1. Pay with Cash, Not Card

Studies have shown that we are often less likely to overspend if we pay with cash. In fact, one study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied showed that consumers tend to treat credit, debit, or gift cards like “monopoly money.” It is psychologically more painful to hand over cash than a credit card. Challenge yourself to use cash whenever possible for the next 30 days and see how many purchases you change your mind about before buying.

2. Consider Your Card Payments

You might be thinking, “that’s great, but what about my online payments?”. True, there are certain times it’s incredibly inconvenient or nearly impossible to pay by something other than a credit card. That’s okay. If that’s the case, and if we’re not talking about a utility bill, take 24 hours before you make the purchase. Leave the item in your online cart and think about it. If you still think it’s a good idea 24 hours later, make the purchase. Again, see how many purchases you decide not to make in the next 30 days.

3. Cut the Extras

If you’re someone who loves going out to eat or getting a fancy coffee every morning, consider taking a break this month. Buy ingredients in bulk at the store to save money (you can freeze if you have more than you need!), and try out a new recipe. My best recipe hack is referencing Hello Fresh recipes – over 2,500 simple, quick, delicious and cheap recipes available online with picture instructions FOR FREE. Make a big batch of soup or salsa chicken or whatever sounds good to you on the weekend and use that to meal prep for the week. Not only will you save money, but you’ll save time, too!

4. Get Cash Back

For those purchases we mentioned above that have to be made with a credit card, consider harnessing the power of Checkout Saver. You’ll save some money on each purchase you make, on qualifying websites, so you can feel a little better about using your card. (Remember, no other tool saves you money with Cashback, Auto Gift Cards, and One Time Coupons)

What money saving tactics do you use after the holidays? Or did you have some pre- or during-holiday saving plans? Let us know in the comments below! 

The post 4 Ways to Save Money After the Holidays appeared first on The Checkout Saver Blog.

Anywhere you go, you can get access to the loyalty program discounts even if you aren’t a local, or if you forget your card. Simply memorize The White House phone number, and provide it when prompted.

Some programs offer pretty good discounts! Using the number, I often received high rewards like $.10/gallon shown above at a gas station in Colorado.

The primary phone number registered in the loyalty programs is 2024561414. While the phone number is valid and actually one in use by The White House, it is typically unrelated individuals who register these reward programs, using a centralized number to avoid giving their personal information.

Alternatively, try the local area code + 867-5309

2 – My second favorite money-saving hack has gotta be the Price Rewind feature from Citi. Any purchase that I make on the card can be monitored for 60 days, and if a lower price is found I automatically get the discount!

Pros – Great way to get the best deal, get cash back on money already spent! $1,000 max savings

Cons – Have to manually enter each purchase to begin the automatic 60-day price watch. $1,000 max savings

3 – Similar to 2, Paribus will scan your emails to track your purchases, and automatically initiates a price-drop safety net as well.

Cons – Privacy concern, letting an app have access to your email

4 – One-Time Coupons are my new favorite thing, and why I started Checkout Saver. It’s an amazing type of coupon which never gets any attention! Now, there is a platform to exchange these coupons for cash, and buy them when you’re checking out to save money!

5 – Discount Gift Cards. Great for saving a couple bucks at most every major online retailer. Checkout Saver also provides gift cards at checkout, cheaper than face value so you can save money, and it automatically inserts it into the page. Before, it would take a long time to get gift cards emailed to you, now it’s instantly provided when you need it at a better deal. Our browser extension will automatically alert you at checkout if a discounted gift card is available, and can charge you + autofill the gift card details into the checkout page.

6 – Honey is another tool which offers cashback and standard coupons. I love it when there isn’t anything else available, but sooo often all the coupons fail me. Checkout Saver will be filling that gap shortly, providing coupons where Honey cant. Until Checkout Saver grows, Honey will still be a close go-to of mine.

7 – Similarly, Raise.com has been the reliable gift card marketplace before Checkout Saver. A wide variety of cards are almost always available for major retailers, but sometimes the margin is so thin it’s not worth it (partially because Raise takes a 12% cut). Checkout saver will be able to offer better prices for cards, attracting more profitable arrangements for both buyers and sellers.

8 – Knowledge is really the most valuable resource, and The Penny Hoarder (TPH) puts out some fantastic content. There is an enormous variety of content available, and the majority of it they don’t attempt to monetize – meaning you get more meaningful information, faster. I’d definitely recommend checking them out to expand your financial expertise.

9 – You may already have a savings account, but is it earning you any interest? Most big banks like Chase or BoA are offering a pittance – only .01%APY. An online savings account like Marcus or from CiT could earn you 200 times more than what you’re currently earning!

10 – Track your spending! This is a must – you can’t manage what you can’t measure. I recommend Mint, which is a great source to consolidate all your accounts into one place. It provides everything you need to track your spending, and finding out where you spend your money is the first step in the journey to creating a budget.

The post Top Money Saving Hacks appeared first on The Checkout Saver Blog.