24 DI A BETIC LI V ING / SPR ING 2019
9
SCRAP FOOD
WAS T E American
households throw away an
average of $1,800 each year
in food waste. You can save a
hefty chunk of that by prepping
fresh fruits and vegetables as
soon as you get home, says
Birken. A bonus: Ready-to-go
produce makes it easier to get
dinner on the table.
7. HIT THE PAUSE
BUTTON Shopping online?
Leave everything in the cart
for 48 hours, suggests Birken.
Not only does it prevent im-
pulse buys, but the retailer
may also off er a discount as
an incentive to complete the
sale. (Or you may realize you
don’t need an item after all!)
4
SHOP ONLINE FOR BULK PANTRY ITEMS “I get
a big discount on paper products, garbage bags, soaps,
vitamins, and shelf-stable groceries like coff ee, popcorn, and
beans at sites such as Amazon, Grove, and Thrive Market,”
Adams says. Sandberg agrees—and points out that seeing the
running total in your online grocery cart makes it much easier
to stick to a budget.
5. LOOK FOR
DISCOUNTED GIFT
CARDS You can purchase
gift cards for less than their
face value—as much as 50
percent off —at websites
like GiftCardGranny.com and
CardCash.com, says Birken.
Just be sure to only buy cards
you know you will use.
8. CONSIDER STORE
CREDIT CARDS
Many retail chains off er
branded credit cards with
substantial benefi ts, Adams
says. For instance, the Gap
family of stores off ers a
no-annual-fee Visa card that
gets you points rewards,
discounts, and free shipping,
plus other benefi ts.
6. GET RID OF STUFF
Websites like Craigslist and
eBay make selling simple.
Sandberg also recommends
the Off erUp app and local con-
signment stores. “I had some
old-model phones that were
taking up space in a drawer,
so I took them to a local place
that buys phones,” she says. “I
got over $200 for them!”
10. CONSIDER
CAR-SHARING
If you’re not using your car
every day, you may not need
to own one, says Lisa Wise,
CEO of Nest DC + Roost DC,
a property-management
company. Car-sharing ser-
vices like Zipcar or Car2go
provide access to a fl eet of
insured cars for a monthly
fee. The average monthly
savings can range from
$150 to $400+.
- CARPOOL Think of it as the original form of car-sharing.
If you have neighbors who work in the vicinity of your own job,
set up a plan in which you take turns driving each day, sug-
gests Sandberg.
12
WALK! Walking
for transportation
off ers two fi nancial bene-
fi ts, Sandberg says. First,
you spend less on gas and
upkeep for your car. And
second, regular exercise
can help you manage your
diabetes—which can save
you money on health care
in the long run. If walking to
where you need to be isn’t
an option, try committing to
a walk once you arrive.
ADOBE STOCK; IVAN GENER / STOCKSY
