Easy Ways to Save Money on Everyday Items

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Saving money can be tough. Check out these easy ways to save money on everyday items and keep more money in your pocket!

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Something I’m always trying to is save a little bit of money. I went through a time in my college and early adult years when I would overspend a lot and then spend the next five days spending as little as possible until my next check! These days I’m a lot better at not overspending and trying to save money up front. My philosophy for saving money is pretty simple — I hunt for deals on items I would buy anyway. I’m not a coupon clipper because it’s too easy to fall into the, “Well… I do have a coupon for that…” trap. I toyed around with a lot of different methods for cutting corners and over the years a few of them have stuck.

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ONE // Brand (Dis)loyalty

I’ll start with one of the easiest ways to save. Buy generic! There are quite a few items that I’m “brand loyal” to — Coca Cola and Heinz ketchup, for example. But at the same time, there are a lot of brands that I’m not loyal to at all. Nine times out of ten, the generic counterpart of any product has the same ingredients and tastes (or smells, if it’s a body product) the same. If the store brand option, or even a brand you don’t typically buy, is less expensive than my usual purchase, don’t waste any pride over saving a few pennies!

TWO // Ibotta

Ibotta is new(ish) to me. My mom introduced me to it a few months ago and I love how easy it is to use. When I make my grocery list, I spend a few minutes going through app and checking to see if there are deals on any items on my list. If there are, I scan my receipt in after returning from the store and get cash back. Ibotta makes it very easy for you to save money on everyday items because a lot of the items are available at multiple stores, so you can get cash back regardless of where you shop.

THREE // Ebates

I’ve been a faithful Ebates user for about five years now! It’s a great practice to get into to check Ebates anytime you shop online for a cash back option. Simply open a shopping trip through Ebates and your cash back will be deposited into your Ebates account a few days after your purchase.

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FOUR // Raise

Raise is a unique website that will help you save money on just about anything. Raise purchases gift cards from users, both physical and e-gift, and sells them for a discount. For example, you can save one percent on a Walmart gift card, buying a $10 gift card for only $9.90. Up front, ten cents isn’t very much, but over time it will definitely add up. You can also sell your own gift cards that have been sitting unused in your wallet for the last three years!

Pro Tip: Before checking out Raise, open a shopping trip through Ebates to get cash back on that purchase. If you’re buying a gift card to use online, make sure you check Ebates before making that purchase as well!

FIVE // Target REDcard

One of my favorite ways to save a little bit of money on everyday items is with my Target REDcard.  I have the REDcard debit that is connected to my bank account as opposed to being a credit card. With the Target REDcard, you can get five percent off all Target purchases (even Starbucks in Target!) and free shipping online. I’ve been a cardholder for about three years now and I use it every time I shop at Target!

Saving money is something everyone wants to do. It doesn’t have to be difficult! With just a few tweaks to your normal routine it can be easy to save money on items you purchase everyday.

Question: Have you used any of these methods for saving money on everyday items? How do you keep a little extra cash in your pocket?

I’m linking up with Lindsay for Tuesday Talk!

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