Best Money Saving Tip: April

At the start of this month, I said we’d give away a PocketSmith Premium membership ($60 value) to the person who was voted as having the best money saving tip in April.  Thanks to the folks at PocketSmith for providing the prize!

Well, this is our last Monday of the month and I’ve selected the finalists.

Here were our three topics:

How to save money on groceries

How to save money on books

How to save money on bank fees (and no one had a single tip!  Is there a way to save on bank fees?).

Here are the finalists:

Darren from www.morethanfinances.com

I also echo Paul’s comment about using the library. Since you’re already paying for it with your tax dollars, you might as well use it to your advantage.

As for college textbooks, some colleges let you rent textbooks directly. If they don’t, you can check out websites such as chegg.com to do the same thing.

Another option would be to buy a used textbook from amazon.com or half.com. After the semester is over, you could immediately sell it back to a book buyback website. One such site that searches all the available buyback sites is bookscouter.com. Hope this helps!

Darren showed the most persistence this month.  His comment got put into my spam folder and was accidentally deleted.  However, he emailed his comment and we finally got it posted.  This comment was the most comprehensive, and he even mentioned a couple of websites I’ve never heard of.

Paul from www.providentplanning.com

Use your library! (I know this probably isn’t an option in PNG, Craig.)

You already pay taxes for the books in your local library, so you might as well use them. With the Interlibrary loan program, you can (eventually) get any book you want. You can also get audio books, CDs, and DVDs. Our library even has board games you can borrow.

Paul, you underestimate my small town.  We do in fact have a library.  Unfortunately, my family personally owns more volumes than the library.  I estimate that I’ve got about 600 religious resource books in my personal library.  However, you made the finals because you said your library had board games.  I’ve never heard of that, and that my friend, is the tip that put you on this list. Contacto Cero A Un Hombre Orgulloso

Joe from www.personalfinancebythebook.com

This one will not apply to most, but we love Senior Citizen day at Kroger…an additional 10% discount to all other coupons and specials. My wife buys all staples for a month and, counting coupons and discounts, will normally save well over $100.

Joe, for being a senior, you have my respect.  I’d love to see your wife in line on Senior Citizen’s day with all her coupons.  That would be a proud moment for any of us who aspire to be frugal seniors.  Sometime we need to put together a list of all the places that give senior discounts.  Guest post, Joe?

The Debt Darling at www.debtdarling.com

I like to use The Grocery Game for coupons. Although, I only use it once every three months. I stock up and then cancel the membership. Then, three months later, I will do it again. I continue clipping coupons throughout that time and use them on the items that are necessities though.

I have no idea what The Grocery Game is, but if you can use coupons and make it a game, you’ve got my vote.

Monroe On A Budget at www.monroeonabudget.com

Yes. I do have a system for grocery shopping on a budget that includes both coupons and non-coupon tricks. The only subscription you’ll need is whatever newspaper carries the grocery and drugstore ads for the zip code you’ll be shopping in.

I wrote it for my local readers in Monroe MI but it certainly can work in other cities – I’m in a market where the national coupon databases are not helpful so I’m teaching DIY techniques. https://tinyurl.com/mkc9vo

Anyone who has a ‘system’ for grocery shopping must be in the finals – especially if that system involves both coupons and non-coupon tricks.  I like how you call them tricks – it makes saving fun.  As a person who gets excited when I get my hands on a Sunday paper full of coupons, I had to include this comment in the finals.

Alright, now it’s your chance to vote.  Just let me know who you think has the best money saving tip and I’ll give them a free PocketSmith Premium subscription (value $60).  To vote, just leave a comment with the name of the person who had the best money saving tip.  (Darren, Paul, Joe, Debt Darling, Monroe).

Voting will end at midnight on Tuesday.

Other Great Articles:

1. Money Saving Tip: Pronto
2. Money Saving Tip: Price Protectr
3. Money Saving Monday: Save Money On Groceries