Prioritized Living

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How to Save Money on Prescription Medications

How to Save Money on Prescriptions

Sticker shock is alive and well at every pharmacy across the country.

Prescription medication is expensive.

Plenty of people shell out continuously to cover treatment for chronic medical conditions. And, other times, getting a prescription is an unpleasant, pricey surprise. Your kid gets an infection. You’re injured in an accident. Or you face an unexpected diagnosis.

In fact, a recent survey by RxSaver found that the average American adult spends $33 each month — that’s $400 a year! — on prescription medication. And kids’ prescriptions add an additional $341 a year to your budget.

Any way you slice it, it feels like your wallet is completely at the mercy of your pharmacist.

So what can you do? How can you ensure that you have the money you need to cover your essential medical costs?

If you want to know how to save money on prescriptions, try these smart strategies for saving what you need and growing what you already have. [Read more…]

How Much Should I Spend on Groceries?

How Much Should I Spend on Groceries?

Is your food spending normal?

Maybe you’re a die-hard fan of outsourcing your food prep. You eat nearly every meal out and use your oven for storage.

Or, on the flipside, you’re a frugalista — someone who shops for the best deals in-store and online, stocks up on discount groceries, meal plans like a pro, and whips up 40 inexpensive freezer meals in a day.

But everybody wants to know . . . How much should I spend on groceries? Is my family’s food budget on target, or are we way off?

Get ready to see whether your spending is in line with the average grocery bill in America. Learn how to create a custom food budget for your family. Plus, grab the FREE food budget calculator down below for calculating your family’s ideal grocery budget!

Here we go! [Read more…]

Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry with ShopRite from Home

This post is part 3 in the series Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry.

Skip the Store and Stock Your Pantry with ShopRite from HomeNote:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

In this series, I’ve reviewed and spelled out the pros & cons of some home delivery and grocery pick-up services — Amazon Subscribe & Save, Amazon Pantry, Target Subscriptions, and Walmart Grocery. Today I’m sharing my review of ShopRite from Home, including how it works and how to get the most bang for your buck.

It was during a particularly challenging pregnancy that I discovered ShopRite from Home.

All of a sudden, instead of having the freedom to run off to the supermarket, I was too sick even to walk around my house. For months! But, even now as a busy mom, I’m a grocery pick-up convert.

Grocery pick-up and delivery service is a game-changer!

Part of it is the truth of my time’s value. Yes, I could be schlepping around the store every week to grab food, personal care items, household supplies, baby stuff — you name it. But my time is precious. I want to spend it on my loved ones, my family’s goals, and my own personal goals.

And the best part is that I don’t have to sacrifice to do that.

Most days I use ShopRite from Home instead of hitting the store myself, I actually wind up saving money!

So how does ShopRite from Home work? What are the ins and outs of the ShopRite pickup service? The ShopRite delivery service? And how can you maximize your efficiency and save the most money while shopping for your groceries?

Let’s dive in. [Read more…]

The Beginner’s Guide to Playing the Drugstore Game

The Beginner's Guide to Playing the Drugstore Game

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

The Drugstore Game is addictive.

Every time you hit your local drugstore, you challenge yourself to buy the items you need for as little as possible – or even without paying a dime!

I got started several years back after reading an outstanding and inspirational guide, How to Shop for Free: Shopping Secrets for Smart Women Who Love to Get Something for Nothing. (The book not only makes the drugstore game easy and effective but offers savings tips on clothing, electronics, groceries, and more!)

If you’re brand new to the drugstore game but want to learn and start playing quickly, here’s your essential guide to getting started and saving big at the drugstore.  [Read more…]

15 Awesome Financial Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

15 Awesome Financial Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

With Christmas right around the corner, you may be searching for that perfect gift for the special people in your life. (Or you may be looking to treat yourself to a surprise from Santa!)

Either way, if your gift recipient loves being on top of her finances — or wishes that she were! — this holiday gift guide has got you covered with awesome, budget-friendly presents.

[Read more…]

6 Ways to Save Money on Your Car Insurance in Just Minutes

6 Ways to Save Money on Your Car Insurance in Just Minutes

You may not know this about me, but I actually spent a decade working in the insurance industry as a mathematician. And during the last four years of that run, my main job was to analyze data and create predictive models to build auto insurance rates.

That’s right, my team and I figured out how much our insurance company should charge people for car insurance.

So I know firsthand that there are a lot of factors that go into the calculation of your insurance premium.

And there are plenty that you can’t change — at least not easily. Got a ticket or an accident on your record? It’ll take years for that mistake to stop impacting your rate.

But there are some things you can do almost instantaneously that can have a huge impact on your car insurance rates right now.

In fact, here are six of my favorite insurance hacks for lowering your rate right away:  [Read more…]

When Is the Best Time to Buy a New Car?

For this article, I teamed up with Lending Tree and experts at Edmunds and CarMax to write a monster article on the absolute best times to buy a new car!

A new car is a major investment. So every bit of savings you get can really add up when it comes to your final purchase price. And when you have the flexibility to choose when to buy your car, you can cash in with some incredible deals.

Face it: When you buy your car matters. In this post, we’ll look at statistically proven times of the year that you can save thousands on a new car, some days you should steer clear of the dealership, and how you can maximize your savings once you’re ready to purchase a brand new vehicle on that magic day.

So, let’s dive in and uncover the best time to buy a car.  [Read more…]

9 Ways to Save Money & Stress Less This Holiday Season

9 Ways to Save Money and Stress Less This Holiday Season

The holiday season is here! But while the kids are dreaming of dancing sugarplums, you may find yourself searching for gifts and making the world’s longest holiday to-do list.

Had enough of your annual, end-of-year expenses and hair-pulling? If you want to maximize your holiday cheer this year, try these nine tips for spending and stressing less, so you can enjoy the season instead.  [Read more…]

5 Tips for Conquering Black Friday & Cyber Monday

5 Tips for Conquering Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Ready or not, the holidays are just around the corner! Before your Thanksgiving turkey is cold, retailers around the country will deck the halls, crank up the merry tunes, and start axing prices in hopes of getting you to buy.

With stores competing for your business, it’s an incredible time to find major, once-a-year savings. But it’s easy to get lost in the crowds, miss out on the best deals, and stress out over the whole process.

If you’re ready to conquer this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday power shopping days, stick with these five tactics:  [Read more…]

Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry with Walmart Grocery

This post is part 4 in the series Skip the Store & Stock Your Pantry.

Skip the Store and Stock Your Pantry with Walmart Grocery

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

So far in this series, we’ve looked at the perks and pitfalls of Amazon subscription services, Target Subscriptions, and ShopRite from Home. Today I’m exploring a service that recently came to my area — and might be available in yours! — Walmart Grocery.

Have you heard of Walmart Grocery? Formerly dubbed Walmart To Go, this service from Walmart is spreading fast and beefing up its perks.  [Read more…]