AARP Rewards Online Community Smart Saver Contest

[AARPTeri]

Share your best savings strategies—and what you’re saving for!

Join the AARP Rewards Community Smart Saver Contest here in the AARP Rewards Connect forum and inspire others with your favorite money-smart tips. Whether it’s a clever budgeting trick, a savvy shopping habit, or a small daily habit that adds up over time, we want to hear about it.

If you’re using the AARP Rewards program to help you save and achieve your savings goals, please share that in your post too!

By sharing your savings strategy in this thread, you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of six $100 gift cards.

How to Enter

Reply to this post and share one or more of your best money-saving tips, stories, or strategies during the Contest Entry Period of March 23, 2026, through April 19, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET on April 19, 2026. See link to Official Rules below.

Let’s help each other save smarter. Post your tip and join the conversation!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 or older. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited. Official Rules: https://community.aarp.org/t5/AARP-Rewards-Connect/AARP-Rewards-Online-Community-Smart-Saver-Contest... 

[SereneSeagull]

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[MelanieR309522]

I food prep as much as I can. I make meals and put in the freezer and have them on hand for lunch or dinner and always available. It helps control outside spending and the food is healthier.

[ChrisR324107]

We have restricted our water pressure a bit to help us use less water, which is important as our aquifer is getting low on water! We also take 2 minute showers (water on, get hair and body wet, water off and use shampoo and soap on body, then water on to rinse off). We also try to minimize wash loads by letting our bath towels dry in between uses and using the shorter wash cycle with cold water when doing laundry. These things save on water as well as electricity.

[RabbItInRed]

Learn to make your own salad dressing.  A basic vinegrette is easy and can be tailored to your taste. I do 2 parts olive oil, 1 part vinegar, often 1 part citrus juice. You can add garlic, and season as needed.  You can add mustard.  you can try other oils like sesame or seed oils and find a vinegar (red or white wine, cider, rice).  I keep a jar in the fridge to save time over the week. You can modify it from day to day.

[RabbItInRed]

get a can of whole chickpeas or bigger whole beans.  Drain them.  Air or pat them dry so they will get crispy.  When they are dry, toss them with some olive oil and spices and herbs you like and roast them at 425°F for about 20-30 minutes. 

[fran4123]

Search out the clearance items at your favorite grocery or retail store. There might not be an obvious sign for it and they may be mixed in with regular grocery items. My local grocery store has a shelving unit with clearance items 50-75% off that seems a bit hidden in a corner, there's one spot in the dairy area where refrigerated clearance items are placed, and another in the freezer aisle. While some may be products nearing expiration, a lot are items where the packaging has changed, seasonal items, and some I have no idea why they are there. I love finding surprise deals there on all kinds of name brand items. Of course, just because it's cheap doesn't mean you should buy it if you don't need it. Happy bargain hunting!

[MariaK113398]

I always head to the clearance "corner" at my local grocery stores, I've gotten some unbelievable deals on dishes, makeup, health and beauty items and food. And I agree that sometimes I don't understand why the item is reduced but yeah! It's hit or miss but I check frequently because items sell out fast.

[lj9807492]

Negotiate! If you have satellite TV, call them and ask for their Loyalty Department. Tell them how long you've been a customer, how you want to stay with them, but in these tough times your budget can only go so far. Chances are they'll give you a discount on your bill, most times for 12 months. Sometimes they'll throw in a free movie channel for a few months too. Do the same with your internet or mobile phone carrier. If you're buying a big-ticket item, like a TV or appliance, ask if they give a discount for a full, up-front payment. You won't know what they're willing to do if you don't ask. And don't forget to ask restaurants and stores if they give senior discounts. Lots of places have senior discounts, but they don't automatically give it to you anymore - you have to ask! 

[SereneSeagull]

Totally agree, @lj9807492 been doing this for years.  There’s a certain amount off leeway that the reps can go to, so asking for supervisor in a pleasant, but direct way can get you better negotiating powers higher up.  Any nasty attitude gets you shut right down, so pleasant and direct steers it.  Also price matching useful as well. It can be fun!  

Also lower apr rates on cc’s as well, but it’s gotten harder with the prime the way it’s been now.

[KathrynH745295]

Right after the Christmas holiday, i snag a few bags of red and green holiday M&M's.  I sort them into glass jars and use the red ones at Valentine's Day and the green ones at St. Patrick's day. They are on sale and you avoid paying the higher cost in Feb/Mar for those holiday bags.

[SereneSeagull]

@KathrynH745295  Thank you for sharing that!  Brilliant way to extend out the holidays and multi purpose the M&M’s!

[c401147m]

I follow a 24-hour rule before making any non-essential purchases—I give myself a full day to think it through.  Recently, I considered buying a smart TV even though my current one was perfectly fine. After waiting the 24 hours, I still wanted it, so I went ahead with the purchase.  To my surprise, it was on sale at Walmart for $50 off.  On top of that, I had $40 in AARP gift cards I’d collected through their rewards program over time.  In the end, a $200 Samsung smart TV only cost me $110!

[SereneSeagull]

Congrats on not only being a wise shopper @c401147m , by giving that impulse buy a good thought process, but also by doing so you capitalized on a sale and used your AARP gift cards.  Massive props to you on that!  I think that’s the kind of savings winner AARP. Might be looking for in this contest.  Good luck.  Great deal!

[Tynnie]

I wrote a blog post on this topic early this month...Enjoy and happy savings!

How I save money...

[CarolynP242490]

If you have a library card, you can stream movies for free w/o ads from your local library. Download the “KANOPY” app and sign up with your card. This is a public service from your library; you don’t have to pay. It includes PBS programs like Ken Burns, kids programming, short films, BBC etc. ENJOY!

[SereneSeagull]

Libby as well, yes. They are great!

[DebraM623198]

Buy your children/grandchildren a piggy bank.  They love them and help them learn to save money.

Also, AARP Rewards gift cards are a great way to save money on items you wish to buy!

[TimothyM189488]

My savings tip is to always roll interest from a CD over to the next CD (so you continually build the base amount upon which you are earning interest).  Also, using gift certificates from AARP Rewards is a great way to reduce the price of items you wish to buy.  Happy Savings!

[leotravels]

I like to do puzzles. My sister and friends and card groups also enjoy them so we share and pass them around. Also my senior center has a collection that I can drop off or borrow. Saves me from buying new puzzles.

[Memam67]

My kids tease me that I'm cheap, but I've always done this.  I save toilet paper and paper towel rolls.  When I clean my clothes dryer lint, I put then lint in the rolls.  It's a perfect fire starter, no buying those little (and expensive) lighter logs.

[dianahunter]

I don't have pets myself (10th floor apartment building, no pets allowed), but I hear dogs and cats LOVE to play with empty toilet paper rolls!

[SereneSeagull]

That’s an interesting idea.  The only thing with that I would be concerned with would be any synthetic fumes being given off in the air while burning.  But I bet it starts a mean fire!

[JamiM341038]

Take your time with purchases, is it a want or a need? That easy move could save you hundreds.

[ckeller123]

My local grocery store (Pick ‘n Save) has a fuel rewards program that I take advantage of. Generally if you do your grocery shopping on the weekend (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) you’ll earn two times the fuel points which can add up in a months time. Every bit helps especially with the price of gas these days! In addition I also have the Fetch app and you earn 25 points per receipt. Once you have enough points you can redeem for digital gift cards.

[i798107g]

Cut the Dryer Softener Sheet in half and put one half in the dryer.   

[MicheleB457560]

Max out your gift cards by double dipping.  Companies with gift cards want you to run out and buy something - don't do that.  Wait to maximize them. I put all my gift cards (from gifts, AARP, taking surveys and focus groups, etc) in a file sorted by when they expire. Then if I am going to the grocery store, gas station, Target, Home Depot, Staples, Amazon, etc, I see what is on sale that I need.  Then I use the relevant gift card on top of the savings and any points I might have earned in individual store points programs.  I reach at least 20% off, so I am reaching my goals in bringing down the cost of everyday purchases.  How much do I love it when the cash register rings up zero $!

[SereneSeagull]

I haven’t seen expiration dates on gift cards,  the ones I have don’t expire. Are gift cards having exp. dates on them now?  You’ve got a good system it sounds.

[dianahunter]

Most gift cards legally cannot expire (Federal law instituted some years ago). There ARE exceptions (like VISA or Mastercard cash gift cards or some rebate gift cards - those will have expiration dates either ON the card or somewhere in the paperwork they come with).

Also severe restrictions on "non-use" fees. Used to be  if you didn't use your gift card often enough, they'd deduct a non-use fee, thus draining the card completely if you set it aside for future use! Grrr. Fortunately, THAT is banned by Federal law now, too. Again, with limited exceptions.

[SereneSeagull]

Thanks, @dianahunter i thought they had gone for the most part.  Those Visa/Mastercard ones have those ridiculous fees attached when you buy them, so for me,  I’d give cash to someone before buying those.  Crazy that gets tacked on as it is.

[dianahunter]

Absolutely!