As consumers look to save money, creative strategies and startups emerge

A Costco membership is anything but an indulgence for Danielle Fritz: It’s part of a multifaceted strategy for stretching her budget.

“One big thing we do is buy baked goods and freeze them,” said Fritz, who estimates that she and her husband, Trevor, do “one massive Costco haul” every couple of months and go more regularly for smaller purchases.

“Their bread, bagels, and breakfast pastries are inexpensive, and we can have a month’s worth of breakfast carbs on hand thanks to our deep freeze.”

Fritz has become more mindful of food waste in recent months, using a white board to list available ingredients at home to help in meal planning.

She has learned that if she soaks strawberries in cool water with a tablespoon of white vinegar, it kills lingering bugs and makes them last longer. She no longer keeps onions and potatoes in the same cabinet, “as the onions give off gases that cause potatoes to break down faster.” And she’s more careful to watch for moisture in her storage containers.

“We definitely had some ‘lifestyle creep’ over the last couple years, and I had to take a step back and think about it,” she said.

But it turned her into a “super shopper” — who uses a combination of discipline and discounting to meet her budget. Online shopping at Aldi and Target allows her to take advantage of savings while avoid the impulse buys that can come with trips down the aisles. Shopping at online consignment sites allows her to satisfy her love of clothes.

“Most of my attire is secondhand now, and I get a lot of it new in box with tags because people buy and don’t always use the stuff they have,” she said.

“I think a lot of people have concerns about the economy and how expensive things have gotten.”

She appears to be right. In reporting this story, we asked online and received dozens of responses from Sioux Falls-area consumers rethinking their spending and finding new ways to save.

For instance, Trish Ringold won’t cash in her Fetch points until it’s time to go Christmas shopping.

The preschool teacher has used the rewards app for less than a year but already has amassed enough points that she’s assured of at least an extra $50 for holiday gifts. In the next few weeks, in fact, she expects to add $25 to that total.

It helps her budgeting, Ringold said, because while her three children are adults who live on their own, her grocery expenses have gone up. She easily could spend $400 to $500 a month if she makes two to three meals weekly beyond sandwiches or cereal, Ringold said.

So she has turned to money-saving apps. Ringold also has used the Receipt Hog app, which like Fetch requires the user to scan receipts, but she prefers Fetch.

“You scan your receipts, and it gives you points, 25 points for every receipt,” Ringold said. Fetch also has special offers, and if the user buys those items, they receive1,000 bonus points.

Users can convert their points into gift cards for sites like Amazon, Hy-Vee and Visa and at gas stations. Scanning the receipts is simple, Ringold said. Receipts for items purchased online also can be used.

“You don’t get a physical gift card; it’s all online,” she said.

Ringold learned about Fetch when she went online and asked others how they were saving money. She had considered couponing but was intrigued when someone mentioned Fetch. She also may expand her money-saving apps soon.

“My friend uses Upside, where you get cash back, so many cents per gallon of gas,” Ringold said. “If I ever remember, I do want to start using Upside, but I always forget about it. But I’m really happy with Fetch.”

When it comes to stocking up, Lindsey Babekuhl jokes that she has become her grandmother.

“I have four things of butter in my freezer,” she said, laughing. “But there was a time right after college where I really didn’t have a place to stay, and for me, budgeting everything was very thought out — and as I’ve grown older because you never know what might happen in life.”

She’s now in her late 30s and has gone from cutting coupons to using Hy-Vee’s app for push notifications alerting her to limited-time deals.

She’ll then compare among Hy-Vee, Aldi and Walmart and even occasionally shops for others as a contracted worker for Instacart “because I’m one of the weird people who actually really enjoys grocery shopping,” she said.

She tends to buy clothing at Goodwill and enjoys alerting her friends — especially single moms — when she finds especially good deals and posts them on a Facebook page for those in need of help locally.

Babekuhl also stretches her donation dollars. She sets aside $25 per paycheck to shop for the Blessing Box, a freewill offering space outside Booth 202 at 1801 W. 12th St. that’s available for anyone to access.

“I’ve seen people put shampoo and soap and spices in there because those are things that are expensive,” she said.

“If you go by the Blessing Box, there’s rarely anything in it. People stop and fill it, and within a day, it’s gone. I think it’s because everything has gone up so high in pricing.”

Saving on social media

Local entrepreneurs also are putting their own spin on digital savings platforms.

Abby Johnson-Youngquist started Savings605 with several goals.

She wanted a social media outlet that could share deals going on in the state, she wanted to share ways to save money, and she knew it was important to put a face on the ownership of local businesses.

Plus, it was 2022 and as inflation started to ramp up, Johnson-Youngquist was looking for ways that she and her friends could save money while continuing to support local businesses.

She also wanted to assure people who kept hearing that shopping small businesses is more expensive that it just isn’t true.

That was the genesis of Savings605, which shares events and deals going on in the Sioux Falls metro area and Black Hills. As a director of marketing and communication, Johnson-Youngquist was already familiar with the platforms that could promote her idea.

“I felt it was a way I could give back to others in our community,” she said.

The reaction has been positive.

“I have received messages from followers sharing thanks for making it quick and easy to know what is going on in the community with my weekend lineups. This is where I share events and deals going on in the Sioux Falls and Black Hills metros,” Johnson-Youngquist said.

“I have also received words of gratitude from business owners whose events or stories I have featured. I love being a part of our South Dakota community and am honored to share ways you can save money and support local businesses in the process.”

On Savings605, she shares Q&As with business owners in South Dakota, giving people a chance to learn how they built their business and ways they may be saving money along the way. Matt Paulson of MarketBeat talked about his cash-back credit card of choice. Steff Liston-Holtrop shared how ‘hood magazine’s activity resources can be accessed for free.

Johnson-Youngquist also lists local events going on in Sioux Falls and Rapid City each week, many of which are free or discounted to attend.

Her goals are to continue the momentum of the page on Facebook and Instagram. She works on it on the weekends with her morning coffee.

“It has been a great way to meet and share the stories of our local business owners, ways they save money and all the creative deals and events they put on,” said Johnson-Youngquist, who is married with two young children. “I understand the importance of making your dollar go further when you are paying for child care, groceries and fuel.”

Here are some ways to save money that Johnson-Youngquist recommends:

• Credit cards

If you feel comfortable using credit cards without overspending, utilize cards with no annual fee and 2 percent cash back on everything. Some cards may have the option of adding bonuses when at certain restaurants, retail or fuel locations.

Johnson-Youngquist has two credit cards. One gives her higher points for travel, and the other has a good cash-back option. “When I feel the pinch of inflation, I utilize my cash-back card more,” she said.

She is a fan of Chase Freedom Unlimited, which has 3 percent back on dining and 1.5 percent on everything else, as well as cash-back offers — some up to 15 percent — on select businesses on its app’s benefits page.

“When I am shopping, I do not factor in the cash-back percentage I will receive. I believe in having a mindset of the cash back being a bonus when you pay your bill,” Johnson-Youngquist said. “I have autopay turned on as well as SMS (short message service) notifications, so I am aware of how much I am spending.”

• Apps

“There are so many wonderful apps to use to get additional cash back,” Johnson-Youngquist said.

Someone buying name-brand groceries might prefer to scan the receipts using Fetch. While it can use the information to gain insight into consumer trends, the user will get cash back in the form of gift cards.

“Upside is also an option,” Johnson-Youngquist said. “You can preview the fuel prices in your city and then see where it is cheapest to fill while utilizing the app’s fuel cash-back option as well.”

• Pages to follow

If you have a business you shop at frequently, there is a chance it has a VIP or Insiders page. These pages are a great way to learn about upcoming sales or deals, Johnson-Youngquist said. Some even will post their clearance items to the page as well.

• Review subscriptions and app purchases

“In today’s day and age, there are so many subscription services and apps that you may have utilized at one point,” Johnson-Youngquist said. “If you are not currently using it, then review or cancel the subscription.”

• Finally

If you feel called to thank a business, she recommends providing it a positive review on your search engine of choice or social media pages. “You may not realize that it provides them credibility on those platforms to reach higher in search results. It is a free act that you can do to give back to them,” Johnson-Youngquist said.

A local app

The Big Deal, Chris Ray said, is a big deal. The first-of-its-kind app in Sioux Falls offers coupons for restaurants and businesses that all are locally owned. No big-box stores at all. Instead, it’s a way to shop locally and support friends and neighbors in businesses.

Ray, who lives in Brandon, focused on The Big Deal app full time for a few months. Now, he is keeping it going while working as a mortgage banker.

The idea came to him based on his own experiences as a husband and father to four children.

“We’re constantly looking for coupons, and it struck me that there should be a centralized location for deals,” Ray said.

The problem with clipping coupons? Too often after they’re clipped out, they’re stuck in a junk drawer and forgotten. A phone app is always handy, Ray said.

The Big Deal app can be downloaded from the Apple or Android app stores merely by creating an account with an email address. One example of the deals offered comes from The Dive restaurant: Buy two entrees, and receive a free appetizer, Ray said. Other businesses currently offering deals include WilLiquors, Rough Cut Social, Wagoo Burger and Crack’d Pot Restaurant.

New businesses can be added weekly, as well as coupons and deals changing for current businesses.

“It’s important to check the app frequently for new deals,” Ray said.

Ray enjoys talking with the business owners and managers he meets through The Big Deal. He knows how important it is to them to expand their customer base. He also looked up statistics on who uses coupons and how often, and learned that no matter what their income bracket is people are not immune to the allure of saving money.

Currently, The Big Deal has 800 followers on Facebook, and Ray offers giveaways on that page. App downloads now number more than 400.

“I wish obviously it would take off faster, but I don’t have a huge budget that I can advertise with,” he said. He plans to promote it more in the future, and the goal is to get the downloads into the thousands.

Once Ray has established the app in Sioux Falls, he expects to expand it to communities within an hour’s drive of Sioux Falls such as Brookings or Worthington, Minnesota. That way, people taking a day trip or attending a sporting event in another city can still use The Big Deal to save money.

The Big Deal’s main attraction is its convenience, Ray said.

“A lot of times when my wife texts me or calls me after work about what to have for dinner, we go back and forth,” he said. “Now, we can pull up the app and see the options. It’s super-convenient.”

The app is free and does not require a subscription. Ray can be reached through The Big Deal Facebook page or at [email protected].

A year of savings

When the Big Soo Coupon Book was released late this summer, it marked the 28th year of publication and over $1 million in donations to charitable causes.

The coupon book hasn’t waned in popularity either. This year’s book has more pages than any other year in its history save one.

The purpose is threefold:

1. To create foot traffic and send customers to local businesses.
2. To aid in fundraising for groups such as schools, sports teams and nonprofits.
3. To contribute to the local economy by eating out or using simple services such as car washes, window cleaning or massage therapy.

A spokesperson for the Big Sioux Coupon Book called it “the bible of things to do and places to eat.”  The restaurant section is the largest in the book, while the entertainment section has expanded in recent years.

Fundraising groups receive the books in mid-July every year, and they go on sale Aug. 1. The books can be used through the next 13 months. It covers the Sioux Falls metro area, including small towns. This year, the Big Soo Coupon Book added South Dakota State University and Brookings.

“It’s a way to help out students with budgets,” the spokesperson said.

Despite living in a digital age, the comfort of clipping coupons or paging through a hard-copy book still has its supporters. The spokesperson said it’s a good way to learn about new businesses, especially those that are bringing in activities such as aerial or bungee workouts and ninja courses. And all the familiar favorites are there such as Wild Water West, the Sioux Falls Canaries and Thunder Road.

The Big Soo Coupon Book offers a free first ad to new businesses or student-owned business. Outsplash My Ride, a detailing business started by a Harrisburg High School student, can be found in the current book.

Businesses also benefit from ”free flips,” people who pick up the coupon book and flip through it. Those who do buy the book can recoup their $42 investment with only two or three coupons, the spokesperson said. For example, this year’s book offers $95.70 worth of totally free premium car washes with the purchase of at least 8 gallons of gas.

”It’s an example of where every little bit helps,” the spokesperson said. “You can use that on something else you are looking to purchase.”

Roughly, about $12,500 was returned last year to schools, fundraisers and nonprofits. Over the years, $1.6 million has been donated.

The books are available at local retailers such as Lewis Drug and Get-N-Go convenience stores.

More suggestions

Pigeon605 asked readers to share how they’re saving money. Here are some of the responses:

• Ibotta for coupons. I also practice food preservation since it is difficult to cook for one. Canning, dehydrating, freezing. I make my own mixes and vacuum seal them along with other dry goods, rather than buying prepackaged convenience foods.
• I went all summer without air conditioning. Spent time outside in the shade instead when home.
• I use Rakuten. I compare prices on everything, especially travel. I also am a bit of a maniac. I find travel packages and then compare side by side if I purchase separately and often this is cheaper.
• Groceries at Fair Market.
• Learn how to coupon. Utilize stores apps and digital coupons such as Dollar General, Walgreens or Target for example. Also, utilize rebate apps such as Ibotta or Fetch rewards.
• Neighbors sharing fall harvest happening in Brandon and I love it!
• I don’t have tips for purchases but meal sharing with our neighbors works well!
• The Upside app. It gives you cash back on gas.
• With holidays, I love a good Black Friday deal, or signing up to be a member at places to get points back and deals.