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Save thousands of dollars with these easy tips to trim expenses on food, utilities, travel, entertainment, investing and more.
Everyone's trying to save a buck these days. But we'd rather save a few hundred or even a couple thousand. Care to join us?
Combing through eight spending categories, we have identified dozens of ways you can keep more money. We'll show you how to plug spending leaks, find the best bargains and stretch your dollar further.
Because we believe you shouldn't overpay for anything, here's how to save on:
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Debt and banking.
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Food.
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Entertainment.
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Health care.
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Investing and financial planning.
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Travel.
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Utility and phone bills.
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Retirement.
Save money on debt and banking
1. Erase debt: The No. 1 way to spend less money on debt . . . is to get rid of it! You'll erase those costly interest charges and put that cash back in your wallet where it belongs.
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Should you consolidate your debt?
Here's how to start attacking your debts: Focus on the debt with the highest interest rate first. Pay the most you can afford above the minimum required each month. Once it's paid off, get in the habit of paying your new balance in full each month to avoid rebuilding the debt.
2. Get organized: Using software to piece together your financial information from banks, credit cards and other financial institutions is a smart way to budget. It can help you identify where you can save money to put toward paying down your debt.
But you don't need to shell out the $60 to $90 for Quicken. Instead, manage your money for free at Mint.com (which is owned by Quicken's parent, Intuit) or Wesabe.
3. Tailor your student loan to fit: Feeling pinched by student loan payments? Ask your lender if you qualify for a graduated payment schedule (your payments start out small and increase as, presumably, your income increases). Or ask for an extended payment period, with smaller monthly payments spread over 15 or 20 years.
If you're in the Federal Direct Loan Program, look into the income-contingent plan, which sets monthly payments according to your income, family size and the total amount of your loans. You get up to 25 years to repay the debt, after which the feds forgive the remainder.
4. Ask for a lower interest rate: Want a lower credit card rate? Ask for one. Studies have shown that more than half of such requests get results. You'll boost your odds of success if you have good credit and if you can provide examples of offers you've gotten from other companies.
This goes for your mortgage, too. If your interest rate is high, some banks are willing to reset the rate on your existing mortgage for a fee but without the cost and hassle of a full-blown refinance.
5. Take a hike: Don't stick with your bank or credit card just because it's there. Smart consumers always keep an eye out for bargains and are willing to make a move when the right deal comes along.
Finding a card with a lower interest rate could save you hundreds.
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More ways to save money on debt and banking
Save money on food
6. Cook your own meals: It's easy to order in or go out to eat. Trouble is, the restaurant habit is a real budget buster. The average American household spends 42% of its total food budget on dining out. So if you're serious about saving money on food, your first step is to eat out less -- and that includes lunch at work.
If the kitchen is foreign territory to you, get a good beginner's cookbook, such as "How to Boil Water" from the Food Network Kitchens or "Anyone Can Cook" from Better Homes & Gardens. The Web is also a treasure-trove of recipes for beginners and experts alike. Allrecipes.com and Epicurious.com are good places to start.
7. Stock up on staples: Watch ads for sales on nonperishable food, and stock up. That way, you'll have your family staples on hand when you need them, without having to make an extra trip to a store to pay regular price.
Items such as canned goods, pasta, condiments, bottled sauces, rice, oil, flour and sugar are great to buy in bulk because they won't go bad if you don't eat them right away.
8. Shop with a plan: Before you head to a supermarket, take 10 minutes to map out your meals for the week. Check your cupboards and fridge to see what you already have, then make a list of ingredients you need to buy. Don't forget to include breakfast, lunch and snack items on your list to help curb your impulse spending.
Eliminate shopping distractions to help you stick to the plan. For instance, leave the kids at home, and don't shop on an empty stomach.
9. Mind your math: Many grocery-store tags will tell you how much an item costs per ounce, per pound or by some other unit of measurement. Comparison shop by unit price and save.
For example, if a pack of 40 diapers costs $13, that's 33 cents per diaper. But if you buy a box of 144 diapers for $35, or 24 cents per diaper, you save 9 cents each. That may not seem like much, but when you change a diaper six to eight times each day, that amounts to a savings of $16 to $22 per month.
Also, look closely at "buy two, get one free" deals. Oftentimes, the price is jacked up, so it's not the incredible deal you might think it is.
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More ways to save money on food
10. Skip prepackaged and pre-prepped: To stretch your dollar more, pay for food, not packaging. Sure, that bag of pre-washed romaine lettuce is convenient, but it can cost $1 or $2 more than buying a head of romaine and washing it yourself. And really, how hard is that?
This goes for individually wrapped snack foods, such as the 100-calorie packs. It's much cheaper to buy your favorite munchies and separate them into smaller portions on your own.
11. Time your visit: Many theaters, museums, galleries, zoos and parks offer special discounts, such as standing room only or pay-what-you-can nights. Some even offer free admission on certain days of the month.
If you don't plan on spending a lot of time at big attractions, such as amusement or water parks, you might snag a twilight discount -- usually 30% to 50% off -- for showing up a few hours before closing.
12. Think used: Buy used, and you can get your books, games, DVDs and compact in nearly new condition for a fraction of the price. For instance, we recently found a used copy of a $15 best-selling book for $3.64 on AbeBooks.com with free shipping -- a savings of 76%. Other places to buy used include Amazon.com, eBay and Craigslist.
Or try swapping entertainment. Sites such as TitleTrader and SwapTree help you trade your used books, movies and music with someone who wants them. The services are free, but you'll have to pay for postage to ship your swaps.
13. Head back to campus: College campuses are a trove of quality entertainment options, including student musical performances, film festivals, art exhibits, theater productions, dance recitals, sporting events and more.
The best part: Many are free or incredibly inexpensive to attend.
14. Get in touch with your community: Pursuing a new hobby or interest will keep you entertained for months -- or even years -- to come. But joining a team or taking a class through a private business can be pricey.
Instead, take an art class, learn a foreign language or join a sports league through your community recreation department or local community college. You could save hundreds of dollars.
15. Get out more: There is plenty of free and cheap entertainment to be had at the hands of Mother Nature. Go hiking, picnicking, bird-watching, fishing, kayaking or camping. State and national parks are inexpensive and set the stage beautifully.
And when you want to get active, forget that $40-a-month gym membership. Instead, buy a good pair of running shoes, or dust off your bike. Or check out the prices at your community recreation center.
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More ways to save money on entertainment
Save money on health care
16. Bypass doctors: For routine problems such as a sore throat, ear infection or flu shot, consider your local drug, grocery or retail store. Many have walk-in clinics staffed with nurse practitioners or physician assistants that can treat your ailment for less money than a doctor's office or urgent care center.
For instance, in Minnesota, a visit to a retail clinic costs $110, on average, versus $156 for urgent care and $166 for a family physician, according to a study by the Rand, a nonprofit think tank, which priced three procedures. Several insurance companies cover retail-clinic care.
17. Use the ER properly: The average emergency-room visit in the Rand study cost $570. If you have a serious, life-threatening problem, the ER is the right place to go. If you don't, save your money and go to a doctor's office.
18. Compare drug costs: Different stores charge different prices for the same drugs. Call around to shop for the lowest price, or try DestinationRx to find prescription- and nonprescription-drug prices online and in your own neighborhood.
For instance, we searched for a 30-day supply of Plavix (75 milligrams) in the Baltimore suburbs. Prices ranged from $150 at Costco to $165 at a big grocery store. A $15 savings per month adds up to $180 per year.
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More ways to save money on health care
19. Don't skimp on coverage: One of the costliest mistakes you can make is to buy an insurance policy with inadequate coverage. These policies may look attractive because they have low premiums and deductibles. But a maximum benefit of as little as $50,000 to $100,000 per accident or illness could leave you with tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.
A better way to lower your premiums is to buy a high-deductible policy with a coverage limit of at least $1 million. If you buy a policy with a deductible of at least $1,200 for single coverage or $2,400 for family coverage in 2009, you can also make tax-deductible contributions to a health savings account and use the money tax-free for medical costs in any year.
20. Know your policy's rules: How well do you know your insurance coverage? Each plan may have different requirements about visiting out-of-network doctors, getting preapproval for procedures, getting referrals to specialists, etc.
Follow your insurer's rules, and you'll be less likely to be surprised by a denied claim.
21. Make the most of your shelter: If you're investing for retirement or college in taxable accounts -- before your individual retirement accounts, 401k's or 529 college-saving plans are maxed out -- you're wasting money. You should first cram as many dollars into these tax-sheltered investments as you can.
For instance, say a 25-year-old invests $5,000 each year into a Roth IRA until she retires, and she makes an average annual 8% return on her investment. She'll have $1.4 million saved by the time she turns 65. However, if she stashes that cash in a taxable account earning the same return, she'd only have about $1 million (if her earnings were taxed at 15%). That's 28% less money.
22. Trim the fat: Mutual fund fees can weigh down performance. The average diversified U.S.-stock mutual fund charges 1.3% a year in expenses. If your fund isn't beating its benchmark, you're better off buying a low-cost index fund or exchange-traded fund that matches the benchmark.
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See what a better broker can do for you
For example, you'll pay an annual expense ratio of just 0.07% to invest in the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), which tracks Standard & Poor's 500 Index. On a $50,000 investment, that's a savings of $615 per year.
23. Get advice a la carte: Paying a fee-only financial adviser to create a comprehensive plan and manage your investments for long-term goals can get pricey. Many set investment minimums of $250,000 or more and charge 1% of assets under management per year.
Instead, pick and choose your advice by hiring a planner by the hour through the Garrett Planning Network. You'll typically pay $180 to $210 hourly, as needed, with no annual fees or asset minimums. This can be a good way to make sure you're on track to meet specific goals.
24. Trade stocks for free: Zecco offers 10 free stock trades per month with a balance of $25,000 or more. Wells Fargo offers 100 free trades per year to customers with $25,000 in brokerage accounts, loan balances or bank deposit accounts.
Don't qualify for the freebie? Go for the deep discount. Just2Trade charges $2.50 per online trade; SogoTrade charges $3 and TradeKing, $4.95. Compare that to $30 or more per trade at a full-service broker. If you don't need the extra perks and attention at the big guys, don't pay for it.
25. Eliminate the guesswork: Trying to time the market is often a losing game. In trying to buy low and sell high, many people actually do the opposite. Instead, employ the simple strategy of dollar-cost averaging.
By investing a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals, you smooth out the ups and downs of the market over time. Take out the emotion and guesswork, and investing can become less stressful and more successful.
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More ways to save money on investing and financial planning
Save money on travel
26. Let price be your guide: Choose your destination based on the cheapest flight.
For instance, if you're interested in a Caribbean vacation but don't have a specific location in mind, go to Kayak to search for flights to anywhere in the Caribbean and then pick the place with the lowest fare. Airfarewatchdog also lists the lowest fares available from your hometown to anywhere.
27. Clone your dream vacation: Look for locales that are similar to your dream vacation, but with a lower price tag.
For a tropical getaway, trade Fiji for Panama. For Old World European charm, try Budapest instead of Vienna. For wine tasting, consider California's Sierra foothills region over Napa Valley. Get your fill of French cuisine and architecture in Quebec City instead of Paris.
28. Use the best Web sites: You can waste time and money wandering the Web to find the cheapest airfare. Instead, head for Kayak, which fetches fares (plus hotel rates and other travel products) from more than 140 sources. Click on the best deal, and Kayak will send you to a site where you can buy the ticket.
And for thousands of traveler reviews on everything from hotels to local attractions, go to TripAdvisor. It just may steer you toward an unexpected bargain. And don't forget Bing travel.
29. Pack smart: You'll pay $25 to $35 per checked bag on most major airlines. That can add up fast, especially when you're bringing the whole family. Don't forget that Southwest and JetBlue still allow two bags to fly free.
And watch your bag's weight. If it tips the scales at more than 50 pounds, you'll pay between $50 and $150 per bag. And if it's oversized, tack on an additional $100 to $150 per bag. In these cases, it may be cheaper to ship your luggage via the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx or UPS rather than pay the airline fees.
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More ways to save money on travel
30. Travel in the off-season: Timing your travel can save you serious money, plus you'll avoid the crowds.
If a destination sees its highest tourist traffic in summer -- such as national parks, Europe and Canada -- plan your visit for winter, spring or fall. And, vice versa, in the summertime, head for popular winter destinations such as ski resorts and Caribbean cruises.
31. Turn down the heat: This tip is a no-brainer, but it's one of the easiest ways to trim your bill. All it takes is dropping the heat a degree or two.
An Energy Star programmable thermostat can save more than twice its price within a year and will adjust the temperature automatically for you when you're away or asleep.
32. Audit your cell phone: Most people don't use all their cell phone plan minutes each month, according to an informal Consumer Reports poll. Go to BillShrink, enter some data from your bills, and the site will direct you to plans that may be a better fit -- and cost less.
If you're an infrequent cell phone user, you might save money with a prepaid plan. Compare rates at MyRatePlan.com.
33. Lower your water temperature: Set your water heater at 120 degrees. If your heater does not have a temperature gauge, dial down until the water feels hot, not scalding.
(Before going too low, make sure your dishwasher has a booster heater, which gets the temperature back to 140 degrees, necessary for proper cleaning.)
34. Stop watering the sidewalk: Watering that strip of land between your sidewalk and the street is often a big waste of money. Because the so-called parking strip is so narrow, your sprinkler probably showers most of the water on concrete.
Landscaping this area with a rock garden or drought-resistant plants could save you 90,000 gallons of water and $135 on water bills annually, according to estimates from the Utah Rivers Council.
35. Unplug energy suckers: Appliances with a clock or that operate by remote are still sucking energy when they're turned off. Use a power strip, and flip the switch when you're done.
Or buy a device to do it for you, such as the Smart Power Strip ($31 to $44 at SmartHomeUSA.com), which will stop drawing electricity when the gadgets are turned off. The device will pay for itself within a few months.
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More ways to save money on utility and phone bills
Save money in retirement
36. Invest wisely: Resist the urge to move all your nest egg into cash and bonds. Yes, you need to preserve your money. But you should expect to draw on your accounts for as long as 30 years, so you'll need some growth, too. That means new retirees should place at least 50% of their investments in stocks.
Consider taking a portion of what you have in bonds or cash to buy an income annuity that pays a monthly benefit for the rest of your life. The older you are at the time of purchase, the larger the payout.
37. Take advantage of your age: Your senior status can save you money at movie theaters, restaurants, hotels, car rental agencies, retailers and auto repair shops. Sometimes the discount is only on certain days of the week or on certain items, so it pays to know the rules.
And if a discount isn't advertised, ask if they offer one. Many times they will.
38. Do a trial run: It can be tough to know how much money you need to live on in retirement. You don't want to get caught spending more than you can afford. So try living on your projected budget for six months to one year beforehand. Then, once you actually quit your job, monitor your spending to make sure you're on track.
And before you plunk down your savings on a life-altering decision -- such as moving to Florida or buying an RV -- try it before you buy it. You don't want to spend all that money only to find the reality didn't match your expectations.
39. Get out of the house: For free or cheap entertainment, meals and social activities, look to your local senior center. Many senior centers offer group classes and trips, or they may negotiate cheaper rates for tickets to performances in your area.
See our guide to saving money on entertainment for more ideas.
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More ways to save money in retirement
40. Re-evaluate your insurance: When you're retired, your insurance needs change. For instance, you aren't commuting anymore, so ask your auto insurer to recalculate your rate.
Also, you may be able to drop or reduce your disability and life insurance coverage. These plans are intended to replace your income to support dependents after your death. But you're not drawing a salary any longer -- and probably don't have dependents, either.
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