By RONDA GREGORY
News & Journal Staff Writer
Two Shinnston women say they have just the thing for people to use to shop and save money … for free … just in time for all their holiday gift purchases.
Mary Martin and Melissa Hardesty said they want to share a new mobile app — Paid2Save — that offers local-to-global deals at 10 percent to 100 percent discounts on a variety of consumer items – products, foods and services. The deals are exclusive to the app and are location specific to the user, Martin said.
“You can get deals from participating local merchants or from big box retailers, such as Target, Best Buy, Sears and Walgreen’s,” she said. “You can even use when traveling.”
Martin said she and Hardesty are extremely excited to share this with folks to help them use their shopping, recreation and leisure dollars wisely.
“I’m all about saving money and helping others to save money,” Martin said.
Both said the app is user-friendly, even for people not very computer savvy.
“You just download the app from your smart phone, enter the referral ID number and the app is ready to use,” Hardesty said. “You’ll get an email with your own ID to share to be able to receive even more benefits. And the message will take you to the main site and show you what else Paid2Save has to offer you.”
They said they’re glad to help with technical and user details if a customer needs it.
The app is perfect for fun outings, Martin said. In fact, the women used theirs on a recent trip to Red Lobster in Parkersburg.
“We used the app the other night and got a free dessert,” she said smiling. “I got the Chocolate Wave.”
In addition to saving dollars and cents, using the app eliminates tedious coupon clipping and reduces fumbling with all those little pieces of paper at the counter, Martin said.
“Couponing is something they’ve been doing anyway, so why not have them all in one place and be organized?,” she said.
In addition to their dedication to their Paid2Save business, both are so involved and busy with their other jobs and enterprises, they said they are true entrepreneurs and have dubbed themselves the “powergurls” – a name they proudly yelled in unison. (Yes, it’s spelled that way.)
Martin owns Mary’s Hair Care and Fitness Center in Shinnston and Hardesty works for the U.S. Department of Justice. Friends for years and family by marriage, together they own Little Daizy’s Clothing, a children’s boutique-inspired clothing shop, located at the hair salon, which features vintage and custom-made items at affordable prices, they said.
Even with all these other endeavors, they are exploring and learning the many business practices and opportunities of multi-marketing, they said.
Melissa added, “We want to pay it forward and show others how to do the same and jump start their business, make money and save money.”
Paid2Save is not only for customers, Hardesty said. Merchants, too, can benefit from the new app.
“Merchants can join and get their own particular app for free,” she said. “They’re only charged when it’s used, and they control all aspects of the sale – from its duration to the discount offered. They make money from Paid2Save customer use.”
In addition to customers and merchants, there are also opportunities for partnership involvement, they said.
“We’d love to talk to anyone interested in participating in whatever way works best for them,” Martin said. “We’re very eager to have them on board with us and help develop the app for them.”
To learn more about Paid2Save, contact Martin at (304) 669-0893; email to powergurls777@gmail.com.
“We’re a work-in-progress,” Martin said. “Melissa has her qualities, and I have my qualities. We join them together to make the Powergurls.”
