We all love getting a great bargain, especially in this economy. Shopping online provides the opportunity to compare services, products and prices all at your fingertips, and is an easy way to save money. But if you are looking to cut costs further, the trick is all in the code – the promotional code that is. From stacking codes to stocking up and going social, learn how to trim your family budget with these savvy promotional code tips provided by consumer savings expert, Regina Novickis.
1. Do crack the code. If you ignore the promotional code box featured on a retailer’s check out page, you could miss out on big savings. To find a code, go to aggregator sites like www.PromotionalCodes.com, www.CouponWinner.com and www.PromoCodes.com which organize thousands of online coupons for retailers like Target, Macy’s, Home Depot, HP, Travelocity, 1-800 Flowers and more. The sites aggregate codes by category, store name and holiday deals to help you to save time and money when looking for a specific offer. Bookmark the sites to make it even easier to check back on a regular basis since the sites update deals on a daily basis.
2. Do stack codes. Some retailers allow you to use more than one coupon or code on the same offer. For instance, Target (online) allows shoppers to use a $5 off promotional code, coupled with a free shipping code. You can also use a promotional code with a sale or clearance item to maximize savings.
3. Do buy more to save more. Many curb spending to try to save. While this is generally good advice, when using promotional codes, purchasing more may qualify you for a better savings value like $30 off $100. In this case, combine your shopping and buy multiple items from the same retailer to benefit from the discount, or ask a friend or family member to jump in on the purchase so you don’t miss out on the savings.
4. Do engage in social media. Follow your favorite retailer or promotional code website on Facebook or Twitter to get instant updates on the latest promotions and exclusive codes. Promotional code websites often tweet or post status updates about their best current offers.
5. Don’t be committed to a certain brand. Going off brand can mean saving. Stores are competing for consumer dollars these days, and many competitors are offering similar items. If you’re committing to a certain brand, you may be missing out on big savings.
6. Don’t pay for codes! This might be a sign that a website is untrustworthy. There are plenty of promotional code aggregator sites that don’t require you to sign up or pay to access coupon codes. Coupons were created to save you money and shouldn’t cost you anything to use.
7. Don’t give out personal information. These days we need to think about protecting ourselves from identity theft. Be conscious of the type of information you’re being asked to provide. When looking for deals, if you want to enter an email address to get special offers sent directly to your inbox, feel free to do so if you trust the site. But you shouldn’t be required to enter anything beyond that, and even entering your email address should be optional.
8. Don’t forget to read the fine print. Expiration dates, minimum order size and certain exclusions may affect how you use the promotional codes.
Regina Novickis is a consumer savings expert who travels nationwide teaching shoppers how to get the best prices on everything from travel to electronics, subscriptions and shoes. She is regularly featured on news segments across the country, including on NBC, CBS, FOX and CW. Here website is http://www.surfmyads.com
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Never thought you could stack codes! Is there anyone else besides Target that you know that allows this?
Dell, HP & ESPRIT also allow code stacking!
Thank you! Been thinking about buying a cheap Dell so I can play a couple games that I can’t on the Macbook – gonna hunt down some codes
Thank you for the 3 sites listed above and the cautions about giving out personal info. I have failed to look online for these and missed saving money!
Nice tips. And for trips or diners, don’t forget groupon or similar concepts. I used it a lot alreay and I am really satisfied. Don’t know if the companies really benefit, but the moms definitely do
I would like to buy cheap things from online stores.
Good tips. You can find a coupon code for pretty much anything these days so it’s definitely worth taking the time to look before you buy. Seems like half my search engine queries now are for coupons or codes.
Because of promo codes I’ve never paid full price for any GoDaddy service. So it’s like I get my hosting and domain names tax free. I discovered you can do this with any online store (if they’re big enough that is) and safe big. Good tips, thank you!
Thanks for the great tips!
Some great tips there – does anyone know about international versions of the sites in tip 1?
Thanks I learned a ton and hopefully will be able to save money. Thanks again
CFD – here are a few international ones – hope this helps!
Canada – http://www.Coupons.ca
UK – http://www.codes.co.uk
Germany – http://www.codes.de
Great tips! I would like to give this a try and looking forward that it’ll be helpful and would save me a lot of money.. Keep posting!
Thanks for posting this! I have really been trying to use online coupons more often… but I usually just google it. These methods sound much more efficient! Thanks for the advice!
Very well, really great tips. Thank you for your post.
i also have a google promotional code, and helped me vary well
Wow, I was always so jealous knowing that there is some sort of promotion out there and I’m not getting a discount because I don’t have the code! I never knew where everyone found all these codes and now I finally know where to look. Thank you so much!
Agree, if you really want to cut a little on your spending budget then promo codes are the way to go.. nice tips.
I really need this since I always buy gadgets and some supplies online. Am having a hard time trying to find discount coupons using google and the sites you shared to us are amazing. Got to bookmark this article.
Thanks!
thanx mom gadget xD
Hi, online promotion codes could be a great option, thanks for sharing the info.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing it. Due to increased costs of everything, everyone wants to purchase reasonable or less cost things. I like this point to not committed to a certain brand.
The social media advice is too true. Twitter and facebook are great resources for promo codes. Nice article thanks.
Author is very true , from 2 years i started buying products online on best buy , deals2buy , etc and was not aware about promotional codes and coupons. Now i have this thing in mind so i keep my eye on codes and all.
These are great tips. I always look for coupon codes before I hit that “place order” button. I try never to pay full price. I usually save a ton of money on photo sites like Shutterfly especially, because they always have promos. I also like using ebates to get a rebate on my online purchases.
Here we know how too much solutions for us.. Thakns for new 3 sites up there..
Great tips! Especially now when the Christmas is comming and everyone is buy present
Yes, it seems now becoming increasingly apparent that the shopping needs of accuracy and not merely consumptive. Advice and tips in your post so interesting and can be made in the guide. Hopefully you are still eager to post. Thanks
Another coupon site to add to your list is: http://www.coupongirl.com/
You’ll find she has working coupon codes, a simple site, and over 5,000 different stores to pick from. A+ in my book.
I used SlickDeals and FatWallet to get promo code and even more cash backs. Ebates also has a good and reliable cash back programs. I almost do all my shopping online and mostly via going thru the sites I mentioned.