If you are like us, then you feel great when you save money! Learning how to save money while shopping is a great way to cut down on your monthly costs, and it can be very helpful around Christmas and other holidays.
| 10 Christmas Savings Ideas
We just love saving money, especially when we are shopping for items that we were going to buy anyway. There are lots of different ways for you to save money whether you are shopping online or in stores. So let’s check out all the ways that you can save money shopping today!
Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links. This just means that we make a little money if you buy something through one of our links. It does not cost you any more to purchase an item through our links. It just helps support this blog so we can continue to bring you more content like this. As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.
Tip for learning how to save money while shopping
Before we get into some different ways you can save money while shopping, it is important to understand something about discounts.
These tips will only help you save money if you aren’t buying things just to get the discounts.
What do we mean by that? Let’s say that you need a new pair of jeans and are looking to save as much money as possible. You find a coupon that saves you $10 if you spend $50 or more. The pair of jeans that you are looking to buy cost $30. You want to use the coupon, so you decide to buy enough stuff to equal $50. The other items you buy aren’t things you need. You just bought them so that you could get the discount.
Why is this not a good idea? Well, if you continue to buy things you don’t need in order to get discounts, then those extra purchases will add up. You’ll actually end up paying way more than if you just bought the item without the discount.
Make sure you are actually saving money before you buy.
#1—Ibotta
This money saving tool can be used for shopping in person or online, so it is a win-win!
Ibotta is a great way to save money at grocery stores as well as a few other places. It is an app that you download on your phone and get cashback when you buy certain items. Even if you do not buy a lot of the items on Ibotta, you can get 10¢ just for taking a picture of your receipt!
Basically all you have to do is shop, look for rebates on Ibotta, claim them, take a picture of your receipt, and then your money goes into your account. Once you reach $20, you can withdraw your cash to your PayPal or Venmo account or onto a variety of gift cards like Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc.
You can also earn bonuses when you redeem so many offers. You can team up with your friends to help you earn even more money!
Ibotta has introduced the option to pay from the app. This allows you to skip uploading receipts for certain stores.
There are a lot of different offers available including grocery items, mobile purchases, travel, and more. Some stores even offer cashback on your entire purchase!
It is FREE to use! There is no risk to try it. Why wouldn’t you want to earn money for FREE? You will get a welcome bonus for signing up and redeeming offers.
If you would like to join, you can use my referrallinkor my referral code:asljnam
#2—Honey
Honey is a Google Chrome extension that you add to save you money and receive cashback when you shop online.
Once you install the extension and create your account, you can start earning and saving money!
Honey searches the internet for promo codes for websites where you shop, and then tries them when you checkout. You also receive Honey Gold (reward points) for some of your purchases. You can then redeem this Gold for gift cards.
Once you install it, you don’t have to mess with it. It works for you. When you shop at one of their participating sites, you will see a popup at the checkout that allows you to search for promo codes. If there are promo codes that work, they will be applied to your purchase. In addition, you can also receive Honey Gold for certain purchases. Once you have 1000 Honey Gold, you can redeem it for a $10 gift card.
It is super easy to use, and it is completely FREE! There is no risk in trying Honey, and you will definitely save money when you shop online!
Sign up usingthis link.
#3—Rakuten
Formally known as Ebates, Rakuten is a money-saving tool that can be used in person and online.
You can go to their site and click on the store you would like to shop at, or you can install the Rakuten Google Chrome extension button.
Once you make your purchase using Rakuten, your cashback will be applied to your Rakuten account. If you have the Rakuten button, besides getting cashback, you can also have promo codes and coupons applied to your purchase at checkout (which will save you even more money!).
You can also use Rakuten when shopping in stores. For participating stores, look at the Rakuten website or app for in-store offers. Choose the offer you want to use and link it to the credit card that you plan to use for your purchase.
You can redeem your cash through PayPal or through a check sent to your house. Either way is free. Payments are sent out 4 times a year, so you will not receive your cashback until one of those dates.
Rakuten is FREE to use, so if you make any purchases online, you should definitely consider using Rakuten.
When you sign up and spend $25, you get a $10 bonus!
Sign up HERE to start earning FREE money!
#4—Reward Cards
Reward cards are not the same thing as store credit cards (although, you can use those as well!). Reward cards can be scanned when you check out, and they often times give you some sort of deal whether that is so much money off your order or maybe something FREE! Once you sign up for a rewards card, you start earning points and/or offers when you use it.
Some loyalty cards allow you to clip digital coupons on them. When you go to check out, these coupons are applied to your purchases.
A lot of stores offer their customers reward cards. For example, we use a Pet Supplies Plus reward card, and we receive coupons for $5 off all the time.
Check out the stores where you shop to see if they offer a reward/loyalty card. They can help you get some really great deals! They are FREE to sign up for, so there is no risk involved!
| List of Customer Loyalty Programs for Department Stores
#5—Store Credit Cards
Many stores have the option of opening a store credit card. They are usually for people to use only at their stores, but in return, you get a discount. If you like to shop at a certain store, it might be a good idea to have a store credit card. You could be saving lots of money there if you shop often.
Note: because these are credit cards, you should treat them like any other credit card you have. When you get the bill, you should pay it right away instead of letting interest build on it.
#6—Coupons
Coupons are still a great way to save money at stores. Plus, they can be combined with store reward cards and credit cards as well. You can even use Ibotta or Rakuten with other coupons, so you are saving in several ways!
There are lots of coupons for grocery shopping, but there are also coupons that you can use to buy other items like clothing, shoes, etc.
While the stores that offer good coupons constantly change, you can usually find a few stores that have them. One that we’ve seen somewhat often is coupons for free items at Bath and Body Works.
Other stores offer coupons as well. Sometimes you might have to print them from online or maybe just show them to the cashier on your phone. We can sometimes find coupons onRetailMeNot, but just know that not all coupons or coupon codes from this site work.
We recommend checking out the store’s website before you go shopping to see if they offer any coupons.
#7—Wikibuy
Wikibuy is another Google Chrome extension that you can install. What is unique about this extension is that when you are looking at an item to purchase, it shows you if you can buy it somewhere else for less money.
This extension also finds coupon codes and gives cashback on certain sites.
You can also add items to your watch list to see if there are any price drops. Then, you can get the best deal on the item you want.
You can redeem credits from them and get gift cards. It is super easy and FREE to use!
Sign up for freeHERE!
#8—Fetch Rewards
Our current favorite app to use after shopping, is Fetch Rewards!
It is free and simple to use, and it allows you to earn money from ANY receipt (not just grocery stores). You can even earn money from e-receipts by connecting your email account.
Every receipt you submit will earn you 25 points automatically. If you are grocery shopping, you have the potential to earn a lot more points. Every point is the equivalent to a penny, so you are earning at least 25 cents for every receipt.
Your points can be redeemed for a variety of different gift cards. In the last year, we have earned $45 worth of gift cards. In the time that we’ve used this app, there have been major improvements that have allowed us to earn even more points.
If you’re interested in using this app, use the code 46NDN to get an extra 2000 points when you submit your first receipt!
Which of these tips helped you save money shopping?
Comment down below and share any of your favorite tips for shopping!
Related posts:
Where to Buy Cheap Books
Save Money by Shopping at Garage Sales
How to Save Money on Groceries
