Mail-In rebates are evil, AVOID THEM!

If I had a choice between an instant $5 off on a product or a mail-in rebate of $20 off on a product I would pick the first one.

Mail-In rebates are a scam in my opinion. First you have to mail in the rebate, UPC, and any other junk, then you have to wait 6-2,343 weeks just to get the thing! And you only have a limited time to do it before it expires! Plus you have to pay for the stamp just to mail the stupid thing! Just give me the instant rebate anyday, I don't care how small it is compared to the mail-in.

An article on MSN puts it best:

"Rebates can often take months to be paid out, and some you might not get back at all. Some manufacturers and rebate-fulfillment houses have a bad track record of paying rebates. Government watchdog agencies are trying to crack down in this area, but there is still some risk involved in buying and expecting to get money back later."

Be a smarter shopper

This video clips tells you tricks that retail uses to get you to spend more.

Cut It Out: Things you should cut out to save some money

I got this from Yahoo Financial

I'm particularly guilty of #1 and #4

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When it comes to cutting costs, consumers always look at the big stuff. Postponing that vacation. Keeping your car a few more years. Nixing the addition on the house.

But it's often the little things that can make an even bigger difference. For instance, Joseph Montanaro, a certified financial planner for USAA Financial Planning Services, says he saved $130 a month just by kicking his daily Dr Pepper habit. That's a savings of $1,560 over a year.

We calculated the savings you might see from making various adjustments over a period of one year, from carpooling to work, to drinking a cheaper cup of coffee, to taking a quicker shower. If you do all the things we suggest here, you could save at least $5,000 over a year's time. That's real money.

So, what lifestyle change can save you the most cash? Read on.

How much can you save over one year if you...

1) Cut your daily shower to 10 minutes from 15 minutes?

$102. A 10-minute shower uses about 25 gallon of water (that's assuming the showerhead emits 2.5 gallons of water a minute). That means a total water and energy cost of 57 cents a day, or about $208 a year, according to Seattle City Light's Conservation Resources Division.

By contrast, a 15-minute shower consumes 37.5 gallons of water with a total energy and water cost of 85 cents. Over a year, that 15-minute shower costs you slightly more than $310. So get out of the shower faster to save some money.

2) Reduce your home's water heater setting to 120 degrees from 140 degrees?

$125. That's if you use an electric water heater. The annual savings would be somewhat less -- $75 -- if you have a gas water heater, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's EnergyStar program.

3) Brew your own cup of coffee instead of picking up a latte at Starbucks?

$912. A tall latte at the local Starbucks will run you about $3 a cup, or $1,095 a year, if you go there every day. If you brew your own at home for 50 cents or less per cup, you'll pay nearly $183.

4) Prepare your own lunch rather than buying out?

$1,460 to $3,650. If you make lunch from last night's leftovers, you can avoid spending an extra $4 to $10 a day, says Dwight Raiford, a senior financial planner with MetLife.

5) Hit the water cooler at work instead of buying bottled water?

$260 to $390. If you can avoid paying for the bottled stuff (at $1 to $1.50 a bottle), you can save at least $5 to $7.50 for each five-day work week. Yet one more reason to gossip around the water cooler.

6) Carpool or work from home one day a week instead of driving into the office each day?

$423. Let's assume a gas price of about $4.07 a gallon (We know. It's much higher in a lot of places and it's not going to stay at $4.07 a gallon.) Let's also figure on a daily round-trip commute of 30 miles and that a full-size car or SUV can get about 15 city miles to the gallon. An employee who logs on from home or catches a ride with a co-worker a minimum of once a week can avoid spending at least $8.14 at the pump a week.

7) Cut your lawn yourself instead of hiring a lawn service?

$1,040 to $4,680. You can trim costs substantially by cutting your lawn yourself. Lawn services generally charge $20 to $40 for a weekly cutting for an average lawn, and as much as $90 if you throw in leaf blowing and hedging, etc. But you'll have to subtract what it costs to fuel your mower. Obviously, you'll have to use a manual mower to get the most savings.

8) Polish your nails at home instead of getting a weekly manicure?

$520 to $1,040. Skip the salon and buff your nails yourself, and you'll pocket $10 to $20 a week.

9) Order a film from a movie-rental service instead of going to the nearest multiplex?

$36. This assumes that a movie ticket is about $7 these days (yes, such places exist. It can be more like $10 or up in many places). It also assumes that you go to the movies once a month, and that DVD services like Netflix.com, Blockbuster.com and Intelliflix.com offer plans for as low as $3.99 a month.

More benefits: The flat monthly DVD service fee often includes more than one rental a month, and the popcorn you pop may be cheaper and healthier than the stuff at the local theater. And we won't even begin to discuss the cost of a baby-sitter.

10) Use compact fluorescent bulbs in your lamps and light fixtures instead of the old incandescent type?

$120. If you replace just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent one, you'll save $6 in electricity costs over a year, according to the EnergyStar program. If you've got 20 bulbs in your house, those savings will start to look even brighter.

Put Savings First

This is a must read for people who are trying to budget their money

http://finance.yahoo.com/how-to-guide/banking-budgeting/12832

Things to do to lower your gas price

I got this from a website:

Everyone’s feeling the pinch of high gas prices, but there are a few things you can do to slightly ease the pain:

• Stay on track. Map out an efficient route to combine your shopping assignments with errands to minimize driving. Saving 8 miles per day in a car that gets 20 miles per gallon can save you $600 per year!
• Watch the clock. Leave early enough to reach your destination on time without driving aggressively. Driving over the speed limit and “jackrabbit” starts and stops use more gas.
• Downsize. If you have more than one vehicle, drive the smaller one whenever you can.
• Put your car on a diet. Remove anything unnecessary that adds excess weight to your car (get the junk out of the trunk and take off the luggage carrier when you’re not using it). An extra 100 pounds can reduce fuel economy by 2%. A loaded roof rack can reduce it by 5%!

For more ideas, visit these government web sites:
www.fueleconomy.gov
www.ftc.gov

A great way to save money, your neighbor!

It seems nowadays people, especially here in DC, don't talk to their neighbors. That's really a bad thing because your neighbor can be a great way to save money.

Now some of you are saying "what do you mean?" What I mean is this: There are some things you should buy with a neighbor rather than by yourself. Lawnmowers, weed wackers, and other expensive outdoor tools and equipments should be bought with a neighbor. One reason is that unless you're running a landscape business it's not used more often than once a week.

Another benefit that cooperating with a neighbor can provide is buying bulk food. You and your neighbor or neighbors can go to places like Costco or Sam's Club and purchase those bulk item which then you can divide them up.

With a neighbor you can buy stuff cheaper, help reduce consumption, and put more use into the products you buy.

Not only does this help you build your liquid assets but it also builds something else: trust. There are many times when you're going to need help from your fellow neighbor and visa-versa. After all no man is an island.

Power to the Zip Lock bag!

The Zip Lock bag is a great invention. It can hold almost anything that isn't liquid, and it can hold liquids as well but you might see a few leaks coming out. It was made to be used one time however if it's a good quality one you can use it many times.

Of course the obvious reason this is better because you can save money on reusing the bags, but another good reason is because it reduces waste which is also good for the environment. All you have to do is wash out the bag, dry it off and use it again. Don't buy the cheap knockoffs because they won't last long get some good quality ones.