Why Are You Paying Full Price?

Exchange Warner Brothers DVD for Blu-Ray

2010-12-09T05:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.dvd2blu.com/

Costs "as low as" $4.95 each with free shipping on orders over $35 (normally shipping is an additional $4.95).

Here's a link to the faq: http://www.dvd2blu.com/faq.html

ESPN the Magazine

2010-06-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Dirt cheap price. Using coupon code 3921 you can get a 1-3 year subscription for $4 per year!

http://www.dealcatcher.com/redir/996414533

Kids: Read 10 books this summer and get one for FREE

2010-05-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_doubledogdare?cmpid=SA_20100513_V2

Nice deal!

Warner Brothers DVD to Blu-Ray offer

2009-12-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

Similar to my previous post. If you want to upgrade your standard WB DVDs to Blu-Ray, check this out: http://www.dvd2blu.com/

They have a similar offer for any of you poor folks who went to HD DVD format, as well.

Discounts on upgrading your Disney movies to Blu-Ray

2009-12-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

https://disneyupgradetoblu.com/blu_ray/index.html

Upgrade to Blu-Ray quality, added features and games, keep your current DVDs and save $8 on the upgrade!

Internet access costs

2009-11-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

With the advent of multiple providers in most areas, it's often possible to negotiate your broadband rates.

I currently pay approximately $20 a month for Time Warner/Road Runner broadband. Originally the cost was $40 per month, but when I called to indicate that I was interested in moving to DSL (I wasn't, just exploring) the operator mentioned that Time Warner had a "special" offer for people who were thinking of jumping off of the Road Runner bandwagon.

I've had this rate ever since (over two years now).

I'm not sure as to whether I could keep this rate if I should move to Dish network. I assume it's possible, but they are likely to be more motivated by the fact that I've been a longtime cable subscriber as well.

In any case, if you're paying more than $25/month for Internet access it's worth calling around to see what other services offer. Your current provider will likely make every attempt to meet a better offer since it takes much more effort and money to acquire new customers than it does to keep old ones.

Newspaper subscription update

2009-11-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

My previous post regarding negotiating reduced subscription costs for newspapers requires an update.

At least for my local paper, the Dayton Daily News, the new cost reflected on the reduced rate sites appears to now be the same as the rate that they are now providing to me, a long-time, dedicated subscriber. Exactly the same.

So the previous post indicating the potential for close to a 50% savings may be a thing of the past.

Nevertheless I've saved over $500 by employing this method over the past few years and will continue to monitor the online subscription site(s) looking for a return to their previous costing model.

Negotiations and love seats

2009-07-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Evidently most furniture stores are willing to negotiate some of their "fees".

Most seem willing to provide "rebates" for delivery fees even if they're not advertised. Price match with other area stores and make sure that this week's "awesome deal" is the best buy for your money.

Free meal today at Chik-Fil-A

2009-07-10T05:00:00.001-07:00

The only catch is you have to dress like a cow.

http://www.cowappreciationday.com/

New site for brand name items

2009-07-09T18:52:00.001-07:00

http://alice.com/ I haven't used it yet, but the prices seem pretty much on par with local big box stores and free shipping will bring it right to your door.

Update to above:

I ordered some Charmin toilet paper and a three-pack of Kleenex. Tax, but no shipping fees. Prices were comparable to what I would normally pay in the grocery store. The Charmin had an online coupon that I was able to apply automatically to my order.

The package arrived in a few days. I found it amusing that they packed a box of toilet paper and Kleenex with copious amounts of air packs to keep it from being damaged in shipping. The packaging came in a very high quality box, suitable for re-use.

The site has a reminder function that will auto-order or auto-remind you by email to get more of whatever product you might need. This could be a handy feature for those who find themselves always running out of something.

The available products are mostly cleaning and toiletry items. There are some food products, but not enough variety to mention.

My overall impression was favorable and I plan to use the site again.

Kids Bowl Free all summer!

2009-06-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law brought this one to my attention. You can sign up for a particular bowling alley and kids can bowl 2 free games per day this summer!

http://www.kidsbowlfree.com

From the web page:

How the program works:

1. All of the participating bowling centers are listed at http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php.

2. Select a bowling center near you.

3. Register directly on the bowling center page (The registration is valid only at the bowling center where you register and cannot be used at any other bowling center unless otherwise noted.)

4. Once you register, you will have the opportunity to purchase the family pass. The Family Pass was created to allow for adult family members to enjoy bowling throughout the summer as well. The Family Pass starts from $23.95 and includes 2 GAMES PER PERSON PER DAY. The Family Pass covers up to 4 adult family members. You may have 1, 2, 3, or 4 adults on the family pass.

This low one-time payment covers up to 4 adults for the entire summer and is a tremendous value.

Fuel Links

2009-06-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is a nice offer if you have it available to you.

The way it works is that certain grocery purchases, at certain stores, provide you a cost per gallon rebate.

Buying items that I would normally purchase I've saved up to $.45 per gallon (15 gallon max).

These discounts expire, so you need to keep track of what you have and use it before it's gone. Only some gas stations participate, so check for availability.

http://www.fuellinks.com/

He will teach you to be rich...

2009-03-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

A must-buy book for anyone struggling with personal finances and the myriad of investment choices. Especially useful advice for college/post-college years.

http://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You-Be-Rich/dp/0761147489/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237943839&sr=8-1

Eating out?

2009-03-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

This site http://www.restaurant.com/ allows you to buy gift certificates to participating local restaurants at a percentage of their "actual" cost.

Sign up for their mailing list and you'll receive regular offers for further discounts, even up to 80% off.

Obviously there are some things to keep in mind:

The gift certificates do not provide "change" back, so if you pay for a $20 meal with a $50 gift certificate, you're not going to get any cash back.

They typically expire within six months of purchase (which is pretty liberal).

Make sure you have the correct location. Some restaurants have multiple locations but not all of them will accept the certificates.

Some don't allow the gift certificate to be used for alcohol, so read the description carefully.

Some may have restrictions about how often gift certificates can be used (i.e. only one visit a month).

If the restaurant closes, you may be out of luck (although the one time that happened to me I emailed the site and they happily exchanged the gc for another restaurant).

Kids Eat Free!

2009-02-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

Those of us with kids know that eating out can be expensive, especially when growing kids begin to eat as much as the adults.

Here's a nice site that points out local "Kids Eat Free" days in your neighborhood:

http://www.mykidseatfree.com

The site advises that you verify the accuracy. Most of these days seem to fall on Tuesdays.

Web Shopping sites?

2009-02-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

Here are a few sites I like to keep tabs on. They accept posts from other bargain hunters and combine them all on one page. Often the sites are a little redundant, but each has something that appeals to me.

Added bonus, you can comment on the quality of the deal or read the opinion of others.

This is a good way to buy ahead for Christmas. It's never too early to start defraying the cost of Christmas booty! If that doesn't get you into the holiday spirit I don't know what will.

Deal Catcher - http://www.dealcatcher.com/
Slick Deals - http://www.slickdeals.net/
Deal News - http://dealnews.com/

Telephone service

2009-02-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

What phone service do you use?

Are you still paying hourly rates for long distance calls?

A while back when I was replacing an old cell phone, my friendly rep offered to switch my home line to Cincinnati Bell service from AT&T. At the time, I was paying a premium for certain services such as caller id and was still paying for my long distance calls.

When I learned that CB would bundle a dozen or more features such as call waiting, forwarding, caller id and many more along with all the long distance I could eat for less than my monthly bill WITHOUT any long distance calls I was intrigued.

I called AT&T customer serive to see if they would match this offer. This is their curious couterproposal:

I could take advantage of their current "web" special which was very similar to CB's offer except $5-$10 more per month or if I wanted to set up this service over the phone it would be about an additional $20 per month. Yup. I asked her to repeat that again so I could make sure I had it right.

Needless to say I switched carriers. It was fairly painless. There was a small problem with the line getting switched off a few days after service changed hands, but everything afterward has been fine.

Since I switched, AT&T has sent me letters and cards almost every month asking me to come back at a rate comparable to what I am paying today. They've even offered $100 checks to have me back as a customer.

Did I mention before how much I despise companies that value customers they don't have over ones that they do?

What do I do with found or saved money?

2009-02-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest things to do with money that you've found or saved by shaving costs is to pretend it doesn't exist. Put it in your wallet to spend rather than going to the ATM, buy dessert at dinner, or toss it in a change jar.

Let me suggest something that you might not have tried. Stash the cash in a savings account. Even smaller amounts. Pool your deposits if you don't want to bother making transactions for amounts under $25.

One of the things that detracts from the pleasure of saving money is not appreciating what that money can do for you. If you pocket the money from reducing subscription costs, quitting smoking or the fiver you found floating in the parking lot you don't know what you spent it on.

If you put the money aside and allow it to accumulate it can be used for something you really want or need. Something that you'll appreciate and that will provide positive reinforcement for good practices.

An example from my own experience:

I took money that I was able to save from reducing subscription costs, selling stuff at a garage sale, money received from mail-in rebates, fantasy football league winnings, you name it. I began adding this money to an ING Direct account. After several months I was able to pay the airfare for a family vacation to Disney. Next purchase with saved cash? A new PC. I'm almost there!

Don't assume that $5 here and $15 there is immaterial. It does add up.

Newspaper subscriptions

2009-02-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Who gets the local newspaper?

Do you pay a yearly subscription fee?

One of my pet peeves is companies that spend almost all of their efforts trying to acquire new customers while virtually ignoring their existing customer base.

One such practice is that of "special" subscription rates for newspapers. Why, as a long-time reader of a newspaper, should I be expected to pay full subscription fees when the paper provides reduced rates to new users?

Here's a trick I've had success with for the last three years: when your yearly subscription notice comes due, search for web sites that offer reduced rates for the paper. Here's a good one: http://www.subscription-offers.com/newspapers/

Call customer service and indicate that you've received a renewal notice. Explain to them that you are aware of offers to new subscribers for only $xx and that you'd like to receive the same yearly rate. The past three years I've been able to negotiate a savings of nearly $100 on my yearly subscription renewal with almost no effort whatsoever. No arguments, threats or anything.

Now, that being said, it's possible that your local paper may claim that these prices are only good for new subscribers and you aren't eligible. My suggestion would be to ask for a supervisor to explain why a long-standing customer should be expected to pay more than a non-customer. Don't get angry or abusive. Just ask. It's a legitimate question.

If they continue to resist, you can pay them what they want or cancel the service. If you cancel, odds are that within a few weeks you will be receiving calls and letters begging for you to sign up at (you guessed it) a significantly reduced rate.

You won't be able to buy a new car or pay off a credit card debt, but $100 is $100.

Now, what do you do with your newly rescued money? In my next blog entry I have some thoughts you might be interested in.

Introduction

2009-02-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

With the economy in it's current state money can be hard to come by. Many companies are foregoing raises or, worse, cutting salaries or positions.

I wanted to start a blog that will be used to share practical, real-world tips on how to save money. Some tips may involve little bits of money at a time, but as an old boss of mine used to say: if you look after the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.

Feel free to post suggestions of your own or relay how some of these ideas worked for you.

A couple of rules to abide by:

Legal, ethical methods only should be discussed and let's be kind to each other. Things are tough enough these days.

Amat victoria curum (victory favors those who take pains)