Let’s be honest…now that we are all in college and have gained a lot of independence, it is safe to say that money definitely does not grow on trees. But, if you’re anything like me, you love to shop and eat out. Whether it is online for clothes, at Chick-fil-A, or at the black hole of a store we call Target, I always seem to drop more mula than I want to. Watching my bank account get smaller much faster than I plan for it to has me constantly looking for ways to save money. The decrease in my funds has never agreed with my spending habits, and because of this, I have needed to find some ways to save. Luckily, if you find yourself in the same dilemma or just want to stretch your dollar throughout the semester, through my spending experiences I have found some great websites, apps, and resources to use to do just that! So, without further ado, here are some nifty saving tips for the girly who loves to spend!
Poshmark:
Poshmark! Poshmark! Poshmark! Poshmark is by far my favorite online shopping site to find great deals on the latest styles. Poshmark is a site many people use to buy and sell clothing and accessories that may be new with tags or gently used. When you create your account, you enter your size preferences and it automatically filters to items that will fit you. You can search by brand (they have an extensive list of brands), type of clothing or accessory, or the exact name of the item you are looking for. If you see something you like but not the price, you have the option to “make an offer” to the seller and they can either accept or counteroffer. Also, when you make purchases, it will not charge your account until you have received the item(s) and confirm that they fit, you like them, and they are exactly what the description suggested. Poshmark is also great for selling those clothes that don’t work for you anymore. Just take a picture of the item, upload it, and set a price. It will be added to “your closet” and can be viewed by anyone. Poshmark is also available in app form.
Honey:
Sweet, sweet, Honey. Honey is an app that you can install onto Google Chrome that, when you’re shopping online, automatically finds and applies coupons and promo codes to your purchases at checkout. It doesn’t always find discounts, but why not let an app automatically check for you while you’re shopping? If you use Google Chrome, here is the link to download it!
Curtsy:
If you’re a girl on Clemson’s campus and haven’t heard of Curtsy, listen up! Curtsy allows you to rent dresses to and from girls on your school’s campus. Just download the app and create an account with your Clemson email (this is very important as it is what verifies that you are a Clemson student). You can add as many dresses to your closet and price them for other girls to rent and/or scroll through the Clemson feed to find that perfect dress for your event! It is much cheaper than going out to buy a dress and I have used it for almost every sorority event I have had and it has worked out great! If you are renting out your dresses, the renter pays a $5 “Curtsy Coverage” fee that will take care of any damages to your dress. Also, after you rent a dress on the app, you have a few days to try it on and make sure you’ll look fabulous for your event before your account gets charged. I would highly suggest checking it out. It’s a great way to save money, and, if you have dresses sitting around, make money!
Restaurant and Store Apps:
So there are too many to count, but I guarantee you that your favorite on-the-go restaurant (Moe’s, Chick-Fil-A, Panera, etc…) or store (Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc…) has an app that allows you to earn points, save money, get free meals, or get exclusive discounts when you use the app at checkout wherever you go. Personally, because I basically live in Target and live off of Chick-Fil-A (not healthy, I know), those are the two apps I am most familiar with. Target has their app called Cartwheel which gives you exclusive deals and discounts on items you know you’ll need or use. It becomes more specific and customizable the more you use it. It caters to what you shop for. You check the deals you want to use on that shopping trip, then it creates a personalized barcode for you to scan at checkout that automatically applies the discounts to your total. It also shows you how much money you’ve saved since you start using the app which makes me feel 100% better about what I just bought. The Chick-fil-A One app is great too because you can order ahead, get free “treats” for using the app, and even upload your gift cards and funds to the app so you don’t have to take out your wallet at the register. It remembers what your most frequent purchases are so that you don’t have to go searching for them again the next time you buzz on over to get your yummy meal!