Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Grab a deal– by Frank and Muriel Newman
Grab a deal– by Frank and Muriel Newman
The age of bits and bytes, ipods and mice that click instead of squeak is a wondrous thing, and for the oily rag bargain hunter it has opened up exciting new frontiers.
The age of electronic wizardry is especially good at bringing people prepared to sell stuff cheaply, with those that want to buy stuff for a whole lot less than you would normally pay. And this is why it’s of interest to those living off the smell of an oily rag.
The latest faditis to infect the cyberspace is the rise of grab-a-bargain websites. Imagine each of these sites as an enormous bargain bin that has lots of cheap stuff in it, all marked down by anywhere between 50% and 90%, and you can see why they appeal to oily raggers. So let’s have a quick look at these bargain bin sites and the sort of deals you would find in them.
The best known of the “grab-a” type sites
is grab-a-seat. This is where Air New Zealand offers its
deals. It obviously wants to put people on planes so they
don’t fly around empty, so this is where they entice price
conscious travellers on board to luxuriate and enjoy instant
coffee and a dry biscuit - or vegetable crisps if you
prefer! For example, this morning’s special is Auckland to
Wellington for $39, instead of the usual $200 or so. You
will need to be quick to get the deals because lots of
people are online hunting for these bargains. You’ll also
need to be prepared to plan ahead since most deals are for
flights some months away. The site is at www.grabaseat.co.nz.
Another grab site is “GrabOne”, at www.grabone.co.nz. This is a coupon site that offers one deal a day. You essentially buy a coupon using your credit card. For example, the deal of the day we visited was an eye examination for $25 instead of $60 (incidentally, 921 people bought that day’s deal). Most of the deals are for services and activities rather than products.
Another coupon site is Ezycoupons. It is styled more on the lines of the classic coupon that arrives as junk mail or appears on the back of the supermarket checkout till receipts. The site has lots of coupons for lots of things - anything from Pizza to toys at 15% off retail. If you are into coupon specials have a look at www.ezycoupons,co.nz. All you need to do is print the online coupon and redeem it at the store.
Product deal hunters may be interested in www.1-day.co.nz. It offers a limited range of stuff at big discounts. The best deal when we visited was a 4-person picnic hamper for $30 instead of the “why pay” price of $105.
We have posted lots of new tips on the oily rag website which is getting bigger by the day. Dave from Wanganui has asked a question. “Several technicians told us when we had trouble with our TV and Sky that turning the appliance of at the wall would shorten the life of the machines -the power surge at start up time was not good for them. Can you confirm this?” If you have the answer for Dave, drop us a note and we will pass it on.
Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag by Frank & Muriel Newman is available from all good bookstores or online at www.oilyrag.co.nz. If you have some favourite living off the smell of an oily rag tips, share them with others by visiting the oily rag website or write to Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.
* Frank and Muriel Newman are the
authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ.
Readers can submit their oily rag tips on-line at www.oilyrag.co.nz. The book is available
from bookstores and online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.
ends
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