Out of the box ways to save money

It’s easy to feel like there are no more ways to save money. When you’ve been on a budget for awhile, there are fewer corners you can cut. People give helpful tips like “reduce your electric bill by turning off lights immediately” and things like that, but for many people those easy savings tips are second nature. We need more.

I’m excited to be partnering with Sears Mastercard to bring you some unique savings tips today!

Since my husband started staying home, he has cut our food budget in HALF. He makes all of our bread from scratch…which was a huge portion of our budget because the kids eat loads of sandwiches. He also cut out all processed snacks. An extreme step, BUT it’s saved us a lot of money and the kids are thrilled snacking on fruit or toast after school. It’s healthier and a huge dent in what I thought was non-negotiable spending in our food budget.

There are apps that show you the cheapest gas in your area. These can be REALLY useful and save you a ton of money. We tend to use these apps on road trips to find exits with the cheapest gas, but it can be useful around town as well. I’ve been shocked to see at 25 cent difference between stations very close to each other! It’s worth checking if you aren’t all the way on E.

Recently, I learned about the Sears Mastercard with Shop Your Way. I hadn’t really thought of a credit card being a way to save money, but it is!

Here’s how it works. The Sears Mastercard from Citibank allows your to earn points when shopping. You get 5% back in points when you get gas at eligible locations, 3% when you make eligible purchases at grocery stores and restaurants…and so on! The list of ways to earn points is pretty extensive, so you can save extra money simply by using a different card!

I love this out of the box way to save, because like we said above, some times you run out of corners you can cut. This Sears Mastercard allows you to do the same shopping you’ve always done, on essentials like gas and groceries, but get rewarded for it! When you are ready to cash in your points you can redeem them in Sears or Kmart to make purchases like school clothes or appliances you need for you home. When you are redeeming with points you get a 30% discount, which lets you save even more! You can see more details about the Sears Mastercard and how it can help you save in an out-of-the-box way here!