Posts Tagged ‘recession’

There exists a different reasons why some of us are driven to increase our income. The fact is, some of us have been driven to this because we’ve lost our jobs due to the recession. Some of us just do it because we want more out of life. If you want something more out of life or if you need an increased income, then learning how to make Money online is your best bet.

Today, more than ever, it is a solution to living a better life. Many doors have been shut in this recession that may not reopen again. The past, the opportunity that we have with Internet businesses simply didn’t exist. Therefore, do some research, and you will surely find that you have certain qualifications that you can apply towards your future, just by working from home.

Therefore, all you’ll need is a computer with a reliable Internet connection. And, if you’re in such disarray that you can’t afford that, many local libraries in neighborhoods allow the opportunity to use their computers. So, there really is no excuse.

Try to find good guidelines. You’ll do this with the research that is absolutely necessary before beginning. Some of the best means you’ve probably heard is that with the Internet, it will not take forever to get some positive results. The truth is, you may earn money within the first week.

Once you do start earning that extra income that you’ve been looking for, you’ll be able to change some things in your life. For one thing, you’ll be able to buy some things for yourself or your loved one like affordable quality jewelry. Or, perhaps that eternity ring could finally turn into a reality.

You can change your entire life, with the income that you can earn here are, whether it’s the primary or supplemental one. Keep your eyes and ears open for the opportunities that may be the right ones for you. The misconception that most people have is that work means that you have to leave your home. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

You can get everything you want and still have the freedom to choose the hours you want to work in the amount of time you want to take off. The Internet has offered many people, many opportunities. Some have really risen above any expectations they may have had. In the end, what you put into it, you’ll get out of it. So, if you put in an honest effort, you will definitely earn an honest living. But, always be willing to change as this is an ever changing world.

It’s no secret that we are all facing harder financial times than we ever have before. Those who have never had a worry in the world are now developing bad credit and scraping by just to keep the lights on. In our changing financial structure, we all need to find ways to deal with a new way of life.

If we want to truly change our life, an internet based business opportunity can do that for us. We have to put in the work, but whatever we want to do today we can set ourselves up for. We don’t have to sacrifice our retiring income or our potential to make money online because of a rough economy. In fact, this is how most of us are going to bounce back.

You don’t have to be a computer or a business guru to be able to go online and find a solid method of building a passive income. You can build an income through various means and find ways to compound your efforts time and again. It’s not about creating an immediate fix as much as it’s about creating a lifestyle change.

It may seem like we don’t live in a time where these choices are ours to make. However, they certainly aren’t anyone else’s to make for us. If we want to change our lives and start providing a different future for us and our families, then why wouldn’t we get started right now? What prevents us from striking out and making a difference in our own world?

We are often the only thing standing in our own way. We want these things but we are afraid we might fail. We fear we might not do it well enough and then we would have to consider whether to quit altogether or start over with a new idea. This is part of the process, and nearly everyone goes through it.

Anyone who wants to change their lives and make more money can do it if they are willing to provide the work that is involved. Anyone can stop living paycheck to paycheck and reclaim their right to the pursuit of happiness over the pursuit of mediocrity. We all have this power within us.

We are. We think if we don’t do well after a few tries that this type of lifestyle isn’t ours for the taking. We are only shortchanging ourselves and our families by believing this. We can accomplish what we feel we want to in this life, sometimes we just have to look a little harder to find the right vehicle to get us there.

Economic strife can cause major problems for anyone. When it hits, as we have all just learned, it can hit big, hard, and fast. With financial problems still lurking in out future, we have to be inspired to make it all happen for ourselves.

One of the best solutions for most families is to learn how to make online money. This money can be in the form of marketing and the many internet marketing strategies that are out there. It could also be your chance to make money blogging that brings it all full circle for you.

Not everyone wants to enter a computer based market, and the free market will eventually thrive once again. But how would you pay the bills tomorrow if you lost your job today? What would you do about feeding and clothing your family? The answers to these questions and others are the reason that so many are marketing, blogging, and moving to the websites for better income stability.

It’s no sweat. All you are really looking for right now is a way to get and keep your foot in the door. Maybe you’re foot (and the rest of your body) passed through that door weeks ago when you first were hired to perform a service. Maybe you just don’t quite realize it yet.

Those who find online incomes will be less damaged by any other bad news that trickles in our direction. We can all learn a few things from the events of the last year, and one of those lessons is that we can’t take it for granted that we will be secure in our jobs just because we want to be.

If you are one of the lucky ones and you haven’t lost your job, and you don’t end up losing your jobs, considered yourself on borrowed time. Manage your own financial picture by finding out exactly what will put your income ahead of where you were last year. Make sure you know where you stand.

We have a chance to learn from watching the collapse of one of the world’s most powerful financial systems. We can learn how to stick our heads in the sand or we can learn to face it and deal proactively with it. Moving forward today could very well mean staying comfortably in your home next year should the property values fall a bit.

With the economic forecast looking as gloomy as it does you’d be forgiven for thinking that new bed purchase you’ve been hankering after is never gonna happen. It is fair to say that people tend to hold back on buying “big ticket” items at these times. However, if you are clever about it you can actually use the situation to your advantage and get some really good deals.

Here are my tips on buying furniture in the credit crunch:

1.    Get it for free. In recent years the concept of recycling and swapping unwanted furniture has really taken off on the internet. Make sure you check out sites like freecycle.org, gumtree.com and craigslist.com and see what’s available in your area. You can’t be too picky but you might find the perfect item at the best possible cost – nothing at all!

2.    Don’t dismiss second hand stores. Now is not the time to be snobbish. You might be pleasantly surprised at the standard of items you can find at a decent second hand store. OK so not all of the stuff you find there will be particularly new, stylish or well kept. But I’ve often come across some really solid pine and painted furniture at my local YMCA store!

3.    Bargain Bargain Bargain. The financial situation means the time is ripe to bargain on the final price, even in the large, established department stores. These big chains are falling overthemselves in desperation for your business. Trust me – sales assistants at these places are prepared to throw in discounts to win your business. If you want to pay a little less for that dining room furniture set, just ask them to knock some money off. You’ll be surprised at just how often they agree.

4.    Go online. The past few years have seen a lot of online furniture suppliers spring up. They can very often save you a lot of money. Often you can find the same pieces on a web-only store as you do in the big showrooms, at a much cheaper price. Don’t take my word for it – just look at the stats. In 2009, online furniture sales increased by 31% when compared to the previous year.

5.    Find a local supplier. You might not have thought so but smaller furniture suppliers can often be cheaper than the big chains. For starters, they tend to be friendlier and more willing to get you a good deal. Also, you often find beautiful handmade furniture made with solid wood rather than the mass produced veneer you get in the big stores. I’m speaking from experience here – I recently came across a gorgeous showroom close to where I live, offering great white bedroom furniture and accessories. I ended up stocking up my entire bedroom from there!

So don’t be too quick to dismiss those big purchases because of the financial crisis. You could end up with a great deal

Earning extra cash during a recession

With the economy in the doldrums and the holiday season fast approaching, many people are looking for ways to make a little extra money on the side. While decreasing spending and taking on extra work are the most logical actions to take, this is often not enough for many people. Some of these people are exploring the wealth of get-rich-quick schemes to be found online while others are looking into more unusual opportunities. Here are three unusual opportunities that at least some people have had success with and might be worth considering.

Donating your reproductive cells

The idea of being a sperm donor has been the subject of endless crude jokes for years, but believe it or not there is real money to be made by selling your sperm or eggs. Women’s reproductive cells, or eggs, fetch much more money than men’s reproductive cells, sperm, because they are harder to obtain. A woman can get up to $ 3,000 to $ 8,000 for her eggs, whereas a man will only get $ 1 to $ 200 per sperm donation. To be a successful donor, you will generally have to be physically fit, disease free and well educated. You will also have to get a series of medical exams and psychological tests before a reproductive center will pay you to donate. Women also have the option of becoming surrogates, or carrying the fertilized eggs of another woman until birth for women unable to carry their own children. Surrogates usually get about $ 25,000 for carrying the child to term.

Becoming a clinical trial subject

Like sperm donors, many jokes – and even several television comedies – have been based on the idea of volunteering to be the test subjects for medical experiments. That said, this is a legitimate way to make money that can leave you free to do other work at the same time. A clinical trial usually runs between ten and ninety days and can pay anywhere from $ 50 to $ 5,000 apiece depending on the clinic, the drug being tested, and the risk factors involved. Although you will be asked to provide a comprehensive medical background before taking part in a clinical trial, you do not have to be in perfect health or shape to participate. In fact, some trials specifically seek out subjects with particular pre-existing conditions, so having high blood pressure or asthma may get you more money as a clinical trial subject than a healthy person.

Selling your hair

Believe it or not, your hair may be worth more than you know. There is a whole industry that uses human hair to make wigs and hair extensions and if your hair is long and healthy it might be worth quite a bit of money. A good batch of strong, healthy hair can usually get the seller between $ 300 and $ 900, and if your hair is particularly long, pretty, or otherwise desirable you can get considerably more for it. Generally, the key factor is the length of your hair, as longer hair is worth more. Hair with vivid color, or healthy and untreated tends to be more valuable. You can find any number of businesses online that will buy your hair right away and the process is fairly simple and direct.

When Will This Credit Crisis Ease?

They talk about the green shoots of recovery; well I have not seen any, have you? I personally think that it is a form of increase confidence trick; an attempt to make people believe that the worst of this current recession is over.

They, and when I say they I am talking about the Government and business leaders, are no doubt hoping that this new confidence (false as it undoubtedly is) will spur people on to start spending money again; to start buying houses etc. Until these so called “leaders” realise that this crisis will only start to ease when the banks and building societies start to lend money again, the better. Already we hear stories of the bankers going back to their bonus culture, will they never learn? The bigger question is why are the Government allowing them to make the same mistakes again when we, the taxpayer, are the major shareholder? What our great country needs is a strong hand at the top, a person who can be a “real leader”.

Now I am not some financial whizz kid who thinks he has all of the answers. I am in fact just an average working class guy from the UK who runs a web promotion company and who also has a partnership in a company that offers a professional DVD duplication service. I do however watch and listen in amazement at times when I see what some of the politicians and greedy bankers say – they really are not in the real world – they probably would have absolutely no idea as to the average cost of a pint of milk or loaf of broad – they are complete jokers and a waste of space.

I personally believe that this current credit crisis will last until the end of 2010, at least. I know that this seem rather negative but it is just my opinion on the situation. I may well revise my opinion if we were to change in Government or a new stronger, dynamic leader? Bring in Vince Cable I say as the new Labour leader!

Economic downturns aren’t ever much fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though none of us can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving techniques tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do some of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants across the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison websites like Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the product you’re considering. Google will reply with a message quoting the online prices. To compare prices at stores in your area, use ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hype and not the product itself, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-grown food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce. Prices are often lower there because the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You should have an easy time finding them since they’ve been popping up all over the place in the recent past.

 

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs at online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying less than half as much for the generic medications sold at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your vehicle is seven years old or older and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be approaching the value of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone costs under control. Today’s kids love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

 

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs as well.

 

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are often more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the electricity consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan a romantic picnic instead of going to an expensive restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive rendezvous. Add some color with a bottle of vino.

 

16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from places like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the paid versions.

 

17. If anyone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will reduce energy usage when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll cut your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. More economical options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and rec. center.

 

20. Lower your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you go out to eat, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order at the register and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid having to pay a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy used books. Major online book sellers offer a “buy it used” option, where you will often find books in like-new condition at substantial markdowns.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and uninvolved, because someone with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the cost of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with neighbors. Instead of paying a teenager to watch TV, send the kids to the neighbors’ place on your nights out and take their kids into your place for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). They use about 1/4 as much energy, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for approximately $1 each if you shop around.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

 

Economic downturns are never especially fun, but as Adam Smith noted over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though no one can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving ideas tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants all over the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison sites like Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best online deals.

 

3. When you’re at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the item you’re interested in. Google will reply with a text message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at local stores, go to ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s Club and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizeable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hype and not the product itself, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be found on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-raised food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meat. Prices there are usually lower since the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding them since they’ve been turning up all over the place in the recent past.

 

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying less than half as much for the generic pills available at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medications at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your car is seven or more years old and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the worth of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Kids today love to text message, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited texting.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are superb resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from locals, you can save on shipping costs too.

 

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are frequently more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the power consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to a pricey restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a cheap rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of vino.

 

16. Instead of spending money on software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of program, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

17. If anybody in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% off in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll reduce your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. Less expensive options may include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and recreation center.

 

20. Reduce your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you go out to eat, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order at the cash register and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid paying a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy pre-owned books. Major online book dealers offer a “buy it used” option, where you can often find books in like-new condition at substantial discounts.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and uninvolved, because someone with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers can be found in department stores for less than the price of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with other families. Instead of paying a teenager to surf the Net, send your children to the neighbors on your nights out and take their kids into your place for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs). They use about 1/4 as much energy, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for only about $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software such as Quicken or the free offerings from Rudder.com.

 

27. Exchange one-time-use items (such as books) with friends once you’re done with them. If you each have items you’ll never use again but that the other wants, you can save yourselves the cost of buying them new.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns aren’t ever especially fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although no one can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of sparing your wallet in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving ideas tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Web. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at merchants across the Net.

 

2. Use price-comparison sites like Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re out at a brick-and-mortar store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” followed by the name of the product you’re considering. Google will reply with a text quoting its online prices. To compare prices at stores near you, go to ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hype and not the products themselves, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-raised food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce. Prices are often lower there because the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You should have an easy time finding one since they’ve been popping up all over the place in the recent past.

 

9. Buy discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying considerably less than half as much for the generic pills stocked by these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medications at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your vehicle is seven or more years old and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the value of your vehicle anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Kids today love to text message, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messages.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs too.

 

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is usually more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the power usage of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan a romantic picnic instead of going to an expensive restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a low-cost rendezvous. Add some zest with a bottle of wine.

 

16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

17. If someone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% off in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re asleep and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll cut your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. More economical options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and recreation center.

 

20. Cut your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you go out to eat, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order up front and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid having to pay a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy pre-owned books. Major online book sellers offer a “buy it used” option, where you can often find books in like-new condition at substantial markdowns.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and simple, because someone with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the expense of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with neighbors. Instead of paying a teenager to do homework, send your kids to the neighbors’ place on your nights out and take their kids into your house for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). They use about 1/4 as much energy, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for about $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software such as Quicken or the free software from Rudder.com.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

Economic downturns are never much fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though none of us can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of saving your money in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving techniques tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping on the Web now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants across the Net.

 

2. Use price-comparison sites like Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s number) and enter the letter “f” followed by the name of the item you’re interested in. Google will reply with a text quoting the online prices. To compare prices at local stores, check out ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a large family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is often in the marketing hoopla and not the product, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your cash from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be found on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-sourced food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce and meat. Prices are usually lower there because the food doesn’t have to be transported very far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a difficult time finding one since they’ve been popping up all over the place recently.

 

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying considerably less than half as much for the generic pills carried by these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name pills at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your vehicle is seven years old or older and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the value of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Kids today love to text message, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messages.

 

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from used furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs too.

 

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is usually more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the electricity usage of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan a romantic picnic instead of going to a pricy restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a cheap rendezvous. Add some zest with a bottle of vino.

 

16. Instead of spending money on software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the paid versions.

 

17. If someone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in dozens of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll lower your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. Less expensive options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and recreation center.

 

20. Cut your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you eat out, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order up front and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid paying a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy pre-owned books. Major online book retailers offer a “buy it used” option, where you can often find books in like-new condition at substantial discounts.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and uninvolved, because someone with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the expense of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with neighbors. Instead of paying a teenager to watch TV, send your kids to the neighbors’ place on your nights out and take their kids into your house for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs). They use about 1/4 as much electricity, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for only about $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software such as Quicken or the free software from Rudder.com.

 

27. Swap one-time-use items (such as books) with friends once you’re finished using them. If you each have items you’ll never use again but that the other wants, you can save yourselves the expense of buying them new.

 

28. Use public transportation or a bike to get to work, if possible.

 

 

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