The Top 21 Ways to Save Money in a Down Economy
Economic downturns are never much fun, but as Adam Smith observed centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although no one can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of sparing your wallet in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving techniques tailored to our 21st-century lives:
1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do some of our shopping online now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Web. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at merchants across the Web.
2. Use price-comparison websites like Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best deals online.
3. When you’re out at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” followed by the name of the item you’re considering. Google will reply with a text quoting its online prices. To compare prices at local stores, go to ShopLocal.com.
4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s Club and buying things in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizeable family.
5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hoopla and not the products themselves, anyway.
6. Withdraw your green from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be found on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.
7. Buy locally-grown food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meats. Prices there are often lower because the food doesn’t have to be transported far.
8. Shop at dollar stores. You should have an easy time finding them since they’ve been turning up all over the place recently.
9. Purchase discount prescription drugs at online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying considerably less than half as much for the generic medicines carried by these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.
10. If your vehicle is seven years old or older and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance. Your deductible may be approaching the value of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk yard and you to the dealership.
11. Keep cell-phone costs under control. Today’s kids love to text message, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messages.
12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from used furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs too.
13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are frequently more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.
14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the electricity usage of your electrical appliances.
15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to a high-end restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of vino.
16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from sites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of application, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the paid versions.
17. If anybody in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% off in scores of participating stores.
18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will reduce energy usage when you’re sleeping and out of the house. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll reduce your bill by 10% to 20%.
19. Consider leaving your health club. More economical options may include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and recreation center.
20. Lower your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.
21. When you eat out, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order up front and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid paying a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.
All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.
Leave a Reply