How long does it take you...

[magenta321]

to make a major purchase?

I'm buying my washer and dryer. I started the process in June.

Because I have so many rewards points through American Express, I have decided to cash them in for gift certificates to Home Depot. As a result, I'm getting my dryer for free.

I will not be getting the matching washer for free however.

I have learned that if I get an AARP member to buy me some gift certificates for HD, they are 4% off the face vaule.

I have a 10% off coupon from the welcome wagon stuff. It's helpful. But then I learned that some people have a 20% off coupon so now I'm holding out, hoping I can get one.

I have to wait for my gift certificates to come anyway.

I have to time this right, however, so I can also get in before this current appliance deal at HD expires. Right now if you buy certain appliances, you get gift cards back

I also found out that they do price match to Lowes, and they will meet their price, and then beat it by 10%. I have yet to learn if proof of the sale is taking a picture of the item at this price, or if printing it from the website will work. Or if I will actually have to pray they put it in their circular.

I've tried to attack this deal on every angle and it'll probably be a week or two more before I get what I want.

Anyone else as nuts as me, or do I take the cake? :p

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

[nc10]

magenta321 said

I have a 10% off coupon from the welcome wagon stuff. It's helpful. But then I learned that some people have a 20% off coupon so now I'm holding out, hoping I can get one.

There are a few Home Depot 20% off coupons on EBAY, kinda pricey. Cheapest one I saw was $11.

[magenta321]

nc10 said

There are a few Home Depot 20% off coupons on EBAY, kinda pricey. Cheapest one I saw was $11.

I appreciate you looking.

There's 2 different 20% off coupons. One is from American Express. That's the one I want.

The other is a piece of paper with no barcode. I think people are scanning them or something... Home Depot won't take them. Supposedly you can use those at Lowes, but, I want to buy from HD and I also don't want to scam anyone with fake coupons.

I guess I should bite the bullet and buy the 20% coupon if it's less than $50, but I get nervous that I'm going to get "taken" on ebay.

Edit that I've thought more about this. I was subtracting my gift cards before adding the coupon, but that is the wrong way to look at this. It's an $1100 set, so $1100 - 20% would be $880... so I guess I'm willing to pay more for that gift cert

[frazzledspice]

When I had to replace my washer and dryer, I found the best buys were at Sears during sales.

But you can't beat free for the dryer

I'm an AARP member. Thanks for letting me know about the Home Depot GC's.

[nc10]

magenta321 said

I guess I should bite the bullet and buy the 20% coupon if it's less than $50, but I get nervous that I'm going to get "taken" on ebay.

Edit that I've thought more about this. I was subtracting my gift cards before adding the coupon, but that is the wrong way to look at this. It's an $1100 set, so $1100 - 20% would be $880... so I guess I'm willing to pay more for that gift cert

I've bought Circuit city or Best buy coupons from ebay before, but they never were more than $2 or $3.

Read the fine print carefully before assuming you can combine the gift cards (especially the ones you get with reward points) and the coupon. Sometimes you can't combine.

Comparing the value of the %20 off card to the %10 you already have, max savings is $110, I'd estimate, less if it doesn't apply to the gift card part of the purchase.

[magenta321]

I'm back from Home Depot.

I had so many warnings from everyone that something was going to go wrong with my plan. I was actually nervous all day about my deal.

I printed off the price from Lowes, which was $1 less for the washer, and $50 less for the dryer. They price matched, plus 10%.

I used my 20% off coupon.

I used my $450 in gift certificates.

I didn't have to pay sales tax because my appliances are energy star.



I bought the accessories I needed for the washer -- the braided wire hoses (as per my home inspector) and the electrical cord for the dryer (why doesn't it come with that?) and a fire extinguisher.

For some reason I couldn't buy the accessories with the 20% off coupon and I wasn't going to argue it because I was so happy to be getting away with as much as I was. I gave her a 10% off coupon for the accessories.

$600 washer
$500 dryer
~$50 for the extras

$435.44 out the door, with a $55 delivery rebate coming my way, and $75 in home depot gift cards being mailed to me, as a part of their current "sale."

I almost bought a pair at Sears about a month ago for the sale price. I would have paid about $600, had no rebates, and, would have bought a top loader.

I got my front loaders for less and I feel good!

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

WOW.

mj
who knows who she's calling when her washer/dryer die

[mtomm[$]]

Okay, that is impressive.

[emeleel]

Woo-hoo, way to go!