7 Ways to Cut Your Budget: #1

This is the last installment of "7 Ways to Cut Your Budget". But don't worry, they'll be more money saving tips to come.

#1: Retail Me Not

I'm not sure how I found this site, but it has proved to be pretty awesome. It’s a great site to search for coupons when shopping online. You go onto Retail Me Not, enter the site you plan to shop from and then you'll receive a list of coupon codes. There are two lists: one for codes that work and others that have not been as successful. The coupon codes all have the percentage of reliability, meaning how likely the code is going to work.

A new feature that was recently added is the printable coupons. With this feature you enter in a store type or name and a zip code. You'll get a list of results to choose from. You click on one and a new page will pop up to print. When I tried it, I entered "pizza" and my zip area and got a list of smaller chain, mom & pop pizza places. So, don't expect name brand places. Check out this site for great deals next time you shop online.

I'll be living it up in Mexico for a week, so expect to see some image posts in the next week. :) Hopefully, it won't rain; I'll be pretty P.O.ed. if that happens.
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Now playing: Amerie - One Thing
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7 Ways to Cut Your Budget: #2

#2: Food preservation

I love making stir-fry and using fresh ingredients like bell peppers and onions. But if I don’t use the veggies in a timely manner after buying them, they get moldy and tossed in the trash. What a waste. :( Not only that, but when I have leftovers, I forget about them in the fridge and they eventually share the same fate. Stop wasting food; It’s a waste of money. Next time you buy veggies: cut them up, put them in a freezer burn safe baggie and place them in the freezer. They’ll last a helluva lot longer. Better yet, buy the bags of the frozen kind.

Also, place your bread products in the fridge. Bread sitting on the warm counter will turn moldy faster and even harden if not wrapped securely. You might want to opt for buying smaller containers of milk if you find the quart doesn’t get finished before the expiration date. Your tummy will thank you. Next time you cook a meal, try not to have leftovers. If you're like me, you'll lose the taste for it and toss it out later. Things always taste better fresh anyway. If you've got a lot of food crowding your fridge, invite friends over for a potluck lunch/dinner. All in all, be more mindful of how much food you buy and make, and how many people you're cooking for. Hopefully, you'll find that your wallet still a little fuller.
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Now playing: Aqua - Lollipop (Candyman)
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7 Ways to Cut Your Budget: #4 and #3

#4: Freebies

Most free things are crap. Actually, they're things you think look cute but have no real use for. Some things are worth putting in the extra effort. I found this site called Weekly Freebies that has a list of new offers every week. I signed up for a couple of things in the mail. I got a free bag of lemon hinted popcorn, Tide total care, and a sample of Christina Aguilera’s perfume. I didn't use the perfume but I did get it. If you don't like the variety of products they also have a list of sweepstakes. I entered the Olive Garden: "Trip to Rome" sweeps that took place last month. I didn't win, not that I wanted to, but I did win a $25 gift card as a consolation prize. Pretty sweet!

#3: Online Deals

I’m not just talkin’ grocery coupons either, though they are helpful. There are some things that cost a bundle, but you can’t do without, like medication for one. If you use Zyrtec, go to the manufactures site and get a coupon for it. If books are your guilty pleasure, buy them from half.com. People sell there gently used books for a competitive price. If it’s a novel, you can probably find it for around $0.75. Here are some other sites that offer great deals.

Electronics: Amazon, Tigers Direct, B&H Photo and J&R World.
Printer Ink: HP.com (they do free shipping and 2 day delivery), 123 Inkjets, Walgreens and Carrot Ink.
Shoes & Accessories: 6pm.com, DSW and Payless.
Books: half.com, Amazon and Overstock.

Know any other merchants with great deals? Post 'em here.
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Now playing: Justin Timberlake - Summer Love
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7 Ways to Cut Your Budget: #5

#5: You bought it, it broke, now what?

If I have a product that doesn’t taste or work the way it’s supposed to, I call or write the company. I’ll be damned if I pay good money for something that turns out to be crap. Like, this one time I tried one of Odwalla’s Superfood smoothies. It was basically all types of greens blended together. And it tasted horrible. I didn’t have a problem with their other flavors like I did this one. So, I emailed them off their website and within a few weeks got coupons for their product. Another time, my writing professor contacted a publishing company when she saw the binding of our “used” books falling apart. Not only did she get a response, but they also sent a replacement for the whole class. Most companies will try to resolve the issue to the best of their ability. If the problem is bigger or more expensive and customer service isn’t helping, contact one of the higher ups of the company. They may not read the letter, but their administrative assistants will. Then you’ll be heard. No company, especially in these times, wants to lose your business.

If the company is small and you suspect them of being all around shady, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. When I was researching companies to pack my stuff and haul them up north, I was surprised by the complaints on the BBB site. All the companies I was referred to, pull the same stunt with their customers. They’d give them an estimate. Then when the driver arrives, give them another price that cost way more than the estimate. When the customer tried to call their sales rep they had been in contact with, they were either told to talk to the driver or no one picked up. The bill was not only filled with ridiculous charges, but they were charged for boxes they never received. One company had so many unresolved complaints they changed their name to continued ripping people off.

All in all, don't accept subpar products or services. Voice your concern and get your $$$ back or at least your voice heard.
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Now playing: The Platters - Only You (and You Alone)
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7 Ways to Cut Your Budget: #6

Mall Focus Groups

I remember one summer day when my sis drove me to the Oxford Valley Mall in PA. As we were walking around, a young woman with a clipboard approached me. She wanted to know if I had time to do a quick survey. I ended up doing a quick movie review and got paid a few bucks. Focus groups are awesome like that. You do a survey for about 5 to 10 minutes and get paid for it.

Some places will mail you a check and other will actually give you cash. Just hop online to your local mall’s website, and search their store directory. See if there is a store in their directory that does focus groups. You will usually find them in larger malls. If you can’t find one near you, try doing a search for those in your neighborhood or in strip malls. Sometimes they have standalone location.
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Now playing: Darude - Sandstorm
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7 Ways to Cut Your Budget: #7

#7: Upromise.com

It’s more so for saving to send your kid to college. But if you start when they’re young, it’ll make a big difference. There are five ways to increase your kid’s college fund. First way is to register your grocery store cards. When you use your savings card and buy products participating in the Upromise program, you get a percent back into your account. Some stores like ShopRite mark the Upromise products so you won’t have to constantly bring a list.

The second way is to shop at online stores though their site. If you wanna buy a book from B&N, find it on their site, click on the merchant and the savings will be activated. Tons of stores are listed. There are of course some larger purchase options. If you wanna buy a house, car, travel tickets you can also rack up cash. The third way is to eat at participating restaurants. First you have to register your credit card, which may take up to a few days. Then do a search to find participating restaurants in your area. I don’t usually use this feature because I mostly like eating at chains. But it’s at least worth one try.

The fourth way would be to forward your account to family and friends. Then their savings that they accumulate are tied to your account. And lastly, you can sign up for their credit card. There are two types: Dining & Grocery or the Gas and Grocery card. Both are Mastercards that offer a $25 bonus and 7 times more savings on participating items, dining and other purchases. In order to redeem your savings, you must:

“submit a letter in writing to Upromise requesting a withdrawal from your Upromise account. The letter must state your full name and exact amount that you would like to withdraw, up to total amount available in your account, pending contributions are not eligible for withdrawal.”

You also have to have the letter notarized if the amount is over $200. Sadly though, checks are sent out once every 3 months so it will take some time to get your stash. Hopefully, you won’t need it in a hurry. I’ve been with them for over 5 years, but I haven’t really used all of the features. Probably why I only have $50. Know of a site similar to this? Leave a link in the comments section.
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Now playing: Panic! At the Disco - Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without...
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7 Ways to Cut Your Budget

You've stop buying designer clothes, consider public transportation, starting doing your hair and meals at home, but you're still having a tough time making ends meet. I've been there and I'm still there. So, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my ways of cutting your budget. Some of these tips might be immediate and others might take awhile to see a difference in expenses but they're worth it. Tune in tomorrow for the first installment.