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Twenty-Three Easy Ways to Save Money in a Weak Economy

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:36:27 +0000

Economic downturns are never especially fun, but as Adam Smith observed centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although none of us can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of sparing your wallet in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving ideas 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 offer thousands of current offers at retailers all over the Net.

2. Use price-comparison sites such as Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best deals online.

3. When you’re out at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” followed by the name of the item you’re looking at. Google will reply with a message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at stores in your area, go to ShopLocal.com.

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s and buying things in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizable family.

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is often in the marketing ballyhoo and not the product itself, anyway.

6. Withdraw your green from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be found on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

7. Buy locally-sourced food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce. Prices are usually lower there since the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a hard time finding them since they’ve been turning up all over the place recently.

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying well under half as much for the generic pills available at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medications at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

10. If your car is seven years old or older and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance. Your deductible may be closing in on the value of your vehicle 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. Kids today love to text message, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

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 locals, you can save on shipping costs as well.

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are often more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the power consumption of your electrical appliances.

15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to a pricey restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a low-cost rendezvous. Add some zest with a bottle of vino.

16. Instead of buying software, look for (legal) free software from places like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of program, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the paid versions.

17. If anyone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in dozens of participating stores.

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will reduce energy usage when you’re asleep and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll lower your bill by 10% to 20%.

19. Consider leaving your health club. More economical options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and recreation center.

20. Cut 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.

22. Buy pre-owned books. Major online book dealers offer a “buy it used” option, where you will often find books in like-new condition at substantial markdowns.

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and simple, because someone without any experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers can be found in department stores for less than the expense of some high-end haircuts.

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The Top 22 Ways to Save Money in a Down Economy

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:36:27 +0000

Economic downturns aren’t ever especially fun, but as Adam Smith noted centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although none of us can say for sure when this most recent 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 part of our shopping on the Web now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at retailers across the Web.

2. Use price-comparison websites such as Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search to find the best deals online.

3. When you’re out at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the product you’re considering. Google will reply with a text quoting its online prices. To compare prices at stores in your area, use ShopLocal.com.

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s 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 often in the marketing hoopla and not the product, anyway.

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

7. Buy locally-grown food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meat. Prices are usually lower there because the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

8. Shop at dollar stores. You should have an easy time finding one since they’ve been popping up all over the place recently.

9. Buy discount prescription drugs at online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying less than half as much for the generic medications available at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Kids today love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messages.

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are excellent resources for finding everything you need, from vintage furniture to baby gear. By buying from locals, you can save on shipping costs too.

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is usually 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 pricy restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive rendezvous. Add some color with a bottle of vino.

16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the commercial versions.

17. If anybody in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in dozens of participating stores.

19. Consider quitting 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 go out to eat, 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.

22. Buy used books. Major online book retailers offer a “buy it used” option, where you will often find books in like-new condition at substantial markdowns.

The Top 21 Ways to Save Money in a Down Economy

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:36:27 +0000

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.

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.

The Top 24 Ways to Save Money in a Down Economy

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:36:26 +0000

Economic downturns are never much fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though none of us 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 ideas 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 part of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at merchants across the Web.

2. Use price-comparison sites 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” and then the name of the item you’re looking at. Google will reply with a message quoting the 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 and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizable family.

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is often in the marketing hoopla and not the product, anyway.

6. Withdraw your cash 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 meat. Prices are often lower there since the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

8. Shop at dollar stores. You should have an easy time finding them nearby since they’ve been popping up all over the place recently.

9. Buy discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying under half as much for the generic medications sold at 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 nearing the value of your vehicle anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

11. Keep cell-phone costs under control. Today’s kids love to text message, so save yourself from unexpected 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 excellent resources for finding everything you need, from vintage furniture to baby gear. By buying from locals, you can save on shipping costs too.

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are usually more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the energy usage of your electrical appliances.

15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to a pricey 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 wine.

16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from places like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of program, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the commercial versions.

17. If someone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it 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 save energy when you’re asleep and out of the house. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll lower your bill by 10% to 20%.

19. Consider leaving your health club. Less expensive options may include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and recreation center.

20. Reduce your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

21. When you go out to eat, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order at the cash register and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid having to pay a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

22. Buy used books. Major online book sellers offer a “buy it used” option, where you can often find books in like-new condition at substantial markdowns.

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and uninvolved, because someone without experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers can be found in department stores for less than the price of some high-end haircuts.

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with neighbors. Instead of paying a teenager to watch DVDs, send your children to the neighbors on your nights out and take their kids into your house for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.