Hond Financial

Posts Tagged ‘save money’

Most people would love to have more expendable income at the end of every month. So let’s explore ways to save big each and every month that don’t cost a lot and aren’t at all painful? Perhaps better yet, just following these tips can really cut back on your energy usage. Just following a few tips can save you hundreds of dollars a year, money you could use to pay down debt or put away for a rainy day.

The first thing you can do to start saving money immediately is to cut down on your electric bill. You can do this for absolutely no money at all by simply placing used soda bottles 3/4 filled with water in your freezer whenever you have any empty space. In so doing, you might potentially save around a hundred dollars a year.

For just about 10 bucks, you can wrap your water heater in a blanket. Just doing this can potentially save up to ten percent off your gas bill each and every month. Let. Not an altogether bad return for having spent ten bucks.

Now if you want to start to really cut back on your electric bill, you will have to cut back on your air conditioning bill. You might think doing so is hard, but it’s not. If you don’t have any ceiling fans in your home, you can find them for under 50 bucks each. They greatly enhance your air circulation and cost very little to run compared to air conditioning.

Hang a flush mount ceiling fan (otherwise known as a hugger ceiling fan or a low profile ceiling fan) in your bedroom. Then go ahead and install ceiling fans in your kitchen and in your den. For around $150 in total cost, you can save literally hundreds of additional dollars off your bill.

For a total expenditure of just about $175, you can save hundreds each year from now on. In addition, you will be living in a manner that is easier on the environment. Not a bad investment at all.

Economic downturns aren’t ever much fun, but as Adam Smith noted over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although none of us can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash 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 online now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at retailers across the Net.

 

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 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 local stores, use ShopLocal.com.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

10. If your vehicle is seven or more years old 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 expenses 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 find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from vintage furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs as well.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

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. Although none of us can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of saving your money 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 on the Web now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants all 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 item you’re interested in. Google will reply with a text quoting its online prices. To compare prices at stores near you, use 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 large family.

 

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

 

6. Withdraw your cash 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. 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 turning up all over the place recently.

 

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

 

10. If your car is seven or more years old and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be nearing the worth 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 expenses under control. Kids today love to text message, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messages.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns are never much fun, but as Adam Smith observed 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 stretching your cash 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 online. 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 like Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search 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 shopping for. Google will reply with a text message quoting the 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 such as Costco or Sam’s Club and buying 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 ballyhoo and not the product, 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 there are often lower because the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a hard time finding one nearby since they’ve been turning up all over the place in the recent past.

 

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

 

10. If your vehicle is seven or more years old 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.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns aren’t ever especially fun, but as Adam Smith noted over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although no one can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash 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 online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at retailers all across the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison sites such as 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 number) and enter the letter “f” followed by the name of the product you’re shopping for. Google will reply with a message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at local stores, visit 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 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 products, 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 meats. Prices there are usually lower since the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a difficult 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 medicines sold at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines 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 dealer 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 messaging.

 

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

 

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is often 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, plan 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 a low-cost rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of vino.

 

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 often be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

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

 

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

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns are never much 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 stretching your cash 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 learned to coupon-hunt online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at merchants all across the Web.

 

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

 

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, visit 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 large family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hype 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. Prices there are often lower since the food doesn’t have to be transported 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 in the recent past.

 

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

 

10. If your vehicle 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 nearing the value of your car 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 send text messages, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

 

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are excellent resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs as well.

 

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 power 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 buying software, look for (legal) free software from places 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 paid versions.

 

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

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. Less expensive options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and rec. center.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns aren’t ever especially fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though no one can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of saving your money 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 on the Web now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer 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 online deals.

 

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

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a large 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. Prices there are usually lower since the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

 

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

 

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

 

10. If your car is seven or more years old and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be approaching 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 send text messages, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

 

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are excellent 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. The matinee showing is usually 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 pricy restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a cheap rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of wine.

 

16. Instead of buying 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 paid versions.

 

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

 

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

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. Less expensive options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and rec. 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 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 retailers offer a “buy it used” option, where you can often find books in like-new condition at substantial discounts.

 

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 with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the price of some high-end haircuts.

 

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

 

25. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights). They use about 1/4 as much electricity, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for only $1 each if you shop around.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

 

Let’s face it – the economy is putting a strain on quite a bit of families. More people live paycheck to paycheck than ever before. More people are looking for money saving tips in order to keep their household in survival mode. We’ve all been at a point in our life in which we need to find ways to cut expenses and live more frugally. It isn’t always easy to make changes and put a few extra bucks into our pockets, but every little bit of savings helps – no matter how minor it may be as every extra dollar we can send to our savings account helps.

Savings accounts are the most common form of bank account that people have and they do help you to save money. You can get a savings account from when you are a young child, and they are a good account for those who wish to save their money. Savings accounts are recommended for children, and sometimes parents will give their children a ‘dollar a week’ or so to put into a savings account. Many primary and high schools will have banking systems to introduce children to saving money, and they will use a savings account. This is a good way for children to understand the idea of money and saving.

Some other money saving tips will include how things operate in your household. Do you leave a light on when you leave the room? Do you let the TV on for background noise? Do you run the dishwasher or washing machine when there isn’t very much in it? All of those things use electricity. Turning a light out or the TV off may not save you lots each month, but you will see a decrease in your electric bill. Electricity rates are always on the rise, so if you can find some money saving tips that decrease your electric bill, the more power to you. Instead of running a fan in your room, open a window a bit wider. When going on vacation, put timers on your lights instead of leaving a few on the entire time that you are away.

Some of the best money saving tips include coupons and looking for discounts. Cutting out coupons can save you quite a bit of money each week. The more coupons that you are able to find and use, the more you save. You may find yourself saving $10 or more on your grocery bills.

Economic downturns are never especially 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 most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash 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 Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting on the Web. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at retailers all across the Net.

 

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

 

3. When you’re at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the product 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 like Costco or Sam’s and buying things in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a large family.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding one nearby since they’ve been popping up all over the place in the recent past.

 

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

 

10. If your vehicle is seven or more years old and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the worth 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 expenses under control. Today’s kids love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited texting.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from vintage 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, plan 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 a low-cost rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of vino.

 

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 application, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the commercial 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% off in dozens 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 cut your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

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

 

20. Cut 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 having to pay a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

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

 

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 with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the cost of some high-end haircuts.

 

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

 

25. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights). They use about 1/4 as much energy, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for only $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software like Quicken or the free offerings at Rudder.com.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns are never especially fun, but as Adam Smith noted 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 part of our shopping on the Web now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at retailers all across the Web.

 

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

 

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 interested in. Google will reply with a text message quoting the online prices. To compare prices at stores near you, use ShopLocal.com.

 

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

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is often 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 very far.

 

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

 

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

 

10. If your car 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 closing in on 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. Kids today love to send text messages, 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 superb resources for finding everything you need, from vintage furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, 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 consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan 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 a low-cost rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of wine.

 

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 application, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

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

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will reduce energy usage when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll cut 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 park 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 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 simple, 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 surf the Net, send the kids to the neighbors on your nights out and take their kids into your place for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs). They use about 1/4 as much electricity, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for about $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software such as Quicken or the free programs at Rudder.com.

 

27. Exchange one-time-use items (such as books) with friends once you’re finished using them. If you each have things you’ll never use again but that the other wants, you can save yourselves the cost of buying them new.

 

28. Use public transport or a bike to get to work, if possible.

 

 

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