Cash In On Online Discounts

--How web-savvy shoppers find Internet coupons, rebates and promotional codes

During our grandparents’ time, clipping coupons was all the rage. They even collected Blue Chip and Green Stamps in little books and redeemed them for department store or catalog merchandise. Distributing printed coupons is a dying method of marketing.

The emergence of the Internet has transformed the ways we save. To help consumers economize, credit counselors at our Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) agency give suggestions for finding the best Web deals.

• Check out bargain hunting sites
  Search from with browser for “promotional codes” and “coupon codes.” Sites like these compile codes from various retailers. When shopping online, just enter the code upon checkout. Some coupons are actually printable. Locate a couple frequently updated sites and visit them occasionally. Free shipping is common and will usually reduce your cost by $5-$10. However, not all sites are good about deleting expired offers, so you may have to scroll through useless coupons too.
• Take advantage of membership discounts
  Certain associations and clubs will afford you access to a wide array of member discounts. Check the groups’ Web sites. For instance, certain senior sites offer 30%-45% off travel with participating hotels, resorts and cruise lines. Other benefits include price breaks on cell phone plans, insurances, and gym memberships.
• Visit retailers, vendors, and manufacturers directly
  Marketers realize that when consumers visit their sites, they need to entice them to act and become actual customers. For this reason, the homepages of a good number of sites include phrases like “Save money with online deals” and “Great online deals” promoting their Web-only specials. Businesses with brick-and-mortar locations can offer special deals to online because they can cut out the salesperson and overhead, so the purchase is streamlined and less expensive for them.
• Relish the rebates
  Admittedly, the paperwork is a hassle, but taking advantage of rebates will net you your best deals. Cell phone providers are notorious for offering $50-$60 rebates on new phones and electronics stores have a lot of partial refunds. Search the sites of large retailers for lists of manufacturer rebates.
• Carry a VISA, MasterCard or Discover card?
  If so, when you make a purchase with cards with these logos, you’re eligible for hundreds of little-known discounts. MasterCard has an entire site (www.priceless.com) dedicated to promotions and offers for name-brand rental cars, electronics, and jewelry. On Discover’s site, you can find a list of their partners who give cardholders discounts and “cash back” bonuses.
• Sign up for online newsletters
  If you frequently shop at the same places, try visiting their Web sites. Many allow you to sign up for their online newsletters or clubs. Once a subscriber, you’ll regularly receive email coupons for things like two-for-one specials, free ice cream on your birthday, and $10 off $50 purchases.
• Match your price
  Some retailers offer price matching. If you can find an item advertised for less at a nearby store, they’ll honor their competitor’s price. One of our Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) agency employees recently went to purchase a digital TV which was on sale. At the store, he used his personal digital assistant (PDA) to search the model number. He found the TV advertised for less elsewhere and the retailer matched the price, which saved him $50!

Generally speaking, the higher the expenditure the greater the potential savings. It’s common to see discounts of 20% or more on orders of more than $100. Another potential catch, you may only qualify if you make a minimum purchase. But, you’ll find many other online discounts without that requirement.

Most of all, avoid the temptation of spending more to receive a discount. Without succumbing to the urge to buy things you wouldn’t otherwise buy or spend more for items you wouldn’t otherwise spend so much for, you’ll do well to take advantage of online deals.

Our Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) agency offers more than a dozen articles to help you save.

Get control over your finances, ClearPoint specializes in no-cost credit and debt counseling from NFCC-certified Financial Specialists. Our credit counselors will help you develop a household budget and action plan to get out of credit card debt. Start immediately or call 888.656.CCCS for an appointment.