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Issue Date: July 20, 2008
How to save on money on nearly everything
Smart! Smarter! Smartest!
Without leaving home (and wasting gas), use your computer to find coupons, discounts and the best deals.
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Our shopping expert, Walecia Konrad, uncovers not one, but three ways to be smart, smarter, smartest about things you purchase every day.
With soaring fuel prices and rampant inflation at the checkout counter, who isn't looking for ways to save money? These smart shopping strategies and insider tricks can help keep more bucks in your wallet.
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Gas
Smart: Avoid bogus gadgets -- vapor bleeders, fuel line magnets and other devices that claim to improve gas mileage. Environmental Protection Agency tests haven't found a device that really delivers. Instead, stick to important basics, such as keeping your car well-maintained.
Smarter: Get a rebate. The Discover Open Road card offers a 5% rebate on gas and car maintenance purchases up to $1,200 annually. And lots of hotels are offering gas deals to keep tourists coming. Go to BedandBreakfast.com for a list of B&Bs that have deals, like Prufrock's in Carpinteria, Calif., which will give guests $50 or 10% of their gas bill, whichever is greater. Online travel agency BookIt.com offers half-price gas cards and flight credits up to $200 on some packages. Join Choice Hotels' Choice Privileges program and, after three stays, you can receive a $50 gas card.
Smartest: Find the best prices before leaving home, and/or consider sharing the ride. To price-shop, go to GasBuddy.com and plug in your commuting or trip route. Then look for gas stations with the lowest prices. (Focus on those that have been updated in the past 24 hours.) On a recent trek, my family filled up at a GasBuddy recommendation in New Bedford, Mass., for as much as 40 cents a gallon less than nearby pumps charged. To share the ride, whether you're road-tripping or commuting, check Carpoolworld.com and eRideShare.com to connect with eager passengers or drivers.
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Groceries
Smart: Buy local when you can, as the high cost of transporting food long distances is one culprit behind rising prices. Fortunately, summer is prime time to find delicious, locally raised foods at the best prices at farmers' markets. Also, check food co-ops, which often offer hefty discounts to their members.
Smarter: Get coupons in your newspaper on weekends and in your paper's weekday food section, or check online. Dozens of websites let you electronically "clip" manufacturers' discounts. Our favorite: CouponMom.com, which not only has tons of grocery coupons but also offers restaurant discounts, great advice and lots of Internet freebies. Coupons.com is also easy to use and has a good selection. If you're a Kroger shopper, go to Kroger.com and click on "P&G eSaver." Choose your coupons and type in your Kroger shopper's card number to download them directly onto your card. When the cashier scans it at checkout, the coupons will be applied to your total.
Smartest: Use GroceryGuide.com to compare prices at local stores without wasting gas driving around. Check the cost of whole chickens or Cheerios, or look up weekly specials. And sign up for sale alerts from your favorite grocers.
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Clothes
Smart: Time retail purchases right. You'll find the best prices Thursday evenings, six to eight weeks after an item arrives in stores, says Kathryn Finney, author of "How to Be a Budget Fashionista." "By then, retailers are expecting the next shipment and want to move the old stuff," she says. And check newspapers for sales and coupons from big retailers such as Macy's.
Smarter: Negotiate a deal. Did you know that electronics and appliance stores aren't the only places you can haggle? Clothing retailers often are willing to make a deal, especially if you've found the same item for less at a competitor's, you are a regular customer or you're buying a lot at once, says Jeff Yeager, author of "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches." Ask whether they will give you a sale price or 50% off the second item you purchase.
Smartest: Shop used and discounted. Check out TheThriftShopper.com for a list of thrift stores near you. Browse often for things you and your family really need. Call to ask when they get their deliveries, and shop on those days before the best stuff gets snapped up. And bring a tape measure. There's usually no dressing room, and sizes on vintage clothes are different from today's styles. For more upscale wares, go to ConsignmentShops.com to find stores that sell fancier used clothes. This is a great way to get an affordable tux, smart suit, cocktail dress, or even a fur, shoes and bags. And sell your nicer gently worn things through the same shops to put more money in your pocket. Finally, don't forget about deals at outlet malls. You can search 275 outlet centers and 12,800 factory stores by location, store name, category and brand name at Outletbound.com.
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Haircuts and more
Smart: Hunt for grooming coupons. Type in your salon's name (or a national chain like Hair Cuttery) and the word "coupon" in a search engine and see what shows up. More are offering discounts on haircuts, manicures, waxing and other services to bring in business -- I found a 20% off deal through DailyCandy.com at the new Salon Cielo in Bethesda, Md. And get on your salon's mailing list so you don't miss upcoming promotions. But don't buy beauty products at the salon. Instead, note the products you like, then look for a local beauty supply warehouse, or go to one of the discount beauty product sites such as SalonSavings.com, where I found Sexy Hair hair cream for 40% off ($8.39, instead of $13.99 in salons).
Smarter: Support your local beauty school. Some offer cuts for as low as $5, as well as manicures, facials and other beauty services. If you're not willing to brave it yourself, this still could be a great alternative for a kid's trim. Go to beautyschoolsdirectory.com to find a local school.
Smartest: Visit a day spa on the cheap. Local hotels with spa facilities may let you visit for the entire day when you sign up for just one treatment. At the St. Regis in Manhattan, for instance, show up early for your $165 massage and use the extensive fitness facility. Afterward, have a steam and lounge in luxury. At the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler, Ariz., non-guests can use the spa's pools, Jacuzzis and steam rooms for the day for just $35.
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Travel
Smart: Be your own travel agent. First, when booking airfare, always check directly on individual airline sites. More carriers are offering exclusive deals than ever before to avoid paying commissions to travel sites or agents. Sign up for airline e-newsletters, which offer specials you won't find elsewhere. Next, check big travel sites like Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com and Kayak.com in case they're listing a lower fare. (Sign up for their fare alerts for flights out of your local airport.) For the latest airfare news, go to Airfarewatchdog.com and FareCompare.com. And remember, Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive days for domestic travel.
Smarter: Never pay full price for a room. Check out RoomSaver.com for steep discounts on motels and hotels along your route. (Or, if you're already on the road, pick up the RoomSaver booklet at many rest stops or visitors' centers.) One recent weeknight, the Best Western in Seekonk, Mass., just outside of Providence, quoted $113 for a double on the phone. The same room was only $69 with a RoomSaver coupon. For fancier resort-style lodging, check out SaveOnResorts.com.
Smartest: Think out of the box. Hostels aren't just college flophouses anymore. If you're traveling to a big city in the USA or abroad, many hostels offer delightful residential accommodations that cater to adults and families -- at college-budget prices. Check out Hostelworld.com.
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Dining out
Smart: Sign up for deals. First, check out your local entertainment books. For a small fee, usually $25 to $45, you'll get dozens of coupons for local restaurants (and other entertainment options). Go to Entertainment.com to find the link to your neighborhood entertainment book. Also, check out Restaurant.com for discounted restaurant gift certificates. CouponMom.com members (see "Groceries") can get a 40% discount on Restaurant.com. For example, a gift certificate worth $25 goes for $10 on Restaurant.com, but it's only $6 with the discount. And join the e-mail lists of national chains like Houlihan's and T.G.I. Friday's to learn about special promotions, including free meals.
Smarter: Browse the menu before you go to make sure prices are in line with your budget. Websites such as OpenTable.com and MenuPages.com post the menus for thousands of restaurants around the world. At OpenTable.com, you also can book reservations and earn points.
Smartest: The lunch menu is almost always less expensive than the dinner menu. And go for the fixed-price specials, says Tanya Steel, editor in chief of the food site Epicurious.com. "There are usually two or three courses and several choices for each course, and they're often a great value," she says. Steel is also a big fan of chefs' specials, typically the best deal on the menu.
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Entertainment
Smart: Ask local theater box offices whether they offer special deals or preview discounts. Some, like Texas' Midland Community Theatre, have a "pay as you can" day, with prices as low as a buck. The Des Moines Playhouse discounts unsold day-of-show tickets. Looking for concert tickets? Join your favorite band's fan club to catch wind of possible discounts.
Smarter: Many chain cinemas, such as AMC and Regal, show kid-friendly movies once a week for free or cheap during the summer. Also, check out discount ticket packets of 50 tickets (they don't expire) from almost all major theater chains. The price works out to $6 a pop vs. the average $9 to $10 an adult would pay for an evening showing. For movie rentals, look for freestanding DVD kiosks. Redbox, for example, which is found in select McDonald's restaurants, Walgreens and many grocery stores, offers overnight rental on new releases for $1. Rather play video games? GameFly (GameFly.com) is a video game rental site that works like Netflix. The cheapest plan, for one game at a time, costs $8.95 for the first month and $15.95 a month thereafter. You can keep the game as long as you want or rent as many others as you'd like during the month. For big gamers, the fee easily may come out to less than the typical $7.99 per game for five days at Blockbuster or another rental chain. Plus, there are no late fees.
Smartest: Be a tourist in your own town. Plenty of grocery stores and superstores offer special deals to area attractions. For example, Discount Drug Mart, an Ohio chain, sells marked-down passes to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, while Jewel-Osco grocery stores in Illinois offer a 25% savings for Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. And pull out those key-chain savings cards at the local amusement park or zoo. Often, just flashing your grocery or warehouse "membership card" will save you money. Winn-Dixie shoppers get $2 off admission at Florida's Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, for example. Plus, check your local entertainment book (see the "Dining out" section) for coupons to area attractions.
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Garden and lawn care
Smart: Don't hesitate to go for garden center leftovers. Annuals and perennials are likely root-bound by now, leaving you free to negotiate a lower price. Many plants can be given a makeover with this quick fix from Craig Cramer of Cornell University's horticulture department: Turn the root ball upside down and use a knife to cut an X halfway up into the soil. Spread the four flaps and plant in well-prepared soil or potting mix. Then cut off the flowers and cut back the stems by about one-third to encourage the plant to take root faster. Water frequently.
Smarter: Save on gardening and lawn-care supplies at sites such as GardenBargainsOnline.com, a clearinghouse for coupons, discounts, free shipping and other special offers at nursery and garden product companies. A $27.99 neoprene garden tote, for example, was recently on sale for $19.99. Gardeners.com also offers good prices on overstock items. Be sure to check often for the best deals.
Smartest: Consider low- or no-cost alternatives. Instead of expensive landscaping cloth, black plastic or mulch, use sheets of old newspaper covered with a layer of soil to prevent weeds. And reuse packing peanuts in raised beds and containers instead of buying expensive, heavy crushed stone, says b gardening expert David Beaulieu.
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Furniture
Smart: Use free room planners available on manufacturer websites, such as Jordans.com and Bassettfurniture.com, to map out a professional-looking floor plan and avoid costly mistakes, like buying a dining set that's too big for your room.
Smarter: Avoid shipping charges -- especially the high fees for big, heavy furniture. After you've browsed the local showrooms and you're ready to buy, do a price check on the Internet. You'll often find the same item for less. Stick to sites such as Highbrowfurniture.com and Furniture-Zoo.com, which offer free shipping, and, in turn, don't eat up savings. If you find a better deal on a coveted sofa, print out the offer, take it to your local retailer and negotiate.
Smartest: Buy direct from the manufacturer. Take a virtual tour of High Point, N.C., the U.S. furniture-making capital, at HighPointChamber.org. Click on "Furniture," then "Furniture Shopping" to link to 65 retailers. If you can swing an in-person visit, even better. Most makers have their own factories and showrooms that offer wholesale prices. What's more, outlets near High Point sell items 50% to 80% below retail.
MoneySmart columnist Walecia Konrad is an award-winning consumer reporter.
MacKenzie Cotters and Danielle Taylor also contributed to this report.
Cover photo illustration by C.J. Burton for USA WEEKEND
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