You’re at the mall with a few of your friends when you see it. A gorgeous shirt that you can add to your collection. You take it off the rack to look at it and put it right back where you got it as soon as you see the price tag.
One hundred dollars for a single shirt? No thank you! Soon after, you see one of your friends with the same shirt boasting that they only got it for 40 dollars.
You’d like to know how to save money and get the things you want just like your friend. Don’t worry, we can teach you. Check out this guide to learn the top ways to save.
1. Buy Refurbished
We know, you love the idea of getting something shiny and new in a box. Why would you want an item that someone else has used before? That’s just asking for it to break within a couple of months.
This is a common misconception when it comes to refurbished electronics. Nine times out of ten, they come out of the box looking as shiny as the new stuff. The manufacturer has cleaned them up and gotten them all ready to go back on the shelf.
That used laptop might not last quite as long as a brand new one, but you’ll still get plenty of use out of it. The only thing you have to be concerned with is the warranty. Refurbished electronics no longer have their warranty so if you break it, you’re out of luck.
2. Promotions and Coupons are Your Friends
The best way to save money is with promotions and coupons. They’re always available for the taking. All you have to do is look out for them.
We will tell you that coupon hunting is a lot of work. You’ll have to collect newspapers and go through them with a fine-tooth comb to find promotions for your favorite stores.
If you want to cut out some of the work that you have to do, create an email account and sign up for newsletters. All promotions and coupons will go straight to that account.
If you’re shopping online, you can do a quick search to find coupons. You can also download coupon apps to your phone. There are always discount sites such as Groupon, as well.
3. Compare Prices
There’s something that you want on Amazon. You stalk the item on a normal basis to wait for a sale that you know is never going to come. At least not for a while, anyway.
There are apps out there that will search the items on your wish list and notify you when they go on sale. This way, you don’t have to look at the page each day.
Some apps will search the item and bring up an entire history of price fluctuations that you can compare. There might be another online retailer that’s offering it for a cheaper price than Amazon.
There’s not a lot of retailers that will price match, but you’ll run into the occasional store that will do it. All you have to do is show them that the price is cheaper online.
4. Stack Promo Codes
This is another hack for shopping online. Collect all the promo codes that you can. When you apply them all at checkout, you get the satisfaction of watching the price melt away.
There is a way to take this a step further. Nothing says you can’t stack a bunch of promos on top of an item that’s already on sale. This is one of the easy ways to save money.
5. Use an App
No matter if you want to spend less money on groceries or navigate your way through the Walmart hidden clearance, there’s an app that can help you out. When things go on clearance at your favorite store, you’ll be the first to know about it.
Not only will these apps tell you when things go on sale, but they can also give you promo codes that you can use to further your savings.
6. Cash-Back
Most credit card companies have something called cash-back. Essentially, the more you spend on your card, the more reward points that you gather up. Once you reach a certain amount, you can cash your points in for money.
Credit card companies aren’t the only thing with this system in place. If you have a Costco or Amazon membership, for example, you can gather points that you can spend elsewhere.
There are shopping portals that will also give you cash-back rewards. The only stipulation is that you have to shop at their affiliated links first.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate
There aren’t a lot of items where you can haggle the price down, but it never hurts to try. If you pick something off the shelf with damaged packaging, you might be able to get a discount on the price.
Let’s say you go to the store to buy a computer. The salesperson starts trying to sell you a bunch of add-ons for the machine. They might be willing to give you a discount if you agree to take the package deal.
Never pay the sticker price on large items like a house or a car. The cost can always be negotiated with the salesperson. The last thing you can do is barter.
We’ll tell you that bartering isn’t easy. It’s the practice of selling goods and services that you provide for something that another is selling.
For example, telling someone that you’ll work on their roof in exchange for a set of tools. The reason why this is difficult is that not everyone will have use for the goods and services that you’re trying to give.
How to Save Money on the Things You Use Everyday
Are you tired of putting the things that you want back on the rack because you can’t afford them? Look for promos, sales, and coupons. If the item is damaged in any way, try to negotiate the price down.
Use cash-back apps to turn reward points into money you can use. This is the secret of how to save money on everything you want or need.
Are you looking for more ways to spend less when you’re shopping? Check out our blog daily to read more articles like this one.
