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This is day two in our How to Be Frugal series about Saving Money While Shopping. If you missed day one, you can read it by clicking on How to Be Frugal Saving Money While Shopping.
In that post, I shared four ways that you can save while shopping. Today we are going to continue on, and I have five more.
(this post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you)
Send for various catalogs
Sometimes you can find amazing coupons tucked into catalogs. Every year at holiday time, I get a coupon code that is a $10 value from LL Bean just because I get their catalog. It was just a couple of days ago that my free item, with free shipping, arrived on my doorstep. It pays to get catalogs and them read them page by page. It only takes a few minutes, but you can get some amazing deals inside catalogs sometimes. I find it to be worth the time and effort involved.
Be willing to shop at various stores
This is where being frugal takes more of a commitment. Of course how much time you put into it is up to you, and you are the one who can decide which stores and how many stores you are going to go to. If you are looking to live as frugal of a lifestyle as you can, it will require you shopping at various grocery stores, drug stores, superstores, and maybe even some local stores that have amazing deals, too. I find it beneficial to plan my shopping trips according to when I will be in the area of various stores rather than just making special trips. In being efficient in going when I am already in the area, I am saving more because I am not wasting gas.
When shopping online, use Ebates or Shop at Home
These are amazing “middle men” who are the vehicle that will take you to the various sites you shop at. The good thing is, that you get a rebate when you are arriving on a store’s website through their vehicle.
Both Ebates and Shop at Home are free to join. Go there and sign up. Then, when you are getting ready to shop online, go there FIRST to look for the store you intend to shop at. Nearly every store you can think of will be listed there. I always take the time to check both Shop at Home and Ebates to see who is offering a higher rebate amount.
Let’s say you are going to be shopping at kohls.com. Before you go there, check the rebates being offered on both Ebates and Shop at Home. Choose the one you want to use, then select Kohl’s from the list of stores that you have to choose from. Click on THAT link for Kohl’s. Then, you will arrive on the kohls.com website just as though you typed it into your address bar yourself.
Make your purchases just as you normally would. Within a few days your rebate amount will show in your account for either Ebates or Shop at Home. Once ever quarter, you will receive a check in the mail for the amount of your rebates earned.
Easy, right? It really is. If you are going to be shopping online anyway, you might as well get paid to do it! I have earned several hundred dollars within a one year span.
Be organized
Find an organized system to keep track of your coupons, rebate, info, and other papers that you will need to hang on to in your frugal lifestyle. Find an organized way to keep track of your various store credit cards. Put your cash back rebates and rewards together in an organized place as well. When dealing with rebates, you always want to make a copy of the rebate for yourself before sending it in. That way, if you don’t receive the rebate you can still resubmit. This really does happen at times.
In order to not lose savings or have savings expire, you need to be organized and efficient
Wherever you are whether at a restaurant, coffee shop, or store, ask for additional discounts or coupons
It is amazing what you can get if you just ask. There can be hidden store specials, discounts given for various reasons, or rebates offered for getting a store credit card. It is impossible to know what you can get if you don’t ask. Oftentimes, cashiers just don’t offer people what they have to offer since there really are a large number of people who wouldn’t be interested. This truly fascinates me. When they know who is looking for deals, they can offer them to the right people.
At first this might feel kind of awkward, but people really do it all the time. It will also get more conformable the more you do it. Kindly and respectfully ask if there are any additional offers, discounts, or promotions everywhere you go! You will be amazed!
If you are wanting to know how to be frugal while shopping, the nine tips I shared between yesterday and today are amazing things that will bring you some big savings collectively.
Read this list, become familiar with it, and consult it before you do any shopping whether online or in person.
Are you looking to really take these concepts to heart, applying them in your every day life? If so, my ebook is just what you need!
How to Be Frugal: How to Be Frugal Online, In the Store, and In Your Home
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