The Save Money Blog

Archive for April, 2009

I wasn't aware of this until recently but your hot water bill can account at least 15% of your home heating bill. This of course can different depending on what type of hot water heater you have, how old it is and what type of heating you have. Electric hot water heaters being the most costly. It's hard to say because of those factors how much you can save by adding a hot water blanket but obviously for a minimal investment it will save you money.

We have an electric hot water heater so in to save a bit of money I picked up and installed a hot water blanket this weekend. It's cost about $20 from my local hardware store and took less than 15 minutes to install. Here is a picture I took with my cell phone after it was all wrapped up.

If you hot water heater is warm to the touch then you can benefit from adding a hot water blanket. Another great tip is to also add foam insulation around the hot water pipes leading away from your tank. You can pick these up from your local hardware store as well. Just make sure that when you are putting your blanket on that cut away from the blanket where your electricl source comes in. I found this guide on Installing an Insulation Blanket on an Electric Storage Water Heater.

Saving money isn't something that is going to happen to your overnight. It's a long process that is going to take you some time. People are so hungry to save money it's like they need to take some appetite suppressants to slow down. You have to start making small changes to your way of life or small changes in your spending habits which will begin to save you money over time. For example, make a change by replacing your lightbulbs with new energy efficient light bulbs. You aren't going to save money right that day or over the weekend but you will in the long run. If you start buying some no name grocery items you will save a bit here and there, not enough to buy a townhouse in Italy in a month but over the course of a year you will have saved some nice money. It takes time, start doing what you can to save money now and it will pay off later on down the road.

We were off doing a bit of shopping over the weekend for a few home related items. I could use a lawnmower but will probably just get my old one fixed up. It needs a bit of work but there is no sense in spending a few hundred bucks when I get through a season for $40 in repairs.

When we were out at a few of the box stores I noticed that many of them still  had their outdoor goods on sale for the spring. One store in particular had things like outdoor furniture, outdoor cushions, tables, chairs and even power tools. I can't imagine that those sales will last too much longer. By early to mid May everything will be back to full price. If you are thinking about picking some swag for the backyard at a good price, times ticking.

A friend at work is planning an Alaskan cruise this fall. Not a cheap adventure so he wants to make sure that he does it right. Planning out a vacation as large as this takes alot of homework on your behalf because it's a big expense and there are so many different cruises to choose from. Remember, with vacations you get what you pay for. So that last thing you want to do is cheap out but your also don't want to overpay for what you are getting either.

Ask friends or family if they are if they know anybody that has been on a simliar trip and what their experiece was like and who did they travel with. Do much comparitive shopping online, through newspapers and by calling travel agencies. You have a computer so make a spreadsheet with the various points that are interesting to you so can compare what each cruise is offering and match it against price. Get as much information as you can and make an informed decision.

I have an occasion coming up where jewelry would be the perfect gift so I have started to shop around to compare prices through many different sources. I was thinking of a heart pendant necklace. It's something I don't buy often so of course I know nothing of prices and quality. The biggest mistake I could make would be to rush out and buy the first thing I see. I don't know why people do this. Maybe because they like the first thing they see so they have to have it right then and there.

Personally I like to shop around so I get the best price, best quality for my dollar and hopefully a product that the person or company will stand behind. Don't jump at the first thing you see. Do some comparitive shopping and research. It just took me 4 weeks to buy a new golf club but only after doing lots of reading, price comparison and finally finding a local business that stands behind the product and threw in a freebie or two.

Last week we went out for an early game of golf. It's not our normal course but one that opens early every year and they have indoor golf on all winter that we take in a few times. They kind of know who we are in the proshop. We struck up a conversation with one of the guys working in the proshop and he gave us a bunch of gift card type coupons for our next round of golf there. We will use it in the fall because they stay open later than everyone too and we will save some money on our greens fees.

He gave us the cards because he wants us to frequent his place more often. This got me to thinking. If you go to a similiar type of place like an indoor golf range, mini putt or golf course why not ask if find yourself in a converstaion with an employee. Tell them you would like to bring some friends out and wondered if they have any coupons or cards. You be suprised how many places have them.

I have blogged alot about how coupons can save you money. They are no brainers. Retailers are desperate to get you to buy their products and will do anything to get your spending dollar. People I know still don't seem to get that coupons are free money. Let's say you are shopping for something like groceries, medications like Lipovox or electronics and I told you that you could save $10. You would do it right? Then start clipping coupons.

You have to search for coupons in the right places. Your daily paid and free newspapers will load one or two editions a week with ads. Start to leaf through them, clip the coupons that interest you and do some comparitive shopping to make sure you are getting the best deals. The free papers as well will always have lots of ads on their pages for local retailers. Watch for door crashers or special sales events for even more savings.

Search online for coupons that either you can use online or print off and take to the store with you. This works best for big chain stores like Best Buy or Future Shop. Searching online is always good too because sometimes they will have "Web Only" coupons combined with free shipping. These make it cheaper than driving to the store to get it.

I was recently reading an article about how to save money these days when shopping. Of course they went over the usual things like clipping coupons but there was a spin that reminded me of when I was out shopping recently.

Most people working in retail are not getting rich of working there and really could care less at what price you are getting the item for. Really. I was hooked on framing some autographed pictures awhile back and went to the same store that had a sale on frames pretty much everytime I was there. The one time I was there they didn't.

So I asked when the next sale was coming up. The clerk told me next week and that I could hold onto my receipt and bring it in for the difference next week. Which I did and saved about $20.

It never hurts to ask when you are in a store if there are any upcoming sales coming up and if so will they honour the price if you buy it today. Why pay full price when you don't have to. Especially these days, it seems there is a sale or deal of the day on almost everyday. It doesn't matter if you are making a large or small purchase, savings are savings. So ask next time before you buy.

I have a friend that was facing some pretty substantial debt problems recently. He came into some money and I was offering some advice on what he should do to get rid of his debt and he was in denial about how serious his problem was. If you went in for tests and a professional told you that you were diagnosed with a cancer like mesothelioma would you not take that seriously? Now I am not saying I am a professional but I do enough to tell when somebody is in financial trouble. After constant nagging from me my friend assured me he took steps to get rid of his debt.

I think one of the biggest steps you can take to getting out of debt is getting past the denial of your current situation. You can't get help until you realize yourself that you need it. If you read through this blog you will find many tips on how to save money and help you with your personal finances. None of them mean anything until you come to gripe with the fact that you need help.

One of your biggest expenses over your life time is probably going to be medical expenses. You might not think that now but flash ahead to your twilight years and do some math on the cost of medications. You can take some practical steps to cutting down your medical costs over your lifetime.

Prevention is always better than any cure. If you are more active and leading a healthy lifestyle you are obvously going to be spending less money on medical expenses. It's as simple as that.

Taking generic drugs is most certainly the best way to go. If you are searching online for something like diet pills you would look for the best price right? So why not with your medications. Generic drugs are cheaper and just as good as the originals. According to the Association of Chain Drug Stores, the generic drugs are priced at $24 on the average in 2004, while the average price of the branded ones is $96 dollars.

Always discuss your health with your doctor. I find that many doctors are just too busy to talk to you when you see them. It's in, here's your drugs and out. That's their tough luck. You are there so talk to them, ask them questions and get your answers. Also don't be afraid to ask for generic versions of drugs or cheap alternatives to recovery or methods. It's your money.

Saving money doesn't have to be a monumental task. You can easily save some money each month by following these five simple suggestions.

Reduce or eliminate magazines.  If you are a typical American family, your mailbox gets its regular fill of magazines: business, sports, home and garden magazines.  Can you imagine how much each of these subscriptions cost?  My wife subscribes to a Gossip magazine and it's over $100 for x number of issues. We are cancelling and she can read about Brangelina's sad and depraved life online. You can always find a replacement online and save some money.

Buy in bulk.  How can warehouse and discount clubs drastically lower their prices?  Because they buy and sell in bulk.  Consumables that are non-perishable can be purchased 10-15% cheaper when bought in bulk.  Be sure to stock up only on fast-moving items such as kitchen towels, cleaners, canned goods, etc., to avoid wasting money on rancid food.

Eat at home.  Eating out has become an American lifestyle.  What used to be an activity to celebrate special occasions has become part of the daily, fast-paced life.  But did you know that eating out could chomp as much as 40% of your budget for food?  That’s as much as $40 weekly, saved just by eating in! 

Plan your meals.  Eating out 4X a week need not be your solution to a dynamic lifestyle.  Menu planning is! Take time on weekends to plan for the following week’s meals.  Every night, before you hit the sack, take out the ingredients for the meals of the next day from the freezer, and store them in the refrigerator.  By the time you get home from work, everything is thawed and ready to be cooked.  And because eating out is part of the American way of life, you would have saved enough money to spend for dining out on special occasions!

Homemade skin care.  Is your dermatologist eating up your budget? Don’t you wish you can be beautiful and save money at the same time? The answer is yes, you can!  By using ingredients from your pantry, you can take care of your skin and still save a fortune.  Try the following:

- Honey and oatmeal can exfoliate dry skin.

- Ginger seeped in a bath softens your skin.

- Cucumber and milk softens tired skin.

Without drastically changing your lifestyle, you have started your path on saving money.  Secure your future by using these money saving ideas, today!