One of the things I mention frequently is to "sign up for e-mails" but who wants their inbox clogged with all of the offers that come with signing up? One tip I'd recommend is signing up for a separate email account just for your discounts or store emails. This keeps it separate from your personal email and makes organizing a bit easier! I never delete these emails too because you never know when they might come in handy!!
After I wrote my original post I had a few suggestions and of course I laid in bed all night and thought of all the other things I should have included in my original post... I did make some edits and am now putting together part 2!
Carters - I LOVE Carter's!! Before I had George I had NO idea that this little gem ever existed and now I'm pretty much there every week. Yes, there. Carter's rarely has deals on shipping and I am not a fan of paying for it. Another perk of shopping in store is that you get a $10 coupon to use on a future purchase (it starts the next day) when you spend $50 after coupons. The nice thing is when you go to use the $10, you don't have to make a minimum purchase! Carter's always sends coupons and they are typically 15% off any purchase or 20% off $40 or more. They are also constantly running sales on all items in the store. Sometimes those coupons do not work on clearance and I rarely find that the clearance is a huge savings (occasionally you will find a great steal in there though!). The other thing I really love about Carter's is their sales people. (Or maybe this is just the Woodbury, MN folks). They totally get the coupon thing! You can't use the $10 off coupon AND the % off coupon in the same transaction. So they will split them out for you to get the best deal (but you have to do 2 transactions). Oshkosh and Carter's are owned by the same company, so you will often see them paired together in stores and online. The Oshkosh clothes don't fit G as well, but keep that in mind when you're looking at coupons/deals!
Nordstroms - I am a totally rookie with Nordstrom's and I'm not sure how I didn't catch on to this one sooner!! First of all if you shop the store, the sales people can definitely make or break your shopping trip! I met the greatest gal Rachel at the Mall of America store and she was a hero! I had been eyeing a certain pair of boots and she tracked them down and had them shipped to me - FREE! So keep that in mind. If you want something, and it's sold out online, check the store and have them check and see if they can find it for you. Also, Nordstrom's has both a credit and debit card. I love this for the simple fact that I am not a huge credit card person. They have a perks program that you earn points/rewards for every dollar you spend. When you first open the card, if you spend $100 on the first day you get $20 rewards sent to you, so 20% off your first purchase is pretty great, right? Also, they have an AMAZING Anniversary sale and you can score some HUGE deals. The perk of having a credit/debit card is that you get early access!! (Think Black Friday sort of deals and Black Friday sort of madness for this sale!).
Kohls - First and foremost, I do not have a Kohl's Credit Card - but I know they offer some seriously good deals if you do! Very often Kohl's card members get 30% off their purchases. However, Kohl's also sends coupons via email and via text. I think my most recent one was for 30% off for friends/family. The other great thing about Kohl's is they do Kohl's cash. You earn $10 for every $50 you purchase to be used later. They are also launching a new rewards program called Yes2You rewards. You earn 1 point for every $1 spent. Each time you reach 100 points, you earn a $5 reward. This works through the Kohl's App. It just rolled out in the last few weeks and since I don't shop at Kohls often, I haven't tried it. I would love to hear your feedback if you have? One other great thing about Kohls is you can score some GREAT deals on their sales and clearance. I like to stock up on my holiday decor for the next year when they mark it down after the holiday has passed. Kohl's coupons are one of the best I would have to say. They don't limit what you can buy with your coupons (like other stores.. ahem, Macys and Herbergers!). Anything I'm missing Kohl's shoppers??
Anthropologie - Another one of those stores I just adore but rarely get to shop at! My favorite are their latte bowls! I bought the mini ones and the colors are so bright and fun. One thing I learned is that you can score decent discounts if you subscribe to their emails. You will get emails % discounts and you can also get discount in your birthday month as well. Rarely but occasionally they do offer free shipping. If you're an Anthro junkie it's never a bad idea to sign up for those emails!
The Limited: This store is one of my past favorites. I honestly do not shop here as much anymore because I don't have to dress up for work. But this is another store where I would NEVER pay full price. Actually right now they are offering 50% off all their full price items online with the code SAVE50, it looks like it might end today though!
Home Stores:
I adore Pottery Barn, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma! I wish I my house looked just like their magazines! Ahh.. a girl can dream right?
Pottery Barn/Pottery Barn Kids/Pottery Barn Baby: One thing I learned about these stores is that they are INDEPENDENT of one another. So if you want to buy something on PB and PB kids it's a separate transaction and you need a separate login account for each one. Their coupons do not reciprocate either. This is another one where I would recommend you sign up for their emails and catalogs. Often you will get a 10 or 15% off coupon just for signing up and then about once a month you will get a discount coupon as well. It's rare that they offer Free Shipping and a discount code at the same time, but if they do, definitely take advantage! Their shipping can be excessive at times so Free Shipping can be a good savings. They base their shipping on the cost of the items not based on the type of item or size. Make sense? They also track you via cookies. So if you click on an item, you might receive an email a few days later saying, "hey! we noticed you looking at a butter dish... we still have it!" or if it's something that was out of stock, they may send you a notice that it's back in stock. Also, if you put stuff in your basket, often they will send you reminders (and potentially a discount code too? - rare, but it has happened.)
West Elm and Williams Sonoma - both are owned by the same company as Pottery Barn. I don't see too many deals come out for either of these. I just love their stuff! However, I stopped into a Williams-Sonoma and was greeted with a 20% off 1 item coupon deal! So if you're out shopping it never hurts to ask or actually engage the sales people and talk about upcoming deals or ongoing specials. Sometimes they will tip you off!
Crate and Barrel - Although this store is a bit far from me I do like some of the things they offer! Most of my kitchen towels are from CB. They also provide a discount when you sign up for their emails 10% off and occasionally send discount codes with their magazines.
Pier 1 - One of my all time favorites! They rotate their promotions throughout the year. If you "like" them on Facebook they do "Daily Dealies" where you can score some great deals. Sometimes it's on specific items, sometimes its 20% off your purchase or 1 item, etc. Also, they too send out emails and magazines that contain discounts as well. I prefer to shop in store vs online for Pier only because of the shipping factor. Also I find that their deals instore are sometimes better. Example: Halloween Decor is 20% off online, but is 25% off in store. Now, I do like the idea of brick and mortar because I'm old fashioned that way. But I don't recommend using half a tank of gas to save $5.95 on shipping :)
Misc Ways to Save:
Just a few other things to note. Some stores like Joann Fabrics and Michael's Accept competitor coupons. So it never hurts to ask. Buy Buy Baby usually offers 20% off 1 item or $5 off a $15 purchase if you sign up for their text club: OFFER1 to 42229. The only thing I would say is do this BEFORE going to the store (like a few days before) because it's not an instant coupon.
Also, I work for a large company who offers discounts through many options. Some are local discounts, national discounts and some you can earn points and perks by shopping through their links. Always check with your company to see what benefits you have. I receive 23% off my phone bill through Verizon because of where I work and also only pay $29 a month for my gym membership at Snap. They offer discounts on Apple and other brands as well.
Apple offers both business discounts and education discounts. You can scroll to the bottom of their site or click here for their Education Site. If you have children this is an execellent way to save a few dollars if you are ordering apple products. Sometimes they are not discounted; so compare sites if you are making a major purchase. You do have to input what school you or your child goes to in order to qualify.
Sign up for loyalty points or cards wherever you go. They will help you save on things like gas and other perks. I have a loyalty card for Papa Murphys. Buy 12 pizzas and get 1 free. They will even stamp your card for the $5 Faves. Tell me you know about the $5 Faves, right? $5 for a large pepperoni, sausage or cheese pizza. Sometimes it's Mon-Weds and sometimes its all week. Just ask! They also have a text club where you get coupons and free things, like cookie dough. Who doesn't love free?!
I know this is a lengthy post - please simply use it as a reference guide. Again, I am not paid for my post, I just simply love saving myself and other people money. If you have any suggestions, questions, or want help finding a good deal, let me know and I can definitely try to help!!
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