AARP Rewards Online Community Smart Saver Contest

I log in daily to make sure I am doing all I can to save  in every way. AARP is definitely  a wonderful source to find savings.  Rewards are an exciting way to help enhance life. Every aspect it seems is touched upon in making life better. Saving us!

We take advantage of restaurants that we frequent when they have sales, such as buy a $50 gift card, get a $25 gift card free. This is usually around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I shop the sales at three grocery stores in my area.

I also enjoy shopping the thrift stores, and even then I often take a picture of an item that I'd like to have and wait until when it comes on sale. If it's still there, I buy it. If not, I figure it wasn't meant to be.

I make use of all of the cash back apps by submitting my sales slips and getting gift cards to use when I make Amazon purchases. (Some apps have gift cards to other stores too.) I also buy gift cards for the stores that I shop at frequently to gain points on my credit cards that will lead to more gift cards or cash back. I also shop thrift stores for clothing, books and puzzles.

Make your own lunch to bring to work.  This will cost a fraction of what you’d spend on snacks and convenience foods.

Only apply for credit cards that offer cash back, make use of all cash back apps and before checking out for online purchases, check for discounts and coupons!

I make a dinner menu for the entire month. This helps me to save in several ways. I make my grocery list using the menu which helps stop impulse buying. I do not eat out unless it is on the menu and which saves money and calories. And it avoids the whole “what’s for dinner”? I also use a crockpot 

When traveling, or even when doing something new locally, take a moment to check about what discounts might be available. While some of these may not be large, these can certainly add up. The other day, I was at a bus terminal talking to a couple who reguarly come to visit my city. They were going on and on about how it was great to only spend $3 for a bus or train as they went all around the city. As I knew they would be coming back again, I asked them about the $3, and they told me that they just paid it by tapping whatever credit card they felt like when they went in. I then told them that there was a discounted rate of $1.50 for seniors and how to access it. They had been here for a week, taking 4-5 rides a day, so 60+ rides between them (which would have been  $90 savings, but it would have been even more as doing it the way would have triggered paying no more than $17.50 each weekly), would have on the surface saved them $90, but in reality their $180 expense would have been reduced to $35. What could they have done with the extra $145? This is just an example of what a few minutes of research can generate.

1) most stores’s week starts Fri 12:01AM or Sun 12:01 AM

2) sign up for store card- speciial 6discounts

3) see if store has a seniors’ day - special discounts 

4) Check store website. & Circulat. FRi or SunAM

    listi items you must have and Circular specials.

5) Group items  by Produce, meat, Bakery , dairy. Etc. it will save a lot of time when 

you get to the store aisles.

6) Try not to impulse shop!               Sam

I always admired Couponers. People buying multiples of items at their lowest prices and stockpiling them for future use. How in the world can they get so many items for an unbelievable price and sometimes free? I often pondered the idea of becoming a Couponer, and frankly, when I saw prices rising and my money dwindling, I began my mission of becoming a Couponer.

It didn’t happen overnight and I still make some mistakes, but the trick is consistency and repetition. There is a pattern of sales at the supermarkets and drug stores; soon you will notice the pattern and learn the best prices of the items you use. It’s a good idea to track these prices and buy in bulk when you see the lowest price possible. In order to use coupons today, you must download the stores app, because most coupons are now digital. Combining a coupon on a lowest-price sale item is the ultimate goal of couponing.

The internet is full of Couponers and their “brags”. The best way to start couponing, is imitating them. They are easy to find on Youtube, and after awhile, you will move from novice to expert.

Another thing you will need to do, is download rebate apps, like Fetch and Ibotta. They will give you rebates for your purchases, and after you for accumulate enough points, you can cash out for gift cards. The gift cards include stores you already shop at, like Walmart.

I know it sounds overwhelming at first, but it becomes second nature, it’s fun and you save so much money. I am a Couponer!