We went from being aggressive savers for big goals like our first home, to those who save to protect our finances. That might reflect in what moves we were able to make, but I hope this is is just a source of inspiration for whatever boat you may find yourself in.

We moved back home.

This might not be an option for everyone, but as the largest expense on most of our budgets, you must look for cost-savings here. Call your landlord, call your insurance company, call all of your utility providers. Most people/companies are just as eager to keep your business as you are to stay. In fact, I do this about once a year with all my utility providers, pandemic or not. Simply give a call and use a phrase like “when reviewing my budget” or “this is not in my budget right now.” It’s a magical phrase whether it saves a couple of bucks or a significant chunk.

We took this to the extreme. We were planning on moving into our first home next, not back in with my parents, but the world had other plans. In March of 2020, knew my husband wouldn’t be able to find comparable, safe work any time soon, and with our rent (and utilities) in the Bay Area being $3,000+/month we knew that was the largest expense we would be facing. We took advantage of my indefinite work-from-home position and packed up for Southern California. We knew we would have the flexibility to return if needed, but even if this thing only lasted for two months, we would save $6,000 and not touch our emergency or down payment savings. Here we are five months in and we’ve saved $15,000 and it doesn’t look like we will be moving out before the new year. We are very fortunate that my parents were able to offer us this cost-saving opportunity and if you have an opportunity to “buddy-up” with parents, relatives, or even friends, now is the time to do so. (Even if that is just on a Netflix subscription!)

Rightsize your car insurance.

My car has literal spiderwebs on it. I went from a modest 1-hour commute a day, to nothing. My husband was even more drastic cutting his 2-hour commute entirely. Make sure to take a few minutes to call your insurance provider to update your projected usage and mileage to better reflect how much time you are actually on the road these days. While a few companies are already issuing credits, there is still more to save. We were able to reduce our 6-month rate by $200 in addition to the ~$20 monthly credits we have been receiving.

Goodbye memberships.

I know there is a debate between continuing to support your local small gyms, classes, daycares, etc. My two-cents here is that if you have the income to do so, continue, but that’s often not the case when you come to read an article like this. There is no shame in putting yourself first. Cut the gyms, cut subscription boxes, and try to pair up with friends on streaming services. Prioritize between wants and needs and get hacking.

Cut entertainment budget.

This one happened naturally, unfortunately. There is not much available to do these days. No movies, no concerts, even dining out is not an option for us. Dining out was our largest “entertainment” category spend because we loved to use date night to experience new restaurants. Ironically all the “free” stuff is what we still can do. Get outside. Have a picnic, go to the park, take a hike. Try and flip your mindset from spending money to just staying busy. It’s not the most fun, but you can still find fun in the free activities.

Spend more time to save more money.

Finding deals and saving money takes more time. But when you lose your job, you have a lot of time to look for another position and time to make sure you are not squandering your savings.

I keep up on all my credit card rewards. My travel rewards cards (Chase Saphire Reserve) are shifting to offer their customers some kind of value in the absence of travel. Now I get 5x points on groceries and I can get free Instacart Express membership. I also get a free year of Doordash Dashpass which we are using to fill the hole of our date night routines. Take the time to read those emails and check bank statements. For me, free deliveries came at the cost of switching my payment method from ApplePay to entering my credit card information.

If you also keep up to date HabitualHeart.com, you will know we are expecting. News flash! Babies are expensive. I checked in with insurance to see what we could get covered and a big one was a breast pump for me, but also check for areas of savings or expenses that can be directed to an HSA or FSA card. Just because you lost your job, does not mean that you will lose what you have already contributed to a health savings account. You will have to spend it before the end of your insurance year, so it is very important you find ways to smartly spend.

Also, if you are on the market for any big-ticket items, make sure you check for secondhand-savings or sales. Facebook Marketplace is quickly becoming an easy and abundant marketplace for nearly everything. Also, install apps and plugins like Honey and Rakuten to make sure you are finding the best codes and getting cash back on necessary purchases. I even go so far as to add items to my carts to watch for price changes or get “cart completion” coupons. (Sharing some not so secret knowledge from my past in e-commerce.)

There are a ton of apps and services out there, but these apps are literally worth it.

Rakuten (previously Ebates)

Ibotta

I tend to use Ibotta for in store purchases. Ibotta allows you to save or get cash back for both shopping at certain stores and for purchasing specific products. This is great if you have favorite food brands and works similarly to Rakuten, getting kickbacks from retailers and brands.

The two ways to earn are by connecting store loyalty cards like Target Circle and local grocery chains or by scanning (or uploading) receipts. Connecting to loyalty cards has the benefit of automatic savings, while scanning receipts requires that you remember to keep on top of your scans.

Overall, the app is easy to use and user friendly, however, Ibotta is a little more involved than Rakuten in that you have to add offers before shopping so there is a little more pre-planning needed.

• Pros: Best for groceries. CASH (not gift cards or credit) back.
• Cons: Must add offers before shopping.
• Sign Up Deal: Use this link (or code CCHLWMJ) to get UP TO $20 back when you redeem 10 offers in the first 14 days.

Fetch

Fetch and Ibotta are very similar in the way you earn rewards. They both excel at in-store purchases and work on both the brand and product levels. The main difference you will notice immediately is that Ibotta operates with cash back while Fetch works with points you exchange for gift cards. While not cash, the variety of offers make it feel pretty flexible. Friends say they basically use this to fund their Starbucks addiction.

The interesting thing (that might not be around forever) is that you can use the same receipts on both Fetch and Ibotta and potentially double your rewards. So, if you are going to spend the time uploading receipts, might as well do it for both apps.

• Pros: Good for groceries.
• Cons: Must add offers before shopping. Only redeemable for gift cards.
• Sign Up Deal: Use this link (or code 1N9CV) to get 2000 points on signup.

Disclaimer:Habitual Heart may receive referral bonuses from signups attributed to the links above.