MONEY
20 Everyday
Ways to Save
Free up money for your diabetes care
by saving dollars elsewhere.
BY DEBBIE KOENIG
T
here’s no getting around it:
diabetes is expensive. But
good money management
can go a long way. Which is
why we recommend regular check-ins
with your expenses, to look at where
you can save. “People often say, ‘Well
that’s just what it costs,’ but that’s not
true,” says consumer finance expert
Erica Sandberg. “Do a little digging and
you’ll almost always find less-expensive
options.”
We asked Sandberg and five other
experts for their best money-saving
tips. Implement the ones that make the
most sense for your life—and use your
freed-up funds to cover your diabetes
care or to save for the future.
3. NEGOTIATE
MONTHLY BILLS
“It may seem like your
monthly bills are set in stone,
but there’s often some wiggle
room,” says Emily Guy Birken,
author of The 5 Years Before
You Retire. Your bills for inter-
net, cable, cell phones, and
auto and home insurance may
be open to negotiation.
2. USE APPS THAT SAVE
CASH Check out smart-
phone apps that can help you
spend less or earn cash back,
suggests Michele Cagan, CPA,
author of Budgeting 101. Try
Gas Buddy to find the lowest
gas prices around, Fetch Re-
wards for rewards from gro-
cery shopping, and SnipSnap
to find and save coupons.
1. PUT YOUR BILL-PAY
ON AUTOPILOT Setting up
free online bill-pay through
your bank—or directly
through utility companies—
saves on checks, stamps, and
time, and lets you schedule
ahead to avoid late fees, says
financial literacy advocate
Laura Adams. A bonus: Not
having to think about bills!
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