1. Use online deal forums.
Sites such as Fatwallet and Slickdeals are another fantastic way of hearing about “deals of the day” or online sales for particular items. I was recently looking for a new Bluetooth headset and after a quick search on Slickdeals, I found out about a retailer which was having a huge sale on certain Plantronics models. I finished up with a $70 headset for $22.
2. Question for gift cards as presents.
Maybe I’m dull but I would nearly always prefer to get a gift card to Target or Barnes and Noble so I don’t get stuck with a gift I really don’t need or want for my birthday or Christmas. Yes, practical is excellent.
3. Do NOT change your motor oil at 3,000 miles.
Jiffy Lube will tell you your car will blow up if you go past that 3,000 mile mark but this is simply not right and one of the largest scams there is. Look inside your owner’s manual for what the car manufacturer recommends. It’s not unusual to see a figure anywhere from 5,000 to 12,000 miles in certain conditions. Right, some older cars or cars that are driven especially hard do require more frequent intervals but they’re in the minority.
4. Eat out less.
Simple to say but hard to follow, this is one of the largest expenses for most people. If you must, be sure to sign up online with restaurants you frequent as most will email you coupons at regular intervals. Also, Restaurant.com offers gift certificates to certain restaurants in your area at a fraction of the normal price. Normally, a $25 gift cert costs $10, but they always seem to have coupon codes available that drops the price to as low as $2 if you buy a gift certificate towards the end of the month.
5. Learn to cook.
Cooking doesn’t mean you need to spend an hour prepping food and working with 20 ingredients. When I was bachelor, this cookbook was all I needed and showed me how to work with different ingredients. AllRecipes is also a fantastic resource for quick and simple recipes and they even offer how-to articles.
6. Earn free gift cards.
Use Swagbucks and MyPoints to earn gift cards which will allow you to budget less for certain expenses like dining out or clothing.
7. Use coupon codes.
I always visit Retailmenot before making an online buy. Just type in the name of the store you wish to shop at and you will receive a list of user-submitted coupon codes along with a “did it work?” percentage which other users contributed to.
8. Use a cashback site.
Using a cashback site such as Ebates is always a must for me. You simply search for the store you plot on purchasing from and go there through the cashback site. You earn a certain percentage of cashback that will be awarded to you after some time has passed. Reckon of it as rebate. A fantastic tool to use to compare the different cashback sites is ev’reward. There you will find which site will give the greatest percentage of cash back for a particular store.
9. Make a budget.
Yes, everyone tells you to do this but it really is THAT vital. This worksheet is off of Dave Ramsey’s website and is perfect for my family’s needs. Be honest when filling it out. If you regularly spend $200 a month on dining, do not say on your budget sheet you’ll only spend $80 next month. Take baby steps on reducing amounts.
10. Use cash envelopes.
This is one of the best ways to lessen spending. I’m not going to tell you that credit cards are evil since they can be excellent thing if used correctly, but using cash has huge advantages. This largest is that handing someone else a $20 is a lot more painful than simply paying $20 with your Citibank card. Here’s a primer on using cash envelopes from the bald man himself.
11. Buy generic when possible.
This is one of those trial and error kind of things but can save a lot of money. Recently my wife and I learned that the Target brand formula is just as excellent for our babies than the much more expensive Similac or Enfamil brands that we were using. Having to buy a can of formula every 5 days for our triplets really adds up. Certain items such as toilet paper, popcorn, garbage bags we will just not skimp on as the generic options just aren’t excellent enough.
12. Don’t assume buying bulk will save money.
Just because you are shopping at Costco or Sam’s Club doesn’t mean you are saving money. I see so many items where a food item would be cheaper (per ounce) to buy the smaller size at a regular grocery store. Same applies to other items.
13. Renegotiate your cable/satellite/internet rate.
Every year you should be calling your provider to see what kind of deal they can offer you. If the first customer service rep doesn’t want to do anything for you, call back and speak with another representative. If that doesn’t work, question to speak to the Retentions department. Unless you have been a poor customer, the provider will work with you so you continue to stay with them. It’s much cheaper for them to give a current customer a discount every once in a while than to find a new customer.
14. Question for a free newspaper subscription.
Most newspapers will give you a free multiple week trial of home delivery if you just question. In my town, I can get a free 12-week subscription to The Oregonian every year. Even if you don’t read the paper, you’ll get those valuable coupons every Sunday.
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