Smart Buying
Save Money on Practically Everything, 2010
Save thousands with our easy tips to trim expenses on food, utilities, travel, entertainment, investing and more.
March 2010
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Everyone’s trying to save a buck these days. But we’d rather save a few hundred, or even a couple thousand. Care to join us?
Combing through eight spending categories, we have identified more than 100 ways you can keep more money. We'll show you how to plug spending leaks, find the best bargains and stretch your dollar further.
Because we believe you shouldn’t overpay for anything, here's how to:
Save Money on Investing and Financial Planning
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Reader Comments (11)
Posted by: Kurt at 03/12/2010 07:02:51 PM
For many of these categories (food, entertainment, travel, utility bills), saving is as easy as using online coupons from sites like DealBandy.com, which offer savings of 20, 30 and sometimes even 50% on items relevant to the listed categories
Posted by: Kristi at 03/13/2010 09:51:11 AM
good morning Evans Family!!! Here is an article that i thought might help you guys out a bit. Love Dad
Posted by: li at 03/14/2010 03:19:08 PM
good article, in this hard time. Need more on this kind of topic.
Posted by: Harry Mann at 04/01/2010 10:08:11 AM
I feel like your cell phone is the easiest thing to take care of that will help your budget. I personally left my carrier because of the 2 year contracts and the ridiculous charges I would get month after month. I went with the Net10 service and cut my bill over half. Only 10 cents a minute, no contract, and no hidden costs. It's good for me as a single male, but do the research yourself and see what's best for you.
Posted by: Gastone Ciucci Neri at 04/11/2010 04:34:51 PM
We need inflation in order to sustain a durable growth. It provides an incentive for people to spend cash rather than saving it, because if they save it, the cash will lose value rapidly.Consumers start spending again pushing up inventories and production thus growth. We must avoid to fall in the trap of no growth and deflation as Japan has done in the last decade. Inflation also helps to solve the problem of the outstanding debts of individuals , corporations and sovereign states caused by the financial crisis of the last year. In particular for the US, the more inflation we have, the less the dollar will be worth. Because the debts are based on a specific number of dollars and not a specific value, the less is dollar is worth, the easier it will be to pay off debts. So inflation is an important tool in getting the world out of debts. Unfortunately this will be particularly unfair for those who have been saving money. Ultimately they will pay the price for those who borrowed money, racked up huge debts, and spent more than they could afford.
Posted by: Dad Dog at 04/16/2010 12:42:30 AM
i would like to dump my financial planner, how do i start? what do you recomend for book to read, the easyest one's posable. is there a software program to track all investments, not on line that i can buy and where. thanks for all your info. on your web site i truly enjoy all.
Posted by: Jan at 05/01/2010 04:55:15 PM
There are many ways to save out there, for more tips and a constantly updated page of free stuff for the taking visit www.creativesavings.media.officelive.com/FreeStuff.aspx . This site is already growing fast...
Posted by: HannahK at 08/15/2010 11:44:26 AM
After doing tons of research, I found that PagePlus -- which provides unlimited calls and text per month at $44.95 -- is the best way to go. (Through Babblebug, the cost is $44.55.) No contract. Renew at the end of each month. It also has national coverage. PagePlus also has $80 minute plans where the cost per call works out at under 5 cents per minute. I don't work for PagePlus, honest. I'm just a frugal cell phone user. Also, I got rid of my land line. Go away land line. I get around not having 911 by having the numbers of the local police forces and state police posts set up in speed dial. For my cell usage, I purchased a $39 LG phone and a back up clone in case the 1st cheapo went on the fritz. So far, so good. Also, get the data software so you can back your phone's contact list to your PC hard drive...As far as renegotiating with Verizon for Internet usage, I flatly told them I would jump ship for the competitor (I was bluffing because the competitor cost just as much) if they did not reduce the cost of my DSL plan. I now play $19.99 a month for DSL. Also, if you don't have a land line and only need DSL, your costs will immediately go down, because the cable need is different. Don't let the Internet provider play you for a sucker.
Posted by: Britnee S. at 09/01/2010 01:01:19 AM
I am a customer service manager for an online retailing company. I am 27 and I live with my husband and two young children. My families spending plan allows for all our needs and also includes regularly saving and investing for our children's education and for retirement. My husband and I make day-to-day budgets to save as much as possible. What additional money management and financial planning advice do you have to give for us?
Posted by: Susan at 09/06/2010 10:37:12 PM
Banking - we went with a credit union that gives back to us 10 cents each time we use our debit card- last year it was an extra $173. We use our debit card for everything and rarely use a check. That way if there is no cash, we don't buy it. Food- we rarely eat out as a family and when we do we try to go to buffets (a full course meal and then a full stomach, but I also look at the inserts and go to the grocery store that has the most of what we use on sale. Entertainment-we have found that just spending time with the kids in the yard throwing the frisbe or taking them to the river to swim is just as exciting and a lot less expensive than going to the movies Utilities-our electric bill dropped by half just by replacing our thermostat, our cell phone provider is a local company that even the big national carriers can not compete with I just had to do a little bit of research before I signed that 2 year contract. And yes I signed it and will happily keep signing it, what am I going to throw my cell phone away before that? Travel-for traveling around the states, check out Southwest Airlines, they have one way tickets to lots of places around $90 As for the rest, I am at a loss. I figure as my five children start to graduate and get their own jobs, then I may be able to start saving for retirement. I guess it is a good thing I will only be 43 when my youngest graduates.
Posted by: RealDebtSolution at 09/21/2010 08:12:57 AM
All tips to help families save money are needed. We keep seeing more families suffering from their debt and they can't seem to lock on to a solution. The more solutions they are exposed too may help them find something that they believe will work for them...