TULSA, Oka. — Budgeting, turning off lights, and waiting for a full dishwasher are just a few of the small habits that can add up to big savings. AARP's newly released 99 Great Ways to Save list offers even more strategies for cutting everyday costs.
Sarah Martin keeps a close eye on her family's expenses.
"We budget, and so yeah, we're very conscious of where our money is going and how we can save even a penny," Martin said.
Her approach goes beyond a basic budget. Martin's household focuses on small, consistent habits to keep utility bills in check.
"Turning the lights off when we leave a room. We're very, yeah, conscious of that. The AC, you know, like in the summer we use the fan, when it feels good outside, we'll open the windows, water, just making sure you know it's it's not on when it doesn't need to be, waiting for the dishwasher to be full before we load it, you know, just trying to save money," Martin said.
AARP's Stephen Perrine says one of the most effective, and underused, tricks for online shoppers involves doing nothing at all. It's part of their 99 Ways to Save.
"Whether you're doing your grocery shopping or you're back-to-school shopping online, go ahead, go to your favorite e-retailers, fill that shopping cart up, but don't press purchase. Instead, once you've filled your cart, close your browser and step away from the computer," Perrine said.
Perrine told 2 News Oklahoma that when items are left in your e-cart, retailers often send a follow-up email to lure shoppers back to complete their purchase, and those emails can be worth opening.
"Most people don't even bother to open those emails, but in about a third of cases, they're gonna contain a discount code that you can use to whack 10%, 15%, 20% off the purchase you were gonna make anyway. It's a sneaky little trick, but it really works," Perrine said.
Savings can go even higher by stacking coupons on top of those discount codes. At the grocery store, combining in-store discount codes with manufacturer coupons can shave down a food bill. Skipping the trip inside altogether and using an app to place a pickup order is another way to save.
"It's a convenience and a time saver, but it's also a money saver, because there's a reason why they stick the milk in the back of the grocery store; they want you to go through all of those aisles, and try to resist those hundreds of items they're trying to sell you," Perrine said.
For back-to-school clothing, the advice is to buy only the bare essentials before school begins, then wait a few weeks after school starts to finish shopping, when sales are more likely to appear.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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