15 Great Ways to Save Money in the Empty Nest | All the How-Tos!
I don’t know about you, but I pretty much think that even Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, tries to save money. When you’re an empty nester, saving money means you can allocate it somewhere else that matters. Maybe you’re still putting kids through college or graduate school; perhaps you want to buy a second home, start a business, travel more, or maybe you just want to give more away—where it can do a whole lot of good. Whatever your reasons for wanting to save money in the empty nest, I’m all in with you, my friends!
Today I’m sharing 15 great ways that you can save money in the empty nest. Many of these are things that Bob and I do ourselves! Let’s dive in, shall we?
1. Use Online Fitness Classes
You can save big money on gym memberships and classes by streaming your workouts for free. I use the free online classes at Fitness Blender. They have over 500 workouts for all fitness levels, including HIIT cardio, yoga, Pilates, barre, toning, and more! Start on this page and filter for the length of workout, difficulty level, type of workout, and more.
Alternatively, the American Council on Exercise offers a free exercise library full of workouts that target specific areas of the body (with photos to ensure proper form).
2. Collect Birthday Goodies ????
The Thrillist website has a list of 93 major food and restaurant chains that offer free items to help you celebrate!
3. A Lightbulb Moment
You probably remember that when LED lightbulbs first came out, the prices were astronomical! Even though the bulbs promised significant energy savings, who wanted to shell out the big money upfront? Well, the bulbs have fallen substantially in price since they first came out, and now that your initial cost is lower, the savings are well worth it. We recently bought this 24 pack of 60w LED bulbs and switched out a bunch all at once.
4. Be Power Smart
Did you know that up to 20% of your electric bill comes from home electronics that are plugged in but not in use? Smart outlets allow you to power your electronics via voice command. Although this technology might sound intimidating at first, it’s not, I promise! Start small with this four-pack of smart plugs that work with Alexa and Google Home, and with an app on your phone. You can power on or off electronics like lamps from anywhere in the world! Or do what we do, and schedule lights to turn on and off at intervals while you’re away.
This smart thermostat isn’t cheap, but the money you save on your electric bill will have it paying itself off in a very short time! Once installed, it learns your temperature preferences in about a week and programs itself! It turns the temperature down when you’re away, or lets you manually adjust temperatures right from your phone. It works with Alexa, too, turning the temperature up or down with just a voice command.
5. Take Full Advantage of What You Already Own
Are you an Amazon Prime member? Most of us are, and if you’re like me, you probably signed up (at least initially) for the free Prime Shipping benefits. But did you know that your Amazon Prime membership offers a lot more than you’re probably currently utilizing? I wrote an entire post about this! You can access it HERE.
6. Splurge or Save
While you may decide to treat yourself by splurging on a designer bag or something else you’ve been eyeing, if you’d rather save money and just look like you splurged, look for designer dupes—with my help! Check out this recent post on Designer Dupes You’re Going to Love and this one on Designer Knockoffs That Will Fool Everyone. The fringe hem cardigan I’m wearing in the photos in this post is an under $50 knockoff of a similar $118 designer one!
7. Save on Scripts
Do y’all know about the RxSaver app? It can help you save up to 80% on your prescriptions, no matter which pharmacy you use. Oh, and if you’re like me and have a chronic condition that requires prescription meds, be sure to ask your doctor for a 90-day supply of medicine. You’ll only have a single copay every three months, and you’ll also save time with fewer trips to the pharmacy.
8. Slow Cook Those Savings
It’s no secret that I absolutely adore my slow cooker. When the kids left, I even right-sized my slow cooker for the empty nest! One of the best things about it is that you can slow cook inexpensive and tough cuts of meat (like flank steak or stew meat) to make them tender and full of flavor!
9. Take Advantage of your Age
I know most of us cringed when we turned 50, and the AARP info letter suddenly appeared in our mail ????, but AARP offers serious money-saving member benefits across a wide range of categories for only $16 per year.
Additionally, if you’re over 65, check out TheSeniorList.com for money-saving offers.
10. Drive Smart & Save
Speaking of AARP, did you know that they offer an online that can save you around $100 on car insurance per year?
11. Exclusive Discounts HERE
Y’all know I’m super-picky about brands that I collaborate with here at Empty Nest Blessed (I sound like a big corporation – LOL! ????) If you can believe it, I accept less than 1% of the offers that come my way! From time to time, my ongoing relationship with a brand will result in an exclusive discount code that I can pass along to you. They’re all listed on this page on the Empty Nest Blessed website. The latest one I added was for Catalina Crunch cereal. I wrote about this yummy company in my September SO in the KNOW post! They make cereals that are Keto-friendly, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, nut-free, non-GMO, and made with 100% all-natural ingredients and no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. And take it from me, they are delicious! I’m not exaggerating when I say that this cereal has made me feel like a kid again!
12. Book Travel on Sundays
According to a study by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation, travelers who purchase airline tickets on Sunday save 20% over those who buy mid-week! Ideally, book at least three weeks in advance, and about six weeks out from travel for the very best deals. Despite the commonly held belief that Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the cheapest days to fly, this study found that when it comes to economy and premium cabins, traveling on Thursday and Friday can save you up to 10%.
13. Be Flexible with Travel
One of my favorite things about being an empty nester is having a flexible schedule! For some great travel deals, check out Kayak Explore to see a map of where the best airline fares are currently. Put in your departure city, indicate whether you prefer non-stop or with-stop flights, and hover over the map to check out the affordable destinations, see travel dates, and get information on flights.
14. Be Car Smart
According to GasBuddy.com, Monday is the cheapest day to buy gas. (Also, be sure you’ve downloaded the Gas Buddy app on your phone to find the best gas prices when you’re on the go!) Need car repairs? Check out RepairPal.com to get free quotes on car repairs from Master ASE Certified mechanics as well as recommendations for competent repair shops.
15. Join the Empty Nest Blessed Subscriber List
I don’t want you to miss a thing! Thanks to my relationship with rewardStyle (the LiketoKnow.it people), I get advance (and sometimes exclusive) notice of sales. When I publish a post on Fridays, I usually include links to what I consider the best sales of the weekend on brands you tell me you like. If I don’t publish on Friday, I often send an exclusive Weekend Newsletter to my subscribers on Saturdays with links to some awesome sales. (Look for one tomorrow morning with links to all of the Columbus Day sales!)
I do consider shopping to be a part of my job here at ENB ????. I have to keep up so that I can bring you big scoop on the latest fashion trends and creative ways to wear them! I’m all about helping you find the best deals quickly in order to get back to having all of that empty nester fun you’re having! ????
White Fitted Button-Down | Pink Fringe Hem Cardigan | My Favorite NYDJ Jeans | Navy & White Gingham Belt | White Ruffled Booties | Fun Statement Earrings | Apple Watch | Lipstick
Every time I wear this fringe hem cardi, people ask me where I got it! I love that. What I love even more is that it’s a designer dupe! ???? I paired it with my fave jeans and even broke out the on-point white booties to finish out the look. The ruffle on the back gives the booties a sweet, feminine vibe, dontcha think?
What have you done to save money in the empty nest? Please leave me a comment and fill me in on your best tips! Interested in my other posts about how to make or save money in the empty nest? Click HERE.
Blessings,
Photos by Megan Weaver.
P. S. Be sure to Pin this post on Pinterest for future reference! (And please follow Empty Nest Blessed while you’re there!)
So many great tips and money saving ideas, and I love your sweater…so cute! Happy Thursday!
Kristy,
Thank you! I so appreciate your kind words!???? Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo Suzy
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You are so welcome!