App Love! -- Retail Me Not --

Being frugal is a way of life. It isn't a hobby. Getting the occasional deal on something, or using a coupon every once in a while doesn't make you frugal. The constant search for "the most for the least" is what makes you frugal. Not going into a store unless there is a sale or you have a coupon makes you frugal, and even then, using your calculator to keep on budget. Shopping at the Save-A-Lot is being frugal. Shopping what you've already got when you want to redecorate a space and using a can of spray paint to breathe new life into it is what makes you frugal. I'm proud to say that Aaron and I work hard to be sure we get the best price on everything.

I don't set foot into a store unless I know there is either a sale or I have a coupon for it. I'm not a 'crazy coupon lady' however, I see the potential in such a lifestyle and I wouldn't put it past myself to one day cross that line. However, if I am looking to go to a specific store for something, a lot of the time I will wait until there is a sale, or a coupon becomes available.

Michael's is one store that I don't go to unless I have a coupon. That is a store that I very easily get in trouble in. But the good thing is, Michael's often, very often, has coupons available online. You can pull it up on your phone, show it to the girl (or guy, but at our store it's always a girl) at the register, and she scans it right from your phone screen. I check for Michael's coupons every weekend, cause that's usually when this country girl heads to the big city. ;)

I take my Kohls coupons pretty seriously too. Date nights are also much nicer when I have a coupon at a restaurant! Pizza night? Coupon!


But, Missy has no printer. Well... I have one, but it hates me and decided it didn't want to work anymore. So I have to have coupons on my phone, or not at all.

My Mom actually turned me onto this app a while ago. I had it on my iPhone 4s but I had never opened it, not even once. When I upgraded to my 5s, one of the first apps I downloaded from the Apple App Store was "Retail Me Not." (Free)

Just prepare yourself. You will LOVE this app.

When you set up your account it asks you what stores you like to shop at the most, and it lists a ton for you to choose from. But you can also search for stores/restaurants and add them to your favorite stores. Once you have a list of stores, you can fix it in your settings to where Retail Me Not will alert you when there are any good deals in stores nearby. It will give you a happy little alert noise letting you know that you have coupons for (ex.) 12 stores nearby! It did it to me tonight! I got all excited when I heard the happy little alert!

You can also save coupons. If there is a sale coming up in a few days and you want to be sure you get your coupon, you can tap the little star to the side and save your coupon. Don't worry if you forget about it, Retail Me Not will alert you before it expires!

So what stores are available on Retail Me Not? Ha! You name it! Wal-Mart? Yup. Macy's? Uh-huh. Old Navy? You bet! Kohl's? Why yes! Bath & Body Works, Bed Bath & Beyond, Anthropologie (I've never shopped there, but it's in my favorite stores list because one day I will buy something!), Ebay, AutoZone (for muh Aaron), Etsy...  Even Amazon.com (which makes me soooo happy)! There is an "In-Store" or "Online Sale" option for every store too, which is awesome because sometimes stores offer sales online and not in the store and vice versa! Double the chance to save some cash!!

The last time Aaron and I went to Kohls, I used 3 coupons from Retail Me Not and it brought our total from around $140something to $100even. That's a big deal! It was major success on our part and we both practically skipped out of the store, because our total savings (we did take advantage of everything being on sale, but even with that the total was still at $140) were $158!! YES!!! We celebrated with milkshakes and slushes from Sonic! :)

I check retailmenot.com all the time, because if you log into your account on your computer, on your main page it will list all the deals of the day/week/etc. It helps me determine when to buy the things I want/need. 


So, go download this app and give it a whirl. Your wallet will thank you! 

Let me know in the comments, below, if you get this app and if you love it as much as I do! It's so funny, whenever we go to town, Aaron always asks me if I have any coupons on "that app thingy." And the answer is usually, always "yes!"

I am not being perked in any way by Retail Me Not. I just love this app and am sooo happy I found it! It has helped us so much with our shopping and spending!



P.S. HI JESSICA!!! :) (old college buddy who recently revealed she's a Simple Lifer!)