How I Save Money.net

Time To Review Your CDs

LuluGal — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:35:35 +0000

It is time again to review your CDs and I don’t mean those musical discs you keep all your music on. I am talking about your certificates of deposit where you keep the money that you do not have an immediate need for.

I like to review my CDs every few months to make a note of when they will be maturing. When a CD matures you have the option of cashing it out if you think you will need the money, or if the interest rate is not worth it any more.

You may also choose to renew your CD if you do not need to use the money in the near future, or if you will be getting a better interest rate by renewing. Ally bank (which I use for my CDs) gives you a bonus percentage amount on top of the rate you were already getting when you choose to renew a CD instead of cashing it out.

Take a few minutes and look over your current financial situation with regards to your CDs so that you can be well informed before the maturity date. Having all your details ready when it is time to make a decision.

Save Money On Interest Payments With A Balance Transfer

LuluGal — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:45:03 +0000

This is part 1 of 3 in a series where I expand on the post where I said you can save money by reducing your interest rate. I used to have a lot of high interest credit card debt and at one point I felt like I would never be able to get out from under the mountain of debt that I had gotten myself into.

I realized that I had to find different ways to save money and one of the ways to do this was to reduce the amount of interest that I paid on the debt I owed. I knew I was not able to completely rid myself of the debt because I did not have money to pay off the entire balance so the next best thing was to manage the debt that I did have, until I could pay it off.

One of the methods I used to reduce the interest payments was to do a balance transfer. I simply moved the balance from the high interest card to a lower interest card and ended up reducing my interest payments significantly with just a few clicks.

Of course there are a few things to look out for when you are doing a balance transfer. These include but are not limited to:

Transfer fees
Interest rate
Promotional period

Transfer fees are the fees that you may be charged in order to have the privilege of transferring your debt from one card to another. Ideally you will want to do a balance transfer when there is no transfer fee at all, but lately those opportunities are getting more and more scarce.

If you do have to pay a transfer fee it is a good idea to calculate which of the options may be the best for you. Most transfer fees are either a set amount or a percentage of the amount that you want to transfer. It is wise to take the time to calculate the total cost of each option in order to select the one that will make the most financial sense in your situation.

Interest rate is the new rate that you are being given on the new card. In order for your balance transfer to be successful you need to have a new rate that is significantly lower than your original rate. Having a much lower rate will make the reduction in interest really visible and you will also feel much better about the amount of money that you will be saving every month.

Promotional period is the time frame that the balance transfer will last and the associated terms that go along with that time frame. The terms of the promotional period may vary from card to card, and may even be different on the same card with each balance transfer.

You may get a transfer where it allows you to pay 0% interest for six months and then the interest rate goes up after that. You may also get a transfer situation where it allows you to pay 3% interest for the life of the balance or any sort of combination of rates and months. It is wise to pay close attention to the details in your promotional period because in some cases the interest rate jumps to level that is even higher than the original rate that you were trying to lower.

This is just ONE of the ways that you can save money on interest payments until you can finally get rid of the debt. I have used this method in the past with a bit of success but that was at a time when there were more 0% offers for the life of the balance.

The idea balance transfer scenario would be one where there were NO transfer fees and you got 0% interest for the life of the balance…but good luck finding that now.

A Few Trading Account Options

LuluGal — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:43:50 +0000

The stock market is a crazy place and it can be really scary especially when you see things like Chase announcing a $2 Billion loss happening right before your eyes. Of course people can still make money when the price of a certain stock goes down or they can protect their money by moving it out of that affected stock as well.

If you are looking for a trading platform for your stocks, options and ETFs a good way to save money is to look for one that has low fees.

There are a number of places you can choose from but each one has a different set of requirements, ranging from the minimum to open the account to the cost per trade.

Here are a few options that you can check out when you are looking for a place to trade on the stock market. I personally use Sharebuilder because for someone like me with limited knowledge and a very limited cash base the choices are simple.

I also liked Sharebuilder because it allows you to buy partial shares of a stock so you can still own the stock even if you don’t have the money to buy a whole share at a time.

BROKERAGE
Open with $500, Trades cost $7.00

Open with $2,500, Trades cost $7.95

Open with $0, Trades cost $6.95

Open with $1,000,Trades cost $7.99

Open with $0, Trades cost $9.95

There are many other options out there when it comes to investing your money but do any of you have experience using any of the ones listed here? Any recommendations for really great places to trade?

It Is Time To Lighten Your Wallet

LuluGal — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:33:30 +0000

It is time to lighten your wallet….and I don’t mean swapping out the black wallet for a tan one!!! Too many people are carrying around TONS of stuff in their wallets on a daily basis.

Do you REALLY need to carry EVERY single credit and debit card that you own all day long. Do you really need to carry around your library card with you. You know the library card that you use maybe once a month because you have tons of books on your kindle that you have not gotten around to reading yet, so you don’t have time to stop at the library.

Do you have to carry around that giant wad of cash…..especially when you use your credit card for all purchases anyway. Keep a few bills in there for emergencies and get rid off all the rest.

And while we are on the topic of cash take a look at all of those coins. Unless you are visiting a wishing well soon there is no need to have all those coins adding bulk to your wallet. Take them out of the wallet and put them in a jar or something at home. When that jar is full then you can take it to coinstar or a bank and get them changed into something less bulky.

I say take a look at your wallet and see what you actually use on a daily basis and then remove everything else. If the wallet is not too stuffed then you can add in things that you use at least once a month.

You should also remove all those receipts from your wallet. Are you planning on returning an item soon? If not then the receipt does not belong in your wallet. File it away or scan it and get rid of it.

Lighten up your wallet and you will be doing yourself a big favor.

Save Money By Reducing Your Interest Rate

LuluGal — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:15:30 +0000

Some people think that the only way to save money is to actually put money away into an account of some kind. This can be a savings account at a bank or credit union, or a checking account or even a retirement account of some sort.

Other people think that you can only save money by getting a reduced price on something that they are going to purchase. This can be in the form of

rebates
coupon use
sale

and you see the immediate savings on what your bill would have been.

While those are excellent ways to save money, most people tend to overlook the fact that you can also save money by reducing the interest rate that you pay on any debt you already have. Yes you can save money on your DEBT!!!!!

In order to do this you need to get a reduction on the interest rate that you are paying and while you may not see the immediate results on a bill, you will see them in the long run.

Imagine you are paying 21% interest on a credit card and you are carrying a balance. The best thing to do would be to get rid of that balance as soon as possible but what if you are in a really bad situation and do not have the money to get rid of that balance right away. I know that this happens all the time and I was in that situation some time ago with my own credit cards.

If you can get the interest rate that you are paying down from 21% to 10% you will have reduced your interest payments by about half!!! That amounts to a significant reduction in the monthly payments which will really help your budget.

You not only pay less on a month to month basis but you end up paying less in interest and fees over the remainder of the life of your debt. So now that you know this how can you reduce your interest rate?

Balance transfer: This is where you transfer the balance from one high rate credit card over to a lower rate credit card.

Consolidation: This is where you consolidate your debt into a lower interest debt and this can be in the form of a Low Interest Loan such as those from Lending Club.

Rate Reduction: This is where you get a reduction on the current interest rate on your existing debt.

Those are three of the most common ways to reduce the interest rate on your debt and I will talk about each of those in more detail later. I have used all three of the methods above to reduce my interest rate and save money on my debt before I was able to entirely pay off that debt and there are pros and cons associated with each method.

Please note that the links to Lending Club in this post are affiliate links and I will get a referral bonus if you sign up for the system using my link. Of course you can always go directly to Lending Club and check it out without using my referral but I would really appreciate if you used my link.

Mother’s Day Is Right Around The Corner

LuluGal — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:29:02 +0000

So Mother’s day is quickly approaching and it is time once again to think of a special gift to show your appreciation on that day. While we should show love to our mothers every day this is an extra special time to show that you really care.

Take your mom for a walk….tell her you love her…cook her favorite meal.

Just do something special on that day for the extra special lady in your life!!!!!

Honeymoon Registries: Trashy Or Classy?

LuluGal — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:40:48 +0000

I was recently made aware of a trend in wedding registries called the Honeymoon registry. This is basically a cash registry and is used by the bride and groom to request cash gifts instead of physical items.

The idea behind the Honeymoon registry is that the couple can have all or part of their honeymoon funded by cash gifts in lieu of getting things like toasters and cutlery sets.

It allows the happy couple to save money on the cost associated with their honeymoon because the trip will be paid by cash donations from friends and family. Using a honeymoon registry also allows the couple the hassle of returning unwanted gifts that were bought by people who mistakenly bought things but did not update the wedding gift registry.

It lets friends and family know exactly what the couple is looking for and lets them know the preferred gift is cash and not household items.

The couple will set up the details of their honeymoon and customize the registry to show the breakdown of all the different parts. One example I saw listed the various items:

Visas
Hotel fees
Horseback riding
Airfare costs

and the items were broken down into manageable amounts for guests to contribute to. If the total airfare cost $1500 for example, it could be broken down into 30 slots at $50 each so that guests did not have to cough up the total on their own.

This is a good breakdown of the cost since the couple might have registered for a bedding set or some other item that might have cost $50 anyway!

The registry works the same way that a traditional registry works but it just allows for the couple to get cash instead of household items.

This is still a fairly new trend in weddings because a lot of people do not like giving cash and would prefer to give traditional gifts to the happy couple.

I recommend having a small traditional registry so that people have the choice of giving a gift or giving cash and everyone is satisfied.

Do you think that having a Honeymoon registry instead of a Wedding gift registry is trashy or classy?

ING Now Has Remote Deposit

LuluGal — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:15:13 +0000

I love my ING accounts and using them has just gotten even better. ING has now added a remote deposit function to the mobile app which means you can now deposit checks straight from your phone!!!!

In the past you had to mail your check to ING or deposit the money to another bank and then do a transfer. Having the new feature means that your money gets into your account with fewer steps so it is a really big step forward for ING.

Here are some of the features listed on the site for the updated app:

Check balances fast
Deposit checks with CheckMate
Bump money between phones
Schedule or pay bills on the fly
Find fee-free ATMs
Move money any time
Open Electric Orange checking

I am not sure if I will use the bump money feature but I am really excited about the remote deposit. I have not been able to try out the feature yet but I am sure it will be easy to figure out.

Have you used the ING remote deposit feature as yet? Tell us what you think!

Subscribe To My Feed (Reminder)

LuluGal — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:08:37 +0000

Hey money savers out there. It is once again time to remind you to subscribe to my feed if you like what you read here. And even if you are just visiting and do not find something that you like you should subscribe anyway so when something good comes out you don’t miss it.

You can just click on the little orange button in the upper right corner and have my posts delivered directly to your feed. That is the easiest way to keep up to date with what is happening here in terms of

-Ways to save money

-Tips to reduce debt

-How to manage your credit

-Guest posts

-Links to free items

and so much more.

Plus when you subscribe to the feed this means you have access to the site even if it is blocked at work. Reading the feed means you can quickly scroll through the posts as well to find something that interests you…so subscribe today!!!!!

Tweaking The Budget April 2012

LuluGal — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:59:58 +0000

I am once again tweaking my zero based budget as my financial situation requires. I have a few more changes happening in my life and I expect a few more to come up rapidly in the next few months. This means that I will need to make some big changes in the way I live and in the way that I manage my money.

I made a few small budget tweaks in December last year and now I have to make a few more. The main tweak is that I have had to reduce the total budget and especially focus on the discretionary areas. In my old budget I treated savings like an expense so that I could do things like fund my emergency fund and save up for my dream car.

I have now decided to reduce the amount I put in savings because I will need to rely more on the cash that I actually do have. I will not be saving anything for a little while so I have reduced that budgeted amount to zero and stopped all the transfers to my ING sub accounts for now.

Over the next few months I will be looking at reducing the total budget even more by either reducing categories or eliminating them completely until I get a bare minimum that I can survive on for the next few months.

Lending Club Update: April 2012

LuluGal — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:56:29 +0000

It is once again time to check in on my Lending Club loans and tell you how my investment is doing. I currently have a total of 83 loans and they are doing quite well.

I was originally a borrower at Lending Club and after a good experience I decided that I could lend money as well. I generally invest the minimum of $25 into each loan (with just a few exceptions) and I am now able to fund a new loan every month with the proceeds from loans that are being repaid.

Here is the breakdown of my loans at present:

1 in funding
51 current and active
24 fully paid
1 late 61-30 days
2 late 31-120 days
0 default
4 charged off

Once again I must say that I am very happy that I only have four loans that have gone totally bad so far and I am getting a good return on my investment.

If you have not already done so you still have time to sign up to be an investor or a borrower at the site and I would really appreciate if you would use one of my referral links. You can click on the referral link in this post or use any of the ones on the site and I will get a bonus and so will you!!!!

Of course you can always go straight to the site and sign up on your own if you are not comfortable using my referrals…in any case go over and check out the peer to peer lending world and make it easier for someone else to get out of debt.

Stressing The Importance Of The Emergency Fund Once More

LuluGal — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:58:05 +0000

Many personal finance bloggers will tell you over and over how important the emergency fund is. I have spoken about building my own Emergency Fund but never really took note of the importance until I really needed to use it.

I lost my job and having no income meant that I needed to find a way to live on a daily basis until I could find an income stream. I was told early on that you needed to have three months of living expenses saved up to count that as an emergency fund.

I decided to aim for at least six months of living expenses and I diligently saved, using my zero based budget to sock away that money every month.

I saved any salary increases, advertising money, gifts and even money that I found in order to build up my fund. It was easy for me to create a sub account in ING, which I labeled Emergency Fund, and then send all that extra money to the account.

It took me a while until I had the money but once I hit the three month target I kept going until I had four months. Then I kept going and eventually I had over six months of living expenses saved up in an interest bearing account.

I kept adding money, though not as aggressively up until the time that I lost my job and I actually had enough to live off for 7 months at the spending levels I was used to while employed.

I could stretch out that money even more by reducing my spending and it will last me about 12 months without me starving to death!!!

The thing to note is that if I had not saved that money and put it in an account that I was not touching under any circumstances then I would not have been able to survive as long as I did before my situation improved.

I cannot wait until I can rebuild my emergency fund and I hope that I never run into a situation where I will have to test how far it can actually stretch.

How is your emergency fund shaping up?

How To Save While Staying Healthy (Guest Post)

LuluGal — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:06:03 +0000

Getting in shape is all the rage these days…and you just have to watch the late night infomercials to see how much people are looking to spend on gym equipment in order to get in shape.

But rather than doing that, I want to show you how to lose weight without braking the bank. The tips and ideas I will give you are designed to slim your waistline while fattening your wallet.

Getting in shape involves two things…strength training to build muscle and proper cardio training to get your heart rate up for long enough to burn fat. I am going to show you how to do both from your living room.

Strength Training on a Budget

Dump the gym membership and Build Your Home Gym-It might sound expensive…real expensive…but there are a few simple tips that will allow you to save a boatload of money while not paying the gym dues.

First of all, rather than a large set of dumbbells, get a set of resistance bands. These are hollow rubber tubes that mimic the resistance offered by dumbbells. The great advantage of resistance bands is that they weigh just a few ounces, are easily transportable to your office or while you are on vacation and can easily be changed from one tube to another to vary the resistance per workout.

Resistance bands start around $30 and go up from there, but within about 60 days they will pay for themselves by not paying gym dues.

The only other piece of equipment you may want to consider is a chin-up bar. This is designed to attach to a door frame to allow you to do pull ups from home. I got mine for $30…so between this and the resistance bands I spent around $100 and get all the benefits of going to the gym.

Cardio on a Budget

When you think of cardiovascular exercises, you probably have this image of people walking endlessly on a treadmill. Well, no treadmill is necessary to get your heart rate up. Here are a few ideas to get your heart up sans treadmill…

Kickboxing-it certainly is a far more active workout than the treadmill…and you definitely will not get bored. The way I would recommend going about this is to go to your local library and get a DVD/Blu Ray of a few programs and try them out. If you see one you like then you can buy it on eBay or Amazon…but it will allow you to try out a few programs to see which is the best for you.
Yoga-quite possible the best overall workout you can do…yoga combines strength training, cardio vascular benefits and flexibility. I would recommend the same approach. Get the DVD/Blu Ray from the library and check them out.
Walking-how much does it cost you to take a power walk outside? Unless you are going to a state park it’s free. The key is to walk fast enough and long enough to make the exercise effective for you.

About The Author:

Tony Rovere regained his health, strength and vitality by losing 60 pounds and managing to keep it off for over 4 years.

This is why he shares his weight loss tips at health-and-weight-loss-tips.com, where he shares his passion for health and fitness with others so that they can accomplish the same goals that he has achieved.

Changes To The Blog

LuluGal — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:07:08 +0000

I am currently working with my tech guy to make some changes on the blog. I am in the process of picking a new theme and this will be implemented over the next few weeks.

Please bear with me as I make this change but I just feel that the blog needs a more customized and fresher look. I am not good with design elements so it is taking me a while to make a decision….and I hope you all like the new look once it goes live.

April Should Be A Better Month (Financially) For Me

LuluGal — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:02:37 +0000

I am looking at my financial state this month and I think that April will be the best month since I lost my job. This month I am not paying rent since I am staying with family.

Not having to pay rent is a BIG reduction in my monthly bills since rent/mortgage tends to be one of the largest parts of any budget. I will be able to save money since I do not have this expense and I will simply keep that payment in my interest bearing checking account from ING.

I still have a cell phone bill to pay but this is $45 a month so it is not too bad. I do not have to pay for internet because I am using the WiFi from my family. This really helps a lot because I now have access to high speed internet but do not need to pay anything.

I have offered to pay towards bills but was told to just contribute towards food so that I can save money. I therefore buy my own food (since I eat a bit differently from the rest of the folks in the house) and buy a few common food items like pasta and condiments. These are things that everyone uses so it makes me feel like I am doing my part to help and not just being a leech on the working members of the household.

Here are the things that I will NOT pay for during the month of April:

-Rent

-Electricity

-Gas

-Internet

Here are the things that I will REDUCE for the month of April:

-Food

-Shopping

-Cell phone

Other things will not be affected in my budget. I will not be paying a car payment (because I paid off my car loan….and then sold my car) but I will continue to transfer the monthly payment to my Car fund because I think I will be getting a new (second hand) car in a few months. It is not going to be the Lexus RX350 which is my DREAM CAR but it will be a Point-A-to-Point-B kind of car as I move on to the next phase of my life. Things are still in limbo right now so I don’t want to go into detail but I promise to give updates once everything is confirmed.

In any case the cash flow for this month should be significantly better than the last few months because of the reduction in expenses and this will give a little breathing room in my budget.

Happy Easter

LuluGal — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:03:22 +0000

I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter 2012, for those who celebrate this day. This marks the end of Lent and for me the end of my sacrifice of Red Meat and Juice. I know that this was not a big sacrifice compared to some of the sacrifices that others have made.

The important thing was that I stuck to it and was able to reflect on some of the parts of my life that I really need to work on. Anyway, happy Easter to everyone!

Remember To File Your Taxes

LuluGal — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:09:36 +0000

April 15th is RIGHT around the corner and that is the deadline to file your taxes. I already filed mine a long time ago but you still have a little bit of time to get yours done if you have not already sent all your stuff in.

I used Turbo Tax this year but I have used H&R block in the past and must say I had a good experience with both sets of software.

If you wait until the last minute because you know you have to pay then you only have about one more week to get it all done so go work on your taxes right now and get it over with so you can do more fun things….like preparing for your Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday.

It Is Important To Monitor Your Finances Even If You Automate Them

LuluGal — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:49:16 +0000

I recently had to open a checking account at a new bank and I told them I wanted the no frills option. This bank charges for EVERYTHING and the minimum charge was $4 a month.

One of the ways to avoid charges was to have a minimum balance in the account but the balances were very high (at least $1000) and since this was non interest bearing account it did not make financial sense (cents!!!!) for me to keep a large balance in this account.

There were a number of other things to choose from, including the option to go on a pay per transaction basis, which is what I chose. This would limit me to $1 per transaction for the month and since I will only be accessing that account to pay one credit card I would only get charged $1 per month.

I got the account opened and promptly put it out of my mind since I would not be needing it any time soon. I logged in to Mint a few days later and noticed that there had been a $2.50 charge to my account and the description read ‘Check fee’. I do NOT write checks, had not ordered a check book and had not even opened the slip with the PIN for the debit card so I immediately got annoyed by this charge.

I emailed the bank and was told that a Check Fee had been added ‘for my convenience’ so that I would get copies of checks that I had written when my statement came in.

In this age of electronic banking where I do not write checks and not only have online access to my account but also have it linked to Mint, why would I need copies of checks (for an account where I did not even order a check book)?

I told the rep that I did not request or need that ‘convenience’ and would like to have it removed. The fee was reversed soon after but it just showed me that I need to monitor my accounts even though I have things set up on auto pilot because the bank can choose to ‘help’ me and make things more ‘convenient’ for me any time they choose and charge me a fee to boot!!!!

5 Ways to Save on Auto Insurance (Guest Post)

LuluGal — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:42:30 +0000

Finding ways to save money is almost the norm in today’s society. Gone are the days of shopping without looking at the price tags. People are searching for ways to save on everything from the cost of commuting back and forth to work to school lunches. Saving when they buy auto insurance is right up there at the top of the list. Here are 5 ways to save on auto insurance that can work for anyone.

Check out the competition
Don’t ever settle for one insurance company over another just because your parents have that particular company. Today’s insurance market is overflowing with carriers who are doing whatever they can to get your business. Check out at least 5 or 6 different auto insurance providers to see who has the best rates.

Maintain a good driving record
Almost every insurance carrier will knock off some of the annual cost of coverage if you have a good driving record. This includes little driving infractions as well as those damaging huge ones. A parking ticket or failure to use your directional can result in a higher premium just as much as failure to stop at a red light or driving under the influence.

Increase that deductible
Sounds crazy, I know. The truth is that if you have a low deductible, your auto insurance premium will automatically be higher. Sure there’s a chance you’ll have to pay more out-of-pocket with a higher deductible, but over the long run you might actually save money.

The money you save on annual premiums will add up year after year. Your deductible will stay the same. If you go a long time without getting into an accident (And many people go their entire driving careers without one), and you add up the annual savings you get from that lower premium, you could very well make up the difference you’d pay for the higher deductible, and then some. It’s definitely something to consider.

Discover the discounts
Another way to save when you buy auto insurance is to ask what discounts a specific auto insurance carrier gives. You’d be surprised at how many discounts are available.…LoJack system installed in your vehicle? Discount. Have you taken a defensive driving course? Discount. Multiple policies with the same insurance company? Discount. You’ll never know what the discounts are if you don’t ask; so make sure you do.

Change the way you pay your premiums
Do you pay your auto insurance premium in installments? Does that cost you extra cash? Chances are it does. Many auto insurance providers will give consumers a discount in their annual auto insurance premium rates if they pay the entire premium off in one payment. Others have a three-tier plan in which there are three different ways to pay; each tier costs a different total amount.
In addition to these five ways to save on auto insurance you should also maintain a good credit score, and stick with the same provider. Both of these things will also help you to save on your annual auto insurance rates.

Computer Geek? Try These Money-Saving Tips! (Guest Post)

LuluGal — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:14:01 +0000

Saving money is the trend nowadays with the bleak financial conditions of a majority of individuals around the world. It doesn’t help that the technology industry always come up with computers, gaming consoles and entertainment systems that leave computer geeks drooling and wanting to upgrade.

I am a self-proclaimed computer geek and yet, with my love for and fixation on computers and technology, I can also be the most frugal consumer there is. Some computer geeks would not think twice on spending hard-earned cash to support their geeky lifestyles but it wouldn’t hurt to find ways to tighten the belt and look for potential ways to save, right?

If buying a new or upgrading to a higher version of electronic devices, there are some no-brainer ways to save money; they are as follows:

Read, Research, Review. I always find these 3 R’s of buying helpful not only in purchasing new computers or other electronic devices but also on most consumer goods, products and services. It is very important to go online and research about the product that you plan to buy. Search for reviews and real testimonials and read substantial information that you can find about the product. Also, it would help to review what you really wanted in your new “toy”. Do you need to purchase add-on specifications or would you be fine with the basics? It would also help if you are clear between your “wants” and your “needs”; most of the time, the former is more expensive than the latter.
Discounts, Coupons, Rebates and Promotions. Every dollar counts. Even if you have the money to spend, it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of promotions and discounts that some stores may offer. Do your homework and make a research, which stores offer the most affordable price? Check online stores as well, there might be promotional codes and coupons that you can use to save more dollars. Some stores match prices too, you might want to take advantage of that as well. It’s not really fussy, you might think it’s an overwhelming task in exchange for a few dollars but you can never tell how much you can save if you take advantage of sales and promotion offers.
Find Gems on Refurbished Items. Some stores offer refurbished electronic items that will allow you to save within the range of 5-25% off the original price. Not bad. Some buyers avoid refurbished items though thinking that these are used and damaged computers. This can be true and some are even computers that didn’t pass the brand’s quality control but there’s a reason why it is called “refurbished” because it is perfectly that – restored and repaired. It’s as good as new. One very important thing to consider when buying refurbished items though is the length and coverage of warranty. You may want to thoroughly check that area before buying refurbished electronic devices.
Upgrade if you Can. This one doesn’t apply to every electronic device but is very applicable to personal computers or PCs. If your old computer is upgradeable – meaning, you can add more memory (RAM) to it or upgrade to a higher processor or upgrade to more hard disk capacity, maybe upgrading is a much cheaper route than buying an entirely new PC. Also, if the reason why you wanted to replace your old computer is because you are having issues with speed and performance, then you might want to check on cheaper ways to solve the issue. There are numerous system tools like PC Speed Up, which will not cost you more than $50 but can definitely help you speed up your computer and upgrade its performance.

There are several ways to save money on electronics if one just keeps a focused mind on saving rather than spending. We are computer geeks (at least I think I am) but we don’t want to compromise our geeky standards just to be cheap as much as we don’t want to end up with an empty wallet and bank accounts because of our love for electronics.