Entries Tagged 'Frugality' ↓

More and more television stations are broadcasting their shows online, there’s almost no reason why you would need cable anymore! NBC, ABC, and Fox all broadcast their television shows online in their entirety absolutely free, after they’ve aired on normal television. If those aren’t enough, you can catch other shows and movies on sides like Hulu.com, Sling.com, and TV.com.

Cut cable and save a few hundred dollars next year.

Happy New Year!

Like any other retail business, car dealers need to make their monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals. Today, the 30th, is probably one of the best days in the year for buying cars because a slowing economy, sales goals, and desperation will come together to make for car salesman willing to cut a few deals to move units off the lots. With the prospects of car sales slowing next year, salesmen will be trying to make their numbers harder than ever. Take advantage!

Everyone knows the best place to buy stuff is on the internet. You can avoid the lines at the mall or the store, you can often save some cash because there’s no sales tax, and it’s overall a better experience because you can do it while wearing your pajamas!

The only frustrating part about shopping online is the feeling that you’re missing a coupon code somewhere. Well, that time has passed because with RetailMeNot.com, you can find every single coupon code instantly. Not only will you find the codes but you’ll also know if they work. People will indicate whether they were able to use the code and you can see the percentage of success. Lower percentage of success ratings might me the code is dead, saving you some time in trying it yourself.

If you haven’t used it yet, RetailMeNot.com is a definite place to check out!

This may be one of those “head smacking moments,” where I tell you something obvious that you totally missed, or this could be “duh moments,” where I tell you something obvious that you already knew… but I’ll write it anyway. One of the simplest things you can do to increase your cars fuel efficiency is lighten its load. That means you need to grab all the junk that’s in your trunk and stick it somewhere else. I personally run a pretty lean ship but I have friends that have all manner of textbooks, sporting equipment (it’s winter!), and even furniture like folding chairs; all stuff that has no real business in the trunk.

Unless you need it within the next few days, put it elsewhere. The only exception are emergency supplies and your spare.

One of the easiest ways to improve your car’s performance is to properly inflate your tires. Underinflated or overinflated tires will not only decrease your fuel efficiency but also the lifespan of the tires themselves. We all know how much of a pain it is to get tires replaced, so you probably want to do that as infrequently as safety permits (I always hate doing it because I have to be without my car for so long, bumming rides can be a pain).

Consumer Reports has done numerous studies on tire inflation and fuel efficiency, they discovered that on their test Toyota Camry, fuel efficiency dropped 1.3 miles per gallon when the tires were deflated by a mere 10 psi. Why lose 1.3 MPG when you don’t have to?

Don’t turn it off and freeze your guests, but turn the old thermostat down a few degrees to account for the fact that all those warm bodies will be generating a lot more energy than you by your very lonesome. All the chatting, bustling about, and activity will naturally increase the temperature inside your side and it’s better to lower the temperature now than it is to open a window if it gets too hot!

My recommendation is to knock it down by only a few degrees, at most 4 or 5, so that it’s cool but not cold. You want your guests, who are coming in from the cold, to feel warmer on the inside but not hot. Most heating systems have merely and on or an off setting so the temperature is only important such that it doesn’t kick on the system when you already have a dozen or so bodies heating up your place.

Do you have a cell phone? Chances are you do. Do you have a landline? If you do, may I ask why? There are plenty of reasons why you should have a landline (they are required by most security systems so they can phone home, they are far easier to use for young children, etc) but if you can’t think of a reason why you have a landline, other than “everyone else does,” then consider canceling it and saving yourself the $30 a month they typically cost.

Need a replacement landline and don’t want to eat up minutes on your cell phone? There are many VoIP options that are cheaper than a landline and can follow your computer, rather than your residence (which won’t be moving). Skype is a popular option and for $10/mo you can get a phone number that anyone on Skype can call you from (and you can call anyone else) and that you can call anyone else from.

Halloween is coming up in about a week and a half and if you’re like most families, you’re looking to save a few extra dollars on the costumed night this year. My Dollar Plan has 8 great tips for saving money this halloween. The tips include listing places to buy discount candy, some ideas on cheaper decorations, dinner, costumes, and party planning. Finally, there are even tips on pumpkins (carry your own!).

Trick or treat!

I haven’t bought a movie in at least three or four years. I don’t own a Blu-Ray player or an HD-DVD player (ha, or an HD upsampler, or whatever they’re re-marketing them as) either but I still enjoy watching movies from time to time. Buying movies has become nearly pointless as companies like Netflix will send you a dozen movies each month for the price of one movie. In fact, as internet enabled media devices become more popular, and thus cheaper, subscription services like Netflix and their downloadable content will make movies a thing of the past.

So rather than buy soon to be relics, skip the cost and just go with rental. Let’s say you buy a $20 disc every month, that’s $240 a year. If you were to choose Netflix’s cheapest option of 2 movies a month for $5, that’s only $60. You can save serious money and cut down on the clutter.

Want a great way to save money? Discuss each and every purchase with someone before you make it. Whether it’s a cup of coffee or a flat screen television, talk to someone first. It can be your mom or dad, it can be your best friend, it can be a random person waiting in line with you but talk to someone. It can be a complex discussion about the merits of what it is you’re buying or it can just be a perfunctory “Hey, how’s the coffee here?” Either way, talk to someone first.

Why does this work? First, it puts you in the position of having to do something first. That alone will stop a lot of your purchases. In the event you do get into a discussion, you can argue the merits of your purchase while your foil can argue against it. Finally, this makes the buying decision an active one. Far too many times you might find yourself buying something, like morning coffee, without really thinking about it. This bring the thinking back in.

Give it a whirl, you might make a new friend!