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Share Your Top Money Mgt Tips

Pinkie said:
I've heard good things about Tiger Direct, though I've never bought from them. Thanks for the advice!
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Shop them all before you buy. Dont worry if you dont get the absolute best price because chances are you wont but you can make sure the price you pay is in the lower 25% for the item in question which for me works just fine. I have delt with all three off these guys and frankly I wish more did business like them. I dont think you can go wrong with any of them. BTW Fry's is Frys Electronics. People like to confuse them with the grocery chain. You should be able to get pretty good deals here shortly, with the Christmas shopping season coming up.
 
Do things in proper sequence....graduate HS, go to tech schools (free in the military, but don't sign up without a guarantee of the school), or Jr. College, or college, get a job, get married, and THEN have kids (keeps your parents involved in your life and willing to help).....

Buy NOTHING on credit that you don't absolutely need. Until you have a good job and benefits (private or your employers), you can't afford kids. If you are lucky enough to have a spouse that works, live on the higher of the 2 incomes and invest the rest. Home ownership is still a good long term investment, despite recent evidence to the contrary. Just don't buy more house than you need. Location is more important than actual size of the house.

Associate with like minded people, don't get into a spending competition with others or seek status based on THINGS.

something specific that has been addressed already....there is precious little on TV worth watching so why have cable or satellite?
Not counting news, there is only 1 hour a week that I watch, Big Bang Theory and 2 1/2 men...
There are some PBS shows I like, and they are available on the internet usually.
Where we live, an outdoor antenna works very well, and there is no monthly charge for that.

a little paranoia works wonders....our 2 kids watched us live carefully, and then saw that we had money to pay for their degrees. They have friends with student loans, and have expressed gratitude to us for paying their way. We will likely pay for our grandchildren to go to college.
BTW, a good way to motivate kids with respect to grades....our kids were capaple of A's, sothat was their benchmark. I paid them for A's, but not for B's, and they paid me for C's. Anything lower and all hell broke loose, never mind the money aspect. Being grounded until the next report card is cruel and unsual punishment, but you can't be prosecuted for it.
Our daughter and a friend started a free web site related to couponing, it has grown and expanded and they have been offered $1.5 million for it....
but they declined for now.
Our son teaches 8th grade science and is qualified for an admin job, just waiting for an asst. principal job to open up.
But the next generation will likely face more difficult challenges...so we are "investing" in them, motivating them to prepare for whatever comes.
All in all, it is a long term, generation to generation effort for the family, not just any one of us individually.
 
Another way I save money while still buying "luxury" items:

1. I have a running list of items I want for my house (stuff to remodel the bathroom, a door for the kitchen to replace the sliding glass door, a deck for the front yard, etc, etc.). I signed up for e-mail offers from many major home improvement/building materials companies and receive e-mails from them whenever they run a special. I got my bathroom tub/wall tile for $0.89/square foot and the floor tile for $0.69/square foot (ceramic, 12"x12"). I got a ceiling fan that was normally $200 for $89.99. I got a pedestal sink for $99, normally $250.

2. I price compare ALL major service purchases. I'm having one tree cut down entirely and two trees cut back considerably, and I've received quotes from 2 companies and am awaiting a quote from 2 more. They all know they're bidding against other companies, too.

3. I take advantage of those free cleaning for new patient fliers that local dentists send out. I don't pay anything and don't have to use my dental insurance unless/until I have a need for serious dental work because of those offers.

4. I buy my eye glass frames on line, then comparison shop for lenses. I can save $200+ on the frames alone by doing this.

5. I regularly check the Wal-Mart, WalGreens, and CVS discount prescription program for qualifying medications to see if anything I or my boyfriend take would be cheaper through their program (usually not income dependent).

6. I utilize sterilization campaigns when I spay/neuter my pets, and often pay next to nothing for the service. I also get heart worm preventative online for next to nothing. I negotiate pricing with my vet, who practices alternative medicine and traditional medicine services. Using alternative medicine for our two cats has resulted in them being healthier and more active than ever before, and it's about 60% cheaper.

7. Big Lots, Ross, and dollar stores! You can find some SERIOUSLY good deals by shopping at these re-sale, bargain basement places. Big Lots offers many name brand food items for half the cost of grocery stores, and there's nothing wrong with it. They receive the items in massive buyouts when chain stores shut down or over-order.
 
My child has student loan debt, and that could have been avoided had I known to seek advice. The state where I raised her had a college education fund: you bought your kid's tuition or tuition and board, etc. at today's prices and paid in for the duration, then they funded those costs. I believe contributions to such funds are tax exempt and if the child decides not to go, the cash (without interest) is returned to you.

Of course, this will only send your kid to an in-state college or university, and I doubt it works on a private school, but if one is available you almost certainly will do better using it than you would trying to fund this expense on your own.

Lastly, if your kid is in school now or has graduated with student loan debt, there's a shopping program that will contribute towards those costs:

Upromise Welcome, Money for college through Shopping Online, eCoupons, Grocery, Restaurants, Upromise Credit Card, $ Finance, Auto, Home, & More

Grocery shopping can be part of upromise, and they have a credit card as well -- I'm not sure whether it's desirable, but it may be worth looking at. As far as I know, this is only for former or current students, so it may be possible to get several friends and family members to upromise for your kid if theirs are still too young. And, of course, you can upromise yourself.
 
UtahBill said:
Do things in proper sequence....graduate HS, go to tech schools (free in the military, but don't sign up without a guarantee of the school), or Jr. College, or college, get a job, get married, and THEN have kids (keeps your parents involved in your life and willing to help).....

Buy NOTHING on credit that you don't absolutely need. Until you have a good job and benefits (private or your employers), you can't afford kids. If you are lucky enough to have a spouse that works, live on the higher of the 2 incomes and invest the rest. Home ownership is still a good long term investment, despite recent evidence to the contrary. Just don't buy more house than you need. Location is more important than actual size of the house.

Associate with like minded people, don't get into a spending competition with others or seek status based on THINGS.

something specific that has been addressed already....there is precious little on TV worth watching so why have cable or satellite?
Not counting news, there is only 1 hour a week that I watch, Big Bang Theory and 2 1/2 men...
There are some PBS shows I like, and they are available on the internet usually.
Where we live, an outdoor antenna works very well, and there is no monthly charge for that.

a little paranoia works wonders....our 2 kids watched us live carefully, and then saw that we had money to pay for their degrees. They have friends with student loans, and have expressed gratitude to us for paying their way. We will likely pay for our grandchildren to go to college.
BTW, a good way to motivate kids with respect to grades....our kids were capaple of A's, sothat was their benchmark. I paid them for A's, but not for B's, and they paid me for C's. Anything lower and all hell broke loose, never mind the money aspect. Being grounded until the next report card is cruel and unsual punishment, but you can't be prosecuted for it.
Our daughter and a friend started a free web site related to couponing, it has grown and expanded and they have been offered $1.5 million for it....
but they declined for now.
Our son teaches 8th grade science and is qualified for an admin job, just waiting for an asst. principal job to open up.
But the next generation will likely face more difficult challenges...so we are "investing" in them, motivating them to prepare for whatever comes.
All in all, it is a long term, generation to generation effort for the family, not just any one of us individually.
Click to expand...

Way to go on the daughter's couponing site, UtahBill! May we know the link?
 
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