Treat Yo Self to Birthday Goods!

What's the best way to get free stuff and discounts? Sign up for free stuff and discounts and get rewarded on your Birthday!

In the month of November, only 2 weeks in, I have redeemed $5 off at DSW, $10 off at Victoria's Secret, $10 off at the Body Shop, ate a free pretzel from Auntie Anne's, and drank a free Starbucks chai latte.

If you're a woman, or even a man shopping for your woman, you NEED to be part of the the Pink Nation at Victoria's Secret. FREE PANTIES! I repeat... FREE PANTIES. Free to sign up, check in store by providing your home phone number or simply on their website. Almost every month I get a free panty card in the mail good for a free panty, usually a cotton one worth up to $8.50 but sometimes they have a special one worth up to $12.50! I never have to buy underwear again! #TMI :)
They also will send you a $10 rewards card for your birthday! I used it to buy yoga pants that I absolutely love but I'm never willing to pay $34 for them. They were on clearance at $22 and after the -$10 I paid $12, plus since I purchased more than $10 I got a Victoria's Secret Rewards card to redeem (secret reward ranging between $10-$500; most likely it will be worth $10 when revealed-- however, one time I received $100!).

I signed up for the free DSW Rewards about 2 years ago and already twice now I have received a discount savings from DSW. I know $5.00 doesn't sound like a lot but if you use it correctly you could get a good deal! I bought these heels that were on clearance for 80% off and used my $5 off on top of the total cost for a final total of $9.78, a $110 savings! If you can't find a god bargain there then use the $5 for a pair of socks, laces, or insoles for your shoes! Hey, they're free or barely a $1 or $2 after the reward.

I bought a Groupon for the Body Shop for $20 worth of product for $10. They usually have this deal 2-3 times a year and it's a great deal when used correctly in combination of current deals. I usually only buy one Groupon because I buy enough items only using one Groupon I don't think it's necessary for me to buy two and stock up on something I won't have room in my makeup bag or bathroom cabinets for. See, I have some...control... =P.

I signed up for the Body Shop rewards program which costs a one time fee of $10. I have turned down this program numerous of times whenever I was offered but decided to go for it this time! Why? It took a lot of convincing from the sales person but as a person who works in sales I needed to know the details and benefits as I'm not one to easily just say yes to a deal. If anything... I say no to a lot of sale pitches. I'm not ever easily convinced. 

By purchasing the Body Shop rewards program at a one time fee of $10 I actually received my $10 back right away because as a part of the program you receive $10 for the Body Shop during your Birthday month! Plus I received a point for my first purchase. After 4 purchases (4 points) you receive a free item worth up to $15, nice!

The Body Shop also always has promotional deals going on. During the Holidays they like to have a "wheel" that is spun for a reward deal-- 30% off your purchase, 40% off your purchase, 50% off your purchase, buy one get one free, etc. I was able to spin the wheel and land on 40% off my total purchase (except on gift sets). Last year I was fortunate to land on 50% off my total purchase.

I purchased 2 lipsticks ($12.50 each), a concealer ($14.50), hemp chap stick ($8), travel size moisturizer ($6), and a facial scrub brush ($3) [40% off everything + rewards discount] for a total of $12.43-- less than the cost of one lipstick at full price. Apply the Groupon I purchased -$10 which equals my cost today of $2.43-- less than the cost of the facial scrub I purchased!

SIGN UP FOR FREE BIRTHDAY GOODIES AND TREAT YO SELF!
There are many other Birthday freebies especially at restaurants where you can get a free dessert. That's easy and a no brainer on your birthday!
There's definitely way more birthday freebies if you're a kid but there's some still left for adults!
When I was a kid I was a part of every kids birthday club you could think of. My Mom would have to take me to multiple places to claim all my free ice cream sundaes and children's meals :). Of course back then you would sign up with a self stamped post card but if there was free food involved, you would have me at "free".

Years of training. TinaDeal in the works since I was a kid.


Here are some Birthday freebies for you to sign up for (no purchase required):
Free burrito from Baja Fresh
https://secure.murgent.com/emopt/index.php?id=8339

Free ice cream scoop from Baskin Robbins

https://www.baskinrobbins.com/content/baskinrobbins/en/signin.html

Free pretzel from Auntie Anne's (personal favorite)

http://auntieannes.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&inputsource=w

Free large order of fries from Wing Stop

http://www.wingstop.com/email_club.aspx

$10 to Cost Plus World Market

https://www.worldmarketexplorer.com/rewards/register/

Free Starbucks drink

https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards/program-information

Free tater tots, cream slush, or medium drink at Sonic's

https://www.sonicdrivein.com/Account/Register

Free mini makeup kit at Sephora

https://www.sephora.com/profile/MyAccount/beautyInsider/beautyInsider.jsp

Free burger from Red Robin

https://redroyalty.redrobin.com/

Plus many more out there!!! It's all free and during your Birthday month!!
Please allow however amount of time it says to receive your rewards. I signed up for Auntie Anne's pretzel club in September of 2011 and didn't receive my free pretzel for my Birthday by November of 2011.

Side Note!

Instagram has taken over on Tina Deals! I've neglected updating the blog since uploading a photo using a collage application is just so much easier than this. I'm never on my laptop any way so It's difficult to update my blog via iPhone or iPad.

Follow me on Instagram @yaytina or search for #TinaDeal

The my favorite Tina Deal posts on Instagram:

 Bar III Blazer, Fitted Skirt, and Crop Top from Macy's at under $30 compared to $125

 Sad Edelman heels from Ross at $20 compared to $120

 Material Girl jumper from Macy's at $9 compared to $58

 Geometric necklace from Ross at $10 compared to $38

 Saks 5th Avenue dress from Off 5th Outlet at $33 compared to $130

 Red work dress with belt from Ross at $16 compared to $58

All 4 items from Urban Outfitters at $15 compared to $154

White one shoulder cocktail dress from Ross at $17 compared to $68

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

NYC: Blazer by Gap at $17 compared to $88

itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, not a yellow polka dot bikini

I have been posting about once a month now and honestly... I'm lazy.  This is time consuming and I wonder why I still do it.  I guess it's because I get bored once in a while.  I definitely shop more than I post.  I buy stuff way too frequently and could technically blog once a week for the items I buy but I just have other things to do... like watch new fall TV shows, watch a continuous amount of Mad Men episodes on Netflix (I just started and have one season left to watch then it's onto Breaking Bad!), and update my Spotify play lists.  I do other things of course than watch TV and listen to music.  I also sleep and snack a lot.

Best time to buy a bikini?  End of summer into the fall season.  I purchased three bikinis, two from The Gap and one from Victoria's Secret.

I usually would take photos of me wearing the clothes but in this situation you will have to pay a nominal fee for it!  So all weirdos out there, contact me for more info.

Please do not contact me.  I hope you realize I'm kidding.  Especially when I am calling you a weirdo.

The gray and white one (very neutral colors) are from The Gap and of course the bright (screaming look at me in this bright neon pink bikini) is from VS.  The Gap bikinis are made by Lycra as The Gap and Lycra teamed up to create their swim line.  The two bikinis have good bottom coverage and run true to size in top and bottom.  The VS bikini has less bottom coverage and run on the smaller side.  VS has multiple types of bottoms (string, scoop, hot short, hi-waist, and low rise).  The one I purchased from VS is a low rise bottom.  The gray top is a halter cut with a ring design in the middle.  The white top is a one shoulder type of top with a silver studded square design at the strap.  The multi-neon triangle top has double strings to tie around the band and around the neck; it also has a crochet design.  All tops have removable pads which is always nice since I always think without the pads...it's awkwardly thin.

To simply put it--

Bikini Tops
Original price: $25.00 (VS) and $37.95 (Gap)
Purchased price: $4.99 each


Bikini Bottoms
Original price: $14.50 (VS) and $35.95 (Gap)
Purchased price: $4.99 each

Each bikini cost $10.00!  That's a total of $30.00 for all three bikinis originally costing around $187.00 which is an insane amount for tiny articles of clothing.

And again I'm sorry about the poor quality of photos...I really have to get a new camera ASAP.  My birthday's next month, any one care to buy me a new camera??? :)

Side Note!
Southwest Airlines Getaways Deal: $30 toward a roundtrip flight from LA to Vegas for $10, a $20 savings.

Not bad to save $20 if you plan on flying to Vegas any time soon.  So basically it's $20 off your roundtrip airfare. 



http://www.groupon.com/deals/ga-z-southwest-airlines-la?utm_medium=email&utm_source=channel_getaways-deals&sid=10994511&user=7ea563f4bc2e3c9dafbbad48eda3d6fac1ce142cff1ca398882d01e4ca5753fa&utm_campaign=ga-z-southwest-airlines-la&s=body&d=deal-page&p=2&c=deal_button

Fashionably cheap,

Tina

One month later to showcase 2 outfits!

I will officially publish this blog and start posting the link!  Hopefully I will get back into HTML and create an actual layout.  I have one pair of jeans, two places I wore them to with different environments.  The jeans I am showcasing are from Crossroads Trading Co.  All the clothes are second hand clothes and there are some amazing things here for a fraction of the retail price.  The jeans are by William Rast and usually go for $180+.  When I tried them on, they felt like a perfect fit.  I could never afford paying $180 for a pair of jeans but I can see why they are worth that much!  I absolutely love the feel and fit of the jeans.  Crossroads Trading retailed them at their price of $34.99 but they were on sale for "half off."  I bought these jeans in what I found as perfect condition for a final price of $17.50!

Outfit 1:

Photo credits: Alex
I first wore these jeans on my weekend vacation in Seattle with my best friend, Alex!  Seattle had some light rain and a cool temperature of about 57.  The jeans are a simple dark blue skinny jean style.  The top is a long 100% cotton brown tank with a black boyfriend cardigan.  I topped it off with a cream beret.  A very simple and comfortable outfit to make my away around Downtown Seattle.  The city's style felt very casual and almost very hipster for my taste but the outfit blended easily and worked well with the misty weather!  The beret is made of very soft material and the black cardigan displays Victoria's Secret "LOVE PINK" in studs on the back of the cardigan.  The tank is made of ultra soft cotton and feels so light-weight when wearing it.

Item 1-- Jeans (as described above with pricing)

Item 2-- Long brown tank
From: Nordstrom Rack
Brand: Alternative Apparel
Type of sale: Nordstrom rack price + additional 40% off
Original price: $42.00
Purchased price: $7.99 with final price $4.80


Item 3-- Black boyfriend cardigan with 2 pockets
From: Victoria's Secret
Brand: Victoria's Secret PINK
Type of sale: Take an additional 50% off already reduced prices
Original price: $49.50
Purchased price: $14.99 with final price $7.49

Item 4-- Cream beret
From: Target
Brand: Sonoma
Type of sale: Target everyday
Original/Purchased price: $4.99

Outfit 2:

Photo credits: Dan
The second time I wore these jeans was on a beach date with my boyfriend, Dan!  It was a nice warm day in Manhattan beach.  We just did the whole "long walks on the beach" sort of thing and I rolled up the jeans in 2 cuffs so my jeans wouldn't get wet; failed on that part!  I wore the jeans with a white tunic top with a beaded and gold round stud design.  I also wore a black cardigan with this outfit but not a bulky boyfriend cardigan but a shorter 3/4 sleeve light cardigan with gold buttons.  I decided to also show off my every day purse!  I love my Junior Drake purse and take it with me almost everywhere.

Item 1-- Jeans (as described above with pricing)


Item 2-- White tunic with bead/round stud design
From: Nordstrom Rack
Brand: Soprano
Type of sale: Everyday Nordstrom Rack
Original price: $39.00
Purchased price: $12.99

 


Item 3-- Black 3/4 sleeve cardigan with gold buttons
From: Love Culture
brand: Love Culture
Type of sale: Love Culture everyday
Original/Purchased price: $12.99 

Item 4-- Junior Drake leather green purse with cross body attachment; has a black/white print inside
From: Karmaloop.com
Brand: Junior Drake 
Type of sale: Karmaloop sale; mark downs
Original price: $450.00
Purchased price: $104.00

 

 Two fun and comfortable outfits with one pair of comfy jeans!

More postings to come!

Fashionably cheap,

Tina