How I save money (and you can, too!)

 Saving money is my jam.  But, these past few years have been difficult to keep saving because of the skyrocketing prices of everything! I will give you the money-saving tips I have used to help me save money.  

Groceries

We all know the price of groceries has reached an all-time high. I use digital and print coupons to save money at grocery and drug stores.  Download the apps for the stores you shop at and utilize them.  Follow your favorite couponing site to match sales with coupons.

Use third-party apps like Ibotta or Fetch that will give you money back for buying certain products.  I used one of these apps last year and it paid me to buy my entire Thanksgiving dinner.

Fueling your vehicle

Almost every store I buy fuel at has an app.  It went from $30 to fill up my car to $50 or $60. Using the store's app I can save based on my purchases at that store, just by having the app and my debit or credit card linked. 

Housing

While housing costs have soared we have watched the interest rate for mortgages drop to all-time lows.  Get locked in at these low rates for financing or refinancing.

Electricity

My electric bill doubled from one month to another this summer.  I attributed this to running the air conditioner more, so I cut the thermostat down aSavingnd used fans.  I was using drying racks and outdoor clotheslines to dry my clothes and keeping the dryer OFF! Then I discovered my hot water heater was full of sediment causing it to work harder.  I replaced that water heater with a more energy-efficient one.

Turn off the lights when you leave a room and unplug all electronics at night and when not in use. During the day, I open my curtains to let the sunlight in to light up my home.

Travel

There are many ways you can save on travel.  Almost every hotel chain has a rewards program.  Utilize that to get discount prices on hotels.  I recently got a hotel-branded credit card that gave me enough points for a 5 night's stay.  Also booking during the week versus the weekend can save you hundreds of dollars. Many offer bonus points when you also book a rental car and air travel at the same time.

Instead of going on your yearly trip to a tropical destination, try a staycation or a mini vacation to your nearest beach or lake.

Piggy Bank

When I get home each day, I dump all my change in my piggy bank!  I will even throw in $1 or $5. I promise you will not miss it.  I took my piggy bank to my bank and I had over $300 and I had saved that for about a year!

Check out SavingsCalculator.org to see how saving money can work for you.