Written by Bernie Carr
With high grocery and gas prices, I feel I need to try other new ideas to save money. This list is not related to a specific spending category, I just listed the new ones happened to try these last few weeks.
Check grocery store prices online
Before I do my bi-weekly shopping, I always make a menu and a grocery list. Previously, I just picked a store and just brought the list with me. If I don’t find everything I need, I went to another store on the way back. I started to compare prices by visiting a couple of my neighborhood stores’ websites. I search for each item on my list and price out the items ahead of time. Surprisingly, there could be a difference of $20 or more, depending on the sale items. I joined the loyalty clubs and earn points for discounts or gas savings. Whichever store offers the best price is the store I visit.
Online stores
I used to shop at Amazon almost exclusively, but now I compare prices among several online stores before hitting “Buy Now.” I check Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Costco sites and try to find the exact or similar items. I also do a search for the item to see if any other online store carries it. After adding shipping (if applicable) and tax, I go with the best priced source.
Canceled my gym membership
My gym membership reached the end of the contract period. Instead of renewing, I gave notice of cancellation. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed going to the gym while I had the contract but I felt I wasn’t going enough to warrant the monthly expense. I got a set of used weights and found workouts on YouTube to replace the gym.
Using less than the recipe requires
As meat prices have risen, I started using a lot less meat than my recipes require. This works for casseroles, soups and stews, not for individualized servings like steak. For example, if the recipe calls for a pound of ground beef, I cut it down to 3/4 pound, or even 1/2 pound. My spaghetti is down to half a pound of ground beef.
Rewards for surveys
We’ve cut back on eating out, but when we occasionally splurge, I found some of my favorites give out rewards for surveys. Surveys take a couple of minutes, and if I like reward, I go ahead and respond. Recently, I completed a customer experience survey (online) from Einstein’s Bagels. The reward was three free bagels (with a purchase), so I got a small cup of coffee and got the bagels for free. Check receipts as well, as the survey web address often appears in the receipt and usually need to be completed within a few days or the opportunity to take the survey expires.
So far, these have worked for me. They are easy enough to do and the savings are gratifying. What have you been doing to save money? Please share in the comments.
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Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Bernie’s latest e-book, FRUGAL DIY has just been released on Amazon. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
