How to make your own discount

There are a bunch of ways to get a discount on every purchase you make.. and a lot of them take little effort. When I say I can get a discount on anything, I’m not lying! The comment I hear most from people who I say this to is that they don’t have time to coupon clip or search multiples sites online for the best deal.. so below are simple solutions for these guys!

Okay, maybe it’s a too-simple one… but “ASK!”

·         I’m notorious for a quick question in line with the cashier to say “any current promotions or deals you could offer me?” which has recently been responded to with “here’s a free small slurpee coupon on your next visit since you bought a large one” or “yeah, since you bought 3 Hallmark cards I can give you this coupon to get $5 off”. I have lots of instances where someone had something I didn’t know about that they could offer me just because I asked.

·         Asking can also include the online “chat with us now” boxes just before you place the order. It takes only a couple extra minutes to see if there is a promo code they can give you to apply for being a new customer or a frequent customer, and for me this has worked most of the time.

·         “Ask!” if you have an expired coupon, or if a deal “cannot be combined” if you can use it anyways. This has worked for me in the past for small shops or restaurants who will either give me the discount anyways or offer me something similar. A good example has been our ice cream place, where I can use a discount coupon or my normal discount card PLUS get a stamp on the stamp card that shouldn’t be applicable.

·         Simply ask at checkout if they have any discount programs.. Sometimes they will say “Oh yeah, CAA gets 10% off” or similar. I always look at the store or website to see if they have icons suggesting they take CAA or SPC discounts, but I will always ask too, just in case. In the example of ice cream place again, they have both CAA and SPC, but one is better than the other and I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t ask.

Sign up for credit/bank cards that give you points/miles/cash back.

·         Again, maybe this is too simple, but switching to a bank/credit card that rewards you is a no brainer in my opinion. I have an Air Miles mastercard and my husband has a cashback debit card.. so every time we swipe, we get a little bit extra. Basically every purchase I make gets me closer to another Air Mile, which we use for our vacations. It counts as a discount in my book!

Online shopping – search for the coupon codes!

·         When purchasing online, take the extra couple minutes to google search for a coupon/promo code. Retailmenot is a great starting point, but there are a number of sites with various codes that have worked for others. Take the few minutes to try some

·         Also, sign up for the website’s e-Newsletter. Oftentimes, first time subscribers will get a coupon code for a discount off their first order. If you are an existing email subscriber, check their last few emails to see if they sent out a promo code. If truly determined, use a new email.. I think everyone nowadays has at least 2. I haven’t checked to see if you unsubscribe and then re-sign up later if this works or if it remembers you already got a code… anyone with insight here is welcome to comment!

·         Another option is to quickly check the sites Facebook page, as sometimes they have added a tab that says “sign up here and get a code” or “enter the contest” and at the end you’ll get a code just for entering.

Use the Flipp app

·         Again, no-brainer, but for every shopping trip, check the flipp app. You never known when something you were going to buy regardless is one sale that same week somewhere else.. Price match and save a little bit of money.