How to Get Things for Free or Cheap

With an economy in the dumps, people are trying to save money on everything they possibly can. In this post, I'll teach you the ways that I penny pinch and how I save me and my husband thousands of dollars every single year!

One thing that I always remember is that every penny we earn, is ours. Like everybody else, I want to keep every last penny that we make!

I got hooked on Mary Kay makeup about 2 years ago, but what I wasn't hooked on was the prices. I mean, come on..$18 for a tube of foundation? No thanks! But I loved the makeup. What was I to do about this problem? Find Mary Kay makeup for CHEAP! I turned to Ebay (www.ebay.com) and searched for only the makeup that I wanted. On average, I can find the same exact Mary Kay foundation that I oh-so love for at least 50% cheaper, if not less and that includes shipping straight to my doorstep! What is even better is that I can bypass pesky Mary Kay sales women that are always trying to tell me whatever flaws I have and what "new product" can help. The final straw for me was when my Mary Kay lady told me that I have "crows feet"..except the problem was that I was only 25 years old and I didn't have a single wrinkle on my young face! So now I save myself from feeling old & ugly and from paying full price: double bonus! ;-)

Often times I'll make a list of what me and my husband "need" and "want" and then I'll head over to Freecycle.org and look in our area for things that people are giving away. This has worked time after time and we have been able to get things like a 4" Memory Foam bed topper, a brand new desk, a rocking chair with ottoman, printer ink refills, a treadmill in mint condition, and so much more...all TOTALLY FREE!!! You can't beat that! I estimate that using Freecycle.org saves us well over $1,000 every single year.

Another bargain tip is to head on over to your local Goodwill (try to go to a Goodwill that is in a "richy" area, they usually have brand new high quality items for dirt-cheap). My latest find was a few months ago when I bought a brand new hose hideaway that was originally $43 and it was being sold at Goodwill for $9.99. I was so excited because it was the exact same hose hideaway that I've been looking for and wanted but couldn't bear the thought of spending so much money on a plastic hose box. If you would like to see my original post about this great find, click here.

If you combine the above advice (Ebay/Freecycle/Goodwill) with saving money on your gas bill and saving money on your electric bill, add in some coupons from the Sunday newspaper for when you grocery shop, and you'll be saving yourself thousands of dollars each and every year!!

You deserve to keep your money in your pocket, so keep it there! ;-)

~Jamie~
(aka Bargain Hunter)

How to Save Money on your Gas Bill

Tis the season to be COLD! With temperatures outside in a downward spiral, you'll be finding yourself cranking up the heat inside. The colder it is, the more heat you use, and more money out of your pocket and just in time for the holiday season. Wonderful, isn't it? ;-)

There are many ways to help cut your gas bill in half (yes, 50%!) and these are tricks that I have recently learned and proved to be worth it with my own gas bill.

Tips:

1) Plastic Window Insulation Kits-These kits can range anywhere from $5 to $20 depending on how many windows the kit includes. I was able to pick up (2) $5 kits that included 6 pre-taped window coverings per kit. You can save around $20 per window in a heating season! You can buy the kits at your local hardware store, Walmart, Kmart, Target, and other similar retail stores. You can also pick up these kits on Ebay.com and have it shipped right to your doorstep.

2) Upgrade Your Windows-While this might not be possible to do this winter, it is possible to do next winter. New QUALITY windows can save you a bundle each and every year, all year round, and are worth every single (expensive) penny. Start saving up now and by early Fall, you'll be ready to upgrade those old windows!

3) Set Thermostat at 65 Degrees-Yes, 65 degrees is a little on the chilly side, but it's live-able! Wear some warm clothes (sweatpants, pullover, socks, slippers, etc) and you'll be more than fine all winter long. Keep it at 65 during the day and lower the temp to 63 right before you go to bed. If you don't have a programmable thermostat, then...

4) Purchase a New Programmable Thermostat-A new programmable thermostat will cost anywhere from $20 to $50 on average. You'll be able to program every day and night of the week in less than 2 minutes and you'll be saving yourself more money than you can even imagine!!

5) Turn Down Your Water Heater-Ever take a close look at your water heater? If not, then it's time to go take a peek. There (should be) a red knob that says "Hot" "Cold" and "Vacation" on it. Odds are, it is set exactly half way between Hot & Cold. Turn the knob 25% more towards the "Cold" side and watch your gas bill start to get lower! Always do a test-run on any faucet in the house to make sure that you're still getting hot water, just not burning-hot water.

6) Water Heater "Blanket"-Ever see one of these things? It's like a big white "winter jacket" for your water heater. They help insulate your water heater by keeping the warm water, well..warm! You can purchase a Water Heater Blanket for around $20 at Home Depot or any similar store.

7) Replace the Furnace Filter(s)-Switching out your old furnance filter for a new one (around $5/each) will save your furnance from working overtime with a dirty & clogged air filter.

8) Draft Guards for Doors-Surprisngly, this is one of the cheapest fixes you could do to a home, and will save you a ton of money! If you have a door that has a leak (big or small), now is the time to fix it. You can purchase draft guards for doors for around $10 on average. Stop your heat, and money, from leaking out of your home!

9) Furnance Tune Up-Getting your furnance a tune-up (especially if it's an older model) will make sure your furnance runs top notch all winter long and without it having to strain to keep working!

10) Dishwashers-Alot of heat can be used by your dishwasher. From heating up gallons of hot water per load, to all of that hot steam to dry the dishes ("Oh, my water heater did all of that?" Yes, it did!) For the winter, you can opt for handwashing your dishes (soak in luke-warm water, wash in soaking water, then rinse off) rather than using your dishwasher. I know, easier said than done. But one look at your next gas bill that DOESN'T have 1 full month of dishwasher usage, and you'll be thanking me for all the hard-earned money you saved (and maybe even for the new pair of shoes that you bought with that saved money..send pics! ;-) )

11) Wash Clothes in Cold Water Only-"..but hot water kills germs!" Well, my dear, so does soap! Start washing your clothes in cold water ONLY and you'll be saving yourself a very nice chunk of change on your gas bill! And the best part is, you won't be able to tell the difference!

12) Low Flow Showerheads-Besides just saving money on the amount of water you use during your shower, you can also be saving yourself money on how much hot water you actually use at the same time! Installing a Low Flow Showerhead is VERY cheap and VERY easy to do. All you need is a wrench and teflon tape from your local hardware store to install a new showerhead. Look for showerheads that have 2.5 gpm or lower.

So there you have it, ladies & gents. 12 wonderful tips and tricks that will save you 50% on your monthly gas bill! Start putting them to good use and watch the savings pile up!

Got a tip on how you save money on your gas bill? Leave it in a comment below for all of us to see! :-)

Jamie
(aka Bargain Hunter)

Black Friday has started early!

This holiday season, stores are in desperate need of sales. Usually all stores wait until "Black Friday" (biggest shopping day of the year) to make bargain deals available to the public. This year, they're starting a week early in hopes of gaining an extra week of sales to help their sales slump.

At BFads.com, you can view Black Friday ads for Home Depot, JCPenny, Kohls, Kmart, Target, and a few more. The ads have been either "leaked" or made public by the store themselves to get those faithful Black Friday shoppers into shopping mode.

Most people shop for ONLY shop for others on Black Friday. Huge mistake! When browsing through ads and/or going through stores that have bargain deals, don't forget about you! If you see a nice fleece blanket on sale for $3 from $20, snag it up! Always put you first and others second, and you'll have a very successful Black Friday. :)

I am a Black Friday die-hard shopper and I figured I would share my tips for those new to the madness...

How to Shop on Black Friday:
(1) View ads online starting now & write down deals that you're interested in.
(2) Pick up the newspaper 2 days prior to Black Friday & go through every ad!
(3) Get a pair of scissors and cut out the deals in EACH AD from the newspaper.
(4) Separate the cut-out ads into groups: Target, Kohls, JcPenny, etc.
(5) Map it out! Choose which store is your top priority and then map out the rest of the stores that are nearby.
(6) Make an agenda: Write down, store-by-store, everything you want to snag up (don't forget to put the cut out ads in an envelope for easy reference & in case you need to price match at a different store!)

Your agenda should look similar to this...

Store 1 (5am) JCPenny=Airwalk shoes, Sony TV, 75% off purses.
Store 2 (6am) Kohls=Massage chair, work boots, wallet.

...etc etc.

TIP:
If you see a great deal that you're worried will be sold out on Black Friday, head to that store as soon as possible, grab your item, and hide it in the store somewhere. This is becoming a common thing now, so it might work or it might not. But you'll at least have 2 shots at getting the item(s) that you want! :)

Happy Shopping!

Jamie
(aka Bargain Hunter)

Restaurant.com-80% OFF!!!! (Expires Nov 20th)

The economy is slowing, Christmas is right around the corner, and money for most of us has become tight.

But there is some good news...no, wait...there's some GREAT news: You can purchase $25 Gift Certificates for $2 each!!!!

Take your spouse out to a nice dinner for pennies on the dollar! Want even more great news?? Each gift certificate is valid for 1 year! Fellas, stock up for anniversaries! ;)

80% off Savings on $25 Gift Certificates. $2 when you use code SURPRISE.Valid only 11/18/08 thru 11/20/08.


Jamie
(aka Bargain Hunter)

Starbucks & Krispy Kreme Freebies (for voters)

Planning to vote today? Hopefully you are and if you do, you will be rewarded with a Free Donut from Krispy Kream Donuts & a Tall (aka "small") coffee from Starbucks!!

Krispy Kream is giving out Star Shaped donuts with patriotic sprinkles on it if you bring in your "I Voted" sticker.

Starbucks will give voters a free tall brewed coffee at participating U.S. stores. Voters simply need to cast a vote, then tell the barista at their local Starbucks and they’ll receive a tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee at no charge (limit one per customer). They're using the honor system for proof of voting. (No "I voted" sticker required).

So get your butt out today & vote and then treat yourself to a great tasting donut & free cup o' joe from Starbucks!!

2-Way Radios=$9.99

At UnidenDirect.com, you can snag up some New, or Like-New (aka refurbished) 2-Way Radios for dirt cheap!! Each refurbished item comes with a warranty, so you're covered if anything goes wrong.

I bought a pair of refurbished from Uniden Direct last year and I love them! Figured I'd give ya'll a heads up on a great price for a cool item that can really come in handy in life!

Go to UnidenDirect.com and snag a deal!

~Jamie~
(aka Bargain Hunter)

Restaurant.com-60% OFF!!!! (Hurry, ends Oct. 26th)

Restaurant.com has done it again!!

Take 60% off $25 Gift Certificates. Pay $4 when you use the code SAVOR. Valid 10/21/08 through 10/26/08.


If you have never purchased gift certificates through Restaurant.com, let me tell ya how it works:

(1) Select the restaurant(s) in your area that you would like dine at.
(2) Order your gift certificates: Coupon Code: SAVOR
(3) After you purchase, your gift certificates will be emailed to you!
(4) Print'em out on your computer.
(5) Take your loved one(s) out to a nice & CHEAP dinner! ;-)

Each gift certificate is valid for 1 year, and you can only use 1 per month (so don't too many of them at one time!)

Where else can you eat a $25 meal for $4?!!! Nowhere but Restaurant.com!!

Happy Eating! :-D

~Jamie~
(aka Bargain Hunter)

GPS Navigation Systems: CHEAP!!!

Just in time for the holidays, Buy.com is having an unbelievable sale on a GPS Navigator system!! It's a
TomTom ONE 3rd Edition 3.5 GPS System w/ Preloaded Maps of US/Canada
for $90 + FREE SHIPPING!!!

Or if you wanna spend a little more money for an even BETTER GPS system, including FREE live traffic reports, check this one out:



Price: $180 + $9 Shipping

Hurry up & snag one up before they're gone! :-D

~Jamie~
(aka Bargain Hunter)