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Tips To Save Money On Coffee

Tom — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:55:59 +0000

So let me ask you: if taste tests reveal that the taste of a coffee brand that happens to be cheaper, and in some cases quite a lot cheaper, was enjoyed almost as much by taste-testers, would you consider switching?

Which? researchers found that there was little correlation between price (and presumed ‘quality’) and the enjoyment of a given brand. They tested the instant coffees of seven supermarkets’ own brands-Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, against Nescafe Original, which is as much as three times as expensive as the others. Nescafe was generally preferred, but not by much, and the experimenters estimate that a couple could save as much as £54 a year by switching.

At 6 AM, do you really think that you prefer a premium brand three times as much as you would a more economical brand? At that hour I’m lucky if I can find socks that match. But that’s a different blog post altogether.

Tips To Save Money On Home Insurance

Tom — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:06:22 +0000

Here is a quick video offering seven tips to save money on home insurance, by a former insurance agent and financial consultant. Tips like this are especially useful, because decisions like which home insurance or mortgage insurance to buy are in effect huge financial moves that you pay into for years. Comparison shopping is indeed maybe the single best thing you can do for yourself if you are shopping around for home insurance. You are so empowered as a consumer today because of the internet: you could look at the hours that you spend on a purchase like this as paying yourself money, probably hundreds of dollars per hour if you really get your save-money hat on! I’d love to be informed of an good websites that have helped Save Money Tips readers save on home insurance, so please feel free to leave any experience with a company that you have had-good or bad- below in the comments. I’d love to follow up on any suggestions or information on those companies and do a review of their websites at least, for readers.

Top 7 Tips to Save Money on Home Insurance

Basic Saving Concepts Explained

Tom — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:17:14 +0000

Here is an outstanding short video on basic money saving concepts.

Drop That Electricity Bill!

Tom — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:10:57 +0000

photo credit: clspeace
Winter is on it’s way in the Northern Hemisphere, and here’s a good little list for saving money on electricity bills, from Bukisa.

Money Saving Site Of The Day: Slickdeals.net

Tom — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:23:18 +0000

Hey have you heard of slickdeals.net? It bills itself as a ‘community driven bargain hunting’ site, where you can find discounts, promo codes, reviews and price comparisons. What I like is that there are all kinds of obscure items, as well as the usual electronics and clothes. You’ll find some very aggressive savings on the site, and I’d suggest putting it right into your feed reader for finding the latest deals quickly.

Substitutes For Expensive Retail Products

Tom — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:48:02 +0000

It’s a great idea: using cheap basic products, instead of paying retail for higher priced products with nice packaging. The Simple Dollar has a nice list of 12 ways that you can avoid paying that retail markup, through substitution. In some cases using just a little imagination and a bit of elbow grease can really save you some money.

Why Google Voice Will Save You Money

Tom — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:38:59 +0000

photo credit: goosmurf
Hey, have you hear about Google Voice? (pardon the pun)
Imagine having one phone number that you keep forever, whether you change cell phones or move across the country. You give this number out to people and the call gets routed to any phone you want. Interesting idea, and empowering for consumers: doesn’t everyone have a story about getting gouged by a cellphone carrier?

The thing is, and the reason this saves you money, is that you can choose to have ‘extras’ like text messages and call forwarding taken care of by Google Voice, NOT your provider. Simply have people use your Google Voice number for text messages as well as calls that might go to voice mail (ie all calls!). You can turn off SMS notification to your phone in Google Voice, then text messages go to your Gmail, and that will save a lot over the course of a month. You can listen to voice messages, or they are transcribed for you, also in your Gmail box.

So just ratchet your plan down to voice calls only, and start saving money immediately by taking these expensive add-ons OFF your plan.

Why Not Buying Today Might Be The Way Best Save on A Flight

Tom — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:36:37 +0000

photo credit: Deanster1983
Here’s a money saving tip that can only help you, if you are flexible enough to be able to use it. Bing Travel basically absorbed farecaster.com in 2008, but regardless of the name, the technology lives on in its new home as a wonderful way to save money on airfares.

The idea is simple: enter your itinerary, then check the ’7-day Price Predictor’ in the upper left hand corner of the page for advice on whether to buy now or to wait until you are closer to flight time. The results aren’t 100% reliable, but at least you aren’t ‘flying blind’ when it comes to having an idea if the price you have been quoted on a given route is high historically, or not.

Now, if the flight on which you are waiting for a price drop gets full while you are waiting you’d have to book at a different time, but if you have a little bit of flexibility you’ll essentially be paid for it, if the fare prediction says to wait and it’s correct. It’s an amazing piece of technology, when you think about it, and we aren’t talking about saving a couple of bucks either: with a little luck, you can save a whole lot more

Save Money In A Cheaper Apartment

Tom — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:10:53 +0000

Housing is one of the biggest expenses we face, so if it’s really time to look hard at expenses and saving money, maybe it’s time for renters to at least consider moving to a cheaper apartment. The savings can be considerable, and who knows, you might like the new place even better. Here’s an interesting piece from the New York Times on the subject. Interestingly, one of the women in the story even decides it’s time to move out of New York altogether. While that may seem extreme, the situations that some people find themselves in related to debt can be pretty extreme too. What’s that they say about desperate times requiring desperate measures?

Save Money Tip

Tom — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:08:34 +0000

Like millions of Americans, you may find it very challenging to spend less on things and save money in the bank for your future. It’s not so surprising because education, health care costs and inflation are on the rise, there are more malls than ever and cool technology is becoming more and more affordable, which means companies are manufacturing electronic products and selling them at prices that most people can’t resist paying for.

Based on statistics, people are making more withdrawals a month from from their savings accounts. This means that more and more people end up with little or no money to spend before their next salary. In spite of the rising cost of commodities and rising inflation, people are spending more than ever instead of saving.  Whether you’re making enough money to meet your and your family’s needs and financial obligations or you’re on a meager income, it’s never too late to start saving money. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Save Money Tips #1 Tip: The Big One-Curb Your Buying Impulse

Seven out of 10 people end up buying something they like on impulse or at first glance. A simulated sociological study found that people who bring cash or credit cards with them while they are window shopping are more likely to end up buying things on impulse than if they had little cash or didn’t bring their cards with them.

You can save money by exerting a conscious effort not to give in to your buying impulse. If you see something you really like, save for it instead of buying it the first time you see it. When you’re shopping, shop for things that are necessary or that you need immediately. If something isn’t crucial or immediately needed, don’t buy it right away. Wait a while and see if you still want it the next time you see it.

Save Money Tips #2 Tip: Learn to Budget

Creating a budget is a great way you can manage your money. A budget can help you identify and spend on things that you really need. If an item is not specifically in your budget, you simply do not spend on it. Thus, a budget eliminates unnecessary purchases. Any money that doesn’t get spent can go to a savings budget, which you can later on decide to spend on something you want.
Save Money Tips #3 Tip: Compare Prices

Whether you’re buying clothes, food, gas or any other commodity, it’s a good idea to compare prices. Thanks to the Internet, you can compare prices of various goods and services online without having to drive around or spend too much time doing it. You’ll be able to find the best deals and save money by doing price comparisons before shelling out any money.

Likewise, take advantage of warehouse type stores where you can buy many items in bulk much more cheaply than if you were to buy them in retail stores.

Save Money Tips #4 Tip: Eat In, or Prepare Food Ahead of Time

You can save money by preparing your meals ahead of time and bringing them with you to work or wherever you go. You won’t find yourself going through the drive-thru or sitting in a restaurant and spending more money on food you could have prepared yourself. You can make a big batch of food at the beginning of the week, put them in small containers and freeze them. Take one with you when you go to work and simply microwave them when you’re ready to eat. Likewise, you can save money by drinking water instead of soda. Have a bottle of water with you and drink that instead of soda. You’ll be amazed at how much money you’ll save by avoiding the soda machine. Water is much healthier too.