The Power of Receipts: A Goldmine for Saving Money & Discounts for Parents & Teachers
Wait! The next time you come from the store, stop before you throw that receipt in the trash. Smart, money-saving individuals know to keep their sales receipts. These little gems often contain hidden discounts and surveys. And, they can help you track your spending.
Tracking Your Expenses
In order to become financially fit, you need to know where your money is going. Those seemingly insignificant sales receipts can help to provide you with an essential paper trail that will help you understand your spending habits. Keeping your sale receipts will also allow you to analyze your expenses and identify patterns in behavior. Your sale receipts can also help you to identity areas where you can cut back on spending. By keeping receipts, you gain insights into your financial behavior. This can help you make more informed decisions about your budget.
Type of shopper
Your receipts are a wealth of information about your shopping habits. If you are trying to bring your spending under control, then your shopping receipts are a great way to discover the type of shopper you are. Your receipts will tell if you are a smart shopper, a casual shopper, or an uninformed shopper.
Smart shoppers plan ahead. If this is you, you will carefully plan your shopping trips in advance. You will spend hours-maybe, even days- preparing for your trip to the grocery store. You will have scanned the sales circulars from several different stores, and you will have located the best deal. As a smart shopper, you will have created a budget and a grocery list that you stuck to. Impulse shopping is a “no-no” for you. Your grocery store receipt and your shopping list are almost identical.
Your grocery store receipt tell if you are a casual shopper. A casual shopper is one who checked the store’s sale paper but doesn’t bother to compare prices. If you are a casual shopper, you will have a grocery list and a set budget. However, your receipt may show where you strayed from the set path and made some extra purchases while you were in the store. And, trust me, I understand. It can be hard not to pick up those little extra items.
Your store receipts will also shout loud and clear if you go shopping without being informed. If you are an uninformed shopper, you will not bother to look at the sales papers nor will you make a shopping list. You make your purchasing decisions while you are out shopping.
Impulse spending
Do you give in easily to impulse spending? Are you unable to resist those cute miniature products at the check-out lane? Raise your hand if you are guilty. Those mini versions of products are sooooo cute! They are hard to resist. That’s why they have been strategically placed on the checkout aisle.
Your receipt can reveal to you if you are an impulse shopper. If you notice several items on your receipt that you didn’t originally mean to buy, you are an impulse shopper. And, impulse shopping can destroy your finances.
Impulse shoppers are not casual shoppers. Casual shoppers don’t have a plan or a budget. They don’t know how much cereal or toilet tissue costs. They don’t have too. They just shop. An impulse shopper will have a shopping list. They may originally start out with a plan. However, they get easily sidetracked during their shopping trip and purchase unnecessary items.
Dates & Times You Shop
The day of the week and the time of the day that you went shopping also print on your grocery receipt. What does this say about you? The time of the day that you shopped also reveals your shopping style. Strategic shoppers will make their purchases either early in the morning or late in the evening. It is during these times that perishables are at their lowest. Baked goods that were cooked earlier in the day are marked down for quick sale and meat items that are nearing their expiration dates are also reduced in price. With this knowledge, you can make plans to hit those grocery stores at the best times.
The day you go shopping on also counts. Wednesdays are the best days to buy groceries because most grocery stores will begin their new sales on this day. I try to pick up my sale paper a day early. This way, I know what is going on sale. And, I make allowances in my grocery budget.
Find Hidden Promotions
Do you check the back of your receipts? If you haven’t, then, you should. Retailers often include exclusive promotions or discounts on receipts. This is their attempt at gaining repeat customers. These promotions might include discount codes for future purchases or special events that only receipt-reading customers will discover. So, before you chuck that receipt, check it for promotions and other deals.
Coupons and Loyalty Programs:
I love coupons! They are one of my favorite ways to save money on the things that you need. And, for those of us working on a teacher’s salary, careful financial planning is a must. Many receipts include coupons or information that can lead to significant savings. The discounts that you find on your store receipts may be applicable to your next purchase. By saving your receipts, you can reap the rewards and effectively stretch your budget.
Participating in Surveys
Do you like to share your opinion. I do. And, some of sale receipts have surveys on the back of them. These surveys can help to provide valuable feedback on your shopping experience. In return, you might receive a discount coupon, entry into a sweepstakes, and other offers. Don’t miss out on a chance to win by throwing away those sale receipts.
Warranty, Returns, and Insurance Claims
High ticket item or not, receipts serve as evidence of purchase. These make insurance claims hassle-free. They also make returning items easier. Should anything go wrong with your purchase, having the original receipt will ensure you get the support you deserve, whether it’s a repair, replacement, or reimbursement. Some stores can even track purchases now through debit and credit card systems. However, it is still a good rule of thumb to keep those receipts.
Keeping your sales receipts can be a profitable strategy. Those sale receipts can help you to save money and unlock hidden benefits. They can help you to track your expenses and help you identify your shopping habits. You can also find surveys, sweepstakes, and discounts on your receipts. So, the next time you are tempted to toss your receipt into the trash, stop and think again!
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Read the Following for More:
The Best Day of the Week To Go Grocery Shopping
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-day-week-grocery-shopping-165257814.html