First, to point out the elephant in the room: it’s been a hot minute since you heard from me, and I’m alive and well and spent most of the last year working on the flower farm (Winter Bee Garden). I’ve continued to refine and explore my personal style, DIY projects, and decorating, so I’m taking you along again on my journey.
On to the Topic at Hand
I saved some money.
I like a good sale and can drive a bargain with the best of them. It feels good when you save a few dollars, amirite? But I wondered how much I actually save each month. Is it really worthwhile to to shop at Goodwill on Tuesdays (Senior/Military discount day), or digging on-line for the odd coupon?
So I decided to keep track! But not on paper- I wanted to keep track with actual money.
I found a pretty pot to keep on the kitchen counter, and when I save money with a discount or a coupon, I put that exact amount of money in the jar.
The Rules
💵 It needs to be an intentional discount. I’m a senior and military, so I use those as much as possible. Also specific discounts on-line or cyber Monday.
💵 Ordinary sales don’t count. When I’m browsing and something catches my eye, if it’s on sale that’s gravy but doesn’t go in the jar. However, when I specifically want something, and I delay the purchase until I can get the sale price, that savings goes in the jar.
💵 Coupons count, especially when I make the effort online. Retail-me-not is fairly reliable.
💵 Cash back apps/ browser extensions count! I use Rakuten, which sends me a quarterly check, and that goes in the pot. [Heads up- not all cash-back apps are the same. Do your homework! Recently a scandal blew up about the browser extension Honey.
💵 Brownie Points for a change jar. I’m sure you’ve heard of this painless way to save a few dollars, and all those pennies do add up. Or at least the quarters do LOL.
Getting Started
I started the savings jar in October, and dutifully put in the few dollars I saved with discounts and promos. I found a decent coupon code or two for some on-line purchases and I was darn excited at the end of the month to count it up and realized I saved $41.21! Now I was really motivated!
Here is a November win:
The Sunday after Thanksgiving I shopped the Ulta Beauty Store to pick up a few things. As I cashed out, the cashier said, “You know, I think this hairspray is on sale on-line. Let me check and if it is, I can give it to at that price.” Coolio ☺
After I got home I mulled over the on-line sale deal and wondered if anything else might have been on sale. Then a little light went off and I thought “Hmmmm, tomorrow is Cyber Monday and there might be some good deals?”
The next morning I pulled up the Ulta website, and sure enough, a few things were on sale. AND a cyber-Monday discount AND a special 10% cash-back on Rakuten. So I ordered everything I bought in the store. Friends, I saved $28!!! All it cost me was a trip back to the store to do the return.
And it was almost painless. Here’s the painful part: putting the $28 in the jar. Granted, it’s still my money and all, but it’s in the jar, not my wallet.
I’m Rich Now
Haha, but I did accumulate more than what I anticipated. In 4 months (Oct.- Jan.) I saved $299.46.
[Do not be a Grinch like my son who said, “And how much did you spend in order the save that?”]
My goal is to continue for a year and see what that total will be. Seeing how much I saved turned into a fun challenge!
Yes, this takes some extra thought, especially on-line. I google search the item I’m buying, remember to considering shipping fees! And beware of Amazon- they are not always the least expensive. Quite often I find the biggest bargain is on the manufacturer’s website.
Case in point: I need a new modem and choose an Arris Surfboard (after reading reviews/recommendations). Arris website cost- $199, Amazon- $189 (which they billed as 14% off $219, clearly a markup, and another store was $197, marked down from $229. grrrr.) I found a 10% off coupon for the Arris website with free shipping and $19.99 went into the jar.
It’s helpful to check prices on-line before heading in-store, most stores will give you the on-line price if it’s less. Here’s a receipt from a recent trip to Home Depot to pick up some grow lights- they were on sale on-line but not marked in-store. The cashier gave me the sale price, and combined with my military discount, it made a hefty deposit to the savings jar.
I would love it if some of you joined in this little experiment! Let me know if you do and we can compare notes and celebrate the big wins!
