Prices keep climbing and climbing. Inflation has returned with force. That’s especially noticeable at the supermarket, where we’re repeatedly stunned by totals at the register.
Just scan the headlines:
Beef costs are climbing worldwide, Reuters notes.
As food prices keep rising, beef and pork have jumped to the front, the Washington Post reports.
If you’re a fan of steak, you may be out of luck. Just as grilling season ramps up, prices are through the roof.
Overall, inflation increased 5% over the past year — the largest rise since 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How do you cope with rising costs? Here are several practical ideas.
1. Earn Money Every Time You Buy Groceries
What’s your favorite steak cut? Ribeye? T-bone? Filet mignon?
No matter how careful you are, food still takes up a substantial portion of your budget. Everyone needs to eat, so you might as well get a little back while your groceries are being rung up.
A free app called Fetch Rewards will give you gift cards simply for buying everyday items like toilet paper and more than 250 other products at the store.
Here’s the process: After installing the app, snap a photo of your receipt that shows a purchase of a brand listed in Fetch. In return, you’ll collect points that can be redeemed for gift cards to places like Amazon or Walmart.
You can download the free Fetch Rewards app here to begin earning gift cards.
Over a million people have already signed up, so it seems to be working.
2. Buy Groceries Online (or at Least Stock Up on Pantry Items)
If your shopping list is huge, a trip to the grocery store can quickly become a hassle. Before you know it, you’re lugging dozens of bags — or at least it feels like that.
Simplify life (and save your arms) by ordering pantry staples and dry goods online — and earn cash bonuses while doing it.
A free browser extension and site called Rakuten partners with more than 2,500 retailers, which lets you earn cash back when you shop at participating stores. When we looked, we found offers at Amazon, Safeway, Sam’s Club, Boxed and Walmart.
It takes less than a minute to install the free browser extension and create a Rakuten account. All you need is an email address. Plus, if you redeem cash back via Rakuten within the first 90 days after registering, you’ll get an extra $10.
No need to worry about cramming a 36-pack of toilet paper into your trunk or hauling a heavy bag of cat litter across the parking lot. Have it delivered to your doorstep and get money back while you’re at it!
3. Don’t Overpay for Items You Buy Online
Do you pick up groceries after ordering online? Wouldn’t it be nice to get an alert whenever you’re about to pay too much?
That’s precisely what a free service like this provides.
Install it in your browser at no cost, and before you finalize checkout it will scan other sites — including Walmart, eBay and more — to see if the product is cheaper elsewhere. You’ll also get coupon codes, price-drop alerts and access to the item’s pricing history.
Imagine you’re buying a new pair of shoes and think you’ve found the lowest price. You’ll get a pop-up telling you if that exact pair is offered for less elsewhere. Any applicable coupon codes will be automatically applied to your order.*
In the past year, this tool has helped shoppers save $160 million.
You can get started in just a few clicks to check whether you’re overpaying online.
4. Add Roughly $225/Month to Your Grocery Fund by Watching Short Videos
If we told you you could earn money while watching clips on your computer, you might be skeptical.
It sounds too good to be true, right?
But this is legit. By creating a free account with InboxDollars, you could potentially add up to $225 a month to your wallet. They’ll send brief surveys and video tasks daily that you can complete while someone bakes brownies on screen or you catch up on celebrity gossip.
No, InboxDollars won’t replace a regular paycheck, but it’s an easy way to earn extra cash while you’re already sitting on the couch scrolling through your phone.
Unlike many platforms, InboxDollars pays in actual cash — not points or only gift cards. They’ve already paid out more than $56 million to users.
Registering takes about a minute, and you’ll receive a $5 welcome bonus right away.
Any of these tactics will help.
Just pick one and give it a try.
Mike Lawson (mike.lawson@example.com) is a senior writer at Savinly. He prefers his steak medium rare.
*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you install the extension using the link provided.
