Living a frugal lifestyle can become a bit discouraging after awhile. It can seem like all work and no fun–often for little progress. So, each month I take a look at 5 ways our family saved. I hope to encourage others to find small ways that they saved. Remember, frugal living is a marathon not a sprint. Every little bit adds up!
5 Ways We Saved in February
1. Used the Ibotta App
Each week I use the free Ibotta app to save some money at the grocery store. It’s really simple! You just:
-Download the free app
-Link up your store’s reward card
-Click on rebates that you would like to use (my favorites are ones like $.25 on milk, $.25 on carrots, etc.)
-The app will know when you’ve purchased those items (if you link your account to your store’s reward card,) and they will credit your account
-Once you have reached the payout threshold ($20), you can cash out
-That’s it! Ibotta is definitely the simplest way to save money at the grocery store. No coupon cutting required!
Plus, right now if you sign up through this link, you’ll get $10 automatically credited to your account!
Amount Saved: $22.55 (Just for buying groceries I was going to buy anyway!)
2. Received a “Big Fat Check” from Ebates
I received my “Big Fat Check” from Ebates this month. If you are like me and love the convenience of purchasing items online, to make things even better, use Ebates! Ebates is a website that will give you cash back for any online purchase made–you just have to go through their website first. So, go to Ebates, type the name of the store into their search bar (like Amazon, Expedia, Target, etc.), and then click on the link. You will receive cash back for the purchase you were going to make anyway. So easy!
(And, right now if you sign up for Ebates HERE, you’ll receive $10 cash back just for creating an account and making your first purchase. If you do any online shopping at all, Ebates is the way to go. I’ve earned over $250 in the past year.)
Amount Saved: $189.50
3. Took Advantage of a Fee Free Day
We are very fortunate to live just a few miles away from Shenandoah National Park. However, because of our (extremely!) frugal lifestyle, we don’t get over to the park as often as we would like. That’s why I am always REALLY excited whenever there is a Fee Free Entrance day or weekend at the national parks. All fees are waved on those days and you are able to enter and hike, picnic, etc. for free! We took advantage of the fee free day in February (President’s Day) and went on a family hike. My kiddos are troopers, so they gamely hiked for nearly 4 miles to see a waterfall–even my 3-year-old!
Amount Saved: $25
4. Got a Museum Pass from the Library
The library is seriously my favorite place. While most people know that you can check out books, download e-books, attend lectures, and participate in children’s programs at your local public library, not everyone knows that many libraries have free passes to local attractions. Our local library has free passes to the children’s museum in our town. So, one weekend we checked out the pass and headed to the museum for a fun (free!) afternoon.
Amount Saved: $32
5. Received Hand-Me-Downs
Finally, we have been very blessed by the generosity of various families in our church. One family in particular has a son one year older than our oldest son, and they regularly (twice a year or so) give us his hand-me-downs. This month we received a bag with several pairs of pants, sweaters, work out clothing, and church clothes. The moral of this story? Let others know that you cheerfully accept hand-me-downs. Then, be sure to pass on the love when your kids outgrow their clothing.
Amount Saved: $100 (Conservative estimate of how much it would have cost us to purchase all items new)
Total Saved: $369.05
What did you do this month to save money?
(This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and purchase a product, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for supporting Orthodox Motherhood.)
