The holidays are quickly approaching and it is time to start thinking about your holiday budget and gifts. Gifts can get super expensive (especially if you have a ton of people to buy gifts for). From October through December I also have my sisters’ birthdays, football games, and Thanksgiving (which I host). I am always looking for ways to save money on gifts and just everyday purchases. I wanted to share with you the four resources I use regularly to save money on purchases.
1. Ebates
I have been using Ebates for a few years now and seriously you won’t regret signing up. It is so easy to use and is completely free. Why wouldn’t you want to get cash back for purchases you were already planning on buying? Ebates has almost every store you normally shop at. I always check Ebates before I make any purchase online. Sometimes I choose in-store pickup and still order online just to get the cash back from Ebates. There are two ways to use Ebates. You can go to ebates.com and search for the store you want to shop at. Your home screen would look like this:
You can also use the Ebates Cash Back Button which is on your toolbar which is what I do. When I go to a website the button will flash (or pop open) and say “Activate X% Cash Back”. All you have to do is click activate and shop normally! Usually within a few hours of your purchase, the cash back is in your Ebates account. It really is that simple. I buy most of my holiday gifts online so I usually get a nice cash back check. There really is no risk to using Ebates. Some stores have 15% cash back which is crazy. Use my exclusive code and get $10 in your account absolutely free after you spend $25.
2. Groupon
Groupon has discounts for pretty much everything. This includes vacations, restaurants, things to do in your area, and gifts. I recently got a Groupon for Cycle Bar because I wanted to try it out but I cannot afford the monthly membership. I got 4 classes and a water bottle for $39 which is a great deal. Groupon is part of Ebates so you can actually save even more (you can see the button in the top right corner of the picture below). I usually check Groupon before I buy a gift or if there is something local I want to try. If you need ideas for a budget date night or even a girls trip, make sure to check Groupon first.
3. Ibotta
I recently starting using Ibotta (about 1.5 months ago) and I wish I started sooner. They have cash back deals for most grocery stores as well as restaurants, convenience stores, clothing stores, and more. I search activate deals when I make my grocery list to see if anything is on Ibotta that I was already planning on buying. After you purchase the item all you have to do is select the deal on the app and then take a photo of your receipt. Sometimes they have deals for “any item” which means you just need to buy something and you get cash back. It doesn’t even matter what item it is. This process will add maybe 2-3 minutes to your day and it is totally worth it if you can get some money back each month. I just cashed out for the first time and I got $25! You can transfer the money to a PayPal account or a Venmo Account. I did Venmo this time and had no issues getting the money. Want to get $10 in your account for free? Make sure to use my exclusive code. 
4. RetailMeNot
I use RetailMeNot to check for any coupons or discounts I don’t know about. Sometimes a store will have a coupon for free shipping or 20% off one item so every little bit helps. I have been using RetailMeNot since college and they definitely have grown a ton. Some coupon codes might not work but they tell you how many people have verified the code. You just type in the store you are looking for and the coupon codes will pop up. You can see what the deal is for and what requirements you need to meet. Below is an example of the current Best Buy coupons. It can’t hurt to try!
What other tips or resources do you use to save money on your purchases?
