Tips to help you make the most of your money
I don’t know about you, but the cost of everything seems to be out of control. Everyone wants to get the best deal they can. Trying to find ways to cut back or save money can feel frustrating and overwhelming. Let me share a few tips I have found to help save those precious pennies.
Before I start, I want to add a disclaimer that all of these options I’ve found do require a little bit of time and planning. You have to add coupons or submit receipts and that requires adding apps to your phone, joining rewards programs and receiving (gasp!) solicited emails and texts (depending on your delivery preference). But, if you are willing to take the time, you’ll find it’s not so hard to save a little. And all that little adds up over time.
Money-Saving Apps
I have found that most of your favorite retailers have an app. And on that app are coupons. Coupons are like free money (at least that’s how I see it). Kroger is the biggest grocery store in my area. I have the Kroger app and each week, I add coupons to my account. When I go to check-out at the store, I scan my keyfob or rewards card and the coupons are applied. What’s even better is when I order online for curbside pickup, I will shop from my coupon list and that helps me to see the savings in real time.
Then there are apps that give you points based on your purchases that you then can redeem for gift cards. I have already received $75 in gift cards this year or simply scanning my receipts and linking my store rewards accounts to these apps.
This is, by far, my favorite app right now. It’s so simple! You simply scan your receipts from any store and you get points. Every receipt is worth 25 points and you earn more points based on the items that you buy. I have learned that most name brand items are going to get you more points than generic brands, but not always. I save all my receipts in my purse and wallet and scan them all once a week. You can scan 35 receipts a week (if you have that many weekly). You can “cash” out your points starting at 5,000 points for a $5 gift card to major retailers such as: Amazon, AMC, Bath and Body Works, Chipotle, etc
I will be honest. I am not sure I have 100% figured out ibotta. This app has you add deals to your account (based on what store you are shopping at) and then you submit your receipt to claim the cash back. It’s similar to using coupons, but you have to submit your receipt to prove you bought the items.
The big deal with this app is that you can use it along with coupons you already have. For example, I am going to buy Tyson chicken strips. I have a $1.00 coupon in my Kroger app, but I also have a $1.00 cash back through ibotta, so I can save $2.00 off my chicken strips. And, I don’t know if you’ve seen the price of meat lately, but I will take all the help I can get.
There are many other apps that I’ve seen people use, but those are the two that I use consistently and get real rewards with. Do you have any apps or rewards that you use?
Follow couponers online
The fastest and easiest way I have learned the deals is to follow people who have already done the hard work of looking through the sales, what coupons are available and what combinations will give the cheapest deals. I will watch the video or read the breakdown they post and copy what they are doing.
*Disclaimer: not all regions will have the same deals or be the exact same price as what is shown. Also, sometimes I do not have the same coupons on my accounts that they do.*
Some of my favorites to follow are:
Instagram: @kaylakoupons, @couponqueenem
TikTok: @torok.coupon.hunter
Facebook: Hip2Save
