Do These 3 Things Before Shopping to Save Big!

This money-saving post is sponsored by Groupon Coupons, all opinions are my mine. #GrouponCoupons

A little bit of planning before shopping can save you major amounts of money. Just an extra 5-10 minutes can lead to savings. I know that we’re all busy mommas, but once you get into a routine of regularly doing these three things before sitting down to do some online shopping or heading out to run errands for the day will be totally worth it, pinky promise.

I’m on a ridiculously small budget these days. I didn’t work all of last year, due to some scary health stuff going on, so we’ve gotten to use to living a pretty simple, frugal lifestyle. But we still like to have some fun, which means I have to make our limited funds stretch as far as possible. Here are the three simple things I do before doing any shopping – whether it’s groceries, clothing, household supplies, or a night out. Easy peasy stuff:

1. Make a list. Yes, this seems like a no-brainer, but many of us do our shopping with just a vague idea in mind of what we need, or a few items scribbled onto a paper. I’m talking sit down, in a quiet spot, and write down everything you truly need to get. If it’s groceries, I like to separate my list by where they’re located in the store I’m going to, to help prevent doubling back for things. If it’s clothing I won’t just write down “pants for Abby.” I’ll check through her closet, see what colors we might need, double check sizes to see if she might be ready to go up a size. I make lists of the absolute must-get items, and the “check out” items, which are things I might want to browse to check sales, but aren’t a necessity. Then if you find yourself grabbing things off of the shelf that aren’t on your list, or get ready to pay for your cart online – assess whether what you’re getting matches your actual list. If not, put it back.
2. Groupon Coupons. I’m a HUGE coupon user, of all types. I have a million rewards cards, take advantage of things of any type of points programs or punch cards available, use cash back sites when shopping online, and always check for coupons before buying anything ever. And one of the easiest ways to check for extra coupon savings for ANY type of shopping, is by using Groupon Coupons. You just jump on, search for the stores you’re planning to shop at, and can see with a quick glance what savings are available. $10 off a $50 purchase, printable grocery coupons, free shipping or gift with purchase – you’ll be amazed at all of the different coupons available. If you were already going to shop for that stuff anyway, it’s a huge waste to miss out on those free savings, right? A quick 2-minute search can show you all kinds of possibilities!
3. Combine online and in-store shopping. This one helps to save time AND money. Here’s an example: Recently I had a bunch of stuff on my list, as we finish remodeling and reorganizing some rooms in the house. I jumped on Groupon Coupons first, and noticed there was a great online-only coupon for Best Buy. So, I clicked through, used the coupon to make my purchase, and chose “site-to-store” instead of shipping. That way I got my savings, and was able to pick up my purchase in an hour when I was running errands. I printed out a coupon for 15% off my purchase at Kohls too, and then was on my way. Plus I used my Best Buy rewards account to earn points for my purchase, and my Kohls credit card to earn rewards there too. Make sure to take advantage of everything you can, to really rack up the savings and freebies.

See how easy that is? There are a million ways to easily save more money – things that don’t involve doing without, depriving yourself, or complicated hoops and time consuming tasks. Just adding these three things, and adding Groupon Coupons to your favorites on your computer or getting the app for your phone, will save you SO much money over the year. Money you can save up for a vacation to reward yourself – just be sure to use Groupon Coupons when booking it too :)

Learn more: Follow Groupon on Facebook and on Twitter. And be sure to scroll up to the top right corner and subscribe to my weekly emails to stay updated on more cool tips to save money. And check out the #GrouponCoupons hashtag on your fave social media for more great ideas too.