With prices continuously on the rise, finding ways to cut down on expenses may not necessarily mean cutting corners – if you plan your shopping strategically. There are ways to get your favorite items without compromising for less or breaking your budget in the process. With the ever-increasing assortment of shopping apps there are plenty of ways to save. Some retailers, such as grocery stores, even have discount coupons you can load right from their app or site into your account or onto your frequent shopper card. To maximize savings, combining store specials with manufacturer coupons can really add up to a nice chunk of change left in your wallet.
One of the most popular discount sites these days is WikiBuy. It’s easy enough to load the app onto your phone or tablet and start searching for bargains on the items you need. Simply open the app and search for the retailer or product you want. For example, if you shop at Walmart and go through the Wiki app, they currently have a 1% cash back reward. Target is offering a variety of discount coupons. If you click through the app, you’ll see the discounts on Target’s site where you can select the items and make your purchase directly. Macy’s is currently offering a generous 8.5% cash back, most likely in an effort to boost online sales. Whatever the reason, take a look before you make a purchase you were going to make anyway and see if there are any discount offers or coupons available. Every little bit adds up, especially if you plan on a large shopping order or big-ticket item purchase.
Rakuten is another popular online shopping app offering access to discounts on everyday purchases for many popular retailers such as Kohl’s. Here’s an opportunity to combine discount offers, because Kohl’s is one such retailer that always has some kind of special discount, coupon or Kohl’s cash offer which rewards $10 towards a future purchase when you spend $50. Old Navy, Chewy.com, Macy’s and eBay are also among the discounted offerings. You may recognize this discounter by its former name – Ebates. It’s the same service offering special deals under the relatively new name and app.
Groupon is another site which has been popular for a number of years. It offers discounted coupons for local area retailers such as restaurants, hair salons, local goods and services and more. The only caveat with using this site is once you make the purchase, you’re obligated to use the service or forfeit the cost. For example, if you buy into a Groupon for a nutritional consultation and later decide you don’t want it, you can’t get a refund if you opt out of the goods or service you paid into the group coupon for. Any Groupon deal requires a certain amount of people to buy into it in order to validate the offer – usually within a 24-hour period from when the offer is posted. Discounts can be as high as 90 per cent, so it’s definitely worth a look if there’s a merchant you’re certain you will do business with.
If you’re in search of manufacturer coupons, check out coupons.com which has printable coupons for every day grocery items and special offers from major manufacturers who may own a variety of brands so you can combine the offer to suit your shopping needs. Many retailers will accept these coupons electronically through their app; you’ll just need to scan the bar code from your smart phone. Keep in mind, the more coupons and discounts you can combine, the more your savings will add up and therefore keep some of your hard-earned pay in your wallet while still being able to buy what you need.
Ann is a professional writer who brings dedicated experience having written international and domestic news, blogs, and web content for over 20 years. She’s also a published poet and graphic designer with degrees in Business and Graphic Communications and has been a music distributor, music industry sponsorship sales director and band manager.