The one thing we'll always spend money on

Working at Coupons.com means you develop opinions about how to shop. And the longer you work here, the stronger those opinions are likely to become. You learn which retailers actually discount, which cashback rates are worth waiting for, and how to tell a real sale from a markdown that was inflated to begin with.

But it also means you develop loyalties. There are brands and products that people on our team keep coming back to, not because they're paying full price, but because they've figured out how to make the habit affordable. We asked a few team members to share the one thing they'll always spend money on, and how they make sure they're never overpaying for it.

"I will always buy adidas. Always."

Amy Zuspan, Account Director

Some brand loyalties just stick. For me, it's adidas. I've been buying their sneakers for years for my son, and at this point, the fit, the quality, and the styles are familiar enough that I genuinely have no interest in going elsewhere. It stopped being a decision a long time ago.

What I did have to figure out was how to keep buying them without feeling the full weight of retail pricing every time. 

adidas runs promotions regularly, and promo codes are almost always in circulation if you know where to check. I stack those with whatever cashback rate is available, and the savings are consistent enough that it's become second nature.

My son wears Ultraboosts, which aren't exactly the most budget-friendly shoes on the market. But between a sale price, an active promo code, and cashback, I typically save around $50 every time I buy him a pair. That's real money, and it's the reason I never feel like I'm overspending on a premium product.

"I keep coming back to Samsung for my home appliances."

JP Seral, Account Director

Samsung appliances are a significant purchase; I know that going in every time. I've looked at other brands, compared specs, read the reviews, and I personally keep landing in the same place. The ecosystem works for my home, and switching costs more in effort than it saves in price.

So instead of fighting the loyalty, I focus on controlling how I buy. Samsung doesn't discount directly all that often, but authorized retailers do, and cashback on appliances can move considerably depending on the time of year. I've learned to watch those rates and time purchases around them rather than buying on impulse.

A new refrigerator or dishwasher is never going to feel like a deal in the way a promo code on sneakers does. But between trade-in offers, seasonal retailer promotions, and our cashback rate, there's usually a way to take 10-15% off what you'd otherwise pay. For a brand I was already committed to buying, that's the kind of homework that's worth doing every single time.

"I have a thing for Brooklinen, and I've learned how to work with it."

Lindsay McIntyre, Account Manager

I discovered Brooklinen a few years ago, and it genuinely changed how I think about home goods. The quality is consistent, the designs don't feel overdone, and once you sleep on sheets that actually hold up after washing, it's hard to go back to whatever you were using before.

Brooklinen isn't a brand that offers huge discounts all the time, but they do run promotions around key moments in the year, and cashback availability through third-party platforms can close the gap considerably. I've started treating their sale windows the way some people treat flight deals. I know roughly when they're coming, I keep an eye on cashback rates in the home category, and I time my purchases to line up with both when possible.

It's the same sheet set either way. I'm just not paying full price for it.

The bigger point

Understanding how your favorite brands actually run their promotions takes the guilt out of spending. When you've done the research, found the code, and stacked the cashback, buying something you genuinely want stops feeling like a splurge. It just feels like good shopping.

That's really the idea behind what we share with our community at Coupons.com. And you can see that in the way that our team talks about combining discounts, cashback, and more in their everyday life. 

Saving money isn't about giving things up. It's about staying loyal to what you actually want, and being smart enough to never pay more than you have to for it.

The Clip is where the people behind Coupons.com get to speak plainly. No press releases. No corporate polish. Just honest stories from people who think hard every day about helping you spend less and keep more.