My Top 5 Tips to Save Money When Shopping in this Economy
Disclaimer: When you use my links, I may receive a cash-back incentive from the companies mentioned in this post at no additional cost to you.
Hey, y’all!
If you’ve been around a minute, you know that I have been trying out different ways to help my family save some extra cash in this crazy economy we’ve found ourselves in the past couple of years. Has anyone else noticed that groceries have tripled in price? Yeah…me too.
I know the ultimate way to save money is to NOT spend it (stay tuned for my no-spend Month tips that I plan to write up soon!) however, sometimes that’s not an option and you may need quick, convenient ways to save money online. You have to eat and you have to buy necessities for your family, so, until the economy recovers, we have to do the best we can with what we have available. So, I thought I would share my top 5 tips and tricks on how I’m saving money when shopping.
1. Honey
If you are someone who shops online and constantly creates new email addresses in order to get a discount code, look no further! Honey is a free web browser extension that you can download to your computer that will search a website for any available discount codes that are available. If you tend to shop on your phone, don’t worry, they have a free app that you can download as well.
I recently bought some haircare products from L’ange (yes - I was influenced by an ad on Facebook LOL). The ad had an automatic discount of 20% applied to my cart, which is pretty good, but I knew I could probably find a better offer. Lo and behold, after looking up L’ange on my Honey app, I found a discount code that was active for 30% off with free shipping! Talk about a win!
2. Rakuten
Similar to Honey, this next app is one that I use ALL THE TIME! Rakuten is basically a rebate company that can earn you cash back from over 3,500 stores (including Walmart, Target, Old Navy, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, Sam’s Club, Sephora, and MORE) when shopping online. It’s free to sign up for an account and you can shop through Rakuten using Rakuten.com, their extension that you can download, or their app. How does it work? Basically, whenever I shop online, I see what offer that store is offering on Rakuten for that day - and the offers change often. For example, I have ordered clothes through Rakuten on the Old Navy website and earned 5% cash back on my order and other times, I have ordered from Old Navy and received even up to 12% cash back. You will receive a check in the mail or through your PayPal account quarterly with your earnings. I just got my check for this quarter and it’s almost $40. Now, $40 doesn’t sound like a lot, but, for no extra work, and while using a free app, that is a free tank of gas that I didn’t have to worry about paying for this week. My lifetime cash back balance is currently at $250! That to me is a win! Also, if you refer people to sign up using your link, they will add a bonus amount to your check. The highest I’ve seen them offer for referring friends is $30 for each friend who signs up and makes a purchase. Here is my referral link if you want to check it out!
3. Poshmark
So, let’s say you are wanting to buy some sunnies you’ve had your eye on, but you can’t find a discount code and you don’t want to pay full price, it may feel like you’re out of luck. We’ve all been there. Well, let me tell you about my BFF, Poshmark. Poshmark is an online social marketplace where you can purchase all kinds of goods for cheaper than what’s listed online. I have gotten numerous items that were brand new with tags for a fraction of the price listed by the retailer. I got this beautiful ABLE bag that retails for $188 on Poshmark for only $70. I got these super cute, brand new QUAY sunglasses whose original price is $65 and scored them on Poshmark for $40. I also scored this gently used faux-leather jacket for $25 that was listed on StitchFix for $75. These are just a few of my wins! I have scored Madewell jeans, Vans sneakers, Adidas tracksuits, and more for a fraction of the retail prices!
I know some people feel weird about ordering “second-hand” items, but honestly, it’s better for the environment and everything I’ve gotten has been superb quality. The company also gives you a couple days grace time to review the items you receive to make sure they match what was listed before you are charged. I’ve not had any issues with my orders. I typically look for sellers that have high ratings and have sold multiple items in the past. Here’s a tip when Poshing: like your item and typically, within 24 hours, the seller will offer you a private discount. Also, most Poshmark sellers have been willing to haggle on the price, which can be super fun when you’re shopping online. Here is my referral link that scores you $10 when you join and pays me $10 towards a future purchase after you make a purchase. I will say, Once you Posh, it’s hard to stop! :)
4. Google Image Search
Okay, this one probably sounds a little weird, but I have really enjoyed this sneaky new way I have discovered to find items for cheaper! I really enjoy buying clothes from a particular online boutique that’s boho style, however, I have noticed that some items that are priced way too high for my budget and for the quality, I have seen on other websites for about half the price. I started trying to think of a speedy way that I could start doing price comparisons on items that I like from other boutiques to make sure I’m getting the best deal. Enter Google Image search. Basically, I screenshot the items that I like and then go to my Google app on my phone and upload the picture - you will be AMAZED on how many items that pop up that are the exact item or very similar. This allows you access to other websites that offer the same item so you can do your price comparison quickly to make sure you’re getting the best deal. I will say, I have the best results when using the Google app, not an open browser.
5. Discounts for Online Pickup
Like I said earlier, grocery shopping has become pretty infuriating the last couple months and if you don’t have time to clip coupons or watch weekly ads, it’s hard to find good deals on food. I highly suggest you check your local grocery stores for discounts if you do an online order and agree to a curbside pickup. My local grocery store chain has weekly offers up to $20 off a $100 online order. Another surprising store that offers similar deals is Target! Now, they may not offer it weekly, but I’ve gotten $20 off $100 curbside orders before and the Target app easily helps you add additional Target Circle discounts to your purchase. If you’re able to stack the savings on top of sales, it can definitely add up and save you some serious cash! And an added perk to online pickup…it’s so much easier to stick to your list and not over spend when you go into the actual store.
Bonus #1 Use those rewards!
There are a lot of businesses out there that will let you sign up for reward points just for shopping with them. For example, Target offers 1% back on orders for signing up as a Target Circle app. If you order groceries and necessities often at Target, that 1% adds up pretty quickly. Last year, I saved all of my Target rewards for the year and cashed them in when I bought Christmas gifts for my son. My local grocery store also offers rewards that can be applied to your fuel when filling up. Last week, I redeemed my points and got 90 cents off per gallon! That saved me over $15. My credit card that I use for monthly bills also offers rewards that can be redeemed for flights and hotels. Last summer, when we went to Colorado for the weekend, our hotel was free because I used our points we had racked up. Remember, if you’re using a credit card, I highly suggest paying the balance each month so you can skip past the interest charges, or else those rewards points are a bit pointless!
Bonus #2 Leave It in the Cart
If you are ever doing some “window shopping” online, try not to pull the trigger right away (if it’s something that’s not a must-have). I have noticed that if I leave my items in my cart, I often get follow-up emails saying something along the lines of, “hey, you left something in your cart” and if I’m lucky, it’ll also say, “hey, you left something in your cart and here is 10% off if you complete your purchase!” Talk about being rewarded for not impulse buying, LOL!
I really hope this post inspires you to use some of these strategies to save some money. Please share with me your favorite ways to save money when shopping online and locally!
