Expect more posts (obviously!), more notification of deals and how to work them and also more original articles on saving money and finding great deals online and offline.

Our sister site, CouponCodeDirectory.Com will continue to be the site where you can do coupon code searches, but DailyDealDigest.Com will focus more on talking about deals and how to really work them to your advantage. This is where you would go to learn about advanced deal-hunting techniques, notification of deals and discounts, and acquiring education on how to make your online and offline shopping more productive.

Then, head to CouponCodeDirectory.Com to get the actual codes you would use to take advantage of the deals. Don’t worry…we will provide direct links to specific codes when warranted.

We received feedback from readers that indicated that some people just wanted a directory of codes to quickly search without a lot of discussion and text. Others wanted information on how to find the deals and really work them well. So we’ve decided to use each site for its own purpose and inter-link between them when necessary.

Also coming soon…a convenient toolbar for each site so that you can access everything in just a few clicks!

Stay tuned!

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Drop by CouponCodeDirectory.Com for fresh, daily coupon codes from retailers that you know and love! To be honest and fair, I should disclose that this is MY site! I’m separating my specific discussion of coupon codes from the general discussion of saving money and finding deals so that you can find things more easily. Please bookmark CouponCodeDirectory.Com when you get there, and check there before purchasing ANYTHING online, but be sure to stay a loyal visitor here so that you can learn more about saving money and maximizing those deals!

I’ll have the occasional content article on CouponCodeDirectory.Com as well, but Daily Deal Digest is where you should come for real, thoughtful discussion on shopping, saving money and deals. I’m looking out for you on both fronts, so be sure to visit both regularly!

So drop by CouponCodeDirectory.Com and pick up some new coupons today! Be sure to check the side navigation where coupons are listed by retailer. I’ve installed software that will automatically remove expired coupons, so you never have to worry about old worn-out coupons. Be sure to also report new coupons using the comments feature! I want your input!

So drop by and get yourself some fresh coupon codes today!

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My most recent “find” isn’t even really a “find” because I’ve been going to them for years, but garage sales are a baby gear-hunter’s paradise. Here are some tips that I’ve come up with for finding the best baby stuff at the best prices at garage sales.

First, know where to look. If you want top-dollar baby gear at ridiculously low prices, you need to go where the top-dollar gear is…wealthier neighborhoods. A ritzy neighborhood near our house had a community-wide garage sale and the streets were packed with cars and families clamoring for some of the best stuff available. At one garage sale, the entire sale was baby stuff….baby swings, baby clothing, baby toys….you name it, this family was getting rid of it! They had twin girls, so they had literally two of everything, and since the girls were still under two years old, everything was still in style and in good condition. The baby clothing brands ranged from Children’s Place, to Baby Gap, to Old Navy, and even pricier stuff like Ralph Lauren. The gear like swings and high chairs was also top-notch.

My theory behind the idea that the best garage sales are in the fanciest neighborhoods comes from this premise: They had the money to buy the good stuff new, and they have enough money to not care if they get full resale value back, so logically they will probably be more willing to price their stuff lower just to get rid of it and won’t give you a hard time if you bargain. I’ve tested this theory at a few garage sales recently, and I have to say that it really holds up.

Moral of the story: Go to garage sales in neighborhoods where you *wish* you could live, and you’ll probably find the best baby deals around.

My second tip involves research. Remember the sale in the ritzy neighborhood where they had two of everything? Do you want to know how I found it? I was on Craigslist the night before, looking in the “Baby and Kids” section and the lady having the sale had pre-listed some of the items that she was planning to sell. She didn’t advertise the garage sale per se, she just advertised her higher-ticket, name-brand items one by one on Craigslist and mentioned that the items would be available for pickup at the sale the next day. Genius! She’s finding targeted consumers who are looking for EXACTLY what she is selling!

I emailed her immediately for more information about the Fisher Price Aquarium Swing that she was selling. I had wanted to purchase one from Target new, but the price of $65.00 made me hesitate. She was selling TWO of them (remember, she has twins!) for just $25 a piece! I asked about the condition, and then asked if she would be willing to hold one for me until 10am the next day at her sale. She agreed, and at 10am the following day, I was the proud owned of a very gently used baby swing that I had been wanting for some time!

So check Craigslist for garage sales, but also check the individual product categories to see if any of the items you want will be at a sale. I would check on Thursday nights and Friday nights to see what people plan to sell for the weekend. It was a huge timesaver, because rather than wander from sale to sale, I was able to go to targeted sales that had exactly what I wanted.

My third tip for finding great deals on baby gear at garage sales is about the details…bring an assortment of batteries with you to test things like toys and swings. Also, bring a damp cloth in a plastic bag or even a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser that is pre-moistened and sealed in a zippered bag so you can test if something that is slightly soiled can be cleaned. Also, like all good garage sale enthusiasts, be sure you bring small bills….nothing bigger than a $10 bill so that you don’t clean someone out of all of their change. This is a great time to clean out your spare change cup at home and grab a few loose ones and fives for the trip.

Also, if you plan to look for larger baby items like cribs and furniture, bring the appropriate vehicle with you. Don’t rely on the idea that you might be able to get a friend help you take something home. Have transportation arranged in advance so that you don’t inconvenience the sale owner and so that you can promptly take the items away without fear of losing out on a good deal.

With these tips, you should be able to clean up on great baby gear at your local sales!

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• Target is a great all-around, one-stop shopping place for baby stuff and makes registering very convenient. However, I was shocked at the amount they charge for shipping of baby furniture! I looked at the Simplicity Ellis 4-in-1 crib in Honey on their site and noticed that the price of $249.99 was pretty comparable to other stores. I placed the crib in the online shopping cart and started to go through the process as though I was buying it so I could see how much shipping would be. I was amazed…$356.00+ for the crib and shipping! $100 for shipping? No thanks!
• Walmart offered a similar, albeit less impressive collection of cribs. I noticed that they *did* have the Simplicity Ellis crib, but only in Natural and not in Honey. Their price of $239.99 was less than Target, but they also offered free shipping to the store where it could be picked up. Bonus! Too bad it wasn’t the one I wanted.
• Babies R’ Us also offered the same crib, this time in Honey, for $249.99, the same as Target, but their shopping cart allows you to estimate the shipping cost, and theirs was $26.00, a huge difference in shipping for the same exact item.
• Baby Depot provided a nice selection in their store, although I didn’t specifically see the Ellis crib in their display. They offered other Simplicity cribs though, but many of the display cribs didn’t have price tags on them, or the wrong ones were posted. I was a little disappointed.

One thing I learned about Baby Depot is that you can get baby supplies that really run the gamut as far as price is concerned. They offer very inexpensive "99 cent" deals as well as the more expensive and name-brand gear. I also liked that I was in a store that offered more than just baby items, so there seemed to be less of that "baby shopping vibe" that you get at Babies R’ Us. As much as I like Babies R’ Us, I *do* feel a bit under the spotlight like they can see me coming a mile away. There just seems to be a more pressured atmosphere there, although that might be just my store in particular.

As far as cribs go, I may have to go to Babies R’ Us to get the exact crib I want, but I was somewhat intrigued by another Simplicity offering at Baby Depot that was comprised of the crib and changing table with three drawers for much less than the Simplicity Ellis alone. Luckily, we have a few months (until September) to make our decision, so expect more posts on comparison shopping of baby cribs in the future.

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GiveAwayoftheDay offers a free piece of software everyday. The software must be downloaded and activated on the day it is offered in order to get it for free. Previous applications have included photo editing software, music library management software, blogging software like Post2Blog, and many others.

In my opinion, you will likely find only one or two programs a week that are useful for your needs because the variety of programs offered is so wide. There have been several days when I have not downloaded the software because it just was too narrowly focused for me. However, this can also be a good thing because you will likely find something unusual and unique in what they offer that you might not find elsewhere.

Most of the software titles normally retail from $19-$50 so this is a very good value! They also offer free games each day as well.

Check them out and bookmark this site! You’ll be glad you did!

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com

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