This page holds all of my articles on saving money. If you want to learn all you can on how to save money then you will want to stick around and read as much as you can.

Get Rewarded For Helping People Save Money With Dealspotr!

October 2, 2015 By Kari Cullen 3 Comments

Want to get rewarded for helping people save money? Like coupon codes and deals?

Get Rewarded For Helping People Save Money With Dealspotr

Do you love to use coupon codes and coupons when you shop? Are you always looking for a deal? I found a great site that not only saves you a ton of money but also rewards you for saving other people money and sharing deals in their exclusive community.

I am happy to say that I have joined forces with Dealspotr as an Ambassador. Who is Dealspotr? They are a free coupon community whose mission is to create the world’s best couponing community by making couponing more accessible for newbies, and more rewarding for experienced couponers. To ensure a great experience for everyone on Dealspotr they recruited my help to find deal seekers who want to get rewarded for sharing deals and helping people save money!

How do they reward their members?

They reward their members by giving them points just for being helpful, and those points can be turned into Amazon gift cards. The more helpful you are to the community, the more points you’ll earn. On Dealspotr, you earn points for taking various actions that help shoppers save money. This includes posting deals, validating deals, spotting deals, completing your daily checklist, and referring new members. You can exchange your points for gift cards every time you reach a 10,000 point threshold.

If that all sounds good to you, go ahead and sign up. It’s free to sign up, and it takes only a minute. Esavingsblog readers will get 5000 bonus points for using my unique referral link here (regular members who do not sign up through my link will not get the bonus). You only need 10,000 points to grab a $10 AMAZON gift card, so if you use my link you will be half way there!

How to get your first $10 Amazon gift card:

Sign up using my referral link here. Don’t forget to confirm your email and complete your profile to get your 5000 bonus points!
After you have confirmed your email and completed your profile, go ahead and start spotting deals. Spotting deals is one of the easiest things to do to get points. If any of the deals you spot gets “hot” you will earn points!
Start posting and sharing deals. Anytime you come across a coupon code or deal, and you think it would be great to share, go to Dealspotr and post it! You will earn points for any deal or coupon code you post that is new to the community.
Refer friends. You can refer new members by sharing your referral link or referral code. Anyone who joins Dealspotr by using your link or code automatically becomes your referral, earning you instant points as well as an ongoing percentage of their points earned on Dealspotr.

Once you join go ahead and follow my page (@esavingsblog) where I post deals and coupons. It’s a great way to keep up with all the deals that I don’t have the time to post on my blog or social media accounts. It’s an all in one community where we can join up and help each other save.

Think your friends will like Dealspotr? Then share this post with them and let them know if they use my link they will get 5000 points just to get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

Sites That Give You Free Credit to Shop!

September 21, 2015 By Kari Cullen 22 Comments

How to Get Free Credits to Shop

There are a bunch of websites that give new shoppers free credits to shop and these same sites will give you more free credits to shop when you refer friends! How cool is that?

You’re getting free credits to shop and sharing these sites with your friends who also can get free money to shop so it’s a win-win.

This strategy to get free stuff may seem like a lot of work but if you have a lot of friends or family (either in real life or on social media), then you may be on your way to getting all sorts of free products from some popular websites.

Even if you don’t think you want to refer friends keep reading because a lot of the sites that I mention will give you a shopping credit just for signing up free, so stick around and save yourself some money.

Picture of a women shopping online with a text overlay that says websites that give you free credits to shop.

Sites That Give You Free Credit to Shop

PLEASE NOTE: Referral Credit and Bonuses are Subject to Change at Any Time.

I am in no way at all into pushing products on friends, and this strategy is not that, in fact, it is the opposite because you are sharing great shopping sites that are free to join and often offer shopping credits to your friends to save them money on their first purchase.

I love it when I can help other people by giving them money to shop, getting money when they do shop is just a great bonus!

Some of the best shopping sites will give shopping credits to the friends you refer and they will also give you credits to shop after your friend shops through your referral link. The best part is these sites are all free to sign up, and there is no obligation to buy.

These companies want to spread the word about their website and need your help to do so, and that is why they give out these shopping credits.

Below is a list of my favorites, I am using my referral links in the list just FYI :-).

Also, please note that referral credit program terms and amounts change often so while I will try to keep this article updated as best I can feel free to comment and let me know if a link or program is outdated and I will remove or update it!

Sites That Give You Free Stuff When You Sign up and When You Refer Friends

Here are my top referral credit sites, some of which give credits to both you and your friends:

Grove Collaborative

Refer friends and they will get a FREE Mrs. Meyer’s Gift Set and, once they sign up, you’ll get a $10 credit for each friend who joins. I love Grove because their products are natural and safe.

HOT!!! Right now you can grab a FREE 5 Piece Mrs. Meyers Gift Set when you join using my referral link! Join here.

Ruelala

New Boutiques open every day (for just a limited time) and are filled with the most sought-after brands at private sale prices. It’s free to join and you can get a $10 credit when you refer friends and they place an order.

Erincondren.com

Erin Condren sells all sorts of pretty planners, notebooks, journals, and more. Check them out and go ahead and Invite a Friend! Get a $7-$10 store credit when they purchase! Plus they get up to $10 off of their order as well so it’s great for both of you.

Thredup

ThredUP features brands you love at up to 90% off every day. thredUP is the easiest way to shop and sell high-quality secondhand clothes.

Refer your four friends and they will get $10 off their first order. You get $10 when they place their first order. Win/win!

Sign up for ThredUP. (This one changes often from a free credit to a percent off discount for your friend but gives you a credit still for the referral).

One Kings Lane

UPDATE: It appears they may have stopped their referral program but I will keep this here in case they bring it back.

One Kings Lane is your destination for top-brand & designer furniture, decor, art, gifts & vintage items up to 70% off. And there’s a $15 credit waiting for you! Plus earn $15 when your friend makes a purchase!

Use my referral link to get your $15 credit and then refer your friends for more credits to shop! Sign up for One Kings Lane.

Beyond The Rack

Beyond the Rack is a private shopping club for women and men who want designer brand apparel and accessories at prices up to 80% off retail. Get a $10 shopping credit after the friend you referred completes a purchase. Earn up to $5000!

Zulily

Zulily has some great sales that you will love. You earn a $15 shopping credit when a new member joins Zulily through your personal link and completes a purchase.

Joss&Main

Use your personal referral link to share Joss&Main and get a $20 Credit. Each time a friend joins through your link, you’ll receive credit for their first purchase.

Get free shopping credits at these websites! #shopforfree

Click To Tweet

Ok, so you signed up for the ones you like right? Some gave you free credits to start so now all you need to do is start sharing these great sites with your friends!

They are free so why not?

Get Free Credits to Shop by Referring Friends

Make sure you go to the section of the website that says something like “refer-a-friend” (make sure you are signed in). Once you get your referral link, you can share it with friends, and you will be on your way to saving a lot of money and getting free stuff.

Share your referral link on social media to get the best results or email it to friends!

I always let my friends know that I am sharing my referral link with them so that they know and I also let them know that they can do the same afterward. Remember its a WIN-WIN for both you and your friends and family.

I will keep adding to this list as I find more. Let me know in the comments any of your favorites!

MISSED ANY PART OF THE FREE STUFF SERIES? CHECK IT OUT BELOW:

Need help with budgeting and saving money? Join my email list below and get money-making and saving tips, promotions, and exclusive freebies sent right to your inbox. Sign up below!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

How to Get Free Stuff to Review, Provide Feedback, and Spread the Word About

August 3, 2015 By Kari Cullen 1 Comment

How to Get Free Stuff to Review, Provide Feedback, and Spread the Word About

This post is part of The Free Stuff Series: How to Get Free Stuff You Actually Want.

Wouldn’t you love to know how to get free stuff to review? How about getting free products or services and in return, all you need to do is provide feedback and spread the word about the product or service?

If you are the type of person who loves to tell your friends about all the great products, you find then this post is for you. If you have a lot of friends on social media or you just like writing product reviews, then this post is for you!

Businesses know word-of-mouth advertising (WOM) is powerful stuff. There are many programs that you can sign up for to spread the word about new products, and most will send you coupons so that you can try them first.

For these types of offers, you may be required to fill out a short questionnaire or survey, host a party or just tell all your friends about the product to receive the free product. While this does take a little bit of extra time, you’ll often be rewarded with some great free stuff.

Get Free Stuff to Review: Below is a list of some of my favorite businesses that use word-of-mouth advertising.

BzzAgent – Connecting people and their favorite brands since 2001, BzzAgent is the leading social marketing company. What’s that mean to you? They put products in the hands of hundreds of thousands of real consumers and help them share their opinions about them with friends and family via reviews, Facebook posts, photos, and videos, blog posts and more.

I have been a member of BzzAgent for a long time, and I have received many great products to test out (Sonicare toothbrush, Poland Spring delivery service, razors, makeup, and more) and keep in return for my feedback and sharing of the products with my friends and family.

Houseparty.com– House Party makes it easy to have a party in your home and get exclusive access to awesome products for you and your friends. They provide the fun; you provide food, your friends, and feedback and promise to have an amazing time.

I have done house parties for Bare Minerals and Arm & Hammer, and they were fun and rewarding.

Smiley360 – Joining the Smiley community gives you the opportunity to try some of today’s most popular brands, as well as discover new brands. Members can qualify for Smiley “missions” where you’ll receive a free product or experience to try.

Influenster – Influenster.com is a product discovery platform and review site that helps members find new products to try and get advice so they can make informed purchases. They help their members compare products and guide them on how products can be integrated into their life. They inspire a love for products and encourage conversation, discovery, and reviews. Influenster invites their most active and social media savvy members to participate in exclusive reward campaigns.

I’ll be adding to this list when I find more great programs, but for now, I hope you enjoy these favorites of mine and if you have any favorites be sure to share them in the comment section of this post! Want more?

Missed any part of The FREE STUFF SERIES? You can find it here:

Need help with budgeting and saving money? Join my email list below and get money-making and saving tips, promotions, and exclusive freebies sent right to your inbox. Sign up below!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here

Getting FREE Full Size Products From Your Local Drugstore

August 3, 2015 By Kari Cullen Leave a Comment

Shampoo and a towel with a text overlay that says "free stuff at your local drugstore".

This post may contain affiliate links which help me run my blog. See more about that here.

Getting FREE Full-Size Products From Your Local Drugstore

One of the strategies I am going to cover is how to get free products you use on an everyday basis, right from your local drugstore. Each week most drugstores will feature certain products for free. If you look at the sales flyer each week at your local drugstore, you will notice certain free items.

CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and others will often have free (after rewards) items each week. You can stock up on toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetics, and all sorts of stuff for free; I have not bought toothpaste and mouthwash in years using this strategy!

So why would they give away products? They are using the loss leader strategy as you learned in the first section of The Free Stuff Series. The strategy for you would be to just buy the loss leader items. Since most areas have a drugstore on every other corner you are sure to be passing one on your way to work or in your daily travels so stopping in one to grab a free item should not be a problem or waste of gas. Plus if you’re picking up a prescription or maybe some milk (usually really cheap at CVS) then it’s convenient.

How does this strategy work for you?

The first thing you want to do is have your drugstore’s reward card because that’s how you will get the free products. The reward card is free at most drugstores and fast and easy to signup.

The second thing you will want to do is to check out the weekly sales flyer either at the store or better yet use a smartphone app like Flipp to view the weekly ad right on your smartphone ahead of time. Look for your free items (I will show you examples below).

Usually, the first item you buy, you will have to pay for upfront, unless you already have accumulated some rewards.

Let’s look at how this works (it’s easy!)

First, look at your weekly drugstore ad online, in-store or in the newspaper. Look for items that will be FREE after rewards. For CVS it may say “FREE” after Extrabucks, Walgreens will say after Register Rewards or Balance Reward Points and Rite Aid will say after Plenti Rewards. You may not always see the word, “Free”; it may say something like “pay $3.99 for Crest and get $3.99 back in rewards” so look for that difference in wording.

For the $3.99 example, you would spend $3.99 plus tax upfront and get $3.99 back on your receipt as a coupon or extrabucks (for CVS) or Points/Register Rewards for Walgreens and Plenti Points for Rite Aid. Then you will go and use the $3.99 you get back from that purchase to buy another item that gives rewards back so then you will get them free.

For example, sometimes there is a limit of two on these deals. You would buy the first one and then use the $3.99 you get back in rewards to buy the second one so that you will pay nothing out of pocket but the tax on your second item. Plus you will get another $3.99 back on that item you just paid nothing for!

Take a look at the picture below of a CVS advertisement and an example of a FREE item.

This Item has a Limit of 1 as you can see from the very small print at the bottom. So you would pay $8.99 and get $8.99 back in Extrabuck rewards that can be used on anything at CVS! If you had a coupon on this item, you would pay less and then still get $8.99 back! So say you had a $2 off coupon, You would pay $6.99 and get $8.99 back! You just made money! You can keep track of what you bought and the limits at the bottom of your receipt. Remember you must scan your CVS Extracare card at the time of your purchase.

Here are two examples of what it will look like at RiteAid and Walgreens.

Rite Aid Coupon Matchup

Coupon Matchups at Rite Aid — RiteAid Flyer

This Rite Aid ad seen above shows that there is a .50 off coupon that can be loaded online to your card, you will need your free Rite Aid Plenti Rewards card and have it registered online so you can log onto your account and load the coupon. If you do not already have a card you can get a free one at the register

You can also search the coupon database to see if there are any other coupons out there. I have seen $1 off coupons plenty of times for this product.

Example:

Buy Sure or Brut deodorant
Use $1 off coupon or the .50 off one that you loaded to the card, Pay $0.75 or $1.25 now
Get 100 Plenti points back worth $1

In this example, depending on what coupon you had you would either pay 0.25 for this deodorant or get it free and make 0.25 on it! Plus there is a limit of 2 so if you had two coupons you could get two free deodorants!

You can find out more about Rite Aid Plenti Points here.

Walgreens Coupon Matchup

Example:

Buy Sure or Brut deodorant
Use $0.50 off coupon
Get 1000 points back worth $1

You can find out more about Walgreens and how their balance reward points work here.

Combine Rewards with Coupons to Get Free Stuff

I just showed you how you could actually make money by combining coupons with already free items, but now I am going to show you how to make items free by using coupons.

As you are looking through your weekly sales ad, some items might not appear free at first, but if you combine them with a store or manufacturer coupon, they will be.

For example, if the $3.99 toothpaste only gave $2.99 in rewards back, you could use a $1 off toothpaste coupon which would bring it down to $2.99 at the register, you would get $2.99 back in rewards resulting in it being free. Are you still following?? Not sure if there are coupons out for the item you want to buy? Make sure you check out the coupon database.

Instant Freebies

In some instances, you may get an instant freebie after coupons without having to use or earn any rewards or points. For example, every time you go into CVS you want to scan your card at the CVS Coupon Machine (see picture below). These coupons are CVS coupons and can be combined with manufacturer coupons to score free and discounted items.

In the example below the coupon machine prints out a coupon for $2.50 and there is a coupon for 50 cents in the paper which will make this Colgate toothpaste FREE! So nothing out of pocket!

Free Stuff at CVS — Photo Credit: CVS.COM

If all of this seems overwhelming to you or confusing, coupon bloggers make it easy for you because each week they will list what is FREE at each of these stores! I may start posting coupon matchups again in the future if my readers want them (let me know in the comments, and if I get enough interest I will post weekly Free Stuff Matchups) but until then, I will share with you some of my favorite coupon bloggers in just a bit.

Not sure what a coupon matchup is? Below is an example of a coupon matchup for CVS and how it would look on a coupon bloggers website.

In the weekly coupon matchups, it will show you the sale price, the amount of rewards you get and what coupons to use to get it for free. Some of my favorite coupon blogs are Living Rich With Coupons and Money Saving Mom who posts weekly coupons matchups, just click on the store name and you will get the coupon matchups.

You can learn more about how to shop at CVS on our CVS Shopping page. Rite Aid and Walgreens have similar reward programs, and you can find out more about them on the Walgreens and Rite Aid websites. If you want more examples from any of these retailers or if you have questions, please leave a comment on this post, and I will answer it as quickly as I can.