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Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts

Sunday, March 04, 2012

The spring shopping season is almost upon us, meaning that many of us will soon be hitting the mall and checking out the latest warmer-weather fashions. It also, of course, means that we come home from our shopping expedition having spent more money than we would ideally like.

We can certainly try to reduce our spending at the mall by using traditional tricks such as planning our purchases in advance, carrying only cash, and even forgoing the mall altogether in favor of online shopping. But for those of us who can’t bear to stay away from the mall this spring and who plan to buy enough clothes to fill a self storage Chicago unit, perhaps the best way to cut our costs is by taking advantage of the widespread sales expected at most major retailers this year. By using sales to our advantage we can oftentimes find great items that we want and pay minimally to have them. It’s a definite win-win when done correctly.

Taking advantage of sales usually means following retailers’ websites closely and obtaining some measure of luck while browsing through the racks at a given store. Here are some other tricks you can employ:

Repurchase Products That Have Gone On Sale

It’s always good to research a purchase beforehand and make sure that you’re getting a good deal. But, when you buy something at full price, you can also continue to research afterwards to insure that the item doesn’t go on sale. If it does, you can return the full-price version and then return it at the sale discount. This way you can get the sale benefits even if you don’t buy at the right time.

Take Advantage of Store Discount Cards’ “Honeymoon Period”

Most major retailers offer a store credit card that can be used to get sale discounts on a wide range of purchases. These cards commonly share two strong attributes. First, they offer substantial deals and savings on your first main purchase or during an initial “honeymoon period.” Second, these great offers usually quickly dry up, leaving you with a card that charges a higher interest rate and provides fewer rewards than most. In light of these attributes, you are probably best off to enroll in a store card right before making your major spring purchases, use the card to get a discount on those purchase, and then stop using the card shortly thereafter.

Use Technology To Price Compare

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets these days, the internet is always at our fingertips – even while we shop. You can take advantage of this to price compare, both between stores and between platforms. Sometimes retailer A will have a much better deal on jeans than does retailer B. Sometimes, on the other hand, retailer A will offer a far better deal online than it does in the store. Whatever the circumstance, you can always check your iPhone while shopping and immediately see what other options are out there. There are even apps out there that can help make the comparison process even easier.
Following these tips can hopefully help you maximize your sale benefits and save some more money this shopping season. While spring shopping never fails to be fun and exciting, it’s always important be financially responsible and keep a close eye on our spending at all times.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

When money is tight, most of us will take some concerted steps to rethink our expenses, our investments, and our overall spending habits. We might look to cut back on entertainment or shopping trips. We may eat out less and shop at Wal-Mart more often. And we may seek to move some of our money around by searching out high interest savings account tips and advice.

But all too rarely do we make an attempt to reduce one of our core expenses: transportation. For most Americans, transportation costs are an inevitable part of living and working in a modern society. We need our cars to get to work, do errands, pick the kids up from school, and essentially do anything that requires leaving the house. And, for most Americans, rising gas rates and insurance fees have made transportation costs increasingly expensive.

Changing up your travel and commute habits can consequently translate into significant savings, especially in the long-run. How can this be done? Here are a few tips:


Cut Back On Car Use

The best way to save on transportation costs is to cut back on our car use. Driving a car, after all, is quite expensive these days when gasoline and maintenance costs are included. So how can we get around without a car? If feasible, the best way to do this is by taking public transit. In most cities, public transit costs for daily use run somewhere in the range of $80 to $100 per month – far less than the cost of owning and running a car. If public transit is not a feasible option, you may want to consider running or biking to work. Doing so can help you save money while also getting fit at the same time.


Plan Your Trips

Many people take shopping trips and run errands as the need arises. They leave their home, go to the grocery store, return to their home, go to the dry cleaner’s, and then return to their house once again. This approach wastes both gas and time. Instead, you can get more value out of each driving trip by planning out your errands more fully beforehand.


Save On Gasoline

High gas costs have made paying high gas costs an unavoidable activity for most drivers. But there are certainly ways to reduce the amount you spend on gas. First, you can use websites such as GasBuddy.com to find the cheapest gas costs in your area. Second, you can sign up for credit card rewards programs that offer discounts on every gas purchase at particular stations.

These are just a few of the ways that we can reduce our transportation costs and therefore realize savings in a significant portion of our budget. While our culture of car dependence is deeply instilled in the American psyche, with a little planning and sacrifice we can reduce this reliance and save some money in the process.


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