Tag Archives: Tips

Have you signed up for Twitter yet? If not, you may be missing out on coupons and discounts on everything from travel to electronics to shoes and even to groceries! Here are my top-five ways to find money-saving coupons using Twitter. You can also follow me on Twitter at @ErinGifford for daily money-saving tweets.

• Follow Your Favorite Retailers. Where do you like to shop? Jot down a quick list, then head to Google. Type in the name of the retailer and then the word “Twitter.” For example, you might type Kohl’s Twitter into the search box. The very first search result is the link to @Kohls, the Twitter page for Kohl’s.

• Create Twitter Lists. Build separate lists within your Twitter profile so you can see on one screen tweets from all your favorite retailers and be the first to find out about coupons and special deals. Check out my blog post from December called For Holiday Deals, 15 to Follow on Twitter for a bunch of retailers, deal forums and cash-back shopping sites to follow for big-time bargains and coupons.

• Search for the Most Popular Deal Tweets. Head to Summize.com and type in the name of your favorite store along with the word “coupon” to see what pops up. I typed in Gap and Coupon and found a few online coupons and promotions. I also found a few more people to follow who clearly know their way around the deals! Check out CheapTweet or TweetMeSavings for the most popular deal tweets in various categories.

• Use a Money-Saving Twitter Coupon Bot. Try out CouponBot. Send a tweet to @CouponBot with just the name of the store you plan to shop, then wait to receive links to coupons tweeted back to you.

• Track Hashtags. Follow key money-saving hashtags to find great deals, coupons and freebies. A few to follow include #coupon, #coupons, #bargains, #freebie and #freebies, according to Fried Beef’s Tech. You can also enter the hashtags into the search box on your profile to see the most recent tweets.

Do you use Twitter to track down coupons and deals? I’d love to hear how it’s worked out for you.

A few weeks ago, I asked Coupon Cravings readers what more they wanted to see here and I got a great response for more tips, so starting today I’m going to offer money-saving tips at least once or twice a week by way of a “Tip Sheet” post.

This first post is on six ways to trim your cell phone bill. I take mine everywhere, and get a little panicky if it’s not with me, so these tips are perfect for me. If you have any more to add, please let me know.

• Go easy on the minutes. Take the time to figure out how many voice minutes you’ve used in the past six months and how many minutes were either left over or went over your limit. This quick calculation can help you figure out if you’re on the right plan.

• Use carrier freebies. If your carrier offers unlimited free minutes to designated calling-list phone numbers, register your most-called numbers but be sure to make the most of this money-saving feature by limiting your list to landlines and cell numbers outside your network.

• Bundle up those texts. The cost of text messaging adds up quickly if you’re paying 15 to 20 cents per text. If you’re a busy texter, opt for a package of 200 to 1,500 messages per month for $5 to $15.

• Don’t be afraid to complain. If you’ve got an unusually high bill in your hands, call customer service before you fork over hundreds of dollars in extra fees. Your carrier might cut you a break.

• Shop around or hire someone to do it for you. You can “hire” a service like those at www.billshrink.com or www.myvalidas.com to sift through the major plans for you then recommend available phones with various plans and costs.

• Avoid big termination fees. Make sure that you’re going to be happy with your cell plan because early termination fees can run as high as $350 per phone line. If you do choose to switch to a new carrier, be sure to give the phone and service a good test drive during the 15- to 30-day trial period, when you can quit and move your number to another carrier without penalty.

These tips and more can be found in the March 2010 issue of ShopSmart.

A 2004 study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the average American family throws away 14 percent of their food – that’s almost $600 a year!

I’ll be honest, this has been me from time to time. In the not too distant past, I’ve had to throw away cookie dough, sweet potatoes and asparagus because they spoiled or passed their expiration date before I got to them.

So, here are a few quick tips to save money by keeping food from going to waste:

• Take stock of the produce, breads, cheese and deli meats you have in your home so you don’t double up on these foods.

• Create meal plans around perishable foods to use them up before they spoil.

• Separate the club packs of meat and freeze them the day you go shopping to keep the meat from passing its “sell by” date.

• Use leftovers in next-day breakfasts and lunches. There are also a variety of cookbooks worth checking out that are dedicated to cooking with leftovers to make your food dollar go farther, including “Love Your Leftovers,” “Use it Up Cookbook: Creative Recipes for the Frugal Cook” and “Second Time Around.”

What do you do to keep from wasting money by throwing away food? Do you have any good second-day recipes? I can’t wait to hear your suggestions!

I was reading an article in the Florida Times-Union called “How to Save Money in 15 Minutes a Week,” which focused on spending 15 minutes a week to clip coupons to save on groceries. True, this is one great way to save money, but I wonder how much more I could save by devoting 15 minutes a day to money-saving activities. Here are a few ways to save (some of these I already do):

• Make a bag lunch for my husband and daughter to take to work and to school.

• Create a weekly meal plan. I know that on nights when I’m not sure what to make for dinner, that’s when the urge to call for take-out is so strong.

• Write up a grocery list. Numerous studies have cited that those who create and stick to a shopping list save far more money on food each week than those who do not make lists.

• Consolidate errands. Stop by CVS after I drop my middle daughter off at preschool. Or, pick up dry cleaning when I go to deposit a check at the bank next door. Grouping errands not only saves on gas, but gives you more time in your day.

• Put on a sweater. I’ll be honest, I do not like to be cold. But I know that if I keep the thermostat where it should be (I often like to kick it up a notch or two), then put on an extra layer, I’ll keep more money in my pocket.

• Don’t warm up the car. I have the tendency to turn on my car, then come back a few minutes later. Sure, it’s toasty warm, but from what I’ve read it’s not necessary, and I’ve only wasted gas.

• Go online for a few minutes to find out which fruits and vegetables are in season. These are the only ones worth buying fresh. Everything else should be bought frozen or you'll pay a premium.

How else can you spend 15 minutes a day to save money this year? I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions.

Have you been out shopping this week? Me, I’m pretty much exhausted from the pre-holiday shopping, even though I made many of my purchases online.

If you’re desperate to hit the post-holiday sales and your family has already gone home, iPhone moms take note. Here are five must-have apps to have on your iPhone or iPod Touch if you must hit the mall with the tots in tow.

• CHECKout-Shopping Calculator: There are lots of signs touting savings of 60%-off, 70%-off and more, but it’s hard to tell the final markdown price with kids who want to get ice cream right now. This free app will tell you the final price in a flash, and even let you know if it falls within your budget.

• Yowza: It’s impossible to have coupons on hand for every store or restaurant you may be near. Half the time when I go shopping I end up going different places than originally planned. If this is you too, grab this free app to get mobile coupons tailored to your exact location.

• ShopSavvy: If you’ve spied a great deal, just scan the product bar code to see if you can still find the item for less online or at another store. Sometimes all the big sale signs in stores can distract you from figuring out whether you’ve got a real bargain or not.

• Point Inside: This app provides you with indoor maps for hundreds of shopping malls across the country, helping you plan out your trip before you load the kids into the car and before you park at the wrong end of the shopping center.

• Snow Globe Maker: No doubt there will be times when you just need to distract your kids. This great app lets them make their own snow globes on your phone. Once finished just shake the phone to see the snow fall. This app is $.99 in the iTunes store, but the first 10 people with an iPhone or iPod Touch who leave me a comment will get a free promo code to get this app for themselves.

UPDATE (1/3): Here are the ten winners of the Snow Globe Maker promo code. Look out for the code in your inbox.

melissagist@ stretch418@ ssilverbullet19@ vpalmer01@ sara0711@ angeltuc@ angie.mobley@ zumbalisa@ kywildcat07@ drfour@

What about you? What are your favorite iPhone apps? Any must-haves to have installed when out and about with kids?