Tip of the Day: Sign Up for Frequent Shopper Cards

A year or so ago I was at home shopping with my Mom, a common occurrence, when we were standing at the register and the checker asked my Mom if she had a "savings card". To my astonishment and slight embarrassment, my Mom pulled over 100 cards for various stores out of her purse and thumbed through them like a deck of cards until she found the right one. But what was more amazing than the number of cards my Mom produced from her purse, was the amount of money she saved when her card was scanned. After this experience, I insisted that my Mom get a better card organization system. She has now upgraded to 150 slot business card holder...

Although I like to travel light when I shop, that helps maximize my speed and swiftness as I zig zag through sale racks and grants me more arm space for clothing to try on, I have come to appreciate the deep savings that many of these savings cards can offer. Now I keep a small stack of them in my wallet, but also have placed many of my savings club numbers and frequent flyer accounts on my phone so they are just a few clicks away. I also keep a stack of coupons that I receive in the mail in my purse from places such as Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Banana Republic, Gap, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Also if you don't want to keep all of the coupons with you, you can leave the stack in the car. A good sale shopper lets the smell of deals lead them to their next location so it is important to be prepared at all times.

One of my favorite places that provides great frequent shopper rewards is Hallmark. In the past few months alone, I have received $15 in coupons on any regular priced items. Although buying full price items goes against my golden rule, I can be persuaded with such large coupon savings.
Gap Inc. (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta and Piperlime) also have some of the best coupons and rewards for frequent shoppers. They also have numerous double or triple point days which quickly accummulates $10 rewards. In a recession, every little bit helps!

Be sure to also sign up for frequent flyer programs with every airline you fly. These programs don't usually cost money unless you sign up for their credit card offers, which I don't suggest, but offer booking bonuses or other increased mile offers. I was at first skeptical and thought it was a waste of my time to sign up for all these programs especially since now I fly on whatever airline is the cheapest. My favorite airline by far is Midwest Airlines (they offer warm chocolate chip cookies, superior customer service, and fly to many locations in :) Wisconsin) but since moving away from one of their Midwestern hubs of Kansas City, I don't get to fly Midwest as often as I would like. With that being said, many of the different airline companies now co-share their planes and allow you to use different frequent flyer accounts when booking flights. Additionally, some airlines allow you to share your miles with family or friends for fees that are cheaper than the cost of the plane tickets. This definately makes signing up for the frequent flyer programs worth it. Just in the past week I have saved close to a $1,000 by cashing in some of my frequent flyer miles.

By using your coupons, signing up for frequent shopper cards, and enrolling in frequent flyer programs, you will free up your finances for fun and fashionable clothing purchases.
In Shopping Sale Solidarity