Learning to save is an important part of ones financial journey towards a better financial future.
That being said, if we don’t make it a priority, it can be very easy to end up with nothing left over to save if not careful.
I am curious to know some ways my fellow Penny Hoarders use to save money on a consistent basis.
For me personally, I have found that saving multiple small increments of money on a weekly basis adds up over time.
For example, I have one savings account that takes $5 a week from a checking account and also allows me to save amounts at any time.
I also hoard nickels so every couple weeks when I stop by the bank, I will get $10 in nickels and put them aside for later.
On my main checking account, I have it set to round up to the nearest dollar and put that amount into my savings. So when I spend $1.75, it will round up to $2 and add $0.25 to my savings.
I also will randomly check my accounts and move a certain amount from savings to checking to make the account an even number. So if my account balance is $976.85 I will add $.685 to savings to make the balance $970.00.
These are just a couple ways I use to save money consistently, it may not seem like much, but over time it adds up to a nice chunk of change!
What are some ways you save?
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I rarely buy anything that is not on sale and I double up advertised sales with coupons, and then use money saving apps like Ibotta and Checkout51 to get money back or credit towards gift cards at Amazon or other retail venues.
I now own a credit card with a good rewards program match for us, which is cash rebate instead of discounts for gas, travel, restaurants etc, so I charge everything and pay off the balance every month. I would not do this if it was necessary to make monthly payments! You have to be careful of those rewards programs that give points for gas and groceries. I learned, when doing research, that the warehouse clubs gasoline and groceries are not included in most card rewards and we gas at warehouse clubs almost exclusively. In one case Walmart was not considered a grocery store either, because they carried more than groceries. You won’t find that in the fine print, every time I’ve called and asked it often takes days to get a clarification from the credit card company.
I have a favorite thrift shop and rarely buy any new clothes anymore, the store I use has great turnover and the clothes are in excellent condition.
I have reacquainted myself with our public library and use it regularly, we can order books online for Kindle or for hardcopy pickup. Free! They also have a book store and I can buy books at their bag-sale for $3-5 a bag at certain times during the year so I buy books for us, for my grandkids and to donate to their school classrooms.
We try to shop at a local Farmer’s Market regularly. Prices are usually better than the grocery store and the quality and taste are hands down better. The produce lasts so much longer than that bought in the stores. We freeze quantities of foods; and we are starting to use a dehydrator for fruits for homemade trail mixes.
We seldom eat out, but at Christmas when most of the restaurants are offering gift card specials…like "buy $100 in gift cards and get $10, $15 or as high as $25 bonus cards, we buy them for us from our two favorite places and get the bonus cards.
And I read, read, read! The Penny Hoarder has been one of my favorite sites for ways to save, and for ways to do side gigs if I need extra income in the future.
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MOORE INCOME that’s a good way to save. I’m starting next month
putting up $10 a week but i’m giving it to our son to hold because if
its in my account and i’m out with the kids its so hard for me to say
no to them. All so now to get change you either have to buy some thing
from a store because the banks charge you a fee for rolled change now.
The other way to get change is certain soda machines down here that
gives nothing but change back. So I’m going to use that buy a soda and
get the rest back in change to save. Change is one thing i don’t like spending.
Right now I’ve a Pringles can full of change and a small can all so my purse
is heavy with change that i’m going to put in a can or jar.
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Thanks for sharing all those awesome ways to save @mintjulep
I should probably visit my local library, (we have several in town) and see if they offer any similar programs. I have been buying a lot of books recently but they take up a lot of space and we are trying to downsize. The library might just provide a good alternative, I don’t know why I haven’t thought about that!
I agree with you on the credit card rewards programs, they can be tricky!
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I find it difficult to save on a consistent basis. I am always tempted to try Acorns and Stash apps. I just have not sat down to set them up. I try and transfer monies into savings every week. I find that I switch it in and out all the time. I have a hard time saving. It’s not that I spend on frivolous items it is just it is always something, a new washer, a refrigerator part, etc.
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@mexpensive Stash is good. They have a savings account as well as a checking account that pays you cash-back in the form of stock (stock-back) when you make purchases. I personally have lost money with Acorns so I am not a huge fan.
I understand the struggle with saving and then spending, that is why I really like saving on a separate app that way I am not constantly seeing the money and it is easier to “forget” about it.
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Anyone still using an old-fashioned loose change money jar? Coupons savings go in there too, then to the bank 1 or 2 times a year.
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MINTJULEP I’ve been using Pringles cans or any other can
you can’t see threw. This way my kids don’t ask to use it and
i don’t see it and use it but i like to save change. One Christmas
I had a $199 dollars saved up than a week or so later I went to
the bank and the lady told me i miscounted here your $9 and
change. So I had $200 + dollars saved in change and that’s not
counting the change i gave to my daughter so i would have had
more that the $200.
Its hard getting change from the banks here they charge you for
getting change. So you have to have cash on you. All so there a
couple soda machine that give you your money all back in change.
I’ve been thinking of going once or twice a week with $10 or $20
but some soda or a soda get the change and save it up that way.
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I still do. It has become much more difficult since I carry less cash.
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MEXPENSIVE I know what you mean about not having
cash on you as much.
I use ebates for online shopping, a Way 2 Save account with Wells Fargo that puts 1.00 for each transaction in the savings and I have automated deposits into savings from paychecks. If I have any cash, I put it in a change jar. And the day before payday, if I have any money in my acct, I send it to savings and just budget to live off my paycheck.
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@leighofmar those are great ways to save. I also am an Ebates user, however more recently I found BeFrugal which is basically the same thing as Ebates but the cashback rate is usually a bit higher than Ebates in most cases or at least the same, but if you find it lower than BeFrugal they have a policy where they will match it and do better anyways.
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MOORE INCOME ok i know i signed up years ago for ebates but never used it.
So how do these work ebates and befrugal?
@bonnie.squires So far our bank does not charge for cashing in or depositing rolled coins, but I suppose it’s just a matter of time. If they do I guess I’ll hit one of those coin machines in the grocery store, I think the one nearest allows us to accept a gift card with no fee, but if we want a check or bills, they take a commission out of your funds. A gift card is fine to avoid any fees.
@leighofmar I also signed up for ebates a long time ago but never quite got into it and I can’t remember why!
@moore.income I am going to look at BeFrugal, have not heard of that one!
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MINTJULEP your lucky last time we used a coin machine
we ended up paying $50 some dollars for it but that was
NY and i’m sure its gone up since than.
The town I’m in now i’ve not asked for coins but my try.
Funny thing is when you bring your change into them
they don’t want it rolled they want it lose and they weigh
it now. I though that was weird but they do that than I’m
guessing the machine rolls it for them to
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Ebates and BeFrugal pay you cashback for making purchases online.
The amount varies and sometimes is limited to certain categories for purchases, but since I am already purchasing certain things, I always click through the link on one of these cashback sites to see if I can get anything.
They also pay decent for referring other members to the programs and I have earned money both ways.
It is never a huge amount, but at least it is something.
Here is what my earnings look like:
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MOORE INCOME thank you very much
I have opened a separate bank account for my work reimbursement checks so that money doesn’t go in with paycheck. I now transfer money from reimbursements into Stash, Long Game monthly then once every quarter I move money into Swell Investing. It’s been much easier for me to move it out and forget about it because I no longer see it in my primary account which has made saving easier.
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I use Stash and Swell, I have heard of Long Game but haven’t used it. What do you like about that app? @shannon.h
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Your youtube channel link is not safe for some reason. A big warning notice comes up saying that this channel is trying to steal your passwords or credit card numbers. I think if you have info for the group share in the group not try to get followers and money thru Youtube channels. I just don’t think it is appropriate for this group. The idea is to share in the group not be directed away from the group for the info. Maybe an Admin would have a better statement for this behavior?
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