Hi! I’m Josh Elledge, the Chief Executive Angel of SavingsAngel.com and welcome to the SavingsAngel show! I’m podcasting to you on a breezy October day in Orlando, Florida!

I am an extremely busy consumer expert, money-saving advocate, syndicated newspaper columnist, and that guy that helps consultants go from 6-figures to 7-figure rock stars at UpMyInfluence.com if you know someone who sells to business owners. I love what I do and can’t wait to get going on today’s episode.

In order to help you save more, earn more and live more abundantly on today’s show I’ll be covering:

• The Best Savings of Fall 2021
• Financial Hookups with Shopkick
• Early Holiday Shopping Guide 2021

LINKS FROM THE PODCAST:

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Check out the Shopkick app!

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The Best Savings of Fall 2021

With autumn officially setting in, it's time to shift gears and get ready for fall savings and deals. Here are the best items to buy this fall, especially during the early part of the season. 

Plants

Plants of all shapes and sizes will be marked down in the garden sections of superstores and home improvement stores. With spring and summer ending, these retailers will be making room for their seasonal sections and clearancing any out of seasonal plants. 

Take this opportunity to spruce up your garden or add some year-round plants to decorate the interior of your home for less. 

Summer Clothing and Bathing Suits

These clothing items will only get cheaper as the year progresses, but even now you can find t-shirts and bathing suits on clearance racks. With the warmer months behind us, now is the time to get next year's summer apparel on a massive discount. Check out your favorite clothing retailers for these items. 

Mattresses and Appliances

Mattresses and appliances are typically on sale, especially during and around Labor Day weekend. If you're in need of a mattress or a new appliance, scout your local retailers for deals and promos. Typically, these sales will be extended a few days after the end of Labor Day weekend, so don't worry if the weekend has already ended. Go and see what deals are still being offered and honored. 

Décor

Summer décor will be on clearance in the coming weeks until there's nothing left, but you'll also be able to score fall clearance items over the next few weeks. Since fall items are being sold earlier and earlier each year, by the time late October rolls around, there's plenty of autumn decor items that have been put on sale or clearance. Shop later in the month or even in mid-October for decorative fall items.

Outdoor Furniture

Especially when October rolls around, outdoor furniture will be on super sale. If you want a new outdoor set up for next year, now though October is the time to look and purchase the perfect patio set featuring discounted prices. 

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Financial Hookups with Shopkick

I am always looking for new and unique ways to save money. Recently, I stumbled on something really innovative that I’m so excited to share with my SavingsAngel friends… Today, we’re talking about Shopkick. 

Shopkick is a fun and easy way to earn free gift cards through the shopping you already do. Shopkick uses currency, called “kicks”, as reward points. You can earn kicks by performing simple in-store actions like buying or scanning items, or even just for walking inside a store. You can download the app and earn kicks for every dollar spent, too. You can even hook up your payment methods in the app to earn even more rewards while you’re shopping.

The next step is redeeming your kicks for digital gift cards in the app. Shopkick offers gift cards for some of your favorite eateries and retailers, like Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Groupon, and more. With over 40 gift card options to choose from, you’ll always have variety in the savings you earn.

You can earn kicks in store and online — most Shopkickers earn one gift card weekly! My favorite way to earn kicks myself is to scan items at the stores I shop at. You just scan items in a fun scavenger hunt as you shop (which certainly made my weekly grocery run a little more fun and engaging!) The best part? This feature is 100% purchase-free. You just scan the items, earn your kicks, and choose your gift card when you’ve accumulated enough kicks! I chose an Amazon gift card my first time around. I loved how easy and seamless the experience was, and the savings I scored with the gift card were definitely worth it. 

You can’t go wrong with earning gift cards and savings for free; I loved Shopkick and I think you will too, listeners. I highly encourage you to check this out. You can earn all your kicks just by doing your regular shopping.

Download the Shopkick app today and use the code ANGEL to get your first $5 gift card for free! That’s right, I’m hooking you up again, friends. Once again, download the Shopkick app today and use the code ANGEL to get your first $5 gift card for free. 

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Early Holiday Shopping Guide 2021

It’s never too early to shop for the holidays, especially when savings are involved. Many holiday deals and sales events occur throughout November, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to save right now. Here are our tips on shopping for holiday gifts early in 2021. 

Set Your Budget Now

Always set your budget in advance so you have time to set cash aside. Make sure your overall budget is all inclusive; make sure to budget for decorations, gits, food, travel, etc. Knowing how much you can spend is going to be an important part of avoiding overbuying (which is easy to do when you’re shopping early) and keeping your finances healthy. 

Look over your finances and talk with your significant other about setting this budget and sticking to it. 

Check Outlets

Outlets, especially now, are great places to look for sought after brand name gifts. Outlets already feature discounted items and often hold frequent sales that further your savings. Start paying attention to sales announcements at outlet retailers you and your loved ones like and start grabbing up these items now. 

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for outlets, so if you take advantage of the savings opportunities now, you’ll have plenty of items to choose from (and you can avoid holiday traffic and long check out lines!)

Watch for Predatory Deals

It sounds sneaky and it is! Many retailers will begin raising the prices of their hottest items towards the holiday season so that Black Friday deals seem more enticing. Beware of deals that seem extreme or too good to be true, because they probably are. 

With deals like these, the prices the products are lowered to for savings events like Black Friday are often the same or similar prices they are sold for during slower parts of the year. Start looking for these items now and pay attention to slow but evident increases in price point. If you see this happen with something you have in mind, try to find a coupon or small sale to bring the price down again and buy it before November rolls around. 

Avoid Credit Cards

This isn’t always totally avoidable, but use credit cards with caution and scrutiny. Don’t fall for signing up for a store’s credit card to save 10% off your purchase — the savings aren’t typically worth the small hit to your credit score. 

If you are going to use a credit card, set a limit as to how much you will spend on the card. Avoid spending your entire holiday budget on credit cards and take this time a few months ahead to set cash aside rather than relying on credit cards to purchase gifts. 

Finally, if you’re going to use a credit card, spend only what you’re confident that you can repay before interest begins to accrue. 

Always Search for Coupons and Use Savings Extensions

It definitely pays to use coupons. Even if there’s no apparent sale or deal going on, search on your browser for coupon codes if you’re shopping online. Using browser extensions like Honey, Rakuten, or RetailMeNot can find you available coupons, deals, and savings opportunities within a few seconds. Take advantage of these discounts whenever you shop online. 

Handmade Gifts

This sounds obvious, but if you have a knack for arts and crafts, now is the time to plan and create! Handmade gifts can be some of the most memorable and beloved gifts of anyone’s holiday season. Making these gifts now gives you plenty of time to plan, purchase supplies on sale or during promotions, and of course, to make the gifts. You can craft items that are special and unique for your loved ones with plenty of time to spare. 

Also, don’t downplay the value of practical gifts (especially ones you make yourself!) For instance, if you knit or crochet, a blanket, scarf, or hat would make a lovely and heartfelt gift. Scrapbooks of photos and favorite memories is another great handmade option. The sky's the limit here, and with plenty of time before the holidays, start thinking about what you could make as gifts and decor.