1. Gas
Find a lowest prices in your area save some bucks. In our place gas is $1.69 and that is the cheapest of all gas stations. According to AAA or Automobile Association of America, an out-of-sync car can consume 3%-8% more gas than a well-maintained vehicle, which adds up to hundreds of dollars in extra fuel over the years. Make sure your ride has inflated tires, clean oil, good spark plugs, and a clean air filter. And don’t lug around unnecessary baggage in your car; the extra weight actually eats up gas.
2. Plane Tickets
Find and search in the internet the lowest price of tickets possible. Do not limit your search into one site but search more until you can find the best deals and save some money.
3. Car repair
Feel like you’re being taken for a ride by your car repair place? Look to the next generation of mechanics for help. Some colleges and vocational schools have on-site auto repair shops open to the public. While you still have to pay for parts, you’ll get a huge deal on labor costs. Students are guided by an instructor who supervises every step.
4. Dining out
Last year we will not eat in Pizza Hut without using the coupon that they give but hubby and I surprise this year because they did not offer anymore those discounted lunch buffet. I guess because of the economy that is falling.
* At Restaurant.com, you can buy gift certificates to participating restaurants for cheaper than face value. (For example, you can purchase a $25 coupon for only $10.) Register as a member to be alerted to special deals.
* Look for happy hours and restaurant discounts. Check Citysearch.com and your local newspaper’s Web site for listings of weekly dining and drinking specials.
* Bring your own wine. Restaurants usually charge for corkage ($5 to $20), but it still may be cheaper than ordering several glasses of wine a la carte.
5. Office Snacking
A 2003 study found that office workers buy lunch an average of three days a week and spend an average of $7.10 when dining out for lunch. That means most office workers are spending more than $21 per week on lunch, not even counting those mid-day purchases of soda, candy bars, chewing gum, etc.
* Bringing your own lunch to work saves cash, but packing a brown bag can be time-consuming. Make it easy: When you cook dinner, double the recipe; place extras into single-serving containers, then freeze. Take out as needed for lunch.
* Stock up on non-perishables like frozen dinners, granola bars, peanut butter, and canned soups to store at the office so you’re not forced to order in.
6. Coffee
For some people, a stop at Starbucks is part of their morning commute. But all those $4 lattes can take a venti-sized chunk out of your wallet. A couple tips:
* If you don’t have a coffeemaker at work, ask your employer to purchase one for the office. Keep some milk in the fridge and whatever sweeteners you like at hand to make the coffee just as you like it.
* Suggest a better brand of coffee if the one at work doesn’t taste good. Brands like Starbucks and Peet’s are often sold in bulk through office-suppliers and emporiums like Costco.
*Invest in a high-quality travel mug and brew your coffee at home.
* If you truly can’t live without your daily coffee stop, look for cheaper drinks. Alternate lattes with drip coffees and milk; get an iced coffee instead of a frappuccino – both will save you a couple bucks.
7. Clothes
I always love sales after season because you can buy branded items for a lowest prize.
* Many top brands, such as Nike, Coach and Ralph Lauren, have factory outlets. Go to the designers’ Web sites for outlet locations.
* Know when the sales start. Department stores and retailers like Banana Republic are constantly moving clothes onto the sales racks, but there are a few key times of year. Don’t wait to stumble onto a sale – call the store and ask.
* At a smaller boutique, make an effort to get to know the manager. Ask her to alert you when a coveted item goes on sale; if you’re a loyal customer, she’ll usually oblige.
8. Utilities
Even if electronics (such as a computer or printer) are turned off, they can still suck up power and energy if they’re plugged in. This is especially true for cell phone chargers. And the more electricity they use, the more you have to pay for on your next utility bill. Plug all your electronics into one power strip and turn it off before you go to bed. Also, turn off the light when you leave a room. It may not seem like much, but “cutting back on these little things together can absolutely save you anywhere from $15 to $50 a month,” Ulrich says.
9. Groceries
* Join your local supermarket chain’s “member” or saver program. Benefits can include discounts on products and store credits that can be applied to any purchase.
* Make a list before you go to the grocery store. Estimate prices for each item, then total them up – again, before you go to the store. At that point, you know roughly how much that visit to the store will cost you. This exercise can help you keep track of what you’re purchasing, as well as prevent impulse buys.
10. Taxes
“Variable Universal Life Insurance, otherwise known as whole-life insurance, can be a very good way to save money for your retirement years,” says Joan Perry, CEO of Take Charge Financial!, a California-based money management firm. When you take money out of an IRA or 401K, you have to hand over a portion to Uncle Sam, but not so with the money that comes out of life insurance. “It’s a big benefit in saving for your future,” Perry says. “You can save thousands of dollars in taxes.”
Source: Carly Young, Special to LifeScript
1 comment:
Great suggestions at ways to save a few extra bucks. Certainly comes in handy, especially around the holidays! I wanted to add to the section that discussed saving on utilities. Besides just being conscious of electricity usage when charging cell phones, there is also another key route that an increasing number of wireless subscribers are taking to directly slash their bills. In particular, customers with plans by Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular are seeing substantial savings achieved through a company called Validas.
I found out about Validas while in the middle of dealing with my own cell bills. The name of the Validas website, http://www.fixmycellbill.com, gives a good idea of what the company does. Validas analyzes your online cell bill and calculates how much money you could be saving on your plan. In my case, Validas saved me over 19 bucks every month on my Verizon plan–or over 230 dollars per year. For me, that almost works out to getting a free month of my plan annually! Apparently the average Validas user saves over 21 percent on their cell bill. If you choose, for a nominal fee of $5, Validas will provide your highly detailed and personalized cell bill adjustment report that is emailed to your wireless provider in industry specific format so you can actually implement these cash saving changes. If Validas can save you more than $5 on your bill (the average customer saves $340 annually through Validas), this obviously provides a cost effective remedy for reducing cellular expenses. Check out a profile of Validas on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch at http://www.cnbc.com/id/22782456/.
On a personal level, I was so impressed with the company’s operations and the cell savings Validas got for me that I jumped at the chance to work for Validas when the opportunity presented itself. It's a great company that is rapidly becoming considered a top advocate for the wireless customer. Any cell subscriber who wants to cut costs should check out this service. Again, it’s free to consult and you only stand to save.
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