From the Daily Cheapskate inbox: what do you have against buying refurbished electronics? Actually, a lot.

From the Daily Cheapskate inbox, one of my most oft-asked questions:

Dear Daily Cheapskate, I notice that you never post deals on refurbished electronics.  Why?  They are so much cheaper than new ones, and most of the time just as good, though I always hear stories of nightmares.  I bought a refurbished iPhone and it lasted me almost three years and only had to be serviced once, but it was half the price of a new one.  What do you have against used things? -Shalom G. in Monsey, NY

Dear Shalom, Yours is not the first inquiry about this issue.  I know that in theory, you'd expect a blog about saving money to be all about refurbished electronics, right? First let me go on record saying that I am all for re-purposing and re-using.  I'm an avid user of Freecycle and gemachs.  My wedding gown was second-hand from a gemach, my car was used, and I am constantly giving away things that still have a lot of life in them, but that I have no more use for.  I'd much rather have someone else use them, than to watch them wind up in a landfill. To me, this is the true meaning of "going green." But unless you're going to get them for free, I totally draw the line at used electronics. I have purchased two refurbished electronic items in my life, and both were major losers that caused me nothing but headaches.  The first was a Dell monitor, that worked fine for six months and then developed funny lines across the screen.  The other item was a washing machine that we got at a Sears scratch-and-dent store.  The machine did work for two years, but always made a funny noise.  Turns out that funny noise was the motor, and we were stuck with the hassle of having to buy a new washer after two years. I won't touch refurbished anything with a 10 foot pole.  Sometimes a bargain is not a bargain. The Internet is laced with stories of people saving a small fortune buying refurbished electronics that are "just as good" as brand new ones, and saving a pile of cash. But I take all of these success stories with a grain of salt, because the success stories tend to be the ones that get posted on the web, while the failures don't.  While I have nothing other than anecdotal evidence to back this up, I suspect that for every one refurbished electronics success story, there are ten unhappy failures.  Whenever I speak to friends who have bought refurbished electronics, I hear horror stories.  Every now and then, I'll hear someone rave about a refurb laptop that he got for half the price that works perfectly.  And of course, there is no guarantee that something that you buy new is going to work the way it's supposed to just because it's new, but at least you're giving it the best shot by not buying someone else's former headache. I know that not everyone is going to agree with this view, and that's fine.  Some "expert" buyers will recommend that as long as you get refurbished electronics with a warranty or from a reputable company, you're good to go and will save a lot of money.  That's fine and I wish them well when they are on the phone with customer service.  I'd rather save money in other ways, like waiting for a killer sale and a really good promo code, or using gift cards saved up from other deals to purchase pricey electronics.   I've been burnt twice and that was enough. To be fair, I do think there really are some refurbished electronics and appliances that are major deals.  When I bought my new iPad, I accidentally bought a white one instead of the black one that I really wanted.  I had to open the shrink wrap to find that out, but I never actually turned on the iPad or even took it out of the box.  I brought it back to Target and they very graciously swapped it out for me, and the cashier told me that the white one that I returned would now be considered refurbished.  I thought to myself that whomever is lucky enough to buy that iPad at a refurbished price was going to get a real bargain. So yes, there are some excellent deals on refurbished electronics and appliances out there, but you've got to dig deep to find them.  With very few exceptions,  I am just not willing to take that risk with my money.  And I'm certainly not willing to take that risk with yours, which is why you probably won't ever see a deal on refurbished electronics on Daily Cheapskate.  (I won't say "never," because, well, if I can find a deal where I'm reasonably sure you'll be getting a great buy on something as good as new, I'll happily post it.) I'm all about saving money, but sometimes a bargain is just not a bargain.

From the Daily Cheapskate Inbox

I haven't done a "From the Inbox" feature in over a year. I love getting email from readers as you frequently ask some pretty fun questions (where do you guys come up with some of this stuff!?!).   Here are some goodies from my February inbox.  I've edited them down a bit:

	Dear Daily Cheapskate, I have thrown out so many pairs of poultry shears. They either never work right to begin with, or they get dull right away, and they aren't cheap.  Any recommendations? Rebecca, Far Rockaway, NY
	Dear Rebecca, Like you, I've gone through many pricey pairs of kitchen shears, and it's frustrating, because a good sharp pair of poultry shears cuts the job (pun intended) of cleaning chickens down to a few minutes, but dull ones are useless.  I also use shears on fish (we buy whole trout at Costco) and to trim fat from roasts.  After tossing yet another dull pair that wasn't doing the trick, I discovered (tada!) shellfish shears. We keep kosher, so we don't eat shellfish, but the curved shears that are designed to cut through shrimp and hard lobster shells, etc. are fantastic on everything else and are even less expensive than poultry shears.  I'm still on my first pair, (which I got over at World Market Plus) and they are as sharp and easy to use as ever.  Since  I don't see them on the World Market website, I found this pair for only $5.75 on Amazon. Buy them and then tell me how much you love them. I'll never go back to regular poultry shears.
Dear Daily Cheapskate, You know when you're baking challahs on Shabbos, and you finish basting the dough with egg?  What do you do with the leftover egg?  I've been throwing it out, but it feels like I'm wasting food. Dave, Colorado Springs, CO Dear Dave, I hate to waste good protein.  I actually dollop the extra basting egg into my Shabbos chicken soup, which is usually on the stove at the same time that I'm making challah.  Makes it into a little bit of egg drop soup.  Nobody even notices it.
	Dear Daily Cheapskate, You've mentioned on your blog that you have an iPad.  How can you justify writing for a blog that's about saving money and spending $500 on a toy? Janie, Houston, TX
	Dear Janie, Excellent question!  First of all, you should know a few things about me.  First of all, I love techie toys.  I'd rather have a new gadget than a new pair of boots.  Second, I firmly believe that if an item will make your life easier in some significant and meaningful way, you should figure out a way to buy it.  Third, with very few exceptions, I never, ever buy the first version of a techie gadget.  I have a strong tendency to be an early adopter of most technology, and I fight it, because historically, version 2+ of pretty much anything has always been better than the initial version, with fewer bugs and more features. That said, when the iPad first came out, I wanted one so badly I could taste it.  But I waited.  There was no way I was going to buy the first version of any Apple gadget.  That paid off, because the latest (I believe it's the fourth) version of the iPad with its retina display is pretty awesome.  But besides the fact that I wanted to wait for a later version, I simply didn't have the money in our budget to spend right away. So I set my goal and started working toward it. I basically decided that I was going to buy the iPad at Target with gift cards that I had set aside from the dozens of Target gift card deals that I've taken advantage of over the last few years.  I also accumulated a ton of Target cards from ShopKick as well.  I patiently waited until I had over $450 in gift cards, then waited for a great deal on Black Friday this year, and then I pounced like a lion. I ended up paying zero out of pocket, and getting a new Target gift card (part of the Black Friday deal) to start me off on my next saving episode.  Getting the iPad was all the more sweeter because I felt that I worked for it, saved for it, and earned it.  It took me nearly three years to get to $450 in gift cards.  And, I don't just use my iPad for fun and games.  I can deposit checks on it, take awesome, high quality pictures on it, read eBooks, watch downloaded videos on a plane, etc. So it does enrich my practical life.  It was a good purchase. Does that restore my credibility as a frugal blogger with you?
	Dear Daily Cheapskate, What's your favorite thing to make for Pesach that you don't have the rest of the year? Chaya, Chicago, IL
	Dear Chaya, Chocolate covered matzoh.  It's a great dessert, so easy, so frugal.  Melt chocolate, spread on matzoh, freeze.  I make some with almonds on it, some with sprinkles.
	Dear Daily Cheapskate, Do you ever publish deals for things that you wouldn't buy yourself? Barb, Bellevue, WA
	Dear Barb, Of course.  Look, living a frugal life is all about making choices that are right for you, your income and where you are in life.  I might post about a very good find on, for example, kosher for Passover cereal, when truthfully, I'd never buy it.  (Too expensive, tastes awful, why do you need it?  Make matzoh brei instead.)  But if you've made the decision that you want to buy KLP cereal, I'll help you find a good deal on it. This applies to numerous other things, where I feel like the item is just not something that fits into my life right now. What I try NOT to post is stuff that will clutter up your house, things you really don't need (do you need more than one iPhone cover?), things you will probably end up throwing out (banana slicers), etc.  I don't expect or think that you should buy every item and deal that I post, just because they are all good buys.  Good grief, I hope you don't.  Then this goes from being a frugal blog to a shopping blog.  That's not what Daily Cheapskate is about.

From the Daily Cheapskate Inbox: "Out-frugaled!"

I got the best email in the Daily Cheapskate inbox this morning.  I love it when readers "out-frugal" me!  This very clever reader took a great sale and promo code and remembered what I had written before about  Lowe's/Home Depot competitor's price-matching, which I had totally forgotten, and "did me one better."  Here's the email ( (I added  the links):

Dear Daily Cheapskate,

I out-frugaled you!  Do you remember yesterday when you posted about that freezer chest at Home Depot for $168 with the promo code?  Well, I did you one better.  I remembered what you said in the past about Lowe's price-matching plus 10% guarantee, and I took a screenprint of the freezer in my Home Depot cart online showing the price to my Lowe's and they price matched it and beat it by 10%!  I got it for $151.20!  Hah!

-Bobby K., Blaine, MN

Bobby K., FANTASTIC!!

From the DailyCheapskate Inbox: Shopping tips on buying K-Cups, and Yes Virginia, you really can save money on produce

Ever since I published a few readers' email last week, I've been getting a steady stream of interesting inquiries from loyal DailyCheapskate readers.  Here are two that I thought would be useful:

	Dear Daily Cheapskate, I just got a Keurig!  Thanks to you and your blog, I got it very cheaply, but I'm almost out of K-Cups and I don't know how to buy them without spending A LOT.  What's the best place to get them?  Also, what's the difference between all the roasts and stuff? And how do I know before buying them which brands are kosher? -Chavi R., Monsey, NY
	Dear Chavi, Despite some initial resistance on my part, back in May, Joshua and I also came over to The Dark Side.  We yuppied out and bought a Keurig too.  This deal was way too good to pass up.  No regrets; this machine makes a great cuppa coffee. It's one thing to get a Keurig brewer for a song, but the real challenge comes in buying the K-cups to feed it. While food in general has come up in price over the last few years, (in part due to increases in gas prices and the cost to ship food to stores,) coffee, as a commodity, has really shot up in price across the board, and pre-packaged K-cups cost a small fortune.  I've seen them for anywhere from $0.30 to $1 per K-cup.  My litmus test?  I won't buy any K-cups unless they are less than $0.50 each, preferably even cheaper than that. I've done a little research and digging around, and I'll share some of my K-cup findings with you: About the roasts:  first figure out what sort of roast you prefer.  Do you generally like Starbucks coffee straight up?  Then you are probably a dark roast person.  Do you prefer Dunkin Donuts coffee?  Then you are probably more of a light roast person. That said, there are two ways to measure the "darkness" or "richness" of the cup of coffee that you'll get out of the Keurig. I had assumed that a dark roast meant that the coffee beans were roasted a little longer than the light roast, so it was qualitatively different. This is indeed true; however, there is also a quantitative difference.  The dark roast K-cups also have a little more coffee in them; the light roast K-cups have less coffee in them.  So if you like a slightly lighter roast (as my husband and I do), you can use the darker K-cups twice without dilution (meaning one K-cup for two cups of coffee).  You'll get a little more mileage out of your K-Cups. Grove Square K-cups are significantly cheaper than other K-cups.  The reason is because they are filled with instant coffee, so they will not produce a fresh-brewed cup.  I have another name for instant coffee; I call it "mud powder."  Ich.  If you are picky about coffee taste at all, avoid the Grove Square brand, even though they are inexpensive. Cafe Escapes brand K-cups are not kosher. Most Green Mountain K-cups are kosher, even the funky flavors.  One way to find out about the kosher status of a K-cup variety or flavor is to go to the very comprehensive Green Mountain website and look up the flavor.  Say you would like to buy an unusual flavor like Kahlúa K-cups.  Look it up here and you will see a little picture of the actual K-cup, showing that it's KSA-certified-kosher (hechsher on the left side).  Green Mountain even has a kosher section, but as certifications change rapidly, I would not rely on Rabbi Internet; always check for a hechsher on the product first. If it appears online with a hechsher and arrives at your home without one, call Green Mountain and they will make good on it. Now, as far as saving money on K-cups, it's not all that easy.   Keep checking the blogs for specials.  We bloggers have an eye out for these all the times, so let us do the legwork for you.  Also watch for those wonderful free sample offers. Stack sales with coupons.  For example, Bed Bath & Beyond had an 18-count French Toast flavored K-cup package on sale for $7.99 (no longer available).  I had an online 20% off coupon, so I ended up getting them for $6.39 (or $0.36 per K-cup, an awesome price).  Kohl's periodically has specials on K-cups, and stacked with their cyclical 30% off discount for Kohl's credit card holders, you can do really well on the deal. Costco also has decent deals on their regularly-priced K-cups.  I bought an 80-count box of Donut Shop light roast for $35.99 ($0.46 per K-cup).  Make sure you love the flavor you buy, because they are sold in bulk, so you'll be drinking it for a long time. Amazon periodically has some pretty awesome sales.  Again, watch DailyCheapskate for posts on Amazon sales and act quickly.  Amazon changes its prices in a blink, so you'll definitely need to strike while the iron is hot. I've found that websites that offer K-cups buyer's clubs are pretty overpriced to begin with, so you don't benefit all that much from the discount. Green Mountain's Cafe Express gives you 15% off and you need to take shipments on a regular basis.  But when your starting point is $16.49 for a 24-count package ($0.69 per K-cup) , reducing that price to $0.58 per K-cup just isn't low enough.  I would join these programs to get a great deal on a brewer when there is a special running (like on the recent Mother's Day or Father's Day deals), but not for my regular coffee supply.  Think out of the box a little. If you've got one of those great $10-off-$25 or $25-off-$75 coupons at an office store like Staples or Office Depot, use it to purchase K-cups.  Even if there is a small markdown on the K-cups, stacking that with a substantial coupon could snag you a great deal. If you stock up on K-cups because of a great price, keep them in the freezer to keep the coffee from becoming stale. Make sure to ALWAYS do the math when you are figuring out K-cup deals.  Keep that under-$0.50 per K-cup litmus test in mind at all times to keep some perspective on whether or not you are getting a good deal on K-cups.
Dear Daily Cheapskate, I read your posts about how to save money on fruits and vegetables, but even though I love your blog, I have a hard time believing it.  Let's see some receipts and coupons.  I don't care so much about getting organic stuff, but I'd like to save money on the regular fruits and vegetables. Are there really coupons for this? -Elizabeth O., Omaha, NE Dear Elizabeth, I will turn you into a believer yet!  Three ways to save money on general produce: Buy organic anyway, but with a coupon. Look for other coupon sources. Get a shopper's loyalty card and watch your mail for store coupons.  Don't throw out your Catalina coupons without checking them first. Price match produce loss-leaders from other stores.  First of all, Elizabeth, please realize that I buy organic produce not because I care about whether a vegetable is organic (though I know that many DailyCheapskate readers do care), but because it is actually cheaper than non-organic produce when you use a coupon, and organic companies seem to distribute many more coupons than their conventional counterparts.  Right now, looking in my purse, I've got a $1/1 Organic Girl coupon and a few Earthbound Farms Organic $0.75 coupons.  Target has a 1 lb. bag of Earthbound Farms Organic carrots for $1.09, so I'll be getting them for $0.34. Walmart has a package of Organic Girl green onions for $1.39, so I'll be getting then for $0.39. And yes!  There really are coupons for non-organic produce.  Here are two examples of store coupons that I had in my purse. This is a coupon for $2 off of a $5 produce purchase that I got in the mail from King Sooper, Denver's Kroger affiliate (in Omaha, that would be Bakers).  I got it just for having a shopper's loyalty card. Here's a Catalina coupon (the kind that prints out after you pay for your order at the cash register) that's good for $1.50 off a $10 purchase at Target.  I must have gone through three or four of these this year.  I can stack these with my manufacturer's coupons, so I'll be buying a bunch of those Earthbound Farm carrots, but also Klondike potatoes (I've got an awesome BOGO coupon on Klondike potatoes) apples, tomatoes, and bananas, which I need.  And did I mention the cherries? This past Friday, I bought cherries at Target, but not at the $4.49/lb. Target price.  No sirree Bob. Sprouts and Sunflower, two local natural food chains that have stores in Colorado, are advertising cherries this week for a super-low $1.47/lb.  I brought the Sunflower circular up to the service desk and price-matched.  Here's my receipt (click on it for a readable version) that shows the original price of $4.49/lb. adjusted down to $1.47.  With my RedCard 5% discount, I ended up paying $1.40/lb. Yes, Target will price-match on generic produce, as long as the dates on the competitor's circular are current and the circular does not mention a brand name (for example, you can't price match Dole bananas to some no-name generic banana at Target).  I read through the Sprouts and Sunflower circulars each week and price match at Target on their loss leaders, if I need the item.  This sure saves me a lot of running around to different stores as well as a ton of money on produce.  Sprouts and Sunflower are both a 20 minute drive away from my house, while Target is only about an 8 minute drive. So, summing up, saving money on produce requires some planning.  Stack organic coupons, store coupons, sales, and price-matching, and you will make out like a bandit on produce.

DailyCheapskate Inbox time: Q&A with three readers

I love, love, love getting email from readers, especially the ones with great questions. Here are three goodies from May's inbox:

	Dear Daily Cheapskate, Where is the best (meaning cheapest) place to buy a lettuce spinner?  The one I see most often is the OXO one for $30, but I can get it for $24 at Bed, Bath with my coupon. Any better ideas?  I eat a lot of salad.  I hate wet lettuce, don't you? -Amanda J., Brooklyn, NY
	Dear Amanda, Ikea.  $2.99.
	Dear Daily Cheapskate, I spend a fortune on organic produce and foods at Whole Foods all the time.  My friend told me about Sprouts and said they had the same kind of organics items but for much less.  What do you think? Layla G., Dallas, TX
	Dear Layla, I shop at both Sprouts and Whole Foods; they each have their value. There are at least four Sprouts/Sunflower stores in the Dallas area, and here are some tips for saving money there.  First of all, if you haven't already, join Recyclebank and get yourself a stash of $5 off $40 coupons for Sprouts and never walk into the store without one in hand. That's a savings of 12% right there. Next, sign up for Organic Girl and Earthbound Farms coupons.  These are two national organic companies that offer tons of coupons. Organic Girl comes out with a multi-print pdf $1 coupon each month and Earthbound Farms has been coming out with a new $0.75 coupon each week.  Use them!   Recyclebank  also has Odwalla and Stoneyfield Farms coupons.   Next, go to the Sprouts website and sign up for their email list. They send out a coupon for a free organic product each month, as well as subscriber-only store coupons.  Like Whole Foods, you may stack one store coupon with one manufacturer's coupon per item at Sprouts.  They also have a ton of store coupons on their website, and the occasional one on their Facebook page.   Also, make sure you check out the Mambo Sprouts coupon page for their continuous list of organic coupons that you can stack with the store coups.  Finally, read my post on saving money on organics here.  And realize this:  you might not always be able to save money on organic produce and such.  If that is the case, and buying organics is a value to you,  you need to create a margin of money in areas where you can save, and then put that money towards those $6 bags of spinach.
	Dear Daily Cheapskate, I love your posts about Swagbucks and how the program is a "no-brainer" way to save money. I'm not such a couponer, but I'm so grateful to you for turning me on to Swagbucks, as I love Amazon gift cards. Got any other no-brainer ways to save money up your sleeve? Robert G., Santa Fe, NM
	Dear Robert, I love Swagbucks too, believe me.  I'm always shocked to meet people who haven't signed up for  Swagbucks  yet.  I'm swimming in Amazon gift card credits thanks to Swagbucks. My current top no-brainer is definitely the pre-paid American Express card deal. For the inconvenience of moving money around, you get a free $25.  No credit check, no fees, no strings, no nuthin, just a free $25 gift card.  I don't understand why anyone wouldn't take advantage of this offer.  It takes all of 2 minutes to fill out the form. Other no-brainers?  Ok, here are three. Library cards.  Yes!  Not just for the books, but also for the free Kindle or iPad ebooks, the free movies/DVDs, free CDs., free legal mp3 downloads.  Many libraries also have free museum passes and low-fee classes, free movie screenings, etc.  Public library cards are fountains of free. Freecycle.  Freecycle is a national grass-roots group of community lists where basically you can get and give away free stuff.  The giving away is just as important as the getting, as decluttering is a major money-saver.  What have I gotten from Denver Freecycle lately?  Plants!  Lots of them. Over the last few months, I've picked up tons of aloe cuttings, spider plant cuttings, and a very cool basil plant.  My kitchen plant shelf runneth over with beautiful plants that have not cost me a red cent (sorry Home Depot). Tomorrow, a Freecycler is giving me five tomato plants that she doesn't have room for in her backyard.  What have I given Freecycle this month?  About 100 magazines, lots of tupperware that was past its prime, clothing, non-kosher freebies that came in the mail, and spare dog accessories.  I love  Freecycle . Target RedCard, .  You save 5% on every single solitary thing you buy at Target and Target.com. You get free shipping on Target.com with no minimum.  And as an added perk, the K-12 school that you name gets 1% of all your RedCard purchases.  You get special high-value Target coupons in the mail each month, including a few free-item coupons.  If your credit is less than sterling, you can get a RedCard debit card that just deducts money from your checking account, and there will be no credit check.  This is an extreme no-brainer.     Bonus round:  Three more no-brainers are cash-back programs,   ShopKick  (if you own a smartphone) and MyCokeRewards.  Ok. Your turn! Anything to add about lettuce spinners, buying organics or money-saving no-brainers?