Buy Batteries Online

Tip #279 - Buy Batteries Online. This doesn't sound like a money-saving tip that will get you rich. But, if your life is filled with digital cameras, MP3 players, books that play music, video cameras, or any other electronic or toy that takes batteries other than the usual AA batteries, it's so worth it to check out eBay.

If you need a button-cell battery or one for your cell phone, head on over to Radio Shack and price the battery. Then log on to eBay and you may find that the battery prices are 1/10 of Radio Shack's prices. Usually on eBay, the batteries are coming from Asia, and you may have to wait a week or two to get them. So, it's best to order them in advance of needing them. I'm not busting on Radio Shack, that just seems to be the most popular place to go to for batteries. But eBay will likely beat other stores' prices, too.

Again, it may not make you wealthy, but with all of the "toys" (adults' and children's alike) that many people have today, the cost of batteries is not inconsequential. Sometimes it's the small things that add up that prevent people from building up wealth, and the cost of batteries would fall into that small things category that people don't give much thought about, but does affect one's bottom line.

In Real Life (IRL) - Several years ago, my daughter had a toy that took a certain button cell battery. We have a Radio Shack within walking distance of our home, and my husband walked up there and priced the battery. He came back and said the cost was $9 for the battery. Ouch. I don't think the toy was worth $9. Then we looked on eBay. For under $2 including shipping, my husband ordered a whole pack of button cell batteries - about 20 of them! Over time we have used most of them for various electronic toys. Had we continued to buy them at Radio Shack, the cost to us would have been over $100! Although, I'm pretty sure we would have gotten rid of some of the toys rather than pay for overpriced batteries.

Over the years, eBay has been the go-to place for these types of batteries. Recently, my husband needed a battery for an electronic do-dad of his. I don't know why, but again he went over to Radio Shack to price the batteries. The cost was $15. Again, he came home and checked eBay. And the price was $1 including shipping! He bought two!

We have never had any problem with the quality of the batteries we have received from Asia. And I doubt they are any different than the ones that Radio Shack (or Best Buy or Wal-Mart) sells. The only difference is the lack of markup. Happy battery shopping! For other frugal ideas, check out Life as Mom.

Don't Discount Dollar Stores

Tip #277 - Don't Discount Dollar Stores. Dollar stores often get a bad rap. "It's cheap stuff." "It's all junk made in China." "The things from there won't last." And most of those comments have a lot of truth to them. However, sometimes the cheap things are what we need to buy. Or we'd be buying them anyway for more money in stores such as Target, a party store, or an office supply store. And in reality, most of the stuff from these stores come from the exact same place as the Dollar Store. While I am not a big fan of disposable things and junk that piles up in our landfills, there are sometimes we have to buy throw-away items. And the Dollar Store is as good a place as any for buying this kind of stuff.

What the Dollar Store is Useful For:

--Birthday Parties - Goody bags and party supplies such as plates, cups, and napkins are the perfect items to buy in Dollar Stores. They are much cheaper than party stores, although the selection is not as good.

--Incentives - Stickers, pencils, and tattoos to be used for potty training, chores well-done, or when your children master some school-work are cheap enough at Dollar Stores and are often much less than at mass-merchandise stores.

--School Supplies - Glue sticks, staplers, tape, notebooks, folders, etc are typical Dollar Store items. There are usually great sales at the start of the school year for school supplies. But when you run out of things you need mid-year, the Dollar Store is a good place to stock up, and much cheaper than office supply stores.

--Travel - If you are taking a long car trip or plane ride and want to keep your little ones occupied, small toys that are new to them will occupy a child's attention and excite him more than his same old toys. For a few dollars, you can buy puzzles, activity books, and card games that you can dole out throughout your trip to make for some peaceful traveling.

--Costumes - If you need a cheap pirate's eyepatch or a pretty crown for a princess dress that just needs to last for Halloween night, then don't pay more than one dollar. Head to the Dollar Store first before looking to more expensive party stores.

There is a time and place to buy high-quality items that we want to last. But there are times when we need the cheapest thing possible. Cheap items may fulfill your need as well as an expensive one for a lot less money. That is when we can look to the Dollar Store.

In Real Life (IRL) - My daughter had her 9th birthday party last week. I am not one to usually buy a bunch of little, junky party favors to hand out. But we were having a game night party - bingo, charades, and trivia. And I promised prizes to the winners throughout the night. There were 10 girls total, and I estimated the girls would each win 4 to 5 games each, which meant 40 to 50 prizes. First I hunted through my party stash at home, which included goody bag items from left-over parties - mini-staplers, lip balm, and some card games. Then I headed over to our local dollar store and scoured the shelves. I found a 20-pack of decorative pencils for $1. Then I found a 3-pack of 4-color pens, as well as a 3-pack of mini-globe pencil sharpeners. I picked up a 4-pack of jack games, and a 6-pack of scented highlighters. For $5 I picked up all of the remaining prizes I needed for our game-night party.

Sure there were junky items at the store, but I tried to buy things that the kids would use, and things that would hopefully last past the night. And I think I succeeded. While I was at the store, I browsed through the whole store. And I found things there that would be helpful for other needs besides birthday parties.

At the beginning of the school year, we get a list of school supplies that we need to buy. Some of these items usually include zippered storage bags and a couple dozen glue sticks. The storage bags are used to send home simple projects and usually store pieces of paper. (I volunteer in my daughters' school once per week, and I have had fill these storage bags with small pieces of paper. Some of the bags the teacher gave me that parents had bought were high-priced, thick freezer bags that were being wasted holding pieces of paper. Thin, cheap, no-name storage bags would accomplish the same task. Those freezer bags are expensive!) Our dollar stores carries the cheap bags, which aren't good for freezing meals for the winter, but are perfect for children to bring home schoolwork. I also saw 3 large glue sticks per pack for $1. Our school generally asks that we buy the large glue sticks rather than the small ones that are always very cheap during back-to-school sales. At Wal-Mart, we paid $3 for a 3-pack of large glue sticks. They were the cheapest I could find. But I forgot to look at the dollar store. Next time I will remember.

There were other great supplies there like small staplers and rolls of tape that my kids borrow from me for craft projects all the time. For $1 a pop, it's worth it for them to have their own. I don't care if the tape is cheap when it's just used for kids' projects. There were other items there that were worth a look for future emergencies. I saw an 8-pack of cheap shower caps. Not something I'd normally use, but this past summer when we were blessed with lice, they would have been very handy to have.

So while I am not generally a fan of cheaply-made plastic junk, there are times when I have to buy these types of items. And why not spend only a dollar for them rather than more at other stores?

Don't Let Deals Chase You

Tip #269 - Don't Let Deals Chase You. There is a lot written in the online world about how to "save" money. However, in order to "save" money, you need to spend some, which really isn't saving money at all. There are deals being thrown at us from blogs, credit card companies, auction sites, online stores, and emails from daily deal websites. Unfortunately, often these deals often cause us to spend more money than we normally would even if we get a good buy on what we bought.

If you want to truly "save" money - that is put money away in your bank account, the only way to do it is to not spend it. Getting 50 percent off tickets to a football game is not going to save you money unless it was already in your budget to buy football tickets at full price in the first place. Driving to the drugstore to pick up yet another bottle of shampoo when you already have 10 bottles in your bathroom cabinet costs time, gas money, and wastes space for something of which you already have an adequate supply. And clipping that Buy One Get One Free Ice Cream Sundae won't save you money if you can enjoy a similar treat for less from the supermarket.

If you are truly interested in saving money - that is putting away money - then do not let deals tempt you to spend more than you would otherwise, no matter how good of a deal it is. The only way you can save money on deals is if it is an item in your budget that you had planned to pay full-price for already. Then at time of purchase you look for a better price on it. That will lead to savng money. Spending money on haphazard items that were not in your budget in the first place, will only cause you to spend more money and have the exact opposite effect that you think a "deal" will do. So, if you want a deal then go after one on something you had already planned to buy. Don't let the deals chase you and cause you buy something you weren't planning to purchase.

In Real Life (IRL) - I am bombarded on a daily basis from deal sites - some that come into my email, some that are through sites I visit, and some that come in my mailbox out at the street. While I feel I have pretty good restraint when it comes to spending money, I am often tempted to buy something that is a good deal. If I get a flyer for a hotel that is having a special, I will read through it and ponder the idea of making a quick getaway trip since it's such a good price (vacations are a weakness of mine). I am subscribed to some daily deal sites that send me emails everyday about deals in the area. I have yet to buy something from one of them, but I have been pretty close a couple of times. And I read blogs that talk about saving money and have lists and lists of items you can purchase at a good price. Problem is, I don't need most of those items.

And while I can pass on good deals or waste a bit of money frivolously without going into debt, there are many others who are struggling financially now and do not have a dollar to spare, no matter how good of a deal something is. And I am afraid a person who wants to save money - that is build up their savings account, reading all of these deal sites can cause the reader to actually go out and spend more than they even normally would. Yes, they may have more goods and/or experiences to show for it than if they had paid full price for these items, but if they are spending more money on things they normally wouldn't buy, then they are worse off than before they frequented all of these deal sites.

If you are one of those people who is struggling financially and hope to put away more towards savings each year, make sure that you are not sucked into buying things that are a good deal, thinking that you are saving money. Let your budget driving your buying decisions. If you are have $300 in your budget to spend on a hotel for a weekend getaway, then shop around for a deal. But don't let an email promising you 50% off a hotel cause you to take a vacation that you would not have taken. Your budget should control your purchases. Don't let the deals control what you buy. That will not save you money.

The Savings Are In The Details

Tip #262 - The Savings Are In The Details. Have you ever noticed that the small things are often what make the greatest impact? By virtue of being so small, they hardly get noticed at first until they all come together and exert their influence. When writing a budget or looking at where we can save the most money, we usually take into account the big stuff such as our rent, our car payment, and our insurance. But some of us don't bother looking at the small stuff. For example, would anyone consider a stop off at 7-11 on a hot day for a 99-cent Slurpee to have an impact on our wealth? What about that take-out you get each weekend from your favorite pizza/Chinese/burrito place? Does tossing a magazine on to the conveyer belt every few shopping trips to the grocery store make a difference to your savings?

Well, of course they do! Unless you have specifically in your budget accounted for $24 for your once-per-month $2 magazine habit, it is making an impact on your savings. And the frequent trips to the drive-thru are eating away at your savings if they are not part of the plan. Picking up small gifts for your little ones at the Dollar Store influence your savings rate as well.

If small things make a big difference, then what can we do about it? The best thing is to try to plan as best as possible all of your small purchases. How many people include greeting cards into their budget? Very few; I imagine. Yet a trip to the Hallmark store can often lead to double-digit purchases. Same thing with postage stamps. Mailing out 2 birthday cards per month will set you back over $20. But are they in your budget? Probably not. How about the last-minute stops on the way home from somewhere or when you are out? The suntan lotion you pick up on the way to the beach. The large soda at the mall because you are thirsty. These types of purchases sneak into your savings account and attempt to wipe it out.

So when you are considering how much money you can save each month or writing up a budget, make sure you take into account all of your spending - including the very small purchases you make. And on the other end, if it's not in your budget, then don't stop at Wendy's on the way home from the pool for a Frosty. Skip tossing the TV Guide into your shopping cart. And think ahead about all of the things you will need before setting out for the day or the weekend - snacks for the children, drinks for everyone, a swim diaper for the public pool. The fewer small purchases you make, the larger your savings account will be.

In Real Life (IRL) - We are packing for our annual family vacation to Cape May. And it is in doing this packing for a family of 5 that I realize the devil is in the details. Nothing bugs me more than having to purchase something while on vacation that I have a duplicate of sitting at home - a pail and shovel, bug spray, and flip flops. These small things are so easy to forget, and they can add up to a small fortune at tourist destination.

We know we will buy groceries at the higher-priced supermarket at the beach, but it's part of our vacation budget. We plan to spend a certain number of dollars on attractions and ice cream cones. But we don't budget for stops at the t-shirt store to buy a sweatshirt for a cold day. Or for the ponytail holders that we forget from home. Or for the overpriced toddler hand-holder/leash for a feisy 18-month old (which was a lifesaver!). These are all small purchases we have found ourselves buying because we didn't plan properly. Yes, we do have a catch-all category for those miscellaneous items. But truly, I'd rather have $20 in my bank account than an extra sweatshirt that I don't need in my dresser drawer.

So when budgeting, think about all purchases you make - not just the big ones. The small ones count, too. This is why experts often tell you to keep track of expenses for a month or two in order to write up your budget. Because it's so easy to forget things like stamps and drinks and sunglasses. In addition to having an accurate budget, do your best to plan what you will need when you leave your home. That is usually when you buy these small things. If you think you will be out all day, throw a water bottle in the car, bring a hat for the little ones, and pack that sweatshirt in case it gets cold. The more prepared you are, the less you will spend. And on the tail end, unless it is an emergency, resist throwing money at unbudgeted items that you can do without - the drive-thru milkshake, the cute souvenir that will sit in a drawer for years unplayed with, or the latest gossip magazine. Being aware of these small things will make your savings account bigger in the end. And that's what saving money in real life is about. We're off to Cape May for the week. I will post more when we come back unless I find that there is suddenly WiFi at our hotel. (I haven't included the Internet Cafe in my budget, sorry.)

And as a PS to our earlier post about possibly moving: my husband turned down his job opportunity. Lots of things about it didn't add up for us including the financial aspects. So we are staying put. Fortunately, we have a while to decide what our next steps will be. Thanks for your support!

Realize That Coupons Are Marketing Tools

Tip #257 - Realize That Coupons Are Marketing Tools. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when I read what's out on the net about "saving" money because most of it revolves around how to buy things - either cheaper or how to get things for free. But in reality, the only way to save money is to buy fewer things and only the things you need at the best price possible. Then you can put more money away, which is the real definition of "saving money."

Why do manufacturers give out coupons? Is it to be nice to the consumer? Is it because they want you to get a good deal? No, they give them out because coupons make the company money. Yes, coupons make the manufacturer money. It might be in ouvert ways - the more coupons for a product that is out there, the more of a product the consumer will buy. Or, it might be in subtle ways - it gets a consumer to buy a product that she would not have bought and causes the consumer to buy that product in the future.

Don't get me wrong, I think there are some people out there getting decent deals because of coupons. There are a few good consumers who can work the system very well. They stick to a list and only buy products that are on sale at the lowest possible price. They only use coupons for something they had on their list to buy anyway. And even if an item is free, they don't get it because it's not something they would normally use, and they don't want to become attached to a product they don't need.

But I think that most people are buying additional items they would not normally buy because of coupons. And that people do not realize that when a company gives out a coupon for a free new flavor of spicy apple ice cream that it is setting the stage for the consumer to later further desire spicy apple ice cream and for it to become a regular item on the consumer's shopping list. Marketers are good like that. Remember, overall, coupons make a company money.

So next time you clip coupons, ask yourself, is this something I was going to buy anyway or am I buying it because it's a good deal? By buying a new product that cleans toilets better am I going to like the product so much that I will keep buying this product in the future? If the answer to either of these is yes, then that coupon is costing you more money than it is are saving you. So if you plan on using coupons, make sure you only use them for items on your list that you were going to buy anyway. Companies make money on the coupons overall, but they don't make money on each and every person who uses their coupons. Be one of the people who they don't make money on.

In Real Life (IRL) - I am not anti-coupon. But I do think people are giddier about them than they should be. There are better ways to save money - that is put more money away in savings. So coupons should only be a tool in building up savings, not just a way to "save" money.

Using coupons on products that were on my shopping list anyway really do save me money. But I realize that when I use one for a product that wasn't on my list, then I am buying something I was not going to buy. And that does not save me money. It costs me money. And getting a new item for free is a cheap way for a company to get me to test their item and start to like it and want to use it. I know. It's happened to me before.

Yesterday, I got in the mail a sample pack from Nabisco and other companies. Inside were free samples of a new flavor of Wheat Thins - a flavor I had never tried before and one I had about 0% chance of buying in the future. I very rarely buy Wheat Thins. And I have never bought any flavored ones. But when I opened up the package to taste them, I found them to be delicious so much so that I opened up a second package and ate that one, too - bad I know. But they were so good. Then my 5-year old ate a package and loved them as well. "Mommy, can you please buy these again?" she asked. Ah yes, the power of marketing. That free sample is going to cost me money, and Nabisco is the one who is going to make it off me.

One more example - Before last year I had never tried Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. It never struck me as a cereal I would particularly like, and I never purchased it. But about 6 or more months ago, I clipped out a high-value coupon for the cereal. And there was a great deal at our supermarket for it, so I combined the coupon and the sale and bought a box. And guess what? I really like Honey Bunches of Oats. And so do my kids. I have added it to my regular shopping list.

Now I almost always only purchase cereal when it's on sale and when I have a coupon. But a few weeks ago I bought a box that was on sale but for which I had no coupon. We were running low on cereal and it was still a decent price but not the lowest price possible. So I am not a perfect couponer or shopper. If I were, I wouldn't have been running low on cereal or I would have bought a different cereal I could get at my target price. I slipped. I bought something I wanted even though it wasn't the best price I could get it for. And that's how Honey Bunche of Oats has made money off me. And that's how they make it off you, too. So realize that coupons are a marketing tool for the company, and then use your coupons wisely.

Go Curb Shopping

Tip #254. Go Curb Shopping. Hear me out, please. It's not as bad as it sounds. I promise. I am not suggesting you go dumpster diving or dig through people's trashcans. What I'm suggesting is much more civil - in the world of trashpicking, anyway. In the nice weather many people are doing big spring cleanings. On the curb in front of people's houses you will see bookcases, desks, large plastic toys, bikes, lawnmowers, and things of similar nature. Generally, these are things the homeowner no longer has use for and either isn't familiar with freecycle, is too lazy to donate it to a charity, or knows that someone will take it if he puts it on the curb in front of his lawn. So why shouldn't that person who takes it be you?

There are many good items on the curbs and if you see something that you have the need for, then don't be embarrassed to take it. Free is free, and you can always pass it on if it doesn't work out for you. Once you take to heart the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure" you will feel better about it. And when you are saving money on things you would have had to buy anyway, your savings account will be bigger. If nothing else, be glad that you are saving things from the landfill.

Even if an item is not perfect, you may have use for it. An old, broken wheelbarrow may have good wheels you can use as replacements for your beat-up ones. A broken refrigerator might have a handle that yours needs. A pile of old bricks may be perfect to line your driveway. So make sure you take notice of all items on the curb, not just the things that are in good condition.

Some word of advice, though.

--Make sure it is not illegal in your town, city, or neighborhood to "trash pick." Some areas do have laws specifically against this. Many don't, though. In fact, some communities encourage it and have specific days that are "trash shopping days" where residents are encouraged to shop around through their neighbor's curbside items. If you are unsure of your town's laws, call the town office or other authority.

--Make sure that the item REALLY is denoted for trash. A kid's bike by the side of the road is often just a toy that a child did not put away. Taking something that is not meant for the trash is stealing, and you don't want to do that.

--Don't take charity donations. Many times households put charity donations to Salvation Army and the like in bags (or not for larger items) on the curb. DO NOT take items that are meant for charity. Usually they are marked and put neatly in bags. This should be a clue that it is not trash.

--When in doubt, ask the homeowner. It's perfectly acceptable to knock on the owner's door and ask, "Do you mind if I take that bookcase you have by the curb?" Most homeowners are glad to see someone else get use out of it, and it might even save them disposal fees. Some will even put "free" signs on large items by the curb. But if you are unsure, ask. No need to be embarrassed.

--Take items with your head held high. There is no need to take things in the dark or crouch behind trees. You are saving things from the landfill and contributing to your bottom line - nothing to be embarrassed about.

--Make sure you are safe. Don't stop on major roads if there's traffic behind you. Don't take rusty, metal things. Be careful if things are piled high, so that they don't tumble over.

--Use common sense and you might just find that you have found a few treasures on the curb.

In Real Life (IRL) - My eyes light up when I drive by a big pile of stuff in front of someone's house. I admit it. And if you told me ten years ago that this would be the case, I would have laughed and laughed. As a child, I was not taught to go through people's unwanted items. In fact, the opposite is true. But nowadays, it is just too tempting. It seems people have so much extra stuff that they don't want. And many unload perfectly acceptable items on the curb.

In my town there is no law against taking others' trash. And because there are a certain number of free bulk trash pickup days, there seems to quite a bit of good trash on the curb. I don't drive around specifically looking for trash, but if I'm on an errand or walking my kids to school, I will often stop and look.

In the past several years I have found some great things - a sand and water table for my kids (I actually found a second one that I sold), a knock-hockey game (which has become a family favorite), a giant, old, plastic Christmas Santa that lights up (sold on Craigslist), a plastic climbing cube (which my kids used, and then we sold), a bike (we gave away to a co-worker), games and toys (that I donated), a plastic sandbox (sold), a wine rack (it's in our dining room), some pictures (some kept; some gave away), a door (thought we could use but wrong size, so gave away), wheels from a lawn mower (that we needed for our lawn mower), reflectors from old bikes (added to our bikes), bricks (that separate our garden), and I don't remember what else, but I know there's more that I'm not thinking of.

Most of the stuff we find is in the spring, summer, and fall. We're very careful to only take what is clearly trash. And when in doubt, I have asked. I'll finish this off with a funny story about the big, plastic Santa in the picture. I knew that these old things were collectible, but I wanted to be sure that it was okay to take it, so I asked the homeowner if he was really getting rid of it. And he replied, "It's not even mine. I had this big trash pile out for a bulk pickup, and someone came and added it to the top of my pile." That Santa lived in my garage all summer last year until the right season to sell it. And I'm sure my neighbors wondered why we'd have a giant Christmas decoration at all since we're Jewish. :-)

Does anyone else go curb shopping? Are you embarrassed by it? Or do you think it's good, clean (well, okay, dirty) fun?

Don't Get Caught Up In The Excitement

Tip #211 - Don't Get Caught Up In The Excitement. It's easy with Christmas around the corner (and Hanukkah, New Year's, etc.) to get caught up with the "buying season" and throw your budget and your money out the proverbial window. Don't. Do. It. While I certainly suggested in an earlier post to take advantage of good deals that stores are offering and to buy things for the lowest amount that you can, it does not mean blowing your budget on things you don't need.

Many of us are good all year long with setting a budget and trying hard to stick to it by not shopping, using coupons when we do, doing our research on big purchases, and setting a limit on what we will spend on frivolous items, but then Christmas comes, and all of the hard work we've done all year gets lost in a few weeks' buying binge.

At this time of year, try not to get sucked into all of these great deals. A $47 portable DVD player is NOT a good deal unless you were already in the market for one and it is the lowest price you've seen for the brand you wanted. If it's just a great deal on something you weren't going to get then it is a waste of money.

My advice? Like advice I've given earlier, just don't go shopping. It's the easiest way NOT to spend money. But if you must go because you are buying something you planned to buy, ignore the glow of the bright lights, the alluring sounds of "lowest price of the year" and the influence of everyone else throwing things into their shopping carts. Say to yourself, "I will save money this year. I've been good all year. I won't blow it now." Christmas seems to be the downfall of many people when all spending plans and good intentions go out the window. And then when January comes and brings the bills, reality sets in. And it also starts us out on the wrong foot for next year's budget.

So please this holiday season, remember what you've worked hard on all year and try not to get dazzled by all of the sales. It's all just stuff most of which we don't need. Take a second look at your budget for this year, look at the gift category and try hard not to go over it. And on December 31 when we are making a new budget for next year and calculating how much you managed to save this year, you will be happy.

In Real Life (IRL) - I had no intention of going shopping on Black Friday. We are visiting my folks in suburban Philadelphia, and we actually planned on taking the kids to some historic sights like the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross' house. But my husband has been under the weather and the real weather was quite cold, so we put those plans on hold until our springtime visit. So as we sat around my parents' home, my oldest daughter began to look through the sale circulars. Wow, I'm glad we don't get the newspaper at my house anymore because they are tempting! My daughter had gotten a gift card to Target for her birthday. She wanted to buy something with it, and saw a craft that she liked in the Target circular. So rather than relish in our nation's history I joined the masses at Target on Friday morning.

We did NOT go at 4 am! We actually drove over there at 10 am. And while it was a very crowded parking lot, the store was prepared for the number of people it expected. We found my daughter's craft, and we should have been on our merry way. But being it was an opportunity for me to shop freely without my 2 and 4 year old and because I very rarely go to Target because it's farther from my house than I like to shop, I will admit that I succommed to the shopping frenzy that was Black Friday. All the shoppers seemed to be running around trying to find any of the great 4 am doorbusters that were still left. And it was easy to get caught up in the excitement. I admit it, I did. I ended up spending $50. Admittedly, some of the stuff were things we needed - socks, shoes, and underwear for my daughter. But some of the things were not on my need to buy list - two DVDs, two one-dollar gifts for my younger children, a very cute dress for my younger daughter (really not needed) and a gift (same craft my daughter bought) for a future unknown birthday party my daughter will be going to. And while the socks, shoes, and underwear were on my mental list for quite some time, none of the other things were.

Because of my recent experience, I can see how easy it is to buy when we go to the stores. And that's why I still stick by my earlier advice of staying out of them. But it's hard this time of year when we have presents to purchase. So, this "in real life" example follows the old adage of do as I say not as I do. Please, don't get caught up in the excitement of holiday shopping. It will only leave you with less money in your pocket. I speak from experience. I am $47 richer than I could have been, though. Target was all out of $47 DVD players. Ask me how I know. Oh, and one of the DVDs is going back.

Bring Your Coupons And Play The Game

Tip #209 - Bring Your Coupons And Play The Game. Today’s merchant business seems to rely heavily on different types of promotions, specials, coupons, and other gimmicks to get us to buy things. Years ago, this did not happen with the frequency that it does today. In the past, department stores had sales maybe once per season. Coupons for grocery stores equaled only 5 cents, 7 cents, or maybe a dime. Every once in awhile a grocery store would do a promotion for totaling up receipts to get a free turkey or to buy dishes. But on most days purchases were straight out purchases without gimmicks attached. Nowadays, promotions take place more often than not. And they are more confusing than ever – buy two packs of cookies, get a milk free; spend $200 over the next three months and get 10 cents off gas; 40% off sale and 25% off that with a coupon. It gets more and more confusing to figure out what to buy, how to buy, and what it will cost when you get to the register.

I did a post a few weeks ago about how to calculate percentages and I’ve done a post or two on doing research before you buy. And it is because of all of these types of promotions that stores have that these two tasks are important. Well with Christmas sales coming up the promotions, deals and specials have gotten bumped up a notch. And if you want to get the best price on an item that you’ve researched and know you want to buy, then you need to play the game the retailers are throwing at us.

Retailers like using gimmicks and promotions to drum up business and get people excited, but they count on only a small percentage of people to actually follow through with their promotion or for customers to buy enough other things in their store to make the loss on their promotion items worthwhile. If they want to play that game then we can, too. Take advantage of what they offer. Just make sure you are buying stuff that you would have bought anyway!

So, before you go to the stores, look at their flyers. Read the fine print about stores’ gimmicks so you don’t get stuck buying something that isn’t covered by a promotion that you thought was covered. Make sure you follow any games, promotions, and gimmicks correctly – sometimes the details are confusing. Bring any coupons you cut out from newspaper inserts with you to the store. Look for coupons in other places such as directly inside the newspaper, magazines and in mailers that come in your mailbox. Find out the stores’ policies on accepting competitors’ coupons.

If you don’t get a newspaper with flyers inside, then look online. Most stores have their circulars posted on their website. Do an Internet search for coupons for the stores you are considering. Look at the store’s competitors’ sites to see if they have coupons you can use. This early in the season look at Black Friday sites to see if what you want to buy will be cheaper on the busiest shopping day of the year. Go to Retailmenot.com to read about any online coupons for that store – it might be cheaper to buy it online and have it shipped to the store for pickup.

I am not one to encourage shopping for unnecessary things or to buy things because they are free or a very good price. But if you are in need of something – small appliances, gifts for family or friends, or whatever, now is the time to take advantage of some of the deals that retailers are offering.

In Real Life (IRL) – I like to get a bargain as much as the next person. But I will admit that sometimes it takes hard work. Since I don’t shop that often any more I no longer look so hard for the games and gimmicks that I liked to do when I was younger. Yes, it was time consuming to look for the coupons or get up early on Black Friday, but if it saved me money, it was worth it to me.

These days I don’t shop at retail stores so much. I rarely go to the mall. But with two daughters who like to do crafts, as a mom who likes to throw fun birthday parties, and as a Girl Scout leader of my daughter’s Brownie troop, I find myself shopping at Michael’s quite frequently. And that is one store where I refuse to pay full price. It’s amazing to me that at any time I can get 40% off most items in their store. I would be stupid to go in there and pay full price. The catch is that they don’t offer 40% off coupons every week. So if I am in need of something from the store, I either have to be patient for their next coupon offering or I have to give in and pay full price. Right?

Wrong. In our area, there is a competitor store to Michaels called AC Moore. I know in other areas Hobby Lobby and Joanne's are competitors. AC Moore is a great store, but much less convenient to where I live. But the great thing about Michael’s is that they accept competitors’ coupons. Since AC Moore competes with them in this area, Michael's takes their coupons. And AC Moore has coupons every week and online. This means I can print out a coupon every day and go to Michael’s to pick up an item. Since Michael’s is less than 1 mile from my house, it makes it worth it even factoring gas in if I decide to drive. Sometimes I bring my oldest daughter with me and we each use a coupon. For a couple weeks before a birthday party, I will shop there once a day, using a coupon for one item per day. Why not? They’re offering it, so I’ll take it.

It gets even better than that, though. Our Michael’s (and each one is different) does not accept their coupons for books. But, when I asked the cashier about it she said they WILL accept competitors’ coupons for books. Can’t beat that! This makes for some nice and pretty reasonable birthday presents. Many times, especially around the holidays, there will be 50% off coupons from both AC Moore and Michael’s. I like to save any big purchases I want from those stores for days when they offer that coupon.

Other places I have taken advantage of gimmicks is the supermarket. One of our local markets sells gas and for a while they were giving 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent at the store. Now I realize that is only $1.50 off a full tank fill-up for spending $100 or a 1.5% savings. But when I was shopping there anyway it made for a nice gas savings as long as I paid attention to the date it expired and used it before then. Some things they offer clearly aren’t worth it to me, so I don’t take advantage of the promotion unless I was buying certain products anyway.

But it pays to look at the various stores that you like to shop at to see what promotions they are having that do appeal to you and make sense with your needs. Especially this time of year, the gimmicks abound. If they work for you, take advantage of them. Again, only use them for things you were planning to buy anyway! For other frugal ideas, check out Frugal Fridays.

Consider The Resale Value

Saving Money Tip #195 - Consider the Resale Value. It used to be back in the day, people would consider the resale value on their car but not much else. After all, there weren’t that many avenues to resell your stuff. You could put an ad in the classifieds for your used sewing machine and hope that someone found it who was looking for one. Or you could try to sell your old lawnmower by word of mouth. But when people bought something, most of them did not take resale value into consideration unless t was a big item like a car. Nowadays, however, with the plethora of reselling avenues out there – Craigslist, eBay, and other online auction sites, this is no longer the case. Now when buying purchases, you should consider the resale value. Because chances are, when you outgrow the need for this item, you can resell it – sometimes for almost as much as you paid for it.

In general, “better” brands hold their value than lesser brands. This is almost universally the case across all types of items – cars, toys, electronic equipment, and clothes, among other things. So next time you are buying something think about what it will sell for when you no longer need or want it. Let’s look at some examples. My daughter loves American Girl dolls (and I must admit, so do I). But at $95 a pop, they are not cheap toys. However, in the past 20-plus years that this company has been in business, these toys have held more than 50% of its value. That means, if I bought a doll seven years ago for the then-price of a doll at $87, I could probably turn around and sell a used, played with and loved doll that my daughter enjoyed for several years for about $45. So really, that doll wasn’t too big of an expense. For seven years’ worth of play, it cost us about $6 per year. On the other hand, I could have bought my daughter a knock-off 18-inch doll for $40. It maybe would last seven years if the quality holds up. The resell value would be next to nothing costing me nearly $7 per year as well. Wouldn’t you rather enjoy the real thing for about the same price? This is the case not just for collector-type dolls.

Let’s consider things like designer jeans. Now I am not one drop over $100 on a pair of jeans. But let’s say I do. There is a brand of jeans called 7 for all mankind that sells for over $100. If your teen convinces you that she absolutely needs this brand of jeans (with her chipping in some of the money, of course), don’t be discouraged. She can likely sell them on eBay when she outgrows them a couple of years later for half her purchase price. Of course things like electronics, where technology goes out of date quickly might not hold the same retail value as other things do – think vacuum tube televisions or film-type cameras. Then again, many items that aren’t available anymore can become valuable again.

The point is, in this day and age of reselling on the Internet, many things you have laying around the house might have some value. And in five years, some of the things you are buying today will have value. Of course, not everything will retain value, but generally, the better quality stuff you buy, the more value it retains.

In Real Life (IRL) – Growing up we were never the family with the cool designer jeans (Toughskins for us!). Nor were we the ones with the brand name clothes or other quality things that other families in our neighborhood had. I remember distinctly owning imitation Dr. Scholl’s sandals and other off-brand merchandise. But as I got older, I recognized that it was sometimes worth it to buy brand names that were of good quality. About 15 years ago I bought a Sony brand Walkman headset. I’ve carried it around with me and moved it all of these years, because it was a good quality purchase, and I figured maybe one of these days I’d get back into running (ha!). Well today my two-year old picked them up and wanted to wear them when it occurred to me, “hey these might be worth something.” So I checked eBay and sure enough, the model I own routinely sells between $30 and $60. Not bad for something I paid about $40 for many years ago. Now I’m sure the Sanyo brand or other lesser-name brand are not commanding the same type of prices.

Today when I buy things I realize that better quality brands may not only last longer for me, but hold its resale value for when I turn around and sell it on Craigslist or eBay. This applies to strollers, dolls, toys, and clothes. By buying good quality brands and reselling them, I can often enjoy a higher quality product for the same price as a cheaper brand. (Unfortunately, it doesn't always hold true and doesn’t help me with the 35mm film camera I still own.)

Be Persistent With Thrift Stores

Saving Money Tip #194 - Be Persistent With Thrift Stores. If you are hoping to save money by buying used but have have never shopped at a thrift store, do not be discouraged if the first time you go in one, you do not see anything you like, anything worth buying, or just a bunch of overpriced, dirty junk. The truth is with thrift stores is that some are good most of the time and some are bad most of the time. Others are good sometimes, great every once in awhile, and horrible other times. The reality is you never know what you will find when you enter through those doors. So try not to form an opinion about them after just visiting them once. You will not walk in to one and find the exact same pair of jeans you were searching for, in your size, and one-quarter of the price of a retail store. You may find a pair that is a different pair in your size for half the price that will do or you may find absolutely nothing that fits you very well at all or only jeans that are close in price to retail.

The strategy with thrift stores is that you have to keep going and going if you want to find the goods. Sometimes you hit them at the right time, and sometimes you don’t. If you just go once or twice a year, chances are you won’t find any great treasures. It takes going over and over again before you start to “get lucky” with fantastic finds. My other recommendation is that you should check out various stores in your area. There are those stores that are always overpriced, and it may not pay to shop there. You may find better stores that have great prices or do sales on special days that are worth going to. In other words, do the thrift store circuit. Check out a lot of the stores several times before deciding which ones are worth repeat visits. And then go frequently to those stores to find the best deals.

Remember, there is competition in thrift store shopping. You are not the only one looking for bargains and treasures. There are other people who are searching for the great brand name jeans for their teenage children; others searching for rare pieces of pottery to sell on eBay. The more stores you go to and the more often you go, the greater number of treasures you will come home with.

In Real Life (IRL) – I was not a thrift store shopper growing up. In fact, I’d go so far to say that I was anti-thrift store shopping. It wasn’t until I married my husband that I even set foot in one, and I wasn’t impressed. Everything seemed dirty, had a smell to them, or just seemed in poor shape. I wasn’t anxious to go back. But every time we passed a new store my husband would want to check it out just to see if there was anything great inside. And every once in awhile he’d find something – a vintage Coleman lantern he could use on his camping trips, a nice name-brand shirt with the tags on it, or a video we could watch for only a couple of dollars. It wasn’t until after we visited the stores over and over again that I started to see our visits pay off. And I learned which stores we generally found better stuff in than others.

I have since become a regular thrift store shopper. I look for clothes or toys for my children, books or videos for us, and rare, unique finds to sell on eBay. Many times I walk away empty-handed, but several times I find great bargains that are worth all of the wasted trips. When my parents come to visit I will sometimes take my mother, another anti-thrift store shopper, with me. And each time, she says, “I never find anything. You always find such great things.” Well, that’s because I go over and over again. And maybe one in ten times I do find a great item. And that really is the key to finding good stuff. You have to be persistent.

Have A Go To List of Websites

Saving Money Tip #181 - Have a Go To List of Websites for Reference. In our information overloaded world, it is sometimes hard to zoom in on the best places to get information. Yes, Google is our friend, but there are other websites that can be crucial to someone who is trying to save money, reduces costs, and make informed decisions on buying – not necessarily financial websites or blogs, but websites that are useful tools to someone who wants to take charge of his financial matters and save a little money. Each person will have different needs and wants in this regard, but I thought I’d share some websites that are invaluable to me on a regular basis for useful information. These are the ones that are bookmarked on my computer.

Real Estate:

City-Data – I discovered this site a couple of months ago. If you have a job transfer on the horizon or are contemplating starting over in a new city with better employment opportunities, go over to this site and check it out. There are forums for every state in the union, most major cities, and a few other countries. You can ask questions to residents of the area where you wish to live. You can get the lowdown on neighborhoods, schools, housing, and everything else about an area. If you’ve ever done house searching long-distance, you know how hard it is to zero in on the right place to move. This site can help tremendously in that regard.

Realtor.com – This is a great general site that lists all homes on the MLS (multiple listing service). There are some sites that are better for local areas that give more information, but this is a great place to start.

Vacations:

Trip-Advisor – If you are going on vacation and want to pick an appropriate hotel, this is the site that will give you nitty-gritty information about the hotel, motel, cottage, or bed and breakfast. You must take review with a grain of salt because people are more likely to write up a report on trip advisor if they are unhappy, rather than happy. However, that applies to all hotels, so it is still a fairly accurate comparison. If you read ten complaints that the pool is too small at a certain hotel, and pool size is important to you, then you’ll know to steer away from that particular hotel. This is the type of information you will not get from reading a glossy hotel brochure.

Cruise Critic – A great site to read opinions if you are planning a cruise vacation in the next year or two.

Food Shopping:

Pick Your Own – If you like fresh fruits and veggies in your diet, then check out farms local to you that have pick your own crops. Many times they are cheaper than farmers markets since you are doing some of the work. If you buy large quantities for the freezer each year, this is the way to do it. This site lists pick your own farms for every state in the union. It is pretty comprehensive.

Money Saving Mom – This site regularly updates good deals at many grocery stores, and list other good deals and coupons that come out. Similar to this site and more comprehensive with regard to grocery stores is Coupon Mom. Membership at this site is free and matches up coupons and store sales prices. It doesn’t list every grocery store, but may have at least a few in your area. Use these sites in conjunction with each grocery store’s website, like Safeway before going food shopping.

All Recipes – You can have access to thousands of recipes on this site or others like it (although this is my favorite). No need to buy a cookbook. If you have random ingredients in your house and don’t know what to make, then plug them in to this site, and you will get some ideas. No need to waste money on takeout. The reviews of the recipe are honest and accurate. I have never been disappointed in recipes I’ve made with 4 stars or higher.

General Shopping:

Epinions – Before you buy, look up which product has gotten good reviews from the buying public, compare prices at different retailers, and learn more about what features you need and want. This is a great place to start for buying many products.

Craigslist – If you are in the need or want of purchasing something, check here first! After you’ve done your research and decided you really want to buy a certain brand-name popcorn popper, look on Craigslist before you buy new. You may be surprised how many gently-used popcorn poppers you will find for a fraction of the price of new. If you are not in a hurry for said purchase, then check Craigslist on a regular basis. It’s likely the item will come up if you are patient enough.

Public Library – Library websites are almost as good as being at the library itself. At least one of any reasonable size is. If I want to check out a book from our system, I can check the “card catalog” from the comfort of my own home. If a book isn’t available, I can put it on hold without wasting gas to drive there. This is cheaper and just as easy as buying from a brick and mortar store or online.
Other sites that pertain you – If you have a hobby or other interest, find other like-minded individuals online. You will become more informed and maybe learn how to participate in your hobby at a discount or how to turn your hobby into a money-making career.

Retail Me Not – If you are getting ready to make a purchase online, this is the site to check out to see if there are any discount codes available before you put in your order. There are many sites out there that do this. But this one seems to be the most comprehensive. And you can use this site in addition to a Google search that you might do.

Financial Products:

CNNMoney – This site is one I like to read periodically to learn about new financial products or to see what is going on in the financial world. It keeps me up-to-date on news and products in clear, easy-to-understand terms. It also has on its site comparisons of mutual funds, CD rates, mortgage rates, and the like. I also like the Kiplinger’s site that does virtually the same thing.

Other:

Swagbucks – While you can always Google sites that you need, sometimes it pays to Swagbuck it instead. If you do Google searches on a regular basis, then check out Swagbucks instead. For every few searches you do, you earn some Swag points that can be accumulated and then cashed in for giftcards or other products. In several months’ time I’ve accumulated about $20 worth of gift cards to Amazon – not bad for searches I’d be doing anyway.


In Real Life (IRL) – All of the sites listed above are ones I use regularly or when the time is appropriate. They are not all money-saving sites, necessarily but tools that I use to help me make wise spending choices and be more informed on items I am purchasing. Of course there are many other good sites out there, and not everyone will use the same ones that I do. But each one has helped me tremendously in keeping costs down or being informed on a product, whether it is a mutual fund, a new home, or a toaster.

I’d love to learn about more great websites out there that are useful for saving money or becoming informed before buying something. If anyone has any to share, please put them in the comments. Thanks!

How Much You Pay Depends On Where You Shop

Tip #176 - How Much You Pay Depends On Where You Shop. We all know that a house in the middle of Nebraska is a fraction of the cost of a house in the middle of Manhattan. And generally prices in suburbs are cheaper than prices in a big city. But did you know that prices on things such as food, clothing, gas, and other things can be much cheaper just a few miles away from where you live? It’s true.

Gasoline is probably the most obvious one. You might notice that prices on gas are less in a different neighborhood than your own. But is it cheaper to go out of your way to get cheap gas? Of course, it depends on if the price different makes up for the distance and amount of gas you would use to get there. The best solution is to get gas when you are in these neighborhoods that sell that sell them cheaper.

As far as clothing and miscellaneous items go, I have often found that there are certain neighborhoods that do not cater to discount stores or cheaper shops. So, while it may be convenient to shop in your neighborhood, it is not necessarily the least expensive. Your area might consist of independent shops with higher overhead costs, while a different area might sell similar products in big box stores for much less. And while I like to encourage people to buy local as much as possible, and I try to do it myself. Sometimes it’s just not economically feasible to do so.

Since food is a big part of anybody’s budget, it might make financial sense to find a supermarket that might be cheaper than your neighborhood market, and buy the bulk of your food there. This can be done easily by doing one large shopping trip per month, so you are not wasting gas on many smaller trips to a faraway neighborhood. Sometimes, even the same supermarket chain has different prices in different neighborhoods. Or an older store may be cheaper than a new, sparkling one.

My point is, that sometimes you have to look outside your neighborhood to find the bargains or just plain cheaper prices. Once you explore other areas and learn where the good deals are on gas, clothing, food, and other items, you should figure out if it is worth it to drive there, and if so how to best maximize your trips to buy these cheaper products efficiently. Overall, you could save yourself a lot of money on a weekly basis if you do it right.

In Real Life (IRL) – Gas has always been at least 10 cents cheaper where my husband works than where we live. It makes it nice and convenient for us for him to fill up his tank where he works. Since he has a far commute (25 miles each way), it saves us about $1 per week or more. It won’t make us rich, but it’s no extra effort to take advantage of their cheaper gas prices.

As far as clothing and household items, I try to take many things into consideration such as my time, gas to travel there, and whether I have my kids with me or not (I usually do). I am sometimes willing to pay a bit more for things in my local neighborhood rather than travel 10 miles to a largest big box store to get a discount. I’m not a big fan of shopping so when I do travel far, I try to anticipate future needs so I can buy more things that we need at a better price. School supplies come to mind. I can overpay for many things at my local CVS that I can walk to. Or I can drive 10 miles to Wal-Mart and save about $20 for a year’s school supplies. For that big purchase, I would make the drive. However, if I just need a box of tissues because I’ve run out, I’ll head to a neighborhood store. Of course, better planning on our family’s needs would cut down on wasted trips to local, overpriced stores. Then again, it's impossible to anticipate every need, so overpaying for some things is to be expected.

But what I’d really like to point out today is the difference in prices in food stores in different neighborhoods. And not just a ritzy grocery store versus a discount one, but the differences in prices in stores within the same chain. I went into my local Safeway the other day with the circular from my mailbox in hand. I was excited to buy some Ritz Crackers they were advertising for $1.50 per box (2/$3). But when I got to the cracker aisle, I noticed that the crackers were priced at $2.09 per box (Buy one get one free with the price of one being $4.19). I asked at the customer service desk about it, thinking they made a mistake somewhere. But instead, the employee told me I had a circular for a store in McLean, Virginia and not the one for the store in Fairfax, Virginia where I was currently shopping.

My reaction was one of surprise. First, I found it odd that I would even be mailed a circular from the store in McLean because I live much closer to the Fairfax store. But I was even more surprised at the difference in prices because McLean is generally a very expensive area to live, much more so than Fairfax. I would have the expected price differential to be reversed. Well, in any case, I bought the crackers, because it was still a good price and when on my way.

It wasn’t until I got home with both flyers in hand (one from McLean and one from Fairfax) that I studied the front pages of both of them. The ads looked identical! See photo above. but the prices for the Fairfax store were more expensive on many foods! Wine was $2more per bottle in Fairfax than in McLean. Ground beef was 99 cents in each place but in McLean it was for 80% lean beef, while in Fairfax it was for 73% lean beef. Salmon was $5.99 per pound in Fairfax versus $4.99 per pound in McLean. I don’t understand their pricing strategies and why McLean would be cheaper than Fairfax, but I know before I go to Safeway next time, I will look at both stores’ circulars online to see if it’s worth it to me to make the longer trip to McLean to get the better prices. Since I only spent an extra dollar on crackers, and I was in that shopping center for something else anyway, it wasn’t worth the price of gas to make a special trip to McLean. But had I wanted several things on their front page, it probably would be.

So I learned my lesson. It's worth it to look beyond your neighborhood boundaries. It might not be worth it all the time, but you could save yourself a lot of money overall if you find prices consistently cheaper than where you normally shop and plan your trips right.

Consider Ancillary Costs

Saving Money Tip #165 - Consider Ancillary Costs. I have always advised to use a budget and to do your research when making a decision to buy a relatively expensive product. For example, when you want to buy a computer, a gaming system, or a new cell phone, I suggest making sure that there is room in your budget to buy it. Then I advise to do your research to find the best product for you at the best price. But what I didn’t warn anyone about is ancillary costs. Ancillaries are the “other” costs that go along with a product. For example, when you buy a digital camera, you need to buy the battery that goes with it, a battery charger, a memory card for it, and maybe a case. Those are all ancillary costs that we may not have factored into our purchase price. But they are very important costs because they often add up pretty quickly and can sometimes exceed the cost of the original product itself.

In fact, the marketing of some products is based on selling the main item cheap and then making the money in the ancillaries. Think about computer printers. You often see ridiculously low prices on printers. But then the ink cartridges are very expensive to replace. Or think about cell phones. How many times can you get a cell phone very cheap, but then the calling plan you have to take is expensive?

Sometimes there may not be ancillaries with the product, but other related extra costs on your end. You buy a new television, but it doesn’t fit on your t.v. stand, so you have to buy a new t.v. stand. Or you buy a new comforter but the dust ruffle you own doesn’t match it so you need to buy a new dust ruffle. Or you buy a new, bigger desk for your office, so now your old bookcase doesn’t fit, therefore you have to buy a new bookcase.

When you are doing your research to buy a new product, make sure you take into consideration the ancillary costs - the cost of the games for the gaming system, the add-ons for the digital equipment, and the extra costs that you didn’t take into consideration. Then reevaluate the purchase to see if it really is a good deal at that price or if instead another product that includes the ancillaries or doesn’t require you to buy something else new because what you already own won’t work with what you are buying would be a better purchase. Make sure you are aware of all of the extra costs with your new purchase so that the whole purchase fits into your budget.

In Real Life (IRL) – I mentioned a few weeks ago that our computer crashed. My husband, who likes to get things done right away without doing proper research went the next day to a computer guy who does work for his office. The guy sold him a refurbished computer, much faster than our old one, but which allowed us to use our same memory. My husband brought it home, spent a couple of hours setting it up and loading on it what we needed. He then attempted to hook up the printer. Unfortunately, the printer cable was an older type and did not match up with the computer. So he called the computer guy who said we needed a special cable for a cost of about $50. The whole computer was only $300, so this was a significant percentage of our new purchase and one he hadn’t taken into consideration. At that point he went ahead and bought it and now the computer and printer work fine. Could he have gotten a better deal with a computer that did not require a new printer cable adapter? Perhaps. But the point is, we didn’t take into consideration the total cost of the new computer and once we got sucked into it and devoted hours of time to set it up, we were reluctant to not go ahead and pay the extra ancillary costs.

Now I am not busting on my husband. So I will give an example of some ancillary costs that I often encounter. My daughters and I all like American Girl dolls. While I realize they are expensive, I prefer this type of play over video games or more mature games. Plus we almost always buy our dolls on the secondary market. For a long time my daughter wanted a “Kit” doll. We read the stories and saw the movie. When I found one on Craigslist for $65 right before my daughter’s birthday, I bought it. My daughter loves this doll and loves to imitate Kit. So the next thing my daughter wanted was a typewriter like Kit has. Fortunately, typewriters aren’t in great demand and I was able to buy one for $10. We also like to dress Kit in period clothing (she’s from the depression-era) and with period accessories. So I have now bought Kit a vintage camera set, a depression-era work lamp, and some period clothing. So while the cost of the doll wasn’t too bad (and even new she would have been “only” $95), it’s the price of the extra clothing and accessories, where the costs really add up.

So next time you are making a purchase or comparing two items to buy, take into consideration the ancillary costs that go with the product. You might be surprised at how much you will really be spending.

Invest In Products That Last

Saving Money Tip #149 - Invest In Products That Last. When spending money on things, invest in the future. Buying things that are just one time use are often not the best use of your money, unless of course you will never use that item again. Instead, buying things that can be used over and over will give you a better bang for your buck, even if the initial outlay seems to be high.

For example, buying a one-time use camera each time you go on vacation or to an event seems foolish. At $5 or more a pop, you will have spent $100 after just 20 events. Instead, spend $100 on a camera that will last for years. After about just one year of use, the initial outlay will be much less than paying for a camera each time you use it.

What if you want to do an activity that will give you exercise and get you back to nature? You could easily rent a kayak or canoe or bike each time you want to go out. And until you figure out what it is you are very passionate about, that makes sense. But once you know what you like, it usually makes sense to buy the item, even if the initial outlay seems expensive. The cost of initial outlay of maybe $300 for a bike might seem high. However, bikes can easily last 20 years. The cost of renting, while the outlay each time is lower, would cost much more in the end.

Of course there are many times where buying one-time use products or renting would make sense. If you don’t plan on using a product very often then renting may be a better financial move. Or if you truly will only use a product one time, then go for a one-time use product to save money overall. But once you figure out that there is a product that you will use on a regular basis, then it makes sense to spend more money upfront for a good quality product that will last a long time. This idea can be applied to big items such as cars (buying versus leasing), homes (buying versus renting) or everyday items such as batteries (investing in rechargeables that can be used over and over versus buying regular ones that are one time use). Think long and hard about the item in question before you make the big purchase. But when you figure out it’s an item for the long-term, then the higher initial outlay will end up costing you less down the road.

In Real Life (IRL) – I recently started riding my bike again after a short hiatus. I rode it up the grocery store yesterday to pick up a few things. And the minute I got back on my bike, I felt at home. I bought this bike about 15 years ago! I bought it brand new (this was before the days of Craigslist or I’m sure I would have looked for a deal on there). And I purchased a nice, mid-level quality bike from a bike store for about $275 along with some extras. That $300 investment took me on bike rides throughout the countryside week after week all spring, summer, and fall for about 3 years. Each summer, I brought it to the beach with me for our family’s week-long summer vacation. Now I bike it around town for errands or for short rides with my children. The upkeep costs are minimal and I expect it will last another 10 years or so.

Was $300 a good investment for me? I think so. It wouldn’t have been plausible to rent a bike each time I wanted one. And while I could have bought a cheaper bike from a store like WalMart, it wouldn’t have held up as long or been as easy to ride. It has saved me from renting a bike at the beach and paying gas for short car rides when a bike will do. It has given me entertainment over and over again with each bike ride I go on, saving me money on alternative forms of fun. And its useful life isn’t over yet. Investing in this quality bicycle has saved me money over the long-term.

Another item we have invested in is a steam cleaner. At first we were renting them from the grocery store for $20 each time we wanted to clean our carpets. The costs added up. Instead, we got a steam cleaner (which was actually free) that needed some fixing up. My husband bought the replacement parts and now we own a very good steam cleaner. Even buying one new for a couple hundred dollars would have been worth it. We steam clean our carpets about four times per year. In about two years, an investment in a new cleaner would have paid for itself over the cost of renting one at the market.

Last example is our moonbounce. Even though we only paid $25 for it at a thrift store, we would have easily saved money by buying one new for $250, as well. For each birthday party we have at our house (3 parties per year), we set up the moonbounce. For a carnival camp we held at our house, we set up the moonbounce. On long holiday weekends or when friends from out of town are visiting, we set up the moonbounce. While we wouldn’t have rent one for each of these occasions, just three rentals (once per each child’s birthday) would have cost more than the initial outlay we would have spent retail. And it saves us from having to purchase other entertainment for our kids.

While I know it doesn’t always make sense to make big investments in products, it oftentimes does. It pays to do your research and know truly how much you will be using your product before you buy it. But once you determine that this is a product that you will use for many years, it makes sense to put up that high initial outlay and then reap the benefits later.

You Cannot Time The Market - The Supermarket

Saving Money Tip #142 - You Cannot Time The Market - The Supermarket. On the trek to being more frugal and putting away more money, one can sometimes get obsessed with getting the lowest price on everything, doing things the cheapest way all of the time, and never overpaying for everything. But this is simply not a good way to go about saving money because psychologically you will lose.

You should strive to get the best deals most of the time and you should try to look for the cheapest way to do things most of the time. But buying things at the cheapest price all of the time is not necessary or even practical. There is no way to get the cheapest price on everything all of the time. Gas prices change sometimes hourly, it seems. Food prices fluctuate on a weekly basis and housing prices…well forget housing prices.

My point is on a regular basis, you should strive to pay the least amount on your food bill, but if you overpay for milk one day because you are in a higher-priced supermarket, who cares? It won’t mess up your financial plan. And if you buy gas for $2.29 per gallon only to find the next day it has dropped to $2.09 per gallon, you may feel like kicking yourself. Don’t. It’s not worth it. And all of that research you did on the new dishwasher you bought only to find out the price has dropped $30 a month later. Forget about it.

No one is perfect in this financial game. Just like no one can ever time the stock market perfectly, neither can we time the supermarket, the gas station, the electronics store or any other retail store just right. If you are getting the best price most of the time, then it is okay to overpay for Tylenol in the middle of the night for your sick child. If you are consistently beating your grocery budget, then it’s okay to buy that bag of chips you really want, even if you don’t have a coupon. And if you buy something at what was the best price at the time, don’t beat yourself up over it if you find out the price has dropped months later.

Yes, you should strive to get the best prices on a consistent basis, but it’s impossible to be perfect about it. Instead, when you overpay for something, you should feel good about it, knowing that you can afford to overpay once in awhile because you buy so well the rest of the time.

In Real Life (IRL) – I needed canola oil yesterday to make cupcakes for my daughter’s class. And generally I have found that Costco’s prices beat my supermarket’s hands-down on most baking products. Problem was, I have taken for granted that my husband can stop at Costco any day after work, so I don’t bother to keep my kitchen well-stocked in these things. Unfortunately, my husband didn’t work in the office yesterday, and I needed to make the cupcakes last night. So I stopped at the local supermarket and bought my canola oil. Yes, I am sure I overpaid for it. I got the best deal I could find at that store, but it wasn’t as good as I can do at Costco.

And you know what? It doesn’t make a darn difference. There are people out there who overpay all of the time. They do not research prices and compare supermarkets and warehouses to find the best prices on items they buy regularly. But I do. And over the course of a year, I probably save hundreds of dollars because of it. So, if once in a while, I overpay for an item by $1, it doesn’t come close to messing up our budget or ruining us financially. I am paying for the price of convenience sometimes. And on an infrequent basis, it doesn’t matter. If I did it on a regular basis, it would be a different story. I try not to get hung up too much when I pay too much on something because I feel like my frugal lifestyle affords me the benefit of overpaying once in awhile.

Shopping Is Not An Activity

Saving Money Tip #123 - Shopping Is Not An Activity. When did shopping become an activity in and of itself? I’m sure when it first started, people went shopping to actually buy something. They did not go shopping for the heck of going shopping. People went into town when they needed something to buy, or they went to the market when they needed to get things to eat. But at some point people’s mentality changed or perhaps they had too much time on their hands, and they decided to go shopping just for the act of shopping – looking around, soaking in the purchasing atmosphere, and perhaps buying something themselves. And that, my friends, is when the problems started. People started buying things they didn’t need because they did not set out to buy the item in the first place.

If shopping were something we did only when we needed to buy something, fewer people would be in debt nowadays, and our homes would have a lot less clutter in them. But in today’s society most people do not go shopping just when they need something. How many women decide to get together and say, “Let’s go shopping.” Or how many vacation tours have a shopping excursion as one of the activities versus visiting a museum or a natural site? Shopping has become ingrained in our culture as an activity to do in and of itself. And until that changes, our amount of debt and clutter will continue upwards.

While I am not a big fan of recessions, I think at least it is teaching some of us that we need to cut back and if that includes shopping, then I am all for it. I believe we need to rethink our attitudes toward shopping and limit it to something we do when we need something. If each of us did that, we’d have a lot more money in our pockets and more time to do other things.

In Real Life – This is not the first time I have written about shopping. And it probably won’t be the last. I think it is a fundamental problem with our society. We go shopping for the sake of shopping, and that has led to high debt among people. In general, I do not enjoy shopping. I very rarely go to the mall or the store just to look around. If I have something specific in my head that I am looking for and I want to do research on it, then I enjoy going. But I very rarely go just to go. And when I do go to the store because we’re nearby I find that I am tempted to buy things that I didn’t set out to buy in the first place. The less often I go in the stores, the less I spend. I imagine that would be true for most people.

I will admit that I do shop at thrift stores or yard sales just for the heck of it. That is something I do enjoy. In my defense, I am looking for things to resell for my eBay business. But in the meantime, I often find other cute things that my kids would like or would look good in my house. Fortunately, because the prices are so cheap, it hasn’t caused me to go into debt, but it has built up the clutter in my house. And I do see the connection of just the act of going there leading me to buy things I didn’t need in the first place. I am working on being more selective with what I buy and passing up things even if it is a good deal, unless it is something I set out to buy or if it is for resale.

Once we cut out this mentality of going shopping for the sake of shopping, I think our society will be much better. Debt will decrease, people may use their time more wisely, we will all have less stuff, and our landfills won't fill up so quickly. I am trying to work on this on my end. How about you?

Be Behind The Times

Saving Money Tip #121 - Be Behind The Times. One sure way to keep your expenses down is to not jump on the latest and greatest thing – the latest electronics, the latest books, the latest movies, the latest decorating scheme, etc. When things first come out, they are generally the most expensive. The marketing folks try to make us think that we cannot live without this latest item. Everyone around the proverbial water cooler is discussing it, and frankly, you can feel left out if you don’t have one. But don’t jump on that bandwagon; it will only lead you to spending more money than necessary. Instead, wait until the item has been out for a while. Competitors often jump on scene with similar items bringing the cost down and kinks are often worked out after the item has been out for a little bit. By waiting sometimes as little as a few months, you can save yourself lots of dough. Let’s discuss some examples.

Electronics are one area where there is constant updating of technology or features. Take for example DVD players. When they first came out they were a couple hundred dollars. Those who were anxious to jump on this latest technology paid a lot of money for their players and their DVDs. Meanwhile, many people happily stayed with their VCRs, holding on to their money, while still enjoying watching movies. Now that we are several years into the DVD player technology, a person can pick one up for much less money - the cost of the players is well under $100 and DVDs have come down in price to nearly half of what they were when they first came out. And of course some people looking for the next in movie technology have already moved on to the next great thing. By waiting just a few years you can enjoy what others were enjoying, but for a fraction of the cost.

Let’s talk about movies and books. When movies first come out, they are in first-run theaters with regular prices. The first day or first week of the movie, the theaters often won’t accept discount coupons. Is it really necessary to see a movie the first day or two it comes out? Wait a week and use a discount ticket. Wait a couple of months and see it at the discount movie theater. Wait a few months and rent it for a couple of dollars for several of you to see it. You still get to experience the same movie – just at a later date. Books are the same way. When they first come out, you are forced to buy the hardback edition from a retail bookstore. Wait a few months and you can get the paperback. Wait a year and you can buy it used for a fraction of the initial cost. (Of course, getting it from the library is always an option, too).

Lastly, let’s discuss decorating - things like stainless steel appliances, front-load washing machine, wood vanities, and granite countertops. As soon as we see these things on decorating shows, it is appealing to want to run out and buy them. But remember, the first company to come out with a technology like a front-load washing machine often have a monopoly until a competitor comes out with a similar model. After a year or two, you start to hear about problems that people had with the first models. The company perfects the item and more companies come out with similar models. All of these things bring the cost down and improve the product. Wait a few years for that technology and you will get a better deal and a better product. Even items that don’t have technology involved with it, like stainless steel decorating, come down in price as competitors offer a similar style.

These are just a few examples of things that go down in price after a few years. We can apply this thinking to cars (e.g. hybrid cars), cleaning and storage products (e.g. vacuum bags, Swiffer mops, Magic Eraser), sneakers (e.g. having the latest cushy features), food (e.g. in special containers, with improved ingredients). My thinking is that we survived just fine up until this point without these products. I can wait a little longer to try them out when they don’t cost as much.

In Real Life (IRL) – I usually take a lot of thought with my purchases, so it is not my personality to be the first person to try out a product. This trait has served me well financially. I guess I go by the motto, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Our 27-inch t.v., which a mere 15 years ago seemed pretty hip is definitely outdated. But, it works for me and I see no reason to run out to buy one that is bigger, clearer or flatter. When this one breaks, I probably will do so. And by that time, not only will the costs have improved dramatically on it, the technology will have too.

I am still using the same white refrigerator that came with the house when we bought it 8 years ago. And while we replaced our dryer when our old one broke, we stuck with a simple model. Meanwhile, some moms in my Moms’ Club have been discussing many problems they have had with their new high-efficiency front loader machines. I am glad I did not pay to be a guinea pig for that product.

While I do admit to running out and paying full-price for a brand-new movie last summer that I really wanted to see, I generally wait until it comes on DVD or I go to the theater after it has been out for some time – often using a discount coupon after the movie has been out for just a week or going to a discount theater after a couple of months. Waiting helps not only the pocketbook, but also acts as a screener by allowing me to hear reviews of the movie from others if it is even worth seeing. I almost always put a book on reserve at the library. The newest releases sometimes take a couple of months to make it to me, which is fine with me. And if it’s a book I want to add to my personal library, I wait until I find a good used copy of it to buy.

These are just some examples of things I do. By waiting to buy things I save money and usually get an improved product. To me it is worth it. I don’t have to be the first one to try something. It doesn’t make me feel more important. Personally, I’d rather be smart and save the money.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - Part 1

Saving Money Tip #117 - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – Part 1. I am a big fan of the environment. Anything that has to do with keeping the Earth clean is important to me. And fortunately, keeping the Earth clean often works very well with saving money. We all know the saying, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Well, let’s focus on the first part of that saying today. Reduce means to cut down - as in cut down on our consumption of materials, cut down on our driving, cut down on our eating, and cut down on the size of our homes, among other things. The more we reduce, the better it is for the environment and the better it is for our pocketbook. Of course, all of this is within reason.

First and most important in my mind is cutting down on our consumption of materials – buying things with less packaging, buying fewer convenience items, buying fewer toys, buying less clothing, and buying fewer gadgets. Buying things without bulky packaging costs less. Buying items that are not pre-packaged conveniently cost less. And of course buying fewer toys, less clothing and fewer gadgets cost less. If all of us cut down on these types of items, we would not only save money, we would help our planet.

Secondly, reducing our driving. How many times do we just get in the car because we feel like it? We just want to take a ride somewhere. How about all of the extra driving we do because we fail to pre-plan? We drive to the bank and pass the grocery store we need to shop at but don’t stop in, instead taking a second trip to the grocery store later that day? Or the times where we drive our daughter to camp and our neighbor down the road does the same thing instead of sharing a drive? I know it’s impossible for our society to live without cars. But we are often wasteful in our use of them. By reducing the amount of driving we do, we will save money in gas and car upkeep.

Third, cutting down on our eating. Now I know not everyone has this problem, but a large segment of society overeats. Our waistlines have gone up dramatically over the years, and not for the better. Our portion size has gone up, our amount of snacking has gone up, and the overall amount we eat has gone up. If each of us cut out one snack per day or reduced the amount of food on our dinner plate we would not only save a lot of money on our food bill, but on health costs down the road as well as effects of the environment. More food equals more raw materials used, more packaging used, and more energy to purchase and consume them.

Fourth, reducing our home size. The average home size in the US has more than doubled since the 1950’s and our family size has gotten smaller. Larger homes mean more furniture, more items to fill it up, and more resources such as oil or gas to heat and cool it. Why do people need to live in such large homes? To impress the Jones family? Well the Jones family got smart years ago, and are living in a small home they can afford, while others of us are working two jobs to make the payment for the home we have less time to spend in. And when we are there, half of the rooms sit unused. When buying a home, buy one that is appropriate in size for your family. Every person does not need his own bathroom. Rooms can serve multi-functions. You will enjoy the lower house payments and the lower energy costs as well the less money it takes to furnish it, clean it, and decorate it. And the environment will be grateful, too.

There are lots of other things we can reduce in our daily lives to keep costs down and help the environment, but those are the big ones. Think about what you can reduce in your life to save some money and help out the Earth as well.

In Real Life (IRL) – I was always that annoying co-worker who went around the cubicles to make sure everyone put their paper was in the recycling bin, and then I pulled paper out of the recycling bin to write on the other side. I collected paper clips scattered about the copy machine to make up a box in the supply closet to reduce the use of new ones. I’ve been bringing my own bags to grocery stores for well over 15 years to reduce my use of disposable bags. My husband and I bought a 1750 square-foot house for a family of two to grow into. And we turned it into a 1900 square foot house by adding a wall and enclosing a porch when we became a family of five. By buying a relatively small house we have been able to reduce the use of energy to run it and reduce the amount of things we need to decorate it.

I try hard not to buy new toys and things – especially those with unnecessary packaging. I try to carpool when I can and combine trips when I can. I even walk or ride my bike to reduce my car use whenever I can. I do not buy many convenience items, and have been cooking from scratch more lately, which reduces food packaging tremendously. I am working on eating less. Ahem. Moving on.

I mostly do all of these things because I care about the size of our landfills and the air that my children and future grandchildren will breathe. I get the added benefit of saving money when I do these things. In what ways can you reduce your consumption of materials to help save you money and help keep our planet clean?