From buying gifts to updating your wardrobe, the cost of living can be, well, taxing. Fortunately, you can catch a break on your bill. Here are a few ways to save when you’re shopping:
1) The Entertainment book is full of coupons, plus when you buy the book, you can access additional offers online. I tend to use coupons like “save $25 on a purchase of $100+” to save on things that rarely go on sale, like Life is Good shirts. Deals for the book vary throughout the year, but I’ve seen prices that range from $5 off to $7.99 per book, often with free shipping.
2) Check the gift card buy/sell/trade sites, like PlasticJungle.com and GiftCards.com. You can save up to 35% on gift cards to a variety of shops (Target, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble), and shipping is often free, too. Since you’re buying an actual gift card, you can stack your discounts by redeeming a deal voucher or coupon and then using the gift card to pay the balance.
3) Let your favorite shops know that you’re a fan of their merchandise. Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, check-in on Foursquare, or sign up for their email updates. Quite a few will reward your loyalty by emailing you coupons, tweeting specials, or offering a special discount for the mayor on Foursquare. You can check for offers on Yelp, too. Some business owners post Yelp-specific deals, and Yelp now offers daily deals in select cities.
4) Speaking of daily deals, check the daily deal sites, like Groupon, Living Social, Saveology, & Scoutmob, for shopping-related deals. I highlight a few of the “doesn’t matter where you live” deals each day on Cities on the Cheap, but offers for local stores will show up on the city-specific deal pages. I’ve picked up 50% off vouchers for chain stores, including Barnes & Noble & Old Navy, as well as deals for local & online retailers. Think of it as a one-day sale that gives you a chance to get a cheap gift without looking cheap.
5) Be sure to look for promo codes for online orders. You can check through recent Shopping posts on Cities on the Cheap to find some, or search sites like RetailMeNot.com. And you’ll find deals for specific merchandise via offers likeAmazon.com’s one-day sales
And shopping-related freebies & deals pop up throughout the year, so be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @citiescheap on Twitter, like Cities on the Cheap on Facebook, or add us to a Google+ circle to save even more.
