Savings Strategies

What I've learned about maximizing my savings on online purchases:

• If your bank offers a cash back debit or credit card use it. I use a cash back debit card for every online purchase and it ends up paying me back enough at the end of every month to pay for fun extras like our Netfilx and Hulu Plus accounts. I average anywhere between $8 and $20 back a the end of the month just from this one card.
• Cash back websites. I check Big Crumbs and Ebates to see if they are linked to any site that I may want to make a purchase from. Sometimes both are linked to the site but may offer different levels of cash back. Obviously, I always go with the higher amount. Some sites only offer coupons without any cash back incentives-those can be good as well, but check with coupon code sites to see if there are larger discounts available.
• Coupon Code sites can be a goldmine. I'm partial to Coupon Cabin and Retail Me Not. I always check these sites for discount codes before I begin the checkout process at online retailers.
• Free shipping with minimum purchase. Whenever possible I use the free shipping option, For example at Forever21.com it's free shipping with a minimum $50 purchase. If I'm within a few dollars of getting free shipping I often check their accessories clearance page for a low cost item-to me it makes better sense to buy a bracelet for $2 or $3 to get the cart total up to $50 and achieve FREE shipping than it does to spend $47 and then an addition $7-10 for shipping. I've also purchased wardrobe staples such as socks and underwear to get my cart up to the minimum as well. In a family of 5 someone can always use a extra package of socks or underwear.

Other resources for on and off line savings:

• A favorite site of mine is Bugdet 101. It's a complete budget resource site with sections on coupons, crafts, frugal living, diy, tips and tricks, freebies and more. The information on their site is excellent and best of all, it's free to join.
• I frequently visit More With Less Today. She's a local blogger with tons of links to deals, codes and savings both in our local area and beyond. She has a great section on getting a refund AFTER purchase. I just hate when I've already purchased something and THEN the price drops. See her list for who refunds and how to get one.