Buzzillions Blogs

Everyone’s got their opinions about which are the best sites out there for saving you money and aggravation.   With so many lists, it’s hard to get a comprehensive one together since new sites are launched all the time. Though this list is in no way comprehensive, it’s worth checking out if you’re looking to save some money. There are some tried and true sites on here of course, but also quite a few new gems worth your time. Yes, Buzzillions is on here.  And while I am of course biased, I also think our site (with the sheer volume of reviews, the pros and cons, the easy to read Review Snaphot and the overall ratings on each product) is the best out there.

slickdeals.net:

This forum based website is addictive, snarky, fast paced and filled with incredible deals.  Powered by members (anyone can join) users post deals they find online and in Brick and Mortar stores.    Users are intense, and hell bent on finding the lowest deal using cashback offers, coupon stacking, free shipping, promotion codes and more.    Newbies beware.  Do your homework before you post a deal and make sure it hasn’t been posted already on the site.  The professional deal hounds are apt to flame you.

retailmenot:

• Retail me not provides listings of coupon codes and offers from all over the web.  They also leave up expired coupons as sometimes these still work when they are not taken out of a retailer’s stystem.  Coupons are ranked by the probability of them working.

  

  supercook:

• While there are tons of cooking sites out there, there aren’t a lot out there geared towards you spending less.  Supercook works like this:  type in the ingredients you currently have in the house and Supercook searches a number of recipe sites and up pops the recipes that you can make right now, tonight, from those ingredients.  Type in chicken breast, breadcrumbs, lemon, butter and up pops a recipe for Lemon Baked Chicken. Less waste in your fridge, more ideas about what to do with those pantry items. It’s not a miracle worker; it can’t make Chicken Cordon Bleu out of salami, peanut butter and leftover pizza, but you get the idea. Money saved.
• 
• PaperBack Swap:
  • “Mail a book. Get a book. Any book you request is yours to keep, share or trade. No late fees. No processing charges. No hidden charges. Every time you mail a book to another member, you can request one for yourself from over 3 Million.”  I know, I know, use the library.  But if you’re like me, your library books languish somewhere in the back of your car for months on end.  Yes, you mean to return them, but somehow…  With PaperBack Swap you can also keep the book.  If you just love it too much or maybe the kids spill juice all over the critical plot points, it’s okay.  Bonus:  the online postage program – print labels from your computer and avoid the post office wait.

  lastminutetravel:

• 

  I didn’t set out to have two travel sites on this list, but I feel these are two that don’t get a lot of attention and deserve it.  Both I learned about through slickdeals.net when members would post excitedly about $25 hotel rooms in London.  While most flights you find here are non refundable, the deals are incredible.  The best hotel deals are “undercover” – in other words, they simply say 4 star hotel in Vancouver, $52 a night.  You won’t know the name of the hotel until you book.  Keep your toiletry bag packed and maybe an overnight bag too and take advantage of rooms and flights that aren’t filled.

  

  heyitsfree.net:

A bare bones blog, that posts one thing and one thing only, free stuff.  If subway is giving away a free sandwich on Fat Tuesday, you’ll find it here.  Free t-shirts, work out cd mixes and a mail-in kids tonsillectomy kits (does not include scalpel) were just a few of the things I found on the home page.  You’ll probably find something you like here, and like the website name says, “hey, it’s free”.


buzzillions:

Plenty of sites have reviews.  What we’ve got is reviews on practically everything.  Not just TVs, not just toys and beuaty products.  Everything.  If you can think of it, we’ve probably got a review on it.  I won’t go on and on, but with our Review Snapshot you can see quickly where the product falls within its category, how many stars it has and what the pros and cons are.  Easy.  And, if you’ve got yourself an iPhone, download our app.  That way, when you’re standing blinking at the array of digital cameras at Best Buy, you can check out reviews before you make your decision.



ebates:

I’m always surprised by how many people don’t shop through ebates.  It’s incredibly easy to sign up, there are no fees and you simply need to start at ebates to get your money.  The number of sites they feature gets bigger seemingly every day – Nordstrom, StubHub, Target, Overstock , eBay,  Southwest Airlines – it’s a very long list.  Adding to that is the ebates daily double, when ebates cash back is doubled.  This week, Southwest is offering 5% cash back on bookings when you start at ebates.   The cash back stays in your ebates account and after about 60 days, you can have it sent to your PayPal account, a charity or family member or have it mailed to you.



travelzoo:

I’m completely addicted to travelzoo’s Top 20 that they mail out once a week.  Though I’m terrified of taking three small children on a trip anywhere farther than chuck e. cheese, i have dreams of taking them all over world.  I also have dreams of taking myself all over the world, without them.  Either way, their top 20 list is a quick way of seeing the best, most outrageouysly good deals on flights, hotels etc. in your email box.



myopenbar:

Their tagline says it all:  free booze, open bars and cultural events.  Though My Open Bar is not yet in all cities, they currently list for the following cities:  Los Angeles, Chicago, Honolulu, San Francisco, New York and Miami.   I realize this isn’t helpful to everyone, but I suspect they will widen their reach soon.  If you’re looking for a free event, a gallery open, a sponsored event with a free cocktail or two, this is the place to look first.  While we’re all scaling back on entertainment expenses, it’s encouraging to know you can still have a night out in the city and not spend a ton of money.

There has been a lot of buzz lately about a recent article on Thursday in the East Bay Express, an alternative weekly in Emeryville, Calif,  In the article, owners of businesses who appear on Yelp claim that Yelp salespeople told them they could move bad reviews lower down on the page in exchange for advertising.   The article quotes some managers (some are anonymous) who said no to the offer, only to see their positive reviews mysteriously disappear while their negative ones move up the page.

Yelp swiftly denied participating in such practices, posting a response from their CEO on their site.  They took issue with the East Bay Express citing anonymous sources (no less than five) as well as the accusatory tone of the article.  Friday, the CEO wrote again about other articles backing him up.

Whether or not Yelp has or currently engages in the types of practices cited by the East Bay Express is not clear.  What is clear is that reviews in general – of products, of restaurants, of services, of anything really, are increasingly looked at with a degree of caution, perhaps even doubt.  Where are reviews coming from?  Were people paid to write them?  Can a manufacturer game the system?  While nothing is foolproof, Yelp is partially scrambling because they know, as do we, that when credibility crumbles, so does your business.

As I’ve posted about before (when writing about a recent scandal involving Belkin), Buzzillions employs a number of methods to ensure credibility.  Many of us here at Buzzillions, use both Buzzillions and Yelp, so we are watching this news story unfold, in the hopes it has more to tell us about how to protect our hard earned reputation.

Generally when we think of gadgets we tend to think of techie types – certainly parents don’t often come to mind.  But taking a look at the products available to parents out there, it’s clear innovation loves parenthood.  Check out the DiaperBridge – it’s designed to turn any filthy public bathroom sink into clean changing table.  Its about $20.  The DiaperBridge folds up, so it will fit in any diaper bag–and unfolds to fit over most public bathroom sinks.  You can learn the back story on this product and the inventor behind it, in my book, “Gadget Nation: A Journey Through The Eccentric World of Invention” I’ve heard horror stories where mothers have had to spread their coat on the bathroom floor to find a clean spot to change a diaper.  Yuck.  DiaperBridge to the rescue.

Speaking of changing the little one’s diaper, have you seen the Pee-Pee Teepees— I actually found this product on the Buzzillions site.  If you’ve ever changed a little baby boy’s diaper you’ll immediately understand why the PeePee Teepee is a must have.  Baby boys are famous for spraying the person who is changing their diaper.  I have 3-nephews and I’ve experienced this first hand–chest–everywhere.  The PeePee Teepee is a terry cloth cone that you place on the offending body part while the diaper change is underway.  You stay dry and the PeePee Teepee stops the WeeWee.  A package of 5 costs $12.

We all know that being a Mom is a tough job and the folks at VieVu actually put being a Mom on par with law enforcement an the military.  They created a video recorder for law officers and the military that was tough enough to work in those worlds and now VieVu is launching the same video recorder for Mom’s everywhere.  The VieVue Extra-tough Video camera is an almost indestructible camcorder that clips onto anything and has NO buttons to push–just open it and you’re recording.  Perfect for playgroup.  Clip it to stroller, diaper bag, anything.  By the way this company is offering free video recorders by entering a contest “What’s the best Mommy application for VieVu?”  Send your ideas to contest@vievu.com and you could WIN A FREE VieVu video recorder!

When it comes to big ticket items, we all need help so that we don’t waste time and money buying the wrong product–and that’s certainly true of Mom’s everywhere.  Buzzillions.com can be a Mom’s best friend–check out these product face-offs:

Monitor Face-off: Summer Infant vs. Safety 1st

Both seemed like terrific Infant Monitors–both cost around the same price ($150), but real consumers who purchased both products had some strong opinions.

Summer Infant Day & Night Handheld Color Video Monitor 1.8″ Screen
Came in the top 1% on Buzzillions.com.  Consumers loved it.  It ’s small, lightweight size and  1.8″ color LCD screen did the trick.  Other features include 900 MHz technology for clarity and 350′ range and night vision so you can see the baby in dark room.  Also it has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours.

Safety 1st Sight & Sound Assurance Monitor System did not fare as well.  It showed up in the bottom 10%:.  Many consumers said that it stops working after about a year and a lot of others said that the quality of the screen is very poor, so much so that you often can’t even see the baby.  Other complaints included poor construction and that it was difficult to maintain

Baby Carrier Face-off: BabyBjorn vs. Maclaren

BabyBjörn Synergy Baby Carrier won this face off, showing up in the top 1% of Buzzillions.com
This carrier is the clear winner.  With close to 600 reviews and a near perfect rating, customers can’t say enough about this product.

Maclaren Kate Spade Carrier landed in the bottom 10% on Buzzillons.com. Many of the people reviewing this carrier bought it for the designer name and stylish design but soon realized that looks can be deceiving.  The number one complaint with this carrier is too many straps.

Baby Mobile Face-off: Tiny Love vs. Fisher Price

Tiny Love Symphony-in-Motion Mobile hit the top 1% on Buzzillions.com The winner—it combines 3 different movements and motions, not just the usual circular motion, to captivate and stimulate baby. Several real consumers loved this so much that they went as far as to say that it was the “best product they’d ever bought!”

Fisher Price Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders: Mobile (with Remote Control) sank to the bottom 10% on Buzzillions.com.  Some real consumers said this mobile doesn’t fit their crib, has gears inside that make loud clanking noises.

We noticed more and more that we are showing up tops on lists for reviews on bras. It’s both surprising and unsurprising that we do well in bras.  Surprising because bras may not seem like a category that people write and read reviews about. Unsuprising because, as a product review site that gathers reviews on practically every product out there, where else are you going to look? While it’s true Amazon may dominate books and music, and other sites dominate electronics, we’ve apparently got the corner on something women wear every day.  We tend to think that people just want reviews on electronics, toys, home items, but the truth is people are starving for reviews on things that are perhaps more mundane…underwear and bras.

And people clearly care about sharing their opinion on bras too.  One bra, the Comfort Choice Side-Wire Lace Bra has (currently) 1,339 reviews.  That is not a typo.  Not only do we have tons of bra reviews, but they’re sorted by the type of bra, as well as what type of person you are:  Comfort Oriented, Practical, Conservative or a High End Shopper.

It’s an important reminder to us here at Buzzillions, that while other sites concentrate on a very narrow segment of products, we must continue to provide valuable reviews on all kinds of products, even the ones you might not expect to find.

Top Ten Bras by Category?  I thought you’d never ask.

• Top 10 Underwire Bras
• Top 10 Soft Cup
• Top 10 Sports Bras
• Top 10 Convertible Bras
• Top 10 Nursing Bras

And just because I couldn’t resist, a new use for that bra just sitting in your drawer.  Maybe she should have read reviews first:

While it seems a bit archaic that there are people still using analog television (and with them the temperamental rabbit ear antenea) there are a good number of people, especially in bad economic times, having a hard time facing the switch. According to Neilsen, 6.5 million U.S. households, or 5.7 percent, still need to make the switch.  Those people are, according to an article by CNN,  “..poor, older than 55, rural residents or racial minorities.”  With the economy still spiral diving,  some in this demographic simply can’t afford (or don’t want to spend the money) on cable or satellite TV service.   While people can get a coupon for a converter box, redemption is a little trickier, with expiration dates, and confusion about where to redeem the coupon slowing the switch.  Lawmakers had originally scheduled the switch for this month; that has since been pushed back to June 12th.  After this date, analog TV signals will end, and with it the ability to get the new broadcast format.

A recent MSN article states: “Some of the problem has to do with misconceptions about digital TV itself:  “About 25 percent believe that every television, whether it’s digital or not, whether it’s hooked up to cable or not, has to have a converter box.   And 21 percent believe everyone needs to sign up for cable or satellite service in order to keep a picture on their television sets.  Consumers remain extremely confused.”

The Facts:

• TVs do not have to be digital, but they DO need to be able receive digital broadcasts.
• The switch will happen June 12th
• Government coupons are available to offset the cost
• Converter boxes are available for purchase online – and you may also use your coupon.  I could not find any listings of stores one could take the coupon to in order to make a purchase.  I did find one mention of Best Buy taking the coupons in their retails stores, but call first to verify.

Choices include:

• buying a converter box to take a TV’s signal from analog to digital, and using an antenna as well
• subscribing to a cable or satellite service
• buying a digital TV (shameless self promotion plug – we’ve got a ton of top rated TVs in all kinds of price ranges)
• going without TV entirely (a strange concept, I know – but maybe you’ll become more productive than the rest of us TV watchers)

For myself, I’m wondering what will become of all those rabbit ears?