May 2014 - Page 5 of 8 - DealDash Tips

May 15, 2014

Graduation Gift Guide From Items Found On DealDash

Graduation time is here and the graduation parties are just around the corner. Now that your daughter, son, niece, nephew, cousin, friend, or brother or sister has completed their rite of passage by receiving their high school or college graduation it’s time to celebrate, and if they’re really special (of course they are!) it’s time to pick out a gift. 1. A Samsung Galaxy S5 SmartPhone Whether your grad is off to college or off to the work world a brand new smartphone can help them along the way. WIth all the latest apps in the Android Google Play store from calendars and e-mail to crisp, clear communications via phone, 16MP camera and video, a way to research, write, connect and communicate with friends, family, colleagues or clients. A smartphone is a brilliant choice for the smart graduate. Plus it’s water and dustproof (if they’re not so smart :-p). 2. The Neat Company: NeatDesk for Mac SheetFed Scanner With this handy-dandy scanner your grad will need a Mac computer, so make sure they have one first (or include it as a gift!). It’s perfect if they’re on to the work world. The NeatDesk scanner allows ability to scan business cards, documents and more at up to 600 dpi resolution. A great way to get organized and convert important documents to digital form. Buy it now price is $356 on DealDash.

3. Keurig One Cup Brew Coffee Maker

For all those late nights cramming for exams in college, or waking up in the morning for work if you grad is a coffee, tea, or eve hot cocoa drinker they will be sure to love the Keurig Platinum Brewer.

4. Philips – Wake-Up Light Clock Radio

After the late nights and before the coffee, your grad will definitely need this wake up light clock radio from Philips.

This clock radio helps ensure your wake-up process is pleasant with a halogen lamp that simulates a natural sunrise by gradually increasing light 30 minutes prior to your set wake-up time. Wake up to a bird signing, a beep or your favorite radio station.

Buy it now price is $100 on DealDash, or try to win for less in the auctions.

What are some gifts you plan on giving your grad?

May 14, 2014

Love Deal Dash Family Mail

Deal Dash has been influential in my life which has allowed me to help get clothes for my granddaughter.

My daughter is a single parent and if you have children you know children grow so quickly, it can be a hardship to keep up. On Deal Dash I try to win TJX, Gap, Macy’,s and get her any other gift cards especially to her favorite store, Justice.

The savings on the gift cards afforded me to buy her the warmest winter parka, extra jogging outfits, hats, etc. Since we live in the Northeast, kids need everything to be warm in the winter. Clothes are so expensive that Deal Dash has become my clever way to save money. I took the time to stay the course and try to win. Sometimes, auctions would take a long time but as a Grandma, I will do anything to help out. It has made a difference in taking some of the financial stress off my daughter. Besides, what little girl doesn’t love new clothes?

Like most senior citizens, I am on Social Security so I am limited on spending. My granddaughter is 8 years old and understands the concept of Deal Dash. She is also one of the best dressed and always excited to see those gift cards I win or BIN on DealDash coming in the mail. Thank you, Deal Dash!

Sincerely, Grandmadebbie

May 13, 2014

Popcorn Party: Machines + Recipes for a Tasty Treat

Did you know that Americans consume more than 16 billion quarts of popcorn a year? I didn’t either. Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories with air popped popcorn containing just 31 calories per cup and oil-popped just 55 calories. Popcorn is really simple to make on the stove, with a machine, or an air-popper, but I bet you didn’t know that you could bid and win a variety of different machines on DealDash or great recicpes to make popcorn taste even better, now did you? (If you did, tell us!).

One recipe I stumbled upon recently comes from a lady who lives in a treehouse down in Miami. I saw Shawnee’s Popcorn being sold in a Whole Food’s in Sarasota, FL and here’s what’s in it. “Our popcorn is full of nutrients and minerals, and it leaves you wanting more just because it tastes so good and your body is feeling happy!”

Green Thumb Popcorn ingredients so you can make your own nutrition-packed, healthy popcorn at home:

Organic popcorn- air popped or cooked on the stove in coconut oil. Then tossed with organic sunflower oil, organic spirulina, nutritional yeast, Sea salt, organic garlic powder, organic cayenne powder, organic kelp powder, organic beet powder, organic carrot powder.
Ranch Popcorn
Melt 4 tablespoons butter with a 1-ounce packet ranch seasoning mix; toss with 16 cups hot popcorn and 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Season with salt.
Parmesan-Rosemary
Toss 16 cups hot popcorn with 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
Peanut Butter
Heat 1 cup honey and 3/4 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup peanut butter and 1 teaspoon each vanilla extract and kosher salt until smooth; pour over 16 cups hot popcorn and 2 cups peanuts and toss. Spread on baking sheets and let cool.
Cinnamon Sugar
Drizzle 6 tablespoons melted butter over 12 cups hot popcorn; toss with 4 cups cinnamon cereal (such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch), 1/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Kettle Corn
Mix 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a few popcorn kernels in 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until one pops. Add 3/4 cup popcorn kernels and cover. Cook, shaking the pot occasionally, until the popcorn starts rapidly popping. Crack the lid open and pour in the sugar mixture. Cover and cook, shaking the pot, until the popping subsides.

Szechuan
Heat 1 cup each peanuts and dried arbol chiles, 1/2 cup each peanut oil, sesame seeds and Szechuan peppercorns, and 4 teaspoons each sugar and kosher salt in a large skillet over medium heat until the nuts and chiles are toasted, 4 minutes; pour over 16 cups hot popcorn. Toss with 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil.

Birthday Cake Batter Popcorn

6 cups popped pop corn, 1 1/2 cups or so almond bark (or white chocolate), melted, 1 cup cake batter mix,

1/4 cup butter, assorted sprinkles

Check out the HUGE variety of popcorn related items up for auction on DealDash:

The Nostalgia Electrics Vintage Collection offers a wide array of classy vintage popcorn makers in both tabletop and cart styles.

The Waring Pro WPM10 can make up to 20 cups of popcorn, plus it’s got a halogen heater with built-in stirring system that reduces the amount of oil needed. Large steam vents keep popcorn dry and crispy. Buy it now price is $59.99 on DealDash.

Maxi Matic Popcorn Maker – Buy it now price is $149.99.

This popcorn popper features a 4-oz. kernel capacity that lets you make plenty of popcorn for a large group – 1 1/2 gallon capacity. Plus, the warming tray keeps popcorn warm until you’re ready to serve.

The Nostalgia Electrics Retro Kettle Popcorn maker last sold for $0.59. It has a buy it now price of $72.

May 12, 2014

How to Make the Most of Your DealDash Bids

If you’re one of those bidders who just and bid and end up losing tons of money, and believe me, even the most conservative spenders can get carried away when they get started on a penny auction site (I’ve been there), learn how to make the most of your bids.
How to Make the Most of Your Bids on DealDash:
1. Don’t “bid throttle” – Slow down! This means don’t just bid right away and blast away your bids by bidding right after anyone else bids. A lot of people get carried away and frustrated that they aren’t able to win right away, so what do they do? Blast away TONS of bids when they really shouldn’t. If you are bidding and someone else bids against you, then you place a bid and they bid against you again notice how other bidders that were also there bidding before you started to bid have slowed down? They’re still there and waiting for you (or the other bidder) to drop out… Watch out for this and don’t get carried away so that you place way more bids than you need to.
2. Stock up and Save!
Okay, I know that sounds like a weekly supermarket ad – BUT, it’s a great idea to stock up on bids, so that you can save money in the long run. Ways to do this would be to watch out for bid promotions and purchase bids in BULK when they’re on sale. For instance, the cost of a bid in an initial bid pack is $0.60 a piece. If you wait or get in on bid pack sales you can get them for as low as $0.17 or even less! There’s currently a bid promotion for Mother’s Day where bids are now $0.15 each.
3. Don’t win? Get ALL of your bids back
Huh, What? You can get ALL of your bids back? I know what you’re thinking… how can that be? Well, DealDash lets all bidders get their bids back if they don’t win an item by using “buy it now” to buy the item within 7 days from the auction close date. This is great if you really want the item you were bidding on and don’t like to lose money by losing the bids you placed. So definitely use buy it now when you bid and don’t win.
4. Keep track of your win limits and make the most of them!
All bidders can win up to 6 items valued less than $200 and 3 items valued more than $200 per week.
You can keep track of the status of your wins by looking at the win limit slots right next to your bid balance amount on the upper right-hand corner of DealDash.com.
5. Bid wisely.
Only bid on items that you really want or need and that you would be able to use buy it now on to get all of your bids back and minimize losses.
Do you bid on DealDash or any other penny auction? Tell us about your bidding tips! Good luck, win tons!

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