In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving last year, I was in a panic – I forgot to purchase my son’s airline tickets to come home from college.
I began searching my go-to sites for booking flights. My heart started pounding – choices were limited and costs had skyrocketed. Then I thought about the discount program available through my husband’s employer’s medical plan.
My mind was racing with thoughts of not being able to get my son home for the holiday. Trying to remember the name of the discount program and its URL would have sent me over the edge. I was so glad I had created a shortcut to the discount program’s website right at the top of my Internet homepage.
Before I had time to start beating myself up for forgetting to book the flight sooner, I logged into the discount website and did a quick search for cheap airline flights. I clicked the first option that showed up in response to my query.
My fingers literally flew across the keyboard (pun intended), as I entered preferred dates and times for travel, and chose our preferred airport. Taking a deep breath, I clicked “search” and within minutes found a flight that met all of my criteria for $200 less than what I had found at my go-to sites for airline travel. I clicked the purchase button fast and when the screen popped up showing confirmation that my purchase went through, I exhaled.
Crisis averted! And that Thanksgiving I was so grateful to look across the table and see my son sitting there thanks to my husband’s medical plan’s discount program.
Since that time, I’ve tried to make it a habit to go to the discount site. When my daughter mentioned she and a friend were going to a movie, I went on the site and found a deal for two tickets, drinks and snacks that saved about $20.
This past summer we decided to upgrade the flooring in our house. Materials alone would cost $1,800. Then, I thought about the discount program. There would be no way I could get a break on flooring, right? Wrong!
One large home improvement chain store located nearby offered 10% cash back on certain brands and products. As I did some research, the deal would not apply to the type of flooring we needed. Still, I filed this information in my mental rolodex, as my husband goes to this store several times a month.
On a few other occasions, I thought about the discount program after-the-fact. So, out of curiosity, I spent a few moments exploring if I would have saved money had I used it.
One time was when I purchased a gift for a wedding shower. I went to the couple’s wedding website, looked up the registry, and purchased an item from a high-end home goods store. After-the-fact, I went onto the discount program website and learned I could have saved 5% on the very same purchase. No, that savings wouldn’t have paid for my dream vacation to Greece, but taking advantage of savings opportunities can add up.
Another time, I went to the discount program site to search for the only brand of sneakers my son wears until they literally fall apart. I typically buy him a replacement pair when I have a coupon to a local retail store, but it was always hit or miss as to whether the sneaker and his size would be in stock.
Through the discount site, I learned I could purchase his favorite sneakers directly from the manufacturer at a lower cost. What’s more, the discount program site offered gift cards to the retailer where I had been purchasing the sneakers for 7% off. So whether I wanted to shop online or in person, there were savings to be had!
Admittedly, there are still many times I don’t think about the site when making a purchase. It’s a habit I need to work on. At the least, I have peace of mind that I’ll always be able to fly my son home from college at a reasonable price. At the most, I think if I can get into the habit of using the discount program website before any other online retail marketplace, I may be able to save more time and money. 😊
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