One Hundred Dollars a Month

Welcome to my 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month series. We’re serious about saving money in 2016. Sometimes it’s the little things and sometimes it’s the big things. I’m here to walk you through some little things that can add up to BIG savings. 52 little things to be exact. Every week, join me back here for another small money saving tip or idea that might not seem like significant savings until you see the overall yearly savings. It might just blow your mind. So pop in each Tuesday and read a new tip that will help you on your way to save $100 a month!

Everywhere you turn there is a company advertising some sort of loyalty program. While they are often successful in reeling people in that way {advertising genius at its finest}, so many people sign up and then forget to actually partake of the rewards. If you remember and utilize them wisely, you’ll save yourself hundreds of dollars a year.

Credit Cards: This is a tricky one for many. Carrying a credit card balance is almost always frowned upon by financial advisers, but using them is not. If you have some self control and the ability to pay off your balance in full at the end of the month, I highly recommend you find a credit card with either a cash back or rewards feature and use it FOR EVERYTHING.

Many cards offer 1-5% cash back or credit in the form of gift cards, airline miles or merchandise. If you put every possible dollar you spend each month on the credit card and then pay them off, you are essentially earning yourself 1-5% each month. Easy peasy. We’ve taken family vacations and “paid” for every dime using rewards miles.

Many people shy away from these types of cards because of the annual fees, but there are so many cards available these days with no fee at all. So you get all of the perks and no extra expense. Seems pretty awesome to me!

Restaurants: If you dine out often, check out the rewards programs for the restaurants you frequent most {also, some credit card companies offer separate dining rewards programs if you are avid restaurant frequenters}. Some casual chains have punch cards or loyalty cards with points per dollar you can earn, while others have email clubs that will send you coupons or freebies from time to time.

I like to sign up for all the email clubs that offer birthday freebies. We don’t eat out enough to earn enough point rewards to amount to anything, but when my birthday is near and I get a “free ice cream” coupon in my inbox, I’m not going to say no!

Grocery Stores: These work in similar ways to the restaurant perks in that many stores offer points per dollar rewards, while others give you special coupons or perks when you sign up for their store’s loyalty program. Some stores like Fred Meyer/Kroger offer both. You’ll get quarterly cash back based on how much you’ve spent inside the store, but also get special coupons mailed to you as well.

Other stores offer discounts on certain products only if you have a rewards card. These programs cost nothing and result in some pretty great savings, so it’s really a win-win.

Many stores pharmacies will also offer large store gift cards as a perk for transferring a prescription to their pharmacy. Ask before filling a prescription and you could walk away with a gift card for $25-$50.

Another lesser known perk that I often take advantage of are the gift card deals. Most major grocery stores will offer perks for purchasing gift cards through them. Albertsons does a “Gift Card Mall” promotion a few times a year. You buy any gift card available there {ie, restaurants, coffee places, home improvement stores, iTunes, airlines, etc.} and receive a gift card to the store you bought it at {in this example, Albertsons}. I will stock up on gift cards to places I know we frequent anyway, like to Home Depot if we have a home improvement project coming up {and when do we not} or Southwest airlines if we have any travel plans coming up {and when do we not}. Then I get rewarded for spending money I was already going to spend. Works for me!
Gas Stations: Sign up for a gas station loyalty card and enjoy, on average, a 3 cent savings per gallon when you swipe your card. If you have a lengthy commute, this could add up to significant savings. Some of these programs are tied to your grocery store or credit card rewards programs, but other gas station chains {ie. Maverick out West} have stand alone programs.

Travel: In addition to the miles programs through your credit card mentioned above, did you know hotel chains and rental car companies offer rewards programs of their own. Let’s say you frequently travel and love to only stay at Marriott properties. Sign up for the Marriott Rewards program and you’ll earn points per dollar towards free stays. You’ll also be the first one to receive complimentary room upgrades or welcome baskets in your room. You’ll feel like they’ve rolled out the red carpet for your arrival, because often they have. They want you to be brand loyal when you travel, so they’ll reward you for it.

How Much Can You Save: $200+ {sky’s the limit, really}. Let’s just take credit card perks and just talk about a portion of your expenses. Say you charge just your food every month on a credit card that offers 2% cash back at grocery stores. The USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion says the average budget for a low-cost meal plan for a family of four in the US is $796 per month {gasp!!}. And that’s low cost {so no steak for you!}. So if you only charged your food each month, your credit card company would pay you back almost $200 each year. Can you image the savings if you took advantage of all these perks to the max?! Yeehaw!

More Ways to Save:

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clean Out Your Closet {Week 1 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Break Up with Cable {Week 2 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Barter Better {Week 3 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Change Your Own Oil {Week 4 of 52}

52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Adjust Your Thermostat {Week 5 of 52}