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Matt Lauer and digital expert Mario Armstrong shared apps on the Today Show that save consumers time and money.

"if you're short on time or could use a little extra cash, your cellphone could hold the solution" said Lauer. Armstrong agreed, and discussed money-saving app, PoachIt.

"About 400 hours or so per year are spent online shopping... help reduce that time!"

An easy-to-download web extension, PoachIt acted as a seamless companion while Armstrong demonstrated shopping online like he normally would. Choosing Macys.com as an example, he explained that he was shopping for a coat to give his wife.

"PoachIt: this is great for saving money if you have a particular item that you're looking to buy."

"I actually shop like I normally would. I go to Macys.com, or Nordstrom.com, and if I see an item, I hit the PoachIt button. That tracks it and sends me an email alert when the price drops."

Price-tracking is only half of the solution while shopping for the best deal. Coupon codes are another great way to score additional savings. However, after testing and validating millions of coupon codes, PoachIt discovered that 80% of online codes are completely invalid.

Lauer addressed this concern: "One of the major complaints people have when they're using shopping sites is that the promotional codes don't work."

Luckily, PoachIt has invested in proprietary technology that validates coupon codes. Armstrong reiterates: "The coupon codes that show up on the site work."

The takeaway? "PoachIt.com: attract the items that you really want but at a lower price," says Armstrong.

#today show #matt lauer #mario armstrong #saving money #poachit

"There's a new way to shop for your favorite brands and save money at the same time."

PoachIt's Marketing Director, Marlena Sarunac, hit the busy streets of New York to help Raina Seitel of NBC's New York Live get a great deal on a pair of shoes she had been eyeing.

"Do your shopping online-- it's easier and it can save you money," says Seitel. Sarunac agreed, but warned that many shoppers are unaware that prices change on products they want to buy online-- much like airlines. "Something could be $40 one day at 'full-price,'-- all of a sudden, it will be $80 'full-price' the next day!" explained Sarunac.

"How do you get in there to jump on that great deal? That's where PoachIt comes into play."

After heading indoors, Seitel used PoachIt's web extension to find a Steve Madden coupon code-- saving her 20% off and even scored her free shipping. Of the best deals captured by PoachIt that day, the women noted designer heels from Neiman Marcus, originally priced at $328, marked down an astonishing 73% off to just $88.20

"You're a busy mom... You're not going to have time to monitor the price of those shoes. And that's why we're here. We're letting you know. We're doing all the work for you," said Sarunac.

"Its like a personal shopper, at your fingertips!" noted Seitel.

#shopping secrets #nbc #poachit

Katie Couric invited bargain expert Mark Ellwood to discuss his secrets for online shopping. According to Couric, more than half of Americans planned to shop online-- "to the tune of a whopping $82 billion."

"So, how do you outsmart online stores?"

Ellwood's tips included practicing shopping cart abandonment-- that is, to abandon the checkout page. Some stores will lure back would-be customers by following up via email with extra discounts or coupon codes. Another shopping savvy tip is to browse online using an Incognito browser-- without your cookies, online stores will treat you like a brand new visitor and offer enticing discounts.

"You have to beef up your browser."

Among the sites that he loves, Ellwood described shopping tool PoachIt.com as a "discount raygun."

"You click on it anytime there's an item in front of you, and that will show if there are any coupons available anywhere on the Internet."

Katie's audience, shoppers well-versed with the frustration of wading through millions of coupon codes that don't work, expressed excitement-- much to the delight of Ellwood.

"I love it! You're all like, yeaa, totally amazing!" he remarked.

#shopping secrets #katie couric #mark ellwood #poachit

5 Holiday Shopping Tips: Brought to you by PoachIt

Well howdy-ho-ho-ho friends! Whether or not your holiday shopping this season is already underway, it never hurts to flex those credit card toting muscles and shopping squats. You know what we're talkin' about, savvy shopper.

So here are some legitimately sound pieces of advice for shopping-- not just for the holidays, but any day of the year.

1. Settle into your comfiest nook and hunker down for an evening of online shopping.

The Internet, used correctly, is pretty magical. With a few zorro-like clicks of your mouse, you can compare prices, browse customer reviews, and check out product demo videos. All from the comfort of your own home, without the pressure of a pushy salesperson or competition with other shoppers. You can even use a price-tracking site (like PoachIt.com) which will allow you to access valid coupon codes right on the spot and even track products across 5,000+ online retailers. Be alerted when products you love drop in price—and you’ll never miss a sale again.

2. Do your homework. Sorry but you just gotta.

Definitely start building a list and tracking all the products you’re interested in. Monitor their prices. And compare coupon codes across merchants. You can find the exact same branded sweater across multiple merchants for different prices and different coupon codes. We often see examples where a merchant offers a product for less money but at a higher shipping cost—It truly pays to do the math.

Online retailers know that consumers love the thrill of a good deal—and they will make sure you feel great about your purchase, whether or not it’s a great price.

Also, confirm which stores have true omnichannel options—allowing you to shop online and pick-up in store. Examples include Target, Bloomingdales and Banana Republic.

3. Find your perfect online Shopping Sidekicks!

Use PoachIt to track only the price of specific products you want. This means you won’t get inundated with hundreds of sale-mails and discounts. You’ll only hear from us when a product that you’ve expressed interest in goes on sale.

Of course, you can also use PoachIt to follow merchants you love—and hear from us when they release the best coupon codes. There’s also a great community that will allow you to discover what other shoppers are tracking—you can even see what all went on sale that very day.

Another site that’s a great shopping resource is Shopstyle, fueled by Popsugar. SlickDeals really knows their stuff when it comes to Black Friday deals, and finally, following your favorite brands on Facebook and Twitter will allow you to find out about exclusive offerings reserved for their most loyal audiences.

4. No matter how tough it is, ignore limited-time only, low-priced items online like Amazon's coveted "lightning deals."

Do you really need the stuff in “lightening deals”? Flash sale sites are on the decline, as online shoppers are opting out of impulsive purchases and buyers’ remorse. See a product you like, but not ready to buy? Using a tool like PoachIt allows you to tag a product and give it some thought before splurging. We’re confident you’ll get the same great deal with just a little patience ☺

5. Don't forget about shipping

This year, “Free Shipping Day” is on Thursday, December 18th. Nearly every reputable merchant will offer free shipping in time for Christmas on that date. And trust us, when you're shopping around-- those shipping charges add up real quick.

4 Reasons why you didn't just buy that

Yup… we’ve all done it: piled up that online shopping cart full of virtual goodies and then chickened out on checking out. You’re not alone: an astonishing 75% of online shopping carts are abandoned. Read on to find out the top four reasons why you didn’t just make that online purchase.

1. Tax and Shipping:

It didn’t seem so bad when those shoes were listed at $49.99. Then Uncle Sam made his collection, the shipping charge was calculated and your sweet little flirtation with retail therapy is now giving your insula a major meltdown. The part of your brain that reacts to terrible smells, the insula is also the same area that lights up when people are shown the price tag of a product.

In fact, an increasing number of online merchants are combating this mental agitation by staggering the effects of sticker shock—conveniently calculating your sales tax before you’ve even decided to check out. Regardless, you end up retreating faster than this pup and just never make the purchase.

2. Buyer’s Remorse:

It’s that sense of regret you feel after throwing down the plastic. Buyer’s remorse stems from cognitive dissonance, a state of psychological discomfort that plagues a customer when the price, lack of purchasing power, and disappointment outweighs the actual enjoyment of using the product. Consider that shopping cart abandoned.

3. It was fun to pretend…

Kids like to dress up as superheroes, cats “hunt” colorful, jingley toys, and you really, really liked the feeling of putting that designer wear in your shopping cart. You weren’t actually going to go through with the purchase: you just had to see what it would look like in the shopping cart.

Top-of-the-line.

Shiny.

Luxurious.

…Then you close the browser.

What’s going on here? This is a great example of the many feel-good effects consumers feel while shopping, and it has nothing to do with the actual acquisition of material goods. Shopping can be a harmless fantasy that “releases mood-lifting endorphins, boosts your immune system, keeps your brain nimble, and even fulfills basic social needs” says Women’s Health. You may turn up empty-handed, but the simple act of browsing has flooded your senses, stimulated your imagination, and fulfilled the very basic need to forage your favorite online merchant. No credit card necessary.

4. The Coupon Code leak

You’re ready to check out, when you notice that gleaming empty box: Enter Coupon Code Here. The quest commences: new tabs are opened, searches are run, and your mission puts NASA to shame. You shake your fist at the Internet Gods and sometimes get so sidetracked hunting down a coupon that you never come back to finish up the purchase.

Had the merchant offered you a coupon code, would you have followed through? Studies have shown that you are significantly more likely to make your purchase when merchants displayed working coupon codes.

Don’t fret—there are online shopping tools to help you along the way. PoachIt is revolutionizing personalized savings for online shoppers by offering two options: buy and save now with validated coupon codes or track the stuff you want and save later with price alerts.

How do you know you’re getting a great deal online?

"Retail price wars online have entered a new era of speed and precision, creating a confusing landscape for shoppers in which prices leap and plummet on short notice."

When The New York Times uses the terms “leap" and “plummet" we tend to think of an acrobatic spectacle—not the relationship between retailers and their customers. However, you’re about to see that few other words capture the current phenomenon that we’re dubbing “The Price War.”

Retailers have become increasingly sophisticated at manipulating prices without us knowing about it. Here’s what’s happening: lots of big stores today are investing in sophisticated software to make price adjustments— daily. A full-priced jacket you’re considering to purchase today is a completely different “full price” tomorrow. Seriously. See price graphs below for various products tracked by PoachIt.

Best Buy:

Macys:

West Elm:

Walmart:

Bloomingdales:

and of course, Amazon:

Since the goal is to attract shoppers with competitively priced products that show up on Web searches, retailers pipe a bunch of information into algorithms, like costs, availability of inventory, sales goals and competitors’ prices. Once the essential data is plugged in, the algorithms are adjusted to establish rules on the pricing of certain products: for example, to always price a pair of shoes 5% below Saks, or to make sure some goods are priced at an average of several competitors. There are even pricing managers who manually make adjustments.

Online shoppers have been habitually savvy about where to find the lowest price, but the game is changing when. Until now, there have been no tools for everyday consumers to ensure that they’re actually getting a great deal online.

Need help figuring out whether and when that price is right? Check out PoachIt. We offer price tracking and validated coupon codes for all the places you shop.

6 Pretty Easy Ways to Save Money Online

Is there anything better than shopping online while sitting around in your snowflake-print pajamas? “Why yes, I love circling the crowded parking lot and standing in lines to checkout!” said no one. The reasons to shop online are endless: the ease of browsing diverse items from the privacy of your own home is convenience in its finest form. Here are a few ways to help you save a little more moolah—all from the convenience of your couch.

1. Show ‘em loyalty

Sign up for the newsletter, pick up their loyalty card, and start cashing in! Many stores offer coupon codes just for joining their mailing list and offer even more significant discounts if you’re their cardholder. Plus, you’ll be the first to know about all the sales—Bloomingdales is notorious for sending invitation-only sale events to their subscribers.

2. Be a tease

Put stuff in your shopping cart and then—leave it. Sophisticated merchants have invested heavily into technology that will boost their sales. One of these interesting methods is to follow up on abandoned shopping carts with something to sweeten the deal. You can expect to be lured back in with special discounts if they have your email.

3. Sample

Before you splurge for the big thing, why not order some free samples? When it comes to things like cosmetics, the dollars can quickly add up along with your unused soaps and creams that didn’t end up working out. If you love the sample, then you’ll feel better about the full-sized splurge.

4. Avoid Impulse Buys

Sometimes your credit card is just burning a hole through your pocket. Don’t be swayed by limited-time, limited-quantity deals. Be thoughtful about what you are buying and why. Not quite ready to buy? That’s fine. Use PoachIt to track that product and even get an email if the price drops!

5. Find it Used

Look beyond the simple interface of Craigslist’s services and rummage through the 100 million ads posted by 60 million users (and that’s just in the United States… a month!). Run a search for a specific product name and brand and you may just find your neighbor selling the same item for far less than retail.

6. Coupon codes

A few Zorro-like clicks with your mouse, and you’ll be knocking off the shipping and handling costs and even discovering discounts for your favorite online stores in no time. Notice that when you run a search on any big merchant and “coupon code” immediately appears in the predictive results field. Google knows you’re going to want that coupon code.

The problem with Googling for coupons is that 80% of online coupon codes don’t work. This is where PoachIt comes in, taking the luck out of the equation. Stop Googling for coupon codes here.

3 Things you Didn’t Know Your Brain Did While Shopping

Your brain? It’s hardwired to be a bag-toting, credit card waving, shameless shopaholic.

Here’s what’s happening:

1. Sex and Drug Center is turned on: When people see a product they want, say the latest MacBook, a Maserati or a pair of Manolos, the nucleus accumbens is triggered in the brain. This is the so-called “sex and money” pleasure area of the brain, and it’s activated when humans receive a reward, like money, food, and even drugs. Shopping = sexy time.

2. Something doesn’t smell right: Your sweet little flirtation with retail therapy could give your insula a major meltdown. The part of your brain that reacts to terrible smells, the insula is also the same area that lights up when people are shown the price tag of a product.

3. Math… Kind of: A major part of the purchase decision-making process is influenced by a little phenomenon called anchoring. In a world where a simple t-shirt can cost either $5 or $180, anchoring helps give you context on how much something should cost. This means a $5 t-shirt may be viewed as a low quality good. However, mark up that same shirt to $180 and suddenly we perceive an inflated sense of value. Surely this costs $180 because tree elves weaved in hugs with cotton pulled from the clouds—right?

Nope. In your mind, you’ve anchored all kinds of products with specific price points, nudging you toward an unconscious purchase decision. Need help figuring out whether that price is right? Check out PoachIt, which has save consumers over $22M to date.

Buyer Beware: The Internet is scamming you

You’re savvy. You’re in the know. You compare prices online and goshdarn it, you know you’ve just landed a great deal. With a satisfying smack, you close your laptop and stretch-- already looking forward to the delivery.

Really sorry to break it to you, but you’ve already been duped. Don’t get ripped off—use these tips:

Use a Price Tracking service

Retailers have become increasingly sophisticated at manipulating prices without us knowing about it. Here’s what’s happening: lots of big stores today are investing in sophisticated software to make price adjustments— daily. A full-priced jacket you’re considering to purchase today is a completely different “full price” tomorrow. Seriously. See the graph below of an actual pair of boots tracked by PoachIt.

(See more examples here.)

Clear your Cookies

All homepage coupons were not created equal.

Some retailers are manipulating the coupon codes found on their homepages—simply based on your cookies and the browser used to access the site.

Say what now? Yup. Here’s what’s happening:

PoachIt had three valid coupons for Old Navy (15%, 20%, and 25% off). Nothing specifically distinguished one offer from the next, so, intrigued, we visited OldNavy.com to check out the situation.

On Old Navy’s homepage, we discovered a 15% coupon. Cool.

Then we had the bright idea to open the very same homepage in another browser. This time, the homepage displayed 20% (presumably because Old Navy had no cookie information for this new browser.)

Logging onto any shopping site, the user is under the impression that the same coupon appears for everyone. Discoveries like this are a disturbing realization that the online shopping experience isn’t a level playing field for all; nor is it as empowering as many of us believe it to be.

Speaking of coupons…

Use coupon codes!

The problem with Googling for coupons is that 80% of online coupon codes don’t work. This is where PoachIt comes in, taking the luck out of the equation.

Online shoppers have been habitually savvy about where to find the lowest price, but the game is changing when to find that price. Until now, there have been no tools for everyday consumers to ensure that they’re actually getting a great deal online.

You'll never have to google for coupon codes again.

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