I've been recommending this site to others, and it's easier to just show people how it works here.
Hope this helps! ~ Tracy
HOW THIS PROGRAM WORKS:
SavingStar is an online program where you "register" your store savings cards online and save money on products you'd buy anyway.
Yes, this is legit!
For each purchase, you'll receive a credit (see below). You can cash out when your credits reach $5.00 (in no time at all).
You can "cash out" by selecting a PayPal payment or (my favorite) Amazon.com gift certificates.
Particpating stores vary by area, but I can tell you that major stores participate (as long as they offer savings cards. Stores like Wal-Mart or Target do not particpate because they have no way to track purchases via a savings card).
If you're local, it's just Food Lion and CVS for now. In other areas (Pittsburgh, for example, participating stores include Giant Eagle, Rite Aid and more).
SIGNING UP:
Visit the site by clicking on any of the banners on this page -- or simply click "Click Here" (below). The new page will open in a separate browser window.
Create an account (they just need your name and email address - and they will not SPAM you).
They do not need your phone number or mailing address.
They do not need (nor will they ask for) a credit card number, etc.
All they need are the numbers on the back of your store cards.
Below is what my own personal screen looks like:
USING THE SITE:
Once on the site, you simply find items you're planning on buying anyway and click "I WANT THIS" on those items.
NOTE: These are one-time-use-only coupons. For example, I bought a bag of Cat Chow and got credit for it already. If I buy additional bags of Cat Chow, I will not get credit for those.
GETTING CREDIT FOR BUYING THOSE ITEMS:
Simply buy those items at the same stores where you have the savings cards you just registered (it doesn't matter which store). Typically you have up to the end of each month to make these purchases.
Your SavingStar account is credited as soon as the store reports that you've purchased the item (Some stores have given me credit within days. One store took three weeks to credit me - but I did get the credit!)
You will NOT see any credit at the register or on your store receipt - only online. Cashiers will not be able to give you information on your SavingStar account. This program is not run by the stores -- the stores have merely agreed to particpate in the program.
As you can see, I already got credit for the cat food purchase as well as one for egg noodles!
Even if you forget to check the site, they'll email you each time your account is credited (but, again, you will not hear from them otherwise - they don't send SPAM).
HOW TO CASH OUT:
Once your credits reach $5, you can cash out or allow your funds to accumulate. Below is a screen shot of my progress this month (I already cashed out for last month).
CHOOSING YOUR PAYOUT:
Any time your account reaches $5 or more, you can cash out by requesting a PayPal payment, a bank deposit or (again, my favorite), an Amazon.com gift certificate (these are emailed to you). This was my first payout screen:
The Amazon.com code arrived within 24 hours and I already added it to my Amazon.com account. These codes take a year or so to expire so think -- money towards Christmas presents - or save up for that magazine you can't justify spending money on. Personally? My first $120 or so will go towards buying a Kindle.
WHAT REALLY SOLD ME ON THIS PROGRAM:
You get credit for making purchases, but you can also use manufacturer's coupons for the same purchases.
For example, I bought a DiGiorno pizza on sale for $4.99, used a $2.00 off manufacturer's coupon at checkout and SavingStar also gave me $1.00 in credit for the same purchase.
After all of that, a $6.99 pizza ended up being $1.99.
They have apps for Android and for iPhone so if you're in a store thinking whether or not to buy an item, you can check SavingStar to see if it's on the site, and get credit for buying that item right there.
SavingStar typically offers new online coupons at the beginning of the month, but they also add coupons here and there throughout the month, so it's worth it to check in at least once a week!
Sign up by clicking on any of the banners or links on the site
(including the one below!)
Link will open in a new tab or window so you can still have this page open for reference!
Note: This is a personal how-to page and not created by or managed by SavingStar. ~ Tracy
