Beyond the Coupon

Spend Less On Tech Gadgets

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Purchasing the latest tech toys isn’t cheap. With the help of companies such as giftcardrescue, you are able to purchase discounted gift cards to stores such as Target that will help you Here’s how to soften the blow to your wallet.

spend less on tech gadgets

1. Sell your old device. Before upgrading to a new smartphone, laptop or tablet, consider selling or trading in your old device. Many retailers and wireless carriers offer trade-in programs. “The more current the phone or gadget, the more credit you can expect to receive,” consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch says.

While retailers typically offer a gift card toward future purchases, trade-in websites including Gazelle, BuyMyTronics and Glyde offer cash. “Some sites will buy it from you even if it’s broke, though naturally you’ll get a lower buyback,” says DealNews.com spokesman Mark LoCastro. “That’s money that you can in turn use for your new gadget purchase.” You may get more money reselling the device yourself through eBay (EBAY) or Craigslist, but that option also requires more legwork to complete the transaction and more potential for the buyer to flake out or defraud you.

2. Know your needs. According to Stephanie Humphrey, weekly tech columnist for Ebony.com and founder of the blog A Matter of Life and Tech, it’s a good idea to determine how much storage space and what features you need before a shopping excursion. That way a slick salesperson won’t upsell you to a model that has extra bells and whistles you won’t use. Customers sometimes “go in and say, ‘Gimme that one,’ and it’s more expensive than what [they] need,” she says.

With most non-Apple products, you can usually add more disk space later if needed, although it’s often cheaper to buy the right amount from the start. If you must upgrade your disk space later on, Humphrey says you can save money if you buy the component pieces online and install them yourself.

3. Consider buying the previous generation. iPhone 5s may be popular among the tech cognoscenti, but if you’re price-conscious, consider an iPhone 4 or 5 (not 5s). “Electronics have one of the fastest depreciation values on any consumer good as manufacturers and brands release new updates and models on popular gadgets every few months,” Woroch says. “What’s hot today may be old news in a few months, so it’s not worth paying a premium just to get the latest bells and whistles.”

LoCastro adds that a previous generation device is often still capable of running the latest apps and software. “You might just sacrifice a faster processor or thinner design,” he says.

Timing your purchase to the release of a new model can also save you money. “The best time to buy a current-generation iPad is toward the end of its life cycle,” LoCastro says. “So the minute you hear rumors that a new iPad is in the works, chances are retailers will discount the current iPad. That rule generally applies to all types of gadgets, from smartphones to tablets.”

4. Look for open-box deals or refurbished devices. Many retailers sell open-box items at a steep discount. “Open box may just mean it was the display model, or [an employee] may have opened it to show someone and that person decided not to purchase that item,” Humphrey says.

Refurbished devices have typically been used and returned to the manufacturer, which usually restores it to factory settings and tests it for defects. Humphrey says it’s a good idea to buy refurbished products from a reputable source, and make sure it’s factory certified.

5. Exercise caution on secondary markets. Worldwide sales of smartphones to end users totaled 968 million units, and tablet sales reached 195.4 million units last year, according to Gartner (IT), a technology research and advisory company. Plenty of these functional devices wind up on the secondary market when the owner gets tired of them or decides to upgrade.

Craigslist and eBay are two popular sources for used devices, but they can be riskier than buying directly from a retailer or manufacturer. Humphrey likes that eBay displays reviews from previous buyers. “You want sellers that have a lot of ratings so you can get a feel for how many people have walked away satisfied,” she says. Just be cautious about what you read. “There’s a whole industry now around buying fake reviews,” Humphrey points out. Craigslist connects local buyers and sellers, allowing them to meet in person to test a device. “The only real way to know if a product is going to function is to power it up,” she adds. If you’re conducting a Craigslist transaction in a public place for safety reasons, you can easily test out a smartphone or laptop, but trying out a TV or other large device becomes trickier.

6. Skip the extended warranty (most of the time). Retailers make much of their money from selling extended warranties, not from the products themselves. Your credit card may automatically offer protection beyond a standard manufacturer warranty for some items, so it’s worth checking before you pay for an extended warranty. Also consider the type of gadget you’re buying. “When it comes to televisions, you’re usually safe to skip over this added expense,” Woroch says. “While warranties do offer peace of mind, HDTVs are surprisingly reliable.” Humphrey says you probably don’t need an extended warranty on a TV, but it might be worthwhile for a laptop or tablet. “You’re transporting those, so there’s more of a chance that you’ll drop it or scratch it,” she explains. Still, the manufacturer warranty may not cover accidental damage such as water damage, so read the fine print before you buy.

Original article on U.S. News

How I Cut My Food Budget In Half

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Kali Geldis tells the DailyFinance about how she cut her food budget in half. If she would have known about services such as giftcardrescue.com, she could’ve saved even more!

With discounted gift cards to major grocery stores like Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, and more; saving hundreds of dollars a month is common. Here is her story.

cut your food budget in half

I opened up my budget tracking tool last November, and my jaw dropped — I had spent $1,200 on food that month. That’s when I knew I had to make a change.

Now, a few notes about that total: That includes groceries, restaurants, bars and fast food. Also, I prepared Thanksgiving dinner — $125 for couple of pies and a turkey for six people. However, that $1,200 number stuck with me — I needed to cut my spending on food.

It’s no surprise that food was a big budget-breaker for me — it’s one of the most common expenses on which financial planners see clients spending too much money. I definitely felt like I was throwing money away. There are so many other ways I could use that money — paying for a vacation, investing more money in an individual retirement account, saving for a down payment on a home, paying for a wedding.

It was when my now-fiancé proposed over Christmas that I knew needed to buckle down and cut my food spending by a lot. Weddings are expensive, and the money that was going toward nights out and nice dinners with friends was wrecking my budget. While I wasn’t going into debt, I realized it was just a matter of time. And debt is something I strenuously avoid. (I never carry a balance on my credit cards and am constantly monitoring my credit scores for free on Credit.com to make sure my credit utilization level is low.) If I was going to start cutting my food spending, I needed new rules for myself.

How I Cut My Food Spending in Half

  • Pack lunch for work. A simple step, yes, but I realized that I don’t need to pack a lunch every day for work, just pack supplies for lunches once a week. I realized I could get a big supply of baby spinach, some dried cranberries and some salad dressing, and have enough to last me for lunches the entire week. It made packing a lunch less of a hassle, and helped me avoid ordering lunch delivered to the office on Seamless on a daily basis. (I still let myself order in every once in a while.)
  • Make grocery shopping a priority. I’m a New Yorker, so stocking up on groceries for the week is more difficult than hopping in my car, filling up my cart and heading home. I have to carry all my groceries from the store to my apartment, and a week’s worth of food is shockingly heavy. I’ve opted instead to use Fresh Direct to order groceries every week. Even though I know I’m not getting the best deal on every item I buy, I know that by regularly filling my fridge, I’m not ordering a $25 meal from an online food delivery service. The savings adds up.
  • Just say no. Part of my food spending problem was that I would go out with friends and feel pressured to order another round of drinks, splurge on dessert, or get a bunch of appetizers for the table. I deserved it, right? I had to learn some self-control and think about the bigger expenses I really wanted — owning a home in a few years, saving money for my upcoming wedding (and the awesome honeymoon we want), and planning for a fully funded retirement. (Yes — I’m a millennial who is thinking about retirement — we do exist!)

I looked at my food spending in May — it’s down to about $600, a huge accomplishment, I cut my food budget in half! It took me about six months to really get into a groove with these new habits, but the payoff is big. My fiancé and I are on track to save more than $1,000 a month for our wedding, and we’re hoping to have a little left over to save for the other big costs down the road.

5 Things To Consider When Getting a Credit Card

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There seems to be a million different choices when getting a credit card. Different cards are better for certain people than others. DailyFinance.com explains what to consider when getting a credit card and how to avoid choosing a card that is wrong for you.

 things to consider when getting a credit card

1. Use comparison websites. The myriad of credit card options today is matched by a slew of comparison websites that make it easier than ever to customize your search for the right card for you. Google’s credit card search tool lets users narrow down their search by interest rate, rewards and a dozen other factors. IndexCreditCards.com, Bankrate.com, CreditCards.com, CreditKarma.com and NerdWallet.com all offer credit card search tools.

 

If you always pay your bill in full each month and never carry any debt, then you can take a closer look at the rewards options. Perhaps you prefer cash back to airline miles, or points that let you make purchases at retailers such as Best Buy (BBY) or Home Depot (HD). If you do carry any debt, though, then you’ll want to focus on minimizing the APR, or annual percentage rate. Just don’t sign up for the first offer you get in the mail because it might not be the best one for your situation.

 

2. Check up on the extra protections that come with your card. Credit cards come with various forms of protection, including from theft, non-delivery of items from a company and even extended warranties. If you travel a lot, then you might want to focus on cards that come with travel perks like insurance; if you buy a lot of large electronics, then the extended warranty protection might be for you. If you’re a big shopper, then price protection, which offers to make up the difference if an item you buy drops in price, could be your best bet. The important thing is to read the fine print, ask questions so you know what perks come with your card and to pick the card that has the benefits that are important to you.

 

3. Don’t be tempted by freebies. Credit cards sometimes offer tempting short-term benefits, including token gifts like T-shirts or a temporary zero percent APR. For the most part, you don’t want to get sidetracked by these offers because they mask the far more important factors, namely the interest rate and any relevant fees. In fact, you should probably ignore introductory gifts all together because you’ll have your card far longer than you’ll enjoy the added freebies. You can buy your own T-shirt later.

 

4. Avoid rewards cards unless you carry zero debt. On average, rewards cards carry higher interest rates than non-rewards cards. According to IndexCreditCards.com, the average interest rate on a consumer rewards card is currently 17.64 percent, and the average rate on a non-rewards card is 15.48 percent — that’s a full two-percentage point difference. It might not sound like much, but if you’re carrying debt each month, then you want to make sure you’re paying as little as possible for it. (Along with developing a plan to pay it off in full as soon as possible.) Any rewards are not worth the extra interest payments.

 

5. Rates and fees can be negotiable, so always ask. Credit card providers are sometimes more flexible than you might think. If you’re a good customer with a strong credit history, then you might have some leeway to ask for a lower interest rate or for an unexpected fee to be removed. You can sometimes negotiate better terms for yourself, especially if you’re a good customer who pays on time. There’s no harm in calling up the customer service representative to ask what they can do for you.

 

The bottom line: You want to make sure your credit card is working for you, and not vice versa. Pay off your bill each month so you’re not carrying any debt, and take advantage of the free rewards coming your way. If you do have debt, make a plan to pay it off, because the high interest rates on credit cards add up quickly over time.

Financially Savvy Gift Ideas

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With graduations, father’s days, summer birthdays in the future, DailyFinance shares some great financially savvy gift ideas that will make your gift the highlight of the party. Staying financially savvy is an important trait to pass on to the people you care about. By using site such as giftcardrescue.com you can save money every day on gas, groceries, and clothes. Check out how to pass on the gift of money smarts to your family and friends.

financially savvy gift ideas

LOS ANGELES — Americans typically spend nearly $5 billion on gifts for graduates, with a little over half giving cash and a third offering gift cards, according to last year’s National Retail Federation survey.

Those surveyed spent an average of $49, which won’t buy a laptop, a retirement fund or many of the other gifts often touted as “financially savvy.”

If you actually want to do some future good with your gift, here are some money-smart suggestions for grads from personal finance experts, college consultants and recent graduates:

Living Life

Experiences give us more happiness than stuff, according to various researchers. You can put those findings to practical use in a variety of ways.

“I’m a sucker for experiences over products, so I might give a gift certificate or Groupon (GRPN) to a nice restaurant or a Paint Nite with a few friends,” said personal finance columnist Kathy Kristof, Los Angeles-based author of “Taming the Tuition Tiger” and mother of a recent college graduate.

(For her own daughter, Kristof bought the airline tickets for four months spent “kicking around the world.”)

College consultant Shirley Bloomquist of Great Falls, Virginia, sometimes buys gift certificates for lunch, dinner or a theater outing for the graduate and a friend.

Cooking Essentials

Learning to fix meals from scratch at home will save your graduate a fortune. A good basic cookbook, such as Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything,” is one option. Kitchen starter sets are another. Ikea has 7-piece cookware sets for $25 to $50, while Caphalon and Oxo have kitchen gadget sets for $40 to $50.

College consultant Bloomquist recently gave a gift certificate for a cooking class to a law school graduate that she could share with some buddies.

Help Being Grown Up

Transitioning to the work world often isn’t easy. Grads may benefit from the services of a resume doctor, a career counselor, a wardrobe stylist, a fee-only financial planner — or other professionals.

“I know someone who had an interior designer just spend a day rearranging things in their apartment,” said Zac Bisonnette, author of “Debt-Free U” and “Good Advice from Bad People.” Such help, he said, “can turn an ad hoc sort of deal into something more adult.”

Professional help isn’t cheap, however. The cost for any of these services can be $150 an hour, or more. Some may offer discounted initial sessions, but givers on a budget may have to resort to self-help books instead.

For career advice, Lynn O’Shaughnessy, author of “The College Solution,” recommends “Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World,” by Lindsey Pollak and “Graduate to a Great Job: Make Your College Degree Pay Off in Today’s Market,” by David DeLong.

Some other titles to consider:

  • “Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties,” by Beth Kobliner.
  • “Style Bible: What to Wear to Work,” by Lauren A. Rothman.
  • “Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure,” by Maxwell Ryan.

Prepaid Cards

If you’re still leaning toward a cash gift, you might consider a reloadable prepaid card that allows users to track their spending and offers some protection against loss, theft or fraud.

“The main advantage over cash is that cash tends to disappear quickly,” said Curtis Arnold, founder of CardRatings.com and BestPrepaidDebitCards.com. “I have a son that graduated a year ago, and I would never give him a cash gift … even though I required him to take a personal finance class during college.”

A prepaid card that charges fat fees is, however, the exact opposite of a financially savvy gift. Arnold recommends two lower-cost options: Serve from American Express (AXP) and Chase Liquid (JPM).

Serve has a $1 monthly maintenance fee, free point-of-sale transactions and none of the typical hidden third-party costs such as ATM and cash load fees, he said. Users can also send money by email, text and Facebook (FB) and set up subaccounts to easily share money among family members, Arnold said.

Chase Liquid offers unlimited free withdrawals at Chase ATMs. Point-of-sale transactions are free and there are no cash load fees. The card can be used for paying bills and its “sophisticated mobile apps” are well worth the $4.95 monthly maintenance fee, Arnold said.

The card you choose could well become the gift that keeps on giving.

“Once they spend your gift, they will hopefully consider reloading the card later rather than using a credit card and running the risk of increasing their debt load,” Arnold said.

10 Money Rules To Live By

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Are you trying to save money and reach your financially goals? With mintlife’s, money rules to never ignore, having that extra cash at the end of each month shouldn’t be a problem. Saving money and being able to purchase the things you want doesn’t have to be a trade off. Using coupons and discounted gift cards allow you to purchase the products you want at a fraction of the price.

money rules to live by

There are no shortcuts.

If someone tells you they can double your money in no time with no risk, tell them you already know how. Then fold your money in half and put it back in your pocket. Risk and reward are correlated.

Doubling your money in a short period of time equates to a high return on your investment; that corresponds to taking more risk, not zero risk.

There’s nothing wrong with taking appropriate risk, but buying into an investment with those kinds of unrealistic promises is sure to disappoint.

Beware of the pretty, shiny things.

We are bombarded with new and better gadgets, toys, and opportunities for fun every day, all day. Madison Avenue survives by sowing seeds of discontent with our lives.

Sure, we all know that’s what they’re doing, but they’re really good at it!

We no longer have to look down the street to see what the Joneses are up to, we have Facebook to constantly remind us that our friends have better, newer stuff.

If we’re not careful, those seeds of discontent can take root and before we know it, we’re spending money on things to fill a need we didn’t even know we had.

Listen to your mom — don’t pay attention to what everyone else is doing, just worry about yourself and your goals.

Watch your waste.

Shiny objects aren’t the only source of needless spending. It’s painful to look at my own life sometimes and realize what I’ve frittered away.

Forgotten rebates, fruit that goes bad before we eat it, buying doubles of things because I can’t remember where I put them in the first time.

I suspect I’m not alone in this!

Save money, and do it intentionally.

Saving regularly through your 401K at work and toward your emergency fund are fundamentals of good financial health. But you should also stash money that you would have spent but decided not to.

Were you going to buy a new tablet but thought better of it? Pat yourself on the back for your frugality, and then take that chunk of change and put it in the bank instead.

Did you decide as a family to skip a dinner out this month to tighten your belts? Put that money away; don’t let it sit in your checking account.

That serves two purposes: It keeps the money from evaporating, and it gives you a psychological boost by seeing your savings grow.

Don’t wait until your debt is paid off to save.

It may seem more prudent to skip the savings when you’re paying off credit cards, but it’s important to continue to save anyway.

It takes time to form a habit, and training yourself to save is a great habit to form. So start now.

Aside from that, what will you do when your car breaks down and there is nothing in the bank to pay for the repair? Out comes the credit card, and there goes your progress.

It’s better to have some money put away to pay for those expenses, and change the mindset of funding your living expenses with plastic.

Don’t deprive yourself.

While you’re doing all these great, disciplined things with your money, don’t forget to let loose and have a little fun with it sometimes.

Being too strict with your spending can lead to feelings of deprivation, which in turn can lead to spending binges. Starvation budgets are much like starvation diets.

When you cheat, you tend to cheat big

Automate your finances.

Life is busy and the days fly by. Before you know it the month is almost over, and oops, that bill was due last week.

Schedule at least the minimum payments on your bills, so if you forget, you won’t be penalized with a late fee.

Plan out your monthly bills in advance, and take advantage of free bill pay if your bank offers it.

Automate your savings so you don’t have the opportunity to weigh whether or not you really can save that amount this month.

But don’t go on auto-pilot.

Automate what you can, but don’t go on auto-pilot.

It’s easy to stop paying attention to what is being charged monthly on your credit card or automatically paid from your bank account.

That can make you numb to your spending, and easy for it to get out of control.

Even though you have payments automatically scheduled, be sure to review your accounts regularly.

Purchase life insurance.

Buy enough life insurance to protect your family. It’s an extra bill, to cover something thatprobably won’t happen, but a small price to pay to provide for your loved ones if it does.

Group policies at work are usually the easiest to get, and that’s fine, but you should also have coverage you own personally, outside of work.

You never know when you will develop a health problem that will affect your insurability, and if you don’t already own a policy when that happens, you could be out of luck.

Or rather, your family will be.

Decide how much is enough.

Did you ever dream about a raise, and how that would make things more comfortable for you financially?  Then it comes, and things end up just as tight as before, and soon you are dreaming of the next one.

The increases in costs of living play a part no doubt, and our income doesn’t go as far as it used to. But it is also human nature for us to expand our lifestyle to fit our income.

Carefully consider what kind of lifestyle you would like to have, and when you get there, stop.

 

Shop Smarter On Amazon

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Amazon is known as the internet go-to for finding the best deals on any product. Here is how to get even better deals!

amazon

Recent studies done by the Wall Street Journal find that Amazon’s prices can fluctuate as much as 9 times per day! If you pay attention you can get better deals on already low prices.

Be Informed: Knowing the products price history will help you to identify if it is a good time to buy. Camelcamelcamel allows users to get previous pricing data from Amazon as well as a slew of other information for a more informed decision. TheTracktor.com is another website to use if you are trying to get pricing information on a product. If you decide to track the item, you’ll receive an email any time the price is lowered.

Get automatic savings delivered to your doorstep: Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program is a combination of convenience and savings. Simply select items you buy regularly — anything from diapers to paper towels to office supplies — and Amazon will deliver them automatically AND give you 15% off. You choose how often the item is delivered (anywhere from monthly to every six months) and you can change or cancel deliveries any time. The caveat? Some items, like diapers, are generally a great deal, while others are on par with your local grocery store, so do a little comparison shopping first.

Click for golden deals: See that gold treasure chest at the top of the Amazon home page? Make it your first click for some of the best deals around. Every day, Amazon features a Gold Box Deal, several Lightning Deals, personalized discounts, and more. The Gold Box and Lightning Deals can be huge, especially when it comes to electronics. (I recently landed a printer for 50% off.) The savings on personalized deals aren’t as impressive — my offers today included a DVD for $0.50 less than the regular price and a video game for $1.85 off. Still, because these items are selected based on your purchase history, you can save a bit on something you’d buy anyway.

Protect yourself from price swings: It’s a little-known secret that Amazon prices change frequently, in some cases daily. The best way to play the price swings? Add items to your shopping cart in the “save for later” section and check back often. A yellow box at the top of the page will alert you to any price changes. It requires a little patience, but I’ve scored deals of up to 50% off using this strategy. Price drops from the Gold Box and Lightning Deals don’t show up on the Shopping Cart page, so you’ll still want to click the Gold Box icon for those.

Score cheap reads: If you like free books, you’ll want to bookmark Pixel of Ink or sign up for the site’s email newsletter. You’ll get notified of the best deals on Amazon’s Kindle e-books — most are $2 or less, and many are free. These aren’t just dusty old classics, either. Thanks to Pixel, I’ve got a virtual bookstore stocked with best-sellers, cookbooks, how-to guides, and kids’ books, all downloaded for free. Best of all, you don’t even need a Kindle: A free app allows anyone with a PC, Mac, iPad, or iPhone to read Kindle books.

Scout the bargain basement: Full of refurbished and open-box items, Amazon’s Warehouse (warehousedeals.com) is a great source of discounts on nearly everything Amazon sells, from Kindles to candles. As with any discount site, it helps to know the going prices for the items you covet: A deal on the P90X fitness system offered 30% off, while the discount on an Apple TV was just a few bucks under retail. Worried about defective merchandise? All Warehouse purchases are covered by Amazon’s standard 30-day return policy.

Hit the virtual outlet mall: Amazon’s Outlet doesn’t offer as many deep discounts as the Warehouse, but the prices are still better than retail and the selection is much wider. You can find the Outlet link by clicking that trusty treasure chest and looking right under the search box.

Slash shipping costs: The biggest downside of shopping online is the lack of immediate gratification. You order. Then you wait. And wait. Amazon offers a solution to this dilemma with Amazon Prime. For $79 a year, you get free two-day shipping on nearly everything. So where do the savings come in? First, of course, is the savings you’ll get if you buy a lot from Amazon. In the past year, I’ve bought everything from a pingpong table to dumbbells to a leaf blower — all shipped for free. Second, Prime can be shared with up to four other people, so if you get a group to split the cost, your share drops to just under $16. Finally, Amazon Prime includes free instant video streaming, which on a monthly basis is cheaper than Netflix’s (NFLX) new streaming-only plan.

Snag free shipping on everything: Prime is a decent deal, but it’s even better when you get it for free. Amazon offers two programs that let you do just that. If you have a .edu email address, Amazon Student gives you a free year of Prime. Don’t qualify? Try “Amazon Mom.” You don’t have to be a mom, or even a parent, to qualify. You’ll get three months of Prime for free, 30% off on diapers, and you earn an additional month free for every $25 you spend on qualifying items (up to a year). Here’s the quirk: While most of the qualifying items are kid-related, not all are. Just look for the “Amazon Mom” banner on the product page. I’ve found it on a seemingly random assortment of furniture, electronics, and household items. (Note: Neither of these programs includes free instant video.)

Sign up for tailor-made savings: Amazon helpfully offers dozens of email subscriptions — select the categories you most often shop to be notified of special deals and discounts. My favorite is the “New Deals at Least 50% Off” (find it under the Outlet category).

Charge ahead!: Only for the most die-hard Amazonian, the Amazon Visa card is a good way to compound your Amazon savings, IF you commit to paying it off every month. You’ll get a $40 credit when you sign up, plus three points for every dollar spent at Amazon, redeemable for — you guessed it — Amazon gift certificates.

Article written with help from DailyFinance

16 Target Shopping Secrets

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If heading to Target is the highlight of your week, here are some awesome secrets that will help you save money and have a more fruitful experience. Purchasing a discount Target gift card before hitting the store will allow you to save even more!
Flickr: partymonstrrrr / Via Creative Commons

1. Target has a schedule for when they mark product pricing down. The schedule is as follows:

Monday – Electronics, Accessories, Kids Clothing, Books, Baby, and Stationery

Tuesday — Domestics, Women’s Clothing, Pets and, Market food items

Wednesday — Men’s Clothing, Health and Beauty, Diapers, Lawn/Garden items, and Furniture

Thursday — Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Toys, Sporting Goods, Decor and Luggage

Friday — Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry

Target has a schedule for when they mark product pricing down. The schedule is as follows:

Target / Via facebook.com

2. The price tag will tell you what percentage the markdown is.

The lower left shows the original price and the upper right hand corner shows the percentage off for the markdown.

The price tag will tell you what percentage the markdown is.

3. If the price tag ends in $0.06 or $0.08, the item will be priced down again.

As long as there is inventory in the store. It will probably remain on clearance for around 2 weeks.

If the price tag ends in $0.06 or $0.08, the item will be priced down again.

Target / Via facebook.com

4. If a price tag ends in $0.04, it is final clearance andwon’t be marked down again.

They’ve gotta draw the line somewhere.

If a price tag ends in $0.04, it is final clearance and won't be marked down again.

Target / Via facebook.com

5. Target enforces a limit on the number of returns you can make without a receipt.

It’s no more than $75.00 a year.

Target enforces a limit on the number of returns you can make without a receipt.

Target / Via facebook.com

6. All electronics and entertainment purchases have alimited amount of time in which they may be returned or exchanged.

You have 30 days after the day of purchase.

All electronics and entertainment purchases have a limited amount of time in which they may be returned or exchanged.

Target / Via facebook.com

7. Beyond the 5% off it gives it’s users, REDcard debit and credit card holders will receive an extra 30 daysto return nearly all items purchased with their REDcard at Target and Target.com.

And there’s no annual fee.

Beyond the 5% off it gives it's users, REDcard debit and credit card holders will receive an extra 30 days to return nearly all items purchased with their REDcard at Target and Target.com.

Target / Via facebook.com

8. You can return Target purchases by mail for free.

Just visit the online return center and print out a prepaid return label. Target will pay the return shipping fees.

You can return Target purchases by mail for free.

Target / Via facebook.com

9. If you find an item in a competitor’s ad, bring it to Target and they’ll match the advertised price.

No questions asked.

If you find an item in a competitor's ad, bring it to Target and they'll match the advertised price.

Target / Via facebook.com

10. If you pay with a check, you have to wait 10 daysbefore you can get a refund in cash.

Otherwise you have to settle for a Target GiftCard.

If you pay with a check, you have to wait 10 days before you can get a refund in cash.

Target / Via facebook.com

11. Target has mobile coupons available to be sent directly to your phone.

You can sign up here. You don’t have to clip coupons anymore.

Target has mobile coupons available to be sent directly to your phone.

Target / Via facebook.com

12. And the Target app gets 10 or more new couponseach week.

Your cashier can just scan your phone if you decide to use one and the app is FREE to download.

Lara Parker for BuzzFeed

Lara Parker for BuzzFeed

13. The Cartwheel app is a free app that Target recently debuted. It offers several deals that change weekly that offer different ways to save than the Target app does.

The app will link to your Facebook, but you can choose whether or not you allow it to post for you. It’s beneficial for you that it links to your Facebook because the more friends you have using Cartwheel, the more coupons you get to use. For example: one week Cartwheel may offer 15% off women’s shoes and the next 10% off all Women’s Underwear. You can search the app easily and find exactly what you need to buy.

Lara Parker for BuzzFeed

Lara Parker for BuzzFeed

14. If you find an item on sale that you wish to purchase but the store runs out of stock, you canrequest a rain check.

This means that no matter what, when the item is restocked you can purchase it at sale price.

If you find an item on sale that you wish to purchase but the store runs out of stock, you can request a rain check.

Target / Via Facebook: target

15. At most Targets, for each bag that you bring in to use, you will receive $0.05.

That adds up!

At most Targets, for each bag that you bring in to use, you will receive $0.05.

16. You can find brand new Target merchandise for cheap at Goodwill.

After Target clearances certain items and they still don’t sell, they will then donate those items to Goodwill.

You can find brand new Target merchandise for cheap at Goodwill.

Flickr: jeepersmedia / Via Creative Commons

Go forth with this information and prosper.

Go forth with this information and prosper.

NBC
If you would rather skip Target and shop at Walmart, find out how to coupon to save.
Original article from Buzzfeed.com

6 Things To Quit Buying Your Kids When They Have Allowance

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Teach your kids how to handle money responsibly as soon as you start giving them an allowance. They will grow up knowing the value of money and be smart spenders. Here are 6 things you should quit buying your kids when they have their own money.

Quit Buying Your Kids

Junk Food

Healthy snacks and food are covered by you any day however, when it comes to concession stands, candy bars, or carnival food, let your kids be on their own. Teach them that unhealthy food comes at a price and if they want it they will need to budget it.

Toys

You are at the store and your kids are begging for the newest barbie on display. You can finally be a Yes-mom and respond with; as long as you have your own money with you. You won’t have to worry about temper tantrums because they can buy it if they save.

Accessories

Buying clothes and shoes is still under mom and dad responsibility but getting new jewelry or hats should be taken on by your kids. If it is not a mandatory outfit requirement, let them buy it with their own money.

Data Plans

Your kids are not using data to keep in contact with you and it is not a necessary addition to having a phone plan. If they want to use data then make them be responsible for paying for it. Along the same lines, if they go over their data usage make sure they are the ones footing the bill.

Over-Priced Fundraisers

Buying candy bars and books from the school fundraisers gets old. If you want to contribute then make your contribution but if they want the products that they are selling, make them have saved for it or skip purchasing it all together.

School Events

Anything related to school such as educational field trips etc should be paid for by you. School events like carnivals, movies, and dances are allocated to allowance money.

Anything your kid wants should be taken on by them to make sure they have the money to pay for. You are still giving them that money (in the form of allowance), but you are teaching them to be smart about money, budget, and work for what they want. Try paying their allowance in discounted gift cards to the stores your kids love: Toys R Us, Justice, Cold Stone, and many more are available at giftcardrescue.com.

Spend Less on Electronics

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The newest tech gadgets are always a must have in todays fast paced society. DailyFinance tell us how to spend less on electronics and save more! For more on money saving tips.

If you know you are purchasing an expensive item in advance then buy a discounted gift card to save you more at your favorite electronic stores. Best Buy, Dell, Office Max, and many more retailers are available for a discounted price that could save you hundreds on your next big purchase.

Spend Less on Electronics

1. Sell your old device.

Before upgrading to a new smartphone, laptop or tablet, consider selling or trading in your old device. Many retailers and wireless carriers offer trade-in programs. “The more current the phone or gadget, the more credit you can expect to receive,” consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch says.

While retailers typically offer a gift card toward future purchases, trade-in websites including Gazelle, BuyMyTronics and Glyde offer cash. “Some sites will buy it from you even if it’s broke, though naturally you’ll get a lower buyback,” says DealNews.com spokesman Mark LoCastro. “That’s money that you can in turn use for your new gadget purchase.” You may get more money reselling the device yourself through eBay (EBAY) or Craigslist, but that option also requires more legwork to complete the transaction and more potential for the buyer to flake out or defraud you.

2. Know your needs.

According to Stephanie Humphrey, weekly tech columnist for Ebony.com and founder of the blog A Matter of Life and Tech, it’s a good idea to determine how much storage space and what features you need before a shopping excursion. That way a slick salesperson won’t upsell you to a model that has extra bells and whistles you won’t use. Customers sometimes “go in and say, ‘Gimme that one,’ and it’s more expensive than what [they] need,” she says.

With most non-Apple products, you can usually add more disk space later if needed, although it’s often cheaper to buy the right amount from the start. If you must upgrade your disk space later on, Humphrey says you can save money if you buy the component pieces online and install them yourself.

3. Consider buying the previous generation.

iPhone 5s may be popular among the tech cognoscenti, but if you’re price-conscious, consider an iPhone 4 or 5 (not 5s). “Electronics have one of the fastest depreciation values on any consumer good as manufacturers and brands release new updates and models on popular gadgets every few months,” Woroch says. “What’s hot today may be old news in a few months, so it’s not worth paying a premium just to get the latest bells and whistles.”

LoCastro adds that a previous generation device is often still capable of running the latest apps and software. “You might just sacrifice a faster processor or thinner design,” he says.

Timing your purchase to the release of a new model can also save you money. “The best time to buy a current-generation iPad is toward the end of its life cycle,” LoCastro says. “So the minute you hear rumors that a new iPad is in the works, chances are retailers will discount the current iPad. That rule generally applies to all types of gadgets, from smartphones to tablets.”

4. Look for open-box deals or refurbished devices.

Many retailers sell open-box items at a steep discount. “Open box may just mean it was the display model, or [an employee] may have opened it to show someone and that person decided not to purchase that item,” Humphrey says.

Refurbished devices have typically been used and returned to the manufacturer, which usually restores it to factory settings and tests it for defects. Humphrey says it’s a good idea to buy refurbished products from a reputable source, and make sure it’s factory certified.

5. Exercise caution on secondary markets.

Worldwide sales of smartphones to end users totaled 968 million units, and tablet sales reached 195.4 million units last year, according to Gartner (IT), a technology research and advisory company. Plenty of these functional devices wind up on the secondary market when the owner gets tired of them or decides to upgrade.

Craigslist and eBay are two popular sources for used devices, but they can be riskier than buying directly from a retailer or manufacturer. Humphrey likes that eBay displays reviews from previous buyers. “You want sellers that have a lot of ratings so you can get a feel for how many people have walked away satisfied,” she says. Just be cautious about what you read. “There’s a whole industry now around buying fake reviews,” Humphrey points out. Craigslist connects local buyers and sellers, allowing them to meet in person to test a device. “The only real way to know if a product is going to function is to power it up,” she adds. If you’re conducting a Craigslist transaction in a public place for safety reasons, you can easily test out a smartphone or laptop, but trying out a TV or other large device becomes trickier.

6. Skip the extended warranty (most of the time).

Retailers make much of their money from selling extended warranties, not from the products themselves. Your credit card may automatically offer protection beyond a standard manufacturer warranty for some items, so it’s worth checking before you pay for an extended warranty. Also consider the type of gadget you’re buying. “When it comes to televisions, you’re usually safe to skip over this added expense,” Woroch says. “While warranties do offer peace of mind, HDTVs are surprisingly reliable.” Humphrey says you probably don’t need an extended warranty on a TV, but it might be worthwhile for a laptop or tablet. “You’re transporting those, so there’s more of a chance that you’ll drop it or scratch it,” she explains. Still, the manufacturer warranty may not cover accidental damage such as water damage, so read the fine print before you buy.

How To Coupon To Save Big – Walmart

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Couponing can be a great way to save a lot of money on your everyday items and no one knows couponing like thekrazycouponlady! Pair these couponing techniques and suggestions with GiftCardRescue.com‘s discounted gift cards for unbelievable savings. Learn how to coupon to save big and start saving!

coupon to save big

Walmart Accepts Manufacturer Coupons

Walmart accepts manufacturer coupons from the Sunday coupon inserts as well as printable manufacturer coupons.  In order to be in compliance with policy, coupons must read “manufacturer coupon” across the top, have an expiration date, and a scannable barcode.

Look for the Smallest (Allowed) Products

You’ll get the biggest bang for your (couponing) buck when you find the smallest size and stack it with a manufacturer coupon!

Everyday Low Prices and Rollback

Look for items on rollback at Walmart! Rollbacks are Walmart’s version of a sale and are a great way to save when you stack their low prices with coupons! Even if items are not on rollback, Walmart has great everyday low prices!

Save with Produce Coupons

Walmart has great produce prices which stack nicely with coupons! For example, print this hot coupon to get free Earthbound Farm products:

$0.75/1 – Earthbound Farm Organic Product – (ebfarm.com)