Let's start today by discussing ways to save money this next year.
As prices continue to rise, I have thought more about ways that I can save money. I thought things in the past took too much time. These are things that I just dismissed as not necessary.
Now I'm seeing the importance of every little thing.
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1. Receipt surveys
One of the ways I have dismissed in the past is all of those little surveys at the bottom of some store receipts. Now, not the ones that like to enter you for a drawing, but those that will save you money.
One of our stores will give you 50 points off your fuel points if you complete their survey on certain receipts. That is 50 cents a gallon off of gas.
So, I need to take the time to fill those out. I bet I haven't filled out more than one or two of those in the past, but if I take the time to do that and get my gas at Dillon's, I can save 50 cents a gallon. I would say that it is worth the couple of minutes it takes to fill that out.
Also, if you ever go there, McDonald's has a buy one get one free, and you must use it within 30 days. So, if you go there and maybe use your app and get a good deal like I did last, you can use that receipt if you go back in the next 30 days. Ensure the survey is filled out within seven days of your visit, and you can get something free on your next trip to town.
Sometimes, it takes just a little talking ourselves into doing something, but many times, it's worth it in the future. So, I will try to watch for those things that take a couple of minutes to save my money and make myself sit down and do them.
2. Know my limits
I will also pay more attention to knowing my limits this next year as I'm going into 2024 and retired for the first time. When I was working, I kept my checking account balance at about $1,500.
That was like my operating income that I worked with. I knew it would cover everything I needed that month. And I didn't spend any money above that.
Everything else went into savings. Well, now that I'm not working, I'm only going to keep $700 to $800 in my checking account, and that will be enough for me to operate my home, my finances, and everything else that can go into savings.
Veg for sale
3. Grocery savings
So, I've considered what I need, know my limits, and am lowering that amount. We have also changed how we eat. We eat smaller portions, and we've lost weight.
We now substitute more things like ground sausage, ground pork, and pork steak for hamburgers.
Hamburgers have gone up 16 % this past year, so if you thought you saw beef prices rising, you were right. So we now buy very few hamburgers and beef and substitute them with other less expensive meats.
4. Bottled water savings
We went from bottled water to refilling our jugs this past year. That has saved us a lot of money because those bottled water packs can cost anywhere from $ 3.99 on sale to about $9.
We even got our family to adapt to those during our holiday season during their visits. We put out cups, I have an ice container with a scoop, and we put out the jug of water. They just refilled their cups, and it worked out beautifully
5. Adding variety to the garden
I will also try growing some easy, simple scraps from grocery stores of foods I've never eaten or tried. Things like bok choy and leeks, I'm going to add to the things that I'm already growing because I can substitute them for onions and celery and other things in my soups, my stews, and my casseroles.
6. Senior discounts
I will try to make a point of asking about senior discounts when we go places. I tend to forget to do that and then think of it later. My husband is also a veteran so that we can get veterans' discounts.
There are also military discounts, school teacher discounts, and many others. So even if it's 50 cents off or ten off of something, that makes a huge difference when you're trying to scrape up enough extra for things like those electric bill increases.
Saving coins
7. Slow down
Do you remember back in the day when we drove 55 miles an hour? They said that it conserved fuel. I'm going to go back to trying to slow down in everything I do because if I try to rush, I make stupid mistakes that cost me money.
Even driving, I'm finding that I am comfortable driving at about 60. Yes, I've graduated into one of those people that many pass, but I remember they told us that you could conserve fuel at 55, so if I slow down, I can let the other people pass me by. Their gas gauges can go down, and mine doesn't.
Budgeting
8. Better budgeting
Hopefully, I will make better decisions if I slow down and think more about what I'm getting ready to do and if it makes sense for my budget.
When I do my budget, I carry forward negative balances month to month if I go over that month because maybe I found a good deal, so I stocked up on something.
So, I am going to continue to carry forward those negative balances, but in the past, I've also carried forward my positive balances, and I will no longer do that.
If I didn't spend it all that month, I would start fresh the next month with my grocery budget, my gas budget, and anything that is controllable.
Then, when I go forward, I will try to stay in the new budget for the month and consider all I could save last month as extra money for my savings. That way, it's there if I need it for something else.
Ways to save money
I hope some of these ways to save money that I will start doing might give you some ideas of some things you can do in your household to save money.
If you think of any I have not mentioned, please mention them in the comments below. We want to learn from each other and save more money this year.
Next, learn
