Look, most of the modest advice is straightforward and exhausting. To be cool, stop drinking coffee, buy common ketchup, spend the weekend and clip coupons until you forget what the sunlight feels like. of course. Yes, I thought maybe it was time for some frugal hints not to smoke your life. This list isn’t going to turn into some off-grid rice and beans wizards. While everyone else continues to spend like a clown, it’s a sneaky little hack of a modest job.
1. Get free Amazon credits from slow delivery
As I wrote about the details,If you are a Prime member and your order appears after the promised delivery date, you will be Free credits up to $10 Or a Amazon Prime Free Month.
Go to Order and select “Order Problems” after that “Delivery issues” Select “Order arrived late.”.
Pro Tips: Be polite
Make sure you are polite but direct Chat or phone As your success rate increases. This is perfect for high demand items and busy seasons.
Also, be sure to keep a confirmation email on the original delivery date as a backup of your receipt.
2. Skip the app and order pickups from the restaurant website
Ah, delivery apps are the biggest scam disguised as convenience. Doordash, Grubhub, Uber eats– Here you’re charging $14 for a $9 burger, “service charge”, “delivery charges”, and “at the time” fees. By the time I checked out, I basically bought a driver lunch.
And then half the time your fries are cold and sad anyway. A real story? Call Dan Restaurant for pick-up. You won’t tip anyone to deliver the same food, jacked up prices, mysterious fees, and your milkshake to the side. It’s not lazy, it’s just playing the game better.
Pro Tip: Map
use Google Maps To find direct order links for restaurants. It is usually located just below business information.
See: 20 Smart Ways to Save Up to $1,000 a Month
3. Buy discount gift cards for what you already buy
Immediately, there’s a contract here. If you are paying the full amount for a gift card, what are you doing? Sites like increase, carddepotand CardCash It’s basically a rough alley of the internet…but in a good sense.
You can win a $100 Target Card for $88, or a $50 Starbucks Card for $42, and win a Boom. You can save money on what you buy anyway.
There are no extreme coupons or spreadsheets. It’s like free money, but it’s legal. Don’t get too wild and buy $300 with the Olive Garden Card.
Pro Tip: Get Costco
Many shoppers have forgotten that Costco sells a wide variety of gift cards for under par (about 15% to 20% less). It includes local businesses, national chain restaurants and coffee shops like Starbucks.
4. Turn all registrations into coupon opportunities
Before you raging “Unsubscribe” Slow rolls for about 2 seconds with a flood of promotional emails clogging your inbox. Scroll through some emails. The store was approaching begging you to stay “Wait! 15% off!” bribe.
Seriously, they throw away discount codes like candy to prevent you from ghosting them.
Therefore, do not register anger. Subscribe strategically.
Grab the cord and then you’re at peace. It’s like breaking up and still having a free dinner. There’s no shame in a small game.
Pro Tips: Search for babies
Search your inbox Save the name And words “Off” or “Trade”. Next, please screenshot the coupon before unsubscribing.
5. Borrow in exchange for purchasing one-time items
Don’t drop $120 on a carpet cleaner you use once when your dog explodes spaghetti. The same goes for anything: luggage, power tools, leaf blowers.
If you only need it once, Please don’t Buy it. Hit your neighbors, your cousins, your strangely enthusiastic HOA Facebook group.
People love to feel kind and the odds are those who have exactly what you need to collect dust in their garage. Promise to return it to one piece that is not covered in Mystery Gree. It’s like shopping, but there’s a gentle opportunity for free…and nasty little stories.
Pro Tip: Raise the “Thank you” game
Clean it up, Please give it better than you foundand include a thank you and maybe a nice bottle of wine. You will always be the first person they will lend you the next time.
See: 3 ways online stores can trick you and get your spending
6. Gutter your hotel parking fee with this simple workaround
Hotels that charge $25 a night just to get your car exist? Yes, hard pass.
Instead of giving away the entire snack budget for parking, Spothero or parkwhiz. These apps will help you find a public garage nearby.
Book a spot in advance, roll it like a boss, and skip the hotel’s “gotcha” fee. It’s a travel version where you sneak snacks into the cinema. It’s totally legal, slightly rebellious, and worth it.
Pro Tip: Exercise
Book a garage 1-3 blocks away and walk. Save small amounts with multiple nights.
See: The Secrets of Five Hotels That Will Save You (From Employees)
7. Use credit card points on groceries instead of flights
Everyone is saving credit card points for their dream trip to Italy… Meanwhile, you are not crying in the aisle of produce. Good news – you can use the same points on groceries and gas Now.
Cards like Tracking Cash them at 1.25x or 1.5x values via the portal.
It’s basically a free food to do absolutely nothing other than present in pulses and cards. Forget your flight. Reememe groceries, fill the tanks, feel self-righteous.
Pro Tip: Pay yourself back
Use “Pay Yourself Asky” feature If your card has it. If the trip is not on the radar, it is a much more practical use of points.
8. Clear your browser cookies before booking your trip
Yes, it’s not just paranoia, it’s a travel site do Look at you. The more you search for flights to Denver, the more prices creep up in wonder as if you know you’re desperate.
That’s because cookies (creepy browser types, not chocolate chip types) are searched and jackup prices to drive up to booking.
Correction? Clear the cookie or switch to secret Mode before searching again. It’s like wiping your digital scent off the trail. Despicable? of course. Effective? oh yeah.
See: Google Flight: Insider Tips for Getting Really Cheap Airfares
9. Google the SKU of the clearance item
Clearance stickers just scream “70% off” That doesn’t mean that it’s actually a transaction. That could be a flashy lie in bold red fonts. The store loves to mark things down from a full MSRP (no one pays anyway) to make you feel like you’ve won.
Before chewing, copy the SKU (usually on a tag or barcode) and hit Google to see what other stores are charging. Or even better, Download the price comparison app This allows you to scan the barcode of the item and perform a price check immediately.
Half the time, Amazon or Walmart made it cheap without fake hype. It’s like catching a store with a slightly white lie.
Pro Tips: Google It
Google SKU or model number Inside the store. You may find it cheaper elsewhere – or read reviews that warn you that it’s junk.
See: 10 Smart Ways to Store Grocery Without Clip Coupons
10. Earn free cash from credit card signup bonus
Those “Use $100 and get $200.” Credit card trading? Yes, that’s not a scam. It’s basically just sitting there for free money and waiting for you not to ruin it.
If you’re planning on spending $1,000 (groceries, bills, kids’ fourth shoe of the month), you could also try throwing $200 on your credit card.
Make sure you pay it back before they come for your soul with interest. It’s like a rebate from the universe to be a functional adult.
Pro Tips: Be smart about it
Do this only if you can fully repay it. Use a new card for your regular bill, press the bonus and then downgrade or cancel.
11. Shop Staples in the “wrong” department
Here we play pricing games like sports, but we are playing.
Same exact items, completely different prices depending on where they are on the shelf. Pain medication? Smaller travel aisle versions may be cheaper per pill than “value” bottles.
Dish soap? Sneaking up in the baby section. Granola bar? Check the aisles of random office supplies.
And don’t even start me Pink tax– Women’s razor, deodorizer, lotion? Everything is marked up outside of the atmosphere.
Grab the boys version. It works the same way, smells, and doesn’t charge you extra to be a girl. Dirty shopping. Betray the shelf.
Pro Tip: Use the Store App
Use the Store app to scan and compare prices. The logic does not apply to retail layout designs.
12. Do not buy medium size
Medium size It’s a straightforward scam It doesn’t matter what it is, whether it’s a bottle, box or bag.
shampoo? coffee? grain? That “just right” Goldilocks size is usually the worst deal per ounce.
It’s a mean middle child in retail packaging – it feels reasonable and safe, but It’s silently screwing you in. They can either grow or get smaller, but don’t fall into a “medium is smart” lie.
Always check the price per ounce Just like you do math in the snack aisle. There’s a medium out there to make big things look expensive and make fun of small things. Don’t fall into that.
13. Ask for a discount every time you talk to customer service
Whenever you’re stuck on the phone with customer service, cancel your internet bill, phone upgrades, or forgotten random subscriptions –Always ask if there is a promotiontrades, or get a “loyalty discount.”
Literally say, “Is there anything I can do to lower my bill?” And shut up. Half the time, knock off $10 just to hang up.
These reps have buttons that you can push to save money, but unless you ask, they’re not going to bring it up. Even if you have it wings, act as you did this, as you did this, as you did this, as you did this, as you did this, as you did this. Closed mouths do not receive discounts.
Pro Tips: Be polite
Friendly and say, “I’m thinking about switching” or “I want to save money.” You will be shocked at how often it works.
Ask your readers: Would you like to add it to my list? Let me know in the comments, I look forward to your feedback!
By Kyle James
I started Shopping com in 2000, but became a consumer expert and advocated writing about out-of-box ways to save money at stores such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco. I’ve been talking about my savings tips on Fox News, Good Morning America and the NY Times. (learn more)
Source: Rather-Be-Shopping Blog | Shopping Hacks, Return Policies and Coupons – www.rather-be-shopping.com
