Always compare prices when purchasing from private shopping clubs (sample sale sites, flash sale sites)

While I love private shopping clubs and we buy most of our clothing, shoes and accessories there, it is always a good idea to compare prices at least with Amazon. Besides price comparison Amazon has plenty of reviews which help a lot to make an educated purchase.

Zulily private shopping club offers Magformers building sets today. Amazon has very good reviews of these products. We own the Magformers Magnetic Building Construction Set - 62 Piece Designer Set and we do love it. Moreover I wanted to buy a bigger set.

See the video showing how it works and I'm sure you will be amazed:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJtBUcCO_NM&w=420&h=315]

The good thing about Zulily is that you can get notifications about your favorite brands by hitting the "Add to my favorites" links. I did that for Magformers. But unfortunately I wasn't impressed by the prices on this sale. The prices are identical or even lower on Amazon. The best example is the Magformers 112 Challenger Set.

Price on Amazon - $123.22



Price on Zulily - $139.99



Moreover Amazon will ship much faster and offers free shipping when spending $25 and more (some exceptions apply when buying from Amazon sellers and not Amazon itself).

Despite the fact that I like Zulily, I always compare prices. I skip this when buying clothing and shoes most of the time, but mostly when I see the brands that I know well. In many other cases I compare prices and read reviews, and I highly recommend you to do the same.

Cashback comparison services

I've been using eBates for cashback. Today I have found a couple of web-sites allowing to compare cashback amounts from different services:

1. cashbackmonitor.com


2. cashbackholic.com

Will be using other trusted cashback services Mr.Rebates and Extrabux when their cashback rate is higher.

Comparing shipping rates: Shipito Airmail Priority / Economy vs. USPS Priority / Express Mail

I've already mentioned that using Shipito Airmail instead of USPS makes sense in the following cases:

• For light packages with weight between 1-3 lbs (For this weight, USPS prices cannot compete with Shipito Airmail)


• When maximum dimensions are bigger than USPS but within the Shipito Airmail size limits.

Shipito shipping method comparison for Oregon warehouse: USPS, Airmail, Fedex (10 lbs package)

Shipito shipping method comparison for Oregon warehouse: USPS, Airmail, Fedex (2 lbs package)

In the following charts I compare shipping rates for Shipito Airmail Priority/Economy, USPS Priority/Express Mail and other shipping methods. The shipping rates to Russia are for the Shipito warehouse in Tualatin, OR (Both Shipito Airmail and USPS Priority/Express Mail are cheaper in the Californian warehouses of Shipito).

Postage without insurance

Weight Dimensions Insured amount	USPS Express Mail	USPS Priority Mail International	Shipito Airmail Economy	Shipito Airmail Priority	USPS First Class International Parcel	FedEx International Economy	FedEx International Priority	DHL Express	FedEx International Economy Freight	USPS Priority Flat-Rate box 2	USPS Priority Flat-Rate box 1	USPS Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate box
0 lbs. 8 oz. 9.60x6.80x5.40 $20.99	$43.6	$40.16	$5.01	$5.51	$13.58	$146.64	$170.45	-	-	$55.02	$69.93	-
0 lbs. 10 oz. 9.60x6.80x5.40 $58.99	$49.51	$40.16	$5.93	$6.55	$16.11	$146.64	$170.45	-	-	-	-	-
0 lbs. 10 oz. 9.80x7.40x4.40 $5.72	$49.51	$40.16	$5.93	$6.55	$16.11	$146.64	$170.45	-	-	-	-	-
2 lbs. 0 oz. 16.00x14.40x2.60 $103.00	$55.64	$45.38	$19.09	$21.07	$28.72	$147.79	$171.6	-	-	-	-	-
2 lbs. 15 oz. 14.00x9.40x7.20 $48.54	$61.79	$50.6	$28.01	$30.9	$38.8	$159.55	$187.7	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 3 oz. 14.20x12.80x10.40 $41.05	$67.92	$55.82	$30.37	$33.5	$215.35	$245.39	-	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 10 oz. 16.00x12.20x6.20 $27.99	$67.92	$55.82	$34.12	$37.64	$46.37	$178.79	$207.61	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 11 oz. 16.00x11.40x10.20 $94.12	$67.92	$55.82	$35.07	$38.68	-	$215.35	$245.39	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 14 oz. 24.00x15.40x5.20 $19.99	$67.92	$55.82	$36.47	$40.24	-	$215.35	$245.39	-	-	-	-	-
6 lbs. 4 oz. 20.20x16.00x11.40 $105.91	$84.27	$70.1	$59.03	$65.11	-	$312.94	$389.34	-	-	-	-	-
7 lbs. 7 oz. 25.80x15.00x4.80 $198.91	$89.37	$74.64	$70.31	$77.56	-	$198.55	$215.77	-	-	-	-	-
29 lbs. 2 oz. 36.50x19.00x14.00 $764.21	$199.4	-	$273.74	$301.97	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Insurance

Weight Dimensions Insured amount	USPS Express Mail	USPS Priority Mail International	Shipito Airmail Economy	Shipito Airmail Priority	USPS First Class International Parcel	FedEx International Economy	FedEx International Priority	DHL Express	FedEx International Economy Freight	USPS Priority Flat-Rate box 2	USPS Priority Flat-Rate box 1	USPS Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate box
0 lbs. 8 oz. 9.60x6.80x5.40 $20.99	$0.42	$2.87	-	$0.42	-	$0.42	$0.42	-	-	-	-	-
0 lbs. 10 oz. 9.60x6.80x5.40 $58.99	$1.18	$4.78	-	$1.18	-	$1.18	$1.18	-	-	-	-	-
0 lbs. 10 oz. 9.80x7.40x4.40 $5.72	$0.11	$2.56	-	$0.11	-	$0.11	$0.11	-	-	-	-	-
2 lbs. 0 oz. 16.00x14.40x2.60 $103.00	$2.91	$6.81	-	$2.76	-	$2.06	$2.06	-	-	-	-	-
2 lbs. 15 oz. 14.00x9.40x7.20 $48.54	$0.97	$3.42	-	$0.97	-	$0.97	$0.97	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 3 oz. 14.20x12.80x10.40 $41.05	$0.82	$3.27	-	$0.82	$0.82	$0.82	-	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 10 oz. 16.00x12.20x6.20 $27.99	$0.56	$3.01	-	$0.56	-	$0.56	$0.56	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 11 oz. 16.00x11.40x10.20 $94.12	$1.88	$5.48	-	$1.88	-	$1.88	$1.88	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 14 oz. 24.00x15.40x5.20 $19.99	$0.4	$2.85	-	$0.4	-	$0.4	$0.4	-	-	-	-	-
6 lbs. 4 oz. 20.20x16.00x11.40 $105.91	$2.97	$6.87	-	$2.82	-	$2.12	$2.12	-	-	-	-	-
7 lbs. 7 oz. 25.80x15.00x4.80 $198.91	$4.83	$8.73	-	$4.68	-	$3.98	$3.98	-	-	-	-	-
29 lbs. 2 oz. 36.50x19.00x14.00 $764.21	$19.13	-	-	$20.18	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Postage with Insurance

Weight Dimensions Insured amount	USPS Express Mail	USPS Priority Mail International	Shipito Airmail Economy	Shipito Airmail Priority	USPS First Class International Parcel	FedEx International Economy	FedEx International Priority	DHL Express	FedEx International Economy Freight	USPS Priority Flat-Rate box 2	USPS Priority Flat-Rate box 1	USPS Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate box
0 lbs. 8 oz. 9.60x6.80x5.40 $20.99	$44.02	$43.03	$5.01	$5.93	$13.58	$147.06 (list rate $149.84)	$170.87 (list rate $203.23)	-	-	$55.02	$69.93	-
0 lbs. 10 oz. 9.60x6.80x5.40 $58.99	$50.69	$44.94	$5.93	$7.73	$16.11	$147.82 (list rate $150.6)	$171.63 (list rate $203.99)	-	-	-	-	-
0 lbs. 10 oz. 9.80x7.40x4.40 $5.72	$49.62	$42.72	$5.93	$6.66	$16.11	$146.75 (list rate $149.53)	$170.56 (list rate $202.92)	-	-	-	-	-
2 lbs. 0 oz. 16.00x14.40x2.60 $103.00	$58.55	$52.19	$19.09	$23.83	$28.72	$149.85 (list rate $204.69)	$173.66 (list rate $273.6)	-	-	-	-	-
2 lbs. 15 oz. 14.00x9.40x7.20 $48.54	$62.76	$54.02	$28.01	$31.87	$38.8	$160.52 (list rate $277.64)	$188.67 (list rate $337.14)	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 3 oz. 14.20x12.80x10.40 $41.05	$68.74	$59.09	$30.37	$34.32	$216.17 (list rate $409.19)	$246.21 (list rate $458.88)	-	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 10 oz. 16.00x12.20x6.20 $27.99	$68.48	$58.83	$34.12	$38.2	$46.37	$179.35 (list rate $317.91)	$208.17 (list rate $378.79)	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 11 oz. 16.00x11.40x10.20 $94.12	$69.8	$61.3	$35.07	$40.56	-	$217.23 (list rate $396.47)	$247.27 (list rate $459.94)	-	-	-	-	-
3 lbs. 14 oz. 24.00x15.40x5.20 $19.99	$68.32	$58.67	$36.47	$40.64	-	$215.75 (list rate $394.99)	$245.79 (list rate $458.46)	-	-	-	-	-
6 lbs. 4 oz. 20.20x16.00x11.40 $105.91	$87.24	$76.97	$59.03	$67.93	-	$315.06 (list rate $602.92)	$391.46 (list rate $764.35)	-	-	-	-	-
7 lbs. 7 oz. 25.80x15.00x4.80 $198.91	$94.2	$83.37	$70.31	$82.24	-	$202.53 (list rate $361.45)	$219.75 (list rate $397.82)	-	-	-	-	-
29 lbs. 2 oz. 36.50x19.00x14.00 $764.21	$218.53	-	$273.74	$322.15	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Personally I've been using USPS Express Mail International for shipping most of my packages from the USA to Russia:

• Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shipping forwarder in 2013 for sending packages from the United States to Russia
• Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shippingforwarder in 2012 for sending packages from USA to Russian Federation
• Some samples on how much it costs to send packages/parcels to Russia using USPS and Shipito (2010-2011)