Saving never goes out of style, but new ways to stretch your dollar pop up every year. And in 2023, many have to do with the use of technology.
We are in the middle of summer vacations, so if you haven’t taken a trip yet, it’s possible you are thinking about it and may even be planning one.
But you will also be thinking about how to do it for the least amount of money possible. For that matter, AARP savings experts have a recommendation that you probably haven't considered.
“If you're going to take a trip of 500 miles or less, why not explore Amtrak?” said Gilberto Cabrera, an AARP spokesman.
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According to Cabrera, a trip by train can save you not only money, but also a lot of headaches, due to the fact that this means of transportation has not experienced as many cancellations as airlines.
And if you want to save on entertainment, there are ways to reduce your internet and cable bills.
“There is a little trick that saves you a lot of money,” said the AARP spokesperson.
Cabrera said the trick is to select plans with commercials. "You can rent all the content, but you have to put up with four minutes of commercials per hour that you watch, so they can give you a pretty significant discount."
And when it comes to buying food, AARP has several recommendations.
"Download the application of your favorite supermarket, the virtual cards that we all know of," Cabrera said.
Here you can choose the coupons that are only offered in the application of your favorite market, or if you don’t mind, visit different stores to save more.
“There are two very good applications: Flipp and Flashfood,” Cabrera said.
For example, on Flipp, with your zip code, you get a selection of all the nearby stores. The app also gives you a heads-up on all the specials, allowing you to plan your shopping before you leave home. Flashfood is for anyone looking for savings on ready-to-eat food.
"Flashfood helps you find stores where they sell food with up to a 50% discount because the optimal consumption date is close," Cabrera said.
To get a complete list of the 99 Best Saving Ideas, you can visit aarp.org/stretchyourdollars.
The list also provides recommendations to reduce expenses on gasoline and car insurance, among other things.
