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Retired Community Manager

ATM Smart Savings Sweepstakes

We know that saving, especially for retirement, isn’t easy! That’s why the editors of AARP The Magazine created a digital magazine all about savings and retirement. AARP The Magazine’s Special Money & Retirement digital issue is here to help you better save for what lies ahead.  Post your favorite savings tip in the discussion below. Just by posting you’ll be entered for a chance to win the grand prize of $1,000!

 

How to download the special Money and Retirement digital issue:

 

It’s easy to download the digital magazine! Click here  to read the special Money & Retirement digital issue.

 

Enter the sweepstakes in 2 easy steps:

1. Sign in or register on AARP.org

2. Post to the “AARP Smart Savings Sweepstakes” discussion board.

 

That’s it. You’ve entered the sweepstakes.

 

Contest ends October  1, 2016. See Official Rules and Terms of Service. Be sure to tell us what you think about the new digital magazine by completing our short survey here.

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Periodic Contributor

Take a walk on the beach (if you are so lucky to live close by).  If you are walking, you are not spending!

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Contributor

Always pay yourself 1st, start small, tuck it away & don't touch. As you accumulate buy a savings certificate that way you are not tempted to spend it. The more of the CD's you accumulate the less likely you are to spend it. If your working & they have a 401K be sure to pay into it, the max is the best  & invest the greater portion in stocks if you have enough work years left as stocks, though can fall they bounce back over time & don't panic if there's a stock correction year.

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Contributor

Since retiring I've looked for ways to save on our monthly expenses. Our biggest savings came from our phone service and our TV service. Our cell phones are now prepaid as apposed to contract and we're saving $90 - $110/ month. We canceled our land line phone and have local & long distance with  VOIP phone service, savings $30/month. We bought a digital antenna (cost $65) to receive free over the air tv and cancelled our satelite service. We receive all the major networks (crystal clear) plus their additional channels and we subscribe  Sling internet streaming service ($20/month) which gives us the cable channels we like that we can't get over the air. This saves us $90/month. Just changing these 3 things save us over $200/month with NO loss services we like and need.

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Periodic Contributor

We always use coupons while shopping and dining out.  ALWAYS ask for the senior's discount!!!

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Contributor

Loss change - seems that I have it weighing down my purse, filling my cup holder in my car or sitting here or there and never used.  Now I put all that loss change in a jar and about twice a year roll the coins and take them to the bank to be deposited into savings.  It is amazing how quickly it adds up and you realize you are saving money without really noticing it.  

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Periodic Contributor

I place all loose change in a jar from January until December and split that  between my six grandchildren for Christmas presents . I have managed to save between  $500-$600 each year.  My Christmas budget is set and I never go over what I have saved (the 3 teens all want cash or gift cards).

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Periodic Contributor

Signing up for the various vendor clubs get you additional perks but the cost is more emails in your reader.  I always try to uncheck the boax where they indicate they can send you offers.

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Contributor

When you receive your monthly statement take your ending balance and round down to an even hundred and place difference in your savings.  i.e. ending balance is $840 then round down to $800 and place $40 and change to savings account.  when the savings amount adds up to open a cd then place funds in one in order to keep it in a savings mode.

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Regular Contributor

My wife and I use a credit card that gives us 2% back on everything we buy. We only use the card as a convenience and pay it off monthly. The 2% adds up and about once a year we claim it.... instant savings!
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Contributor

I constantly review our bills, like cable and insurance and cell phones. Every couple of months I'll call and ask for a rate reduction and I usually get it. It won't happen if you don't ask!  Also as I get older I realize I don't need as much stuff. We all have accumulated to much, so I put 1-2 items a week up for sale on community websites. When something sells I'll add a new item. The extra cash us nice and so is less clutter!

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Periodic Contributor

If you are ever taken by force to an ATM to withdraw money punch in your pin backward, so if it is 7925 type 5297 and it will alert the police to come to your location.   You will also not be able to pull the money from the machine, and it will get stucked in it.

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Contributor

Two things you can do to save money.

When shopping in a store; use a shopping list and always pay with cash. This way you will avoid those impulse buys.

If your place of emploment offers a 401K and matching funds always contribute enough to fully get the matching funds.

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Contributor

Always, Always resist the urge to look at your investements, IRA, 401K everyday. Over the time of your working years they will go up and they will go down. Many of my friends pulled everything out of their 401K into cash holdings when the downturn hit in 2008. My account lost nearly 40% and I almost did it to.  But I decided I still had years left to work and I left it alone.  When the time came to retire it had recouped all my loses plus a tidy profit.  Don't get spooked at every downturn, stay in for the long term.

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Contributor

Save all your rebate checks, you will be amazed how fast they add up.

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Contributor

My way of saving is to save all my pocket change each day.  I put it in a jar and when it gets full, I count it, roll it and put it in a savings account.  I also put away any "found" money, like lotto winnings, bottle redemption, yard sale earnings and any other source of "extra" cash laying around.  A little bit goes a long way.  And don't forget coupons, that cash value gets put away too. It's easy to do because it is not budgeted money, it's extra cash.

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Contributor

At the end of each day when I empty my pockets, the change goes in to two seperate jars. The quarters go in one, and when it is full, that money goes into the savings account. The rest of the change goes into a second jar, that when full is donated to the children's ministry at my church. It is amazing how much accumalates in a short time!

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Contributor

I clip and use coupons to save money. I save the amount I use the coupon for and you will be surprise how much this will add up too!  Then I use this money for Christmas, vacation or something special!  This could also go in a savings account for retirement!

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Contributor

Buy discounted gift cards found on ebay or get them as rewards.from SwagBucks or a credit card rewards program...never pay full price for a gift card

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Contributor

save on first year ancestory.com with AARP

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Contributor

It's never too late to start saving.  At 55 years young, I started a part-time job and saved over 35K in my 401K plan over a 10 years just by contributing 20%. 

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Regular Contributor

I joined Ibotta and Wal-Mart's savings catcher to get rebates on what I just bought.  I've gotten back over $120 in gift cards I can apply to my next purchases.  I also try to use coupons and look for brand and store loyalty programs.

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Contributor

save as much as you can by stop buying out of habit and really rethink your everyday purchases.

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Contributor

I realize how little I really need in this world.  Shopping, except for food, seems a waste of time and energy.  I need to finish writing my book!

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Contributor

Save, save, save.

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Trusted Contributor

Buy a carpet cleaning machine.  They're really not that hard to use, and you can clean individual rooms on your own time.  Compared to the cost of using a professionally cleaning service, your machine will pay for itself in no time at all.

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Contributor

Make you're list of things needed and  stick to the list .

 

 

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Contributor

You really need to save even a dollar a day because with us we thought we had plenty of money to retire on but after my husband had heart surgery and then now with alheimzers the medical bills even after medicare pays are breaking the bank.  Once you loose your savings social security just dosen't cover your living expenses and it is hard to cut back when you want to have all the things you have saved for.  But SAVING BACK even a little is hard but you must learn or the stress of money worries is really harder to deal with than doing with out something that once you think about it is really not necessary!!!

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Newbie

Before any purchase, I calculate how many hours it will take to pay for it. Most of the time, the item's luster fades and I just go home and wait for a sale or make it myself. I never pay full price.


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Contributor

Do not spend more than you can afford. The current economic conditions promote buy now and pay for it later which is not a good strategy. My approach is if you cannot pay for it now then do not buy it now.

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Contributor

It is more blessed to give than to receive!

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