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So, I feel like I have been living under a rock. 

I just recently realized what I have been missing for years!!  And I bet most of you are missing out on this money saving technique, too!  I have already taken HUGE advantage of it over the last few weeks because of some big home projects we have been working on.

All right, you say, just tell you what I am talking about, right?  Here it is, super simple, but very overlooked:  purchase discount gift cards online for places you eat, shop or buy gifts at already!

What?!  That’s it?!!  

Yep!  I told you it was simple!

OK, so there is a little more to it than just that, but it is up to you whether or not you want to dive in further for extra money savings.  You know me, I have dived in with both feet, head first, dragging my husband in with me.  Here is the scoop:

There are a lot of websites you can buy discount gift cards on, and I do recommend shopping around some to get an idea of the best price for whatever one you are looking for at the time.  Big gift cards I have been looking for recently include Walmart, Lowe’s, Kmart, Groupon, Amazon, CVS, Publix and a variety of restaurants we like.  However, there are HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of companies on several sites so do not feel limited to what I am looking for; they may not be of any interest to you, but I wanted to give you an idea of ones I am buying for my personal use.

OK, so the sites you should frequent for your gift cards include Sams Club, eBay, CardPool, Raise.com and GiftCardGranny.com.  I am sure there are other sites out there, but I have to keep myself sane and this is already enough for me to shop around on, haha!  However, feel free to share a site you’ve had success with if not listed here, I am a glutton for punishment.

Raise.com is my most favorite and used site and generally buy ecards so I can print the voucher (or show the code on my phone).

So, here is where it gets more involved as far as saving additional money.  The first step is you are buying discount gift cards on those sites—some are very small percentages, but they are still savings.  The next step is for all listed except the Granny site, you are going to either use Ebates or ShopAtHome for additional cash back (sometimes it seems I can use both sites by activating Ebates extension in Chrome first, then activating the extension button for ShopAtHome second).  If you are not familiar with these sites, they give you cash back by shopping through their site or using their Chrome extension buttons.  I use Ebates most because it tends to be the easiest, but I think ShopAtHome has really improved their opportunities recently.  Back to what you’re doing with the gift cards.  On most of the aforementioned sites, you will shop through or activate these cash backsites to receive a percentage of your total purchase back.  So, not only are you saving on the discount sites for gift cards to your beloved places, but you are now receiving cash back on top of that!  BOOM!

But wait, there’s more!  Yep, dive in, I told you! 

So, after you have purchased your gift cards, whether they be digital or physical cards, you then purchase items online through their websites (this will normally not work for dining gift cards).  What is the point of shopping online?  Well, sometimes you can find coupons or promo codes for online shopping that may not be available in-store, but the main purpose is so you can use Ebates or ShopAtHome (or another cash back site if you have one you like better) to shop using your gift card.  Yes, you are pretty much double dipping legally!  You get discounts on the gift card purchase, potentially cash back on the gift card purchase AND THEN cash back on the actual store purchase!!  Woah!  I told you we have been living under a rock.

Just imagine all of the discounted stuff you’re going to be buying that you normally pay full price for; doesn’t that make you giddy?  For example, I bought a $100 gift card to Lowes on eBay for $95, plus received a couple percentage back on that purchase from both Ebates and ShopAtHome, followed by my online purchase at Lowe’s using the gift card with an additional couple percent back on that.  I was darn near, if not at, $10 savings!  That paid for my lightbulbs plus some!  Plus, on a couple of the sites (Raise.com, Ebates and ShopAtHome), you get a bonus for signing up and making a purchase.  More free money!  It is like my birthday or something, I love it!

Why not give it a shot?! Find a couple of websites you like best and save some money!!  Even if you just stop at buying discount gift cards and do not bother with the cash back sites, you are still saving!  Share your stories, favorite sites and deal ideas.