7.) Dining options: I love eating out, but get heartburn when I think about how much it costs. Rather than hit a diner for a full breakfast, my husband and I pack fruit salad and coffee from home, pick up muffins at a bakery and picnic by the river. Or we’ll get takeout from a restaurant, which saves us money on wine, dessert and tips... while giving us a night off from cooking.
8.) Speak up, consumers! When our cable and internet service began flaking out several times over the past few weeks, I didn’t get mad. I got on the phone with Comcast and asked them to credit us for one month of service. When my local coffee shop’s java started tasting like it was watered down, I brought it to the attention of the corporate office -- and received a gift card for free coffee.
It’s also important to do a top-to-bottom audit of every expense you have:
- If you’re a good driver, raising your deductible will lower your premium.
- Get a Brita pitcher and filters instead of buying bottled water.
- Bake up a frozen pizza (“doctor” it with your favorite extras) rather than ordering one for delivery.
- If you belong to AAA, log onto their site and see what discounts they offer at local stores, restaurants and attractions.
- Before you buy anything online, check out coupon sites like couponcabin.com for special discount codes.
- Renegotiate your current rates with your gym, your credit card and other vendors. They’re also feeling the squeeze of this lackluster economy -- and they’d rather have your business at a reduced price than not at all. Use that knowledge to your advantage and watch your overhead shrink.
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