Bank It or Plank It: Financial Bingo

Jokes of the Sea
Q: How much does it cost for a pirate to get his ears pierced?
A: A buccaneer.

While exploring your resources, what content did you find relevant that others might find helpful? We'd love to hear your eye-opening experiences or favorite resources.

I had a financial win this weekend. A store I like had "all shirts are BOGO" I found one I loved but not another..and I searched and searched. So I had in my head "do you love this shirt for $49.99? Do you love this shirt for $24.99? Well I did not love it enough to pay $49.99. When we got to the cash wrap, my niece asked me why I was not getting the shirt.. I told her I just could not find another one I loved, and I was not going to buy one just get one to get one free. She said she had found another shirt she wanted, she told me to grab the one I wanted and we could BOGO together!! That was a win for both of us!!!
Slowly but surely I will meet my financial goal.. small that it is... I can reach it.

Love the way you processed the decision! Nice way to problem solve with your niece too. Sounds like you had a fun time together.

Jokes of the Sea:
Q: What do pirates do to tighten their abs?
A: Planks

What's your experience with the Mayo Classifieds? What did you sell? What deals have you found?

I love the Mayo Classifieds!! I've bought wonderful gently used items...baby gear, toys, sporting goods and have sold or given away items too. It's also a great place to find garage sales.

Jokes of the Sea:
Q: What does the ocean say to the pirate?
A: Nothing, it just waved!

What are some creative things you've done to lighten your load? Share what works for you to help inspire others.

I love RetailMeNot! It saves me a lot of time looking for specific coupons/discounts for places I shop. The Walmart shopping and grocery apps are super handy too! The Walmart shopping app allows me to save my receipt electronically which makes returns super easy. Plus, it automatically scans competitor ads for lower prices and gives me the difference. The grocery app saves a lot of time and allows me to track spending as I shop. Plus, I don't get sidetracked in the store and purchase items on a whim.

On vacations, I also like to check out Groupon to see if I can find better deals on excursions. In the past, I've actually contacted vendors, told them about the Groupon ad I saw, and they voluntarily gave me a lower price than what was offered on Groupon.

Expedia and PerkSpot are my favorites for finding better deals on travel and car rentals. I love to travel! Being able to save money allows us to do it more often. Getting a deal on items I would normally purchase just feels great too!

Jokes of the Sea
Q: How do you save a drowning pirate?
A: With C P Arrrgh!
For those of you with kids, what tips or advice do you have for others to help save money? Please share the best piece of advice you received which helped you save?

Once I started full time at Mayo Clinic my dad advised me to start investing for my retirement while I was young. That way I would have funds built up and wouldn't have to work until I was 70 or older. Maybe I would be able to retire a little earlier than people my age. Currently I am on track to do that and retire at the age of 60. Now will I do that, it all depends at where I'm at in life but it is great knowing that I have that capability and not be stressed about it.

Another single parent friend told me about the 4 Gifts of Christmas (something to wear, something to read, something you want and something you need). I have found this has been really helpful to focus my gift giving to my kiddo in a really meaningful way.