Simple Savings Plan: $1378 in One Year

If one of your New Year Resolutions is to save money you may want to check out this simple method to get started.  I came across this interesting plan on how to save $1378 in one year.  Basically you save $1 the first week, $2 the 2nd and so forth until you reach $52 the last week.  The blogger is calling it the 52 Week Money Challenge.  She offers charts you can print off to guide your savings.  One starts the year with $1 savings and the other reverses it starting with the $52 saved the first week.  Follow her plan and by the end of the year you will have saved $1378 not including any interest earned by depositing it in an interest bearing account.

Watching Free TV

We recently had a financial set-back and decided we needed to cut out cable and paid for TV entirely, at least for a while.  We wondered what we'd be able to watch.  We don't have a digital antenna, and where we live I doubt we'd get many if any channels anyhow.  Which is annoying because we used to get at least a dozen.  And so began the adventure of finding something to watch for free.

First thing we did was connect the old DVD player, and pull out our DVDs, not many, but a start.  We also plan to check out our local library to see what have to offer.  We may also ask friends if there's something specific we want to see.

I also pulled out an old laptop computer (it needed replaced because it was overheating, and the screen would cut out if at the wrong angle, but was fine sitting on a cooling rack next to the TV).  Then began the search to find free, safe, and legal things to watch off the computer. I found if I cooked up a wireless mouse, I can sit on the couch and still control the computer (pause to talk, close windows, etc.)

• First thing we stumbled on was that at the CBS website you can watch like the last 5 episodes of all current shows, as well as a few of classic shows.  You have to watch commercials, but it's kind of like going back to broadcast TV...but on your schedule!  This may also be true of other networks, but we mainly watch CBS shows.
• Then, of course, we headed to YouTube.  I'm still trying to find what all it has to offer. For comedy we like to watch Studio C skits and those who like to watch late night comedy shows will find many clips of them on their YouTube channels. For a cross between comedy and making us think Blimey Cow  is fun.  We also enjoy watching historical things, and found Periscope Films that has a lot of newsreels and old info films. Plus, there are live-streams...maybe not something to just sit and watch, but when I'm working on my blogs in the evenings, I like to check in on Horseshoe Curve.  I'm sure there's lots of other great stuff, but it'll take some time to find it!
• We plan to do free trials of Hulu, Sling, Netflix, etc. one at a time as needed to see specific things or pad out our other watching options.
• Sports is what we'll really miss as we're a sports fan family!  How we hope to still keep up with some of that is:
• I believe Hulu and Sling have some sports, so during those trials we'd have some.
• While whole games are not available on YouTube (well...there are some, but I'm pretty sure they break the rules about distributing the games broadcast by a network), but I found there are some highlights.  For instance The Big Ten Network Channel currently has 2-5 minute highlight videos of basket ball games and what appears to be much of wrestling competitions.
• During MLB season, Yahoo often has a free game of the day or week you can watch.  
•  I just saw a post on Southern Savers about a Yahoo app offering free NFL playoffs, but I haven't figured out how to hook that up to our TV yet, but I know there's a way.

So, I'd love to hear, how have you found to watch TV for free?

Grocery Savings thru Blogs & Online Communities

Groceries are one of our household's largest ongoing monthly expenses.  It is also the place we can consistently save the most.  By using resources like printable coupons, Ibotta and SavingStar we cut our grocery bill  by a nice amount each week.  To cut it even more I often check out these online blogs and communities:

Blogs

Southern Savers

They offer coupon match-ups and unadvertised deals for many grocery stores.

I Heart Publix

I do not have a Publix, but wanted to share this with you in case you did.  It is a great resource for not missing any of the great deals at Publix.

Online Coupon Communities

Hot Coupon World grocery forums & We Use Coupons grocery forums

Thousands of couponers join forces to find all the current deals.  Many forums are very active, some not at all.  You can just visit or sign up for free and become a part of the posting community.

I hope you find some of these helpful in saving money on your groceries.

Saving Money on Bakery Buns

Our family likes to make submarine sandwiches at home often.  We like to make them on bakery buns, but that can get expensive.  Recently I was at the store trying to find good ones, none looked too good, and they were pretty expensive.

Then I realized there was an easy way to save,  and get something that looked even better!  Instead of buying a package of rolls, I bought a package of two long narrow loaves of (not sure if it's French or Italian) bread.

It was easy to cut each into two or three sandwich buns, and a package cost half as much as the buns!  Hard to beat that!   You can also adjust  your potion sizes between different family members who want to eat different amounts.  Your store may not carry that kind, but most do have big French Bread loves or something of the like.

It can also be an fun and easy thing on which to make big subs.  You can see more about that in the post Party Sub Sandwiches - The Recipe from one of our old blogs.

Join Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club ~ Enjoy Member Only Exclusives ****

Dollar Tree is one of our favorite stores to shop at.  We never have to wonder what price we will see on the product we find we'd love to have.  It's always a dollar!  Except when Dollar Tree offers clearance or their 10% off shopping days.  These special deals we find out from being members of the Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club.

Click banner to join the
 Value Seekers Club today.

It's free and easy to join and members are kept up to date with members-only contests, sneak peeks at new products, in-store specials and special events and even money-saving party ideas, recipes and crafts!

So if you love a bargain and ideas on  how to utilize Dollar Tree's selections for parties or crafts, join the Value Seekers Club today.

Links in this post are affiliate links.  All opinions are my own.

Saving Excess Water from Flowing Down the Drain to Use on Garden

One of the ways I have found to pinch a few pennies on my savings journey is to catch some of the water we normally let run down the drain and use it to water our square foot gardens.  Each gallon of water costs a penny between the water cost and the sewer charge from living in the city.  At five gallons a day we can save 1825 gallons and $18.25 in a year.  It may be just a drop in the budget bucket, but when the bucket is full of savings it can add up nicely.

There are times when we need hot water and it takes a good gallon of water to empty from the pipes before the hot water hits the sink (or the shower).  Instead of letting this water simply flow down the drain we use one gallon buckets (upcycled from buying or picking strawberries) to catch it.  We then transfer it to a five gallon bucket to use in the gardens or birdbath as needed.  My daughter also had the idea of using it in the laundry if we have more than the garden needs--which happens during rainy spells.

This also works great for catching drips from a leaky faucet until you can get it fixed.  When my mother was living with us under Hospice care we had a leak in the bathtub and fixing it was low on the list of priorities (especially since the water to the whole house had to be shut off to do it), but catching it in a bucket and using it elsewhere was easy and no water was wasted.

In the kitchen I catch it in a large pot and leave it on the stove to use for cooking.  At times, if we need a very small amount of hot water--like to make a loaf of bread in the bread machine--we heat it quickly in the microwave instead of letting the water run to get hot enough.

This may seem like a drop in the bucket, but as I posted earlier, if I  "watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves;" and we not only save on our budget but also increase our green living with water conservation.

Office Depot Loyalty Rewards Program ~ Earn Free Office Supplies

Office Depot (OfficeMax) has one of our favorite store loyalty reward programs and during back to school shopping deals is a great time to join.  We have earned a lot of free office supplies over the years.  Many we use for ourselves and many we share with local charities or send in our Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.

How to Earn Office Depot Rewards:

• Shop online or in-store and earn 2% back (some restrictions apply).
• Members only savings including 100% back in rewards on some items.
• Recycle ink cartridges.
• $2 per cartridge; up to 10 a month.
• Earn rewards for posting reviews (up to 3 a month).
• $2 per review

Our current rewards activity.
The $20 is from ink cartridge recycle credit,
the other is from member only rewards and shopping rewards.

How to Use Office Depot Rewards:

Once rewards are posted to your account you can use them when you check out online or in the store.

Below are some members only offers we recently took advantage of.  We need a new printer, so we are buying items we can use or share that offer full, or nearly full, rewards back.  Then we will use the rewards on a printer that is on sale.  So basically we will buy a printer and get lots of office supplies free.

We purchased the limit and some of each item we will be keeping and some we will be sharing.

           

You can find all the details of the Office Depot / OfficeMax Reward program at their website.

Details in this post were up-to-date as of the time it was posted.  Office Depot may alter their rewards program at anytime.

Saving Money thru Homemade Yogurt ~ $1300+ Yearly Savings

Each of our family members eats a bowlful of yogurt for breakfast each morning.  By making our own yogurt at home we see a huge savings in our grocery bill as I make 12 batches per quart of purchased yogurt.  I make two batches per week (using one gallon of milk each time).



1 - quart store purchased yogurt (plain) @ $3.79 = $3.79   We prefer Stonyfield, but also use Dannon which is less expensive.  A friend uses Aldi's which is even less expensive.
12 - gallons milk @ $2.39 = $28.68

Total Cost:  $32.47 for 49 quarts of homemade yogurt (12 gallons plus the one purchased) or about                              66 cents each

Total Cost:  $185.71 for 49 quarts of purchased yogurt

Total Savings:  $153.24

If you divide by 6 weeks -- 2 gallons a week -- it equals $25.54 in weekly savings for our family.  In a year that equals $1328.08.  [Based on Stoneyfield price in our area--other brands are cheaper.]

When I make the first batch from a new container of yogurt I divide the rest into small containers and freeze in the deep freeze.  Each day I put the milk on to heat to make a new batch I take one out to thaw.  Many people just use their own made yogurt to make the new batches, but I have good success with doing this and the cost is minimal per batch for the yogurt.

We do not own a yogurt maker, we just use five one-quart canning jars and they fit perfectly into a cooler that we add hot tap water up to the neck of the jars.  It sits for five to seven hours and presto we have yogurt.  We eat it plain, but we have added jelly when we serve it.

Yogurt in quart jars incubating
in cooler with hot tap water.

I am not sharing the recipe here, there are dozens of how-to's that are easy to find.  I will share two tips if you are interested in trying your hand at it:
          1--use as small amount of yogurt as possible (I use a tablespoon per jar)
          2--let it cool to very close to 100 degrees before adding the yogurt and setting to culture
Both of these helps there to be less whey.  Actually, I find I have virtually no whey now that I have learned to follow these two steps.

Do you make homemade yogurt?  Do you think you would like to try?

Saving thru AARP Membership ~ Beginning at 50

AARP is a great resource for savings for those who are over 50.  Many businesses, including restaurants, stores and lodging offer discounts to customers with an AARP card.  The yearly membership can pay for itself many times over for members who travel, shop, dine out and enjoy entertainment.  But even for those of us who rarely do, we can still save.

We have not had an AARP membership every year since we turned 50, but have for some of them.  When we know we will be staying in a hotel we sign up for a year.  Recently we took a long weekend trip, but first I signed up for AARP.  It saved us $10 a night at the hotel and it only cost us $12; and we will save more in the coming the year.  We do not travel a lot, but when we do stay in a hotel AARP helps us to save.  We have also used it at retail stores and restaurants.  They offer so much more, but we have not really dug into all the possibilities yet.  When I do I will share them here.

The current prices for signing up for AARP are:

• One Year with auto renew at regular price - $12
• Three Years - $43
• Five Years - $63

When you sign up you can print a copy of your card and start saving immediately--like head out to Dunkin Donuts and get a free donut when you buy a coffee.   And if you are into genealogical research, you can a discount at Ancestry.com!  There are many possibilities to save with an AARP membership, and at just $12 for the first year it doesn't cost much to try it out.

Have you had an AARP membership?  What have you saved on with it?

Ibotta App Hint-Produce

I just wanted to share a quick tip on using the Ibotta app.  If you're unfamiliar with Ibotta, check out this post on another of my blogs discussing it: Ibotta App Post, or click on the image at left.

Ibotta often has produce offers, sometimes on something I was already going to buy, sometimes not.  I try not to allow apps, coupons, or sales to cause me to spend more money on something I don't need.  But sometimes it's a good enough deal to be worth it.   For instance today.  There was a $0.25 off tomato purchase.  Well, this year, since we didn't get any planted in our garden, we're buying them at the farmer's market, and unfortunately, but understandably, Ibotta doesn't work on Farmer's Market purchases.  But, my Mom reminded me of what I'd done before.  Unlock it, and see if there was one that wouldn't be much more.  So, I found a Roma Tomato, that-best guess based on weighing it in the old fashioned hanging scale-would be about $0.25.  I took a photo of the receipt, and  sure enough, it came back!  So, if you see a rebate for a produce item you'd like, or would eat, but maybe it's too expensive for your normal budget, or is cheaper pre-packed, you might want to unlock it before you go to the store, then note the rebate on your list, and check the price.  You may just got some fun produce for pennies!

Swag Codes: An Easy Way to Earn at Swagbucks ~ How to Earn at Swagbucks Series

Swagbucks offers dozens of ways to earn SB points towards free gift cards or Paypal.  One of the easiest is to enter daily Swag Codes.

How to Earn at Swagbucks Series 

Swag Codes ~ An Easy Way to Earn at Swagbucks

Each day Swagbucks offers a special code that when entered at their site gives anywhere from 2 to 10 points. They are usually issued in the afternoon and are most often only valid for one hour.  The way I find them is to check their Facebook postings.  Once a month they have a swag Code Extravaganza day where they offer a code every couple of hours and the total for the day is usually anywhere from 30 to 50 points (a point equals at least a penny towards gift cards).  Below is an image of my Swag Code activity for part of June.

This is hard to read, but regular codes are just words--often more than one but with no spaces between--with each word capitalized.  These codes are the same for every member and you can share them.  The other codes, words with a series of letters and numbers after them, are called "stealth" codes.  Each is only good for the person with that account.  Swagbucks will share a link on their Facebook page to the page with the stealth code.  You simply copy and paste it into the Swag Code box on the same page.

When you hover over the above Swag Code sign, found on the top center of any Swagbucks page, a box will appear below it in which you can type or paste the code.  We don't get every code, but we get many of them, and they add up nicely over a month to help us with our free gift cards and Paypal cash outs.

If you aren't already a member you can click this link to Join Swagbucks and Start Earning Free Gift Cards and Cash Today!

These instructions are from my experience on a laptop and are accurate at the time of posting.

Click this image to find all of the posts in this series.

Disclosure:  Links to Swagbucks in this post are my referral links.  Thank you for using my links.  By signing up under one of these links I will earn 10% of some of your earnings.

First Step to Saving on My Budget: Make a Budget

I shared earlier that I am beginning a journey of saving money on every category possible in my budget.  Because we have already cut back drastically over the years it is going to be hard to find any large savings, but if I can pinch pennies they will add up to dollars.  My plan is to have more to invest towards retirement, so my pennies added together making dollars invested should turn into hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars by the time I need it.

My first step was to make a budget.  Years ago we kept a budget, but after we learned how to limit our spending we fell off of keeping track of each dollar spent.  To gain control again and see where we might be able to cut back I took the time to make a budget.  This also showed how much extra we have monthly to invest so we can get it right into the retirement account.

I enjoy organizing and designing, but I do not enjoy repetitive daily upkeep of things.  So sustaining my budget is going to be a real chore for me, but it will be a reminder to me that "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step," or as I will be reminding myself, "the savings of a thousand dollars begins with one penny."

Do you keep a budget?  Do you record each dollar spent?

Beginning My Journey of Saving on All Daily Expenses

We have always been a frugal family and most of the articles I find on saving don't relate to us.  We already don't buy Starbucks, we pack our lunches, we clip coupons, we shop seasonal sales, etc., etc., etc.  But I still need to find ways for us to earn and save even more.  So I am on a journey to find ways to save more on my utility bills, groceries and other daily expenses.  As I find tips and ideas I'll share them here so those of you who, like us, feel you have already cut out everything not necessary for survival and still need to save more on your budget, can profit from them, too.

I would love to hear how you save on your everyday expenses.  If you have any tips for us please share them in a comment below.

Check Swagbucks Inbox for Earning Opportunities ~ How to Earn at Swagbucks Series

Swagbucks has hundreds of different offers available to do to earn SB points.  One of the best ways to find easy ones is to check your Swagbucks inbox.

How to Earn at Swagbucks Series 

Check Your Swagbucks Inbox

• You can find your Swagbucks inbox on the home page.
• On the top right hand side of the page by your SB counter.

• Click to open.
• Offers will be listed individually just like in an email inbox.
• There will be an expiration date listed as well as the name of the offer and how many SB each is worth.  When one is expired it will show that, also.
• Some offers require signing up with an email while others require a full address or a purchase.  But many are videos to watch or simple quizzes to take.
• You can delete any you don't want to do and the ones you do choose to do after you complete them.  There will be a number on the home page by the inbox to let you know the number of offers you have so if you keep older ones deleted you will know when new ones are available.

In the illustration above the 2 SB offers such as "What can you do after a heart attack?" are short quizzes, but usually it credits to your account without doing the full quiz.  I like these ones.  As you can see I avoid the ones that obviously cost money to earn.  I usually scan my inbox for the lowest SB, 25 and under, as those are the ones that are usually free to do.

Tip:  the Watch & Earn seem to expire quickly so it is a good idea to check your inbox throughout the day when you can.

As you can see from the SB earned for the time spent the hourly rate of earning is far below an income earning rate, but for spending some spare time working thru Swagbucks offers we earn a nice extra savings and spending allotment.

Click this link and Join Swagbucks and Start Earning Free Gift Cards and Cash Today!

These instructions are from my experience on a laptop and are accurate at the time of posting.

Click this image to find all of the posts in this series.

Disclosure:  Links to Swagbucks in this post are my referral links.  Thank you for using my links.  By signing up under one of these links I will earn 10% of some of your earnings.

AARP Rewards ~ Easy Way to Purchase Discounted Gift Cards

I have saved hundreds of dollars over the past few years by using AARP Rewards for Good program to purchase discounted gift cards.  It is a free and easy program and as I understand it you don't need to be retirement age to join, but if you are an AARP member you will earn more for the activities you do.

Basically you do activities to earn points and use those points to purchase items or gift cards at a discount.  I have only used mine for discounted gift cards -- especially CVS gift cards.  When my mother needed several prescriptions a month and many health care items we went thru nearly $300 worth of gift cards.  By buying them thru AARP Rewards for Good we saved nearly $30 a month.  And of course we combined them with CVS deals and sales to save even more like we share on our other blog Simply CVS.

AARP Rewards for Good ~ How it Works

• Sign up for free ~ you get some points just for joining.
• To earn points:
• Visit the site each day. You will earn 50 if you are not an AARP member and 75 (I think) if you are.
• Take quizzes or use their resources like the retirement calculator.
• Check emails for promo codes.  These are usually worth 150.
• To spend points:
• Shop for gift cards at 10% discounts.
• $100 gift card would cost just $90 plus 1000 AARP points.  There is a shipping fee, but it is under a dollar.
• The gift cards arrive in the mail within two weeks.
• Shop local deals, travel deals, discounted merchandise (daily deals), enter sweepstakes or auctions.

From my ledger.

This is just another resource we use to stretch our shopping dollars giving us more to save and to share.  If you'd like to try it out click the banner above or this link: Purchase discount gift cards at AARP Rewards for Good.

Do you have a good source for discounted gift cards?

Saving Cash with Printable Grocery Coupons

I have enjoyed saving hundreds of dollars each year with printable grocery coupons.  At times over the past several years I would search the sites below every few days to find coupons for items I knew I would need in the near future and print them and save them for a sale.  During busier times in my life I would check the available coupons each week after I made my grocery shopping list and print just what I needed to buy that week.  However one utilizes these great resources they will save on grocery and household items.

My Favorite Printable Coupon Sites

I also often check websites of the products I plan to purchase for current printable coupons.  They often have email sign ups to receive special offers.

Links in this post are affiliate links.  All opinions are my own.

Earning Cash Back for Online Shopping thru Ebates

One of my favorite ways to save and earn money is by receiving cash back for my regular shopping online.  Before I place an order I check Ebates to see if they have a cash back offer for that store.

Earning Cash Back thru Ebates:  How it Works

Ebates provides Cash Back to over two million dedicated members. Since 1999, members have earned over $100 million in Cash Back savings from 1,800+ stores.  I have received quite a bit myself over the last several years.

Online Cash Back Points

• Sign Up is Free
• Shop as usual but first stop at Ebates and click thru the link to the store you want to shop at.
• Check Ebates for coupons for your order, too.
• A percentage of your order total will be added to your Ebates account (percentages vary and can be

Investing Money thru Stockpiling ~ An Easy Way to Save

Having a pantry full of food, health and beauty items and household items can be convenient and save trips to the store.  Having a stockpile can also be a good way to invest your money according to an investment adviser.  I can't provide you with a name or an article to read, but I will share what I read years ago.

There was a one page article on money management in The Parade Magazine written by a financial guru with ten ways to get the highest return on your money.  The article began with a list of common investing strategies such as when to invest in stocks or bonds, IRA info, paying down your mortgage to save interest, and others that were mainly focused on those with money to

Cash Back from Grocery Shopping thru SavingStar

We have been saving at SavingStar for quite some time.  They offer cash back on groceries, health and beauty, and household items.  It's simple to use:  sign up, attach store loyalty cards that participate (some stores require you to submit the receipt instead), choose the offers you want to buy, shop and the savings will be added to your account.

SavingStar makes it easy to save by sending out emails when there are new coupons available.  If I think I might buy that product I can easily click thru to the site and click on the "I want this" button and if I buy it before it expires I will receive that amount back.  Then when I get $5 in my account I request a payout thru Paypal.  You can

Quick & Easy Daily Points to Earn at Swagbucks ~ How to Earn at Swagbucks Series

Three quick and easy ways to earn on Swagbucks are the Daily Poll, Deal of the Day and Daily Search.  Links to these are found on the left hand side of the home page about half way down.

• Click on the Daily Poll and it will open a new window.
• Answer the one question poll and earn one point called an SB.
• Click on the Deal of the Day and it will open a new window with an advertised deal.
• That earned you one SB.
• Click on the Daily Search.
• This will take you to a predetermined search of the Swagbucks search engine.
• You may or may  not "win" any SB for this search.  They are random throughout the day.  Use the Swagbucks search engine for your regular daily search engine and you