After ten years of browsing retailers for a living, putting together shopping guides of all kinds (like Holiday Gift Guides, ahem) and getting to know the ins and outs of online shopping, we thought it would be helpful to devote an entire episode of Spawned to all of our favorite smart money-saving tips and tricks, apps and websites that we’ve discovered work best for us.
You’ll hear lots of expert tips we’ve shared over the years with national newspapers, magazines, and on programs like The TODAY Show — plus brand new ones that you may never have considered.
Listen right now (this very second!) through the link below, or through the iTunes Podcast app if you’re on mobile, for a fun and truly helpful discussion.
And be sure to subscribe on iTunes so you never miss a new episode of Spawned with Kristen + Liz. We’re happy to keep you company, any time at all.
Links from the Show
*First, visit our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide filled with tons of exclusive discount codes, and more than 120 suggestions for great gifts under $15 for adults and gifts under $15 for kids that don’t feel like stocking stuffers.
*4 Google Chrome extensions that help you save money without doing a thing. favorite Chrome extensions to save you money without doing a thing, including the 3 we discuss on the show.
*5 Black Friday apps that help you save money all year – except maybe the actual Black Friday App.
*10 great shopping apps for the holidays to help you save money including Liz’s pick, Retail-Me-Not.
*Kristen loves the Target Cartwheel app. (Also shown above.)
*We discuss why, and here’s how to clear your browser’s cookies. (And again, Liz apologizes for using “cookie-ing” as a verb!)
*A smart alternative to the retailer warranty you’re offered at the store.
*More info on automatic extended warranties you get from American Express Cards, MasterCard and certain bank-issued credit cards like Citi Cards.
*MommyPoints: A terrific site from mom Summer Hull who knows more about saving money through smart use of loyalty reward programs, especially for travel.
This Week’s Sponsor
Our sponsor BitsBox is back this week, and if you’re doing holiday shopping for the kids in your life, definitely check them out. (Our kids loooove it.) Their affordable, engaging monthly subscription for kids teaches kids to code in a super fun way — kids get cards in the mail each month, along with fun goodies and activities all to help them create their own working apps. How cool is that?
From their digital subscription to the deluxe box (Go with the deluxe box! It’s the holidays!), BitsBox is a fun educational gift to help get kids learning typing skills, coding, and app development.
Special offer for Spawned listeners: Save 20% on any Bitsbox subscription with code COOLMOM.
Cool Picks of the Week
In response to a listener question on the show, we reminded our listeners that our cool picks of the week are never sponsored! Just the stuff we’re loving this week, whatever it may be. Hey, we love our sponsors too (yay, Bitsbox!) — but we always make it clear when we’re talking about one of them.
Liz’s Cool Pick: Among our 35 fabulous gifts that give back to 35 fabulous causes she highlights the brilliant work of The Caliber Collection. They fashion high-end bangles, bracelets and cufflinks from confiscated guns and bullet obtained by seizure or buyback programs; then use the proceeds to support local police departments as well as victims of gun violence.
Kristen’s Cool Pick: Among our ideas for the coolest personalized holidays gifts is the brand new Brave New World Designs shop from our friend, blogger, designer and parenting author Christine Koh. Each advocacy-oriented shirt dedicates 20% to a different cause, like Kristen’s favorite, this personalized unicorn tee which helps support the March of Dimes. (Find an exclusive discount on the guide as well: 10% off with code UNICORNSQUAD)
Hey — Maybe it will go well with a bottle of past cool pick: Unicorn Tears Gin!
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Thanks for so much for listening to Spawned. We love hearing from you! Drop us an email spawned@mompicksprod.wpengine.com, catch us on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #spawnedshow, and please subscribe to our podcast feed on iTunes.
