8 Ways to Keep Money-Related Stress From Ruining Your Holidays

When you think of the holidays, what comes to mind?

You’ll probably recall memories of family, heartwarming food, twinkling lights, shiny presents and… panic-inducing stress.

The last one doesn’t usually appear in the photo album, but you know how real it is. Throw a tight budget, frantic travel plans and loads of people you only talk to once a year all in one pot, and you’ve got a recipe for serious anxiety.

More than 60% of people say their stress level increases over the holidays, according to Healthline.

The biggest culprit? Money. More than half of people are stressed about money during the holidays, according to a 2016 survey from Experian. In the same survey, 56% of people said they spend too much during the holidays.

We understand — this time of year comes with a lot of added expenses.

Here are some tips to reduce holiday stress caused by financial woes as Christmas draws near:

1. Organize a Secret Santa

Skip the stress of figuring out what to buy everyone in your extended family and how you’ll possibly afford it. Instead, organize a gift exchange.

Set up rules and pick a comfortable price range for everyone. For example, on one side of my family, we do a Secret Santa exchange among the adults for $50 gift cards. On the other side, everyone brings one gift worth about $25 for a white elephant exchange.

These systems allow us to have a little something under the tree at Christmas and to give something to other family members — without spending a fortune!

The guidelines eliminate the stress and politics among family members with different budgets and priorities.

2. Give up the Gift Exchange

The holidays are a wonderful time to see and appreciate all the people you love.

But once you start running the numbers, you might wish you didn’t love quite so many people.

Outside of your kids, nieces, nephews, parents, spouse, cousins, aunts and uncles… you also have circles of friends, co-workers, clients, the mail carrier, your doorman, the kids’ teachers…

Your shopping list can get overwhelming pretty quickly.

Guess what? So is everyone else’s.

Don’t be afraid to be the one in the office to suggest a “no-presents” policy, or suggest a dinner with friends instead of a gift exchange.

Friends and co-workers are probably just as stressed as you, wondering where to find the money for all these gifts. Most will probably thank you for bringing it up.

When everyone is on the same page, you can skip the expense of extra presents without the stress of feeling like a jerk.

3. Or Just Make All Your Gifts

Instead of pressuring a group to spend money on gifts, only exchange handmade items.

This can be a fun way for everyone to contribute their unique talents to the group. Your resident baker can bring treats for everyone, the painter can make personalized paintings, the writer can write everyone a poem, etc.

Even if you don’t have an agreement with everyone, you can still save money with this extensive list of gift ideas that won’t break your bank.

As long as you can create something the people on your list will actually want, your gift could come with real value and be one of a kind.

4. Organize a Potluck

Do you usually make the holiday meal for everyone?

Relieve the pressure and save yourself tons of money by organizing a potluck.

To reduce stress and cost, don’t just ask everyone to bring “whatever.” Make sure all the major dishes and/or courses are assigned. Otherwise, you’ll end up cooking too much to make sure the basics are there.

Get invites and information out early to make time to adjust assignments for everyone’s interests and availability.

If everyone attending your party has an account, a Facebook event can help you coordinate without a string of emails where information is easily lost.

Watch your budget on whatever you make for dinner, too. Plan ahead by checking your grocery store’s weekly ads to see where you can save money, then follow our tips for how to save on groceries to make sure you get the most out of your holiday food shopping.

5. Save Money on Kids’ Gifts

For kids, half the Christmas fun is having a bunch of boxes under the tree to unwrap. But piling presents under the tree can get pricy!

Fill in some of the extras with low-cost items the kids will still love.

If you shop for the adults on your list at the dollar store or thrift shop, you’d probably wind up gifting a bunch of junk nobody can use. Kids’ toys, however, can come cheap without losing their usefulness.

The toddlers in my family are among my favorite to buy gifts for — their tastes are pretty simple.

Thrift stores are great for fun dress-up clothes for kids. I had an amazing old prom dress when I was young! I also found small items like plastic jewelry and play makeup at Dollar General one year that my niece still loves.

Be selective with where you cut costs on kids’ gifts, though. If they’re asking specifically for a set of Shopkins toys, don’t stick a cheap knockoff under the tree. It’s not the same, and they’ll tell you!

Generic toys like dress-up clothes, balls and coloring books, however, don’t have to be Frozen-branded to be fun.

6. Create a Shopping List and Plan Ahead

Some of the greatest financial stress around the holidays comes from unexpected expenses, says Experian. Curb this by planning ahead.

We’ve created a simple holiday budgeting worksheet to help you keep track of your holiday shopping lists and expenses.

In addition to your gift budget, look ahead to increased day-to-day expenses in the weeks surrounding Christmas.

Will you spend more on gas for added trips to the mall, grocery store and events? Do you want to buy a new dress for holiday parties? Will you buy stamps to send out Christmas cards?

These hidden, small expenses can quietly eat away at your wallet if you’re not paying attention. Look ahead, and figure out how you can stretch your money for more than just presents.

7. Avoid Last-Minute Shopping

Yes, well-planned late-season shopping can help you save money, as you’ll often find better deals closer to Christmas than on big shopping days like Black Friday.

But last-minute shopping because you didn’t plan ahead is just an expensive (and avoidable) ball of stress you don’t need.

Once you’ve created your list (see above), stagger your shopping over the next week or so to avoid draining your bank account in one blow.

Starting now will also help you avoid two major stressors: out-of-stock items and exorbitant rush shipping rates, if you’re shopping online.

8. Reduce Travel Stress

Regardless of the time of year, traveling is stressful for a lot of people — especially if you don’t do it often.

Add a car full of kids, family awaiting your arrival and the potential snowstorm, and the holidays really turn it up a notch.

If you’re still waiting to book your holiday flights, prices are likely getting higher by the day.

If you have no choice but to wait to book your holiday flights, check out the Christmas and New Year’s calendar from CheapAir.com to book on the best day.

When I’m traveling — flying or driving — one of the biggest stressors is finding food. You seem to have to choose among going hungry, eating terrible food or spending a ton of money.

Unless you plan ahead!

You may not be able to take beverages through security at the airport, but you can pack your own food. Throw in a few packets of powdered flavoring to add to your water bottle, and you’ll save money on soda.

If you’re driving, make coffee and breakfast at home. Pack snacks to avoid spending money at the convenience store.

‘Tis the Season for Cheer, Not Holiday Stress

Above all, remind yourself you’re supposed to be celebrating! Most of the joys of the holidays are totally free.

Prioritize time with friends and family. Enjoy the little things like a fresh snowfall and ice skating. Take in the lights and the parades.

If it’s stressing you out, it’s probably not worth your time — or money.

Dana Sitar (dana@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer/newsletter editor at The Penny Hoarder. Say hi and tell her a good joke on Twitter @danasitar.

 

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Watt a voice for diabetes advocacy

CRESCO — Lorynn Watt never wanted attention for her diabetes advocacy, but when a 17-year-old lobbies for a cause in front of the United States Senate, it becomes hard to ignore.Representative Maureen Madden recently recognized Watt for her exhaustive work in the fields of diabetes awareness and advocacy in a ceremony at Watt’s school.“I never did any of this for recognition, I did it because I was passionate about it. To get recognition is really nice but [...]

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An Easy Guide for Anyone Who’s Still Wondering How the Heck Bitcoin Works

Bitcoin: a confusing, controversial currency whose name has made the rounds across the internet in the past few years. Today, it’s as popular as ever and is booming in price, although prices are highly volatile. Just this week, bitcoin reached a peak value of $11,377.33 on Nov. 29, then lost over a fifth of its value the next day.

Many, though, are still unclear about what its purpose is. What can digital currency buy, what gives it such high value, and how does its price shoot up so high all of the time?

What Is Bitcoin, and What’s All the Buzz About?

Bitcoin is a digital currency created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group under the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. The creator(s) capped its circulation at 21 million bitcoins when they introduced the currency. At the time of this writing, approximately 16.7 million bitcoins were in circulation, according to bitcoinblockhalf.com.

Bitcoin is completely digital, so there’s no such thing as a physical bitcoin you can hand to your BFF after they spot you during your lunch date.

Wait. So it’s internet money?

That’s one way to think of it. You can send bitcoin electronically and transfer it to anyone around the world. Its network doesn’t exist on the internet you and I use in day-to-day life, but yes, it is bought, sold and transferred via a computer network.  

OK, but how?

Here’s where it gets confusing. Bitcoin is sent through a network, named… bitcoin. How original, right? Your credit card transactions might be sent through a payment network such as American Express or Mastercard. In bitcoin‘s case, payments are sent through the bitcoin network.

This network is decentralized, which means no single person or company runs it — computers do, and volunteers maintain it.

This differs from traditional currencies, which are regulated by a central bank, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve. These banks have the ability to print or withdraw money based on market fluctuations to keep it steady.

Then where does it come from?

New bitcoins are created through a process called mining, and anyone with a strong enough computer can become a miner. During this process, bitcoin miners are the resources that help verify bitcoin transactions between users all around the world.

The network cuts the amount of bitcoins generated in half about every four years. At this rate, all 21 million bitcoins will have been mined by around 2140.

If bitcoin isn’t regulated, then who is keeping track of its exchanges?

Each bitcoin transaction is associated with data; the bitcoin network then combines the data of multiple transactions to create a puzzle.

Bitcoin transfers are stored on the bitcoin network in a giant public database known as a blockchain. Think of the blockchain as a giant book of public records. To create the chain, someone has to put the blocks together — which is where miners come in.

Miners use sophisticated computer hardware and software to solve these puzzles, The Washington Post explains. By doing so, miners verify the data and make sure specific funds aren’t spent twice.

After verifying a block of transactions, the miner currently receives a reward of 12.5 bitcoins, which was worth more than $132,000 as of Dec. 1.

The reward for mining a block is cut in half for every 210,000 blocks mined, or about once every four years. It dropped from 25 bitcoins to the current 12.5 bitcoins in 2016; it’s expected to be cut in half again to 6.25 bitcoins in 2020.

Since the bitcoin network isn’t regulated, isn’t it vulnerable to hackers?

Since there are people who help maintain the network — the miners, remember? —  this means they could just alter it to give them more bitcoin… right? Actually, It’s highly unlikely; the computers would recognize the change and would in all likelihood ignore it. The network is open source with a ton of developers working to improve its code and monitor changes. To date, bitcoin has never been hacked. Experts agree that’s unlikely in the short term, although that doesn’t mean it can never happen.

Makes sense. But what gives bitcoin its value?

People bid on bitcoin exchanges every day. Its price fluctuates with the number of people who bid on it. The higher the demand for bitcoin, the higher its price and perceived value. But skeptics say the fact that its value is dependent upon how many people want to buy it, and nothing tangible backing it up, is where the digital currency fails. More on that later!

How do you buy bitcoin?

You can easily buy bitcoin through platforms such as Coinbase. These platforms also act as digital wallets where you can store your bitcoin.

Coinbase allows you to purchase and exchange bitcoin with your bank account or credit card. It also converts bitcoin into your local currency and claims to keep it secure.  

Why People Care So Much About Bitcoin

You can use bitcoin to purchase things anonymously, reducing the risk hackers will get access to your sensitive information. Credit or debit cards, by comparison, are usually linked to bank accounts, Social Security numbers and more.

This anonymity also makes it criminals’ payment method of choice for everything from ransom to purchasing drugs on the darknet. That said, these criminal activities make up just a small percentage of all bitcoin transactions, The New York Times reports.

Bitcoin is commonly used to save money without it losing value in countries with high inflation, like Argentina and Venezuela. It’s also popular for international money transfers, which are nearly instant.

Bitcoin exchanges are also nearly instant and usually carry fees of around 0.25%, whereas money transfers via banks take time to process and come with higher service fees.  

Is There a Bitcoin ‘Bubble’?

The price of bitcoin is soaring. But does that mean we should all ditch our dollar bills and invest now?

Some people, such as famed investor Warren Buffett, argue against it saying there’s a “bitcoin bubble” that will eventually burst.

This “bubble” refers to people buying more and more bitcoin, betting its price will continue to increase. However, skeptics like Buffet say the burst will come when daily bidding and exchanges slow, which will drop its price significantly.

Buffett says Bitcoin isn’t a “value-producing asset,” meaning there isn’t anything tangible backing it. People only buy it because its price keeps increasing, and they want a piece of the pie when they cash out. It isn’t creating earnings or generating steady returns. The prices constantly fluctuate, meaning someone could lose their entire investment at any moment.

A small bitcoin bubble burst in 2013, when bitcoin prices dropped from $1,150 to under $500,

The Independent reports.

Bitcoin enthusiasts, however, argue that major fluctuations are normal for any developing system. Michael Rauchs, a cryptocurrency and blockchain expert at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, told The Independent that he “would put it in the same category of revolutionary new technologies like the internet.”

“World-changing systems tend to be accompanied by bubbles in their early stages,” he said. “What’s happening now is completely normal.”

As with any investment, there is a risk –– so deciding whether to invest or not is a personal choice.

Kelly Anne Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.

This article contains general information and explains options you may have, but it is not intended to be investment advice or a personal recommendation. We can’t personalize articles for our readers, so your situation may vary from the one discussed here. Please seek a licensed professional for tax advice, legal advice, financial planning advice or investment advice.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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7 National Cookie Day Deals to Help You Embrace Your Inner Cookie Monster

Hey, you! Yeah, you. Ready for the best news of your day?

Unless someone is proposing to you tonight, or that meeting with your boss is about you finally getting a raise, here it is:

This Monday Is National Cookie Day!

That’s right. Monday, Dec. 4 is National Cookie Day.

That means free cookies — and a better Monday!

Wanna score your free sugar fix? Here’s where you can get ‘em while they’re hot — or take them home and microwave them.

1. Mrs. Fields

This Monday, Mrs. Fields isn’t just celebrating National Cookie Day — it’s also celebrating its 40th anniversary!

To help spread the joy, the first 400 customers to stop by each Mrs. Fields location on Monday, Dec. 4 will get a free regular-sized chocolate chip cookie.

2. Insomnia Cookies

College students, rejoice! Your favorite late-night indulgence will get you a free traditional cookie with any purchase this Monday!

That’s right, you get to choose between M&M, sugar, double chocolate chunk, double chocolate mint cookies and many more for this sweet freebie.

So make plans to hit up one of the 123 Insomnia Cookie locations on Monday to get your freebie. Online orders are excluded from this deal.

3. Great American Cookies

Great American Cookies will offer a free regular chocolate chip cookie to each customer on Monday, Dec. 4, but only at participating locations.

Before heading out, make sure to give the location nearest you a call to make sure it’s participating in this event.

4. Hot Box Cookies

Hot Box Cookies will give you a free cookie on Monday when your share its post on social media.

Just look for Hot Box Cookies’ National Cookie Day post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram on Monday and share it. Then head to your nearest Hot Box Cookies location and present the shared post to receive your freebie.

5. Whole Foods

It’s not quite free, but what did you expect from this Gucci-level grocer?

Free or not, at least you don’t have to wait until National Cookie Day to get this deal. Just drop by your nearest Whole Foods between Dec.1-4 to enjoy 50% off at the cookie bar.

6. Penn Station East Coast Subs

Penn Station will celebrate National Cookie Day by offering customers a free chocolate chunk cookie bite with any sandwich purchase. So head on over to your local Penn Station location to enjoy lunch or dinner, and dessert is on the house!

7. ROCS Local Markets and Subways

If you live near one of these West Virginia-based convenience stores, you can snag a free cookie on Dec. 4.

The catch? You have to prove you’re really in the holiday spirit. You’ll have to sing a slightly altered version of “Jingle Bell Rock” at the register. Cookies are totally worth the slight embarrassment, though, right?

Now that you know where to score some free — or nearly free — cookies on National Cookie Day, get ready to have the best Monday ever!

Jamie Cattanach’s writing has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.

Kelly Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. She contributed to this post.

Jessica Gray is an editorial assistant at The Penny Hoarder and is a huge fan of Cookie Monster — and free cookies, of course. She contributed to this post.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Beyond Bitcoin: What’s the Next Big Cryptocurrency?

Bitcoin's price of more than $10,000 a coin has gotten everyone excited, but some financial experts are putting their money on another cryptocurrency.

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Top Republican Claims Enough Votes for Senate OK of Tax Bill

Senate Republicans steamed toward passage of a $1.4 trillion tax bill Friday, overcoming eleventh-hour hitches in their drive to deliver a major legislative accomplishment to President Donald Trump by Christmas.

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Beyond Bitcoin. What’s the Next Big Cryptocurrency?

Bitcoin's price of more than $10,000 a coin has gotten everyone excited, but some financial experts are putting their money on another cryptocurrency.

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When Did Ugly Christmas Sweaters Get So Expensive? Try This Instead

3 Sites That Are Hiring Awesome Writers Right Now (You’ll Work From Home!)

Calling all writers!

If you have words in your head that need to be released onto a page or else you swear you’re going to explode, it just might be your lucky day.

Furthermore, if you have words in your head about weddings, culture or lifestyle, then it might be time to play the lotto — because you might as well be throwing horseshoes with a four-leaf clover tucked behind your ear while heads-up pennies fall from the sky.

Why?

Because if you’re a writer who loves weddings, culture or lifestyle topics, then these work-from-home writing jobs are for you.

(And if you’re not a writer but you still want to land a work-from-home job, be sure to like our Jobs page on Facebook. We post awesome work-from-home opportunities there all the time!)

Paid Writing Jobs You Can Apply for Today

Here are three work-from-home writing jobs you can apply for now!

Full-Time Culture Writer at The Verge for Vox Media

Pay: Competitive

Location restriction: U.S. based, although the ideal candidate would reside in New York

Responsibilities include:

• Research and write about television shows, including talent interviews, news briefs, reviews, long-form essays and podcast and video content

• Generate new ideas weekly for essays, columns, features and reports

• Work with staff to improve existing content and coverage

Applicants for this position should have:

• A confident writing voice with a strong knowledge of television, including popular shows and industry trends

• Excellent organizational and multitasking skills

• Fantastic writing skills, including the ability to produce new ideas and angles and creatively craft thoughtful and compelling arguments

• Strong reporting skills, including fact checking and journalistic ethics

• An interest in television (including shows and fans), technology and cultural and critical writing

• Familiarity with online publishing and organizational tools

Benefits include:

• 401(k) plans

• Learning and development opportunities

• Healthcare

• Flexible scheduling

• Paid time off

• Parental leave options

To apply to become a culture writer for Vox Media, go here.

Part-Time Content Creator at Wedding Wire

Pay: Hourly, unlisted

Location restriction: U.S. based, although you will be asked to travel to Chevy Chase, Maryland, for initial training

Responsibilities include:

• Perform writing tasks as assigned

• Work closely with the content team manager to ensure timeliness and efficiency

• Show an improvement in writing skills and productivity over time

Applicants for this position should have:

• An in-process bachelor’s degree (journalism, communications, English, creative writing and related majors encouraged to apply)

• Excellent research and writing skills

• A commitment to timelines, accuracy and professionalism

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail

• Self-confidence, energy and enthusiasm

• Familiarity with keyword placement and SEO best practices

• The ability to work at least 10 hours per week, possibly up to 25 hours per week if available

• A personal computer on which to complete tasks

To apply to become a content creator at Wedding Wire, go here.

Part-Time Lifestyle Writer for Elite Daily

Pay: Unlisted

Location restriction: Remote, although business hours follow Eastern Standard Time

Schedule: Must be available to work seven-hour shifts three to four days per week during business hours

Responsibilities include:

• Pitching fresh story angles daily

• Writing about a variety of lifestyle content, including college, holiday, travel, relationships and age-specific content

Applicants for this position should have:

• At least two years of writing experience

• A degree in English or journalism

• The ability to work with minimal supervision and meet deadlines

• Experience in writing and blogging

To apply to become a lifestyle writer for Elite Daily, go here.

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Customer Acquisition Strategies That Won’t Break the Bank

Getting new customers isn’t always cheap.

That’s one of the reasons why I tell businesses to focus on customer retention.

With that said, it’s impossible to retain customers if you can’t get them through your doors or to your website in the first place.

If you’re a new company without an existing customer base, you’ll need to come up with some creative ways to acquire new ones.

The problem is new businesses typically have a limited marketing budget.

They need sales to generate money for promotional content, but they can’t get any sales without those promotions.

It’s a paradox.

This goes for companies that may have been in business for a while but are struggling with their revenue streams.

Regardless of your situation, new customers can always help.

You don’t need to spend a fortune on customer acquisition.

Here’s a basic formula that shows how to calculate your acquisition cost:

If you want an even more accurate version of this formula, you can add additional costs besides sales and marketing. They may include:

• wages
• infrastructure
• production
• any other costs

That’s the true representation of how much it costs you to get a new customer.

Keeping this number low will give you a much higher return on investment.

The strategies I’m going to show you actually work.

I know this from personal experience.

These are the most inexpensive techniques to acquire lots of new customers.

Start by retargeting old customers

I know what you’re thinking.

If you’re focusing on existing customers, it’s retention, not acquisition—right?

Not exactly.

If you’ve been in business for a while and it’s been a year or two since a customer was active, I wouldn’t refer to that person as an existing customer.

Getting them back to your business is basically like getting a brand new customer.

Dig up any old information you have on this person:

• email
• phone number
• address

Anything you have.

Reach out to them with a promotion to try to get their business back.

Here’s an example of an email campaign from Carter’s:

They give an old customer a reason to make another purchase and come back to their brand.

If you’ve recently made new improvements to your business, don’t be afraid to let old customers know.

Maybe the reason why they left in the first place was because they thought your company was outdated.

Share any information about your infrastructure that has improved the customer experience.

Do you have a new mobile application?

Have you renovated your brick and mortar location?

These are examples of things to promote when you contact these old leads.

Step up your presence on Instagram

To survive, you have to adapt to the times.

The days of using snail mail and local print advertisements to promote your business are slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Your business needs to have a digital presence.

Stay engaged with prospective customers via Instagram.

Over half of users on Instagram are active on a daily basis.

There are also 800 million active monthly users.

These numbers continue to rise each year.

The popularity of this platform isn’t going to phase out any time soon.

One of the reasons why I like to use Instagram is because it’s so inexpensive.

It doesn’t cost you anything to create a profile.

The only cost is your time.

Even if you’re paying someone to manage your social media accounts, it’s OK as long as they’re being productive.

Here’s what you need to do.

Work on getting more followers on your profile.

Realistically, not all your followers will become customers.

Don’t worry about converting all of them.

Let’s go through a scenario.

Start with a goal.

You want to gain 10,000 Instagram followers in the next month.

It’s a high number, but it’s attainable.

You’re aiming to convert 20% of your followers to customers.

That’s 2,000 new customers in just one month.

Don’t forget the best part: it didn’t cost you anything.

For those of you who think a 20% conversion is too high or unrealistic, think again.

Based on this generational data, it’s actually quite modest:

Internet users in the United States are likely to purchase something from a brand they follow on social media.

If you get more followers, you’ll get more customers.

You can improve your conversion chances if you’re managing your Instagram account properly.

Post pictures and videos of your products and services.

Get your followers involved as well.

Try to encourage them to post images of themselves using your products.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by featuring customer photos on your account.

When your followers see they can get recognition for their photos, it gives them some extra motivation to post pictures with your product.

Here’s an example from the Thule Instagram:

Now anyone who has one of Thule’s products knows they can be featured as well if they take a cool photo.

Getting customers to post photos on their personal accounts is a great brand awareness strategy.

You’ll get more followers and acquire more customers.

Again, this strategy is completely free.

Create more video content

Like I said earlier, you need to stick with the trends.

Video content is trending upward at record rates.

Across the globe, 52% of marketing experts say video has the highest return on investment compared to other marketing content.

That’s great news for you if you’re trying to keep acquisition costs low.

Doing something as simple as adding a video to your landing page can increase conversion rates by up to 80%.

One of the best parts about creating a video is that you can use the same one across all of your marketing channels.

I’ll go through some examples to show you what I mean.

Let’s say you created a video for your website.

You can also send it via email to your subscribers.

Not everyone on your subscriber list is a customer.

Some people may have provided you with their email addresses, but never actually bought anything.

Here’s a great opportunity for you to acquire those individuals.

Look at how Patagonia embedded a video in their email marketing campaign:

You can use the same strategy.

Don’t create a different video for each marketing channel—that’s a waste of time.

If the video is less than a minute long, you can even add it to your Instagram profile, which I discussed above.

Is your video longer than a minute? No problem.

Just include a specific clip from the video or make it into a top highlights clip.

All of this is much more cost effective than creating an entirely new video.

In addition to email and Instagram, add videos to your:

• Homepage
• Blog
• YouTube channel
• Facebook
• Twitter

I know what you’re thinking.

How can this be a low-cost strategy if I need to hire a professional cameraman and crew to make a high quality video?

I’ve got good news for you: none of that is necessary.

In fact, the vast majority of businesses produce their video content in-house.

This helps keep costs low.

Just invest in a decent camera and microphone.

You don’t need anything too fancy.

There’s plenty of inexpensive or even free video editing software that you can get on your computer as well.

If you’re willing to pay for a video editing tool, you can try Moovly.

You can get a subscription for as little as $5 per month.

They even let you try the software free for the first 30 days to see whether you like the experience.

Some of you may have wanted to create videos in the past but didn’t know what kind of content to produce.

Remember, we’re trying to acquire customers here.

Your videos need to display your competitive advantage.

What makes your products or services better than something similar on the market?

Try starting with a video tutorial.

Go through a step-by-step process of how your product can solve a problem.

You can also create videos that demonstrate a product.

That’s not necessary for all products.

For example, if your company produces hats and headbands, I don’t think you need to teach potential customers how to put a hat on.

With that said, you can still come up with a creative video that shows what makes your product unique.

Dollar Shave Club uses this strategy with their promotional video content:

The video doesn’t teach you how to shave.

Instead, it walks prospective clients through the process of getting razors and other shaving products delivered to their front doors.

It’s an effective and low-cost strategy for customer acquisition.

Start running epic giveaways

If people aren’t buying your product, you need to come up with a clever way to get the product in their hands.

Give it to them free.

Let me clarify.

I’m not saying you should give away thousands of products.

But you can run monthly or even weekly promotions.

You can choose between:

• sweepstakes
• contests

A sweepstakes means you’re giving away something to a person picked at random.

It doesn’t require any skill, and there’s nothing someone can do to increase their chances of winning.

All the person can do is enter and hope for the best.

Contests require skill, and the winner is selected based on judgment.

I think contests are more effective.

It gets the participants more involved, which is great if you’re trying to acquire new customers.

Let’s say someone entered your contest but didn’t win.

They put lots of effort into their entry and were looking forward to getting the product.

Well, now they may be more inclined to make a purchase.

Here’s an example of what a conversion funnel looks like when you run a contest:

That’s what I love so much about this strategy.

First of all, it’s not going to cost you anything except for the cost of the product you’re giving away.

But it’s also a great way to build your email subscriber list.

In order to enter, make it a requirement for customers to provide you with their email addresses.

After all, how else will you be able to contact them if they win?

Now at the very least, you’ll be able to send them promotional emails.

If the contest didn’t entice them to make a purchase, your email marketing campaign can get the job done.

Remember earlier I said that if you get more followers on Instagram you could get more customers?

Well, the same concept applies here.

Additional subscribers on your email list can improve your conversions.

It’s an inexpensive way to acquire new customers.

Conclusion

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to spend a fortune on customer acquisition.

This holds true for startup companies as well as businesses that have been operating for years.

While customer retention should be a priority as well, you can’t keep a customer if you never got them on board in the first place.

That’s why I like to start with retargeting old customers.

You already have their contact information. If it’s been years since they last made a purchase, the additional revenue will have the same impact as the impact you would get from a new customer.

Instagram is one of my favorite social platforms for customer acquisition.

Since people are more likely to make a purchase from brands they follow on social media, focus on getting your follower numbers up.

You’ll be able to convert a percentage of those followers to customers.

Adding more video content to your promotional channels will help as well.

You can make these videos in-house, so it won’t be very expensive.

Contests and sweepstakes can increase brand awareness and get you some new customers.

These strategies will also help you get more email subscribers, so you can continue to market to those people and increase conversions.

What are some budget-friendly ways you’ve used to acquire new customers?

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She Got Hit With a $9K Medical Bill. Here’s How She’s Fixing Her Finances

I love deadlines, which is a good thing, since earning a living as a writer pretty much depends on nailing them.

The best kind of deadlines for me are ones the same length as my attention span — short.

With the end of the year right around the corner, I decided to challenge myself by creating a goal with a built-in short deadline.

I’m going to fix my finances by January 1st.

The past year has been good to me in many ways, except one. I racked up $9,000 in medical bills my insurance doesn’t cover.

I certainly wasn’t expecting such a huge expense this year, so it wasn’t in my budget.

My finances have been in a bit of a tailspin ever since, so here’s what I did to get things back under control before ringing in the new year:

1. Got a Free Credit Report

I paid my $9,000 medical bill with a credit card, so the first thing I needed to know is how it affected my credit score.

Credit Sesame hooked me up with a free copy of my credit report that included my credit score, plus a whole lot more. It also showed me how I use my credit, how long my credit accounts have been open and my payment history, so I can see exactly how much money I owe and to whom.

I know errors on my credit report can mess up my credit score, so I checked my report to make sure everything was correct.

Everything looks fine but, just to be safe, I asked Credit Sesame to alert me by email or text if someone tries to apply for credit in my name.  

2. Arranged an Automated Investment Plan

The reason I had to pay my medical bill with a credit card is because I didn’t have $9,000 in my emergency fund. (Does anyone have that kind of cash lying around these days?).

It really drove home the point that I need to come up with a better long-term savings strategy, so I downloaded Stash to help me set up an automatic investment plan.

It’s an easy-to-use investing app that lets you dictate what types of companies you choose to invest your money in. It lets you start investing with as little as $5 and for just a $1 monthly fee for balances under $5,000. (The first month is free.)

I set the app to automatically withdraw a certain amount of cash from my bank account as often as I’d like — from once a week to once a month (I chose to have it withdraw $10 every two weeks).

3. Canceled Unwanted Subscriptions

While trying to get my finances back on track, the last thing I need are recurring fees for subscriptions for things I don’t even want.

We all sign up for stuff. Sometimes it’s easier to put subscriptions on a recurring payment and forget about it — looking at you, Netflix.

I used Trim to figure out if I was spending needless money on repeating charges. The bot analyzed my account for recurring subscriptions and offered to cancel any I didn’t want.

I didn’t even have to pick up the phone to part ways with the streaming-music service I no longer wanted. How easy is that?

4. Got a 401(k) Analysis

I sock away money into my 401(k) each month, but I admit I don’t know if my retirement plan is working to its full potential.

So I turned to Blooom for a free 401(k) analysis to uncover hidden fees and help me understand my investments.

I was surprised (and a little dismayed) to discover I have the wrong mix of stocks and bonds to retire when I plan to. I also found out my investments aren’t as diversified as they could be.

On the plus side, I’ve only paid about $4 in hidden fees this year.

Based on Blooom’s advice, I changed some investment allocations in my 401(k) to build up my retirement fund even faster. For $10 a month, Blooom will keep your account optimized for you.

I won’t climb out of $9,000 worth of debt over night, but these four pieces of financial advice helped me set a shorter deadline for paying it off with the money I save.

Challenge accepted.

Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She likes short deadlines followed by long naps.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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It’s World AIDS Day. Here’s Where to Get Tested for Free

The first day of December means the holiday spirit is in full swing, but it’s also a time for a more sobering reflection.

It’s World AIDS Day, the day set aside by the U.K.’s National AIDS Trust for all of us to show our support, awareness and respect to those affected by the disease — and to unite in our fight against it.

And while wearing red or donating some of your hoarded pennies is a great start, the best way to stop HIV — and the spread of STDs in general — is to get tested.

Yes, that means you, even if you think you’re not at risk.

How to Find Free STD Testing in Your Area

To combat this important public health issue, many social service providers offer free or affordable testing for HIV, hepatitis and other STDs.

To find testing centers near you, plug your zip code into this free tool from the CDC.

Once the map of your area populates, you can filter for free HIV tests under the “HIV Tests” tab, and see the full list of each provider’s offerings.

And if you have insurance, check with your primary care doctor about getting tested. Under the Affordable Care Act, your insurance likely covers HIV testing as well as tests for other diseases.

As nerve-wracking as it can be to wait for those results, knowing for sure is empowering and potentially life-saving, whether you’re positive or not.

On World AIDS Day and every day, we owe that knowledge to ourselves… and to one another.

Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Her writing has also been featured at The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and elsewhere. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to wave hello.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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The Ultimate Guide to Working as a Professional Santa Claus

Editor’s note: This article was last published in 2014, but we’ve brought it back for any new Santas.

Do you love Christmas? Are you full of cheer? Can you grow a belly and — more importantly — a beard?

You might have what it takes to work as a professional Santa Claus.

If you’ve thought about pursuing this unusual seasonal job, but didn’t know where to start, keep reading for advice from professional Santas in three different states. They share the inside scoop on working as Santa this Christmas.

What Are the Requirements for Santa Jobs?

Yes, there are a few important requirements if you want to work as a professional Santa Claus.

First, you need to look the part. It’s best if you’re over age 50, have a belly and can grow an impressive beard. (But it doesn’t have to be white. Some Santas actually bleach their beards!)

Jim Beck, who worked as a professional Santa in Denver for eight years, says he got into the business because people kept telling him he looked like Santa — even without the beard. So after he became disabled and could no longer work in construction, he decided to give it a shot.

Michigan Santa Claus was also a natural. “Mrs. Claus always says, ‘My Santa has a real beard and natural cookie zone.’ I’ve actually had my beard for nearly 45 years!”

More importantly, you have to want to be Santa Claus. You should have a genuine love of Christmas and children.

Santa Tim is enjoying his fifth season as a professional Santa in Lenexa, Kansas. He started working as a Santa to “enjoy the whole Christmas spirit and give back a little bit — to share hope and joy and love.” (If that’s not a Santa answer, I don’t know what is!)

Where Can You Find Santa Jobs?

Professional Santa Clauses have lots of work options, including shopping malls, corporate and community events, and private home parties.

The Santas we interviewed mostly did private home visits, with some corporate events mixed in. None of them worked as mall Santas — though some Santas do prefer these gigs because they’re long-term positions with steady hours.

When asked why he didn’t work at the mall, Santa Tim explained, “First of all, I want to be independent; secondly, you can only spend around 30 seconds with a child while at the mall. When I do a home visit or corporate event, I get a lot more time with each child.”

Santa Jim Beck has worked at the mall in the past, but now sticks with mostly private parties because he “enjoys the smaller venues.”

How to Start Working as a Santa

Ready to find work as a professional Santa Claus? Here are the techniques our Santas suggested:

1. Go to Santa School

You probably didn’t know it, but Santa schools are a big business.

One of the most comprehensive is the Professional Santa Claus School in Denver, which is held over Labor Day weekend each year. The cost of this four-day school varies depending on the package you buy. Tuition can include food, 38 weeks of pre-and post-conference training and consultations, publicity pictures, makeup kits, 72 hours of classroom training — and even live reindeer!

Santa Tim graduated from this school and found it a “very worthwhile investment” because there are “certain amounts of psychology that go into speaking to children.”

He learned a lot about that there, including how to react when a child says they want an iPad or tells you about abuse. Mostly, he enjoyed the school because it set “such a high standard; you’re not just Uncle Joe from next door anymore.”

2. Network With Other Santas

You don’t have to go to Santa school to find success as a Santa.

Santa Jim Beck got started by working for an established Santa who “subbed out other Santas.” Though he had to pay the lead Santa a cut of his earnings, it led to gigs of his own.

If you’re just starting out, this is a smart move. Find a local Santa who has more work than he can handle, then offer to take on any gigs he can’t or doesn’t want to do. If you offer him a percentage of your earnings, what Santa is going to say no?

3. Buy a Suit… and Start Working

That’s how Michigan Santa Claus did it.

His first Santa suit was made by a friend who is a professional sewer. He wore it while helping to sell Christmas trees at the Home Depot where his son worked. He wanted to “see what the response would be and if I liked it.”

Clearly, the response was “awesome!” — because he’s now in his 13th season.

4. Build a Website

For all of the Santas we interviewed — just like the party princess we spoke with — web inquiries are key to the majority of their business. Creating a website is an essential step in starting your business.

If you don’t have the money for professional web design, don’t fret: Santa Jim Beck’s site was designed by a friend and is very basic. Despite its simplicity, it is still how he gets almost all of his customers.

If you want to DIY your site, these free tools can help you look like a pro.

5. Create a Profile on Gig Salad

When looking to hire a professional Santa, most people’s first stop will be an internet search. And Gig Salad, a site for booking live entertainment, might be one of the first things that pops up.

For that reason, Santa Tim says creating a Gig Salad profile was the “most effective” thing he did. Membership ranges from free to $39.99 per month.

6. Book Return Visits

The first year of being a Santa is definitely the hardest. However, once you’ve visited some families, Santa Jim Beck says, “They’re generally going to want you back next year.”

People want continuity for their kids, which means guaranteed repeat business each year — in addition to any new clients you drum up.

Santa Tim says this works for corporate events, too — as does word of mouth. “One HR lady will ask another one, ‘What Santa did you hire?’ and that will get you some more gigs.”

How Much Money Can You Make Working as a Santa?

The pay range for professional Santas varies widely, depending on how much you work and how much effort you put into marketing yourself. The majority of Santas only work during November and December, though some keep the holiday spirit going all year long.

Santa Jim Beck recently raised his rates from $150 to $200 an hour, though he says he is “not gung-ho like a lot of guys are.”

Santa Tim estimates you can earn “$3,000 to $7,000 in a season” working part-time on some weekday evenings and during both the morning and evening on the weekends.

How Much Does It Cost to Start Working as a Santa?

In addition to growing out your beard, there are some start-up costs involved in working as a Santa.

If you choose to attend Santa school, that will be one of your biggest expenses.

Santa Tim says the rest depends on your “level of professionalism,” adding, “If I’m going to represent Santa for children, I want to be as professional and realistic as I can be. Children are looking at everything about you: your eyes, your cuffs, your boots, your belt. I put $200 to $300 into bleaching my hair and beard; I have two suits that each cost over $1,000, a $300 belt and $300 boots.”

Michigan Santa agrees, saying it’s “very important” to “not ‘skimp’ on the suit.” His is “lined wool with real sheepskin white fur trim.”

In addition to the suit and the website, he also says, “It’s very important to set up as a business account and register the name of the business with the state establishing LLC … [And] we’ve never had an issue but we do carry Entertainment Liability Insurance.”

What Do Aspiring Santas Need to Know?

So you still want to work as a Santa? We asked our professionals for the one piece of advice they’d give to aspiring Santas, and here’s what they said:

“Grow a beard and learn how to laugh!” — Santa Jim Beck

“Before you become a Santa, you really need to understand what it’s going to do to your life … You are going to have to be Santa Claus. I have a different standard every day; it’s a high level of responsibility. It’s everywhere you go: If you’re driving your car, and you have road rage — people are going to say: ‘Oh, Santa’s having road rage.’ You have to really govern yourself … Even in street clothes, some kids will come up and grab your legs and tell you what they want — so you’ve got to spend a few minutes with them.” — Santa Tim

“Always stay in character when you have your Santa suit on. Work on that ‘HO HO HO;’ it must come from deep within the belly! When [Mrs. Claus and I] have an event, we take the children into our arms and on our laps and in our hearts, as our own. Yes, we do receive payment — but you’ve got to love children and their families too!” — Michigan Santa Claus

Susan Shain is a freelance writer and digital nomad. She covers travel, food and personal finance (basically, how to save money so you can travel more and eat more). Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Get a Free $10 Target Gift Card from Ebates

We’ve found a freebie worth bookmarking.

The folks over at Ebates, a cash-back shopping site, are giving away $10 gift cards if you sign up as a new member and make a purchase of $25 or more. You can choose either a $10 Target, Walmart, Macy’s or Kohl’s gift card.

No, we don’t recommend buying something just for the sake of buying something. But if you’ve been meaning to replenish your makeup supply from Ulta or buy some headphones from Amazon, this is your chance to get some cash back.

In addition to that $10 gift card, you can also earn…

• 6% cash back at Ulta
• 4% back at Overstock
• 12% back at UGG
• 8% back at L.L.Bean
• 10% back at Groupon
• Plus tons more

Ready to earn money back while shopping online? Hit up Ebates.

And for more ways to save while shopping online, head over to our online shopping guide.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Moving from Impressing Others to Impressing Yourself

In the book Your Money or Your Life (which happens to be the single most important book I’ve read in terms of helping me launch my financial turnaround), the authors offer a lengthy chapter that covers a whole bunch of strategies to follow in order to cut one’s spending.

Their number one rule – the one that they put in huge bold letters and describe as standing above all others – is really simple.

Stop trying to impress other people.

That’s it. That’s their number one rule.

At first glance, that rule might seem obvious or easy, but step back for a moment and think about all of your purchases through the lens of how that purchase is intended to make you appear in the eyes of others.

Are you buying books to impress your friends? Do you buy clothes to look good to others beyond the basic dress code of your workplace? What about gadgets – have you ever bought a phone with the thought of how others will be impressed by it? Did you think about your home in terms of what others might think when they come to visit?

If you stop and reflect on the ways you spend money, you’ll find that some things really don’t have much to do with what others think… but, if you really dig in, a lot of your expenses do revolve around or are heavily influenced by what others think of you.

I’m going to suggest a radical twist on that mindset.

Imagine how you would spend a day where you did absolutely nothing to impress others in any way, but instead did things solely so that when you went to bed that night, you were genuinely proud and happy with regards to how the day went.

What would you do that day?

For me, such a day would involve a lot of exercise, because I genuinely feel better over the long run because of it. It would involve doing some housework beyond the basics. It would involve reading something really challenging that taxed my mind. It would involve some genuine undistracted quality time with my immediate family and some close friends, not because of what they think of me, but because their presence really brings value into my life. It would involve spending some time doing charitable work. It would involve writing or improving a truly meaningful article or two or writing a book chapter. It would involve a lot of activities that were meant to benefit my life in the long run, not so much the short run.

For me, that’s the kind of day that, when I go to sleep at night, adds up to a day that I’m really proud of.

Here’s the thing: if I do my absolute best to make that kind of day into my normal day, things change a lot in my life. When I consider all of the activities I throw to the side if I commit to days like that, almost all of those activities revolve around impressing other people unless there is a very specific purpose to do so (such as building a relationship with that person or intentionally furthering my career).

If I live my life in a way that makes me proud of how I spent my day, and I do that each and every day, and I do it in a way that isn’t really concerned with what others think of me unless it achieves a specific goal in my life, then my spending falls through the floor. A lot of spending ceases to have any purpose.

If I want a book, I go to the library. If I find that I’m going to return to a book quite often as reference, then I might consider buying it, as spending money on books for anything other than reference and regular re-reading takes away from other goals. I don’t need to have a bookshelf full of books to impress others.

If I want to dress for the day, I dress in comfortable functional clothes for whatever it is that I’m doing. I don’t need to have really nice clothes to impress others (unless there is a business reason to do so). I don’t need to have a closet full of clothes to impress others.

If I buy a house, I buy one that fulfills the functions I need from a home – shelter, a bit of space to live, a bit of space to work. I don’t need to have a McMansion to ooh and aah people I don’t know well; the people I would want to have visit because I truly value their company are ones who won’t care anyway. I don’t need to have a giant house to impress others.

If I buy a car, it serves the function of getting me from point A to point B. I don’t need to have an expensive piece of metal that causes people I don’t even know to ooh and aah (again, if this is part of a specific business plan, that might change things, but that applies to very few people in reality). I don’t need to have a beautiful new car to impress others.

See, the thing is, living a life where I am proud of the life that I live each and every night is a life that will impress others. In short, if I genuinely impress myself because of my behaviors, I will gradually begin to impress others just by reflection.

I don’t need to spend a dime to achieve that.

So, if you want to get control over your spending and you want to find financial and personal success, the first step is to stop spending any money or any time whatsoever impressing others unless it has a very specific professional purpose). Just stop.

Instead, devote your time and energy toward doing things that make you proud of yourself and the person you’re becoming. The thing is, the things that most people do to make themselves proud are almost always things that don’t involve spending much money at all.

Getting in shape? It doesn’t require much money. For some, a gym membership; for others, all you really need is a bit of space at home or somewhere to run. It also requires a bit of self-control around food.

Growing your knowledge and understanding of the world? You can get that by checking out books from the library, listening to worthwhile podcasts, reading well-written articles from good publications, and so on. All that takes is time, not money.

Getting in control of your emotions? Tactics like meditation and self-reflection and journaling help greatly there, and those tactics don’t take money, either, just time and focus.

Learning how to interact with people better? Getting in touch with your spiritual or religious side? Helping to improve your community? They don’t cost money, either.

The truth is, if you devote your time and energy to effective ways of impressing yourself and building a genuinely better life, you won’t have a lot of need to spend a lot of money. Most steps toward improving yourself and building a better life don’t cost a thing. They just require you to devote time and energy and to turn your thoughts away from what other people think of you.

That’s a tricky transition, I’ll admit, but one thing has really helped me in that process.

If I make myself into a genuinely better person, a genuinely good person, a person who fills their day with things that make me feel proud when I go to bed, then I really don’t have to worry about what other people think of me. I will have a positive reputation by default. If I become the kind of person that I want to be, I don’t need to buy cars or clothes or homes or gadgets to impress others. The person I’m trying to become – a healthy person who converses well, has emotional control, has interesting ideas, has a lot of strong friendships and relationships, is involved in the community and the neighborhood in a positive way, and is pleasant to be around – is enough. It’s more than enough, in fact.

Becoming that person makes me proud. If I can go to bed at the end of the day knowing that I worked toward becoming that person, I feel good. I feel proud of myself. It’s a good feeling that doesn’t come from impressing others – in fact, the normal actions of impressing others often takes away from that.

If you center every day around becoming the person you want to be rather than trying to pretend to be a person that you think other people will be impressed by, you won’t have to work to impress others any more. You won’t have to worry about it or think about it in the least, because a person that works to be the person they most want to be is naturally attractive to others. If you really truly work toward being the best person you can be in each area of your life, you go to sleep proud of yourself and you become a person that people want to have around, just by your normal actions.

So, the solution to a lot of financial problems (and problems in other areas of life) is to simply focus as much of your time and energy as you can on being the best person you can possibly be and stop spending time, money, and energy on things that are largely influenced by impressing others. If you devote your days toward becoming better, you go to bed happy with yourself, and if you do that over and over again, you become the kind of person everyone wants to have around without having to worry about what others think of you or having to invest a dime in it.

Stop trying to impress other people.

Start trying to impress yourself.

The post Moving from Impressing Others to Impressing Yourself appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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This Cat Scored a Free Photo Shoot, Potential Internet Stardom With Coupon

8 Secret Ways to Save Money at Costco You Probably Don’t Know About

After three hours, you’ve just emerged from the wormhole that is Costco.

What happened? Where am I?

You’re probably in the parking lot. Shielding your eyes from the blinding sun. Walking on tiptoes to your car so you can peer over your cartful of bulk paper towels, frozen chicken nuggets and animal crackers.

Your stomach probably feels full, too, because, well, free samples.

But you’re feeling proud because you saved money…

Wait, you did save some money… right?

It’s easy to get wrapped up in Costco’s branding. It’s a warehouse club, so it comes with the whole “save money on bulk” reputation.

But if you’re not careful, you could walk out of the wormhole spending way more money than you normally would. (Seriously… all those bulk snack options are so tempting.)

8 Secret Ways to Maximize Your Costco Savings

In order to avoid getting tangled in the wholesale web, we’ve compiled nine tips to help you stay on track and save more money.

1. Compare Prices

Before you even step into Costco, make sure you do some price-comparing.

Now, this doesn’t require you running around town.

We’ll get you started with the most obvious breakdown: comparing prices from warehouse clubs. Spoiler alert: Costco isn’t always the cheapest.

You can also take to the internet to compare prices or, if you’re already in the store, use an app like ShopSavvy.

And be sure to take into account the unit prices, because that modest two-pack of peanut butter might be a better deal than its six-pack counterpart. Plus, this will keep you from having to stash all those extra peanut butter jars under your bathroom sink.

2. Earn Cash Back When Prices Drop

If you prefer to avoid long lines and towers of boxed pantry items, you can always opt to shop online.

Another added perk to shopping online? You can sign up for a price-protection service like Earny.

Online prices constantly fluctuate, but Earny will have your back. He (err, the online bot) will keep tabs on your receipts, and when a price drops, will reimburse you the difference.

Signing up will take as long as it took you to read this paragraph.

3. Look for Membership Sign-Up Deals

If you haven’t already splurged on Costco’s $60 annual membership, look around the internet for any promotions or deals.

One of our favorite places to check is Groupon, the deals and coupons site. Earlier this year, it had a deal that would reward you in $155-worth of freebies. Unfortunately, that deal has since expired, but it’s worth poking around for similar offers.

Also, if you’re an avid Costco shopper, analyze the membership options and see which will most benefit you. If you opt for the $120 “Gold Star Executive” card, you can earn 2% rewards on qualifying purchases.

4. Use Ibotta for Cash Back

Ibotta is an app that gives you cold, hard cash back on your purchases from tons of retailers — including Costco.

Here’s what you do: Download the app, find cash-back offers you qualify for, take a photo of your receipt, scan barcodes if necessary and you’re done!

Once you redeem your first deal, you’ll snag a $10 welcome bonus.

At the time this article was written, available cash-back opportunities included:

• $4 back on a 36-count pack of Scott toilet paper
  

• $3 back on an 18-pack of Bud Light
  

• $2 back on Aveeno baby products
  

• 25 cents back on any kind of potatoes

New deals are constantly being shuffled in, so it’s a fun little cash-back game.

On a personal note, I started using Ibotta about five months ago and have earned nearly $100 back.

5. Understand Costco’s Price Codes

There’s a method to the pricing madness, and reporter Len Rapoport explained what he’s come to learn through the years in an article on Tough Nickel.

Here are some of Rapoport’s helpful hints:

• Regular-priced items typically end in .99, .79, .49, etc. On the other hand, reduced prices end in .97. Unfortunately, Costco doesn’t share the original price with you, so it could be only a slight markdown. You can ask a sales associate to check on the original price for you to see if it’s a good deal.

• An asterisk on a tag means the item won’t be restocked, so act now if you really want it.

• Manager specials are marked by .88 or .00 endings. This means items were returned but are in fine condition. The box could be a little beat up, but who cares?

7. Pay With a Cash-Back Card

With so many cash-back credit cards on the market, it’s hard to know which one is going to offer you the best rewards.

But there’s a tool that’ll help you with this big decision. It’s Birch Finance, and all you have to do is sign into your existing checking or credit card accounts. Birch then analyzes your spending habits and delivers you tailored recommendations.

For example, according to my spending habits in the past three months, I’d be missing out on $604.19 in rewards through the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card (if I didn’t already have it). Birch also gives me additional recommendations, too, if I want to open another card.

So if I shopped at Costco a ton, Birch would take that into account and offer me a card that’d help me capitalize on those purchases.

8. Opt for The Store Brand

Be sure to keep an eye open for Kirkland-brand goods. That’s Costco’s store brand.

We hopped online to compare prices of Kirkland goods and non-Kirkland goods and found some hefty savings. For example, the Kirkland 36-pack of toilet paper is $25.99, whereas the Scott 36-pack of toilet paper is $33.49.

9. Fill Up Before Food Shopping

Grocery shopping on an empty stomach is one of the worst Penny-Hoarding offenses. Why? Well, you’re going to want to buy everything — from a $35 two-pound tin of cookies to a $37 48-pack of popcorn.

Instead, peruse the aisles and fill up on free samples. Or stop by the food court and grab a $1.50 hot-dog-and-soda combo.

Then do your shopping — with a list in hand!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She could really go for a hot dog right now.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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