Good Articles Today

Found some great articles on Yahoo! Finance today:

Five Times It's Worth Asking for a Discount

• Check around online before you go to the store; if you can find it online for cheaper, the store may honor the online price (be sure to bring a dated print-out of the online price, or make sure you can pull it up on your smart phone)
• Price-matching between stores is a great way to get the price you want at the store you want. Walmart will match a competitors price on the same item if you bring in the competitor's ad. This could save you trips driving between stores to get all the best prices!
• If you just missed a recent sale, try asking for the sale price. OR, if you buy an item at regular price and it goes on sale within the next 14 days, I know Target will give you the difference back in cash!
• If you are a frequent customer of a car dealership or a restaurant, this will work to your advantage when you go to make a big-ticket purchase--loyalty still goes a long way!

Rethinking My Grocery Shopping, Saving 25%

• Buy the things you need with a cash back credit card, but ONLY if you actually have the money to pay the credit card bill in its entirety before it collects interest!
• Don't shop hungry...I've learned this one already, the hard way! I tend to come home with a lot of junk food when I grocery shop hungry :-/
• Planning your meals ahead of time allows you to know exactly what you need, no more no less. It should also save you a few trips to the grocery store when you realize you're out of a key ingredient right before you go to make a meal!
• Don't buy items simply because they are on sale or you have a coupon for it. I've also learned this one the hard way...if you don't need it, don't buy it!! It's only a deal if you were planning to buy it anyway!

Saving Money Without Spending a Dime

• Actually eat your leftovers!! I know, this one is difficult, but you wouldn't throw actual dollars down your garbage disposal, so why would you do that with food? Repurpose your leftovers: if you can't stand to eat pork chops again, make pulled pork BBQ sandwiches!
• Cut unncessary expenses, like that home phone that you never use! Many people are eliminating a home phone and using only a cell phone, since it's much easier to get rid of a landline than a cell.
• Save those gift bags and tissue paper that you receive with gifts! I actually do this as well, but only if the bags and paper aren't tattered. (Just try to remember who gave you that gift and make sure you don't reuse the gift bag to that person :-/ Woops!!!)
• Repurpose things you already own: use that old toothbrush for cleaning the grout on your tile floors, or my favorite, for cleaning your jewelry (a little toothpaste and an old toothbrush will shine up a gold ring very nicely!) The author also suggests used dryer sheets as dust cloths, as they pick up lint and remove static--I'm going to try this one myself! (maybe if I rub it directly on my cat, it will pick up the fur before it falls on the carpet...hmmmm)

How I Quit Wasting Money in the Kitchen

• Don't use paper products like napkins, paper plates or paper towels. It's much cheaper to use reusable dishes and dish towels for every day use (unless you are having a lot of guests over for dinner, paper is probably the way to go there).
• Buy generic when possible. Usually, you won't even notice a difference in things like butter, milk, etc. Aldi is a great place for basics like flour, sugar, vegetable oil, etc. Super-cheap and just as good as the brand names!
• Again...eat those leftovers!! Repurpose them into other meals if you have to! If you know you won't be able to eat the whole pan of lasagna, go ahead and freeze half of it for another time.
• Be smart with what you already have! Rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. That way, you can let them sit until the dishwasher is completely full. Remember: it costs the same to run the dishwasher whether it is full or empty, so fill 'er up and run it less often!

Things I love but Never Buy New

• DVD's: with the closure of most movie rental stores across the country, it's easy to find used DVD's at a great price! Pawn shops are also a great place for used DVD's.
• Books: used book stores, or even online retailers like eBay, Amazon, Half.com offer great prices on used books. Or you can split the cost of a book with a friend and share it. Or better yet, don't pay anything at all--use your local library!
• CD's: so many people get rid of CD's once they have been burned into their iTunes, so there are plenty of opportunities for used CD's that are in great condition!
• Pets: next time you are looking for a dog or cat, try your local shelter! Shelter pets are every bit as loving as the animals in a pet store or at a breeder. And as an added bonus, you'll be saving a shelter pet from euthanization, as well as supporting your local animal shelter.
• Designer clothes: If you're creeped out by the idea of wearing someone elses' clothes (and let's be honest, it is kind-of creepy), there are so many consignment shops that have clothes with tags on them--brand new! You can get brand new items at a fraction of the cost!

I hope you learned at least one thing...I know I did!