1. Spend Less. This is not over simplifying the best way to save money! It is essential if you are serious about being a long term money saver. Review what you spend and look at ways you can save money. Consider making telephone calls for instance only at off-peak times. Do you really need to have newspapers and magazines delivered? Can you do without those coffees you buy at break time everyday – would a flask of coffee taken to work save you money? What about using the public lending library instead of buying books or music CDs? Once you start looking for ways to spend less you will quickly become an expert and really save money.
2. Establish a personal budget. This is essential for families and individuals. You will not be able to save money unless you know how much money you have coming in, and how much money you have going out. Once you have prepared a budget of incoming money and outgoing money, you will be able to identify areas where you can save. It is MUCH more difficult to save money over a long period of time (the rest of your life?) without a budget.
3. Bulk is good. Think about shopping and buying in bulk. You can also save money by cooking in bulk. This is a real way you can save money with little preparation and almost no extra outlay. Always purchase generics when you can. Prepared foods and convenience foods will always be much more expensive than the generic ingredients needed to make the food. Preparing food in bulk and in advance also gives you the opportunity to plan ahead and be more accurate in your budget. Save Money by buying in bulk whenever you can. One thing to be aware of when buying in bulk is to be sure that any product you buy will get used before it goes bad – you won’t save money if you have to throw stuff away. Buying in bulk is not only a good way to save money it is also a good strategy for coping with and surviving emergencies.
4. Make sure a sale is a sale. By this I mean do your price research before you commit to making an expensive purchase in a retailers money-off sale. You have to be sure the sale really is a sale and not a creative marketing strategy of the store to encourage you to spend your money without thinking. Once you have researched the true price of a product (any product) you are in a good position to take advantage of a sale, special offer or discount and really save money. “Buy one get one free”, “50% off”, and “Huge Discount” will only help you save money if the actual price you pay is lower than you would pay somewhere else for exactly the same product.
5. Buy used. Sure, we all like to buy new. But there are huge money savings to be made in buying used. Typically cars lose one-third of their value in the first 24 months from new. Why not buy a car 24 months old? Other items such as clothes can be worth even less just the day after new. Look for ways to buy “as good as new” items and save money. Typical products you might consider buying used to save money include: cars, clothes, electrical goods, garden items… tools and sheds, household items… pots and pans, the list of used goods where you can save money is endless.
6. Don’t carry excessive debt. Some debt in our lives may be essential. We may need a mortgage to purchase a home, we may need to use our credit card to make purchases until pay-day, but your aim to save money should be to have as little debt as possible. Credit Card deb is typically the most expensive debt we may carry. You will be able to save money every month if you make it an absolute rule to pay off your outstanding balance every month. If you can have the discipline to do this you will save money by effectively having no debt, and thus no interest charge on your credit card(s).
7. Save Money. No, I mean really save some money. Each week or each month get into the habit of putting an amount, however small into your savings. You could start by saving a very small fixed amount each time and then move to putting in larger amounts once you begin to save money from your other money saving strategies. You will find that by saving money on a regular basis you will quickly build up a store of reserve money and also feel motivated to save more. The hardest part is to take the first step and start saving money – so START TODAY and save some money NOW! If you find it impossible to save money once you have it, consider having money deducted from your paycheck direct each month. This can be a great way to save money rapidly as once it is set up you will not notice it is being collected and your savings will grow with no more effort from you.
8. Shop Wisely. Consider markets, superstores, farmer’s markets, local shops, marts and stores. Anywhere is worth checking out to see if you can save money. Farmer’s Markets can be particularly good places to save money. Typically you are buying direct from the producer of the product so the savings are passed on to you. Use your bulk buying strategy here – farmer’s markets often offer opportunities to save money by buying larger quantities of staples, for instance potatoes, rice or corn. Save money and shop wisely.
9. Eat in rather than out. This is a huge area where you can save money. A cup of coffee taken out could easily cost you TWENTY times (or more) what it would cost you to make it at home. So think before you drink when you are out. Eating is the same. Fast food restaurants are counting on you eating food that you perhaps don’t really need at that time but buy just because it is quick. Why not wait until you get home and have a more nutritious meal and save money at the same time.
10. Use less. This money saving tip is a lesson we all need to learn. We live in a consumer society where waste is a huge problem. If we could all use and consume less there would be less waste, less power consumption, and the benefits for you are SAVING MONEY. Consider using less shampoo when you wash your hair, this may not mean washing your hair less effectively it means not flushing the excess shampoo and your money down the drain. What about saving on heating? Turn the thermostat down or put on extra clothes when you are cold. Turn off lights, the TV and the computer when they are not in use. Each little saving you make will build up and enable you to save money. Huge savings in energy can be made which will save you money and be good for our planet and the other people on it.

So, there you have it. The facts are in and they nullify almost any excuse you may have had about not owning a GPS. Get a Garmin nüvi and save time, money and the environment!

The reason for Google is that they are only number two in the search
engine market in China. Baidu is first there and offering music
downloads as well albeit without a similar deal. The reason why the
Music Industry agreed to the deal is simple: Money. The majority of
Chinese do not pay for music but download it from the Internet. And so
it was decided that sharing some advertising revenue with Google is
better than fighting illegal music downloads.

Google is restricting file downloads to Chinese users according to Mashable who were the first to publish the story. The search interface on the other hand is available for everyone.

Definitely an interesting progression especially for Chinese users
who can now download music legally while everyone else in the world
cannot.

Source: gHacks

And while it’s great to cut out little things, such as lattes and Gucci bags, what most people need are big savings. You know, thousands of dollars in savings, not $50 a month.

But you can’t slash your budget for items such as food, gas and utilities — while you can save some money in these areas, the savings are usually pretty small compared to some of the items below. So I’ve compiled a list of ways you can make big changes, at least for a little while — and who knows, maybe over the long term.

There will be some objections — from people who don’t think they can change their lives this much, or who don’t want to. That’s fine — I’m not saying these changes are for everyone. But I really do think we can live with less, and with the right mindset, you can find happiness right now, without needing to spend money. That’s the key — finding contentment while living with less.

1. Move to a smaller home. For many people, housing is the biggest expense in their budget. Thus it represents the biggest opportunity to save — if you live in a smaller, less costly home, you can save a lot of money in one fell swoop. Obviously this isn’t a change you can implement overnight, but it’s worth keeping your eye open for an opportunity to make the change. Start looking around for smaller homes, especially ones that are closer to the places you need to go, such as work, the grocery store, etc., so you can save on transportation costs as well. If you get rid of a lot of excess stuff, you don’t need as much space (see my decluttering tips: 1, 2, 3, 4). This change alone can save thousands each year.

2. Sell a car. If you have two (or more) vehicles, consider selling one of them to save money. Often we can get away with one vehicle if we carefully arrange our schedules. My wife and I (and our six kids) did this, and we are able to survive with one van. Sure, sometimes it would be cool to have two cars, but it’s not a necessity. Btw, we did this even when we were both working and all six kids had school, daycare, soccer practice and games, music lessons, and so on. Take any cash you get from selling your car and use it to pay off some of the loan for the car you keep — or use it to pay off higher interest debt.

3. Get a smaller, used car. Whether you already have only one car, or you decide you absolutely need two or more vehicles, you can downgrade your car so that it costs less. Sell your car, and look for a smaller, used model that runs well (preferably only 2-3 years old) and costs less than the one you own now. Again, potential savings of thousands each year.

4. Stop paying interest. Some people pay thousands of dollars in interest every year. I’m happy to say that I now pay zero in interest, after becoming debt-free last year. That’s not always possible for everyone, but this is a very big potential savings for most of us. The key is to stop getting into new debt, and to pay off your old debt as quickly as possible. Paying off my credit cards was the priority, but we also paid off our car loans and bought our last two vehicles on cash. Again, this is not for everyone, but I highly recommend it for those who can manage it.

5. Stop buying unnecessary items. This is a toughie, but if you’re really serious about saving, you’ll at least consider it. Try tracking your spending for a month, and next to each expense item mark the ones that are pure necessities: groceries, gas, utility bills, medicine, doctor’s visits, etc. The rest are unnecessary — clothes and shoes you didn’t really need, electronics, magazines, gourmet coffee, etc. If you stopped buying these things, at least for a little while, you’ll notice a pretty sizable savings.

6. Stop traveling. If you travel several times a year, or even just once a year, you could save thousands by not traveling. Before last year, I didn’t travel for 7 years, and it didn’t hurt me one bit. You can relax and take a break from work without having to leave home, if you learn to enjoy yourself from where you are. I’m not saying you should never travel again, but if income is dropping, you might consider a moratorium for a year or two. Each trip can cost thousands, depending on how far and long you travel, so this is a huge potential savings for some people.

7. Slash entertaining/entertainment. Many people do a lot of entertaining — parties with friends, family or co-workers — and those expenses can really add up. Stop entertaining so much, or at least save money by making them potluck or during non-meal times when you can get away with serving appetizers. Similarly, if you spend a lot of money going out to entertainment — movies, theater, dining out, drinking, clubbing, etc. — you can curb this habit and save a lot of money. Learn that you don’t need to spend money to have fun!

8. Cut out all subscriptions. Each little subscription you have is a small-ticket item — a magazine subscription could be $15-25 a year, for example, and subscribing to an online service might only be $5-20 a month. But if you subscribe to 3 magazines, and 4 online services, and cut out one of your cell phone plans or cable TV subscription (if you don’t need one of those services), you could save $1,000 a year. Some people have even more subscriptions and can save thousands. Not much compared to some of the items above, but worth considering.

The search works by entering an artist, band, song or album title in the search form. Tonzr will search its database for matches and display them on search result pages. Only four ringtones are displayed per page which is the greatest weakness of the search engine. Each ringtone can be played directly on the search results page. It will play for 30 seconds and stop afterwards.

Tonzr provides the means to send the free ringtone to the cell phone in various ways including sending an sms containing the download link pointing to the mp3 ringtone, sending it as an mms or downloading the ringtone to the computer to transfer it from there to the cell phone.

The easiest way for most users will probably be to download ringtones to the computer first and transfer them to their cell phone from there. Currently the SMS and MMS options are only working with selected US carriers. Everyone else has to use the pc download option to download ringtones anyway at this moment in time.

Source: ghacks.net

Salons are one of many places consumers can try to haggle for a better deal.

BAY AREA (Bay News 9) — When most people think about haggling, they think of homes or used cars.

However, consumer experts say that, in tough economic times, price-tag negotiations don’t have to be limited to those big-ticket items.

Consumer trends expert Audrey Guskey says, these days, the stigma of bargaining as something done only by cheap people is fading.

“I would say every type of product is fair game,” she said. “There’s really not anything that you can’t bargain for.”

For instance, the mall is one place to try haggling. Guskey says, when asked, many managers will discount products up to 20 percent.

Another tip is to request the coupons reserved for the store’s best customers.

“You may not be a credit card customer of theirs, so you may not have the coupon, but a lot of times if you ask them, they’ll use it,” she said.

Shoppers can also save on services, such as trips to the salon, where they can ask for a discount on a manicure.

Phone companies may also provide cable and Internet services. People who use all three services from one provider should ask for a cut rate.

“I lowered my phone bill by at least $40 a month,” said consumer Heidi Berkley.

Even doctors may make a deal. Guskey says patients shouldn’t feel bad about bargaining on health care or cosmetic services not covered by your insurance.

“What does it hurt to say, ‘You know what, this is coming out of my pocket. Can you cut me a break? Is there a way I can get a discount?’” she said.

This tip worked for Sandi Hughes, who negotiated the price of giving birth before she had her daughter.

“I learned to look at bills like I was car shopping again,” she said. “This is the sticker price; it’s not necessarily what you have to pay. It’s what they are hoping you pay.”

Hughes talked her obstetrician’s price down from $3,000 to $1,9000. She also saved $500 on her anesthesiologist.

Finally, Guskey says consumers can also ask retailers to give them a discount of 15 to 20 percent if they buy a large quantity of one product. Or, buy a floor model or display sample – most managers will discount the last product if it is out of the packaging.

Overall, the cost of college textbooks has tripled since 1986, reports the federal Government Accountability Office, to about $900 a year per student. To save money, consider these options:

• Buy online. Compared to the on-campus bookstore, you can sometimes save at online bookstores such as www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. Also, comparison-shop at textbook-specific search engines such as www.cheapesttextbooks.com, www.booksprice.com, www.campusbooks.com and www.bigwords.com. You can search at those sites by the book’s title, author or ISBN number.
• Rent. Many students use their books for only one or two semesters, a fact that has prompted a growth in rental services such as www.chegg.com, www.bookrenter.com and www.campusbookrentals.com. Expect savings of 33 to 80 percent compared with buying the books new.
• Go electronic. Students who want to carry a light load—physically and economically—should check out websites such as www.coursesmart.com and www.cafescribe.com, which offer downloadable electronic versions of popular titles.