Tag: Free

It’s Time for Fall Maintenance and Cleaning

We’re now firmly into fall here in New England, and it’s time for some annual fall cleaning and maintenance on homes everywhere.

 

Let’s start with the easy stuff first — cleaning! One of the most important cleaning things that you should do in the fall is to take all of your family’s winter comforters to the dry cleaners or dry clean them yourself with a home kit. That way they are fresh and clean when the temperature starts dropping later on in the month.

Another thing that is great to do now is to go through all of the summer clothing in the house and figure out what you would like to with them, either pack them away for next year or donate them to the thrift store. Once you have figured that out, it’s time to bring out the winter clothes! Make sure that you have shopped for laundry detergent and fabric softener on DealDash, because the next step is to wash and dry all of your winter clothing before you put them into your closets and dressers. Even if you washed them directly before you packed them away they are still going to be a little stale and wrinkly, it’s best to give them a good washing.

Tide Pods Ocean Mist Detergent, 72ctDowny Ultra April Fresh Liquid Fabric Softener

Now on to the maintenance. If you’re a homeowner or a tenant that’s in charge of the maintenance on your home then read on, because these are important things that you should do every fall to keep things running smoothly.

  • Clean the gutters. I know, it’s not everyone (or anyone’s!) favorite thing to do, but it’s important that after leaves have fallen, clean out your gutters and downspouts, flush them with water, inspect the joints, and tighten your brackets if they need it. Clogged gutters are one of the major causes of ice dams. If any of your gutters are getting old be sure to replace them before the snow falls.
  • Caulk your windows. This job is a little more fun than the previous one, be sure to caulk around windows and door frames to prevent heat from escaping. Caulk around the outside, and then get a helper to turn on a hairdryer to heat around the edges – if you feel a stream of hot air it means that you should re-caulk that area, you might have missed a spot.
  • Inspect your roof. Make sure the roof is in good shape with no missing or  loose shingles. Ice, rain, snow, and wind combined with rapidly changing temperatures and humidity wreak havoc on roofs.
  • Have your boiler and fireplace inspected. Heating systems in good shape will use fuel more efficiently, last longer, and have fewer problems if properly serviced.

Hopefully we will have a mild winter this year, but even if we don’t, rest assured that you are prepared for the weather ahead. Go rake your lawn, then get yourself a hot cider or tea, and check out the auctions and see what you would really like to bid on and WIN! See you on DealDash everyone! Good luck and happy bidding.

Hi Newbies, Welcome to DealDash!

Hi Newbies! I’m glad that you decided to join DealDash. Here are a few hints and tips to get you started.

Now that you have joined DealDash the first thing that you are going to want to do is check out the House Rules which are found here. There are really only a few basic rules, but they are really important to familiarize yourself with them so you don’t jeopardize losing your bidding account. These rules are in place to make things as fair as possible for everyone. Here’s a quick overview of the rules– but please check out the full version so you don’t accidentally get yourself into trouble.

  • Each person can only have 1 account, no exceptions.
  • You can win up to 9 auctions per week. The system will not allow you to bid after you have reached your limit. All remaining BidBuddies will be automatically cancelled and your bids will be returned to your account.
  • You absolutely may not bid in the same auction with your family members, friends, or acquaintances.
  • You may not use any type of bidding software to automatically bid for you except the BidBuddy which is provided to everyone free of charge.
  • Your user name cannot be vulgar or obscene, and it also can’t mislead people into thinking that you are a DealDash employee, either.
  • DealDash employees and immediate family are not allowed to bid on auctions.

That’s basically it! As you can see there are really only a few rules, and they are really very easy to follow.

So you’ve bought your first bid pack and have brushed up on the rules, what’s next? Well, I would personally suggest that you don’t start bidding right away, but instead observe the auctions for a day or so to really see how things work. Once you have familiarized yourself with how the auctions work I would suggest you start with bidding on smaller auctions and also bidding on items you would buy anyway such as gift cards for Target and Wal-Mart, or even household items that you use daily such as toilet paper, tissues, or laundry detergent. Remember, if you have over-bid and reached the BIN price, use the “Buy it Now” option and pay retail price for the item. DealDash will when refund all of the bids you used on that item, and you can try again another day. This is really a great win-win situation for everyone.

So newbie DealDashers, those are just a few helpful guidelines for your first few times playing on DealDash. Remember to pay attention to the rules, check out the auctions and see what you would really like to bid on, and try some easier auctions to start! See you on DealDash everyone! Good luck and happy bidding.

How I Decide What to Bid On

There are so many great items to bid on when you go to DealDash sometimes it’s hard to choose what you really want.

I really think that the most important thing to do before you make any kind of bidding commitment is to do your research! Once you have found something that you would really like to win and you feel like you can commit yourself to going all the way to the BIN price if you have to, then start checking out every auction for the item you want, as well as similar items.

For instance, if you are interested in a certain outdoor grill then make sure that you put every grill that’s even remotely similar with the similar BIN price on your watch list. You can put them on your watch list by clicking the little star in the upper right corner, and DealDash will save the auction for you so you can come back later and check it out. It’s one of my favorite DealDash features.

George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Barbeque Grill Backyard Grill 17.5-Inch Charcoal GrillChar-Broil Patio Bistro Electric Grill

The reason that you want to put the other similar grills onto your watch list is that some people aren’t too particular about name brand, color, etc. and they are just trying to win a grill, any grill. You will especially find this to be true when people are doing their Christmas shopping and they are bidding on DealDash to pick up gifts for people.

Once you have all of these grills (or whatever item you are interested in of course!) on your watch list you should try to watch each and every grill auction, and take note of what day and time they begin, and what the final auction price is. That way you can get a better idea of when might be your best time to take the plunge and start bidding. Just make sure that you get your first bid in before the auction hits $5 or you will be locked out.

So, DealDashers, that is how I decide what to bid on when I visit DealDash. Sometimes the plan works out beautifully and I won an awesome item, and other times I end up Buying It Now and using my bids a different day. That’s the fun of DealDash, you never know who will win! So go ahead and check out the auctions and see what you would really like to bid on and WIN! See you on DealDash everyone! Good luck and happy bidding.

How To Conserve Your Bids

The next best thing to buying cheap bids on sale is conserving the ones you already have!

You might ask “How am I supposed to win if I am being thrifty with my bids?” Well, there are a few different ways to try and conserve your bids for another day, and I will try to teach you about some of the easiest ways to save your bids for later.

The first way is pretty obvious – only bid on items that you are willing to “go all the way” on, do your math so you know when to stop bidding to break even with your bids + final auction cost, then stop bidding! Remember, if you do your math calculations and you have reached the BIN price, use the “Buy it Now” option and pay retail price for the item. DealDash will when refund all of the bids you used on that item, and you can try again another day.

 

The next way to conserve bids is to enter the auction late. On most days at DealDash you have to get at least 1 bid in before the auction price has hit $5. These are called “No Jumper” auctions, and it basically means that DealDash doesn’t want someone who has no bids invested in an item to get to win it with just a few when other bidders have been trying hard (for hours sometimes) to win the item. However, DealDash has decided that $5 is the magic price, and as long as you get your first bid in before then you are good to sit back and wait until the competition is less fierce, say when there are only 3 or 4 people left in the auction. Some days the No Jumper auctions start at $3 instead of $5, but it’s always marked very clearly at the top of the homepage, so there’s no confusion.

The last way to conserve bids that I would like to talk about today is a little bit on the risky side – Going Mobile!! Sometimes there’s a particular auction that I am interested in that I won’t be at home to catch, so normally I would just load up my BidBuddy with the appropriate number of bids to break even if I win, and hope for the best. However, now that DealDash has made a great mobile site it’s easy to bid “on the go.” This way I can monitor the auction from my phone and step in at just the right moment instead of bidding from the beginning and probably losing to someone who started at the $3 or $4 mark. I say that this is a “risky” way to try and conserve bids because there have been MANY times that I have planned on monitoring an auction from my phone, but by the time that I remember to check it’s already passed the $5 No Jumper limit. So if it’s something that you are extremely interested in I would suggest setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to check the auction.

That’s it! Those are just a few simple ways to save your bids and get the most out of your bid pack purchases. Pay attention to what you’re doing, check out the auctions and see what you would really like to bid on, and try my tips to save bids. See you on DealDash everyone! Good luck and happy bidding.

How I Got My Biggest Win

Neato on DealDash

What’s your biggest win on DealDash? My biggest (and favorite) win is my Neato Robotics XV Signature Robotic Vacuum.

 

There is honestly no big secret of how I got my biggest win on DealDash. It was just a combination of different factors – Having enough bids saved up to go the distance to BIN (Buy It Now) if I needed to, doing research on the item and my competitors, using my BidBuddy, and having a little luck on my side!

I have written many blogs before on some of the best ways to win items on DealDash, and it really usually comes down to those simple factors that I listed above. Broken down, here are my DealDash “Best Practices” suggestions that I used to win my Neato Robotic Vacuum.

  • Have enough bids to BIN the item if you need to. The BIN price on the Neato Robotic Vacuum is $381. That means that if this happens to be a free auction weekend I could bid approximately 2,381 – 3,175  times, depending on what price I paid for the bids, and still come out even with the BIN price. However, if it’s a half-price auction or a full-priced auction then you need to be careful that you don’t accidentally bid too many times if you are factoring in bid cost + final auction cost. In this particular situation my Neato’s final auction cost was $53.11, so that means that I could bid a maximum of  2,050 – 2,733 times (depending on bid price .12 – .16) and still come out even with the BIN price. Yes, it’s a lot of math, but it’s worth it to do the calculations to make sure that you don’t accidentally overbid and win. Of course, if you “win” and you paid more in bid cost + final auction cost than the BIN price, it’s not really a win, now is it? Be smart, do your math!

 

 

  • The next thing that I always mention when giving tips to people is to make sure that you do your research on the item and your competitors. When you have found something that you would really like to win and you feel like you can commit yourself to going all the way to the BIN price if you have to, then start checking out every auction for the item you want, as well as similar items. Just put them on your watch list by clicking the little star in the upper right corner, and DealDash will save the auction for you so you can come back later and check it out. While you are doing your research on the item, pay attention to who is bidding on the item you want as well as similar items. That way you can get a feel if they are the sort of person that just tosses in 100 bids and walks away, or if they are in it for the long haul.

  • When you have finally decided on the best auction for yourself, checked out the other items and competition, then it’s time for the best tool that DealDash could ever offer – the BidBuddy! When you have decided that it’s time to stop watching and really get into the auction, then do your math that we talked about earlier, put your bids into your BidBuddy, and hope for the best! Remember, if you do your math calculations and you have reached the BIN price and still haven’t won, use the “Buy it Now” option and pay retail price for the item. DealDash will when refund all of the bids you used on that item, and you can try again another day.

  • The last component of how I got my biggest win was just a little bit of luck on my side. I was able to get my Neato by placing about 800 bids, which is around $96 since I typically only buy bids when they are .12. So $96 + $53 = $149 for an item that has a BIN price of $381 is a profit of $232, and I think that’s quite lucky, indeed!

So, my fellow bidders, that is the story of how I got my biggest win on DealDash. Go ahead and check out the auctions and see what you would really like to bid on and WIN! See you on DealDash everyone! Good luck and happy bidding.