I am a self-proclaimed bargain hunter. I rarely pay full-price for anything… mainly because it’s so easy not to. There are so many websites offering discounts, so many companies willing to give you cash back or miles, and so many establishments offering rewards that’s it’s almost more work to pay full-price than it is to find a deal. Whether you’re going to a movie, a spa or a concert or you’re buying a TV, shoes or dinner, with this guide, you’ll NEVER have to pay full-price again.
Here are some of the ways that I save money everyday:
1. Discount Gift Cards/Certificates
There are tons of local companies offering discounted gift cards/certificates all over the country. Whether you need a car wash, a good meal, a massage or event tickets, you can get them all at discounted prices! Here are a few of my favorites:
· Groupon: features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the United States.
· Living Social: offers one fantastic deal every day with discounts of up to 90% at local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more.
· Buy With Me: offers handpicked promotions, partnering with businesses of all types to showcase the best that they can offer.
**Not as nationalized as Groupon or Living Social, and if they don’t get enough buys, the deal is off (but you won’t be charged).
· Half-off Depot: offers gift certificates at 90% off
**Make sure you plan ahead and purchase each gift certificate two weeks before you’ll need to use it, as it usually takes about that long for them to arrive in the mail. Look out for “Printable” offers as you can use those instantly!
· Restaurant.com: offers gift certificates to participating restaurants all around the country
**Read the fine print. Often times you have to spend a minimum amount at the restaurant, and alcohol and tip is often excluded. Make sure you look for promo codes, you can usually save up to 80% off!
· Gold Star: Fun ideas, half-price tickets, member reviews and everything you need for great nights out
· Spafinder: Buy gift certificates at SpaFinder using promo codes like this one: SBCG for 10% off. Then, redeem them at any of the 5,000 participating spas around the globe.
· Great Spa Escapes: Same deal as SpaFinder, except you can choose from over 30,000 spas. Try promo code MLB25 for 25% off.
· Cardpool: Buy (at up to 30% off), sell (at up to 90% off), or trade your gift cards in a safe and secure environment.
· Woot: offers a new item every single day at an extremely discounted price
2. Get Rewarded for Shopping
If you’re going to be spending money anyway, you might as well make some money doing it. Whether it’s cash back, skymiles or reward points at your favorite store, you should never buy anything without being rewarded for it in some way. Here are a few of the best rewards programs I’ve found:
· Ebates: Ebates is the pioneer and leader of online Cash Back Shopping. Simply sign up for free, and start shopping. Just make sure you click your retailer of choice through Ebates’ website. And four times a year or more, you’ll get a check from Ebates. Talk about free money!
· Skymiles Shopping: Every time you shop, you can be earning miles. Select your airline of choice (Delta and American Airlines both have great programs) and simply click on a retailer’s name or logo, shop online as usual and you’ll earn miles for the purchases you make during that session. It’s that easy.
· Retailer Rewards:
Coffee: Addicted to coffee? Buy a gift card at Starbucks and start saving on every purchase! With My Starbucks Rewards, you’ll earn 1 Star every time you pay with your Card. And as you collect Stars, you move up to bigger benefits.
Movie Theaters: Going to the movies is one of the most expensive, non-luxurious activities you could do on a Friday night. But it’s so fun! Join your favorite theater’s rewards program and watch the points start adding up! Or try buying gift certificates at Costo for less!
Stores: Which stores do you shop at the most? Consider signing up for a credit card or a reward card with them and you’ll receive tons of great perks. A few of my favorites: Sephora, Nordstrom, Gap
· Reward Credit Cards: As long as you pay your balance in full each month, it’s crazy not to have a rewards credit card. Where do you shop the most? What rewards are you interested in? Find the right card for you using comparison sites and start getting rewarded for every day expenses! I personally am a big fan of Amex’s Blue Cash Card. I made $150 last year using my card!
3. Find Discounts Online:
· Retailmenot: I’ve found this site to be the most comprehensive, successful site for online shopping promo codes and coupons. I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything online that I haven’t been able to use a promo code from Retailmenot.
· Alice: provides you a cost effective way to manage all of your household essentials online and never clip a coupon again! This site is amazing and so user-friendly.
· Travel: Find the best prices at Kayak. Then, check out Travelocity’s “My Dates are Flexible.” By clicking this box– even if your dates aren’t flexible– you have access to some of the cheapest prices possible.
· Movie Rentals: Before paying full price, check out your local library. Or sign up for a RedBox account and you’ll get a code for a free movie rental texted to your cell phone every Monday.
· Gas Buddy: Check out this website before filling up to find the best deal in your area .
And finally, here is a checklist to follow for your next online purchase to ensure you get the best deal:
1. What are you buying? Google the items or check www.thefind.com. Note the names of the merchants offering the three best prices (include shipping charges).
2. Check the skymile and rebate sites. Determine which one will offer you the best reward.
3. Find promo codes and coupons using Retailmenot. If you can’t find one there, try Googling the merchant name and “coupon code” or “promo code”.
4. Log into Ebates. Click whichever merchant name offers your product for the lowest price with the highest rebate.
5. Log into skymile shopping site of your choice. Click same merchant name as above.
6. Select your items using the last window to open.
7. Go to the checkout screen, and enter your coupon code.
8. Complete purchase with a rewards card.
9. Follow up to ensure you receive your rewards.
A few more websites with great savings:
Lovelyskin: They’ll match the lowest price of any other retailer and they carry thousands of products including specialty cosmeceuticals for unique dermatological conditions such as wrinkles, acne, dry feet, and ingrown hairs. They often have great promotions, too!
