Apps are available to tell you where to find free public charging stations.ġ9. Public charging stations charge about twice what it costs to charge at home, so you’ll save more if you drive mostly within the car’s charge range. Currently, if you drive 12,000 miles a year, you can probably expect to break even in about two to three years, versus a similar gas model. Increasingly, buying an electric vehicle is likely to make economic sense. Most major carmakers offer electric vehicles now, meaning prices are coming down while gas prices are going up. That way you’ll know what the dealer is really offering.ġ8. If you are buying a new car, negotiate that price independent of the trade-in only after the deal is done should you let them bid on your old car. Due to current demand for used cars - especially older, high mileage vehicles - a private sale is likely to fetch more for your car than a dealer might pay in a trade-in deal. Be sure to check their safety ratings for snow and rain, but their reputations are generally good.ġ7. If getting better gas mileage is important to you, consider shopping for what the industry calls low rolling resistance tires, which are manufactured to lessen the friction of the tire against the road some estimates suggest they can improve fuel economy by 4 to 11 percent. New tires can actually lower gas mileage because more rubber literally meets the road. A secondary benefit: You’ll be driving more safely, which could save insurance dollars and perhaps collision repairs.ġ6. Get in the habit of accelerating gently, coasting toward red lights and stop signs, and trying to use the brake a little less. The more you can coast or avoid the surging and slowing of crowded traffic, the higher your gas mileage will be. Think of driving this way: Everytime you brake, you waste the gas you just used to get to your current speed. One year later, it had increased to over $4.50.ġ5. This is likely because shoppers are paying attention to what they’re buying, as well as the prices, when they're scanning goods themselves - rather than getting distracted by their phone or the magazine rack while a cashier does it for them.įact: A gallon of gas in the U.S. Use self-checkout. A study conducted by IHL Consulting Group reveals that people who used self-checkout spent less on impulse purchases. Store brands can run as much as 25 percent less than the name-brand version.ġ0. But simply compare the ingredients list with name-brand versions to see how close they are. Chains are highly secretive about who makes their products. Go all-in on store brands. Many major grocery chains have greatly expanded their store-brand lines, and their reputation for quality has improved. Fetch Rewards, for example, has a section where you can see which brands will get you the most points.ĩ. Double up with cash-back apps. With services like FetchRewards, or Ibotta, your grocery purchases earn points toward gift cards for various shopping options such as Amazon, Target and Walmart. Websites like CardRates and NerdWallet let you compare your card with others.Ĩ. Search the Internet for cards that offer the most cash back for groceries you might find a card that will give you 5 percent back on food purchases. Pay with the right card. Many credit cards offer cash back today, but the amounts often vary by category. Look for coupons at sites like to find deals, such as $20 off your first order at Vons, 15 percent off Kroger grocery shipments, and $10 off your first delivery of $20 at Instacart.ħ. Yes, order online. What you might lose in delivery costs often is more than made up by avoiding impulse purchases when browsing a store. Designate a shelf or bin in your fridge for all of the leftover food bits (think nubs of cheese, a half serving of pasta,a lemon wedge) or overly ripe foodstuffs that should be eaten before fresher items.Ħ. Have an “eat me first” spot in your fridge. The antidote: Cook at least one meal a week based entirely on foods lingering in your refrigerator or pantry.ĥ. Americans throw away 30 to 40 percent of our food supply, often because it goes uneaten until it’s no longer edible. You can also use the app to generate your shopping list.Ĥ. This makes it a snap to compare your shopping list to circulars from your local supermarkets to determine which store’s virtual coupons will save you the most money. Flipp is a free phone app that consolidates retail circulars. Friday is a great day for planning, as many stores post their week’s discounts and deals that day or the day before.ģ. Plan this Friday for next Tuesday. A proven way to contain grocery costs is to plan out the week’s meals and to buy food from a shopping list based solely on that plan.
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