Bargain hunters unite on Facebook

Facebook groups are a fun way to learn tricks to save money and hunt down the best deals from expert savers.

These communities of bargain hunters — they are legion — sniff out savings at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Publix, among other retailers, and post the deals so you can get them, too. Often, employees, managers and Instacart shoppers offer insider tips that will turn you into a smarter shopper. The groups are made up of fans of certain retailers and are not affiliated with with the brands.

Group members ask for recommendations on products, share hacks, coupons, promo codes and recipes, and offer master classes on how to up your savings game. Comments are a treasure trove of delights.

Most of these are closed groups, so you must ask to join and be approved. Members agree to follow posted rules.

Publix Savings 101: This group with nearly 120,000 members is hosted by Publixsavings101.com. It posts coupon match-ups with buyone-get-one-free sales, moneymaker deals and links to competitor coupons that are accepted at many Publix markets. For example, one post tells how to get Eckrich Smoked Sausage for 75 cents with a coupon.

Trader Joe’s Meal Ideas for Busy Moms: Nearly 60,000 members post recipes and product reviews. One poster asked “Having a brunch time set up - what are TJ must haves. Side note I do not cook.” One answer was a photo of a bottle of orange juice and cans of sparkling Simpler Wine (four packs are $4.99) to make mimosas.

Aldi Product Reviews & Recipes: This community of 32,000 members puts Aldi brands to the test, and posts recipes and meal planning ideas using ingredients at the value grocer. Top trick: A recent post explained how to prep 18 egg sandwiches to put in the freezer that would save $25 a week.

Couponing at Walmart & Target Brickseek Deals: The group posts the best deals found at Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target. More than 238,000 members post information about markdowns, comb clearance aisles and share deals via BrickSeek.com. Brick what? It’s a price comparison tool

that finds mark-downs and clearance items at stores by ZIP code. One member posted about how she got a $50 weighted blanked for $9.

Consumer 101 Group: The nonprofit Consumer Reports runs this group of 33,000 members who share product reviews and ask for recommendations about everything from mattresses to vacuums, air fryers and televisions. One post on hidden fees asks readers to sign up to help CR’s advocacy arm find and track fees to put an end to these surprise charges on airline and concerts tickets, and banking, hotel and cable bills.

Mom, Deals Freebies & Clearance: This group posts coupon codes and will “help you get things super cheap or even FREE” on Amazon and eBay. One deal featured a Amazon cool mist essential oil fragrance diffuser, normally $29.99, for $14.99 with a coupon code.

South Florida Buy, Sell and Trade: If you’re looking for something specific or want to unload your stuff, shop and post in this group of 24,000 members. Don’t live in South Florida? Just type in the name of your city with “buy, sell, trade” in the search bar to find groups in your area. Note: Groups and Facebook have rules about buying and selling in groups as well as prohibited content and commerce policies. For instance, you cannot buy or sell weapons, explosives or ammunition, live animals or pets. Read up.

Target Deals Clearance & Couponing: This group is more than 200,000 strong and is dedicated to deals and steals using coupons at Target because “We think Target is (kinda) like the happiest place.” One member posted a picture of assorted beauty items, with a tip: “Ask a beauty team member for a “goody” bag of samples.” Deals also can be found at Freestufffinder.com/coupons-for/ target/.

Freebie & Coupon Crazy: Of course, I have a 2,000-member page that shares deals and links to freebies and coupons. Join in the fun!