Hand Picked Deals

Jan 25 update: The $45 promo discount is still applied automatically when you proceed through the shopping cart, even though the offer is no longer promoted as clearly on Amazon’s site.

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For the past couple of weeks, Amazon.com has been offering an additional $25 discount on Quicken 2008 Deluxe if you purchase it together with any version of TurboTax. But now they have increased that discount to $45!

You can see the promo details on the product page for Quicken 2008 Deluxe:
Click here to see Quicken 2008 Deluxe at Amazon.com

Or you can just get TurboTax by itself:
Click here to see the TurboTax 2007 line-up at Amazon.com
(TurboTax Deluxe for $39.99, Premier for $68.99, etc.)

Anyway… If, for example, you’re interested in Quicken 2008 Deluxe and TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2007, then you can click the “Buy both now!” button on that page to put both of them in your shopping cart:

When you proceed through the checkout, the $45 discount will be shown in the final order review page just as in the image near the top of this page.

That’s $47.48 for both TurboTax Deluxe 2007 and Quicken 2008 Deluxe! The MSRP of both products together is $104.90, so this is a savings of over $57 (55% off). You won’t find a better deal than that anywhere right now…

January 16th, 2008 | Category: Computers, Amazon | EMail This Post | Comments (2)

Current Status: These coupons are now expired, but there are now coupons for Quickbooks Pro 2009.

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Amazon’s coupons for Quickbooks are back! Amazon already has very good prices on all versions of Quickbooks software, and these coupons make it even better — with the coupon, you’ll get pretty much the lowest prices anywhere.

Here are the links for the products at Amazon.com. All links open in a new browser window so you can keep this page open to get the coupon codes listed further down…

Click here to see QuickBooks Pro 2008 for Windows - $149.99 after $20 coupon listed below
(MSRP $199.95 - Save $50 - 25% off)

Click here to see QuickBooks Pro 2008 3-user - $340.49 after $75 coupon listed below
(MSRP $549.95 - Save $209 - 38% off)

Click here to see QuickBooks Premier 2008 industry editions - $269.99 after $50 coupon listed below
(MSRP $449.95 - Save $180 - 40% off)
Industry Editions available for: Contractors, NonProfits, Accountants, Professional Services, Retail, Manufacturing & Wholesale

Click here to see QuickBooks Premier 2008 3-user - $869.99 after $150 coupon listed below
(MSRP $1199.95 - Save $330 - 27% off)

Click here to see QuickBooks Pro 2007 for Mac - $176.99
(MSRP $199.95 - Save $23 - 12% off…no coupons available, unfortunately)

To get the discounts, use the following promo codes during the checkout process at Amazon.com:

$20 off QuickBooks Pro 2008:
BYAPSEGV

$75 off QuickBooks Pro 2008 3-User:
H44ED7YK

$50 off QuickBooks Premier 2008:
CBFN8RB8

$150 off QuickBooks Premier 2008 3-User:
Z34GN2XR

Enjoy the savings! Feel free to share if the coupon was still working when you tried it.

December 28th, 2007 | Category: Computers, Amazon | EMail This Post | Comments (124)

April 1 update: This offer is back for the month of April 2008, but now with an instant discount instead of the gift certificate… Click the link below to go to the treadmill page at Amazon and scroll down for the “Special Offer” savings.

April 28 update: The price just dropped by another $100 tonight. So now it’s only $1198 after the $100 discount!

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Click here for BowFlex Series 7 Treadmill for $1198 after $100 discount at Amazon.com (MSRP $1999)
…and get a free $100 Amazon gift certificate with purchase
Now get $100 off instantly during checkout!

Amazon.com has a promotion and price drop on the Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill right now that combine to make it an excellent deal. In most other stores it sells for $1499 and up (MSRP is $1999), but Amazon is currently offering it for $1389 with Free Shipping. And for most states, there’s no sales tax.

What makes it an even better deal is that until November 30, when you purchase a Bowflex treadmill you will get a free $100 gift certificate from Amazon. So that’s effectively a $1289 price for the treadmill! Be sure to read the details on the gift certificate offer, though….it’s valid for purchases from Jan 1 to Jan 15, 2008.

Here are some of the advantages the Series 7 treadmill has over the and Series 3 treadmill ($999 at Amazon):

• Series 7 has 3.0 hp motor vs. 1.75 hp for Series 3
• 15 workout programs vs. 6 programs
• Max user weight 300 lbs vs. 275 lbs
• 20″x60″ walking/running surface vs. 20″x54″
• Two-ply belt vs. one-ply belt
• Built-in three-speed fan vs. no fan

These are excellent prices for these two treadmills, so now is a great time to snap up a Bow Flex treadmill if you’ve been in the market for one.

August 19th, 2007 | Category: Fitness, Amazon | EMail This Post | Leave a comment

May 25 update: Until May 31, Amazon’s price of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 has been dropped to just $97.99 ! Click the link below to go the product detail page.

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Along with the recent Windows Vista release, Microsoft also released the latest versions of Microsoft Office. Besides the technical improvements in the programs, they made some licensing changes as well…and that allows many home users to spend less to put MS Office on their computers.

Here are some of the benefits of the new version:

• “Microsoft Office Student and Teacher 2003″ has been replaced by “Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007″. This means that all non-commercial home users can use it, not just K-12 students and teachers.
• Includes 2007 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
• License allows installation on up to 3 PCs in your home.

There’s one change that may be a drawback for some people: Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 does not include Outlook. To get Outlook, you would have to buy Outlook by itself, or with other versions of Microsoft Office such as Office Basic 2007 (includes Word, Excel, Outlook) or Office Standard 2007 (includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). But with many people using e-mail services such as Hotmail or Gmail, that may not be an issue for a lot of people anyway.

So if you’re ready to purchase Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, then of course you’ll want to find a good deal on the program. And the best online price right now seems to be at Amazon.com:

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 - $109.99 at Amazon.com
(Save $39)

Also with this price, there is Free Shipping and for most states there is no sales tax. Amazon has good prices on the other versions of Microsoft Office as well, if you’re interested in something other than Microsoft Office Home and Student. Click the link below for more details.

Microsoft Office 2007 software at Amazon.com

April 1st, 2007 | Category: Computers, Amazon | EMail This Post | Comments (1)

Sep 1, 2008 Update: Unfortunately, Amazon ended its Post-Order Price Guarantee policy on August 31, 2008.

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Most people don’t realize it, but Amazon.com has a Post-Order Price Guarantee that allows customers to get some money back when the price of an item they purchased drops within 30 days of the purchase. More details are listed here, where it says:

Amazon.com’s prices for released items will change from time to time based on a variety of factors. If Amazon.com’s price for an already-released item decreases within 30 days after we ship the item to you, we’ll be glad to refund the difference in price if you contact us.

The most important point listed in the restrictions on that page is this: “Applies only to items sold by Amazon.com, and not to items (or prices) offered by other sellers on our site.”

Anyway, all you need to do is contact them by e-mail or request a call back, and they will give you a credit equal to the price difference. And I believe although it’s not listed at the link above, you can also call Amazon Customer Service directly at 1-800-201-7575 to request the credit.

There are quite a few products sold by Amazon.com that go on sale frequently or drop in price for a short period of time and then go back up later. So this post-order price guarantee policy can be very handy in some cases. Here again is a link to the Amazon page with the details:
Amazon.com Post-Order Price Guarantee

If you end up saving money using this information, feel free to fill out the comment form below and let us know.

March 25th, 2007 | Category: General, Amazon | EMail This Post | Comments (2)

June 21 update: Yesterday, Amazon dropped their price on the BlackBerry 8800 down to $49.99 with no rebates, and today they added a $75 rebate if you get a $40 monthly plan. So the net price of the phone is -$25 (yes, that’s basically $25 in your pocket). The rebate is from Amazon and is valid for purchases made from June 21 to June 27.

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The BlackBerry 8800 and Cingular 8525 (aka HTC TyTN) are two of the latest PDA phones on the Cingular network. If you want to get them directly from Cingular.com or a Cingular store, the prices are $299.99 after a $50 rebate for the BlackBerry 8800 and $399.99 after a $50 rebate for the Cingular 8525. Those prices are with a 2-year contract from Cingular.

However, you can get much lower prices from Amazon.com and less of your money gets tied up in a rebate:

Cingular BlackBerry 8800 - $149.99 $49.99 before $75 rebate at Amazon.com

Cingular 8525 (HTC TyTN) - $199.99 $159.99 at Amazon.com

The prices from Amazon are also for a 2-year contract with Cingular. You can either sign up for a new service plan, or upgrade your existing phone with Cingular as long as you are within 2 months of the end of your current contract (click the “Am I Eligible To Upgrade?” link at Amazon for more details…you may have to enter your Zip code first).

Also, don’t miss the “Special Offer” on the Amazon pages for these items, because you can get 2-day shipping at no additional cost. Just above the Technical Details section of the page, the Special Offer is listed and says: “Simply purchase this phone from Amazon.com with new service activation,* choose 2-day shipping at checkout, and the cost of the shipping will be deducted from your cart.” More details are on Amazon’s site.

Here’s a brief description of the BlackBerry 8800:

Sleek and stylish, the BlackBerry 8800 offers BlackBerry push e-mail in an innovative form factor, including a QWERTY keyboard and brilliant screen with HTML wireless internet browsing. The 8800 provides a host of productivity features including; internal GPS, connectivity to personal and corporate email, Bluetooth, Push-To-Talk, and speakerphone, all of which help you to stay connected and productive away from the office.

And a description of the Cingular 8525:

The Cingular 8525 is Cingular’s first UMTS/HSDPA PDA. It is a full-featured Pocket PC and world-phone, allowing users to take advantage of the robust capabilities of the Windows Mobile operating system, while having a single device that allows users to be productive both during work and personal time. As a 3G device, the Cingular 8525 allows for simultaneous voice & data, which is a key differentiator over competitive EVDO products. Another key differentiator of the Cingular 8500/8525 is its support for Bluetooth v2.0. Bluetooth v2.0 allows for up to six active Bluetooth connections simultaneously. For example, a user could have a tethered connection to a PC via Bluetooth, while having a conversation on their Bluetooth headset, or use a Bluetooth GPS accessory for navigation while on a call on their Bluetooth headset.

March 24th, 2007 | Category: Electronics, Amazon | EMail This Post | Leave a comment

Apr 4 update: The prices of both version of QuickBooks Payroll has gone back up on Amazon’s site. But keep an eye on the item, as it may drop again soon.

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In addition to the $20 and $50 coupons for QuickBooks, Amazon also has QuickBooks Payroll available for a deep discount right now.

QuickBooks Standard Payroll 2007 — $89.99 (55% off)

Quickbooks Enhanced Payroll 2007 — $169.99 (43% off)

These are the lowest prices they’ve had for a while, so if you need the payroll add-on to Quickbooks now is a good time to get it.

March 13th, 2007 | Category: Computers, Amazon | EMail This Post | Comments (3)

(Related deal: $20 coupon for Quickbooks Pro 2007 )

Amazon has a couple of good discounts on TurboTax right now:

TurboTax Business 2006 Corporations and Partnerships
— $67.99 ($32 off) at Amazon.com

TurboTax Federal + State Home and Business 2006
— $62.99 ($27 off) at Amazon.com

They’re sold at these prices directly by Amazon.com, so there’s free shipping and for most states there’s no sales tax.

If you’re willing to go a step further, you can possible save even more. On each of the product pages, you’ll see on the right hand side under the Add to Shopping Cart button it says: “More Buying Choices“. If you click that link, you’ll see the listings of third-party sellers that are also offering the software. It’s a bit like buying “Buy It Now” items from eBay (different sellers have different prices, most operate out of their homes, each one has their own rating, some are better than the others, etc.), but the whole checkout and payment process is done through Amazon.

The benefit of buying through third-party sellers is that the prices are lower. For example, currently the lowest price for TurboTax Business is $49.90 + $3.49 shipping; and for TurboTax Federal + State Home & Business it’s $50.00 + $3.49 shipping. So by buying from third-party sellers on Amazon, you can save a bit more than Amazon’s discounted prices. Just one thing to watch out for, though: in some cases, the sellers are selling CD only without the retail packaging…those might not be fully legitimate copies that they have. So just watch out for that kind of stuff if you’re considering the third-party sellers.

March 12th, 2007 | Category: Computers, Amazon | EMail This Post | Leave a comment

Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer + $50 Amazon gift card — $599.00
(get a free Bowflex Equipment Mat, too…read below)

If you’re looking for a quality elliptical trainer, the Schwinn 430 is an excellent choice. You can click the link above to go to Amazon.com and read the overwhelmingly positive reviews for it. And Amazon has a very good deal on it right now — the price is $599, but until March 31 they are also offering a free $50 gift card with the purchase. You get free shipping with this and for most states there is no tax.

And if that wasn’t enough, Amazon is also giving a Bowflex Equipment Mat ($99 value) free as a gift when you purchase the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer. Just scroll down a little bit on the product page at Amazon, and you’ll see a “Best Value” section that has the button to get them both. You can see it in the image below:

The Schwinn 430 is the entry level elliptical trainer from Schwinn, but it has a very good set of features. Here’s a bit of the description from Amazon’s site:

The Schwinn 430 offers eight computer-controlled resistance levels and eight workout programs for workout variety, including six user-profile programs, one manual, and one calorie goal program. Its quick start functions allows you to easily change your resistance level while exercising to challenge yourself to the next level. Three feedback programs–recovery mode, results mode, and body mass index (BMI)–allow you to track the progress of your workout routine. BioGlide motion technology offers a natural-feeling 18-inch stride while the trainer’s BioFit design will provide a comfortable feel on the footpads and handlebars. The handlebars also feature grip heart rate monitoring which allows you to track your heart rate while you’re exercising.

Additional features of the Schwinn 430 elliptical trainer include Eddy current brake resistance for smooth and quiet stopping, transport wheels to easily move the trainer across the room, and a water bottle holder to keep your hydration source close by. This elliptical trainer has a compact footprint 62 inches long by 27 inches wide by 64 inches tall.

February 18th, 2007 | Category: Fitness, Amazon | EMail This Post | Leave a comment