“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. We go after the cool kids. A lot of people don’t belong, and they can’t belong.”
—Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch

Are you not “cool” enough for Abercrombie & Fitch? Don’t worry, neither are we.

These awesome protesters in Chicago believe that beauty comes in all sizes, and that size has nothing to do with coolness.

Fortunately, the rest of the world operates on a completely different definition of “cool”. While Abercrombie & Fitch sees it as the top tier of a teenage caste system as determined by one’s popularity and proximity to size 0 jeans, the team here at BradsDeals thinks that diversity and inclusion are much, much cooler. We’ve built our site on the premise that anyone can live the good life for less – and by “anyone” we mean “everyone”. Frankly, we’re not terribly impressed or inspired by the message that Abercrombie & Fitch is sending. We’ve made a list of ten of our favorite fashion stops that make Abercrombie & Fitch look, well, a little thin and pale in the social consciousness department.

Check out our picks below and add your thoughts in the comments.

Aeropostale

Aeropostale’s corporate giving program, Aero Gives, offers grants to local charities and organizations that are working to make a difference in the lives of teens. From Aeropostale.com: “Through the heart and spirit of the Aéropostale family, we work to spread our belief that all young people should have the opportunity to learn, feel safe, be passionate and have fun.” That message of inclusion is not lost on us, and earns Aeropostale a well-deserved place on our list. Through May 20th, you can get 25% off your entire purchase with Aeropostale coupon code SPRING25.

Forever 21

When a tsunami devastated large swaths of Japan two years ago, Forever 21 pledged 100% of a single day’s worldwide online sales to the Red Cross for disaster relief. The campaign raised more than $2 million. But Forever 21′s sense of social responsibility doesn’t end there. Those awesome cutoff shorts you bought at the mall last weekend helped to support FEED Projects, the Humane Society of the United States, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Samburu Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Starlight Foundation, and the ASPCA. Aber-who?

TOMS

These distinctive canvas shoes are more than just a fashion trend. For every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need in Haiti, El Salvador, Peru or Malawi. TOMS Eyewear is less well known, but the formula is the same: every pair of TOMS glasses you purchase results in prescription glasses, sight-saving surgery, or other medical vision treatment in a dozen countries including the United States.  Just think – if you and all of your friends are wearing TOMS, then somewhere out there in the world is another small gang of friends who have shoes because of you. That’s completely awesome. Take $5 off when you spend $25 or more with our exclusive TOMS promo code BRADSDEALSTOMS.

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For those of you who read “Do More, Spend Less”, you may remember a section on saving yourself time and frustrations at the airport by signing up for TSA PreCheck.  Inspired by Brad’s testimony on the awesome feeling of skipping that horrible TSA line, I decided to sign up for the program myself. Here’s my story of how it works. 

Early in February I set up a Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) account with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler Programs. I was applying for Global Entry, a fast way to get through customs,which includes TSA PreCheck,which gets you through the fast line at security. Setting up a profile is pretty similar to a job application. They want to know your basic info, your Driver’s License number, SSN, address history and employment history.

Once I submitted my info it took about a week for me to receive an email saying that there had been an update to my account. They will always send you an email like that with no specific information so don’t lose your login info; you need it to find out what the message is! I was told that I had been conditionally approved and now would have to make an appointment within 30 days for my in-person interview.

In “Do More Spend Less”, Brad mentions having to go out to the airport to complete this step. Unfortunately for most people this is true. I was thrilled to discover that if you live in the city of Chicago  you can avoid O’Hare!  In Chicago you can go to the US Custom House at 610 s. Canal (right next to the Harrison Post Office) and avoid the trip out to the airport. Before I get further into my experience let me explain more about how Global Entry and TSA PreCheck work.

There are a few programs that you can sign up for through GOES. Global Entry is the one I chose because it includes TSA PreCheck but also makes it easier when flying back to the United States to get through Customs.  Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever glanced at our Teacher Discounts page you know that BradsDeals wants to make sure teachers have the best access to discounts and special promotions that are out there to make their jobs easier. May 7th is Teacher Appreciation Day and so we’ve found you some extra deals to show our support. You might want to check with your local store on some of these promotions to make sure that they are participating.

Buy 1 Get 1 at Chipotle

Bring your school faculty ID to any Chipotle in the U.S. on Tuesday, May 7th from 4:00 p.m. to close and enjoy buy 1 get 1 burritos, bowls, salads, or order of tacos.

Free Chick-Fil-A  sandwich

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Picture this: You’re lying at the beach, the sand is warm and the sun is shining. One problem, you can’t seem to relax due to the 16 screaming children strategically located all around your beach towel. We’ve got you covered. We’re giving one of our lucky fans a FREE Apple iPod Touch to drown out screaming children, loud traffic, or whatever else keeps you from relaxing.

The iPod Touch not only plays your favorite music- it has the Safari web browser, free messaging with iMessage, HD video recording, games at your fingertips, FaceTime, e-book capabilities, and tons more.

The Details:

1. To enter you must register at our contest page
2. You can register once per day for any and all of our contests
3. Contest ends on 5/12/2013 at 11:59PM CST
4. The winner will be notified via email once the giveaway has ended

Contest ends May 12, 2013 at 11:59 CST.

For official contest rules please click here.

Spring may have come late but it’s finally here! To celebrate we’ve brought you some end of April freebies to enjoy.

Free box of Wheat Thins Twitter Promotion

Wheat Thins is sending their Twitter followers a free box of Wheat Thins when you go to their Flavor Protection website log in with a Twitter account and this gives you the “Basic Protection Plan” against theft of your crackers. You can then file a ”WT-2″ complaint, telling them how someone stole a box of Wheat Thins from you. You have to enter your mailing address and your free box should be on its way. We’ve noticed a few websites that have shared this promotion saying that it has been selling out and then starting up again. On the confirmation screen it looks like there are additional “protection plans” coming soon.  The promotion is supposed to go until 6/9/13 so make sure you check back to see if there are additional giveaways with this promotion.

Free Candy Bar at CVS

Swipe your Extra Care Card at the CVS Coupon Center and get a coupon for a free Hershey’s or Mars candy bar at CVS. Please note that you must be an Extra Care Cardholder as of April 28th (so it’s too late to run out and sign up). The promotion runs from 4/28-5/4. Read the rest of this entry »

Enter to win the BradsDeals Samsung Chromebook Giveaway!

The Details:

1. To enter you must register at our contest page
2. You can register once per day for any and all of our contests
3. Contest ends on 4/28/2013 at 11:59PM CST
4. The winner will be notified via email once the giveaway has ended

When you register, you will also be signed up for the Brad’s Deals Newsletter, which gives you the latest handpicked deals everyday.

Samsung Chromebook Specs:

• Built-in dual band Wi-Fi
• Easily portable 2.4-lb. weight
• Over 6.5 hours of battery life
• Google products (Gmail, Google Search, Hangouts) all come built-in

Contest ends April 28, 2013 at 11:59 CST.

For official contest rules please click here.

Monday, April 22nd 2013 will be the 43rd Earth Day. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin started Earth Day in 1970 an it has become a worldwide day of self-reflection and awareness of our diminishing resources. The theme for Earth Day 2013 is “The Face of Climate Change”. Earthday.org is collecting images of people and animals around the world affected by climate change. You don’t have to go out and buy a rain barrel or start riding your bike in order to celebrate Earth Day. Even one person taking a small step to preventing climate change is important.

In the spirit of BradsDeals and Earth Day together, we’ve compiled a list of places that will reward you for your green behavior.

1. Free entrance at  National Parks April 22-26 at.
2. Free Coffee at Starbucks when you bring your reusable mug. Starbucks did this giveaway last year and probably will again this year, but we’ve gotten no official word on it. It never hurts to try!
3. Free Coffee at Caribou Coffee. Although Caribou announced last week that they are closing their Chicago and other Illinois/Midwest locations, you can still get your free coffee when you bring in a reusable tumbler. Hopefully the stores that will be closing will still be honoring this promotion, it’s worth giving it a try!  Gain some extra karma points by liking Caribou on Facebook. For every new like their sponsors will plant a fruit tree in Central or South America.
4. Get a free packet of seeds at Pottery Barn Kids. Pottery Barn wants to plant 50,000 trees and you can help them! Proceeds from the sale of select lunch products will be donated to Trees for the Future.
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What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with a free visit to one of the 100′s of U.S. National Parks! Photo courtesy of NPS.

As part of National Park Week, all U.S. national parks are waiving entrance fees from 4/22 through 4/26, giving visitors an opportunity to explore everywhere from Yellowstone National Park to Everglades National Park free of charge. With 401 national parks and at least one in every state, you don’t have to travel far to experience some of America’s most extraordinary scenery and wildlife.

If you’ve always wanted to visit the famous waterfalls of Yosemite or go rafting at Grand Canyon National Park, there’s no better time than National Park Week. Check with local and park-related businesses for special discounts on tours and other activities. And if the word “camping” makes you cringe, Travelocity has some hotel deals under $100 to save money on lodging.

There are a number of special events being held at some of the parks and lots of volunteer opportunities if you want help out. Read the rest of this entry »

Not everyone is lucky enough to get an income tax refund.

This is you on the beach after you paid your income taxes with a travel rewards credit card.

If you’re one of the unfortunate souls left owing Uncle Sam a chunk of your bank account, then I’m betting you took one look at the amount you owe and said, “I could really use a vacation right about now…”

A vacation, you say? No problem. You probably thought a vacation was out of the question since you had to be a responsible citizen and pay a tax bill instead. But we know exactly how you can turn your tax bill into a relaxing getaway, no joke, and no fairy godmothers required.   Read the rest of this entry »

Please refrain from licking the screen. Photo courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s.

Ben & Jerry’s wants everyone to “cone together” (see what they did there) and enjoy some ice cream as part of their annual free cone day!

This year, Ben & Jerry’s free cone day will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, April 9th during regular store hours. Find the nearest locations in your neighborhood and stop in for a free scoop or two.

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