Posted on 10/21/2012 5:28:24 AM PDT by RKBA Democrat
When it comes to ways to save money, ideas abound. You can try old standbys like limiting your cable TV and cell phone plans, or clipping grocery coupons. But for an even greater dent, look for items you can get for free - that's right, no cost. There are actually many valuable, necessary goods and services available gratis, but you have to know where and when to pounce. Here are several you might not have been aware of:
1. Batteries. Batteries can take a significant bite out of your checking account year-round, but especially during the holiday gift-giving season. However, just by signing up for email updates from your preferred office supply company, you'll often get notifications as to when these are available for free. Generally, you pay the upfront cost, then get 100% of it back in rewards certificates good for future purchases. Considering the high cost of most batteries, it's well worth it to stock up when you see these deals. Using this strategy, you'll never run out of them and you'll never have to pay. 2. Antivirus Software. There are two no-cost ways to protect your computer from online threats. First, you can often get all the protection you need by choosing one of the free antivirus software programs, such as AVG. I've used this free software for years and never had a problem - and I do a lot of online shopping for a reselling business that I run. If you feel better with the protection of a "paid" program, sign up for email alerts from a deal-of-the-day website like FatWallet.com. You're sure to find plenty of antivirus programs available for free after a mail-in rebate.
3. Tax Preparation. Click over to the IRS website for an extended list of tax preparation companies that will calculate your return for free. Some have limits on adjusted gross income eligibility, but others do not. Online, there are also several free tax-prep software programs and professional services, such as H&R Block. In short, if you look into it, you can often satisfy Uncle Sam at no cost to you - whatever you owe notwithstanding, of course. 4. Credit Report. In this day of identity theft and financial misappropriation, it's critical to know exactly where your credit stands. And the Internet is rife with paid services offering to pull your report for you. But did you know that you are entitled to see your report once per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies free of charge? Just visit AnnualCreditReport.com. If you plan it out, you can pull an up-to-date report every four months from either Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. With this in hand, read carefully for errors or red flags, and report them promptly. You can also find free ways to improve your credit score. Along with safeguarding your personal information, this is about all the protection you need against identity theft. And it's 100% free. 5. Extended Warranties. This caveat isn't exactly about getting them for free - it's more akin to "don't buy them at all." Many extended warranties are a complete waste of money. First, they overlap with the manufacturer's warranty, which means you pay for a term of coverage that you would've had at no cost without the extended warranty. Plus, studies have shown that the probability of a product breaking down during the insured time frame is minimal at best. And this is why the profit margin on the warranty itself is actually greater than on the product. 6. Activation Fees. In this day and age, companies will attempt to get money from you in any way they can - hence, activation fees. These are trumped-up charges put forth by the company in an attempt to get more for their services. If you play your cards right, however, they can be eliminated. Be it Internet, cable TV, or cell phone, if you tell the provider that paying an activation fee is a dealbreaker and you're ready to walk, you can get this fee waived 9 times out of 10. Final Thoughts
While some of these perks involve a little research and effort, others involve simply knowing where to go and what to look for. In the end, it really just comes down to how much you care where you're spending your hard-earned dollar. But I can tell you this: Those who take a more active role in the managing of their money are the ones who'll have much more of it left over. What else can get for free - and what are the best techniques?
I’m a big fan of Tide, but am afraid of the pods - does the wrapper melt in the machine? Do you find a plastic wrapper in the wash? I’m afraid of it either messing up the clothes or clogging the drains.
LOL! My wife had the same fear to the extent that at first she opened up the wrappers and drained the liquid into the machine however I assure you the wrappers COMPLETELY dissolve in the water. I never had a problem with that but if it makes you feel better, take a pod and drop it into warm warm to see for yourself that it completely dissolves.
Cost savings ideas thread ping, but to be honest they aren’t that great.
I’d add that everyone should unplug everything in your house that isn’t necessary to be plugged in all the time. I unplug my coffee maker, microwave, washer, dryer, extra TV and even my alarm clock on my days off!
I lived pretty simply before taking that step and I still realized a 66% reduction in my electrical KwH usage! It was shocking! (Pardon the pun.)
I got married. NOT a money saver. Don't wash my shirts, though.
New Books, CDs, DVDs.
You can pay full retail price when a book/CD/DVD comes out, or you can wait a few weeks for people to start selling the copies they have read and no longer want on Amazon (or another online bookseller or used bookstore).
Better still, check out the item at the local library (if your library doesn’t have it, request that they purchase it! How better to improve their selection of books that would appeal to conservatives).
After you’ve read/watched/listen to the library’s copy, if you still love it so much that you want to keep it, find a good deal on the item and buy it.
In Texas, look for the "Ropas" (Spanish for "clothes"). Especially down in the valley, they have warehouses full of clothing for very, very low cost.
That's one of the reasons I donate blood. You can donate up to 6 times a year. Free shirt every time. I can donate again beginning this Friday.
A few years ago my extended families budget was tight - we decided to not exchange gifts (except to the young kids)
It Stuck!
Now, Christmas gifts are only for the kids in the family - even my DH and I don't exchange gifts anymore, It's Great!
No racing around trying to find presents that may or may not be used, spending oodles of money on stuff.
Christmas is now a day or two of shopping for kids and the rest... baking and cooking, decorating....like it should be.
I call it being a non-practicing Jehovah Witness :>).
Agreed, sometimes it doesn't work. For us, moving from MN to WY was a huge savings, no income tax, sales tax is slightly less in WY and property tax, well that is a HUGE savings.
However, where we live, groceries are higher, but it is something that we are aware of and plan for.
Plus something there is something Wyoming has that MN doesn't and there is no price tag for. FREEDOM !!! MN is such a socialist state !!
Why unplug the washer and dryer? How do they pull current? The other things I can see, especially if they have a timer function, but the washer and dryer?
When things are horribly tight, I can't imagine letting anyone in the family spend money on Christmas presents, especially luxuries like a new vacuum or bedding. "Tight" must mean something different to you than to me. To me, "tight" means "thank God my son got that deer so we have something to eat."
A friend of mine in NY couldn't believe my husband would "insult" me with a cheapo-vacuum to replace our broken one. Sadly, her husband lost his job a few years ago and they, too, are now living on the edge after having depleted their savings and retirement. She finally gets it.
Yes, you definitely had it a lot worse than either of us did. Hoping that your situation has greatly improved.
I did some research, but can’t remember all of the sources. What I found was that everything in your house pulls power, except for your lamps! If it plugs in, it pulls power, even when not in operation.
I didn’t go so far as to unplug the fridge, stove or main DVR center, so I am sure I could make one more stride. My dryer is a gas dryer, so I only have to deal with the 110v outlet. I am not so gutsy to mess with the 220v’olters!
We burn wood exclusively for heat (live on a “wetland” so all the free dead trees for fuel)
We never eat out; NEVER! I make the lunches and dinners and he cooks too. We both work 40+ hours a week and do side jobs (thus shooting down the “time” factor)
We have a large freezer that we use to stock specials (roasting chickens 50 cents a lb—in NEW YORK that’s a HuGE deal)
He is very handy in all aspects of construction and auto repair and we do all our own remodeling and repair work—I fix computers for a living
Buy all our clothing and household items at the VOA/thrift shops or craigslist
Drive only previously enjoyed cars bought with cash
Oh also do gardening 50 x 50 raised bed and cold frames—dehydrating, canning and freezing.
What kind of laptop was it? My current laptop’s keyboard ended up missing keys twice over, and I was able to replace it both times for only $20 each time.
We’ve had 3 laptops. The first 2 I bought extended warranties with Best Buy, and boy, did we get our money’s worth! The last one I decided to not spend the extra $70 or so, and regret it. They can’t replace just the single keys. They have to replace the entire keyboard, thus the $120. It’s a Toshiba. In spite of YouTube videos and articles telling me that I can order individual keys, both Best Buy and Data Doctors, and my own online shopping research, tells me I can’t.
Hmm. Well, I got an HP, and at least on the model I got, when the keyboard went, all I had to do was buy a replacement keyboard online and it was a fairly simple task to pull the current one out and replace it. Three screws under the battery and I was able to pop the old one out and the new one in, and it only cost me $20 online.
Of course, on my new laptop, there isn’t a removable keyboard, so...
But on the other hand, I wish I’d gotten a warranty on my FIRST laptop, way back when they were expensive. The screen blew out and it cost a good $600 to replace.
Where did you find keyboards online?
I got my two from Amazon (well, stores selling on Amazon at least), though you could possibly find some others at laptopkeyboard.com or just do a web search for ‘laptop keyboards’ and pick out a reputable source.
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