Case Studies 2 min readMarch 30, 2026

How We Saved $40,000 in Year One (Without Raising More Money)

A real breakdown of every SaaS credit and discount our startup used to extend runway by 6 months — and how you can replicate it.

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Alex Chen · SaaSOffers

How We Saved $40,000 in Year One

When we started our B2B SaaS company, we had $180K in the bank and 18 months of runway. By December, we still had 18 months of runway — despite growing the team from 2 to 7 people.

The difference? We got obsessive about unlocking every startup discount available to us.

The Full Breakdown

  • AWS: $5,000 in Activate credits
  • Notion: 3 months free ($240 saved)
  • Figma: 6 months free ($450 saved)
  • Linear: 6 months free ($600 saved)
  • Intercom: 12 months free ($6,000 saved)
  • HubSpot: 90% off year 1 ($8,640 saved)
  • Stripe: $20K in fee credits

Total: ~$44,530 saved

The Strategy That Made It Work

Step 1: Audit your current tools

Before looking for new deals, list every tool you plan to use in the next 12 months.

Step 2: Join an accelerator program

Many startup credits are gated behind accelerator membership.

Step 3: Use a perks aggregator

Platforms like SaaSOffers aggregate deals so you don't have to hunt for each one.

Step 4: Apply strategically

Some deals require applications and can take 2-4 weeks to process. Apply 30-60 days before you need the credits.

The Mindset Shift

At the seed stage, time and cash are the same thing. Every dollar you don't spend on SaaS is a week of runway.

#savings#runway#case study

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Alex Chen
SaaSOffers Team · March 2026

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