Did you know that, according to Harvard Business Review, consumers in past years have redeemed up to 3.7 billion USD in savings from coupons? So, what would you say if you came to know that the above number is coming from only 1% of the actually available coupons?
That means that the amount of money that’s out there for you to take advantage of is staggering. But it doesn’t only apply to coupons. It’s the same idea across the board, which includes rebates and gift cards.
So you should ask yourself - Are you amongst the number of consumers losing out? You don’t have to be! This article is about some of the ways you could be missing out, so you can avoid them and rake in the savings.
Get on Mailing Lists
The most crucial step for all types of savings is to get on a retailer’s email list. This step is where you get most of your discounts sent directly to your inbox. The biggest key here, then, is not to write off the emails as spam, but to open them up and take a look at what the retailer is trying to give you.
You’d be shocked at how many discounts and promo codes are lurking within those emails, many unused. Those usually include promo codes, coupons, and member discounts. Outside of emails, there are still plenty of avenues that you could be losing out on some extra savings.
Rebates
Rebates are always an attractive incentive. They make you feel like you won’t spend what the price tag demands. But that’s only if you send them in. And if you don’t ever send them in, you’re not alone. Consumer Affairs shows us that roughly 500 million USD in rebates goes unclaimed annually.
One of the reasons they go unclaimed is because of the difficulties in redeeming them; that is, the retailer themselves make it hard to fulfill. But the main reason is that consumers don’t even bother in the first place.
Coupons
Coupons are genuinely the most reliable way to make significant savings. Although retailers rely on many of their consumers to not use them, still most of the Americans do, redeem the savings.
Amongst the coupons offered to you, the most important one to take note of is the last call coupon. This option is where the savings come your way - when the retailer is trying to clean house. The last call coupon requires that you keep an eye on your retailer of choice - but it’s worth the extra effort.
Gift Cards
Although the company itself does not usually offer them as a promo, gift cards are perhaps the most unused money in the online shopping world. People purchase them with the best of intentions, and yet they’re so easy to forget.
Market Watch says that out of the 130 billion USD in gift card money given, roughly 1 billion USD remains unspent. Looking at those numbers, chances are you’ve got a couple of unredeemed gift card money hiding in your wallet, too.
Make Use of the Advantage
Don’t limit yourself to what’s available for you. Retailers want to connect with you; they want to perk your interest. Take full advantage of the opportunities they give you to save - it’s your right as a customer!
