Discovering how to live a glorious life on less
Are you looking for ways to save on back to school supplies? To help, Verizon is giving away backpacks full of school supplies July 30th at select locations across the United States.
This year, Verizon is giving back to local communities by providing free backpacks filled with school supplies. Find out if your community is home to a Wireless Zone and if so, mark your calendars for 1 pm on July 30th.
Are you trying to save money fast? Saving a $1,000 for your emergency fund is a good goal to shoot for. Whether you are able to make big changes or small, here are some of our top tips to help you spend less and save $1,000 in 30 days:
Before you can reach any of your money goals, its important to make sure you look at your budget. Don’t have a budget? Then your goal is to set one. Budgets may seem scary if you aren’t use to having one, but they are a really great tool to help you maximize how you use your money.
Not Sure How to Budget? Start With These Four Simple Steps
Once you have your budget set up, look at where you might be able to cut back spending. Are there any unnecessary expenses that are either eating away at your savings or preventing you from putting money into savings? If so, determine how much you are willing to cut back on those expenses and total those up. Put that amount towards your $1,000 goal.
Once you have cut back on those unnecessary expenses, look for other categories you may be able to spend less in by making some simple changes in your daily routine. You may be surprised at how many of these small changes add up.
For example: If you spend any money on food that you don’t make at home, this could be an area where you could save quite a bit if you are willing to give it a try. Instead of dining in at restaurants or ordering takeout, consider making meals at home and packing leftovers when you can. You don’t have to be the world’s greatest chef to make this work for you – stick with simple recipes and add the money you save to your emergency fund. And who knows, you may find that that this is a habit that sticks.
Every few months, our family takes a look at what memberships we have – especially our streaming memberships – and cut whichever ones we aren’t using as much as we used to. If you are looking to save $1,000 in 30 days, this might be something worth doing if you haven’t considered doing so or haven’t done in awhile. Other examples of memberships to reevaluate include:
It’s easy to get carried away when you’re shopping for groceries. You may find yourself picking up extra items, thinking you’ll use them later in the week or month. But if you don’t actually use those items, they’ll just go bad and end up costing money!
It’s better to plan your meals ahead of time and only buy what you need for those meals–no more, no less. If there are certain ingredients that would be useful in other recipes but aren’t needed right now (such as garlic or spices), add those things onto a separate list so that you remember to buy them later on down the road when needed again by another meal you are planning to make.
If you’re like most people, your grocery bills can add up quickly. The good news is there are plenty of ways to save money on groceries:
Saving is great, but sometimes its still not enough to kick start your emergency fund – especially if you don’t have much wiggle room in your budget to begin with. If this is you, it may be time to consider letting go of some of your personal belongings that you are comfortable parting with. Can you sell them on Facebook marketplace or host a garage sale? Selling items that are still in relatively good condition can be a great way to jumpstart your emergency fund.
Another way to bring more money into your account on a regular basis is to either start a side hustle or consider whether its time to ask for a raise. Both options can potentially bring in more money on a regular basis to your account and you can set this aside towards your emergency fund. Side hustles are great if you just need a short term infusion of cash – like if you’re trying to quickly put aside an extra $1,000 in 30 days. Asking for a raise may result in more money coming in on a more consistent basis and if you haven’t asked for one in awhile, maybe now is the time.
You can save money fast by making small changes to your spending habits. For example, canceling the membership you never use or adding cash back apps on your phone are easy ways to make more room in your budget for funds you can put towards your emergency fund. Don’t have a lot of margin to begin with? Consider selling some of your personal items you are comfortable letting go of or starting a side hustle that works with your schedule. Any of these steps can help you work towards putting money aside for something unexpected.
You don’t have to be an expert to save money fast. Identify ways you can reduce what you spend and reallocate that money to your emergency fund. If that’s not enough to reach $1,000 in 30 days, you may need to look at ways to bring more money in. This could include picking up a side hustle or selling some of your personal items you are ready to say goodbye to. Either way, these steps can help you reach your goal of saving $1,000 in 30 days, and have a better idea of how much money comes in and goes out each month–which means you can start saving even more!
As Mother’s Day approaches, you may be finding yourself scrambling to find the perfect gift to show our appreciation for the amazing mom (or moms!) in your life. However, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on gifts to show mom you care. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of low-cost gift ideas that will make your mom smile without breaking the bank.
While it’s easy to think that the cost of a gift is proportional to how much you care, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, the most thoughtful and meaningful gifts are the ones that cost very little. In fact, a low-cost gift can be even more special because it shows that you put thought and effort into finding something that your mom would love, even on a tight budget.
Additionally, with the current economic climate, many families may not have the financial means to spend a lot of money on gifts. By choosing a low-cost gift, you can still show your mom how much you care without adding to any financial stress.
Although it may seem like you need to spend a lot to show mom you care, we’re pretty sure no mom wants you to go into debt or break your money saving goals to celebrate her. In fact, there are many ways you can show mom you care regardless of budget. Need a little inspiration? From thoughtful, no-cost gifts to a few of our favorite ideas costing $30 or less, we’ve got your back this Mother’s Day season.
If you have a bit more wiggle room in your budget, consider these gift ideas under $30:
For those on an even tighter budget, these gifts under $20 are sure to make your mom feel loved:
Believe it or not, you can still find meaningful gifts for your mom under $10. Consider these options:
Sometimes, the best gifts are the ones that don’t cost anything at all. Here are a few ideas for free Mother’s Day gifts:
No matter what gift you choose, there are a few things you can do to make sure your mom feels extra special on Mother’s Day:
No matter what gift you choose, remember that the most important thing is to show your mom how much you love and appreciate her. With these low-cost gift ideas, you can make your mom smile without spending a fortune.
Mother’s Day is a special time to celebrate the amazing mothers in our lives. While it’s easy to get caught up in the commercialism of the holiday, remember that the most meaningful gifts are often the ones that cost very little. By choosing a low-cost gift and adding a personal touch, you can show your mom how much you care without adding to any financial stress. Happy Mother’s Day!
If you are looking to save money on groceries, this grocery budget calculator might be a good place to start.
Looking for other ways to save money? Be sure to check out our top money saving apps to use at the grocery store and Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach website for more great tips and strategies.
This post contains referral and affiliate links meaning that if you sign up for one of the apps discussed below, we may be compensated for that referral. The views expressed our ours alone and we do use these apps regularly for personal use.
Looking for ways to reduce your grocery bill but don’t want to mess with the headache of coupons in the checkout line? If you have a smart phone, there is a better way. Take a look at our favorite apps that will help you save money with little extra effort.
Over the years we’ve worked hard to get our grocery budget down and even with rising prices, we’re still keeping our budget under the USDA’s Low-Cost Food Plan recommendations with a family of six. These apps let me save even more by providing cash back or rewarding me with gift cards I can use on future purchases.
Related: Grocery Budget Calculator
Ibotta. If you’re only going to download one app, this would be the one I’d suggest. I’ve cashed out the most often with the Ibotta app and I really appreciate how easy it is to use. Unlike other apps, Ibotta will often have “no brand” offers on things like milk, bread, eggs, produce and general receipts. This means you can get cash back for buying some of the basics.
Checkout 51. Checkout 51 works similarly to Ibotta in that it features various cash back offers on specific products. Offers are updated every Thursday and are often available in limited quantity. To be honest, the products featured typically aren’t the ones our family buys on a regular basis and sometimes the quantity required to purchase seems rather high, but every now and then we are able to find items and deals that do work for us.
Checkout 51 has also offered cash for watching videos in the past, but hasn’t done so recently; however, you can earn extra cash back at the gas station and by taking surveys through this app.
Receipt Hog. Another one of my favorites is Receipt Hog. With this app, you don’t have to select individual items to claim rewards. Instead, you simply upload your receipt and receive coins for each one you upload. There is a limit on how many tokens you can receive each week, but I’ve only ever reached that threshold once. And every week you upload at least one receipt you’ll get a chance for extra coins by earning spins on the slot machine. You’ll also get additional opportunity for more coins as you level up.
Occasionally Receipt Hog will give you bonus points for answering questions about a recent purchase. as well.
Want to give Receipt Hog a try? Sign up here.
FetchRewards. This is another very easy app to use. Simply select which special offers you want to claim and select the brand names you typically purchase. When you scan your receipt you’ll get points for the items in your cart that fit under one of those brands or meet the criteria for your special offer. Every receipt you upload from the grocery store automatically gives you 25 points regardless of whether any specific items are present. Every 24 hours you’ll also be eligible for a receipt bonus you snap a photo of. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to apply to digital receipts just yet. Points can be redeemed for a variety of gift cards.
ShopKick. If you enjoy scavenger hunts, this app is for you. You can get “kicks” for walking into certain stores and for scanning bar codes on various items. This means it is possible to get rewards without having to actually make a purchase; however, if you happen to purchase the items you scan, you’ll get even more kicks to play with. Kicks can be exchanged for gift cards… or a Vespa. We’re always curious if anyone has scored enough kicks for that. We tend to use our kicks to redeem gift cards.
Want to give ShopKick a try? Use our referral code SHOP307617 when you download it and you’ll get 250 kicks once you scan your first item or complete a walk-in. 500 kicks = approximately $2.
Drop. This app is a little unique in that you don’t have to upload any receipts. Instead, you link your credit card and choose 5 stores or restaurants you frequent. Whenever you use your linked card to make purchases at those places, you’ll receive a certain number of points for every dollar you spend.
Bonus – once you’ve claimed 5 deals, you get to score bonus points by playing a Snake game! Aaron was made for this app.
We chose Target, Bath and Body Works, Starbucks, McDonalds, and Chipotle for our five core destinations. But other offers have come in since we initially signed up for this app. You can also get points for taking surveys in the app and by playing a basketball game twice a day.
Want to give Drop a try? Use our referral code x4u82 to sign up and get 10,000 points (equivalent to $10) when you link your first card.
Have used any of the above apps to get cash back or redeem gift cards? Which is your favorite? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Please note: This post contains affiliate/referral links which means that when you click through them, we may be financially compensated for directing you there. We just thought you should know.
Looking to earn a little extra money in your free time? If so, you may be interested in a few of our favorite survey apps!
Whether you’re sitting in a waiting room or are looking for something to do on your down time, there are plenty of ways to make money on your phone. From cash back apps to survey apps, Kati has brought in just under $2000 in 2022 by utilizing these resources on her phone. Want to get started? Here are the apps Kati has been using and would recommend.
Checkout 51
You may have seen us recommend this app on our Essential Cash Back Grocery Apps post. In fact, this app is a multifunctional one – you can get cash back on grocery purchases, gas and yes – SURVEYS! Cash out when you hit $20 and receive the funds through PayPal. Please note – this app seems to take the longest to hit the $20 threshold of all the apps mentioned here.
Survey Pop
This has quickly become one of Kati’s favorite apps! It features short surveys and has a withdrawal threshold of only $5. Choose to receive your payment through PayPal, a Visa gift card, or a gift card to your favorite retailer.
Sign up with our referral code (6QAAYJ) and you’ll get a $1 survey on sign up.
Drop
This is another app that serves multiple purposes. You can securely link your credit cards to earn points on everyday purchases and play games like Snake and Basketball to earn points daily. Drop also features surveys and you can cash them out for a variety of gift cards – including those to Amazon, Walmart, and various restaurants. This app has helped us pay for a lot of this year’s Christmas gifts.
Want to give this app a try? Sign up through our referral code (x4u82) and you’ll get 10,000 points ($10) once you link a credit card.
Pogo
This is the newest app we’ve added. Its also a multifunctional app, providing points for a variety of reasons including everyday purchases, surveys and location rewards. You do need to link your credit card to use this app. What we love about this app is that even if you don’t finish a survey you’ll still get points rewarded. Additionally, the cash out minimum is only 3000 points ($3 dollars) via PayPal.
Want to give this app a try? Sign up through our referral code (QJN3Z8) and earn an extra 250 points once you hit 1000 points on the app.
Do you have a favorite app you use to earn money by taking surveys? Share in the comments!
