AARP Rewards Online Community Smart Saver Contest

I always ask for senior discounts, in restaurants and stores even thrift shops,
it makes a big difference,

Use your supermarket savings card app: certain days of week new digital coupons are loaded for the week.  Also on certain days of the week you can get 4x the fuel points for purchases.  These add up and you can use them for $1.00 off per gallon at participating Gas Stations affiliated with the supermarket.

 I do three things to help me save.  

 1) I save 10% of my paycheck in a special bank account. It goes there automatically so I do not even have to force myself to go to a bank to deposit.  

2) If I find an item I want to buy that is over $10, I walk about and think about it for 30 minutes to 3 days and then decide, IF i really want.  

3) When I make a purchase, any change (COINS), I get back, I put in a fish bowl and when it gets 3/4th full, I take to my bank which has a FREE coin counter. Note - the $ goes right into my account, so it is saved and I never touch the coin deposit.  

 I buy groceries that are on sale and that offer a digital coupon which allows me to save more money.

In my grocery store, there is a clearance section; I always stop by.  I have obtained full sized candy bars for Halloween at $.25 each and the expiration date wasn't until the following year.  I have also obtained baked goods (that I freeze anyway) for half off and with a rewards account I can get a personal price to which the 50% off will then apply next time.

This sounds simple, yet I don't find that many people do it. I'm committed to not wasting food. To this end, I take stock of what is in my refrigerator, if not every day, then I don't go longer than two days. It results in a clean refrigerator, but also my making use of what is there. Bonus tip: New York Times Cooking provides a way for you to put in ingredients, and they'll suggest recipes to go with them. Leftover cilantro or eggplant or even broccoli that you want to fix in a new way? Let's stop cleaning out the refrigerator after a week or a month or longer and throwing food away! 

For a few years I have been saving all my $5 dollar bills in an envelope marked MAGIC FIVE! Then once or twice a year I use it to do something fun, or to help out someone in need. The fives add up quickly, like magic!

To save, you have to have extra money. Pay debts as soon as you can (credit cards, car loans, mortgage). Then continue living on the same budget you did when you had the debt. You can then start saving.

Whenever you are looking at any service to your property ( in my case driveway replacement,)  , ask your neighbors if there are interested in the same service and the more people you have that are interested, you can negotiate better prices for all . My neighbor and I each saved $500 a piece because we had our driveways replaced at the same time, saving travel and time costs for the driveway company and saving $$ for us.

I use coupons and rewards account at every place possible. For household items to gas stations to restaurant and on and on. Credit card use to earn points or cash back and pay off them/it off monthly or more often or before a zero % interest period ends. I also use rebate apps and of course any programs like AARP rewards that I can find. I will be opening a High Yield Savings acct soon I hope. Make sure you are contributing thru your employer (when available) to the retirement acct that they match your contributions in at least to the matching amount. Combine errands and plan an efficient round trip.