"There's An App For That"...Cartwheel Addition

Target is my favorite store. Ever. My "mothership" if you will. Give me a Target with a Starbucks in it and I can stay there all day.

When I discovered the Target "Cartwheel" App I was ecstatic! Saving money on top of store and manufacturer coupons is amazing! It's easy to use and will even tell you how much you've saved using the app (I recently realized that your savings calculator zeros out at the beginning of the year...oh well.). You just select the products you plan to purchase and have them scan the barcode on your phone at the register to apply the discounts.

If you are using coupons in addition to the app, the sales associate will need to scan all of your coupons first because Cartwheel will take the percentage off the lowest price on the register. So have your coupons ready first.

Depending on the item, you can usually use the same offer multiple times, even on the same transaction. Check the find print on the offer for the details!

I have scored some MAJOR savings by using a Cartwheel offer, a target store coupon, and a manufacturer coupon on the same item. I've also noticed that Target will usually have items they feature on Cartwheel on sale already. An even nicer gift from the store!

I really have nothing but awesome things to say about the Cartwheel app. It's free and can be combined with savings with your Target Red Card (5% off with either their credit card offer, or by linking your existing checking account...also free!).

My fellow Target addicts...you must Must MUST try this app!

Target is not compensating me for this post. All opinions, comments, and spending are my own ;) 

"There's An App For That"...Shopkick Addition

It's seems like there is an app for everything these days. And to my delight there are a ton that help with budgeting, meal prep, saving, rebates, and freebies!

I want to share a few apps with you that I've tried. Some I like. Some I love. Some I've deleted. Not everything works the same for every person. But some of these are no brainers and definitely worth a try! Today's post features Shopkick, a personal favorite. I hope you enjoy!

I heard about Shopkick through my neighbor. A few days later I was in my "money saving brainstorming mode" and decided to look into it. It works based on a point system that they call "kicks". You can get kicks by walking into select stores, scanning products with your smartphone from brands they are featuring, or purchasing items. All three methods work and you can use all three if they are available. Once you collect enough kicks, you can redeem them for gift cards to some of your favorite stores--Target, Starbucks, Walmart, even GameStop. It's completely free and there is no funny business.

I quickly became a "kick addict" and found myself going to stores just to collect my kicks. I was determined to get a $25 gift card to Target...and in a hurry. You need 6,250 kicks for that amount, so I made it my business to get scanning!

I got lucky and was able to redeem a few thousand points for a friend's laptop purchase at Best Buy (thanks, friend!). I also got 2,000 kicks for successfully getting three friends to join. The rest I got from walking into stores and scanning things. After only two weeks I accomplished my goal and got enough kicks to get my gift card!

Needless to say, I'm hooked :) Get out your phone and download the free Shopkick app! I promise you won't be sorry!

I am not being paid by Shopkick for this post. All opinions and comments are my own.