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smart shopper

Shopping

5 Newbie Couponing Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

If you’ve ever watched TLC’s Extreme Couponing program, then like us, you’ve probably been pretty amazed by just how much money a person can save by clipping (or scanning) coupons. And while it might seem as simple as selecting a couple of coupons, taking them to the store and earning your discounts, like most things in life, couponing does actually have a bit of a “science” to it.

If you’re interested in becoming a coupon pro, we certainly want you to be successful at it. That’s why we’ve provided you with a list of five newbie couponing mistakes that many people tend to make along with the things that you can personally do to avoid them.

Not researching many coupon websites. Sure, there are fliers that tend to come in newspapers and you might be familiar with the more popular websites such as Coupons.com, but the reality is that there are all kinds of websites and blogs that one, have different coupons posted and two, can show you how to get the most out of them. So, as you’re learning more about couponing, make a point to visit websites such as Couponing101, ImTHATLady, Fat Wallet, and Ebates for the best online shopping deals.

August 24, 2013

Shopping

The Difference Between Being Frugal And Being Cheap

Everybody knows that buying things that are cheap is much better than buying things that are expensive, right? Well, not exactly. What you need to understand is that there is a difference between being frugal and being cheap.

The biggest problem that people have is they get these two definitions mixed up and it makes them look bad. You are being cheap when you spend very little but in doing so you sacrifice quality. You are being frugal when you are spending very little but you are getting good deals on exceptional products. For example, if you search cheap London hotels, frugal folks will find great deals on really nice hotels. Every one knows that traveling in Europe can be expensive, however, if you are willing to do a little leg work, you can really find some amazing deals online without having to sacrifice quality. Alternatively, cheap customers will end up in a dumpy hotel that is uncomfortable and perhaps even unsanitary. Frugal customers will have gone online to a website like Priceline.com or Travelstay.com and got a great room for the same price as the cheap customer, but will be staying in a comfortable, clean room. So you see there is definitely a big difference between being cheap and being frugal. Below are some more examples to drill home the point:

April 29, 2013

Shopping

5 Tips For Playing It Safe When You Shop Online

Everyone knows that the Internet can be a dangerous place when you are shopping online. No matter if a particular shopping cart says that it is secure, it could be a scammer trying to take your hard earned money. In fact, statistics say that 14% of all transactions end up costing somebody their money or their identity. However, most of the time, if you take the right precautions, shopping online can be as safe and secure as shopping at a local retailer.

Here are 5 tips for playing it safe when you shop online:

If you feel like a site might be a little suspicious, pay with your credit card and not your debit card. With your debit card a thief can empty out your entire checking account. A bank might give you part of the money back, but because it is essentially cash you can possibly lose a lot of it; this can be extremely unfortunate if you have a lot of money in your account. With credit, you can usually report it as fraud and not have to pay that portion of the bill when your statement comes at the end of the month.

Make sure that the website is a secure shopping site. There are a number of ways to find out if a site or the site’s payment gateway is secure. For one, there might be a little lock at the bottom of the screen that connotes that the site is secure. There might also be a symbol in the URL bar that will ensure that the site is secure and won’t record any of your personal information for later use.

April 29, 2013

Shopping

5 Smartphone Shopping Apps To Help You Save Money

Thanks to modern technology, there are now more ways to spend your money than ever before. Internet shopping is a massive industry, with e-commerce sites driving record sales numbers during all of the major holidays. When you watch television shows online, you’ll often be subject to interactive commercials, with one-click access to the purchase of the described item. Megastores like Wal-Mart and Costco are in towns great and small and regional retailers are still doing big business, regardless of the state of the economy. Thankfully, technology is also in place to help you save while you buy. If you have a Smartphone or tablet device, take advantage of these five shopping apps that will help you save money.

First off, check out the I Love Free Things app, which is a free thing itself. It doesn’t get cheaper than free, and with this app you’ll be able to track down any short term free deals in your area. You’ll start an account and enter in your location information, and it will give you a daily breakdown of the free promotions and samples nearby. Use it on a Smartphone and it will tap into your GPS, allowing you to find free stuff when you’re out and about in town as well.

April 6, 2013

Shopping

5 Ways To Save Money On A New Wardrobe For Spring

Can you believe it? Spring is just around the corner. That means that it’s time to pack up our sweaters and scarves and start looking for a few new pieces to add to our “it’s getting warmer” wardrobe.

If you happen to be someone who is still recovering from all of the Christmas shopping that you did a few months back, you might have the kind of budget that speaks more to “window shopping” than actually spending any money. The good news is that we have a few simple ways that you can save on a new springtime wardrobe; ways that will keep money in your pocket, a smile on your face and you looking super cute.

Write down what you actually need. Shopping for clothes is a lot like shopping for food in the sense that you tend to make smarter financial decisions when you plan ahead. So, before you head out to the mall, jot down a list of things that you actually need. It will help to keep you focused while looking at all of the pretty new trends that are hanging in the storefront windows.

March 11, 2013

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