There are a lot of little ways to save money and they can really add up. Here are my top 3 favorites:
1. Store loyalty cards
The majority of stores these days have free loyalty cards. Check around at your favorite retailers for these programs or learn about the benefits if you’re already a member. Things like this are great because you are shopping there anyway so you might as well get the perks!
Starbucks- free drink on your birthday
Sheetz- 3 cents off every gallon of gas
Babies R Us- buy 10 packs of diapers, get one free
Best Buy- $5 coupon after spending $250
Target- 5% off most products
CVS- 2% back on in-store purchases
Giant Food- coupons for your next visit
Mariott- stay 10 nights, get one free
2. Credit card reward points
There are several credit card companies that now offer cash back rewards. Some debit cards are even jumping on board. Look for ones that offer savings for the life of the card. For example, you might see an enticing credit card ad- TRIPLE POINTS FOR 3 MONTHS!- or some such thing. But what are the earnings after that? Some don’t even offer points after the initial period! Think about long term savings that can add up. The best cards will have no annual fee and the cash back/rewards points will be an equivalent of 1-2% of your purchases.
3. Coupons and rebates
There is a great site- Ebates – that gives you cash back for shopping online. You go to their site first and say where you want to shop and that’s it! You get anywhere from 1-8% cash back depending on the store and what specials they’re running.
Coupons are great too and it’s become a lot more socially acceptable then it used to be. Check out the websites of your favorite products or write them letters saying what you like or don’t like and you’re sure to receive coupons in the mail. You can also google ‘printable coupons’ and you’ll find plenty of free choices to print right out at home.
For an example of extreme savings check this out!
Couponing