Frugal Shopaholic Tip: Buy Promo Codes On eBay

Have you ever been looking for a promo code while shopping and haven't been able to find one? Well, I now have a solution for you. I found this great shopping tip on Twitter. Simply go to eBay.com, search for the retailer you need a promo code for, purchase it and code will be delivered to your email instantly. Now, this won't work for every retailer but I've seen good discounts for major retailers and they are worth it because they cost as low as $0.99. That's nothing compared to what you could be saving. 

Step 1: Find the promo code you wish to purchase.

Step 2: Buy the te listing on eBay. 

Step 3: Get the promo code and save some $$ when online shopping and sometimes in-store. 

I hope this tip helps you save some money on your next shopping trip. Share this tip with everyone you know, cause friends don't let friends(and family) pay full price.  Click here to sign up for Ebates or Dosh and get cashback and coupons when you shop!

Budget Friendly Ways to Move Across the Country

If you didn't already know... I'm moving to California and this has been one of the most overwhelming moves of my life. Leaving family and friends here on the East Coast and trying to pack up my whole life without breaking the bank has been a full-time job so far. But I am so thankful for God and my supportive friends and family. If you have never moved farther than the next city over, I promise you a move thousands of miles of way will put you in your place and have you making life decisions.

If you plan on making a big move soon or are just moving, in general, there are a few budget friendly tips that I wanted to share so that you can move and not break the bank! 

Tip 1: Don't Pay For Boxes

When paying for boxes the price can definitely add up. I suggest you check local grocery stores or just stores in general that get stock in and ask can you have their empty boxes. The worst they could say is no but usually if you ask a cashier or another associate they are willing to give away boxes. 

Tip 2: It's Time To Purge 

I know we all hate to hear it but now is the time to make a pile of the items you haven't worn in years and don't plan on wearing it. No need to carry that extra weight to your new home. In turn, once you are done with your pile pack it up and take it to Buffalo Exchange, Platos or Uptown Cheapskate and sell to make some money for your move or for new stuff if you choose lol. 

Tip 3: Start Early

Packing is never a fun thing to do but when it came to my move I knew already that I would be transporting my car. I'm not into road trips so a 3-4 day car ride to California wasn't happening. I planned ahead and requested quotes from several different transport companies to get an idea of what it would cost to ship my car so I knew how much money to set aside. This helps out in the long run because I was also able to read reviews and choose the right company. The sooner the better when placing an order to have your car shipped is the rule of thumb, the price essentially goes up as your move date gets closer. 

Tip 4: Ask! 

If you are moving because of a new job make sure you ask if they have relocation services or if they are willing to pay for your relocation. If they say no, at least you asked. Also, ask friends and family if they know someone who specializes in relocation services. They can help you find apartments or homes in the area you're moving to and can do things on your behalf. Checking out spots and making sure they are legit. Can save you time and energy. Trust me you will need it. 

These are the top 4 tips that I'm sure will help assist you in being budget friendly during your move. I'm learning more and more each day so if you happen to have any questions drop them in the comments here on the post or on our Instagram page! 

Sign up for ebates and get cash back and coupons when you shop! 

How to Travel Like a Frugal Shopaholic

Its always a good time to travel the world and create new memories with friends and family. But when you travel do you feel like its stressful and too expensive to do on a tight budget? Fret no more. Christen and I travel throughout the year and most of our trips are less than $500 total, including flight, room, transportation and spending money. I want to give you some of the tips & tricks we use to find cheap flights and travel like a frugal shopaholic!

Tip 1: Visit SecretFlying.com to sign up for their email list. This subscription service will send you emails daily on all flight deals domestic & international. Flights ranging from as low as $85 up to about $600-$800. They send emails to you anytime there are flight glitches or fuel dumps. It's a MUST if you want to book cheap flights around the globe. We traveled to Iceland for $250 because we got an email from Secret Flying about cheap flights! So its proven that they are legit!

Tip 2: Travel with a group of friends who are down to explore and stick with them. Its nothing worse than traveling with people who drag their feet. Once you have a good group that meshes well and is down to have a good time and lose sleep if it means you'll get the most out of your trip then only travel with that group, it'll be in your best interest! We've learned this lesson the hard way! Time is money.

Tip 3: Before traveling to your destination, make an itinerary so you know what you will be doing each day and time it helps keep your trip on track and leaves no room for those travel mates who would rather stay at the hotel or Airbnb. You paid to see the world, MAKE MOVES!

Tip 4: Hotels are cool but Airbnb's can be the best bang for your buck especially if you are traveling with a group of more than 3 people. Most Airbnb can be as cheap as $35 a night and sleep 6+ people. It really just depends. So I would suggest that in addition to looking at hotel at your destination that you check Airbnb as well.

Tip 5: Book excursions & tours in advance if at all possible. It cuts out the expense when you are on your trip. Use Viator.com to search excursions and tours at your destination. They give you tons of options to choose from that vary in price. Its also good to search google as well and always search for a promo code for whatever site you choose to book on. By now you know our motto... NEVER PAY FULL PRICE!

Tip 6: Erykah Badu said it best... Pack light. It proves true when traveling abroad for sure especially when you are flying on airlines like Wow Air and Spirit. They charge you for your baggage each leg of the trip if it more than or bigger than a bag that can fit underneath your seat. At a minimum it will be $40 each way for your bag. But if you pack light or utilize packing cubes and vacuum seal bags purchase a smaller carry-on bag you should be good to go. 

Our next international trip is to Havana, Cuba. Talk about excited. We got our tickets for $215?! Talk about cheap... right now that flight is cheaper than a flight to Miami, FL... crazy right. We are still looking at Airbnb's but I definitely take my own advice and follow the tips above. 

If you have any other tips that will help frugal travelers comment below!

Sign up for ebates and get cash back and coupons when you shop!

Get Amazon Products Discounted or Free

I love Amazon....I love Amazon more than Oprah loves bread. A few weeks ago while reading one of my fav blogs, I came across a deal club for Amazon, Elite Deal Club. It seemed too good to be true, so I ordered a few things and it's legit. Elite Deal Club (EDC) is an exclusive club that provides its members with the best deals possible on Amazon products. Brands looking to promote their products share discounts through this exclusive club and offer highly discounted with prices marked down between 50% off all the way to FREE! The best part is that Elite Deal Club is a completely free service. 

EDC posts new products every day at 10 am (don't judge me, I set an alarm it's that real) and the best items sell out within minutes. You can only claim one discount code in the morning slot until 2 pm, then you can get as many codes as you want. After you secure the promo code, you head over to Amazon to redeem the code and get your discounted products. I've been buying stuff almost every day since I discovered the deal club. I am hooked. My Amazon addiction is even worse than before now. Join the Elite Deal Club today and catch some great deals.

See all the items I purchased below.

Fractionated Coconut Oil

Amazon: $11.95

Elite Deal Club: $1.90

100% Natural Arabica Coffee Scrub

Amazon: $14.95

Elite Deal Club: $0.48

Foxbrim Vitamin C Serum

Amazon: $11.95

Elite Deal Club: $1.59

Brooklyn Botany Vitamin C Serum

Amazon: $16.95

Elite Deal Club: $0.51

SKEDERM Snail Jelly Mask 10pk

Amazon: $16.99

Elite Deal Club: $1.99

Zen Menstrual Cup

Amazon: $14.97

Elite Deal Club: $1.05

ScionBeauty Premium 5-Piece Make Up Sponge Set 

Amazon: $10.95

Elite Deal Club: $1.16

Radha Beauty Essential Oil Diffuser

Amazon: $19.95

Elite Deal Club: $0.20

Radha Essential Oil Blends Set

Amazon: $19.95

Elite Deal Club: $0.20

My grand total for all these items was $9.08. That is cheaper than the lowest price item at full price. Join the Elite Deal Club today and get crazy discounts on Amazon deals everyday.

Sign up for ebates and get cash back and coupons when you shop!

Get Cashback With Ebates

It's buying season frugs and you know what that means..... sales, clearances and discounts! Soon we will posting our Frugal Shopaholic Tips and Tricks & Black Friday deals. But until then we wanted to share a way to save money at your favorite retailers and make money in the process.

Ebates is an online site that allows you to earn cash back by shopping online. The first step is to sign up for free. Once that step is done you start shopping through Ebates.com or the Ebates app and find a store, promo code or deal. The second step is to follow the links provided and to start shopping! Cash back will be added to your account when the order is reported to Ebates. Every quarter they will send your cash back in form of a check or a PayPal payment.

If you ask me this is perfect for a frugal shopaholic online shopper! Spending money but making money in the process... but don't forget you aren't spending much because you can use promo code or deals in the process.  Sign up for Ebates today! 

See the Deals of the Week page for additional sales!

Frugal Shopaholic Tips & Tricks

Using a promo code is a great way to save when making an online purchase, but finding those codes can be challenging, frustrating and time consuming. With the BeFrugal free Couponomatic browser add-on, you will not even need to look for a promo code! This tool magically presents you with a drop down list of promo codes when you are at the checkout stage of 3,000+ online stores, you can even earn cashback. So head over to BeFrugal and join today, and don't forget to download the free Couponomatic browser add-on. 

You earn cash back when you shop at over online at 4000+ eligible stores. Use BeFrugal coupons and deals to save even more money. They'll send you a check or transfer your cash back balance into your paypal account. Start your online shopping by clicking on coupons and cash back offers on BeFrugal.com

Are You Familiar With The Store Policy?

 

Its been a while since we've done a Tips and Tricks so here it goes. Have you ever been asked "Are you familiar with our store policy?" by the  cashier? Usually I say yes, just so I don't have hear them ramble off some memorized speech. But most major retailers have price adjustments and price matching policies that most customers don't know about.  

The Gap Family Stores, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta and Piperlime, will refund the difference if you request a price adjustment on an item that is marked down within 14 days of your purchase. Price adjustments for online purchases can be obtained by calling the web store's phone number or by emailing customer service
 
Nordstrom offers price adjustments if the item you purchased is reduced from its regular price within 14 days from your order date. They also have a never pay more policy, where they will match a price you find elsewhere. 

Other stores like Amazon,Abercrombie, Best Buy, J.Crew,  Kohl's, Target and Walmart also have price adjustment policies. So get familiar with the store policies of your favorite stores and use price adjustments to get the best deals and save money.

-Christen

Black Friday Shopping Tips

Black Friday is next week!! Black Friday (BF) and Cyber Monday (CM) are the two holidays that you as frugal shopaholics can enjoy and save! But in order to really enjoy the perks of both you must know the tricks of the trade to get the most out of your time and effort.

Tip 1: Do your research!
We will provide the as many deals we can but definitely go online and look up BF deals as soon as possible.  Most stores have posted special hours they will be open and times you can buy certain merchandise for specific prices. Also, many stores will carry the same merchandise but it may be cheaper at different stores so do your research!

Tip 2: Set up a plan of action!
Walmart among other stores will be open almost 24 hours, but will be releasing different items at different times in random areas of the store. So set up a plan of action and download or print the map so you know where to go. If you are shopping online add the things you want to your cart in advance and bookmark the page for a fast and easy checkout! 

Tip 3: Save your money! 
Cyber Monday is right after Black Friday and for the most part it includes tons of deals on clothing, shoes and accessories. Black Friday is usually the best time to buy electronics, appliances etc. So allot enough money for each item you plan on buying so you aren't stuck making life decisions at the register, some deals will be too hard to pass up!

Tip 4: Dress Appropriately! 
If you plan to stand outside waiting for a store to open make sure that are dressed according to the weather so the wait is a comfortable one.

Tip 5: Go Mobile! 
Download the mobile apps for the stores you plan on visiting, no need in toting around a binder or purse full of coupons, ads and flyers when you can access them on your smartphone.  Saves time and space! Use apps like BuyVia and BlackFriday.com to compare deals from different stores.

Last but most certainly not least... BE SAFE and stay aware of your surroundings. If you plan on camping outside of any stores, you'll be outside waiting and it will be dark. And when you are out shopping bring a friend these stores get very hectic.

HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING EVERYONE! STAY TUNED FOR OUR BLACK FRIDAY DEALS POST

Have any of your own tips to share? Leave a comment below!

Frugal Shopaholic Tips and Tricks

A shopper may not always have their bestie with them to offer opinions on how those jeans really look, but consumers can save money by using smart sites, apps and other trendy tech tools.

1.  Is that designer purse real? Use the free uFaker anti- counterfeiting app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

2.  Do you really need to buy it new? Maybe your buddy has one from last season. Use Yerdle to browse items that friends are sharing or giving away.

3.  For free help tracking the deliveries of your online purchases, use Slice.com.

4.  Save during shopping with the free BeFrugal.com browser add-on with Couponomatic^TM, which automates the process of finding coupon codes by turning the promo code entry box that is usually empty into a drop down box of promo codes that are guaranteed to work. For Firefox, Internet Explorer and Chrome.

5.  To see if you can get that item for a lower price, scan the barcode with Red Laser’s free app for Android, iPhone and Windows Phone 7.

6.  Maybe you like that lipstick, but don’t like animal testing. Use the free GoodGuide app for iPhones, iPod touches and iPads to see if the product aligns with your standards.

7.  Find that must-have-it-today item at a store near you with the free Shop Nearby iPhone app by TheFind.

8.  When you need to find a store in a huge mall, turn to the free FastMall iPhone app to access maps and layouts of thousands of shopping malls.

9.  Determine whether your Facebook friends support your buying decision using the free iPhone and iPad Best Decision app.

10. Use the free Buzzillions Reviews app to access 17 million reviews as you consider purchasing products.

 

Frugal Shopaholic Tips & Tricks: Back to School Edition

This post is dedicated to our college student frugs. There is an art to stretching a dollar in college. When I was in school I would get $500 from my family scholarship fund each semester to buy books. That book money ended up being for books, food, gas and other miscellaneous things and I still had money leftover. I'm going to share a few tricks with you to help you stretch those dollars.

1. Shop online for books

• Consider buying the international edition. These books are usually wayyyy cheaper than textbooks published in the US. The content is the same as the U.S. version, but it may have differences such as the book cover, ISBN, page numbers, or region code.

• Books in the campus bookstore are always overpriced. SlugBooks.com compares prices between your college bookstore and online options like Amazon/eBay/Chegg/etc. so you can be sure you're getting the best deal on your textbooks. 

2. Use your student ID.

• ALWAYS ask for a student discount wherever you go. Most places do not publicly advertise their student discount but they have them. I graduated 2 years ago and I still use my college ID for discounts (thank you UNCG for not having expiration dates on our IDs). Here is a list of 81 Student Discounts 

3. Sign up for student reward programs.

• Amazon Student is a student loyalty program that gives college students exclusive discounts. You get Amazon Prime benefits for free the first six months after that its $39/year. The perks include FREE Two-Day Shipping, $10 credit for referring friends, unlimited instant streaming of movies & TV show, and you can borrow FREE Kindle books. 

If you know of any other Frugal Shopaholic Tips and Tricks leave them in the comment box below. 

- Christen

Frugal Shopaholic Tips & Tricks

Use your smartphone! We both have folders on our phone dedicated to shopping apps. So here are a few of our favorite ones ( in no specific order). 

Frugal Shopaholic Tips & Tricks

1. Before you purchase any item(s) online or in-store, Always search for a promotion code or coupon. Never pay full price unless you absolutely have to.
 

- Most stores will honor coupons that are offered for online purchases, Utilize your SMART phone!

2.When shopping for shoes always take note of the Brand name and the "shoe" name so that you can google and see what other stores may have it for a better price.

3. Shop out of season! Out of season items are almost always on SALE!

4. Visit thrift stores in upper class neighborhoods, most people who donate clothing have only wore clothing items once, or just don't want it anymore because it is out of season. Most brands include Banana Republic, Gap, Polo, New York & Co., Target etc.

5.When shopping at Target, if the price ends in "8" (i.e.$24.98) it will be marked down again. If price ends in "4" (i.e. $24.94) that is the final price.

6. Keep an open mind! You may not shop at certain stores but check them out, those are the gold mines.

7. Visit Frugal Shopaholics! If you aren't a frugal shopper, you'll be well on your way!