How to Use Twitter to Save Money

There’s little that I like more than quick, effective ways to save money. Well, except perhaps figuring out new ways to save money that I hadn’t previously considered. As a complete nerd when it comes to technology I recently found myself daydreaming about ways to use the Internet to save money when I suddenly had an epiphany: is there any way to use the social media sites we frequent every day to spend less?

With this in mind, I’ve spent the last few weeks pouring over Twitter, looking for ways to be more frugal. After some considerable effort, I’m pleased to report that when you know what you’re doing Twitter can be a veritable goldmine of money saving opportunities. In this article I want to tell you about a few of my favorite money-saving Twitter hacks…

Competitions

There are a vast number of companies desperate to try and build up their follower numbers and improve visibility. One tried-and-tested trick of social media managers the world over is simple: just give stuff away.

Each week hundreds of competitions and giveaways happen; all you need to do is know where to look and spend a few minutes entering as many as possible. With luck you’ll soon be the proud of winner of anything from a free vacation to a brand new cappuccino machine. But how do you find these nuggets of gold in amongst all the “noise” on Twitter? The answer, my friend, is through hashtags.

For the uninitiated, a hashtag is so-called because it has a # symbol before a word or phrase. One example might be #frugality. By searching for this on Twitter you’ll bring up all sorts of recent tweets about saving money.

When it comes to competitions and giveaways I’ve been carefully testing a range of different hashtags that are worth your time. Simply consult the list that I’ve put together below, and prepare to be astonished about all the free stuff on offer to you right now…

#freebie

#winningwednesday

#winitwednesday

#winwednesday

#giveaway

#freebiefriday

#comp

#competition

#giveaways

#freebiefriday

#win

#prize

Coupon Codes

Another trick popular with companies is to offer exclusive discounts or vouchers to their followers. Once again, keeping an eye on relevant hashtags can open up a world of money-saving vouchers and coupon codes. All you need to do is search for the following hashtags on Twitter:

#voucher

#coupon

#discount

If you’re looking for discounts on something in particular then consider adding this to your search string – so as an example you might look for “hotel #coupon”.

Freecycling

Freecycling is a simple but devilishly powerful concept, popular among environmentally-conscious individuals. In short, freecycling is the concept of giving something away rather than selling it or sending it to landfill. Many areas have a local freecycling group, whose members freely give and receive items; anything from furniture to fish tanks, from bikes to bedsteads.

The process is quite simple; you just need to be the first person to hold your hand up for whatever is being given away, and then you simply go to collect it from your new best friend.

What’s more, finding these items on Twitter is simplicity itself. All you need to do is search Twitter for the #freecycle hashtag, and also include your area too for even more accurate results.

Companies You Love

Are there companies you buy from all the time? I can honestly say that 90% of my disposable income goes on just a tiny number of retailers, from grocery stores to Amazon. The thing is that their social media followers are often the first to know about new sales, discounted products, warehouse clearances and special events.

So put some thought into your most common expenses, then follow the companies you use regularly. Keep an eye on their feeds and you’ll be surprised by just how many deals will come your way.

Your Favorite Personal Finance Bloggers

Lastly, of course, many personal finance bloggers are very active on Twitter. Spend some time either visiting your favorite blogs looking for their Twitter handles, or simply search Twitter for phrases like “personal finance blogger”. Follow as many as you can you’ll build up a never-ending stream of free financial advice to enjoy wherever you happen to be.

It’s from following a whole bunch of such bloggers that I have not only gained an extensive free education on how to manage my money better, but also a non-stop source of inspiration when I’ve been tempted to deviate from my financial plan.

Have you ever used social media to help you save money? What are your top tips for spending less thanks to the Internet? Please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below; we’d love to hear from you 🙂