Most people will order a pizza, whether it be Pizza Hut, Domino’s or Eagle Boys and simply pay full price. The trick however is to grab a coupon from one of the many voucher websites and quote the voucher to them when ordering. These vouchers float around the internet and have a huge success rate.

Below are some tips for saving money on your next takeaway from one of the major pizza franchises.

Dominos Vouchers

Vouchers to use on dominos.com.au are readily available. We suggest searching the website RetailMeNot.com or something similar. These websites will have a list of regular vouchers and coupons that are used frequently and list their success rates.

Another trick is to search for Dominos vouchers by looking up the alternate spelling that some people use. Many coupon websites spell Dominos pizza differently and often misspell the name by writing dominoes online.

So to save a quick buck, do a search for both versions of the spelling and hunt down your dominos pizza vouchers to save a bucket on your next order. PS: They are also referred to as Dominos pizza codes.

Pizza Hut Vouchers

Pizza Hut do far less in the field of coupons and vouchers. Pizza Hut coupons can be harder to come by though they do still exist. Search RetailMeNot.com for what vouchers they may have. The last time I used a coupon for Pizza Hut it was expired although did still get honoured by the person taking my order over the phone.

If you are going to order from pizzahut.com.au – be sure however to do a Google search for exclusive online ordering vouchers just in case.

Eagle Boys Vouchers

As Eagle Boys becomes bigger in Australia, so does the hunt for Eagle Boys vouchers. If you are wanting to save some money, do a quick search as the coupons are often listed but not as visible as the likes of Dominos or Pizza Hut.

Quick final tips to save money on your pizza order

• Always search for coupons and vouchers before ordering.
• Even if the coupon or voucher is expired, ask the operator if they will honour it. They often will.
• Weigh up whether you should order online or order by phone depending on the coupon you find.

But do you actually save money by using Spreets?

Yes they offer discounts on certain items, though I personally am unable to find a deal that has really struck a cord with me. I am a guy and the thought of saving money on my next facial or spa treatment is like implementing a strategy to burn my money so that I never am able to spend it – doesn’t really make sense.

Spreets do have good deals I’ll admit

But this group buying phenomenon is just reinventing the wheel of something we have for years tried to help stop. Window shopping. Yes the item may be cheaper, but do you really ned it? Were you really going to buy that spa treatment the following week at full price? The answer is often no.

How Spreets can be good for the money savers

The way I see Spreets and other daily deal websites working to our advantage is by offering us a place to buy gifts or presents for others. For instance, If I saw a spa treatment that would be a great present around Christmas, I might buy it for a friend. The catch is ensuring my friend or relative could actually use it – as I would be paying with my name and credit card.

The warning signs of deal a day websites like Spreets

I think we should all be very wary of these websites. They are great to an extent, making competitive markets for certain products, but what I would really like to see is these websites offering products and services that are not as much ‘self actualised’ items, e.g. things that would be GOOD but not REQUIRED.

If we saw a deal that offered us a yearly CityRail pass for 30% off – THAT would get my attention.

I believe it is truly a great way to save money, if you actually need the product on offer (See my previous thoughts on group buying websites here).

So we must say welcome to Dell, Australia’s leading online computer retailer for entering into the group buying market. Exciting for me, as I am a bit sick of seeing daily spa specials and waxing discounts on all of the other daily deal websites – (I am uncertain if I could even wax my beard off?).

What is Dell Swarm?

Essentially it is a group buying website.

This is Dell’s way of entering into the growing market of group buying. Great way for Dell to clear stock, push certain products and generally sell higher volumes of products at lower margins.

How does Dell Swarm work?

A single product is listed and if enough people pledge to buy the product, a huge discount is applied. Simple.

Once enough people tip the product live, Dell will send you a coupon that entitles you to a discounted priced as agreed upon in The Swarm.

Is Dell Swarm a money saver or money waster?

Well a little bit of both. The way these websites make money is by normally having a product at prices that fit into the ‘low consideration’ bracket. E.g. If you have an old computer mouse, see Dell Swarm has a new and improved wireless mouse for only $22 – odds are many users will buy it. Small money, great product, why not?

The problem here lies with the concept of impulse buying. Yes it is a bargain, though is it really necessary? I won’t rant on, though definitely something you should ask yourself before buying anything from a group buying website.

Visit Dell Swarm.

PS: Join Dell Swarm just in case

Like a lot of these websites, I suggest you join Dell Swarms ‘Swarm Alerts’. Just in case something you really need pops up, you will get an email. Don’t want to be about to buy something only to find out it was on Dell Swarm a day before.

This deal might be a dinner for two at 50% off, perhaps even a spa day normally valued at $200 for the small fee of $30.

Sounds fantastic doesn’t it? Sometimes the offers are truly amazing and really do save you good money, though we look a little deeper into this business model and why it isn’t as great as it is made out to be.

Money saver or money waster? We want you to be the judge

Some examples of ‘deal a day’ websites include:

• Cudo (www.cudo.com.au)
• Catch of the Day (www.catchoftheday.com.au)
• Ouffer (www.ouffer.com)
• Our Deal (www.ourdeal.com.au)
• Spreets (www.spreets.com.au)

So, how does it ‘propose’ to save you money?

The idea is simple. If enough people purchase the daily deal, it will unlock a reduced cost for everyone. For instance, a day at the spa could be reduced by 70%, giving you the notion you are getting a super deal.

This does sound like a good and easy way to save money, though there are a few things you must consider.

Do you really need it?

Regardless of whether it is a good deal or not, were you really in the market for a spa day or massage? It is impulse buying at its finest, covered with the notion of a super great deal and price.

Stop and think ‘do I really need this?’. Don’t ever let a discounted price draw you in, be smarter than that and take note of whether what you are about to buy is neccasary and needed.

They aren’t giving you this deal because they are nice people

It’s a marketing technique. They sell these deals to be used on ‘special days’ – these days are normally week days, aka the times when they struggle to get business.

Every retail front has its quiet days, if you are purchasing a deal through one of these websites, odds are you are buying your place in this down time where even $1 would be better than nothing.

The only time I think it saves you money

Is when you truly were going to buy that item, dinner, spa or whatever it may be in the coming week. For instance, one of the websites last week had a Blow Dry Bar coupon for sale, offering half price services.

We knew someone who ACTUALLY needed their hair done for a wedding and in turn bought one. In this instance, they did actually pocket a solid saving and got a great deal.

So, are deal a day websites money savers OR money wasters?

You be the judge and tell us your thoughts below.

This is all a long-winded explanation of why I ignore the back of my Coles receipt. But bias was put aside when I conducted another of my famous Scientific and Empirically Flawless Experiments.

The results are below:

The Great Back of Receipt Savings Experiment

Aim

To ascertain whether the coupons on the back of a receipt can save you money

Hypothesis

In a word, no. I felt that the coupons on the back of a receipt were merely advertising with a pretty (but useless) discount tacked to the front.

Method

1) Take one receipt from an ordinary purchase. In this case, it was a receipt from the emergency run to the shops for essentials- milk, bread and apples (and doughnuts, but that was accidental and deeply regretted)
2) Analyse the savings on each of the advertisements. Would I use them? Would they save me money?

Results

• Coupon #1: A coupon from Bing Lee, this offered 15 cents on digital prints while you wait. A good deal? I thought so. On further inspection, however, it was revealed that this deal was only valid in the Alexandria and Marrickville stores. Cost analysis of the income lost in travelling to Marrickville and the bus fare (especially considering all my photos are on Facebook and not printed anyway) proved this to be a coupon I would not use. Rating: 5/10. Not something I could use, but valuable for people in Alexandria or Marrickville.
• Coupon #2: An ad for Hot Dockets website. Dismissed from research as outside of research scope.
• Coupon #3: 5 nights at the Gold Coast, with 2 nights free, for $299. Included half price dinner coupons at three restaurants. Rating: 2/10. Sadly, this has a lot to do with my suspicions, namely that I would never trust a ‘2 nights for free’ kind of hotel. Compared with the cost of staying in a private room at a hostel, this deal was not a saving measure, especially when it was only valid until the 30th of November.
• Coupon #4: A free meal. The usual ‘purchase one meal and get your second meal free’. I was skeptical, I freely admitted it. Then I saw where it was. The Empire Hotel in Annandale. A place I frequent regularly. I could eat there for half price, and it was already cheap to begin with. Rating: 9/10. This is a coupon I could (and did) use. It saved me ten dollars, for which I will be eternally thankful.

The overall result? A quick run to the shop saved me ten dollars. Coupons on the back of a receipt are usually time-specific and very inflexible, but they’re worth keeping an eye on. They’re often from locally based businesses, and you might find one of your favourite places is offering a discount. I’ll certainly be paying more attention from now on.

Do you use the back of your receipt to save you money?

It’s not that coupons don’t exist in Australia. It’s just that they are not ingrained in the consumer experience as they are in the USA. Research by RetailMeNot.com found that the use of coupons was increasing significantly, especially among the higher socioeconomic bracket.

With such increases in demand, the supply improves. Websites such as Redplum in the United States have a highly sophisticated service where you can enter a grocery list and it will collate all the coupons you can use to get discounts off your list. Australia doesn’t have that level of sophistication in coupons websites as of yet, but here are a few of the better examples with solely Australian content:

Tjoos

The new kid on the block, Simple and basic-looking website, but with a good search function. Coupons are only available for online stores. Some of the discounts are only available on Tjoos, and the have a widget if you would offer coupons on your own blog.

Clever Coupons

A simple site where you can search via category or location.

Couponline

Again, there’s not much fancy web design happening here. This website is every basic to look at it, but provides options such as sending your coupons to your mobile. The days of clipping things out of the newspaper seem so long ago and quaint.

The only time I’ve ever really used a version of coupons is during university where I was provided with a booklet of discounts for bars around the city. We all loved our little booklets and took them with us everywhere. Which makes me wonder why we don’t consider coupons for other things, like groceries or electronics?

Maybe because coupons were not an essential part of my childhood, I never picked up the habits of using them. The thought of having to spend half an hour at the breakfast table with my grocery list and coupon booklet wasn’t very enticing. But , little did I know, the Internet has revolutionized that process, and make it much easier and time effective.

Coupons have a secondary benefit beyond the actual money saving. The Simple Dollar describes how when he uses coupons, he sticks to his shopping list. The Holy Grail of savings, sticking to your shopping list is a discipline that has to be included in any frugal plans. If you have a discount coupon for a certain amount of items, you’re much more likely to buy them and only them. You can build a shopping list around the discounts you’ll get, and Simple Dollar says he sticks to it when coupons are involved. You’re also much more likely to give purchases considered though if you’ve got to work out which coupons to use.

So I’ve started anew. I started my Saturday by searching the websites, and found a couple of coupons I can use to save a bit of money off my grocery list. I wish I had worked this out years ago, but I guess it’s never too late to start.

Do you use coupons to save money?

Although Australia is not as big into coupons as the US, we are slowly moving towards a similar model with multiple coupon sites going live.

These sites offer the user the chance to search for promotions and specials via their postcode, providing highly relevant and highly targeted coupons for local shops and major retail chains.

Online store coupons – What are the benefits?

I am not really a coupon kind of guy myself; the mere idea of searching for discounts before I go to dinner seems a tad on the cheap side. However, I am learning to put my pride aside for a moment and teaching myself to have a little look at what is available.

In fact, doing this has not only been an interesting learning curve, I have actually found some great bargains for places I visit all the time – no lifestyle change necessary!

Benefits of online coupons include;

• Plenty of places to eat, generous discounts
• Everyday retail chains we use are on these sites (Bing Lee, Harvey Norman, Blockbuster)
• The savings that can be made are substantial

How do you start looking for online coupons?

Pretty easy really, I found a number of websites that listed the dockets/coupons via searching for my local postcode.

The best coupon site I have found to date is Hot Dockets, the online leg of Shop-A-Docket – remember those dockets on the back of Coles and Woolies tickets? Yep that’s them.

The website lets you search via postcode and easily print the dockets off after you select the ones you want.

Online coupon ideas

After looking around, here are some of the good ideas I found for using these online coupons to save money on everyday things;

1. Ordering a pizza? Grab a discount.
2. Hiring a movie? Print a docket for BlockBuster.
3. Having dinner somewhere? Check for discounts. In my area I found buy 1 get 1 free deals for Indian, Thai, Chinese and more.
4. Bored? Go bowling. Lots of discounts available.
5. There are so many more options. Just have a search yourself.

Any other websites for coupons we should know about?

Share with us below via the comments field.