How I Shop For The Best Deals

I like to pride myself on almost always getting an AMAZING deal. Much like shopping at Hobby Lobby, if you pay full price for something, you’re doing it wrong. Now, there are certain items where you will likely pay full price. Mostly things with designer labels. Unless you’re buying second hand, I can’t help you.

If you’ve been following me, you’ve seen a few of my money posts. Like getting a great deal, I am also pretty great at saving money.

6 Ways to Save More Money This Year
My 5 Favorite Apps and Websites to Save Money
Gameplan: Saving $10,000

I’m sharing my money saving, bargain hunting ways with you. I have expensive taste on a single, millennial budget.

Rakuten

I’ve shared about Rakuten (formerly eBates) before, but it is a huge money saver. You can start in the app on your phone or download the extension to your browser. It will pop up and notify you if cash back is available for the store. It’s mostly online, but they do have some in-store offers too. If you keep your eyes open, you can get double or triple cash back sometimes, close to 20% back. They mail our checks quarterly. I don’t get very much, but it’s a nice $20-$50 here or there.

If you sign up with my link, you get $10 EXTRA cash back when you make your first purchase.

The “Add to Cart” Hack

eCommerce has this concept of “abandoned cart.” If a brand is smart, they will have some sort of email automation set up to remind you to complete your purchase (if you’ve added a product to your cart and “walked away” from it). If they’re REALLY smart, they’ll include a coupon to entice you to complete that purchase. You may need to wait a few days, but the discount is always helpful!

First Shopper Discount

A lot of times, brands will give discounts to first time buyers. There is no shame in using all of your different email addresses for discounts.

Check your credit cards.

I have three credit cards that I use actively: One with my bank, one with Capital One, and my Amazon Visa Rewards card. A lot of credit cards have offers that can be added to your card that will kick in once you purchase from those particular stores. Generally, they’re a bit more random, but you can always find offers.

Shop around.

Recently, I was in the market for a new patio set. The last set I had was fine, but it was time for an upgrade. I knew a look that I wanted, so I started scouring the internet. I looked everywhere: At Home, Wayfair, Target, Walmart, Ikea…you name the store, I checked. I kept coming back to this wicker-like set. I guess it’s the new fad because it was everywhere I came across the most affordable set on Walmart.com.

Guess what. There are third-party sellers on Walmart, just like there are on Amazon. (If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, let me know. This is what I do with my day job.) The brand on Walmart just happened to have their own website (like all brands should). Upon visiting the website, I happened to find the same set for the same price Walmart had, but the website had 3% cash back and free shipping.

I also decided to treat myself to a new Keurig. My old one was about 6 years old, and I was fighting with it most mornings. That’s not what you want to do first thing in the morning before you’ve had your coffee. Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Keurig were my top contenders. Walmart had it for a few dollars less, but not the color I wanted. I had a 20% off coupon at BB&B, which made it the least expensive. However, Keurig was offering 15% cash back from Rakuten PLUS two boxes of K-Cups free with your purchase. It was an easy decision.

It’s easy to shop and get the best deals. You just have to be smart and take your time. More often than not, you will spend more when you try to do things quickly. If you have any tips for getting great deals, let me know in the comments below! I’m always looking for new ways to save.