Lifestyle

How Seniors Can Save Money

Published

2 years ago

May 31, 2024

Seniors are meant to enjoy their golden years; that’s why they call them the “golden years” in the first place. But if you’re constantly worried about your money and personal finances, you won’t be able to enjoy those years to the fullest.

Finding clever ways to save money and reduce expenses can help resolve this issue, so how can seniors do it?

Home and Basic Essentials

Your most important and probably biggest expenses are going to be related to your house and your basic needs. These are some of the best ways to control those expenses:

Consider downsizing. Your home is probably your biggest expense. Even if you’ve completely paid off your home, you’ll still be paying for it in indirect ways through insurance, property taxes, and upkeep. The bigger your house is, and the better the neighborhood you live in, the more these expenses will grow. Accordingly, many seniors choose to save money by downsizing or moving to a cheaper area. If your house is already paid off, this strategic move will provide you with more financial resources, which you can use to invest and create even more passive income streams.
Find the right cell phone plan. Cell phone plans are designed to appeal to a wide range of consumers, offering them just the basics for a low price, all the extras for a higher price, or something in the middle. There are several options to choose from, so when assessing cell phone plans for seniors, you can pick a plan that suits both your needs and your budget.
Control your utility usage. Every month, you’ll pay for utilities like water, electricity, and natural gas. There are many strategies that can help you control your utility usage, from appliance upgrades designed to use energy more efficiently to insulation upgrades in your home that allow your heater and air conditioner to run less. You can also employ conservation strategies like hanging your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer.
Talk to a Medicare broker. A Medicare broker is a trained, licensed professional who can help you make the right decisions for your Medicare needs. Health insurance and health expenses are among your most significant concerns, but working with a trained professional can help you find the right path to achieving your healthcare goals. Ultimately, this could help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Evaluate your transportation options. Even if you love owning and driving your own car, it’s worth considering alternative transportation options. Leaning on public transportation or switching to a different type of vehicle could help you save a lot of money on things like gas, maintenance, and insurance.
Look for senior discount programs. There are many senior discount programs available through dedicated organizations and consumer-facing companies. If you’re willing to do some research, you could become a member of these programs and score amazing discounts on things you’re already buying.
Shop smart. Shopping at multiple grocery stores, cutting coupons, and carefully calculating per unit costs can all help you save money on groceries – without sacrificing any of your nutritional needs in the process.
Talk to your service providers. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, consider calling your service providers directly and talking to them. Many of them will be willing to extend discounts or new payment options to accommodate your limited income.
Create an emergency fund. An emergency fund is a stash of money designed to be used only in an emergency situation. If you have one, and you experience an unplanned expense, you can tap into your existing fund instead of taking on new credit card debt. Aim to save at least enough money to cover three to six months of regular expenses.

Entertainment and Lifestyle

These additional strategies can help you save money on the entertainment and lifestyle side of things.

Cancel unnecessary subscriptions. Take a look at all the subscription services you’re paying for. Do you really need or regularly use all of these? Are there any subscriptions you could cancel or downgrade?
Take up free or inexpensive hobbies. There are many ways you can enjoy yourself without spending much money. Bird watching, hiking, gardening, and foraging for mushrooms are just a few examples of hobbies that can keep you active and social without demanding recurring payments.
Take advantage of community resources. Visit your local Community Center and see what other community resources are available to you. You might be surprised at what you find; senior support programs, advisors, and peer networks could give you the information and guidance necessary to improve your personal finances even further.
Travel in the off season. Many seniors and retirees like to spend their golden years traveling. But if you do travel, travel during the offseason to save significant money. It’s also a good idea to be choosy with your travel plans; some travel destinations are much more affordable than others, and you can almost always find discounts if you’re willing to look.

Getting Further Help

If you’ve employed all of these strategies and you’re still struggling to stay afloat, there are some alternative options available to you. Going back to work, taking on a side gig, or reallocating your investments could help you generate more income to cover your needs.

Taking in a roommate could subsidize your housing and help you thrive in these circumstances. And, of course, you can always lean on family members and friends for additional guidance and support.

Lifestyle

Wanda Knight on Blending Culture, Style, and Leadership Through Travel

Published

1 week ago

December 24, 2025

Michelle Langton

The best lessons in leadership do not always come from a classroom or a boardroom. Sometimes they come from a crowded market in a foreign city, a train ride through unfamiliar landscapes, or a quiet conversation with someone whose life looks very different from your own.

Wanda Knight has built her career in enterprise sales and leadership for more than three decades, working with some of the world’s largest companies and guiding teams through constant change. But ask her what shaped her most, and she will point not just to her professional milestones but to the way travel has expanded her perspective. With 38 countries visited and more on the horizon, her worldview has been formed as much by her passport as by her resume.

Travel entered her life early. Her parents valued exploration, and before she began college, she had already lived in Italy. That experience, stepping into a different culture at such a young age, left a lasting impression. It showed her that the world was much bigger than the environment she grew up in and that adaptability was not just useful, it was necessary. Those early lessons of curiosity and openness would later shape the way she led in business.

Sales, at its core, is about connection. Numbers matter, but relationships determine long-term success. Wanda’s time abroad taught her how to connect across differences. Navigating unfamiliar places and adjusting to environments that operated on different expectations gave her the patience and awareness to understand people first, and business second. That approach carried over into leadership, where she built a reputation for giving her teams the space to take ownership while standing firmly behind them when it mattered most.

The link between travel and leadership becomes even clearer in moments of challenge. Unfamiliar settings require flexibility, quick decision-making, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. The same skills are critical in enterprise sales, where strategies shift quickly and no deal is ever guaranteed. Knight learned that success comes from being willing to step into the unknown, whether that means exploring a new country or taking on a leadership role she had not originally planned to pursue.

Her travels have also influenced her eye for style and her creative pursuits. Fashion, for Wanda, is more than clothing; it is a reflection of culture, history, and identity. Experiencing how different communities express themselves, from the craftsmanship of Italian textiles to the energy of street style in cities around the world, has deepened her appreciation for aesthetics as a form of storytelling. Rather than keeping her professional and personal worlds separate, she has learned to blend them, carrying the discipline and strategy of her sales career into her creative interests and vice versa.

None of this has been about starting over. It has been about adding layers, expanding her perspective without erasing the experiences that came before. Wanda’s story is not one of leaving a career behind but of integrating all the parts of who she is: a leader shaped by high-stakes business, a traveler shaped by global culture, and a creative voice learning to merge both worlds.

What stands out most is how she continues to approach both leadership and life with the same curiosity that first took her beyond her comfort zone. Each new country is an opportunity to learn, just as each new role has been a chance to grow. For those looking at her path, the lesson is clear: leadership is not about staying in one lane; it is about collecting experiences that teach you how to see, how to adapt, and how to connect.

As she looks to the future, Wanda Knight’s compass still points outward. She will keep adding stamps to her passport, finding inspiration in new cultures, and carrying those insights back into the rooms where strategy is shaped and decisions are made. Her legacy will not be measured only by deals closed or positions held but by the perspective she brought, and the way she showed that leading with a global view can change the story for everyone around you.