4 money-saving tips from an expert for the start of school

4 money-saving tips from an expert for the start of school

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  • Stores encourage signing up for a store credit card, but check your cashback credit card’s offer first.
  • Coupon portals can direct you to stores that offer rewards that you can stack with credit card rewards.
  • When you get cashback vouchers from stores, mark your calendar for when you can use them.

Sticking to a back-to-school shopping budget can be difficult, especially with the high cost of living and inflation.

If you’re looking for extra ways to save when you hit the stores this season, Andrea Woroch, a consumer and money-saving expert, shared tips on how to stack rewards (both from the stores you shop at and from a cash-back). credit card) with store coupons to double your savings. Here’s what she recommended.

1. Sign up for store rewards programs

Before you head out for back-to-school shopping, Woroch recommends signing up for a store’s rewards program.

“When you’re part of a store’s rewards program, you can earn free rewards on purchases you make, even if you don’t have a store credit card,” she says.

A big reason why stores offer these extra discounts and perks to members of their programs is because it creates customer loyalty and keeps people coming back to the store to shop.

“It’s free to sign up and you get cash back as you spend,” says Woroch.

Woroch says to save your rewards for the back-to-school season and stack them with extra coupons to get the most out of these rewards programs.

2. Use a coupon portal to find deals

In addition to coupons, you can also stack cashback rewards to cash in on your purchase by using a cashback portal like Coupon Cabin.

“You can search for coupons on these platforms by looking up a store’s name,” says Woroch. “Plus, the site also shares cash-back deals that you can take advantage of.”

3. Save store-issued cashback offers

When shopping, Woroch recommends holding on to any cash-back certificates you get at check-out, whether online or in person.

“These cash reward certificates are often eligible for purchase at a later date,” she says. “Add these dates to your calendar so you can use these bills and save money.”

“If you’re already finding items on sale and a store coupon, you can often stack those vouchers on top of those deals as well,” she says.

4. Check your credit card’s store discounts

While Woroch recommends opening a store credit card only if you shop at the retailer frequently, she says cardholders often receive bonus rewards or discounts that may not be available to other customers.

However, she says your everyday credit card may already be giving you discounts at stores you love to shop at.

“Log into your credit card portal and see if they offer any cash back or discounts at stores you like to shop at,” she says. “They might have discount codes that you can use.”

If you have a cashback credit card, Woroch recommends logging into your credit card’s shopping portal and seeing if there are any bonus cashback offers at retailers you visit. “Stack that offer with any coupons or discounts for extra savings,” she says.