AARP Rewards Online Community Smart Saver Contest

My strategy is to Automate my savings. It assures I get paid first so that I always have a cushion in case of emergency

As a senior, I try to utilize every discount offered by stores. Not all of them advertise this as an option, so be sure to ask. BOGO sales are another great way to stock up on essentials. Publix Supermarkets usually rotates these items every 6-8 weeks, so I buy enough to last until the next time it is on sale. And, of course, I enter every contest that offers a chance to win gift cards!

#AARP Rewards #Smart Saver Contest

 I borrow books, ebooks and magazines from my library (Libby app). I also keep a envelope with cash that I contribute to with a set dollar amount each month. If I need cash, I "borrow" from myself, but have a "fee" that I have to pay back in addition to the money I "borrow", When the envelope hits a certain amount, like $500, it goes into the safe for vacation for a fun purchase.

   I save dollar bills with the letters D,

& L all year and at Christmas I have the money for presents for my daughter and her husband. I don't really miss the dollar when I get them and they do add up. I also know of friends that start saving dollars with their child's initial at birth for college

With gas prices so high, it's a great time to take public transportation.  I've got a year Transit card, and now am more diligent than ever to take a bus, train, or grab a community bicycle to get where I'm going. 

I opened up a Barclays Savings Account through AARP (link below) and earn a whopping 4% APY. I used $30,000 of my emergency fund to receive an additional $200 bonus for keeping a minimum of $30,000 in the account for 120 days. Using my emergency fund to open new bank accounts earns me around $1,000 per year (in addition to the $1,200 in interest I get from my Barclays Savings Account). Banks run new account promotions all the time. You just have to be sure to meet the requirements. (I use my calendar to track the required activity and remember to close the accounts once the requirements are met.)

Sign up for all rewards programs that give you points/money off your next purchase at places you always shop. Between my pharmacy, gas station and grocery store. I have saved hundreds of dollars and all them only require entering my phone number (after signing up). Bonus: get household family member(s) to enter your number and points add up even faster.

I like to use apps like fetch and ibotta to earn points and cash back on my grocery purchases 

Some of the ways I save big on grocery shopping, is that 1) my husband is the one who goes to the grocery store (I impulse buy; he doesn't). 2) He keeps a list on his phone (we add to it as we run out) (so we aren't buying extras that aren't needed), and 3) we always review the weekly ads from our local grocery stores (additional shopping savings, and save on gas, since shop local).

I also always used earned points to redeem gift certificates on AARP Rewards!