PennySaverUSA.com Blog – The Best Resource for Online Classifieds, Coupons, and Online Contests!

At any given time, we have a large number of ads on PennySaverUSA.com from people looking for roommates, and with school starting back up, as it is now, the number shoots sky high! Today we want to give you some pointers on how best to create an ad for a roommate to guarantee the other half of the rent will get paid.

There are a few standard items you always want to include in the beginning of your ad: price, if you’re looking for a male or female roommate,  location, deposit, if they have their own bathroom and if pets are allowed. After those basics are out of the way, you need to hit every possible keyword that might make them jump up to call you, or at least let them know not to waste their time. If they have a cat and you forget to mention in your ad that just watching the Garfield movie makes you break out in hives, let alone living around an actual cat. Here are some suggestions:

• Safety is always a concern for anyone looking for a new place to live. Be clear about the safety level of where you’re living. If it’s a gated community, be sure to mention this,  as it can be a vital component to some, but others might prefer to not live gated. If your apartment complex has it’s own security, be sure that your potential roommate knows this!
• Be sure to mention if there is a covered parking available, or if they will have an assigned spot or garage. If a garage is provided, you should ask them whenthey contact you what kind of vehicle they drive. You don’t want to try to fit a monster truck into a closet! If parking is not provided, let them know if parking will be a concern and how long the walk to the place will be from the parking area.
• Be sure to mention what the laundry situation is; Discuss whether it’s on site or if there is a laundromat nearby.
• Mention what level your apartment is on, because some people might not want to climb 3 flights of stairs due to an injury or other issue.
• People want to know about the convenience of the location: Mention your distance to a college, freeway, grocery or post office.
• If you have a workout center provided, mention that, along with any tennis or basketball courts.
• Are gas/water/trash included in the rent, or will it be a separate payment?

Anything else you can think of? Let us know and comment below!

Click here to look for a roommate on PennySaverUSA.com!

Hello there, PennySavers! We wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow, August 31, is the last day to submit your entries for our “People Post the Darndest Things” contest to win $250!  All you have to do is click the link below and tell us the craziest thing you ever saw posted for sale in the PennySaver or on the PennySaverUSA.com website: http://www.pennysaverusa.com/contest/61/details/

We’ve received some crazy entries so far, can you beat them?

“10 Hens and 1 rooster. Older animals no longer laying but we cannot bring ourselves to eat them. Moving to apartment and would like them to have good home to live out their days. Free with 4 large bags of chicken chow and one of corn. We will deliver”

-Bangor, PA

“14 frozen ducks.  They were a gift to us from a friend who bought them on vacation in upstate NY. We are vegetarians.  Have always been frozen solid. Oven ready.  Will sell for $2 per duck.”

-Bangor, PA

“Some guy wanting to have access to someone’s yard for “tanning purposes”.  I don’t know if he’s willing to pay for this access and I don’t know if he wants to tan in the nude, but it sounded really weird.”

-San Pedro, CA

The contest ends 11:59:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time on August 31, 2010, so hurry!

When you’re posting your ads or looking through the PennySaver for deals, did you know that you can personalize your page? It’s true, It’s true!

If you look up in the top right corner of the page, you will see an area where you can personalize your account by adding your picture and your information, as well as quickly reference your active ads as well as what ads you have saved on your clipboard for later.

Click ‘My Account’ and it will take you to this screen. Here you can enter as much info as you want about yourself as you would like, as well as upload your picture, which can be whatever you want!  As you can see, I have a picture of my dog as a puppy as my picture, have fun with it!

You can click on the tabs above the date entry fields to see all of the active ads that you have posted on the site at any time, ads that you have saved for later on your clipboard as well as Search Alerts. This is a feature that allows you to save any search that you conduct and you will be alerted when new ads come up in whatever category that you were searching. Example: If you were searching in Garage Sales in Brea, Ca, whenever news sales are posted in that area, you get an alert, and it will leave you a little note in here for you. Cool, right?

Personalizing your page is fun and useful, give it a try!

Our Tweet2Win contest is in full swing! Have you sent us a picture  with the item of your choice yet? If not, you should! The contest is easy:

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Pick a Prize

2.Take a picture of the Prize with a PennySaver booklet  or the Printed Badge

3.Tweet the picture to @PennySaverUSA with hashtag #tweet2win

That’s it! Click here to see some examples of how to do it!

We will be giving away a prize once a week until Sept. 28, so you have so many chances to win! First off, pick up your local PennySaver or print the badge that you can get by clicking here. When you’re out and about and you come across an item that you’ve been wanting, grab your phone, take a picture of the item with a copy of the PennySaver or the badge in the photo WITH it.

Our Web Team went out this week to a local mall to show you how easy it is. Check it!

Chipotle Burger from Nick's Super Burgers, PennySaver Customer

If you are starting your own restaurant, PennySaverUSA.com is the perfect place to advertise and get your name out there. If you’re advertising with us, you can give away multitudes of coupons, receive online reviews and ratings and begin to make your mark in your community.

First, like all advertisements, you need to cover the basics, such as what, where and when. Tell them what kind of restaurant it is, where you’re located and when you’re open. But even within those basic guidelines, you need to try to get as much info included with the least amount of chance for confusion. For instance, if you’re a sit-down cheeseburger and fries restaurant that also sells burritos and smaller lunch items like salads and soups, as well as vegetarian options,  be sure to try to pack that info in there. When groups are leaving their offices for lunch, simply selling cheeseburgers might not appeal to everyone involved and might cost you potential business.

Another important point to hit with as much detail as possible is location. Give your address, your cross streets and any note-worthy landmarks that might help people to navigate to your place. There are so many choices these days, especially in a metropolitan area, people can tend to give up very easily and hit the most convenient place they see.

Be sure to list what kind of atmosphere your restaurant has.  If your restaurant is a family friendly restaurant, be sure to point that out.  If you are running more of a business aimed at adults (a lounge or bar, for example), be sure to make this distinction. Also, if there is any designated parking for your restaurant, mention that in the ad to prepare people so when they pull up, there is no more hassle than necessary.

PennySaverUSA.com is also known for it’s vast array of coupons, especially in the restaurant department. Offering 2 for 1 specials, 20 percent off with coupon, wine or beer specials or whatever creative savings you can come up with is a proven way to get people in the door. It creates incentive in a  very competitive landscape.

We encourage everyone who wants to create a buzz around their restaurant to use PennySaver.com, and if you are a restaurant owner or want to share any suggestions, comment below!

As many of you know, especially our California readers, PennySaver is a brand that has been a part of millions of lives for 48 years and is in over 700 local editions and mailed to 95% of the residents in California. And because of this, there are a great deal of stories that we hear from our readers about how the PennySaver shaped their life. We want to share a few of these every week with you here on our PennySaverUSA.com blog.

My  favorite memory of browsing the PennySaver is when I was looking for a twin bed for my Mom, I called the number and this lady answered. After going to her home for the bed, I told her that it was for my Mom, not only did she give me the bed, she gave me a fridge, dishes, bed spread and waffle maker. We became friends, and about six months after that she went home to be with the Lord, she was the second person that I could truly say was a friend, since that my Mom passed away and I then give the bed to a little girl who needed a bed. I thank the Penny Saver, for if it wasn’t for Joyce posting the ads, I would of never had the opportunity to meet such a wonderful friend. -Fontana, CA

It was about 7-8 years ago (I think). I entered to win tickets to Sea World (entered online). I totally forgot about entering the contest. On Christmas Eve, I went to the mailbox and there was a letter from the PennySaver. I opened it and 4 tickets to Sea World was enclosed. So, the day after Christmas we went to Sea World. Thank you PennySaver, it was great my kids were little back then and I am a grandma of 3 now. -Palmdale, CA

I remember when I was about 10 years old and my father was the only one working and my mother was in between jobs. There was a Barbie Doll, named Pink and Pretty, that I wanted but knew we couldn’t afford. Every day I would look at her in the ads. My mom went to the Pennysaver and took on the job of delivering the Pennysaver from house to house (at that time you would have to put the Pennysaver together and place it in a plastic bag). When she received her first check, she went and bought me my new Pink and Pretty. If it weren’t for Pennysaver giving my mom that job at that time, I would have never known the extent a parent would go to make their children happy. Thanks Pennysaver for the memories. -Pomona, CA

My favorite memory was when you would have the FREE PAGE and my boys would come home running to see what it was for that week. They would fight over who would get it and then we would all go out as a family to get it. I so miss those days. My boys are in college now and when they come home, they would see the Pennysaver on the floor and open it to look for the free page. I would have to tell them that you don’t do that anymore and they would just smile. I think that in their minds they loved to find that and look through the Saver to see what else looked good to them. Thank you Pennysaver for those great memories……. Those were fun years!!!! -Pleasanton, CA

Do you have a PennySaver memory? Let us know by commenting or by emailing your memories to bhouchin@pennysaverusa.com.

It’s Wednesday, it’s 11:30 and it’s time to…uh…ok, we’ll party later, for now it’s time to SAVE! It’s time for the PennySaverUSA.com Steals of the Week.

We ventured into the world of heavy duty appliances this week. With the economy still hitting a lot of people hard right now, having an appliance like a freezer or washer/dryer go out on you in your home or business could be a major hindrance. Or if you’re moving into a new dorm or just enjoying the last weeks of summer, check out these deals:

This person in Anaheim, CA has 2 freezers available for $75 a piece, one being an upright and the other being a chest freezer. That’s Cheap!

If you’re in Georgia and your Washer has gone out, check out this Kenmore 80 Series Washer in Kathleen, GA being offered at only $100!  If you need clothes washed, this is an inexpensive way to get back on track.

Are you moving into a new dorm room and you need your own little fridge? If you’re in Oak Forest, IL, you can grab this one for $50! It’s in great condition and perfect for storing beverages. It also includes a mini freezer inside.

If you’re in the Anaheim area and you’re looking for a Commercial Dryer, look no further than PennySaverUSA.com! You can get this dryer for only $150!

As a kid, summer wasn’t summer without mom and dad making Homemade Ice Cream with blackberry cobbler at least a times! If you’ve never tried to make your own ice cream, for $15, you should give it a try! It’s still in the box, so have at it!

Have any Steals that you’ve found? Comment Below!