205 Ways to Save Money ( 7 )

205 Ways to Save Money - This is an excerpt from my first book, Life or Debt. You won't be able to use every tip, but you'll definitely be able to use some!

Travel

1. Go off-season. You can save 10 to 60%. In general, the best travel deals will be found from November 1st to December 15th.
2. Shop around. Airlines offer the most complicated fare structures ever devised. But the advantage is that there are often bargains to be found if you’re willing to look. The Internet can be a big help. Most major airlines now offer last minute seat auctions, so check the web sites of the ones that serve your city. Name-your-own price websites like www.priceline.com can also save you money, as can auction websites like www.ebay.com or www.skyauction.com. If you travel a lot, a membership site like www.bestfares.com can quickly pay for itself with hundreds of bargains on air, rental car and hotel discounts.
3. Hotel high jinx. I never pay the asking price of hotels (well, unless everything in town is sold out.) Hotel rooms are like highly perishable food: if they’re not used that day, they’re wasted. You can almost always get a better deal just by asking, but do it with a nice smile face-to-face when you check in, or with friendly calls direct to the hotels you’re considering. It won’t work if you just call national 800 numbers, because they can’t negotiate. So call area hotels and pit them against one another. (“Gee, I’d rather stay at your place, but the Holiday Inn is $20 cheaper! Can’t you match their rate? Pretty please?”) If nothing else, you can often get a free room upgrade just by flashing a winning smile.
4. Get hostel. A hostel is a budget traveler’s dream, especially if you’re the social type. A hostel is a cross between a dormitory and a hotel, and you can find them in most major cities in the world. Quality of accommodations vary widely, but you can often find a place to lay your head for as little as $5. Drawbacks? Sometimes you could end up in communal sleeping and bath arrangements, with boys segregated from girls. Others are more private; you have to call to find out the particulars. You can find current hostel guides at the local library, or check Internet sites like www.hostel.com.
5. Bed and Breakfasts. These can sometimes save you money, but almost always offer more charm and personality than hotels. The more expensive the city you’re visiting, the more money you’re likely to save by staying at one. You can find B&B guides online at Internet sites like www.traveldata.com and at the library.
6. Use consolidators. Hotel and airline consolidators can save you serious money, since they buy in bulk. You can often find them in the travel section of the Sunday paper, or by doing an Internet search. Drawback? They may not offer as much flexibility in flight times or hotel locations.
7. Fly free! You can actually fly very inexpensively or even free if you’re willing to be a courier. A courier is someone who uses their luggage allowance to transport a package for a courier company. While it may sound a bit shady, it’s totally above-board, providing you’re working with a reputable company. You can find one by traveling to the Internet and going to www.courier.org or www.aircourier.org. You can routinely find deals like London for $100 round-trip or Mexico City for $50. But be aware, there are major catches. For example, it’s very rare for two people to be able to courier together on the same flight. In addition, you’ll often have a very limited time in the country you’re visiting. And the best deals are last minute ones. So courier flying is best for people who like to travel alone and are willing to fly anywhere at the drop of a hat.
8. Use travel agents. These guys can often get good deals, especially if you’re in the market for a vacation package or cruise. When you plan a vacation, see what you can do on your own, but before you book, see if a local agent can beat the deal you found yourself.

Entertainment

1. Use coupons to eat out. You can probably find “entertainment” coupon books that will offer you buy-one, get-one-free meals, as well as other valuable coupons. Often the dry-cleaning coupons alone found in these books are enough to reimburse you for their $25 to $30 cost. But make sure if you buy one that you use it! You can also often find decent coupons in newspapers and city guides.
2. Watch amateur sports. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather watch high school football, baseball, basketball or hockey than pro any day. The seats are better, the hotdogs are cheaper, and since the athletes aren’t quite as polished, the outcome of the games are less predictable and more exciting! If you do insist on pro sports, check the classifieds the week before a game. Season ticket holders unable to attend might be selling cheap.
3. Go to happy hour. Learn what college students nationwide have known for decades. Go to a nice lounge that offers free happy hour food, nurse a drink, and chow down!
4. Go to local events. Every week there is an amazing array of free or inexpensive things happening in most towns. Plays, concerts, dance, art exhibits, classes… the list goes on and on, and you’ll find it by calling your parks and recreation department, or looking in your local paper or city guide. Local colleges are another place to find great low or no-cost entertainment. See if you can get put on a few mailing lists.
5. Lower your restaurant bills. There are simple things you can do to dramatically lower restaurant bills. For example, have appetizers at home to somewhat satisfy your appetite and then split an entrée at the restaurant. You’ll also be amazed at how much you can reduce your bill simply by skipping alcohol. Another idea is to have a romantic dinner at home, then go out for a nice dessert and coffee. Eat out during the week when you’re more likely to encounter specials.
6. Go to the library! Why people spend so much money on books they read only once is one of life’s great mysteries. Is it because we need to fill our bookshelves with something? Anyway, if you haven’t been to the library lately, you’ll be amazed at just how entertaining it can be. Besides books, you’ll often find video, books on tape (great for long-distance driving), music, magazines and Internet access. Sometimes even computer software. It’s normally all free because you already paid for it through your taxes! There are two other great things about libraries that bowl me over, especially when you compare them to the mega-bookstores. One, it seems that there’s always someone friendly and helpful nearby. And two, it’s never crowded!
7. Bag the paper and magazines. Most of us subscribe to things we don’t read. If you’re only going to read every third issue of that magazine, maybe you should cancel the subscription and either buy it at the newsstand when you want it, or read it at the library. And nowadays if you have Internet access, you can easily keep up with everything that’s happening on the planet instantly for free. If you really love the idea of curling up with the Sunday paper, see if you can get a Sunday-only subscription.
8. Stop upgrading your software. If you have a computer, you might already know that software upgrading is one of the world’s great rip-offs. We already have word-processing and bookkeeping programs that have bells and whistles we’ll never understand, yet for some unknown reason we feel compelled to get the most recent upgrade. While it is possible that the latest and greatest version actually has a unique and timely feature, in my experience it’s not likely. If what you’ve got ain’t broke, don’t pay lots of dough to upgrade it. You should also check out free or low-cost shareware at places like www.cnet.com.
9. Don’t pay for Internet access. At least try out one of many free Internet service providers. They only take a few minutes to set up and you’ll probably find the few annoying ads worth the $150 to $250 a year you’ll save. Some ideas: www.netzero.com, www.freei.net, www.altavista.com, www.bluelight.com and freeworld.excite.com.
10. Use your imagination. Like saving money on so many other things, imagination is often a great substitute for currency when it comes to entertainment. When was the last time you went on a picnic? Tried out the swings at the local park? Parked your car at a scenic overlook? Went to the zoo? Went hiking? Camping? Played card or board games? There are a million ways we can entertain ourselves that involve spending little or no money. We just forgot what they were. But when you think about the most memorable and happiest times of your life, I’ll bet that they didn’t include paying a huge bill in a fancy restaurant or staying in an expensive hotel. ( repost.us )