RetailMeNot Canada Launch

Once again this is one of those things that Canada get’s to celebrate later, whether it be a launch of a store that the US has had for years like Target or the dozens of other US imports. For those who are interested in saving money (that’s everyone, who am I kidding) take note of the RetailMeNot Canada launch which happened recently.

RetailMeNot Canada

RetailMeNot has been in the US for quite some time and provides a great way for online shoppers to use coupon codes and save extra $’s at checkout. The site provides a variety of coupons where users can rate the coupon based on successfulness, so you aren’t trying fault coupons that don’t work. With the new Canadian launch we now have Canadian retailers added, additional deals and also a little box per retailer that says whether the company ships to Canada, works here and additional info like duties and currency preference. (see below) Make sure to check this box out, especially for US retailers like JC Penny for example, you may end up getting charged duties on your purchase.

retailmenot canada launch

How to Make the Most of RetailMeNot

The idea when buying online is first and foremost to not pay shipping, if not you might as well go to the bricks and mortar store yourself and purchase the products, try them on etc. Look for coupon codes that will let you do that, or make sure the online retailer has an offer for a spend x amount of dollars and receive free shipping. Check out Air Miles Shops (if you’re an Air Miles card holder) and see if the retailer you are buying from offers bonus miles with purchase as well. Then check out RetailMeNot and see if there are additional coupon codes that you can make use of to save more money when making your purchase.

Purchasing online 101;

  • Make sure shipping is free
  • Check out Air Miles Shops to get some additional miles
  • Find online coupons through RetailMeNot.ca
  • Make sure you aren’t being charged duties
  • Educate yourself on the return policy of the online retailer

RetailMeNot Canada-The Verdict

Personally I really like to shop online especially for birthdays and during the holiday season so I have to say I’m really happy about the launch of the Canadian version of this site. It provides an additional vehicle for savings, often has coupons for free shipping (which I think is the kicker when it comes to shopping online) and organizes information by vendor.

Unfortunately this is something that we should have had a while ago, but yes I am being a bitter Canadian again (don’t we always complain?). I’m glad that we now have a great site that has a variety of coupons that are easy to access, which in the end will help provide some additional savings when purchasing products online. As a student I really recommend you to go to RetailMeNot.ca before you make purchases, every dollar you save counts..and then you can buy some more beer.

Checkout 51: A Student’s Best Friend

I have been meaning to write a blog post on the app called Checkout 51 for a while but wanted to test it out a bit myself first. All I have to say is I give it a big thumbs up. I had previously written about Not So Extreme Couponing in the hopes of trying to find a better alternative for students when it comes to couponing or at least a less intense version. But I definitely will call Checkout 51 a student’s best friend.

So What is Checkout 51? Why should you care?

Well it’s an app for your iPhone (Google Play is currently listed as coming soon on their website) that has weekly deals that refresh every Wednesday. These savings range from $0.50 to even more than $2.00 depending on the product. And the best part of all is the fact that you don’t have to carry around coupons! Instead the savings are redeemed by taking a picture of your receipt by using the app and then selecting the products you purchased that are on sale through Checkout 51. Then some magical elves within the app will approve the credits (money back) and it will appear within your account on the app.

Checkout51

Checkout 51-Current Offers Example

Once you reach $20 in credits a cheque will be mailed to you which is a nice little amount that can help pay for your bills or whatever else you choose to do with it.

Something to remember- some weekly deals are limited in quantity and may run out before weeks end. Also all deals can only be redeemed once, which means you can’t buy 3 of the same thing on sale through Checkout 51 and save on all 3 products through 1 account.

Why is this better than standard coupons?

Personally I have even started to not like using coupons, I know it’s a shocker but it’s true. I have really begun to hate bringing my coupons with me and have often forgotten them. I really think students don’t like the idea of using paper coupons and carrying them around so Checkout 51 provides a great alternative. What’s great about this app is that you buy the products, don’t need to deal with the hassle of coupons and instead just use your iPhone to snap a pic of your receipt. The amount you save is then sent to you at a later date, which means you might just make better use of the money than if you just saved those $’s with standard coupons.

What I’ve bought so far.

  • Corn Flakes-$3.00 @ Metro and used a $2.00 Checkout 51 coupon.
  • Colgate Toothbrush-$1.00 @ NoFrills and used a $1.00 Checkout 51 coupon (woo free!)

If you want to save even more money when grocery shopping be sure to check out my post Simple and Easy Ways to Save on Groceries

Want to learn more about how to use the app in a step by step format? Check out this great post by Mrs. January called Checkout 51-The Ultimate Guide

Make sure to download Checkout51, it’s a great app, you can save some money while grocery shopping really easily and hassle-free and then get a nice cheque of at least $20. What more do you want?