This article features the advice of our our Savings Stars. Our RetailMeNot Savings Stars panel is made up of master couponers and bargain hunters who share their personal journeys and expert advice with us every month. Learn more from them here.
There’s plenty of savings advice floating around out there, some of it reputable, some of it not. The “not” part is why we created our Saving Stars panel, made up of shopping pros. Some of them are the very people who submit coupons and promo codes to our site every day (meaning they know a thing or two about how to find discounts). Some of them are our blog writers, who have racked up years of expertise in shopping and budgeting.
Every month, we ask these savvy Savings Stars a question. Their answers will help you level up your shopping game.
This Month’s Question: What is Your Ultimate, Tried-and-True Savings Hack?
Maria Lalonde, budget travel expert
“If you purchase a Grande or Venti hot or ice coffee or tea at Starbucks, you get free refills during your visit. This might sound like a trivial savings hack, but during my college years — when I would knock back two or three Venti ice coffees (don’t judge) while studying at my neighborhood Starbucks — this handy tip saved me anywhere from $5 to $20 per cram sesh.”
Hayley Brown, RetailMeNot couponer
“My favorite savings hack is abandoning items in my cart because a lot of times it generate an email letting me know that I forgot something in my cart and an offer for a discount to come back and buy it.”
Aly Walansky, eating-well-on-a-budget expert
“Buying family sized/bulk packaging. I am single and live alone. So, it may sound counter-intuitive to buy family sized packages of chicken breasts or salmon, or cans of crushed tomatoes by the case. But it’s actually an important part of my food budget – by buying items in larger quantities, you pay a lower per-unit price. It makes so much more sense to me to buy that large pack of chicken or salmon, freeze it in portions and have it for future meals but pay less per meal in the process. It’s maybe spending more in the moment, but saving a ton of cash long term.”
Lisa McCulley, RetailMeNot couponer
“Before I buy anything, I put it in my cart and leave the website. Within a couple hours, the companies usually send you an email saying, ‘Looks like you forgot something’ or ‘Would this help you complete your purchase?’ There is usually a ‘free shipping’ code, a discount code or even a free gift with purchase offered in this email. Then I double check RetailMeNot to see if the deal I got is better than what is on there. Lastly, I post my new-found deal on RetailMeNot.”
The post Savings Stars Sound Off: What’s Your Ultimate Savings Hack? appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.