4 tips to save money with brands like Nike and Starbucks from a TikToker who paid off $200,000 in student debt in 2 years

• Erika Kullberg made nearly $6,000 last September sharing financial advice on social media.
• Her most popular content features her "reading the fine print" to help consumers know their rights.

Erika Kullberg graduated from law school with over $200,000 in debt but paid it off in two years. Now, she's trying to help young people get ahead financially and learn their rights as consumers.

"Once I was able to pay off the debt, I promised myself that I was going to dedicate my time to teaching others how to be smarter with their money," she told Insider.

Last September, she made nearly $6,000 sharing financial advice over social media. Her most popular content features her "reading the fine print" of companies' terms and conditions to help people save money.

In one video, which has received over five million views, Kullberg explained that if a pair of Nike shoes develops a tear within two years of the shoe's manufacturing date, the company will often provide a new pair or a gift card for the same value. She's also detailed other companies that have similar policies.

In response to the Southwest Airlines chaos late last year, she made videos walking customers through what they're entitled to when they experience cancellations and delays.

For Kullberg's audience, which she says is largely between the ages of 25 and 35, tips like these are unlikely to be what provides them financial security. For long-term financial planning, she says her best advice is to "start investing, even with $10 a month," even though it can seem "overwhelming," or like something that's "only for the rich."

But with many prices still elevated and a recession potentially on the horizon, every dollar counts.

Insider compiled a list of four of Kullberg's other top tips for how "reading the fine print" can save you money. Companies' policies can change, however, and capitalizing on these tips isn't always straightforward.

Save money on Apple products

As Kullberg explained in a 2021 video, Apple offers "education pricing" for "current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels." Customers can access this by going through the company's education store.

The store currently lists a MacBook Air with M1 chip, for instance, for $899, a $100 discount from its main store.

As some savvy consumers have realized, however, Apple has largely relied on a sort of honor system at its US online store, meaning people that don't technically qualify for these discounts have been able to access them.

"If I go through this page online the discount is automatically applied," Kullberg said in the video. "I just have to check a box saying I qualify."

Roughly a year ago, Apple took steps to require additional verification, but for reasons that are unclear, the company scrapped the change only a few days later.

Getting free Starbucks refills

In a video last year, Kullberg said that if customers use a Starbucks card or the app to order a drink of any kind, they are eligible to receive "unlimited free refills on brewed coffee and tea."

Here's how Starbucks officially puts it:

"At participating stores, you can use your registered Starbucks Card or Starbucks app to purchase a beverage and then present that same Starbucks Card or Starbucks account in the app to get free refills."

This might not apply at every store, and once the customer leaves the store, they aren't eligible for further refills. Refills aren't available through the drive-thru either.

Don't get charged for late Amazon deliveries

If Amazon provides a "guaranteed delivery date" for your package, and a "delivery attempt" is not made by this date, Kullberg said the customer is entitled to a refund of their shipping fees.

Not all products provide guaranteed delivery dates, but if you order something that has one and an attempt isn't made in time, Amazon's policy says it will "refund any shipping fees" with that order.

Save money on medical bills

In a December video, Kullberg said people should ask for itemized medical bills — which hospitals are legally obligated to provide if asked — so they can ensure that they have not been charged "for something they didn't receive or being charged twice for the same thing."

She cited the Medical Billing Associates of America, which said in 2016 that it found errors in roughly 75% of the medical bills they reviewed.

Last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that three million Americans owe over $10,000 in medical debt.