How to Save Hundreds of Dollars This Holiday Season (My Favorite Tricks)
Don’t let holiday spending cause you stress anymore! It’s the holidays…you should feel jolly!!! Here are my surefire tips to put cash back in your wallet (and still get what you want). I’ve utilized these tricks throughout the year, especially, during this holiday season.
EARN CASH BACK WITH EBATES
Personal Trainer Wisdom: My friend Allison introduced Ebates to me last holiday and shopping has never been the same. The concept: You’ll receive a check for shopping at online retailers you normally would anyway. Of course, I met her suggestion with much skepticism. Within three months, though, I received over $300 and haven’t questioned it since. Ebates.com has partnered with popular retailers including Target, Amazon, Dell, and many more. Target, Amazon, Dell, and much more offer you a percentage payback for whatever purchase you make. Although the return is typically 1-5%, most retailers double their offer during holidays. Dell, Barnes and Noble, Barney’s New York, The Container Store, Coach, Under Armor, and Shoes.com are offering 12% off! Last year, my wife and I purchased a television on Dell for a retail value of $1000. Luckily, Dell offered 10% Ebate and another 10% with Dell financing (saving me $200). You can also receive $10 in your account when someone sends you a referral code....more free money. My referral code is https://www.ebates.com/r/MICHAE50039?eeid=28187. Trust me…this is real.
HONEY FINDS COUPON CODES FOR YOU
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Honey is another excellent web browser extension built to save you money. At one time, I scoured the internet for coupon codes (thank you, Retail Me Not, for your years of service). No longer! After you create your account on https://www.joinhoney.com/ and download the extension, begin shopping! As you checkout, click on the Honey extension. She will scour the internet for you and automatically apply the best coupon codes. Recently, I purchased a computer from Lenovo and saved $50 with a Honey code (and I also received $50 in cash back from Ebates for a total of $100 off). Crazy enough, Honey is most compatible with Amazon. You can check Honey for a lower price without visiting the checkout. Just click on the button next to the price!
BOOK FLEXIBLE TRAVEL USING GOOGLE FLIGHTS
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Even though you have a travel destination in mind, would you be willing to fly to a nearby city or somewhere else on the exact dates to save hundreds of dollars? Absolutely! With Google Flights, you can find cheaper roundtrip flights based on proximity using their interactive map. After you input your desired dates, click on the map. You’ll notice the lowest roundtrip fares for any city worldwide based on your selection. A few years ago, we tested this tip while looking for flights to Spain. We found spring airfare to Barcelona for $1300. After reviewing the map, we purchased $500 roundtrip tickets to Dublin, Ireland instead! Not only did we see another world city on our trip, but we also saved nearly 37% on total airfare (we booked another flight to Barcelona a few days later after our arrival for $320 apiece). We saw Ireland and Spain for only $820 roundtrip!! Keep in mind that your flexibility will determine your discount success. Good luck!
USE YOUR DISCOVER CREDIT CARD ON AMAZON PRIME
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Although you typically receive a 2% return on your rewards credit cards, Discover now offers a 5% return on all Amazon purchases this holiday season. It's time to stock up on everything you typically purchase throughout the year for a fraction of the price (primarily if you use this discount with Honey). Link your Discover Card to your Amazon Prime account today!
TRADE MILEAGE FOR SERVICES (AND SAVE NEARLY 85%)
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Many rewards credit cards offer an introductory benefit of 50-80,000 miles/points for signing up (usually for only a $95 annual fee). Why not barter these relatively free miles with your service provider? I value 60,000 miles as $1200 (the cost of a European trip in economy class). If you transfer the miles to me as a credit for $1200 of personal training services, you’ll save nearly $1000. The only costs to you are the annual fee for the credit card and the $100 fee for transferring the miles. Worst-case scenario? Your service provider says no. It's worth trying, though!
Photo Credit:
Halfpoint–What savings can you unravel this holiday season?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!
