Bargains Are Great, But Don't Let Them Steal Your Money

It is great to shop for bargains. They are a good way to save money. However, quite often a "bargain" can turn out ot be a waste of valuable money! Don't let the "bargain price" be the only cost you look at! Remember, the point is to save money!

There are alot of things that you buy and pay a "bargain" price for - it's on sale, it's discontinued, etc. There are things that you sign up for and pay a monthly fee for. These things are advertised as a bargain. How many times have you heard, "Just $29.95 a month!" or "Only $14.95 to start!" That is what grabs your attention, but BEWARE!!!! That is JUST THE BASE PRICE! Watch out for that "Add-on Monster"! He will grab your money before you know what you are spending it on! With all those extra's, add-on's and the cool features... once you look at that total, it isn't a bargain anymore! And we want to save money!

Solution

ASK YOURSELF QUESTIONS, AND ANSWER THEM!!!

Example #1

It is fun to add all those extra's to your cell phone. They sound so cool and neat. Now you're with the "in" crowd! Yes, you are but ask yourself this question.... is the "in" crowd going to be paying that bill at the end of the month? No, you are! So now, look at those features you choose and ask yourself, "Do I really NEED that feature and do I really want to spend my money on that instead of saving putting it in my Goal Fund?" If you are serious about saving money and meeting your goal, common sense will make you delete some of those extra features. Do you really need a video feature or a camera feature? Text messaging is an addition monthly charge, can't you just call them? Did you pay for additional options for a ringer? Do you really need it to play a current song instead of the phone just ringing?
Question: Do you want to spend your money on these features or save your money in your "Goal Fund"? You have to make that decision but remember, when your Goal Fund is not climbing, and you think "I'm not going to have enoung money in time", don't get discouraged. Just remember it was YOUR CHOICE not to add money to it. You spent it elsewhere, like on that cell phone that is sitting in your pocket. Use the Pick and Choose Method

Example #2

And what about TV? They have cable, satalite dish, Pay-Per-View and additional movie channels, etc. Yes, it is a fun thing to think about - all those movies, and dramas, and specials, and documentaries and re-runs!!! Plus regular local channels! Wow - are you set! Base price is only $XX dollars! Well, don't let the wording cost you money. BASIC price is $XX, but if you add all these other extras , the price rises to $XXXXX dollars! Question: "Do I REALLY need to be spending THAT much time in front of the TV to be able to watch ALL these shows and features I am paying for?" Well, if your answer is yes, then you must not need to save any money. But if you answer is no, then you backup, rewind and start over and use the Pick and Choose Method.

The Pick and Choose Method

Tell yourself this... "Basic package, plus required sales taxes is ______, and for that I get _________. Do I really want, muchless need, all those extras? If I pay for them, I don't contribute to my Goal Fund. If I pay for them, I spend that much more time in front of the TV (or on the cell phone) which means there are alot of other things that I could do and want to do, but won't because I am in front of the TV (or on the cell). If I order them, I HAVE to pay for them EVERY month. Is that really where I want my money to go?"

Remember, YOU are the one paying that bill EACH month! You make the desicion. And again, if you do choose the high bill, realize that you won't be contributing to your Goal Fund, so don't be disgusted when your Goal Fund doesn't increase. You chose not to save money.

You can use the Pick and Choose Method with any item that you buy. Just ASK YOURSELF QUESTIONS AND ANSWER THEM! That sales person that is talking you into buying the extras and add-ons, isn't the one that will be paying the bill each month! You will be paying the bill so you decide what you want to pay for.

I went to buy a toaster oven. Found one for $39 - perfect for my budget and exactly what I wanted. Of course there was state sales taxes. Can't get around that! It came with a 90 factory warrenty. Then they asked me if I wanted to buy another warrenty for 1 year for $10. It only covered manufactured, mechanical parts that might break, not wear and tear or anything that might happen to it while I used it. Do I really want to spend $10 on something that I have yet, in my life, to ever have used? If it goes bad in the year, the cost of the warrenty ($10) plus the cost of shipping it back to the maker ($10-15, maybe more because it is heavey) and then wait and wait and do without with the toaster oven (which I use several times a day!) and use my large oven in the meantime which runs up my gas utility bill, which costs me more money. Now, all money spent on the toaster oven is around $75!!!!

Buying the warrenty has cost me nearly twice the price of the toaster oven! And it doesn't stop there. You have to hope that they say the problem is "their" fault for the warrenty to cover it. If they decide it is NOT their fault, they just send it back.

And that is based on the toaster oven breaking within the first year! What happens when it breaks in the second year? The warrenty has expired, your $10 is gone and you still have to go buy another one. You have thrown away $10.

In this case, it was a better choice to not buy the $10 warrenty, add that $10 to my Goal Fund and then whenever it breaks (the last toaster oven I had lasted me 4 years before it just stopped!), watch the ads and buy a new one. SAVE MONEY!!!

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10 Ways to Save Money - it is so EASY!!!

10 Ways to Save Money - they are so easy, you'll be saying "I can't believe I have been spending so much!"

1. Coupons are literally FREE MONEY!! Use grocery coupons!. It really isn't hard, especially if you have a goal in mind. When you get home, see what your coupon savings were and write yourself a check for that amount and deposit it into your savings account. Once you see your savings grow, your inclination to use coupons will grow! This is a great way to save if you can afford to do it this way, but in my case, I had to use coupons to get that free money so that it would add to my available cash so that I could get enough groceries for the week. If my coupons added up to $10, that meant I had $10 more to spend than the actual cash in my hand. If my budget was $100, and I had $10 in coupons, that meant I could buy $110 in groceries! Either way, it is a great way to save! Just think - if you save $10 a week, that's $520 a year!!!!

2. Once you have your goal set, and your coupons funding that goal, get involved with a coupon exchange! Friends, family, neighbors - just ask them if they want to trade with you or if they would just save the sunday newspaper coupons for you! You are only allowed one coupon per item, but if you have 10 coupons, you can buy 10 items! If they are on sale this week - all the more savings! 2 weeks from now when you need that item, you don't have to pay full price for it! You can also watch Ebay for coupons. Watch out though! Don't forget you have to pay shipping fees on your purchase. Make sure you add your purchase price AND the shipping charges to see if it is a bargain or a rip-off!

2. Set aside a day when you will spend NO MONEY! Whether it be once a week or once a month - it is saving you some to add to your goal. Give it a cute name like "One Step Closer to my Vacation Day" so that you have something to hold on to when you say no to spending. Make it your reason! Brown bag your lunch to work. Don't buy your cup of flavored coffee on this day. Eat left overs for dinner. Drink a large glass of water instead of getting a soda out of the vending machine. Or bring a soda from home! Depending on what you do, there could be alot of savings in just one day!

3. When you see things on sale like pens, tablets, note cards, or other things that you use all the time, buy several of them while they are on sale. Back-to-school times are the best times to buy this kind of stuff.

4. Yard Sales!!! They aren't just junk! Trust me! You never know what you will find! I just went to one and bought 10 of those little Post-it sticky pads,brand new, still in wrapper - 10¢ each! And they are like $5 for 5 pads at the office supply store! I also bought sealed packs of lined, 3x5 index cards, some white, some colored - 10¢ each! And those run about $3 for 100. These can be used for flash cards for the kids, note cards, message paper, recipe cards, chore or job cards - the possibilities are endless! Keep some in your car's glove box. Throw some in your purse. The kids can keep some in their notebooks - and on the list can go!

5. When you eat out - check out the appetizer menu. Those tend to be good size portions and the price is reasonable. Remember, go out to eat but only eat till you are full. It's no fun and you can feel guilty if you gourge yourself at your meal and then go home and you feel miserable cause you ate to much. Or if you do get a meal, eat only half of it at and take the rest home for your next meal.

6. Don't subscribe to magazines - go to the library and check them out! But if you have to subscribe, surf the internet for bargains! Or ask for the subscription as a gift at christmas time or birthday. Or ask your friends what magazines they have and do a "magazine swap" the last day of the month!

7. You young kids might not know this, but we have this thing called U.S. Postal Service - it is where you write, (with a pen), a letter (on a few pieces of paper) to a friend or loved-one and these guys in blue deliver it to your friend for you!! Yes, write a letter and mail it!! Instead of paying for a long distance call, do a 39-center! You have "visited" with your friend, and just think how excited and surprised they will be when they get your letter! What a noval idea!

8. When particular foods are on sale, buy in bulk and then freeze in meal-size portions! For instance, when that ground round goes on sale for $1.99 a pound, buy 10 pounds. Once home, seperate it into quart size freezer bags - about a pound each. This way, the package takes up less space in your freezer, it is a great way to stack the packages so they don't fall out when you open the door and they thaw very quickly. (A thin slab will thaw much faster than a thick ball) Now you are set for 10 meals! Now that is for a family of 4 - okay I used about 1 1/2 pounds per meal for my family of four but I had a growing son and a husband working in construction! But you get the point! This is also great for boneless,skinless chicken breat - buy them on sale and freeze enough for a meal. Watch for your favorite meat!

9. You have heard "make a menu and stick to it" to save money. Well, that never worked for me. What if something is on sale but not on my menu for that week? Do I pull a "stupid" and pass it by because it is not on my menu this week? For heaven sake, no! It works so much better and is so much cheaper to buy what is on sale, and then go home and make your menu based on what you had just bought.

10. Make "crowd-pleaser" size meals, and FREEZE the rest! I would do some cooking on the weekends and make a HUGe pot of chili, spaghetti sauce, or soups. Then freeze in meal size portions. That makes for quick and easy preperation after a long day at work!

The thing you have to remember is that it is not a complicated or confusing as it sounds! You just have to pick an issue and do it. Once that one is in place and you have it running well, pick another one and on down the line. Before you know it, your savings will accumulate and you biggest decision will be "what do I get to spend it on?"

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Another 8 Ways to Save Money - or Stretch Your Dollars!

Here's a few more ways to save money by economizing and being open-minded! Why buy something new, if you have something else that works just as well? Why buy something new if you have something to extend what you already have? Save money when you can!

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone. Give it a try!

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
And for you moms out there - little ones LOVE a set of plastic measuring cups to play with!

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!


Take baby powder to the beach
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When your ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

Give them a try! I can't guarentee they all work, but what do you have to loose? Except money that you could save for something great!

Note: these are not my own personal tips. They are from a newsletter.

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Save Money - Round Up All Your Payments!!!!

It sounds stupid and childish, but sometimes the most simpliest and easiest and most accomodating way to save money is a penny at a time. Okay, maybe a nickel, dime or dollar at a time, but the point is if you want or need something in upper dollar amounts, and then think "I have to save THAT MUCH! I'll never do that!" so you tend to not bother. HOWEVER, it you use common sense and my motto " save a little to save alot", you'll have what you need or want (within common sense reasoning, of course) before you know it, and not even missed it while you are saving it.

It's always easy for those with money, giving out budgeting and saving advise, to say " when you get your paycheck, pay your self 10% FIRST - then pay your bills" Yeah, that's great if you have enough income where that is an option, but what about those of us that don't have the high paying jobs and we are just trying to make ends meet? That 10% is fine and dandy but what do you do when that 10% means "do I pay the electric bill or myself first?"

The key is to find ways to save, by stretching the dollars you already have! Pick up the pennies from the sidewalk, yeah, okay, but let's do a bit more than that.

When you pay a bill, the key is to ROUND UP TO THE NEXT DOLLAR. That is a savings you can afford, and won't miss, but you will be surprised at the outcome.

When you pay a bill, whether in a handwritten check or online, ROUND THE AMOUNT PAID UP TO THE NEXT DOLLAR!! Say $27.84 is the total due - write the check for $28.00. You won't miss that 16¢ in your budget, but that 16¢ goes as a credit to your account. Next month you will have a credit of 16¢ taken off your due amount. Continue to do this with each monthly payment. It adds up and every little bit helps! If you can afford more - round it up to $30.00. It isn't much, but as is the basis of saving money when you don't have it to save is, "SAVE A LITTLE TO SAVE ALOT'. This is a good idea for paying your utility bills since they fluxuate so much year round. Granted it is more advantageous to round to the next "10 dollar" increment - $27.84 to $30.00, but just do what you can do, when you can do it! It all adds up!! Round up to the nearest Even Dollar that you can afford. If it is only 16¢, take it, if you can do more, do it!

In addition, you can use this same strategy paying credit card bills too. The more you pay, the less the balance is that they rate interest on for next month means the less your paymnet and the sooner you can pay the card off!

Or, you could just pay the exact amount of the bill but then when you subtract the amount in the check book - ROUND THAT NUMBER UP TO THE NEAREST DOLLAR! Yes, this might make balancing a little complicated, but like in my case, I don't bother with balancing a check book, I just make sure I don't spend more than I deposit. Just because I have checks in the book, doesn't mean there is money in there too! Simple adding and subraction saves alot of time.

Plus, now that you are rounding to the nearest dollar, you don't have those cents to subtract in the check book! This makes the procedure quick and easy!!!

So let's see - you have paid your bills, you have saved some money, you have stretched the dollars you have AND you have done it quick, simple and EASY!!! How can you argue with that!!!

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To make money, save money or just stretch what you have-continue reading articles for more tips, ideas and ways to do all 3!

8 Easy Ways to Save Money - and Stretch Your Dollar

There are more ways to save money, than just dealing with the cash in your hand. Conserving and economizing are also fantastic ways to make your dollars go farther and save some money. If you can use something else, why buy something new!

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.


Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated breads
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away. See if it works for you!

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Prove it's MINE!!!!!
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike. Or just put your name and phone number and state as owner. This could work on other things like helmets - anything that has a parat covered. See what works for you!

Give them a try and see what works for you! I can't guarentee they all work, but what have you got to loose? Except money you could save for something great! Just think, if they work, that is money you have saved this week!
Note: These are not my own personal tips. They are from a newsletter I read

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