Saving money without cutting back a bit

[disneysteve]

I've talked about this before but thought I'd mention it again. I've found a great way to save money on many common purchases without having to cut back at all on what we buy. There are two sites that sell gift cards at discounted prices. They are giftcards.com and cardpool.com. I have used both of them and they are legit.

Some examples:
Home Depot 9% off
Best Buy 5.5% off
CVS 10% off
Starbucks 10% off
Target 4% off
Michael's 21% off
AMC Theaters 15% off

Before buying, be sure to check both sites. They carry a lot of the same cards but don't necessarily offer the same discount. If there are stores or restaurants on the list that you go to regularly, the savings can really become pretty significant over time. We don't use it as much as we could. I really need to get better about ordering cards regularly. My wife shops at Target constantly, for instance. We never got their Red card for the 5% discount but 4% is close enough and would save a bundle.

[disneysteve]

You can buy gift cards on ebay, and I have several times, but they often end up selling for a smaller discount than these sites sell for and you aren't taking any chances from dealing with private sellers this way.

[sblatner]

Thanks Steve...I have bookmarked the sites. Might make good Christmas presents for our teenagers.

[klarose]

This is so cool! I'll have to make sure to remember these and buy gift cards next time I want to go out on a dinner date.

Thanks!

Great for gifts too!

[disneysteve]

I ordered a Jo-Ann Fabrics card and a Target card today. About $100 each so I saved about $14.

You will notice that cards are often odd amounts so it can be a little awkward for gifts but you can also find ones that are even amounts. The cards they sell are ones they openly buy from people who don't want them which explains the amounts. Often I think they are store credits people got for returning purchases.

If you are able to buy higher value cards, ebay is often the better option as those tend to go for bigger discounts. I've gotten Jo-Ann cards (10% off at CardPool) for 17% off on ebay but only when I bought a $300 card.

[ProjectDebtRelief]

I have a Target card and use it religiously for the 5% off per transaction. They also generate coupons based on past purchases which means if your family buys a lot of the same items/products repeatedly, you will get a lot of coupons for those exact things. While we have a budget, we eat at home a lot and do not skimp on what we want for the most part so it's great to have coupons for the items we already buy.

You can also go to manufacturer websites for specific coupons for items.

[disneysteve]

I have a Target card and use it religiously for the 5% off per transaction.

That's good if you want another card. I thought about getting one of those but never did. With gift cards, I can save 4% on the card plus I charge the card purchase to my rewards credit card so I essentially end up with 5% anyway.

[Thrif-t]

Steve if you go to http://www.giftcardgranny.com/ you will see a culmination of all gift cards for sale on all sites. There are more sites that sell gift cards than the two you've mentioned. I buy from whatever site has free shipping and is selling at the biggest discount.

Another trick, as Steve mentioned, you have to be careful giving these cards as gifts because, 1 the amount may be odd and 2, the gift card front may be a holiday or certain picture (think getting a Christmas scene for a spring present). I've found that I can take the card to the store swap it out for a scene I want and even add more money to it to bring it up to an even amount.

[creditcardfree]

I ordered from cardpool.com before with great results. I ordered an electronic version, could only be used online, NOT in stores. Make sure you read the fine print on each site about the rules for the type of card you are requesting. The electronic card arrived within minutes in my email, so very quick to check before purchasing something online.

[Blessed]

What a great ideas!

[Zedon]

If you opt for the code instead of the card do you get it right away?

[1/7Suicide]

Holy cow thank you! These combined with coupons and cash back programs for certain places will really go a long way to minimize expenses!

[disneysteve]

If anyone is interested, cardpool is currently offering $5 off your first purchase with a referral. Just PM me for info.

[disneysteve]

Just bumping up this thread for anyone who hasn't seen it (or forgot about it). I continue to use carpool.com and giftcards.com regularly. I ordered a card today as a matter of fact. I need a new pair of running shoes. Dick's Sporting Goods cards are 21% off face value. That's a substantial savings, especially on a $160 purchase. I'll probably pick up a new shirt and running shorts while I'm there too so I'm going to buy a couple hundred worth of gift cards. I'll save almost $34 on the shoes alone.

Edited to add:
In case anyone thinks that this is a waste since Dick's always has good coupons, like money or % off your purchase, those coupons have a long list of excluded products and the shoes I'm buying are on the excluded list so the coupons don't apply. This is the best way to save.

[moneybags]

Edited to add:
In case anyone thinks that this is a waste since Dick's always has good coupons, like money or % off your purchase, those coupons have a long list of excluded products and the shoes I'm buying are on the excluded list so the coupons don't apply. This is the best way to save.

If you bought something that you could use a coupon for, you'd have even more savings. It's not an either or situation. I'd say use both if you have the option.