AARP Rewards Online Community Smart Saver Contest

I signed up with Rakuten. It is a quick and easy way to get discount and earn cash back on purchases you are already making. They offer percentages back on retail, home improvement, and many more stores. You decide if you want your earnings in the form of a check or a digital gift card. When I signed up for AARP through Rakuten I received $6.00 back. Download the app and it does most of the work for you!

 I save every $5 I get back in change. I told my husband I was doing this. (I started this in January, 2018.) By March, my daughter needed a new tire. He found one for $200. I told him I could give him $150 of it. He was so surprised. I told him I had been saving the $5 bills. We got that tire, and ever since then, he hands over all his $5 bills! It has certainly helped for summer vacation, Christmas, or any other unexpected expenditure. 

 I also use the Fetch app. I scan all my receipts, and later redeem points for gift cards. So easy!

 I strongly recommend checking out the local public library for possible discounts on community events and organizations.  For example, my city library offers substantial discounts (and in some cases, free admission!) on more than 20 popular cultural activities, including multiple museums, nature sanctuaries, historic and cultural centers, and even the aquarium and zoo!  These discounts can reduce the admission price by 50% or more,,, a great way to stretch dollars!

The very best saving tip I can share is a result of reading about four Fidelity Zero funds in the AARP magazine or Bulletin several years ago - all with zero fees.  I have a Roth 401K through my employer and a high-yield online savings account but I wanted to take any extra savings that I could and invest in a Roth IRA.  After I looked at some online reviews, I chose the Fidelity Zero Total Market Index (FZROX) fund to invest in.  It mirrors other funds in the balance of investments.  This was the best decision!  It has grown so much and I always try to add the limit based on my age to the fund each year.  I mentioned these funds to my investment agent during a call.  He asked me for the ticker symbol while telling me that ALL funds charge fees.  He then apologized to me as when he looked it up, he found out that I was right.  Thank you AARP!!!  I also have enjoyed local AARP events such as free movies at AMC theatre and lectures given by writers.  I also earn Rewards through AARP quizzes/videos and have my Apple watch and Apple Health synced to my AARP account to earn the 150 points for 5000 steps and 10000 steps.

I have added an AARP link below, which describes 2 of the 4 zero-fee Fidelity funds.

https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/zero-fee-fidelity-funds/

I also enjoy these money saving apps:

Ibotta

Fetch

Checkout 51

Amazon Shopper Panel

Merryfield

Receipt Hog

Mypoints

Upromise

KCL

Rakuten

If you ever buy flowers....Trader Joe's is the best!  Their blooms last very long and they are beautiful, long-lasting and I have several of their plants that are gorgeous.

Happy Saving!!!!!  ❤️

1.  Buy a vacuum sealer & a roll of bag material when it's on sale.  Freeze extra portions of almost anything you cook.  Instead of going out or ordering in food, this enables you to just grab a bag (with a date & description), and either make a salad or steam up some frozen vegetables and there's a meal ready really quickly.  Much healthier and more cost-effective!  2.  After ensuring your investments are low-cost & tax efficient, another financial improvement is reviewing (and perhaps canceling) subscriptions of all sorts if you can get the materials for free at the library or no longer need the products.   

1st ensure you are debt free.  Don't pay interest on debt.

For years, before I bought my 1st house, I saved all my tax refunds & any work bonuses to save up enough to buy my 1st house.

Shop competitively.  For example, I shopped around for new property insurance, and realized yesterday I can save $700 on my new policy.

Keep track of all my utilities and other survival expenditures - groceries, gas, etc.  Look for ways to reduce these, or for sanity, look at the average cost per year (PNW heating needs are high in the winter).

I love to read, fiction or non-fiction & I love my local online library for ebooks.  I've also found quite a few sources that email me free ebook lists daily.

Before leaving home, I remind myself to turn off all electronics devices.

We have our bank automatically divert a certain amount of money every month to our savings account. We budget accordingly so the savings account balance increases monthly without us even realizing it.

I buy dry tea bags and brew my own iced tea at home vs buying those jugs of presweetened stuff at the store.  The entire box of tea bags is a fraction of the price of ONE jug of premade PLUS I can customize my drink to my liking!  Add as much sweetener as you wish; add lemon and/or orange wedges or some berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries are all delish!)

I save all my loose change and deposit it into my vacation savings account along with the rebates I earn from Rakuten.  I originally used the change that accumulated over the years toward our daughters’ wedding dresses.  One more dress to go this year, but we took a nice vacation last fall to three national parks!

I also make sure to never run the tap while brushing my teeth or lathering my face morning and night.  And, I’m able to stock up on personal care products by have my my daughters order them with their store rewards.  They place the orders, and I pick up!  Between my own order and theirs, I’m good to go for many months!