipient.

2) It’s a restricted offer. Some coupons or codes will contain exclusions of certain items. Often, these are items that are already discounted in some way, or particular product lines or brands. Or maybe the code only applies to purchases of a certain dollar amount. It’s important to read the fine print to make sure you understand the restrictions on a code before you try to use it. Look for expiration dates too while you’re at it.

3) You’re being greedy. Just kidding. We all want to get every discount we can, right? But many offers can’t be used in combination with other discounts or coupons. If you have multiple valid promo codes available for a particular purchase, you’ll probably have to pick which one is going to save you the most and stick with it.

4) You took a wrong turn somewhere. Maybe you have a valid code, but you’re trying to use it at the wrong site. Not that you’re prone to confusion or anything. Just sayin’…

5) Transposing: good for singers, not so much for promo codes. Keyboards and memory being what they are, I’ve sometimes transposed two characters in a code (or remembered it incorrectly) when trying to enter it. It happens. Best to either copy and paste the code when you can, write the code down carefully, or refer to teh source where you received the promo code when you’re ready to enter it.  And yes, that “teh” in the previous sentence was intentionally transposed. It’s called iorny.

So in addition to finding valid promo codes from credible sources, take a little time to understand what’s being offered and whether there are restrictions, and also be precise as you apply your codes and they’ll never break bad on you. Okay, maybe a little rowdy, but hey, codes will be codes.

By the way, you’ll find that all of the promo codes and clickable coupons here on Mevio Offers are always valid, public and sharable. We also go out of our way to let you know right up front about any restrictions, and you’ll always see codes and links prominently displayed for your reference. We don’t like to brag, but we’re pretty proud of all that.

So keep your codes on the sunny side, and if you’ve got tips or tricks to share, feel free to leave a comment.

Happy promo code hunting!

According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, calls about pets who have become ill after eating chocolate spike their highest around Halloween, with several thousand such calls every year. Dogs are particularly susceptible, since cats tend to be “tasters rather than eaters” while a dog might consume an entire bag of candy, wrappers and all. As little as four ounces of dark chocolate can cause seizures or even death in a dog weighing 40 pounds.

Along with danger from treats, there are several other possible threats to consider this Halloween. Here are the ASPCA’s top ten safety tips.

1) Keep the candy away from your pet. Chocolate in all forms, but especially dark or baking chocolate, can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, as can the artificial sweetener xylitol. Even foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be a choking hazard.

2) Watch those decorative plants. Pumpkins and decorative corn are relatively nontoxic, but can produce gastrointestinal upset or intestinal blockage should pets ingest them.

3) Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. Both the glass from the bulbs and the electrical current constitute a hazard.

4) If you place a lit candle inside a jack o’ lantern, remember that pets (particularly curious kittens) may stray too close causing danger to themselves and others.

5) If your pet doesn’t seem at ease in a costume, don’t force it to wear one.

6) Make sure than any pet costumes don’t constrict the animal’s movement or hearing, or impede the ability to breathe, bark or meow. Try on costumes before the big night to make sure everything is alright.

7) Avoid ill-fitting costumes (too tight or too loose) for your pet or costumes with dangling pieces that can be chewed off and become choking hazards.

8) Keep your pet confined during visits to the door from trick ‘r treaters. Too many strangers may be scary or stressful.

9) Watch the door during trick ‘r treating so that your pet doesn’t dart outside.

10) Collars and tags are a must at all times. Halloween is no exception.

One last tip. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

With proper planning and observation of these tips, Halloween can be a festive occasion for both you and your pet. A little attention to safety can make a big difference in keeping your pet safe over the holiday.

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For the best selection of costumes for both you and your pet, visit BuyCostumes.com and use our coupon codes to save 12% on your order.

First of all, try to figure out exactly what it is that you don’t like. Is it sloppy? Too smothering? Too timid? Whatever the problem may be, the more specific you can be in understanding what doesn’t work, the more likely you’ll be to succeed in encouraging what does.

The easiest way to help guide your partner to the kiss you want is to set an example. Kiss unto others as you would have them kiss unto you. Since kissing is a two-way street, there will be moments when you’ll be in the driver’s seat. Make the most of those moments by modeling the type of kiss you’d like to receive.

You can also give cues to your partner about what’s working for you and what’s not. Remember the old game of “you’re getting warmer?” It’s kind of like that, except more subtle. Something you like? Pull in closer or sigh a little. Something you don’t? Pull away a little. Simple as that.

Of course, you can also be direct and tell your partner what you like best, or be even more direct and tell him what you don’t like. Depending on the level of trust in your relationship, this may or may not be an effective strategy.

In an ideal world, of course, love conquers all and the quality of kisses relates directly to the quality of the relationship. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Sometimes experience has more to do with a person’s ability to set off fireworks with a kiss than the passion or compatibility of the partners involved. Patience and understanding goes a long way when you’re searching for that perfect kiss.

If you’re on the other side of the equation and think you might be a bad kisser, take some advice from eHarmony.com and their list of top kissing complaints.

And if you’re looking for that special someone to pucker up with for the rest of your life, our eHarmony Coupon will save you 25% on a four month subscription.

xo xo xo!

It’s important to understand that a resume usually has one, and only one, purpose – to land you an interview. It’s not simply a history of your education and work, and definitely not some kind of artistic or personal statement. The whole idea of a resume is to get through a prospective employer’s first culling and persuade them to call you in for the rest of the selection process. Obviously it’s going to include information about your education and work history, among other things, but it goes much further than that. As it’s often said in marketing “sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Your resume is an opportunity to very quickly convince a prospective employer that they ought to consider hiring you because of the benefits to them of doing so.

There are many downloadable resume templates available on the web, and scores of sites with resume generators where you simply enter the relevant data and the site rolls it into a resume. Although some of these tools will produce an adequate document, in a highly competitive market it might not be enough to make it to the top of the stack.

Many people are turning to professional resume writers to give them an edge. Someone that specializes in the process of packaging information in a way that appeals to employers is often more likely to see strengths and weaknesses in your resume information than you may be, and can help you put together an attractive, professional looking document that makes your best case to that prospective employer.

If you’re going to hire a professional, it’s important to take a look at their background, past work, and track record. Certification by The National Resume Writers’ Association is a plus.

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You’ll find a large selection of resume services on Angie’s List. If you join using our Angie’s List Promotional Code, you’ll save 25% on your membership. Whether you’re looking for help in preparing a winning resume, or someone to help with Fall chores, you’ll find ratings and reviews from real consumers just like you on Angie’s List.

The answer is that it depends. Here are some things you need to know in advance to make a good decision.

First of all, in most cases when you rent a vehicle you are liable for loss or damage, even if someone else caused it or if the cause is unknown. Therefore, it is important to have coverage. If the rental isn’t covered under another policy (we’ll get to that in a moment) the damage waivers (which are not technically insurance) offered by your rental car company are probably a good idea. They’re relatively inexpensive, get the job done and offer you peace of mind while driving.

“But wait,” you say. “Did you mention that my rental might be covered under another policy?” Why, yes. Yes we did.

If you have automobile insurance, chances are that the coverages you bought for your own vehicle will apply to rental vehicles too. If you have collision coverage, it will likely cover damage you cause to any car that you’re driving. Remember that your deductible will also apply. Most policies only pay “in excess” of other coverage, so that means that if you buy waivers from your rental car company or obtain other coverage, they will usually pay first. For fire, vandalism, theft or collisions with animals, your comprehensive coverage (assuming you have it) will also probably apply to the rental. Again, it will be subject to your deductible and pay “in excess” to other coverage. Ditto with your own liability insurance should you cause an accident. It’s a good idea to check with your insurer ahead of time to see what will and will not be covered on the rental.

If you don’t own a vehicle, don’t carry collision or comprehensive coverage on one you do own, or (shudder) don’t insure your own vehicle at all, you might want to take the waivers offered by your rental car company unless you have coverage elsewhere.

We hear you ask. “Elsewhere? Where else might I have coverage?”

In many cases, the credit card you use to purchase the car rental may offer car insurance benefits for free (or cheap). Coverage such as this varies widely from card to card when offered, so be sure to read the fine print that came with your credit card agreement.

In addition to the loss damage and collision damage waivers, many rental car companies offer a wide variety of additional protection plans covering personal effects, accidental death or injury, supplements to your own insurance coverage if you have low limits, etc.

The bottom line is that you’ll want to review all of the coverages and options available to you long before you arrive at the rental car desk. It’s wise to make sure you have adequate coverage from one source or another to cover the costs should you experience an accident in the rental car, but there’s no sense in paying for duplicate coverage. Your own insurance agent is likely your best resource in understanding coverages in force and what your options are.

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Remember to check our Discount Car Rentals offers the next time you need to rent a car for savings of 10% on most rentals from the top brands in the nation!

If you’ve ever tried bathing a pet, you probably know that getting shampoo in your pet’s eyes is one of the more common mistakes that can be made. This can result either from carelessness on your part or from your animal’s unexpected movement. Remember that your pet does not fully understand what’s going on here, and eyes stinging from shampoo or other grooming solutions is not only unpleasant, but may cause a loss of trust if not handled properly. Stay calm and sooth your pet with words of sympathy, rinse the soap out with water – or better yet, saline solution – and use a clean cloth to dab at the corners of eye. You might also try to take their focus off of the irritation by having a favorite toy handy to draw their attention. There are tearless shampoos available that will also help reduce the likelihood of serious irritation from errant bubbles.

Another serious (and sometimes even fatal) mistake made during grooming is to leave your pet unrestrained during the task. If your animal has had little experience with baths, or had prior bad experiences, it may try to escape when the opportunity arises. Cats, who notoriously hate baths, are especially prone to this. The last thing you want is for your pet to be exposed to the dangers of running loose, alone and unsupervised, so if you choose to groom outside, it’s important to either leash your pet, or do the grooming in a secure, fenced area. You might also wish to muzzle some pets during grooming for everyone’s protection. Thinking ahead and knowing your own pet’s tendencies and needs will go a long way toward protecting them from the temptation to run.

If you do attempt to actually clip your own pet, extreme care must be taken, since a tiny slip may cause actual injury, not to mention emotional trauma, to the animal. Even less immediately injurious mistakes, like getting too close to the skin while shaving, can lead to problems down the line. Clippers can leave razor burns which sometimes become infected. If you do accidentally scrape or burn your pet while clipping, take the time to apply first aid as soon as it happens. Again, be prepared by keeping some healing salve on hand to treat and sooth your pet. You’ll also want to keep a close eye on such injuries for signs of infection over the coming days, and get ahold of your vet at the first indication of trouble.

It takes years of experience to become a skilled pet groomer, and for a lot of pet owners it’s a task they’d best leave to a professional, but with the right equipment, supplies, some patience, and thought given to safety, it can become an opportunity for bonding time with your pet as well as saving you time and money. Just be sure to think ahead, and do what you can to make it a pleasant and positive experience for both you and your pet.

You’ll find everything you need to groom your pet at PETCO. Save 10% on your next order when you shop online with our PETCO Coupons.