2 Easy Ways Your Family Can Save Thousand$ Per Year

Todd Evans, MA, MS, PhD

Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW

Listen to Todd’s full podcast Interview on Central Conversations (different from this article)

Saving money and time are essential for special needs families. The potential loss of work due to childcare needs, the medical bills, and the many other necessary accommodations in special needs families can really strain your time and finances. Our family has struggled through the years, but we have made it work through frugalness, creativity and sacrifice. We have a number of ways we save, but 2 really stand out. These two tips can save your family thousands, and they take very little time.  We hope these 2 ideas spark inspiration and create more joy in your lives.  

1. Credit Card Rewards–Travel for Virtually Free

So, how did our family find the means to vacation without the funds? Free vacations and free hotel nights without timeshare presentations? Sign me up!  I tell families that they can almost pay for an entire vacation each year just by applying for and using 4 credit cards per year. Banks and credit card companies want you to get their cards, so they offer incredible sign-up bonuses. Most of them are structured as: “Get approved for our card and get 60,000 points when you spend $3,000 in 3 months.”

The points and the spending vary, but they are all very similar. On average, you can estimate a point is worth about 1 cent, so 4 cards will give you over $2,000 in credits for vacation. 

Four cards may sound like a lot, and people worry about it hurting their credit score. But in reality, it will raise your credit score overall, and you can close the cards after one year if you want.  If you and your spouse do this, that’s only 2 cards per person. 

The reason I say 4 cards is that it will be enough to pay for a nice vacation, and it works out exactly to one card every 3 months which is normally the terms of the sign-up bonus. $12,000 in spend might sound daunting, but that’s only $1,000 per month. Your family probably already spends that much on cable, phone, gas and grocery bills. So, don’t change your spending habits, just change the card you use every 3 months to the new one you signed up for.

You can literally pay for nice family vacations by taking 1 hour every few months to fill out an application and change your auto pay feature on your bills.

The big thing to remember is always pay your bill on time so that you don’t get charged interest, and never spend extra to earn points. Both of those are always losing propositions.   A great resource to explain this in further detail and to recommend the best credit cards is doctorofcredit.com. I always start my search there. 

2. Discounted Gift Cards

Saving up to 15% or more is easy when you learn how to find discounted gift cards. You can find them in-store and online, and it’s incredibly easy to buy them.  You can buy cards discounted in stores like CVS, Dollar General, Costco, Sam’s, grocery stores and many more. For instance, Dollar General offers 15% off GameStop and 10-15% off Lowes multiple times a year. You can save money on Christmas presents or home repairs. You can find discounted gift cards online through companies like Paypal digital gifts, AARP, and many others.  These are all considered first-hand cards which means they come directly from the company, and no one else has had access to the card before you, even if someone else like Paypal or your local grocery store is handling the transaction.   

You can also find a much larger selection of cards by buying second hand gift cards, but you have to be a little more careful, as that means someone else bought the card, had access to it and is now selling it independently.  

Do not buy gift cards on ebay or other sites like that. There are numerous scammers, and it’s hard to get your money back. Only use reputable sites that have been around a long time like Raise.com. They offer a one-year guarantee on all their cards, so you can be assured you won’t lose your money. 

Finding the sales is easy if you know where to look and let someone else do the work for you.  One of the best sites I have found is GCgalore.com which is dedicated to compiling and publishing discounted gift card deals both online and in person.  You can check the site once a week, or set up notifications to alert you to deals.  Just spend a few minutes each week seeing what the current gift card deals are and buy one if it is somewhere you regularly shop or go.  

Which one sounds good to you, free vacations or savings $1,000s per year? Pick one of these ways today and start saving. If you need free advice getting started or have questions, please reach out on our contact page. We would love to help you get going on something that can really change your family’s lives. 

What ways do you save money for traveling?

Share your ideas in the comments.

Blessings,

Todd and Kristin

Learn how to make some extra money by having the best garage sale ever

Todd and Kristin have been married for twenty years and have two children with differing rare genetic disorders and complex needs. Their greatest passion is walking with others on their journeys to deeper faith and emotional healing. They both completed their Masters in Christian Education at Wheaton College, co-receiving the Lois LeBar Award. They have served together in church, camping, and retreat ministries. Kristin is a Christian author and a Licensed Masters Social Worker. She is experienced in Christian counseling, couples & family therapy, substance abuse treatment, and crisis counseling. They enjoy traveling and the outdoors together.

*Disclaimer: The contents of this post are intended for informational purposes only. Todd and Kristin are sharing from their personal experiences and are not giving professional financial advice. They are not endorsing the links or organizations in this article. They recommend you research, consult with a professional, and seek additional information before making any financial decisions.