In general, I’m a lazy shopper. I like to buy my clothes online and I’m not very passionate about looking around for the best prices. Well, money is tight this month, so I did what I do best: I searched the internet for money-saving ideas. So far, the best thing I’ve found is PriceBlink.com. This computer add-on is an "automatic search" that helps you with comparison shopping and with finding reliable coupons.
PriceBlink is not perfect, but I’ve already saved $20 on a $46.00 name-brand top. And, I didn’t have to do anything except click one or two times. PriceBlink did all the work.
PriceBlink Review
I would never tell you to do something that I wouldn't do myself, so I loaded PriceBlink onto my small netbook computer. Why did I do that? Well, I’m very wary of some download sites and, even though I checked out PriceBlink reviews, I’m a cautious person when it comes to my main computer.
I’ll tell you how to get your own free PriceBlink app (to add to your computer) later in the article. First, I will explain four research examples where I used PriceBlink while shopping.
Search for Boots: Review of PriceBlink
I own a comfy pair of black Sofft ‘Vondra’ boots that I bought at Nordstrom.com, so I wanted to see if they had these same boots in brown. I used my small computer with PriceBlink loaded onto it. When I got to Nordstrom.com, I saw a little popup (from PriceBlink) at the top of the screen that said:
- "PriceBlink has found Nordstrom Coupons."
I ignored that for a bit, while I searched for the boots. I found the boots on sale for $132.90. Cool. Then, at the top of the screen, the PriceBlink alert read:
- "The next lowest price on this item is $149.99 (Free Shipping) at OnlineShoes.com."
So, I knew that Nordstrom had the best price. Then, I looked at the Nordstrom coupons, at the top of the screen, delivered by PriceBlink:
- "Free Standard Shipping on $200+ Nordstrom order."
- "Free Shipping on entire order with any pair of Shoes purchase."
Nordstrom had the best price and had free shipping. The coupons were unnecessary at Nordstrom’s because the discounts were automatically included in my purchase. But, not all stores do that.
Second Experiment: Comparison Shopping for Black T-Shirt
I wanted a black tee for that chic Parisian look. Since I am from Seattle, I usually shop at Nordstrom whenever possible because this Seattle chain has great customer service. I found a “Three Dots Deep V-Neck Three-Quarter Sleeve Tee” for $46.00 at Nordstrom.com. Normally, I would click and buy without thinking. However, the PriceBlink popup made me a believer, when it said:
- "Savings found! This item costs $23.40 at Amazon. Plus $4.98 shipping."
For some reason, the price was wrong on the PriceBlink alert, but it was close. The same black top was $26.00 at Amazon. And, that was still a savings of $20. The $4.98 shipping was correct. (Virtual smiley face here.)
Third Experiment at Macys.com
I browsed Macy’s and clicked on “Free People Dress Sleeveless Tie Dye Maxi $168.00” And, I got all excited when the popup said that the dress was available at Piperlime.com for a lot less. When I clicked the popup, it was a false alarm. Someone messed up. The dress was not cheaper and the popup lied. Bummer.
Fourth Experiment: Shopping at OneStopPlus.com
I had seen good results with the PriceBlink coupons. So, I went to OneStopPlus.com and clicked on "Jessica London Tank Dress – From $49.99" and used the promo code (coupon code) when I got ready to check out. And, that $49.99 dress dropped to $29.99.
Honestly, when I looked around on the OneStopPlus.com website, I saw the same checkout (discount) codes on the bottom of their webpage. However, the PriceBlink coupon was much easier to use. Their alert was:
- Easier to find
- Easier to read
Small Problems With Using PriceBlink
You’ve heard the pros. Here are the cons:
- PriceBlink is not compatible with IE, which is probably the browser you are using. I'll help you, below.
- PriceBlink only works with sites that are signed up. However, the list of stores is huge.
- The alert didn't work on Zappos.com when I tried it.
Here's How to Get a Firefox Browser
One of the problems with PriceBlink is that it doesn’t work with IE (Windows Internet Explorer). So, you need to have Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox added to your computer. I just downloaded the Firefox browser onto my main computer (and that’s what I recommend). Firefox is very safe. Here is the Firefox 4 Free Download. (It's easy. You can't break your computer.)
- Click “Run” and follow the directions.
- Choose the default (highlighted) buttons; they are named Continue, Next, Finish, etc.
- The computer may need to restart.
- You will need to use Firefox whenever you want to use PriceBlink for shopping.
When you’re done installing Firefox, you will have a circular red fox icon on your desktop. Click on the fox and you’re off. A few things are difficult to do on Firefox, but you can always close Firefox and open IE by clicking on the "e."
How to Download Your Free Copy of PriceBlink
The simple instructions are at PriceBlink.com. I have just downloaded Firefox onto my main computer and I’ll write down how to add PriceBlink as I put it on my main computer. If you don’t have Firefox or Chrome, download Firefox first, using directions above. For PriceBlink:
- Click “Download Firefox Add On.”
- Click “Add to Firefox.”
- Click “Install Now.”
- Click “Restart Now.”
Then, start playing around with the goodies on the PriceBlink webpage. One thing that looks particularly interesting is “Wish Lists”. Well, you might be wondering if you can use this cool app to find price comparisons and coupons for things like food, pet supplies, children’s products, and beauty supplies. Yes, indeedie. You definitely can.
Feedback or Questions
I seldom add any apps to my computer unless I really love them. You can always uninstall PriceBlink if you don’t use it, but from what I’ve saved today (about $20 on a quality top and $20 on a long summer dress), I am already happy with this free, easy-to-use program.
Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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