By Looking to stretch your dollars further? With a few savvy strategies, saving money can be simple and even enjoyable! Whether you’re dreaming of a vacation, planning holiday celebrations or trying to keep grocery bills down, smart spending habits can help you achieve more without straining your budget. From finding travel deals to scoring seasonal savings and reducing everyday expenses, these tips are designed to maximize your hard-earned dollars. Start applying these ideas today and discover how easy it can be to save in every area of life — so you can enjoy more of what you love without overspending!
Savings secret!
You’ll save cash simply by writing a list of items and deciding how much you want to spend before you visit the grocery store, department store or favorite local shop. A recent study shows we pay higher prices and buy more unplanned items at stores when they’re in malls, which boast beautiful decor, wonderful aromas and upbeat music. The cheery, inviting atmosphere makes shopping feel exciting, which shifts our focus away from being practical to being spontaneous. The good news: By preparing ahead of time, you can still enjoy the surroundings while also hunting for deals.
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You already know that an Amazon Prime membership earns you a bevy of perks like free shipping and free streaming…but a discount on fuel? Yep! Amazon just announced that your Prime membership now scores you 10 cents off every gallon of gas at over 7,000 BP, Amoco and ampm stations across the nation. To nab these savings, activate the offer at Amazon.com/fuelsavings, then download BP’s free rewards app, Earnify, to find a participating location near you. Just enter your phone number when filling up, and voilà—the discount kicks in automatically, saving you about $70 a year! -
Here’s an easy trick to cut the cost of almost everything: Head to websites that resell discounted gift cards now. Every January, people who receive unwanted gift cards for the holidays trade them in at reseller sites, creating a flood of inventory that drives down prices. You’ll find an impressive variety available for everything from stores and restaurants to movie tickets and airfare. Just a few recent deals include 43 percent off Krispy Kreme, 30 percent off Jiffy Lube, 29 percent off Lands’ End, 25 percent off IHOP, 25 percent off Pet Supermarket, 20 percent off Fandango, 18 percent off Southwest Airlines and 14 percent off Netflix. Find the best bargains on discounted gift cards at CardBear.com, which compares offers from popular resellers, like GCX and Card Depot, so you can jump on the best deal for you. -
Start saving cash ahead of time
While shopping the last two weeks of the calendar year, keep an eye out for purchases that earn you a free bonus gift card, coupon or store “cash” redeemable after December 31. Stores and restaurants love offering these promotions at the end of the year to entice customers in January when foot traffic winds down. Just a few examples: In the past, JCPenney gave Rewards members who bought $50 or more in sleepwear a bonus $20 gift card valid between January 4 and 15. And The Cheesecake Factory awarded customers who got a $50 gift card before December 31 with a $15 bonus eCard good throughout January and February. -
Slash travel costs by $100+
If you’re among the 131 million of us hitting the road to see loved ones this month, you know hotel and airfare costs quickly add up. Unfortunately, using a credit card with an existing balance could cost you another $100 or more in interest alone, even if you pay all your current travel charges in the following billing cycle. This happens because interest accrues daily on the entire balance, including new purchases, until you pay it off. To avoid the added expense, open a PayPal account and book your travel through one of the many companies who accept this form of payment, such as American Airlines, Delta, Expedia.com and Hotels.com. Then at checkout, choose “Pay in 4,” which allows you to spread up to $1,500 over four equal payments with no interest. This way, you’ll get more time to pay it off without adding unnecessary costs. -
Compare and save on shipping
Planning to mail holiday presents to family and friends? Check the shipping prices from delivery companies in your area. Most have temporarily increased their rates for the holidays—not great news, we know, but the amount of these price hikes varies. Fortunately, you can compare costs fast right from home: Simply enter your box’s dimensions, weight and mailing address at USPS (postcalc.USPS.com), UPS (wwwapps.UPS.com/ctc/request) and FedEx (FedEx.com/en-us/online/rating.html). You’ll instantly get a list of options with arrival times and prices, making it easy to find the least-expensive one. Bonus savings: If you’re a member of AAA or AARP, you’ll get 5 percent off shipping at UPS, which translates to about $1 to $2 less per box.
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Slash your grocery bill with mega supermarket deals
Coupons aren’t the only way to save big at the supermarket: A new study from the data research company Numerator shows that sales, cash back, buy-one-get-one, rewards points and other grocery store deals have doubled since 2021. Walmart, for example, recently introduced “Walmart cash” that gives you rebates of $1, $2, even $5, when making certain purchases, which you can then apply to future shopping trips. The reason for the welcome surge in coupon-free mega-deals? Grocery stores are competing with a growing number of brick-and-mortar chains and online retailers, so they’re working harder to earn your loyalty by giving you more ways to save. -
Save on winter clothes by ‘zooming in’
We spend a whopping two to four times as much on apparel during cold weather months. That’s because staying warm requires so many extra layers. Thankfully, before you plunk down cash for a new coat, pair of boots or other wintry gear, you can find out if there’s a lower price somewhere else. When you’re at the store, open the Google app on your smartphone. Then snap a picture of the item with the Google Lens feature by tapping the camera icon in the search bar. Or, when shopping online through the Google app, tap the photo of the product on your phone or right-click the photo on your computer, then select “search image with Google Lens” or “visual search.” You’ll see the same item, as well as similar options, sold at other stores along with their prices, making it easy to pinpoint the biggest savings. -
Nab hidden perks and coupons
Before shopping online, you probably search for coupon codes and discounts at deal websites, like CouponCabin.com and CouponFollow.com, and with browser extensions, like Honey and Rakuten. Now there’s an easy step you can take after placing your order to save in the future: Just check your email inbox within 24 to 48 hours of your purchase. You might think follow-up emails from retailers simply include confirmations or promotions for upcoming sales, but they could also include a coupon for free shipping or a percentage off your next purchase. In fact, there’s a growing trend among retailers to send valuable “thank-you” bonuses to customers—especially if you’re a member of their free loyalty programs—to encourage you to shop again.
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Snag a refund for an internet blip
Experienced an outage of your internet, cable or satellite dish service? Fortunately, many providers happily refund you or credit your bill for the hours or days you couldn’t log on or watch TV. But this compensation isn’t automatic. You have to call and ask for it. Just be sure to hop on it: Some companies give you as little as 72 hours from the outage to submit your claim. -
Cut the cost of crafting supplies
Heads-up, artists! Whether you’re making a seasonal scarecrow or festive wreath, you can save a bundle on supplies with discounts from craft stores. For example, Michaels gives folks 55 years and older 10 percent off their entire purchase, including sales items, both in-store and online. Teachers, active military members and veterans enjoy 15 percent off. And Joann provides a discount card that gives 15 percent off all purchases every day for teachers, healthcare workers—including hospital volunteers—active military members and veterans. These stores also offer coupons on their websites plus discounts when you sign up to receive email newsletters and text alerts. For bonus savings, head to Dollar Tree to find craft supplies for as little as $1.25. -
Savor seasonal flavors for less
Love fall-themed treats and great bargains? You’re in luck: Many major supermarkets across the country have recently expanded their popular, budget-friendly private-brand product lines to include a wider array of delicious autumn-perfect goodies—like pumpkin spice crumb cake, pecan pie ice cream, spiced apple cashews and turkey stuffing–flavored potato chips—that cost up to 40 percent less than similar foods from national brands. Find these tasty delights under the Private Selection and Simple Truth labels at Kroger, Good & Gather at Target and bettergoods at Walmart. Or just ask the manager at your local grocery store about any new additions to their private-brand products and start reaping the sweet deals today! -
Slash the cost of gas easily
Whether you’re driving to Thanksgiving Day festivities at your in-laws’ house a few hours away or running quick errands around town over the weekend, you can save a lot of money on fuel with a simple trick: Just download the free Google Maps app to your smartphone. Then select a destination, tap the three dots next to “Your location,” choose “Options” and hit “Prefer fuel-efficient routes.” Now, every time you use Google Maps to plot a route, the app will display a leaf icon to show you the path that uses up to 15 percent less gas because of lighter traffic and better road conditions.
