Just when I thought I heard every money saving strategy around, someone emails me fresh money saving ideas, like these strategies from Danielle Barbieri.
With all the technology of our day, including driverless cars and robotic surgery, why is it that we have to search multiple weekly ads to know if our shampoo is on sale somewhere? Or why is it so difficult to find a coupon for our favorite razor?
These are just a couple of life’s big questions we set out to answer and help solve with the creation of Pirc.com, the world’s first personalized circular. Now we can all get a “Pircular” delivered via email every week including all the sales and coupons we actually want.
But how about an easy way to remember all the other savings tips out there? We put together a little mnemonic to capture some of the biggest and best savings tips, called “S.C.O.R.E. at the Store”. Following this method should not only save you money and time, but is hopefully easy to remember too. Here are some details:
S – SALES. If there is one thing to remember for smarter shopping: buy what you need when it is on sale. Plan your meals around the weekly sales if you can and stock up on items you use all the time when on special. Sales on many items occur every 6-8 weeks, so plan accordingly and don’t forget to get a raincheck if the store is out of stock.
C – COUPONS. The best time to use a coupon is when you are buying that same item – on sale (see above). Savings can tally anywhere from 40-100% when you combine a sale and a coupon. Coupons are all around us, but the key is finding the ones you actually want. Pirc.com focuses on finding sales, and then matching them with coupons so you don’t have to.
O- OPEN. While it is good to head to the store with a list, be open to trying similar items that may be on sale. Also, keep your eyes open around the store for any unadvertised sales or last minute manager specials.
R – RETAILER BRANDS. Try the store brands. They can be up to 50% cheaper than the national brands and often contain the same ingredients. AND you don’t need any coupons. You can also return if it doesn’t meet your expectations. Just be sure to check the ingredient label, especially on drugstore-type items to compare any “active” ingredients.
E – EXPIRATION. Be sure to check expiration dates on everything, even toothpaste. Sometimes a looming expiration date is the reason an item is on sale. Buying an item you will soon have to trash is no bargain at all.
If this still sounds too complicated, just track sales on the high-value items you buy all the time (i.e., laundry detergent, moisturizers, allergy medication, etc) versus trying to get a deal on every item on your list. For example, when my contact lens solution is on sale and I have a coupon, I save $5. I use one of those a month; so multiply $5 by 12 months, and I save $60/year on that one item alone.
Danielle Barbieri is the Founder and CEO of Pirc.com and wants to make it easier to get the best value on everyday items. Give Pirc.com and S.C.O.R.E. a try, save money and time, and let’s get on with life’s other big questions. Questions, suggestions and deal tips always welcome - [email protected].
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