8 Rebate Apps For Your Phone

Everyone is trying to save a buck these days, and thanks to smart phones, it is easier than ever. Below is a list of apps to download to your phone, that will save you money just for everyday shopping that you do.

1. Checkout 51: This is a rebate app, you download it and every week is a list of items that you can earn money back on. When you purchase them, you simply upload your receipt and make some money

2. Ibotta: This is another shop where you can upload your receipts, but you can also do so much more. Before you go to the store, check out the app and see what missions they have inside. You can earn money for checking in and taking pictures of certain products.

3. RetailMeNot: Before you hit the mall, you have to check out this app. It tells you all the sales, as well as coupons for the stores, before you even visit.

4. Walmart Savings Catcher: If you shop at Walmart, you MUST get this. Located in the Walmart app, you simply login with your Walmart account, and scan the code on the bottom of the receipt everytime you shop there. They will search for sales in your area, and if it is cheaper anywhere else, they will pay you the difference.

5. Living Rich With Coupons: Another great app to save, this app will lay out all the deals, coupons, and combinations to do at stores in your area. This will save those couponers a lot of time and hassle.

6. Shopkick: Another great rebate program, when you purchase certain items of the week, you get points back. Those points quickly add up to gift cards to your favorite stores to use however you like.

7. Raise.com: Another great site, you can actually sell or buy unwanted gift cards here. Then, you don't even pay full price, which is a great steal for those who shop at certain stores quite often.

8. Savingstar: One of the newer apps, but also the only full digital couponing service for local stores. Here, you can clip coupons for certain stores, and combine with your store program to help you save even more. You can even checkout weekly ads to make sure you are getting the lowest price around.

5 Couponing Tips They Forget To Tell You

A lot of times, you can walk into a store with a hand full of coupons, and when you walk out it seems that you spent more than you had wanted, just because you wanted to use up all your coupons. However, when it comes to couponing, here is what you should always remember: 

1. Make a list before you leave

In order to make things easier on you, and the check out people, always be prepared. When you walk into the store, you should already have a list of exactly what to buy, and what coupon to use. This ensures that you have found the best deals before hand, so you are not stuck in the store price checking items all day. 

2. Compare store prices before hand

Sometimes a sale at this store, is still more expensive then at a normal store you buy items at. Basically, although a store says sale, it might not be a sale to your wallet. Look at all stores before hand, and compare prices on items that you are wanting to buy. This way, you can find the best deals, and know exactly what is cheapest.

3. Check all stores for apps

Electronics can often make things more difficult, but when it comes to couponing, it makes things a lot easier. A ton of stores have app's right for your phone were you can add coupons to your phone number and even view weekly ads. This way, when you go to checkout, all you have to do is type in your phone number and your coupons will add with your items and easily save you money. Some people even find ways to combine certain coupons with there phone coupons, but that is another article all together.

4. Decode the small print

Always read the small print on your coupons. Sometimes you can use 4 or 5 coupons in one transaction, or you may have other items you can buy with the coupon that are not pictured. Just because there is one cereal on the coupon picture, it might work for any size or flavor as long as it is that brand. So read carefully. 

5. Join Facebook groups and local communities

There are tons of groups and blogs out there that can help you combine your coupons and snag the best deals. Sometimes, simply joining and following them can make things easier and do a lot of the work for you. Although you might find a deal they miss, if you join quite a few they will find almost any good deal out there. Don't be afraid to ask questions, as they usually never mind explaining lingo or other things that you don't understand. 

4 Basics of Couponing

I am no expert in couponing, although I have followed and studied it for some time. It is not difficult, it is just simply something I do not spend time investing in. However, I do coupon simply. As in, I do not walk out of a store with $40.00 worth of products for $3.00, but I do buy $40.00 worth of things I need at that time for $30.00 or below.

Now, mind you. I do not clip coupons. I do not print them offline. I do not get newspapers. I simply do this by going to certain stores, and combining e-coupons (where you type in your phone number) with sales. Or, I go to Wal-Mart and use a few coupons I might have gotten mailed to me, or taken from a friend/families newspaper.

However, this is because I am not trying to save a bunch, just a little when I do have to spend. So, if you want to save a lot, it is easily possible. If you have the determination, you can easily be catching deals like other extreme couponers within the first month.

Below are 4 easy tips that when combined, will make you an extreme couponer in no time.

1. Collect, Collect, and Collect:

Coupons online, weekly newspapers, and signing up on the products websites are all good ways to get coupons. Over time, you will build up your coupons, which are good to save for when the product itself is on sale (explained later on).

2. Sign up for ALL rewards programs:

Most stores that you shop at have some type or rewards set up. Walmart has an app where you scan the barcode on the bottom of your receipt, and get money back on products that are cheaper at competing stores. Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS, Rite Aid, and more all have programs and apps for your phone that you can join and either get extra coupons, digital coupons, or special points back that will add up over time. Sign up for all of them, or simply the ones you shop at most often.

3. Look at weekly sales:

Every week, make sure to take a glance at what is on sale. There are apps such as Flipp, or simply the apps for every store that you shop at that will show you what is on sale. Plus, you get sales ads in the mail and newspapers weekly. Either way, by seeing what is on sale every week is how you will learn to use your coupons wisely.

4. Combine:

The key to really winning at couponing, is combining your coupons with sales. If you find a coupon for .25 off some Dove dish detergent, but it is .99 regularly, you don't save much. However, if it is on sale for .50, then you are getting each bottle for .25, or half off. There are many websites and social groups to keep up with couponing deals as well, and you can use them to help you know exactly where to go and what to get.