One good thing to come out of this economic downturn is that since more people are looking for ways to save, hot coupon sites & smartphone apps have popped up all over the place. Here are a few of my faves:

FOR EVENTS:

• Groupon.com & Twongo.com: Each day they feature something cool to do in Raleigh/Durham for around 50% off. Deals for Adventure Landing, horseback riding, restaurants, cleaning services, smoothies, mani/pedis — you name it!
• CouponDivas.com: Has grocery coupons, but I like it because it lists where Kids Eat Free!

FOR STUFF:

• RetailMeNot.com: Reliable coupon codes for online checkouts as well as printable coupons for food, apparel, drug store, etc.
• Dealcatcher.com: Deals on electronics, computers, household, clothing, games, etc. Can browse by your favorite stores like Best Buy, NewEgg, Apple, etc.

FOR GROCERIES:

• Coupons.com: Printable manufacturer’s coupons that can be used in any grocery store.

PHONE APPS:

• Pic2Shop & RedLaser: Scan a barcode on an item and see if it’s cheaper elsewhere.
• Cardstar: You’ve heard me talk about them before — put all your club card numbers into the app and cashiers can scan the barcode from your phone — you never have to carry a keyring mess again!
• CouponClipper.com: Multiple coupon offers per store or restaurant on lots of categories including food, retail, entertainment, automotive, services, beauty. Pick the coupon that gives you the best deal and the cashier can scan the barcode right off your phone!

KARA’S SHOPPING & COUPON TIPS:

• When coupons or gift cards come in the mail, immediately tear them out and put in your wallet. Or keep an envelope or small accordian file in your car so they travel with you — place them with your keys so you don’t forget to transfer them to your car next time you head out.
• Do the math. Even though you may have a coupon for a brand item, still compare the sale & generic priced items first because they may come out cheaper, even on double-coupon days.
• Ask if your store still gives a discount for buying a single item, even if it’s a bulk deal like 3/$10.
• Be careful of buying in bulk: check the price per unit now listed in the upper corner of the shelf labels to see if the bulk price is really less expensive. (Or try this iPhone app called CompareMe which will do the math for you!) Overbuying may not be cheaper in the long run and can create clutter. When is it ok to stock up? If the item’s on sale and it’s something you purchase weekly, but picture where it will live when you get it home and only stock as many as your space can hold.
• Avoid overbuying & impulse shopping by reviewing what’s in your cart before you checkout. Do you really need 3 kinds of snack chips this week or can you wait on some till next week’s trip?

So shop till you drop but save time & money doing it!