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... 

[CherishA35015]

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!

[RayB927791]

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

[KathleenE840820]

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.

[CindyW549906]

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.

[RobertW718675]

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.

[Idoris]

1. Don't carry a balance on your credit cards or take advantage of no interest or low interest offers made by your existing credit card companies
2. Take advantage of rewards and other offers made by AARP and/or credit card companies.
3. Take advantage of local groceries BOGO offers
4. Some restaurants have early bird/happy hour menus so take advantage of dining out at a cheaper cost.
5. If going to the movies go during the week and matinee hours
6. Check out AARP and or Consumer Reports for ideas of best time of the year to make big ticket item purchases

[KNsss1123]

I save money when I time my purchases. I found that the buy-one, get one-free products at the grocery store chain cost less than the same products carried at the warehouse club where I shop. As much as I want to save, I also want to support grocery stores so that in the long term we don't help the warehouse clubs and big box stores to run them out of business and then face price-fixing because of lack of places to shop. Also, with gas prices soaring, I plan my trips by consolidating all my shopping points and drive conservatively by accelerating gently and coasting several hundred feet to a stop, instead of punching the gas pedal and making hard stops. These habits not only save fuel but also reduces wear-&-tear on the vehicle.

[JulieB666241]

I don’t spend my coins when paying with cash.  When I get a jar full I cash them in.

i also thrift shop.  

[SaraR503840]

That is a good idea to save coins and then cash them.in

[Raven377945]

Meal plans often are dictated by what is on clearance. Think of it as a mystery box iron chef challenge! AND I feel I'm helping reduce food waste by buying food that would otherwise be thrown away. 🙂

[AnnaR209387]

My husband and I are pretty conservative.  Always looking for sales on products we use/need on a regular basis.  We rarely go to any store without a list of needs, so we're not tempted to "just browse".  I use a couple grocery apps to take advantage of sales as much as possible. We take advantage of specials at our local restaurants - like 1/2 price burgers, Taco Tuesday deals, etc.  We lookup costs of our prescription medications and compare those prices across area pharmacies.  You'd be surprised at how huge those differences can be!!  

[HollyG840169]

 I save money by cutting back on impulse purchases. Amazon makes it too easy to buy stuff, Sales make it tempting to buy stuff you really don’t need. And thrift stores provide opportunities to buy cute knickknacks you’ll have to dispose of later.

Don’t get me wrong, I buy from Amazon, store sales, and thrift stores. But I now take a timeout (stop-think-decide) before buying something I wasn’t planning to buy. It works!

[la61892508]

I've learned I also tend to buy something at a thrift store because it's such a good deal which I "might" use later. Later I just need to recycle or get rid of it somehow when I do my annual decluttering. So now I've trained myself to only buy something at a thrift store if I need it now or can give it to a nonprofit which can use it.

[sp0811]

  We save by buying bird seed, coffee, frozen fruit, generic OTC meds, and other items that are cheaper at Costco, sometimes splitting large quantities with my daughter so we both save.  I also go to Aldi for cheaper produce, dairy, canned goods, and then pick up the rest at HEB, watching for sales, coupons.  When we eat out at a local restaurant, we order just the entrees, or soup, or share a plate since the portions are huge, and usually drink water only.  I shop at a local thrift store for clothes in their boutique, also holiday decorations, kitchen items, garden equipment.  We use the library and Libby, as well as a gardening group where we can exchange seeds, cuttings, and tips/ideas. I'm quilting now by hand as a new hobby, using fabrics I already have and learning as I go. 

[gmdiva]

We bought an electric car in 2022 and got the full tax credit. The next year we installed solar panels and got the full tax credit. We saved money on our taxes, electric bills, and transportation cost and helped reduce pollution I always check my receipts for accuracy. I try to use my leftover food and and keep my refrigerator organized to reduce food waste.   

[JanetS467976]

iSave money by using ibotta app and upside app.  I buy gift cards at kroger when they have extra points.  Save fuel up to $1 off and use gc at places that I already eat at. 

[kariann]

           I save money by shopping at the $ store and Aldi, also checking the ads to see which store has the best price but also making those trips along with other errands to save on gas since it keeps going up. I also sew some of my own clothes and shop at thrift stores and can alter a garment to fit me. 

[av9597]

One smart way I’ve found to save money is by stacking multiple fuel‑related promotions.
a. Shopping at Giant earns me points that convert into savings at Shell fuel stations.
b. Being a member of the Shell Fuel Rewards program adds another layer of discounts.
c. Using GasBuddy helps me locate the cheapest gas prices along my daily commute.
d. Paying with a credit card that offers higher cashback on gas purchases adds one more level of savings.
By saving a few cents on every gallon—across rewards, discounts, and cashback—the total adds up. Over a year, these small savings can easily translate into one or even two full tanks of “free” gas.

[lcjaffe]

I use the Libby app to listen to audiobooks or read ebooks instead of purchasing them. I discovered many books I might not have considered reading otherwise.

Also, I never shop without planning my menu first and making a list. The menu is on the back of the list in case an ingredient is not available and I need to revise the menu plan on the fly.

[TeenaH800876]

I use the ID.me browser extension and will look to the id.me website first when shopping. Being a Marine Corps veteran has its perks. Saved over $400 on a high-end stove when it was time to remodel. 

[DeborahH791279]

Thank you for your service 🙏 

[mcconnellsus]

We bought a small electric milk frother.  Now we can make those lattes at home in minutes.  Save $5+/day and pays for itself in less than 10 lattes 😎

[clmi123]

I let my credit card rewards points add up and then use them for a gift card to a place where I can get groceries. Since I pay my cards in full and there are no fees, it is like getting free groceries and household items about once every few months.  I also use those points for purchases online and save that way. It is not a huge amount but it helps!

[AshlyA155495]

We were told by a butcher to purchase the long, large pork loins, then cut them into boneless pork chops instead of buying them precut. A week ago we got 20 pork chops, 1" thick, for $15.88. It was almost $1/lb cheaper than the precut.

[SereneSeagull]

That’s a great one! @AshlyA155495   What’s your favorite way to cook those chops. 

[AshlyA155495]

I love using Adobo in a cast iron skillet. But my husband has also been grilling them. You?

[SereneSeagull]

I was looking for ideas, don’t really have a favorite way.  

[itsjustme736]

I can save money every time I cut my own yard. The 50 dollars that I don't have to pay the yard man can pay a bill that I have. I have friends that goes out every weekend, but I don't always go paying 20 to 40 dollars every time you go out the door that get to be too expensive. You do have a good time but if you can't pay your bills you have to budget somewhere 

[KristineR763335]

Whenever I am finished paying off a car loan, I continue to save that monthly payment so that I have a good down payment on my next car.  I only touch it if it is a true emergency!

[DeborahH791279]

Wow! Exhalent idea!!