How to Get the Best Bargains:
Do a quick Google search or chat with the retailer
Going shopping? First, do a Google search with the words ‘item’ and ‘coupon’ or ‘discount’ or ‘voucher’ or ‘bargain’.
This strategy helps you know whether the thing you want to buy has a discount.
An alternative smart way to tell if a store has a discount is through its website’s chatbox.
The website either has a chat option, or a chatbox pops up, asking us to make a request.
Once we get a hold of a representative, we can ask them if the store has any discounts.
Check out some favorite cash-back sites and apps
Imagine getting some money back every time you shop. Sounds fantastic, right?
In Australia, we can either visit cashback sites or use apps to get discounts.
On average, cash given back can be 5% of the purchase.
Here are some of the most popular sites:
- Cashrewards: On this website, we can get cashback on purchases from specific stores. Also, we can get cashback on a particular item. There are hundreds of cash-back deals to choose from daily.
- ShopBack: This site offers cash-back deals from a wide range of retailers, including supermarkets, liquor, and clothing stores.
- PricePal: We can get the deals on the website or the app. More than 700 retailers from across Australia work with PricePal.
Take advantage of referral programs
Some programs have discounts for both the user and the person they refer. They can also offer a payment or social offer.
For instance, Airbnb has a referral program. Members can earn coupon credits when they refer friends.
Another example is Uber. With Uber, we get a free ride every time we refer friends. The person we refer to also gets a free ride.
On the other hand, if one is in business, for instance, a blogger, they can take advantage of affiliate programs.
In Australia, there are programs such as Travelpayouts, GrowthOps, and Flex Offers.
Enjoy freebies and sign up bonuses
Some sites will give us free money for just signing up.
We can make between $2 and $100 of sign-up bonuses, depending on the site.
- UP bank: This bank offers a $15 bonus for signing up.
- Marley Spoon: For meal delivery bonuses, Marley Spoon might be worth considering. They give up to $100 off. But, this cashback is split across your first four boxes.
- HelloFresh: We can get $50 off our first box of HelloFresh.
- Car Next Door: This service helps us hire cars from locals or rent out our cars. When we sign up, there’s a $15 bonus.
- Starbucks: Although this doesn’t come as money, Starbucks has welcome offers and some freebies.
All about special deal sites
If we’re looking for a one-stop-shop for deals, Australia has a couple of websites. One can either print or use the discount online.
- Groupon: This website is known for its many offers. From electronics, travel deals to pet supplies, we can find just about anything on Groupon.
- Cudo: This website is known for its deals on restaurants. But it also offers discounts on furniture, clothes, and electronics.
- OzBargain: This website is user-driven. OzBargain relies on shoppers to post any great deals they come across while shopping.
- Skyscanner: If we’re looking for travel deals, Skyscanner is the go-to. We can get the cheapest flights, hotels and even car hire deals.
Feel like a quiz? Do an online survey
We can earn discounts or bonuses by doing surveys.
Some of those to try out in Australia are:
- Swagbucks: This platform allows you to earn money from surveys, games, and TV shows. On average, one can make at least $50 a month.
- Octopus: Although there are fewer surveys nowadays, you can make $1,200 yearly on Octopus on a good day.
- Prize Rebel: This is a free platform to join. One can make over $400 in a year.
- Market Research Options: Usually, the surveys are more spaced out than most other sites. But, we stand to make more money.
Newspaper leads
If you’re an avid reader of your local newspaper, hit the classifieds section to learn about discounts.
If you barely read the paper, you now have a reason to.
Those who live in New South Wales or Victoria can go to SmartSaver, which has local deals and coupons.
Scour blogs for discounts
Companies usually use social media influencers and bloggers to announce their discounts.
What better way to look for discounts than to hear about the deals from the bloggers and influencers?
They also share coupon codes and special offers in their reviews. So, be on the lookout.
What’s more, sometimes their reviews can contain giveaways which we can also benefit from.
Say hello to Staff Discounts!
Some stores offer discounts to their employees’ family members and friends.
Apart from asking your family member to find out if their store has a discount, we can also benefit from those deals.
However, we should study the store’s policy to see if the discounts apply to family and friends.
Earn points or rewards as a VIP
One of the most popular discount strategies to use is the frequent flyer program.
With such a program, we can accumulate points, which we can later redeem. Under this option, we can also get freebies and loyalty discounts from our favourite stores.
Here are some options:
- FlyBuys: We can accrue points, which are convertible into cash or shop. FlyBuys also offers coupons.
- IGA: This option has exclusive mail offers.
- Toys’R’Us: For those who have kids or would like to treat a niece or nephew, this is an option worth considering. Apart from discounts, there are exclusive functions and birthday freebies.
Final Thoughts
When looking for bargains, the above are the ten best ways to find discounts in Australia.
Our first stop should be a Google search, which can lead us to great deals.
However, we can use more specific ways to get discounts. These options can range from cash-back sites to special deal sites.
Those who love more engaging activities can try their hand at surveys on different sites.
If we’re flexible with our expenditure and are looking for more exclusive options, VIP clubs could be an excellent option.
Now that you know where to look for discounts, which one would you consider?
