It’s a rainy Monday evening here in Florida. As I type this, I am awaiting my Thai food order from Grubhub. Don’t worry—you know your girl found every single coupon she could! Plus, I used my Rakuten app to snag 4% cash back.
Remember back in the day when Rakuten was called Ebates? It partners with thousands of stores to offer cash back, and I’ve earned as much as 12% back on a single purchase before. They pay out quarterly via PayPal or a physical check, as long as your earnings are over $5. If you're under that $5 mark, it just rolls over to the next quarter.
Free Money Alert: If you don't have a Rakuten account yet, you can
This rainy evening got me thinking: it’s that time of year when I start reviewing our bills, budget, and subscriptions to see exactly where we can trim the fat. Here is what my yearly audit uncovered this week:
1. The Internet Bill Win
I called our internet provider because I noticed competitors offering rates that were $30 lower. Just by making that call, they lowered our monthly rate from $89.99 to $50 a month with absolutely no change in service.
2. The Subscription Sneak
I started auditing all our subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Y'all... I noticed I was paying for two separate subscriptions to the Peacock TV app. 🤦♀️ This is exactly why it is so important to review your statements line-by-line every single month!
3. Slashing the Grocery Bill by $150
"Shopping the pantry" first: I've been coming up with meal ideas using what we already have, then only buying the bare minimum needed to complete the dish.
Buying less fresh inventory: I'm buying fewer meats, fruits, and veggies at one time. If we run out mid-week, only then do we make a quick trip back.
I’m also back to store-hopping to stack savings. I hit Publix strictly for the Buy One Get One (BOGO) deals—though I always double-check the unit price, because stores love to sneakily increase the base price during a sale! I hit Walmart for paper products, soaps, detergent, and select groceries. But the bulk of my shopping is done at Aldi. After comparing prices across the board, Aldi is consistently the most affordable without sacrificing quality.
The result? Our grocery bill went from a $300 weekly average down to just $225 this week—saving us $150 over the last two weeks alone.
4. Shaking Up the Homeowners Insurance
What's next on my radar? Tackling the beast that is Florida homeowners insurance. We recently had a wind mitigation inspection completed for $100 since we had new windows and doors installed after the hurricane. I am crossing my fingers that this report will trigger some major discounts on our premium!
In the meantime, I have our insurance agent actively running quotes to ensure our current renewal is still our best option before we look at switching companies. I will continue to review every single bill and statement as they roll in this month, hunting for every hidden money-saving opportunity I can find.
Over to You!
Do you do an annual budget review for your household? Where is the first place you look to trim the fat, and what's the biggest "hidden savings" you've ever uncovered?
Drop your best tips and tricks in the comments below—let's save some money together!
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