SmartyPig

Many consumers enjoy the lines, crowds and bargain hunting that accompany Black Friday. They aren’t shopping to get it over and done with; they’re shopping for the thrill of getting a great deal. And two of the world’s largest retailers on and offline, Amazon and Wal-Mart are guaranteeing to get you that deal, stating they’ll price match any competitor this holiday season – even each other.

At SmartyPig, we take deals like these even further.

Not only will Amazon.com give you a great deal, SmartyPig can get you cash back at Amazon, TOO, making the great deal an even better one. And that cash back, as this SmartyPig customer will attest, can go a long way. Using your savings goal and an Amazon e-code to quickly get what you want without the pain of credit card debt at SmartyPig gets you the best deal possible online and quite possibly a gift for yourself, as well!

Wishing you successful saving and holiday shopping!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig’s Media Mad Woman
SFoss@SmartyPig.com

Five days until holiday shopping begins in earnest. If that raises your anxiety level, take comfort in the fact that shopping online is easier than ever and that more than half of your fellow Americans will be doing it. And many are taking the ease of holiday shopping even one step further with this year’s hottest item: the gift card. The National Retail Federation notes that 77% of all shoppers will buy at least one this year.

SmartyPig’s Retailer Gift Card Program lets you choose from a wide list that includes favorites like, Macy’s, Amazon and the Gap so that your loved ones can select their own gifts. Best of all: It pays YOU cash back of up to 14% just for shopping online and giving others the opportunity to pick what they want most. You can even send a friend or family member the Gift of Savings with a SmartyPig  gift card in denominations of $25, $50, $100 and $500 right to their inbox so that they can begin saving up for their goals just like you.

Wishing you a safe and successful start to your shopping season!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig’s Media Mad Woman
SFoss@SmartyPig.com

Forty percent of families will change their Thanksgiving plans for economic reasons this year. But with careful financial planning, this holiday season can be as great as any. And SmartyPig is here to help. We recently read about one user, who began her $750 holiday goal last March. She deposited less than $20 a week and reached her goal this November. She earned a great interest rate for nine months and can cash out her savings with a gift card from merchants Macy’s or Amazon and receive up to 14% cash back to really make her money go further. Best of all: she, and thousands like her, can now shop for the holidays without debt or guilt.

You can, too. And while you might not have the head start Lori had, you can take advantage of smoking deals using SmartyPig to turn a small amount of cash in your pocket into big bucks. Just start a short-term goal today, close it out when your deposit clears, and put that money on gift cards from top retailers, travel companies and restaurants to earn HUGE cash back when it’s time to shop – or any time of the year.

Now that’s something to be thankful for!

Wishing Lori and all of you successful savers a happy holiday shopping season!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig’s Media Mad Woman
SFoss@SmartyPig.com

Entities like AAA project 42.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the five-day Thanksgiving holiday period, up 11% from last year, creating long lines at airports and intense traffic on the road. Making things even more challenging is that fact that heading out to see friends and family is as costly an endeavor as ever.

And while it might be tough to start figuring out how to save up for this Turkey Day, Christmas, Spring Break and Summer vacation are all just around the corner. And taking advantage of SmartyPig’s industry leading interest rate and up to 10% cash back from merchants like Travelocity, Marriott and American Airlines can provide you with FREE money at any time you need it. We’ve also added many new restaurants to our list of merchant partners with Starbucks, Applebee’s, Chili’s and many others to help stretch your  family’s dining out dollars while you’re on the road.

So start saving for your future travel today, and also make sure to put money into a short-term SmartyPig goal for what you’re planning to buy over the holiday season. It’s free money at a time when American families need it most.

Wishing you successful saving and holiday traveling!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig’s Media Mad Woman
SFoss@SmartyPig.com

Consumers deserve a collective pat on the back. Household debt continues to shrink – down .9% in the third quarter – due to tightening in credit card standards and, more importantly, general changes in saving behavior. Americans are looking for new solutions to their money problems. And they continue to borrow less and pay off more while looking for the best way to stretch their dollars.

SmartyPig offers one of the most competitive interest rates around and cash back of up to 14% at retailers (check out who we’ve recently added) like Macy’s, Travelocity and Amazon to extend those savings dollars even further when it’s time to cash out for holiday shopping, a much needed vacation or retailer cards as gifts. Most significant: no hassle of credit card debt when you save before you spend.

Tight times call for making better choices, whether you’re saving $100 or spending $1,000. Make the best choice for your money and put it to work at SmartyPig!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig’s Media Mad Woman
SFoss@SmartyPig.com