We live in a fast paced world and companies trying to sell us their products are hustling to keep up with the preferences of a modern consumer base. A sale used to be advertised through the inserts in the paper, or by a commercial on the radio or television. A discount would come in the form of a coupon sent to your house, or picked up at the store the day of the event (ohmygosh, remember those??).
But the times they have a changed.
With online shopping becoming massively popular, brick and mortar stores as well as internet shops have gotten more creative and ambitious, not only with the way they get your attention, but the ways they keep you as a loyal customer. You have a billion options on where you can spend your money. Stores know this and they’re working hard to court you and keep you.
My tip of the day involves taking advantage of that fact to stretch your money further.
If there is a brand you like, a store you like, here is my tip: follow them on social media.
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are the main four I recommend, with special attention to Facebook and Instagram. In order to add to their subscriber/follower count, brands will often do social media exclusive offers. This can take the form of free shipping, a digital coupon, or a subscriber only sale.
Here’s an example. I am a person who wears shoes almost everyday, so I follow Zappos on social media. I like Zappos customer service and exchange/return policies, but I’ll admit it can be hard to find a deal. Their prices are reasonable and they do run the occasional sale, but this isn’t a situation where you can wait out the clock on a pair of sneaks you like until they get marked down 50% percent. But what are you gonna do?
Well, what I did was see a Facebook post from Zappos with an exclusive code for $25 off any order. All you had to do was click on the post and an email would be sent to you with the code.
So great, here’s $25 off, but that’s not all! Just for using the code, I got an additional “loyal customer” discount of $5. This was the code that kept on giving so. That’s 30% off! Next thing you know, I’m paying $50 for a new pair of shoes instead of $79.99.That’s $26 I saved that stays in our clothes budget and could one day make it to our Disney Fund.
As I was writing this tip, all pumped up about my new kicks, the image you see popped into my feed. Another store I love, giving me a discount on things I need. (That code, by the way, is legit, so you’re wanting to shop some Book Outlet, here’s a gift from me to you!)
So if there are brands you love, especially expensive brands, find them on your favorite social media platforms. Chances are very good you’ll start seeing the results of that customer loyalty soon.
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure