I know most people are seriously struggling right now. Over here, it feels like a constant battle between drowning and treading water. When every penny has been pinched, and every corner has been cut….and still we find ourselves choosing which necessity is more necessary and which ones we can go without. And despite it all we are still expected to save? How?
I know most people are seriously struggling right now. Over here, it feels like a constant battle between drowning and treading water. When every penny has been pinched, and every corner has been cut….and still we find ourselves choosing which necessity is more necessary and which ones we can go without. And despite it all we are still expected to save? How?
Correct, first start off with just being happy to be blessed with something to battle and struggle for its more than probably what others can speak of every having! Try lighten your load to only carry bare essentials. And then after all that go ahead pay yourself a small savings (the $5 week is a good start) before do the essentials. Now your not just barely breathing your now securing a thought of live beyond your current (not aways permanent) situation!
Have you tried all the apps? There's fetch which I like where you scan receipts and you can get gift cards it super easy. Save the gift cards as a type of savings. Try to get coupons or online coupons from whichever grocery store you use and whatever you save try to put some of that into your savings.
I'm right there with you though.. this last year is the first time I've had a savings.
I'm so sorry, Megan! Do you qualify for the Emergency Broadband program for free internet? Or the Lifeline program for a discount on your phone bill? How about a food pantry? If you don't qualify, is there a discount grocery in your area? We have Daily Deals here, and the savings are amazing. There's also the FlashFood app, but it's not available in every state. Grocery stores post food that's close to expiring, including fruit and veg, for extremely cheap, and you can order it w/the app and go to the store to pick it up. Have you tried any other apps? Ibotta is probably the best overall for me. Shopkick is next best for me because I don't have to buy anything. It's like a scavenger hunt where you scan certain products on their list to earn points. They do have rebates on some products, which are sometimes the equivalent of the price of the product–I got free grape juice yesterday. It's really great if Ibotta and/or Fetch have rebates on the same product or if you have coupons. It can be time consuming, though, to keep track of everything. Fetch is nice and easy, but it takes me a long time to earn a reward because I don't buy a lot of name brand stuff. If you're old enough, join the AARP. They have videos and quizzes you can do to earn points, and you can use the points to buy 3 free gift cards each month. Your spouse gets a free membership, too, so you can get 6 free GCs/month, if you're fast enough (they sell out quickly, but they add a new one almost every day). They're usually $5 to $10 for Amazon, Apple, Safeway, Applebees, etc. You can also play instant wins w/your points, which I win a couple times/month. The cards I can't use, I either save for xmas presents (which saves me $ at xmas), sell for cash on Raise, or exchange for an Amazon GC on CardCash. I've heard they're giving out $1000 bonuses for donating plasma, which I haven't done yet. It all takes time, though. I've put all the little bits I've earned/saved into a Paypal account over the last 18 months, and now I have about $3500, even after having to spend a little. I really hope things get easier for you!
Oh, there's also this Saverlife thread where we shared our savings ideas. Maybe there's something you can use: https://www.saverlife.org/forum/savings/let-s-share-our-best-savings-ideas/page-5
I'm so sorry, Megan! Do you qualify for the Emergency Broadband program for free internet? Or the Lifeline program for a discount on your phone bill? How about a food pantry? If you don't qualify, is there a discount grocery in your area? We have Daily Deals here, and the savings are amazing. There's also the FlashFood app, but it's not available in every state. Grocery stores post food that's close to expiring, including fruit and veg, for extremely cheap, and you can order it w/the app and go to the store to pick it up. Have you tried any other apps? Ibotta is probably the best overall for me. Shopkick is next best for me because I don't have to buy anything. It's like a scavenger hunt where you scan certain products on their list to earn points. They do have rebates on some products, which are sometimes the equivalent of the price of the product–I got free grape juice yesterday. It's really great if Ibotta and/or Fetch have rebates on the same product or if you have coupons. It can be time consuming, though, to keep track of everything. Fetch is nice and easy, but it takes me a long time to earn a reward because I don't buy a lot of name brand stuff. If you're old enough, join the AARP. They have videos and quizzes you can do to earn points, and you can use the points to buy 3 free gift cards each month. Your spouse gets a free membership, too, so you can get 6 free GCs/month, if you're fast enough (they sell out quickly, but they add a new one almost every day). They're usually $5 to $10 for Amazon, Apple, Safeway, Applebees, etc. You can also play instant wins w/your points, which I win a couple times/month. The cards I can't use, I either save for xmas presents (which saves me $ at xmas), sell for cash on Raise, or exchange for an Amazon GC on CardCash. I've heard they're giving out $1000 bonuses for donating plasma, which I haven't done yet. It all takes time, though. I've put all the little bits I've earned/saved into a Paypal account over the last 18 months, and now I have about $3500, even after having to spend a little. I really hope things get easier for you!
Oh, there's also this Saverlife thread where we shared our savings ideas. Maybe there's something you can use: https://www.saverlife.org/forum/savings/let-s-share-our-best-savings-ideas/page-5
So helpful
Wow MK thanks for the other suggestions!
