*Want to save money on everyday items? *Need to cut corners but still want a similar lifestyle? *Ever feel like you don't know where to start when buying on the internet? *Did you know you can get cash back rebates when shopping for items you already buy? *Do you know which search tools to use to streamline your internet shopping? *Have you ever been told it's too risky to buy on the internet? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this book will help! Whether shopping in stores or on the internet, there are tips on how to save money in almost every area of your life. Easily laid out and to the point, you could put some of those tips into place the first day!

How to Save Money & Still Have a Life

By Cristy Johnson

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Cristy Johnson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-0273-6

Contents

Introduction...............................................................ixChapter 1: Getting Started - Changing Your Perspective.....................1Patience is a Virtue!......................................................1Get Off Your High Horse!...................................................2Be Realistic!..............................................................4Chapter 2: Attacking Your Required Bills...................................7Car Expenses...............................................................7Credit Cards...............................................................10Electricity................................................................15Heating and Air Conditioning...............................................17Insurance..................................................................21Phones.....................................................................24Water......................................................................27Chapter 3: Approaching Your Wants-That-Feel-Like-Needs.....................31Cleaning Supplies..........................................................33Food - Traditional or "Normal".............................................34Food - Organic and Special Diets...........................................38Personal Hygiene Products..................................................40Pet Products...............................................................42Chapter 4: Addressing Your Wants...........................................45Books and Textbbooks.......................................................45Candles, Picture Frames, Trinkets, etc.....................................47Clothing & Shoes...........................................................48Eating Out.................................................................53Electronics................................................................55Furniture..................................................................57Gift Cards.................................................................65Greeting Cards.............................................................66Landscaping & Gardening....................................................67Magazines & Newspapers.....................................................71Movie Rentals..............................................................74Movie Theaters.............................................................75Vacations..................................................................76Chapter 5: How to Shop on the Internet.....................................81Use a Rebate Site..........................................................81Searching on the Internet..................................................88Finding the Best Deal......................................................90Finding Coupon Codes.......................................................97Precautions to Safeguard Your Internet Purchases...........................100Precautions for Buying on Craigslist.......................................104Chapter 6: eBay - Yes, It Gets Its Own Chapter.............................107Finding Stuff on eBay......................................................107Can't Wait for the Auction to End?.........................................115How to see only Buy It Now or Best Offer items.............................117Isn't buying from people on eBay risky?....................................118A summary of how to read the listing details...............................120Please please please.......................................................121To Recap: the Dos and Don'ts...............................................121The Hidden eBay Goldmine...................................................122Chapter 7: Reference Charts................................................125Where to Buy on the Internet...............................................125

Chapter One

Getting Started - Changing Your Perspective

In know in the Intro I said I wouldn't be lecturing you on your spending habits, and I meant it! This section is more about qualities I encourage you cultivate ... if you can.

Patience is a Virtue!

First and foremost, you must have patience. If you don't have any to speak of, find some! Most of what this book has to say deals with waiting for shipment, making calls to people who will give you the runaround, filtering through search results, etc. Below I will list some specific examples of key areas to save; if you scoff and say you can't do it, put this book down and go buy something! Without patience, it will be hard to cut any corners.

When you want something (i.e. a book), try to hold yourself back from buying it immediately. See if you can find the cheapest price on the internet and wait for shipment.

When you want something large, or you want it now (i.e. a TV), you should go to several stores to compare prices. This includes, perhaps, talking to many different salespeople.

Rather than buying certain items (i.e. greeting cards), you could take a stab at making them yourself.

Try to wait for certain items to go on sale (i.e. buy a grill in October instead of May) or for movies to come out on DVD. If you read that list and thought, "Those are easy!" then you could basically stop reading. While this book has much more meat to it than that, you could start saving immediately just by following those rules. But my point is, if you can't see yourself conforming, then you may just want to choose a better paying job or pick up a second one, rather than focusing on saving money. And I say that with no condescension; I can think of four people I know of, right off the bat, who couldn't possibly do the things I just mentioned!

Get Off Your High Horse!

So many people try to keep up with the Joneses and they're wasting money! Who cares about name brands? Why do you have to have that Coach purse? Okay, that's just my mentality and I certainly know a gazillion people who have to have their name brands (my husband included). So there are two subsections in this section: one geared toward people like me and one geared toward everyone else.

1. If you're like me and don't care about name brands, then you probably already know where to find the bargains: T.J. Maxx, Ross, Plato's Closet, Goodwill, and other thrift stores. But there are also bargains to be had on eBay (buy in bulk and save!) and Craigslist (people often sell large lots of items in the same sizes). If you can spare the time, visit garage sales on the weekends and you're sure to find some steals. I'm a big fan of clearance racks at Target and Wal-Mart, but you have to be willing to wait to wear the clothes, as those items are usually from the last season, such as t-shirts on clearance in October.

2. If you're in the name brand category, then you probably don't know where the deals are. You could continue to shop at your usual stores, but have a little patience! Visit the clearance racks and know you'll have fun clothes to wear two seasons from now. Or find a Plato's Closet or a store similar (Plato's Closet buys and sells gently used brand name clothing only). You, too, could shop at T.J. Maxx or Ross, and even those thrift stores. You'll just have to make sure you have enough time to sift through the non-name brands. On eBay, you probably...