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... 

[Londoner]

I take the free bus whenever I can around four different towns in my area.  I take my own bags to the grocery stores and use coupons  Try to get as many freebies as possible on AARP Rewards.

[JamiM341038]

Save my change, take it to the bank and deposit into a vacation fund, gift fund or other expenses.

[PatriciaR866765]

I put my change in a five gallon bucket so every time I get change I drop it in. Last time I had over $2000.00. Dropped that into my vacation fund.  Keep repeating 

[LeighS833303]

My tips and strategies honestly run the gamut. In one basket, there are the strategies that are more gig-like (requiring, of course, time and other steps): doing AARP activities to earn points with the chance for winning something; doing surveys with a couple companies that pay in points or gift cards or sometimes in free products to test; focus groups; and clinical trials.

I do not feel, however, that sweepstakes are generally worth my time given the tens of thousands who do them almost full-time. Even when I was doing them let's say two or three hours several days a week, the payoff was negligible, definitely not enough to justify the time and hassle.

When it is safe to do so, I dumpster-dive at my apartment and workplace. Since I work in a school, I can sometimes find still-packaged food that are thrown away, plus a good supply of pencils, folders, notebooks, and pens, etc. that they discard even when still useful. Sometimes the same goes for faculty and staff--freebies over the years from my colleagues have included plants, books, lotions, boxes of tea, peanuts and other foods, and school-branded clothing.

I seldom buy any "new" clothes or accessories, except for suits/business formal, as there are half-a-dozen local thrift shops where I can also find still-tagged, brand-new stuff, if I put in the time. I've found tagged designer jeans that cost $75 for less than $10.

Like others have suggested, I also try to use my car efficiently. It's older, but a hybrid. Not only do I go to work in it, I take my teen to school and combine as many trips as possible. 

I also make use of my (free) local library and use rewards programs at several stores. I know I am trading my privacy and shopping habits for the latter, though, so I try to do it sparingly. You can create a "junk" e-mail account [and/or social media handles] through gmail, yahoo, etc. to receive these offers or surveys, etc. so they don't clog up your personal accounts. With the library, I can sometimes get free books or magazines, plus a number of free (introductory) classes, like yoga, meditation, and writing classes or clubs.

I also try to be mindful of others in my position or worse and if I have toys, books, clothing, extra food, and the like, and I give away many items every month at work or by donating back to the thrift shops.

All these strategies have helped my family and me--and, I like to think, my community and the environment--over the years, and that all feels good!

[Samk]

grocery shopping

1) get store discount card. See if there’s  Senior’s discount day.

2) group items in shopping list by products:  Bakery, Meat, Dairy, cleaning.

saves time when you get to the grocery aisles.

3) enter essentials first, then see circular for sales items, especially for canned goods.

4) don’t buy snack size items, buy large sizes, then put small amounts in baggies.

5) everyone has some medical problems.READ THE FOOD LABELS. I need low Saturated Fats, Salt,sugar.

6) try not to Impulse Buy.

7) Pandemic taught me: You can’t have too much toilet  paper!  Or Paper Towels.Buy more whenever they’re on sale

 😎 Reward yourself with Dark Chocolate, IF it’s on sale.      Sam

[ChristineF49473]

I use rewards credit cards and pay them off each month. I use grocery store app to get digital coupons and freebies with their rewards points program. They give a coupon for free items each weekend. I purchase clearance items and sale items at the store and online retailers. I use apps to take pictures of my receipts and get free visa cards, so far $100.

[GAKKIEZ]

I annually make a claim on my heath insurance (Aetna) Health Fund account to claim reimbursement of my Medicare premium for the previous year. I do this early in the year when I get my Social Security statement. I then put that claim refund into my high yield savings account.

My health insurance states that you must use all Health Fund benefits plus $5,000.00 annually before a claim on the actual insurance is paid. So, I just keep my Health Fund low (there is always an automatic annual re-load of $1000.00 in the account for more current expenses). There is also a cap on the Health Fund that it cannot have more than $5000.00 in the fund or you will not get the annual $1000.00 deposit.

Check your health insurance to see if yours allows for Medicare premium reimbursement.

[AprilOne59]

I subscribe to my grocery stores reward programs for discounts and savings. I also use my credit cards that give rewards to purchase things I would normally pay cash for, then use the cash not used to pay the credit card off every month. Take advantage of the rewards offered in life!!

[kh6407]

Switch to Tea for your health.Go to Republic of Tea website  and peruse the teas that may help you feel better. Research the ingredients in the tea. Buy them in bulk tea bags.Sign up for the Prime Citizen Loyalty Program.

[FreesiaG198163]

There is abundance in your community!

A resouce that I discovered during the pandemic is Buy Nothing Groups on Facebook.

Items are offered freely, no strings attached, and the item owner will select a recipient.

Asking posts are also welcome in these groups.

Items can range from furniture, clothing, ho.e decor, food, pet items, cleaning supplies, and even services!

Do a goole search for Buy Nothing + (name of your city/state).

Happy sharing/saving!

[minethatbird50]

wow  . News  to me. Thanks for  info Freesia  

[PatL953666]

One of the most expensive services for family members is getting your hair cut. One reason for this is the need to have this repeated often. Most people think this is not something that is easy to do. However, it is easier than most think. There are online videos with instructions (including gender, type of hair, etc.). As long as you don't cut off too much hair (in case you make a mistake), it is worth a try to cut your or your family member's hair. As you gain skill, your family can obtain significant savings over time. 

[NicoleC203631]

My money saving tip is using cash. I then put all the change given back into a money jar.

[heydudes]

I I truly dislike paying full price. As an 18yr old I started with using coupons and rebates. Then I signed up for contests and I kept some things I won, used some as gifts, and sold other items. I hung onto the gift cards that I kept until there was a sale. If it was an online purchase I'd put it in my cart and "sit on it" for a bit. Sometimes I'd get a coupon offer in my email. And I'd sign up an account or download their app. When the time was right, I'd use a coupon, my gift cards, any rewards from their app, and purchase a discounted gift card if their was a balance. Then, I'd scan my receipt on both Fetch and Swagbucks to earn points toward future gift cards. I'd let those points build up until they had a "point sale" on a gift card and grab them when they took the least amount of points. If I ended up buying a discounted gift card, I'd always use a credit card that gave me points toward my purchase. I miss the days when local stores offered triple coupon days but I've learned to adapt with the current times. I do avoid delivery services and all their fees and tips though.

[alexbobalex]

Once I use my monthly income to pay off that month’s bills (and avoid paying late fees or credit card interest) and have maintained an adequate emergency fund account (see AARP tips for building an emergency fund), I take the excess and purchase either a top-rated high interest CD or a top rated high dividend ETF with low business fees (depending on your investing risk tolerance), instead of parking my surplus funds in a very low interest savings account. I either use the interest or dividends to put toward a gift for myself or save toward a higher end reward.

[auntiefluff]

Greetings fellow savers!  I live in a condo.  I do not receive a water bill, but collectively, each owner pays for water/sewer as part of our monthly condo fees.  We all know that water bills are not cheap!  My washer/dryer is in my half bath right next to the shower stall.  Instead of running water in the shower waiting for the warm water, I run about 30-45 seconds of water into the wash machine to hold until I do a load of wash.  I hop in the shower stall, turn on the water and I have instant hot water with no water being wasted down the drain!

My favorite way to not waste food is to freeze bananas, celery or bell peppers.  If my bananas are starting to ripen beyond the nice yellow that I like, I peel the banana and cut 1 inch slices into a container.  I like to eat a few slices of the frozen banana as a quick snack treat during the day or they may also be used in smoothies.  If the bell peppers or celery are beginning to age and I'm unable to use them soon, I wash and chop them into pieces that I can use in soups, chili or casseroles.  Place them into freezer containers/bags and use them as needed.  I hate wasting money and throwing away food is a huge waste of money.  Use everything, you'll be amazed at what you can try freezing!

Keep a running list of errands and be efficient with where you drive!  

Finally, I credit my parents and teachers with educating me about the values of money, saving, budgeting...etc.  Yes, it's not easy and you have to work at it. Be consistent.  This isn't something that you can do every now and then.  Use the savings towards something special for yourself or family.  Make it a game.  See how low you can get that utility bill! 

[la61892508]

Frozen bananas make great smoothies!

[SereneSeagull]

Frozen bananas are great to eat.  I’ll slice them put a bit of lemon juice on them to prevent browning, then put the coin-sized slices spaced on a sheet pan covered with parchment or wax paper, before freezing..  Once frozen they don’t stick together due to that, and can be placed in a freezer bag.  Agree, @auntiefluff they are great in smoothies or as a fun snack.

[CamilleS606072]

I keep a jar for loose coins and once a year I take it to a counting machine.

[db83613357]

Do every rebate no matter how small the amount is.  Remember, "A penny saved is two pence clear”.

[SereneSeagull]

I haven’t seen rebates lately, @db83613357 but I do remember cutting the UPC codes and following all of the instructions to get the money.  It was exciting getting it back in the mail I remember.  

[JohnM476741]

 I stack discounted gift cards from big box stores on sales items for an even bigger discount on items.  I watch for sales and then purchase gift cards from AARP or other gift card retailers that provide discounts on their cards.

[GAKKIEZ]

I use one of my credit cards that issues points for rewards (gift cards, etc.) to purchase cigarettes (my vice). I usually purchase 3 cartons a month so it does help with budgeting and I use the points for gift cards or a credit for the credit card payment.  At least I get something for the purchase!

[ctrouble]

Keep making car payments, put them into an interest bearing account dedicated to the next vehicle.  It took awhile, but now I buy all vehicles cash without paying any loan interest, instead I'm earning interest.

[rcraine]

Thank you

I do the same thing and purchased my las car cash also

rmaf

[la61892508]

Me too!

[cleopatrabadd]

 I am saving for a much needed family reunion. After using apps like Ancestry.com and Cri Genetics I discovered new family members and I want to travel to several of the countries I’m descended from. I’ve been saving more money by cooking at home more and eating fresh vegetables and fruits. I find that farmer’s markets are a great resource. I also take advantage of bulk buying, it can save in other areas like time and gas. I stream lined all of my subscriptions if I’m not using it, I lowered them or discontinued them. One unexpected way I save money is by making money by yard selling and thrifting. Its really a market for used items in good condition. 

[harrisheimer]

We paid off our house by applying 10% extra of our pay on top of the regular house payment. After that was paid off, we put it in a savings account earmarked for repairs and retirement. 

[GAKKIEZ]

I did the same thing and actually paid off my house 15 years early! I started looking at the monthly statements to check the balance of the principal owed. It's amazing how fast that principal was reduced when you get to the point that most of your monthly payment is going to that.  I now have a high yield savings account just for the annual taxes and insurance that I add to monthly. Don't forget to apply for the homestead exemption your state may offer for seniors or those disabled! It gives me a $37,500.00 exemption of the value that taxes are figured on.

[SereneSeagull]

Congrats on that @GAKKIEZ , that’s quite a feat.