How I’m Combating Inflation | Femme Frugality

As of writing, the newest inflation numbers put us at 7.1%.

That’s down from the pandemic peak of 9.1% in June of 2022.

After I first began this weblog, we have been three-and-a-half years out from the preliminary begin of the Nice Recession.

Frugality was all the craze. A whole lot of the Millennial ‘influencers’ you see round received their begin writing about how on earth to scrimp by beneath the opposed circumstances of our youth.

I’m not thrilled that we’re right here once more. It was all the time inevitable that we’d find yourself again right here ultimately, however the circumstances this time are fairly irritating.

How I’ve Been Combating Inflation

As inflation has risen, I’ve modified up the methods I do issues to attempt to assert energy over what may in a short time spiral into budgetary devastation.

So right here’s what I’ve been doing. I hope it conjures up you to pursue artistic methods to offer your self some wiggle room, too.

Went the Summer time with no AC in my automobile: $750

Proper in time for summer time, the AC went out in my automobile.

I hoped it might be a easy repair. However after taking it to the mechanic, I realized it wasn’t.

There have been cracks and canisters and labor — the worth of which had not too long ago gone up because of rising inflation.

Going by means of with the repair would value me $750.

I made a decision to maintain that cash in my checking account as a substitute.

My hair resented me for it.

However I didn’t actually care.

IT WAS $750.

Took benefit of checking account bonuses: $700

I had a number of funds are available from new purchasers this yr. Earlier than I received these preliminary ACH deposits, I researched checking account bonuses.

Good checking account bonuses are a number of to a number of hundred {dollars}. The necessities to earn the bonus have a tendency to return with:

• ACH deposit necessities. Often you’ll run into one that allows you to do transfers to qualify, however it’s not as widespread for checking accounts.
• Debit card transaction necessities. Not all bonuses comes with these, however once they do, you’re normally getting one thing like $2 for every debit card transaction.
• Time necessities. Often these deposits or transactions should occur inside 30, 60, or 90 days of opening the account.

I additionally did one financial savings account this manner. Even with Fed fee hikes, I’m nonetheless prone to earn more cash by means of a excessive financial savings account signup bonus than I’m by means of curiosity — even with charges above 3%. I ended up getting the excessive charges and the bonus, in order that was a win.

This labored with the best way I’ve my cash allotted. Yours might look totally different.

Lowered my web invoice: $360/yr

I stuffed out the tremendous straightforward utility for the Reasonably priced Connectivity Program and began saving $30/month on my web invoice.

Legit! It took lower than 48 hours to use — and that was over a weekend.

You possibly can qualify for this program based mostly on revenue. And revenue limits are greater than you might assume.

However revenue is not the one solution to qualify. Try all of the methods you may qualify to begin getting $30+ off your web invoice, too, with the Reasonably priced Connectivity Program.

PRO TIP: On prime of the ACP, ensure you’re negotiating your web invoice each time your contract renews. It’ll prevent much more cash.

Went by means of my on-line subscriptions with a fine-tooth comb: $360/yr (to date)

It’s tremendous essential to undergo your checking account and bank card statements each month for therefore many causes.

A type of causes is to ensure you’re cancelling any auto-renew subscriptions you’re not really actively utilizing.

A whole lot of instances we neglect about these subscriptions whereas the corporate retains billing us within the background. However staying conscious of all of your expenses is a good way to remind your self the place you may lower bills.

This was particularly essential to me because the pandemic began. In 2020 and 2021, I had allowed myself to spend somewhat bit extra on these subscriptions. In any case, we weren’t actually spending cash on leisure elsewhere.

Taken benefit of free Covid checks by means of insurance coverage: No less than $800

We nonetheless take COVID-19 severely in our home, so we undergo plenty of checks. Particularly on these events the place we determine it’s secure to socialize with others.

We get our Covid checks free by means of insurance coverage. I do not know if or for a way lengthy this may proceed. However for now, you may stand up to eight checks per 30 days free of charge by means of non-public insurance coverage, and a pair of by means of Medicaid.

Booked Journey on Factors: $1,000+

2022 was the primary time I had traveled since earlier than the pandemic. I had plenty of journey credit by means of numerous applications. A few of them may very well be renewed by making a purchase order I used to be going to in any case by means of the reward program’s buying portal.

Others have been expiring for numerous causes. So I used them. On work journeys. On household journeys.

They usually saved me oodles of cash. I received way over $1,000-worth of lodging for $0.

I’m nearly successful this battle towards inflation.

If I take the numbers I used to be paying earlier than the pandemic and account for inflation, it prices about $4,250 extra to run my family on a bare-bones price range than it did again then.

The mathematics is imperfect right here. However that’s a really tough, in all probability underestimate.

My inflation-fighting measures saved me a minimum of $4,000 final yr. Although there’s one journey I won’t have taken if I hadn’t had expiring journey factors available. So take that for what it’s price.

General, I received fairly darn near neutralizing inflation in 2022.

However that doesn’t imply it doesn’t really feel like I’m getting KO’d by it each single day.

How are you combating inflation?

Let me know within the feedback! Or, be part of me within the dialogue on Instagram beneath #inflationchallenge.