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I'm nearing the halfway mark for the month of January and still going strong. So how am I doing? I didn't spend one penny until January 10th! Then, I did have to fill my gas tank (at $1.59 per gallon, it wasn't too expensive! I was able to take advantage of a gas points saving program from my local grocery store. I earned $.60 off per gallon!) and had to buy lunch out. I was on a day trip to see my daughter play hockey. I needed something to eat between her games. I bought from the lunch specials menu to save money and took the leftovers home for dinner. That set me back $12.66 for the two meals. Not bad. Not great, though. How am I living without spending? Here's a short list list of tips -
1 - I've been eating what I have on hand. Whenever I think about going out to shop for groceries, I look at my pantry and freezer and eat what I already have. It might not be 'what I'm in the mood for' but it's a lot better than spending money!
2 - I reheated yesterday's coffee. A few days last week, I didn't finish my pot of coffee. Instead of dumping it, I reheated it the next morning.
3 - I used Walmart gift cards to buy a few things I needed to complete meals - fresh bread and fruit and veggies. I earned them from websites and use them to get free groceries. I explained how I earn them in my last post. I've even put in a little more effort to increase my earnings!
4 - I brought my lunch to work every day last week. This is an easy one for me because I don't want to run around during my 30 minute lunch break. I sit at my desk and relax. Or run Swagbucks on my phone. I've already earned a $25 Walmart git card and $25 Paypal from Swagbucks this month!
5 - I earned $3.50 from Ibotta on groceries I purchased from Walmart (with gift cards - nothing out of pocket!). Ibotta is a great website/app that pays rebates on groceries - and not just prepackaged food. I save on bananas, milk, OJ and lots of other fresh food! It really helps keep money in my pocket. And if you sign up through my referral link, you can earn $10 after you redeem your first rebate!
So, those are some of the strategies I'm using to save more. And so far, it's working! Hopefully, it will help you too!