Thrifty Thursday: Playing the Money Game
Saving money is game-how to make your money stretch as far as it can without going bankrupt is a challenge! Companies offer coupons and points and cashback and so many other deals, but it is hard to know what is a gimick and what is actually worth your time. It takes guess work and trial and error. Sometimes we stumble upon things by happy accident, but mostly it takes concerted effort. Here are some things to look for to use to your advantage!
1. Store reward programs
Sign up for the free reward programs where you can! Not all places have them, but many grocery stores do (Macey's, Smith's, Walmart). Signing up for reward programs at places that you often shop can save you in the long run without doing anything different. Walmart has a "Savings Catcher" where you scan in your recent receipts and it will price match local ads. If it finds the product you bought for a cheaper price, it will save it for you and is redeemable at the store. Smith's and Macey's give points per dollar spent. Smith's also gives points for using resuable bags (5pts/bag), while stores like Macey's and Sprouts give 5-10 cent discounts for using reusable bags. Points at these stores can be used for reduced gas prices.
2. Join online deal/coupon lists
Keep your eyes on the ads and current coupons in circulation. When you can combine a sale with coupons, you can quickly build up a small food storage (for lean times) and get some of your favorite things for a fraction of the cost. Often times people will sell coupons in bulk. You have to be careful with this! Some coupons are not worth the purchase price, but when you can get a coupon for $0.25 to save $2 it can be worth the splurge. For example, Suave had body wash on sale 2 for $4 at Smith's. After purchasing, a $2 off coupon was printed. On the next purchase, when combined with a $2 off 2 Suave coupon, it was literally the cost of the tax! It was a great way to stock up on something we use everyday.
3. Gift Cards=Cash
We all know that gift cards are not redeemable for cash, but many stores accept them as cash, and often give discounts when using cash instead of a debit or credit card. Use this to your advantage! When you buy gift cards from stores that give reward points (Maceys, Smith's, etc) its a way to build up your points on something you were planning to spend on anyway (just at a different store). For example, Smith's gift cards are usually 2x the points (with very few exceptions) and periodically throughout the year they are 4x the points (especially around Christmas and Father's Day). A $50 GC from Smith's fetches 100 points, which equates to 10 cents off/gallon of gas. Who doesn't like that?!
4. Combine where you can
Smith's (notice I live close to one!) has teamed up with Shell gas stations, so you can use your Smith Reward Points to get cheaper fuel. Gas stations often have a "card price" and a "cash price". Well, when you use a gift card (as mentioned above) it is accepted as cash! How do I use this to my advantage? I buy the gift card at Smith's--which are usually 2x points (or 4x points, depending). Buying a $50 GC gives me 100 points, which is 10 cents off fuel. Now I take my GC to the Shell station down the road offering 10 cents off the "card price" for the "cash price". I pay inside (which I KNOW is a pain, but its worth the savings-and extra steps) and use my Smith's Fuel Reward points. So what is the savings difference? If I fill up to the max 35 gallon limit (usually we do between two vehicles) and the initial (card) price of gas is $2.15, then I use my Smith's points and GC for the cash price, I save 20 cents/gallon, which is $7..this time. If I have more points, it is more savings, but if I only did like this example every time I fueled up (about every 2 wks), then in the course of a year I'd save $175! That's a lot of moola.
I hope this list gives you some ideas that you can run with! What are some other ways you play the money game? Please let us know in the comments below! :D
~Smiles~
Madeline
