tips Archives - Flipping Pennies

25 Ways to Save Money at Target

Posted on June 23, 2016 by flipping Pennies Contributor

Do your best to stick to the end caps at Target. That means sticking to the perimeter of the store and trying to find deals. That’s usually where the best deals will be placed. After you’ve scouted those deals, go ahead and move into the store.

If something is discounted at 15 to 30%, then hold off on buying it unless you REALLY want/need it. Usually Target will increase this clearance to 50% or higher after a few days.

When shopping on Target online, put items you want in your cart and then leave them there overnight. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll get offered a coupon or discount code since Target wants you to actually make the purchase.

Whenever possible, always use coupons at Target. Not only do they offer TONS of coupons, but there are so many different kinds. Look for coupons on their website or tags near the actual product in the store.

If you are an avid Target shopper, then I suggest getting a Red Card. You could get their credit card, but there’s also a debit card version. You get access to great deals and discounts when you shop with a Red Card.

Download the Cartwheel app and let the coupons and great deals roll in! Before you go shopping, look at what deals are being offered on Cartwheel and make sure to take advantage of them!

You can also scan items in-store with the Cartwheel app. This lets you double check to make sure you’re getting the best coupon or discount on an item when you go to buy it. If you’re not sure if it has a coupon, scan it anyway! It can’t hurt.

I love buying DVDs at Target because they have a $5 and under section. Renting a DVD can sometimes cost that much, so I might as well spend a few extra bucks and get the DVD forever!

Target online offers a weekly deal, which is actually usually pretty great. So, once a week, get online and check the deal to see if it’s something you need.

Target usually offers some great combo deals that can save you lots of money in the long run. For example, they just recently offered a deal on First Aid supplies and another on sunscreen and similar products. Find them and take advantage!

Holiday clearance at Target is great. After a holiday, Target usually starts their clearance at 50% and only increases it until everything is gone. Pretty awesome.

To get access to coupons on your phone, text OFFERS to 827438. Target will send you coupons that you can use to save some pretty big bucks over time.

If you don’t want to get texts from Target, then download the Target app and go to their “mobile coupons” tab. This gives you access to all the same coupons without giving them your number.

Target is great because they let you stack coupons. That means you can use different types of coupons (store, manufacturer, etc.) together to get some great savings.

Target (like most stores) has their own Target store brand. If you buy their store brand, you can get some great discounts, plus they have a 1-year return policy for most items, so you don’t have to suffer buyer’s remorse.

Twice a year, Target has awesome sales on toys. This is usually in January (after Christmas) and sometime in July (usually in preparation for new toys that are coming in). Check the aisle every now and then and you can get deals as good as 75% off!

I love Target’s rain check program. Pretty much, if there’s an item at a good price you want but it’s out of stock, Target usually has rain check papers you can take (or scan) that guarantee that price for you within the next six weeks or so.

If you switch to the Target Pharmacy, then for every five prescriptions you fill, they give you 5% off for any transaction. That money can add up if you fill prescriptions regularly.

This isn’t always the case, but if a discounted item’s price ends in .06 or .08, then that’s usually indicative that it will be marked down again (it’s just part of Target’s system). So, if you see that, then wait a bit and see if it gets marked off even more.

Some products at Target have an attached gift card deal. That means that, when you make a certain purchase or spend a certain amount, Target will give you a gift card with your purchase (usually $5 or $10). It’s pretty much free money!

Target has a pretty awesome price match policy. Pretty much, if you find an identical item somewhere else for a cheaper price, then Target will sell you that item for the matched price. That’s pretty snazzy!

Not only that, but if you buy an item at Target and you see it for a cheaper price (either at Target or somewhere else) then you can go back to the store and they’ll refund you the money. This even works of Target drops the price of the item.

Registering at Target for weddings and baby showers isn’t only common, but it’s also super smart. Anything on your registry that you don’t get will be discounted by 15% after the event. Pretty awesome!

If you bring in your own reusable bags to Target, then you can get a discount! For every reusable bag, you get 5 cents off the purchase. It isn’t much by itself, but those savings add up!

While this isn’t the same at every store, usually Target has a schedule for what items it puts on sale. Here is the general list, but do some research at your own Target to see how it alters. Monday: Electronics, accessories, kids’ clothing, books, baby, and stationery. Tuesday: Domestics, women’s clothing, pets, and food items, Wednesday: Men’s Clothing, Toys, Health and Beauty, and Garden. Thursday: Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Toys, Sporting Goods, Decor, and Luggage. Friday: Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry.

5 Tips for Saving Money on Beauty Products

Posted on June 23, 2016 by flipping Pennies Contributor

There’s no need to pretty much ever spend full price on beauty products. One great way to save money is by using a program like Ebates that provides cash back or rebates for numerous beauty products. Ebates is particular well-known for offering great rebates on Sephora products.

If you’re shopping online, then a nice trick to use is putting items you want in your cart and then leaving them there overnight. Sometimes the site will track that you’re hesitating on a purchase and will offer a nice discount to get you to actually make the purchase. And all it requires is a bit of patience!

If you’re shopping for new beauty products, then always ALWAYS get the travel size version (or free sample) first. Don’t buy a whole bottle of something, just to realize you don’t like it that much. Start small and, if you like it, then get the full-sized bottle.

Speaking of bottles, make sure to check the quantity and amount of the beauty product. Lots of times, companies will inflate the packages or containers to look bigger than their competitors, even though they have the same amount or less makeup in them.When you’ve come to the end of a bottle or tube, don’t just throw it away. Cut it open and use the rest of the product at the bottom. You’d be surprised at how much product can sit at the bottom of an seemingly empty bottle!

Traveling on A Budget: ITALY

Posted on June 3, 2016 by flipping Pennies Contributor

If money is a bit of an issue, you don’t have to completely abandon your idea to travel to Italy! Believe it or not, it is absolutely possible to travel abroad on a budget. With a little planning ahead, some flexibility, and a desire to travel, anything is possible, even if you don’t have a plethora of cash!

When it comes to traveling, the first thing you want to have planned is your transportation. In most cases, you will likely have to fly to Italy. It is important to remain flexible with your dates and flight times. You can save hundreds of dollars if you fly at a time of day that would be less desirable to the general public. Anything to save a few bucks, right? Once in Italy, it’s extremely easy to visit all of your desired places on a budget. Italy has an extremely broad and developed train system. You can get pretty much anywhere in just a few hours time. There are bus and subway systems located in the larger cities, although these can be crowded. Walking is definitely the best option for avid sightseers!

When in Italy, accommodation can be cheap. Depending on the route you take, that is! Hostels are an inexpensive option for the young backpacker. They cost around 25 EUR a night, but are lacking when it comes to privacy. If you are looking for a little more privacy, but don’t want to spend a fortune at a local hotel, use AirBnb. AirBnB is a wonderful option for all travelers on a budget. Look for a place in the center of town, near convenience stores, tourist attractions, and yummy restaurants. If the only option you have is somewhere outside of town, look for a place with easy access to train or bus systems. It’ll definitely cut down on an stress you have when traveling through Italy!

The delicious food is what brings many travelers to Italy. But with delicious cuisine, comes higher prices. Before sitting down to eat, see if the restaurant or cafe charges a “coperta” fee. The fee is usually around 3 EUR, just for sitting down to look at the menu. Always look at the menu before sitting down to eat, and read to make sure you won’t be charged a fee. It is recommended to eat your main meal for lunchtime, and then have small snacks throughout the afternoon and evening. If you aren’t constantly eating out for every meal, you will notice a huge decrease in spending. Of course, buying pizza by the slice is always an inexpensive (and delicious) option!

Of course, when traveling across the world, everyone wants to do some fun activities. There are some free activities too! If you chose to stay at a hostel, see if they offer a free walking tour through the city, usually, just a tip for your guide is recommended. It’s recommended that you plan your travel time around the festival schedule. Consider going in February for the Venice Carnival, or over Christmas for the Rome Christmas market. Festivals are free to enjoy, and allow for a great insight into a culture. Do some investigating and see if the museums you are interested in seeing offer free admission for a time period or day of the week. Relax in Villa Borghese park in Rome for a free afternoon with a stunning view of the city.

Traveling on a budget is totally possible, and you may even find yourself in an area you wouldn’t have expected. Keep your mind open when it comes to accommodations, travel, and activities while traveling. You may come across something great!

4 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

Posted on June 3, 2016 by flipping Pennies Contributor

It seems to be impossible to improve your credit store; once it goes down, it seems to just stay there. However, there are a few ways that you can add some numbers to your credit score if you know how to do it. It takes time and dedication, as well as some sacrifices, but seeing your credit score go up is definitely worth it. The first thing you need to do is go through your credit score and records to make sure it’s actually accurate. You’d be surprised at how often your credit score goes down because of companies reporting incorrect numbers about your finances. You have the right to see what affects your credit score and, if you find something is off, then contact the organization in order to get things fixed. It may take a while to do this, but it’s worth it. Next, you should make sure you’ve paid all your debts off. The more debts you have (and the longer they go unpaid), the lower your credit score will be. The best way to do this is through a debt snowball: pretty much, you pay off the biggest debt first, throwing all your extra money at it. Once that’s paid off, pay off the next biggest debt until everything is done! Along with paying off your debts, you also want to make sure to stay on top of other payments. If you have a history of missed payments (like insurance, mortgage, rent, etc.) and lots of late fees, then it’s going to lower your credit score. Start getting on top of your payments to make sure they’re paid off by the time they’re due. This will help you begin to build a good credit history, which makes you more financially reliable, increasing your credit score over time. You’ll also want to consolidate and limit the credit cards you have and use. Every time you go to open a new line of credit, the inquiry is recorded. Lots of inquiries within a short amount of time can lower your credit score as well as reflect poorly on your financial situation. To the best of your ability, limit the amount of credit cards you have and how often you apply for new ones.

12 Expenses You Should Never Put on a Credit Card

Posted on May 11, 2016 by flipping Pennies Contributor

Just because you have a credit card doesn’t mean you should use it to pay for everything. While credit cards give some awesome perks and benefits when you use them, not all expenses should go on them. Here are just 12 expenses to avoid putting on your credit card.

Due to crazy convenience and service fees, putting taxes on your credit card are a no-no. For those big tax bills that you weren’t expecting, putting them on the credit card may seem like the right idea, but it’s not. Do your best to pay this debt in cash or by debit card/check so you don’t get additional fees.

No matter how tempting it is, don’t put your wedding or honeymoon expenses on a credit card. This will only make starting married life more stressful when you start your marriage off with a huge pile of debt. Only put expenses on your card that can be paid off within the month.

Mortgages can be hefty, which sometimes makes us want to put them on the credit card so we don’t have to deal with them immediately, However, this is bad, especially if the mortgage is above what you can pay each month. You’ll accrue tons of interest that will severely lower your credit score.

Bail bonds or anything else that is considered a cash advance is a huge thing you should avoid putting on your credit card. Whenever you do a cash advance with a credit card, you’re often charged a 3% (or more) service fee, which adds up quickly.

School costs are so expensive nowadays, but you shouldn’t put them on your credit card. Try your best to get government assistance, scholarships, or student loans. Putting tuition costs on your credit card will only hurt you financially in the long run.

Virtual currency like Bitcoin are a really bad expense to put on your credit card. There are numerous reasons for this, but the main one is that virtual currency transactions aren’t always the most trust-worthy. Lots of people have their hands in on virtual transactions, meaning you have more of a chance of credit card fraud occurring.

Although medical bills can often be big and expensive, avoid putting them on your credit card. Instead, talk to the doctor or hospital to try to figure out a payment plan. These charges usually last a long time and, if they’re on your credit card, you’ll accrue lots of interest against yourself.

Don’t put any kind of down payment on your credit card. If you don’t have the cash to pay a down payment, then you’ll probably never be able to actually repay the whole loan. This is a red flag and means the loan is going to be a burden for a long time.

While it may be more convenient, putting gambling expenses on a credit card is a terrible idea. It’s super easy to lose track of how much money you’ve spent when you’re using a credit card and it’s easy to get out of control with “just one more go.”

If you’re starting up a business, put as few of the expenses on your credit card as possible. If you go into business with a bad credit score or tons of debt and loans, it’s going to be really hard to pay those things off or be taken seriously by potential investors.

Don’t put trip expenses on a credit card unless you have great self-control or have a large cash backup to pay off the charges within the month. It’s just too easy to spend way too much money when you’re putting everything on your credit card on vacation.

Don’t buy an automobile on your credit card. Most dealers don’t even do this and, if they do, they’ll put all of the fees and charges on you, which means the price of your car will increase drastically. Not only that, but these payments are hard to pay off every month and you can often max out your credit card, which lowers your credit score significantly.

12 Surprising Ways to Save Money

Posted on February 4, 2016 by flipping Pennies Contributor

You don’t need to cut coupons or stop going out to eat in order to save money. While those are all good ideas, there may be other ways to cut your monthly expenses while still enjoying some of the things you like. Some of these ideas might actually surprise you!

Shop Your Insurance

You can change your insurance carrier (in most cases) any time you want. There is no contract with insurance so shop your rate! I didn’t realize I was paying too much, until we decided to get other quotes and we were accepted by one of the very best auto insurances out there, and our premium was half of what we were paying. That is a big savings! You could be leaving money on the table by not shopping your rates. Shop your car insurance rates, homeowners insurance rates, life insurance rates and any other policies that you may have out there.

Be Savvy

Once upon a time, we purchased a pergola for our outdoor patio. We found one we loved and we didn’t even look around. We had found our one and only and we paid for it and anxiously awaited it’s arrival. Fast forward a year, and we see an identical pergola at an outdoor show. For $3,000 less. We spent thousands that we didn’t need to, by not shopping prices and getting quotes. We are usually more savvy than that, so it took us both by surprise. We blew it and it cost us thousands. Don’t get impulsive and purchase based on emotion. You will always pay more by going with the first option you find or not shopping around. This goes for home decor, contractors (landscaping, plumbing, electrical, drywall, etc) and even purchases that you may not expect. I am continually surprised to find out (thank you, husband!) that you can negotiate prices on many things that you wouldn’t expect. Also, read reviews and be sure you are comparing apples with apples.

Beauty Budget

Cut the beauty budget! I love getting my eyebrows waxed and tinted (I am a super blondie.) It is expensive and a recurring cost. One trip to the beauty supply store, some Youtube videos and a few experimental eyebrows later… I do it at home, on my own time and it saves me money and time. The few times I paid for it, it was $40+ and it took time, planning, babysitter for the kids, and it was a hassle. Pedicures are an extra expense that some may spend that can easily be cut out and done at home.

Subscriptions

Sometimes those 10$ a month subscriptions sneak up on you and add up. I am not saying to cancel everything, but look over your expenses and see if there are subscriptions you can do without. Magazines, gun clubs, Pandora (do the free version?) car wash passes, etc. If you are trying to save money, it may be time to reduce the extras or see if you can do without things you are used to paying for.

DIY Items

Save money by making your own homemade products! You can do DIY soap, shaving cream, lotions, etc. Not only do you get customized products to your liking, but you also save money by making them at home. Usually, these products are made with things you have at your home already.

Cut Coffee

This may be hard for you, but just imagine how much money you’re spending on coffee everyday. Let’s say you buy a cup of coffee for $4 at your local coffee store 5 days a week. That’s over $1,000 a year just on coffee! Cut coffee out (or at least partially) and you’ll see some extra cash coming in. *Dodging virtual tomatoes that are being thrown my way by the coffee addicts of the world.*

Community calendar

If you’re trying to find fun activities to do while also saving money, then turn to your community calendar. There are so many fun things in the community that are free. Also, take advantage of “kids eat free on Tuesday” type of events or festivals that are free and entertaining. Saving money doesn’t have to be a drag. In fact, if you get creative you will probably go places and do things you wouldn’t have normally known about. It is an adventure!

Treat yourself (sparingly)

We all get that itch to spend money. While saving money is a good thing, and we should all be doing it, be careful about still allowing yourself to splurge once in a while. Treat yourself every now and then so you don’t explode! Give yourself a small monthly allowance or implement another system so you spend money while still saying within budget. If you budget for extras as much as possible, it will prevent binge spending and it will keep you from really blowing the budget after working hard to save.

Keep Utility Bills Lower

I don’t know what it is about children, but they are almost incapable of shutting a door (is this just my kids?) and we finally changed the hinges to our exterior doors to self-closing hinges. This has helped a bunch with our AC bill in the summer. You would be surprised how much money you can actually save if you use energy efficient bulbs in your home, keep doors closed and open windows to cool things off if you can. Also, unplug unnecessary appliances or power cords, keep lights off, etc. If you are consious about saving energy, you are doing not only the world a favor, but your pocketbook. Don’t run unneccsary water and keep your blinds closed on hot days. All of these things will help you keep your utilities lower and help you save money.

Library card

Instead of buying every book that you like, (thanks a lot, Amazon Prime) get a library card so you can read the books for free! Yes, Libraries are still out there and they are great! How often do you go back and read the same books? Almost never.

Shop Classifieds

You can find a lot of the things you “want” or even “need” that are slightly used or in pretty good shape on the classifieds. This can help satisfy the needs you have, while not costing a fortune.

Make Goals, Budget and Keep Focused

Ultimately, if you don’t make goals, you won’t know where you are headed. If I can emphasize one thing on Flipping Pennies is that the most important thing in changing your financial situation is to set goals. Be clear, specific and outline a path to get there. Be realistic, but give yourself a reason to push you out of your comfort zone. There is great strength and confidence that comes from self-control, working hard and reaching your milestones.