We hear financial experts talk about the great ways you can save money, and a lot of it is great. In fact, many of these financial experts, like Dave Ramsey, have helped thousands of people get out debt!
But have you ever been curious about what the super saver experts do? And I’m not talking about known book writers or people who have gone to college and mastered in money management and business. I’m talking about people who have become experts in finding ways to save big and small as they get out of debt and/or build their wealth.
Well down below, I’ve gathered some amazing tips from these super savers! You’ll find some amazing tips and hacks for making sure you get great deals in almost all parts of life. So check them out, and if you have any tips too, let me know. I might just add them!
You Will Learn About:
Cars
1. “I’ve told a car dealer I wouldn’t purchase the car with that interest rate and started to walk out. They lowered the interest rate from 7% to 3.4%. Even with my “bad credit” that they said I had (My credit score is 760). The interest rate is negotiable even if they say it isn’t. Do it after you agree to the price on the car when you’re getting ready to sign the papers.
Last Note: They earn commissions on loans with certain banks. He was trying to convince me I wouldn’t get financing as a scare tactic. I didn’t like that so I walked away. Somehow they found better financing. I knew better because I was aware what my credit score was.” – Donna McMenamin
2. “We changed car/home insurance providers last year from Liberty Mutual to Erie Insurance and saved almost $600 a year.” – Krista Hanks
3. “Pay cash for a car! My immediate manager walked into a dealership and asked what $10,000 cash could get her. It got her a 2013 Ford Focus with 50k miles on it.” – April Coltzer
4. “Definitely try nearby schools for auto repairs!” – Susan Livingston
5. “I switched car insurances and save about 30 dollars a month.” – Krista Anderson
Holidays
6. “Christmas shop all year. We choose to buy for our extended family (I know a lot of people choose not to but in our family we love ridiculously big Christmases). I buy things when I find amazing deals and put them away. Our Christmas tree is overflowing for an average under $10 per person for quality gifts.” – Krista Hanks
7. “Ebates! I use it especially around Christmas. When you shop through them (app or website) they give you cash back in the form of a check. They have major stores like Kohls, Walmart, Under Armour etc. I’ve gotten back $665 over the 3 years I’ve been doing it.” – Krista Hanks
Debt
8. “I have a second job as I pay down my debts. Knocks off $700 per month.” – Angela Malone-Klockgether
Pets
9. “I just discovered an alternative to my dogs monthly flea meds. It’s a collar that lasts 8 months. Where I live, that’s all they need. I found them through Chewy.com for $54.99 each. I also put my dog’s food on auto ship through them and saved 20% off my order. So normally with (4) dogs, I paid $100/month for a flea pill ($800/year). With the collar, I’m treating them all for $200 for the year. I saved $600!!” – Lori Epperly
Bills
10. “One thing I used to do with my prior business was pay the bills early to take advantage of terms. So if I paid in 20 days, I got 5% off and that really added up. Also, I scheduled all my CC payments on the last possible date to make sure I had more time to pay (for when I needed it) and to make sure I wouldn’t have late fees/interest. And, when I could, I would pay for things annually (for the discount) rather than monthly. That always worked for smaller items in the $100-$200 range.” – Debbie Gartner
Shopping – Groceries
11. “Shop the flyers! I shop at the most expensive chain in town – but I pay less than the people who shop at the least expensive. How? I study that weekly flyer like it’s a college textbook. My weekly meal plan is based off of what’s on sale and what’s BOGO. Yes, it takes time and planning, but it saves me a ton each week!” – Crystal Suarez
12. “For those curious, the expensive chain offers to-your-car delivery and you can shop online. And when you’re recovering from a broken ankle, that’s very important!” – Crystal Suarez
13. “Coupons! I print off Coupons.com.” – Sherrie Banas
14. “Walmart here offers next day pickup on your groceries for free. Shopping online helps you stick to a budget because as you add things to your cart, you see your total go up. Plus, it makes it easier to stick to a list and not impulse buy because you have to search for each item!” – Kayla Rowell
15. “I make do with what we have in the pantry. Push off grocery shopping as much as I can. You’d be surprised what you can make!” – Angela Rinka
16. “Sign up for Kellogg’s Family Rewards, take a pic of your grocery receipts and submit for points when you buy participating Kellogg brands. Points can be redeemed for gift cards or I do the printable coupons. Plus they send out emails where you can print off coupons.” – Debbie Durig
17. “I use apps to get cash back on groceries – Look for stores which really help you find savings like Walmart’s Savings Catcher.” – Melanie Askey
18. “With our tax return we bought a half of a cow (1.79/lb) and a half a hog ($189 total) for a total of $1,154. It will last us all year.” – Krista Hanks
19. “We eat a lot of in season produce and we cook from scratch a lot.” – Laura Jourdain
20. “I use ibotta and SavingStar for groceries, toiletries and paper items. At times the store’s apps will have the same digital coupon so I use that at the same time to double the savings.” – Lisa Garand
21. “When I get to the minimum for cash out, I redeem for gift cards to Starbucks and Panera. I love eating there for free!” – Lisa Garand
Shopping – Clothing
22. “For clothes I shop the consignment shops for the kids and myself and I set a budget. I rarely spend more than a dollar or two per top and no more than four dollars for pants for the kids and I am still often times finding name brand stuff for them.” – Krista Anderson
23. “I thrift heavily. I’m really picky about my daughter’s toys and clothes and I buy them for next to nothing and sell on consignment when she’s done with them, essentially clothing for free.” – Laura Jourdain
24. “I shop at Goodwill first. Use secondhand/consignment shops for dance dresses for daughter.” – Diane McWethy
25. “When I can I like to go to the fancier neighborhoods and check their Goodwills out because usually you can find new Nike shorts for $3-4.” – Krista Anderson
26. “I buy baby & kids clothes at a consignment or thrift shops. I found a good one that only accepts clothes that are in good condition & also takes toys & baby furniture. Most babies/kids outgrow stuff before it can get too worn out so we get great clothes for a fraction of the price. The store I go to also buys stuff if you’re willing to go through your old clothes & pick out the best stuff, and they have a punch card that can get you 20% off after you buy or sell $200.” – Amber Tarasevitsch
Shopping – Essentials
27. “All of our garbage bags, paper towels, and toilet paper I buy at Costco. It’s a small investment in the beginning but I would say it lasts 5 to 6 months on the TP and even longer on the other two.” – Krista Anderson
28. “I use my Amazon Prime subsribe and save for items like toilet paper, baby wipes, diapers, paper towels, paper plates etc.” – Krista Hanks
29. “I take a second for internet research like recently I got $7 off an oil change.” – Susan Livingston
30. “Go to chain haircut places and buy the 2 haircuts for $20.. (it’s loaded on a gift card). It’s only $10 per cut! A few places do this in my area.. (Smartstyle in Walmart and Great Clips).” – Christine Williams
31. “Shop off season for clothes. And when shopping online I only buy if free shipping is available.” – Matt and Kim Styons
Outings
32. “One activity we enjoy is going to state parks. A day pass is 5 dollars or you can get a year pass for $25. So I get the year pass because we go way more then five times a year and there are 63 or so State Parks in our state I believe. Usually pack a lunch and snacks, and the only thing I have to save money for is gas.” – Krista Anderson
33. “I save for vacation by having money automatically taken out of my account each month. I do this for Christmas and my children’s accounts too.” – Andrea Moore
34. “Save loose change in a sealed tin for vacation spends. Don’t really miss it at the time but it soon adds up.” – Anne Scott
And It’s the Small Things That Count!
35. “I use rags for cleaning up messes instead of paper towels mostly. (I do have to buy one roll every now and then for things like broken eggs on the floor).” – Laura Sapp
36. “I found this book called, 101 Old-Time Country Household Hints
37. “To save on electricity, I unplug all appliances or switch them off at the breaker box when not in use. Every little bit helps.” – Ybet Aoebeoo
38. “I use less than the recommended amount of laundry detergent. Our clothes get just as clean.” – Krista Hanks
39. “Cutting the toothpaste tube in half when it’s ’empty.'” – Jill Voight
40. “I try not to leave the house on days when I’m not working. I run errands before or after work while I am already in town. Saves fuel and ultimately money because I’m not as inclined to “just look around” before or after work like I would if I had more time.” – Krista Hanks
41. “I use apps for chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and have saved with app coupons.” – Christine Williams
42. Also, locally our buy/sell/trade Facebook page has been a great way to get rid of items and make some extra cash. – Krista Hanks
Alright, so what were some of your favorite saving hacks from these super savers? And what are some of yours? I’d love to feature your tips as well!
Chasing Foxes was started in 2016 as a way for Grace and her husband, Silas, to start traveling. However, they started to realize that they had a passion for improving themselves, and wanted to help others level up their lives as well. So whether it's with cooking, travel, or staying healthy, they want to help you better your life bit by bit, as they do the same.
Great tips! So many gems in this post. I love that they came from real people too!
Thank you!