10 Ways To Save Money!
1. Use Ebates When Shopping Online
Normal = Don’t Get Any Cash Back On Purchases
If you are shopping online Ebates is a no-brainer! Basically it works like this…
You visit Ebates.com, then click a link to your favorite online store (they have over 1200 stores like Target, Kohls, Walmart, etc) and make your purchase like normal. Ebates will then will be paid a referral fee by that retailer and will share the earnings with you. They pay you a percentage (1%-25%) of the purchase price back. It is completely free to and they even give you a free $5 gift card for signing up. I have been with them since 2008 and have earned hundreds of dollars. You can also try out a competitor of theirs Memolink as well.
2. Regularly Shop Insurance Rates
Normal = Buy Insurance And Keep Renewing Without Checking Rates
Regardless of who you buy from, you can be abnormal and save money by shopping around every year or so for insurance. I have saved over $530/year for the same coverage by getting car insurance quotes on a regular basis. Now there is something to be said for finding a top-rated insurance company – it may not be worth saving $50/year to switch to a terrible company, so use your own judgement.
3. Save Money With The Library
Normal = Pay For Things That The Library Offers For Free
If you can get past the frequently outdated décor, public libraries are home to a wealth of resources. Of course you can borrow books instead of buying them, but they also often have subscriptions to high cost services or publications like Hoovers or Valueline. Our local library has grown a huge collection of popular CDs and DVDs over the last few years. So, it can be a cheap (free) ways to catch a few good movies. If you must be “Normal” and buy, at least use these 5 ways to save money on books.
4. Have Someone Negotiate Your Bills For You
Normal = Just Pay The Standard Rates
I recently found out about a pretty cool service called BillCutterz.com. Basically they are a bill discount service. All you do is send them your bills and they call your providers and negotiate better rates on your behalf.
You then split the savings with them. From their website, “We split any savings we obtain with you. This means if we save you $100, you get $50 and we get $50. If we don’t save you any money, there is no charge to you – ever.”
Pretty cool, huh? Find out more about them.
5. Drop Your Health Insurance (And Use An Alternative)
Normal = Pay An Arm And A Leg For Typical Health Insurance
If you are a Christian and adhere to a Biblical Lifestyle, you may be eligible for Medishare, which is a Christian health insurance alternative that costs a whole lot less than typical insurance. I am a member, and I estimate that we pay about 50% less than we would be paying if we had comparable health insurance coverage. It works in a similar fashion to insurance, but it costs a lot less because the members are working together. Find out more here.
6. Buy Used Gift Cards
Normal = I Never Thought Of That!
Did you know that you can buy used gift cards at a discount – sometimes as much as 15% off the face value of the card? So this essentially means that you can pay $85 for a $100 gift card in some cases.
But the key to actually saving money here is to buy gift cards for stores and products that we will be buying anyway.
Sites like Cardpool.com or Giftcardrescue.com offer nice discounts on thousands of gift cards like Walmart, Target, Grocery stores, and most other large retailers.
To learn more check out this post.
7. Save Money On Designer Clothes
Normal = Pay Full-Price Like All Your Friends!
If you are someone who loves to have the latest styles and brands, just because you want to save money doesn’t mean that you are doomed to outdated and decade-old clothing. But, you do have to think a little outside the box in order to make both work. Sites like Rue La La send you daily emails with huge discounts on the hottest brands. They are free to use and can save you up to 80% off of retail.
8. Buy Jewelry From A Discounter
Normal = Buy Jewelry From The Mall Jewelry Store Or Another Traditional Store
If you haven’t purchased jewelry in a while, you may be interested to know that the jewelry industry is going through some major changes. Diamonds have always had ridiculous markups, but recently there are more options for relief. Many direct importers are selling rings themselves at much better prices than you could get from the traditional stores. It makes perfect sense – the traditional stores have to pay for a storefront, sales force, utilities, etc., therefore the importers can usually beat their prices hands down. I bought my wife’s engagement ring at Amazon and ended up having it appraised for thousands more than I paid. That may just be my best way to save money.
9. Simplify Your Wardrobe
Normal = BuyIng Clothes That You Like Without Looking At The Wardrobe As A Whole
Don’t buy clothes that will only work as one outfit. Look for clothes that you will be able to wear with many other things, creating multiple outfits. Instead of buying that green and purple striped coat that will only go with one or two outfits, you could get a solid color gray that will work most of what you wear. Spend less money on the trendy items that won’t be in style long, and spend more on quality items. You really can do this and still be stylish at the same time. Simplifying your wardrobe is just one way you can save money on clothes.
10. Make Money With Your Clutter
Normal = Garage Sale Or Throw Away Clutter
It is easier than you may think. eBay and Amazon.com make the process a breeze. Sign up for an account, take a few digital pictures, post it, and watch the buyers come to you. HINT: The biggest key I have noticed is selling brand name items and taking a few seconds to think, “If I wanted to buy this item, how would I search for it?” If you do this, you will be much more successful.
Of course, some of your junk won’t be worth the effort of selling it online. For that stuff – maybe garage sale, maybe just save yourself the hassle and give it to the thrift store.
