10Compare prices on monthly services. What was once the best deal on internet may very well be double the cost now. Call around and see who’s offering a better deal, personally I’m loyal to the price not the company. This is true for grocery shopping to buying a car.
9Purchase an Entertainment Book (or two). We make this purchase every year. The 2010 East Bay edition has
over $18,600 in local savings! I’ve got a special running on The Frugal Find blog, just search Entertainment Book for the latest deal.
8Always ask. By that I mean, ask about any unadvertised sales or if the item you’re purchasing is at the
lowest price possible. I’m amazed how often I’m offered a better price just because I asked. Worst case…they say no.
7Community events. There are tons of free events going on year ‘round here in Concord and beyond, we
often can’t even fit them all into our schedule. There is rarely a good reason to pay amusement park prices for
entertainment.
630 day rule. This is a tried and true method when it comes to major expenses. Wait 30 days before you actually make the purchase. In 30 days you’ll have a clear mind and you’ll know if
the item you’re looking to buy is really needed…often it’s not.
5A coffee a day will keep your savings at bay. Home brew, enough said. Believe it or not there are even
coupons for Starbucks and Peet’s coffee!
4Buy used. There are very few items that you actually must buy new, in reality on day 2 the item you’ve purchased is now “used”. You can save anywhere from 25% -75% by shopping your local thrift stores and
garage sales.
3Plan ahead. If an item you regularly purchase is on sale, stock up. Meal planning will save unnecessary trips to the grocery store. Also, bulk cooking saves time and money!
2Clip coupons. I’m a huge advocate of coupons, after all it’s free money. By matching a store sale to coupons you can save 75% - 100% on an item, yes 100%! If you follow my blog, I do a lot of “free” grocery shopping.
1Use cash only. Cash is real and it’s hard to let go of. You’ll find that even if this is the only tip you take
hold of in 2010 – your savings will grow. Try it, leave the debit and credit cards at home for a week, you’ll see how powerful cash is.
For more on how to live frugally using coupons, where to find coupons, how to budget, and the dreaded meal
planning visit www.thefrugalfind.com. I blog daily the best deals at local stores to save you time & money!
Thanks The Concordian and The Frugal Find for all of the great tips.
