There are numerous ways to save, I mean truly save. The key thing is that you learn to discern the offers out there to make sure you won't be *had*. I have a checking account with US Bank, which offers cash rewards if I use the debit card to purchase items from their connected shopping link to 150 sites.

For me it's worth it, since drugstore.com is one place I buy from every month. For clothing, it's Land's End and Eddie Bauer. What's key is that I hit drugstore.com the first week of each month because that is when GNC has their 20% Gold Card savings. I also treated myself to a few Vera Bradley accessories, including a small handbag from e.bags as a Mother's Day "entitlement." All the items were on sale, AND, I received $5.00 cashback. This is actual money that *collects* in my rewards account. I can transfer this money to my checking account in increments of $5.00. Not a bad deal.

Discernment is important to know if you are truly saving. Since I go to GNC via drugstore.com, I can tell if prices are deliberately inflated to get their money back. They aren't.

For now, that's not a bad deal. It's also a good way to add to my $20 Challenge account.

I buy my own health insurance. It's an HDHP with HSA. Because I turned 50 last month, my premium jumped almost $50. I have two riders on my plan, yet when I go to the doctor to see about more medications for my fibromyalgia, they send me an EOB stating that my doc visit isn't covered because of a rider. What rider? Because I filled in a square where the symptoms bunched together are headaches, neuromuscularskeletal, low back, neck, shoulders, blah, blah, blah. Even tho I wasn't diagnosed with fibro prior to getting health insurance, they feel they should not cover it.

This includes Lyrica, a brand new Pfizer drug for fibromyalgia. I went to Sam's to get a 90-pill supply. It cost me $186. There are still 30 pills remaining to be filled; I wasn't able to afford the full $250.

When all is said and done, all that health insurance companies are interested in is the profit margins and their year-end bonuses.