AARP Rewards Online Community Smart Saver Contest

Besides the movies & games provided by AARP & the senior center in our city that provides a multitude of activities weekly, our nearby movie theater has discount Tuesdays. We also buy gift cards at Kroger for birthday & Christmas gifts or for stores/restaurants. Our grocery store provides 4x the points off gas for groceries purchased on certain days of the week. And don't forget to clip the store's virtual coupons. And of course we use store & restaurant apps to get discounts or free items. We use our credit card for all purchases & pay it off at the end of the month then a couple times per year we convert the cc points to money that we apply against our credit card balance. Our city provides a discount on water & property taxes for those over 65 so be sure to check with your town. I have also been able to build enough points for a couple $25 gift certificates from Fetch for scanning receipts. I think I'll look into a few others I've seen but haven't tried. 

I save certain dollar bills that have my favorite letter on them.  I have saved over $200.00 since May 2025.

I use my AARP app for finding deals on Gift cards, I use apps like Fetch and MyPoints to earn gift cards for Starbucks and we use that for occasional treats!  We also do direct deposit into our savings and maximize our 401k contributions to save for our future! 

I like to save money by freezing any extra water from boiled dry beans, or cans of vegetables. I freeze it and use it later for making soup broth.

I save money by paying my credit card bills off monthly; I never carry a balance. Saves me all that interest on my "no annual fee" credit card.

I just learned from a customer where I work: print off the gift cards that you earn for taking quizzes and gather, in order by store, in a file folder. Always carry that file folder and save your gift card coupons neatly. Makes it so much simpler for you and for the person at the cash register.

I save money by making a refreshing drink at home. Pomegranate juice is healthy but can be pricey, with the Pom brand costing around $10 a bottle, and it’s a bit strong to drink straight. Instead, I use 4C Green Tea with honey powdered mix, buying the large canister that lasts about two weeks. I make it slightly weaker by mixing four scoops into three quarts of water so it’s not overly sweet. When I pour a glass, I fill it about three-quarters with iced tea and top it off with pomegranate juice. Served ice cold on a warm day, it’s the most refreshing drink I’ve ever had. Cranberry juice is also a great substitute for pomegranate juice.

Hi.  I believe the best deal going is buying a rotisserie chicken at Sam's club or Costco.  I warm it up, and have my favorite pieces for dinner.  One night I have a chicken salad.  Then I make a delicious chicken vegetable  or matzah  ball soup with the rest of it.  I do the same when my kids are over, only then I start with two chickens.  

I so appreciate the 3 gift cards that I am able to redeem each month--thank you! 

My husband and I also garden during the summer months and freeze what we can to carry us over through the winter. Produce from our garden tastes so much better and is healthier for you, too!

 I comparison shop for the best deal on a product using yahoo, google, or other shopping comparison tools for the lowest total price.  Then I search the web for coupon codes to see if I can find a further discount.  Then I determine if the website has a rewards program and I sign up for it.  Then I check with AARP and see if I can obtain a discounted gift card by using AARP Points or by simply purchasing a discounted gift card.

My savings tip is easy. I purchased a small binder especially made to hold dollar bills. Every payday I put a $100 dollar bill in one of the slots. Last year I was able to put 2 $100 bills in each month and had $1600 for my vacation saved. At first it was hard but after the first few months it became easier. This year has been more difficult so I only put $100 in each month. We had a catastrophe this year so the extra money saved us in a time of need. I make sure to never touch the money except in times of great need or when you reach your savings goal. Some goals take longer than a year, some goals take only 8 months. This method can also be used as a backup plan for emergencies where the goal is to have enough money for a disaster. It worked for us that way. Some will counter with....put it in a savings account and earn interest. I prefer a money backup because everything is so volatile lately.  Having a cash backup plan is a good idea. I also have savings being built up using a checking account that rewards me with a small amount of cash given back for each debit card transaction. It builds up quickly. I also use a credit card that gives me cash back. You know it doesn't have to be $100 bills. It could be dollar bills or anything that can help build a cash backup plan. Oh and I also save all my coins from any change back from buying something with cash. This year I will have probably $200 or more built up. I call it my mad money which is used for something just for me. Each year I get a special treat as a reward for  all my savings including coupons and digital coupons, buying things on sale and freezing food or saving sale things for my granddaughters birthdays and Christmas in addition to the savings noted above.