Four Money-Saving Myths: Busted

1. Everything's Cheaper at the Dollar Store.

I'm a big fan of the dollar store. (Holla to the Dolla Tree!) But sometimes, it's actually much cheaper to get things elsewhere. For example, the dollar store near my house sells Powerade for $1.00 a bottle. I can get the same bottle at the grocery store across the street for $0.69 a bottle on sale, and anywhere from $0.79 to $0.89 at Kroger regular-priced.


2. Making Your Own Everything Will Cost Less Than Buying Stuff Pre-Made. 

DIY is great, and sometimes does save you money. But be careful before jumping in to buy materials for projects: Sometimes it really IS cheaper to buy stuff pre-made, especially when it comes to clothes, notebooks, and growing/canning your own food. Take a few minutes to do the math and figure out the price difference before committing to making something from scratch if saving money is your goal.

3. Buying in Bulk is Always a Money Saver. 

Per ounce, buying things in bulk generally does result in savings. However, buying in bulk also usually requires paying more total. Let's take a look at this example:

Medium Bag of Rice - Total: $2.99 (price per ounce: $.20)
Huge Bag of Rice - Total: $5.99 (price per ounce: $.14)

As you can see, buying the huge bag of rice does save you money per ounce, but requires more cash up front. This is OK if it's a product you eat a lot of, but use caution. A second problem with buying in bulk is that certain foods can go bad quickly, and if you don't manage to eat all ten pounds of those bananas you bought in time, you will end up actually throwing away your money.

4. The People on those Extreme Couponers Shows Are Saving More Money Than Anybody Else!

Yep, people who massively stock up on coupons can save hundreds of dollars in a single shopping trip. BUT keep in mind that many families featured as "Extreme Couponers" have a family member who does not work, and spends all their time rounding up newspapers and organizing their thousands of coupons. Now, having that person home all the time may save the family money in other ways, like in childcare costs. For those of us without kids, though, (single or otherwise) I can guarantee you that working even twenty hours per week will put more money in your pocket than sitting at home cutting coupons all day ever will.

... Wishes for another frugal week, friends!

Want to save money? Join the club! -- Or e-mail list, or membership team...

This last week, I embarked on a mission - to sign up for company-run fan clubs and e-mail lists. My goal: to get coupons and free stuff. So far, it's paying off! Maybe you'd like to join some of these, too. Just click on the name and it will link you to their sign-up website:

Cold Stone Creamery - I got a buy one-get-one ice cream coupon just for signing up.

The Mermaid Club - Official fan club of Chicken of the Sea tuna. Their website promises a surprise gift on your birthday! (A can or a pouch? In oil or water? I can't wait to find out!)

Wendy's - $1 off coupon gets sent immediately to your e-mail as soon as you sign up.

The Blizzard Fan Club - Dairy Queen blizzards, that is! A buy-one blizzard - get-one-free coupon will be e-mailed to you as soon as you register.


Arby's Extras Club - As soon as you sign up, you get a coupon for a free roast beef sandwich with a purchase of a beverage.

Walgreen's E-Mail Offers - Digital coupons e-mailed directly to you every week.

Biggby Coffee (Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina, Indiana, Wisconsin, Alabama only) - A coupon/deal sent to you every week, and the promise of a "special treat" on your birthday.

Cheap Ways to Cool Off This Summer

1. Put Your Pillowcase in the Freezer. 

When you wake up in the morning, throw your pillowcase into a plastic grocery bag and toss it in the freezer. When you're ready for bed, pull it out and toss your pillow back inside. Voila! An instant chill-out.

2. Use Free Air Conditioning. 

This is an old trick of my family's. When it gets really hot, while away the hours in an air-conditioned public place. The public library or the mall (especially the food court area in a mall, where you can actually get away with things like reading a book) are free to everybody. Remember, too, that grocery stores have frozen food aisles...When it's really, really hot, who's to stop you from sticking your head in there for just a minute or two?

3. Use Your Freezer for Food, Too. 

There are lots of foods we don't normally freeze that CAN be frozen and that make "cool" summer treats! Granola bars, for instance, can be quite tasty frozen. Bananas can be peeled and thrown into Ziploc bags (optionally dipped in chocolate) and eaten hours later as a nutritious (or not so much) popsicle. I've never tried it myself, but I've also heard rave reviews about frozen grapes.

Gather your gear and you'll
be all set for a swim in
the bathtub! 

4. Go Swimming in the Bathtub.

You don't have a swimming pool? No problem. My pal Wendi introduced me to a solution for this many years ago: going swimming in your own bathtub. Simply put on your swimming clothes - trunks, swimsuit, flippers, whatever you've got - fill up your bathtub, and hop in! Yes, it's not quite like doing laps at the Olympics, but it won't cost you an airplane ticket, either, and can help bring down your core body temperature to something more bearable.


Whatever you do to stay cool as the temperatures rise, friends, remember to play it cool, too -- saving money never goes out of style!

Dumpster Diving 101

The coupon section of the Sunday paper might be a highlight of a cheapster's week, but even it can pale in comparison to a real money saver's haven: a dumpster. I was lucky enough in my younger days to be taught how to dumpster dive by a true master, a guy named Tim who lived out of his van.

Because of the stories I tell from those bygone times, I've had several reader requests to pass on some of the wisdom from these headlamp-wearing, backseat-of-a-car-filling days (and nights). And so I bring you, dear readers, some tips for those of you thinking about trying it out.

• First, understand that dumpster diving is illegal in some places and almost everywhere else is highly discouraged. Dumpster dive at your own risk. 
• Don't dig through a dumpster on impulse. Plan it out. Seek out store dumpsters that are not physically hard to access, that aren't connected to an alarm system or filmed by a security camera, and where you won't be visible to a large number of people while you're doing your digging. 
• Get insider information about stores and their dumpsters whenever possible. Most grocery stores empty shelves on a schedule. Find out what day of the week stuff is thrown out, and plan to go as soon as possible after this happens. That way, you'll have the best selection. 
• Bring the right equipment. Gloves are pretty much essential; headlamps and flashlights are helpful, and if you're putting your findings in the back of a car, putting down a tarp can be a good idea. Also, wear long pants, rather than shorts, and closed-toed shoes. 
• If you've never dug around in a dumpster before, start out with something easy, like one outside of a university dorm or one outside of a thrift store. Build up to grocery store dumpstering. I say this because grocery store dumpsters are messier than other dumpsters (this is what happens when a dumpster includes a lot of produce!) and it's often easier to dig around in dumpsters that include things like furniture and clothes. 
• Don't forget to have fun! :)

Free and Cheap Stuff Calendar - July 2011

July 4th - Free admission for active, retired, and "honorably discharged" military service folks to several amusement parks, such as Six Flags America (in Maryland) and Cedar Point (near Toledo, OH.) If you've served in the military, check the websites of your local amusement parks to see if you can spend today there for free.

July 4th - Free "Tipsy Tow" from AAA in most U.S. locations. If you've celebrated a little too much at a 4th of July party and aren't able to drive yourself home safely, call 1-800-222-4537 and ask for a "tipsy tow."  An AAA tow truck will come and pick you up and tow your car back to your house. You do NOT need to be a AAA member to use this service! Good until 6 a.m. on July 5th.

July 8th - Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. Any customer who comes in fully dressed as a cow to ANY chick-fil-a location gets a free chicken combo meal! Those with "cow accessories" can be eligible for a free entree item. More info here: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Cows/Appreciation-Day

July 11th - Free Slurpee Day at 7-11! At all participating locations.  Get it? Because the date is 7/11! More info on the Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171477509581811

July 30 - National Cheesecake Day at the Cheesecake Factory... Get cheesecake for half off if you buy and eat it inside the restaurant.

...Here's to a fun and free (or at least cheap!) July, friends!

The Quickest Way to Save Money

....For all the cheap living strategies out there, there is one sure way to save money, and that is.....

....by actually saving money! Of course, saving is sometimes one of the hardest things to do.  But here are some quick strategies that just might help!

*  See if your employer or bank offers a direct savings option. That means that part of your paycheck will automatically be taken out and put into savings every month - and since you'll never see the money, you'll never miss it! (Well, that's the theory, anyway. :) )

*  Consider opening a savings account at a different bank than your checking account or open one that isn't connected to your checking account. That way, you won't easily be able to draw money out of your savings and instantly into your checking account - and that will help you from spending it immediately.

* If you're someone who keeps track of their expenses, "round up" in your check register. If you spend, say, $43.34 at the grocery store, don't write "43.34" down. Instead, "round up" - write down $44. When your bank statement comes, voila! You will have a bonus amount of money in your checking account.

* Never spend coins. Put all the coins you ever get back after you buy something into a container at home.

...Good luck with your saving endeavors, readers -- and tune in next week for some exciting news about free stuff coming up in July! (P.S. It involves cows and chickens!)

Free Trial Roundup: Stuff You Can Try Out For Absolutely Nothing!

Many companies & services offer free trials for people who haven't used their stuff before. Sure, you only get to use it for a few days for free - but still - that could be a few days of awesome. Here's the skinny on some you might want to take advantage of (and I know you peeps are all smart enough to read the fine print before signing up for anything...but just in case you need a reminder...don't forget to read the fine print about needing to cancel a subscription!)

Movies & TV: 

Netflix - Offers a 30-day free trial of movies (online streaming and by mail) for new users. Info about this offer is on the right side of their main webpage here.

Hulu Plus - Access to streaming episodes of most TV shows (all the ones you can't get on free Hulu) plus movies. Free 30-day trial for college students; free 7 day trial for everyone else. Click here to sign up with your e-mail address.

Crunchyroll - Offers a 14-day free trial of access to 250,000 minutes of Anime and Japanese, Korean, and Chinese drama tv shows as they air. Click here for more about the free trial.

Music: 

Napster - 7-day free trial of access to the ten million music tracks in their library for new users. Click here to get more info about your options for free trials.

Rhapsody - 14-day trial of access to THEIR library of ten million songs - available to new users. Click here to learn more about the offer.

Games: 

Gamefly - Free 10-day trial of video game renting (like Netflix, but for games) for new members. Click here and check the free trial option to sign up.

World of Warcraft - Free 10-day trial for new players. Info on the WoW main webpage here. 

Gyms/Fitness:

24 Hour Fitness - Free 7-day trial pass for their fitness centers nationwide here.

Bally's Total Fitness - Free 7-day trial gym membership.  Click here to see if there's a Bally's near you.

Curves - Free 7-day "guest pass" for women interested in a women's only fitness center. Information on their main page here. 

Gold's Gym - 7-day pass for free. Find a location close to you here. 

Lady of America Club - Free 7-day trial for women who are interested in a women's-only fitness club. Check out this webpage for locations near you.

Here's to another money-saving week, friends!