katypaul
Some of these tips are misguided. If you transfer your balances from high interest cards to a new lower of 0% interest card you are risking your credit score. Opening new cards and transferring balances can make it plummet if you do it regularly. Same with department or specialty store only credit cards. Each new one you open is an automatic deduction of 5 points from your overall score. So it isn’t really worth it to save “15% on your first purchase� today and then work for years to rebuild your credit. Also, downloading movies and music for "free" online through a torrent like Limewire is illegal, also known as copyright infringement. They’ve been prosecuting a slew of people for that as of late, especially for the music. I’d rather shell out .99 per song on something like iTunes than risk paying huge fines, serving time in jail or being on probation. Or better yet, you can still listen to the radio or Pandora.com for free.

bosoxgirl609
My fiance and I have cut down a lot on spending. We used to go out 3 times a week and saw that it was adding up to over 500.00 a month! We save money by downloading movies on torrent downloading sites and playing them through his television. Even movies already out in the theatres. Sometimes people bring in camcorders into the theatre and tape the movie and upload it. It saves us about 25.00 rather than going to the theatre and they are decent quality. Hopefully we dont get caught! We also did away with our gym memberships, invested in good walking sneakers and walk around in our neighborhood rather than drive 15 mins to a gym. Sometimes I'll walk to his house (about a 5 mile walk) and he drives me home at night. It saves me on gas and I get in exercise! For entertainment, we go to parks and watch free concerts, walk around our city, play board games, etc. We are striving to save for 2011 so we can marry and move out!

Weedenmj
Well I already do these, except the space heater which can actually end up costing you more money if you have an open spaced house. I also clip coupons. Skip dry cleaning all together and never buy bottle water. Guess I wont be saving money. good adivce for the most part though

aurorapaisley
if you are on your cell phone call 1-800-GOOG-411. it's google 411 and it doesn't have any advertisements. this has saved me plenty. whenever i need direction to a store that i don't have the number for, i call GOOG411 get the number and bam, i have directions. so much easier and cheaper than checking the internet since i don't have a data plan.

Katrinalee48
You SHOULD buy premium gas, it may save you per gallon but you get better gas mileage using it so in the long run it's better.

dalm0m
I love the home dry clearning kits for in between dry cleaning on a suit that's not actually dirty. It's also fantastic for sweaters!

**Papps**
I work for an electric company in Oregon, and this answer is BOGUS! Those small space heaters are not cost effective, they actually increase your bill quite a bit. Just close doors into rooms your not using and put a towel to stop the drafts.

legsnmancub
Can you really call your credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate? I was under the impression you take what they give you! That is great aadvice. I will be doing that right away!! Thanks!!

therin_acean
Heaven Forbid I stop doing any of these things! I do ALL of them and it doesn't save me a dime. I don't know an American who isn't trying to save cash and who doesn't do these things. Nothing new here! I just wasted my time... and electricity reading this. If I didn't do all of this I couldn't feed my family. So much for 150 bucks in my pocket... it's in our tummies! And still in debt. The only one I don't do is the dry cleaning thing. I don't own anything nice enough to have a "Dry Clean Only" tag in it! LOL! So I feel like I REALLY cut the costs there lol!

ramy2008
While it is typically ok to not use premium, it really depends on the compression of your car's motor. In higher performance sports cars you will notice a difference, both in decreased performance as well as a knocking sound form the engine because of premature ignitions in the cylinders.

lauraw1
how about switching to compact flourescent lightbulbs (the twisted ones) from incandescent? This may cost more up front, but they use a fraction of the energy of standard lightbulbs and last way longer. If you plug things like TVs and computers into power strips and turn off the power strip when you're not using them it'll save lots of electricity (they still use electricity unless you do this or unplug them from the wall!). Also, keeping your thermostat warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter, even by a few degrees, will help a lot. Not only are these all good for your wallet, but they are all good for the environment too!

jenndzn
A great way to save money is to cut your cable bill completely. After the DTV switch, I bought an HD antenna at the local electronics store for $20, hooked it up and get all the channels I need and save myself the expense of a monthly bill.

zaogirlo5
These are so common sense...it is almost insulting.

april1_00@yahoo.com
Definitely agree with the water faucet filter as opposed to bottled water... MUCH cheaper and better for the environment since most people will just throw away the non- biodegradable plastic bottle instead of recycling it!!! And it is true... pumping gas in the cooler part of the day allows you to get more of the gas you're paying for due to it being denser when cooler! (ie on the way to work in the morning instead of after work in the afternoon in the hot part of the day when your car has been baking in the sun all day long)

april1_00@yahoo.com
Definitely agree with the water faucet filter as opposed to bottled water... MUCH cheaper and better for the environment since most people will just throw away the non- biodegradable plastic bottle instead of recycling it!!! And it is true... pumping gas in the cooler part of the day allows you to get more of the gas you're paying for due to it being denser when cooler! (ie on the way to work in the morning instead of after work in the afternoon in the hot part of the day when your car has been baking in the sun all day long)

danielle.ryan
Coupons. Seriously use coupons. We sometimes save 30$ a month on groceries. We will buy the Sunday paper when we are going grocery shopping to get the ads and coupons. Then I get the manufacturer ones and use the double the coupon ones at the local grocery store. It can be a pain, but totally worth it. Also, watch for sales. Don't just buy something because you have a coupon, buy what you need.

stiprulz
You can also use 1-800-Free-411 for directory assistance if you don't want to text. It's automated but very accurate. I have it saved in my contacts and use it any time I don't have access to a phone book.

cetk47
If you're late paying a bill, call the company and ask to have the late fee waived. I did that this month with a credit card bill and a store bill. Both waived the late fee without blinking an eye. I saved $70 in late fees.

Mrsk1020
I love the 'Dryel' Kit, works great!

beachlovers
Watch out for those extra 1.99 megabyte charges that Verizon Wireless charges for accidently hitting the internet button. What a rip off! If you are getting these charges, please launch a complaint to Verizon Wireless or your better business bureau.

hesiens
you can also dial 1-800-call-411 for free 411.

Blueglass
The best tip I have is for your cable company. I called them every six months and tell them that I am thinking about leaving them because they are to expensive. It never fails, Comcast gives me the best rate and I save $5-$20.00 a month on average with out having to give up my favorite HD channels. I also found that when I told my gym that their membership fees just to expensive (which they were), they also lowered my monthly fee by $20! I called my credit card company and said I have a great history of paying on time, what interest rate could they give me as a reward. They lowered it from 15% to 9.9% (not bad at all!) Instead of throwing away expensive pair of tennis shoes because they look old, I used Dawn Concentrated Dishwashing Liquid on them with a sponge and I couldn't believe my green shoes (from mowing the lawn) looked bright white again.

Blueglass
If you own a house, paying a crew to mow the lawn is very expensive. If you can have them mow it every other weekend, you are saving yourself huge amount of money. I find that I actually like doing it now, gets me outside in nature :)

Kicatai
Instead of calling and trying to reduce rates you can open a new credit card with a 0% interest for a year and transfer balances to the new card. You pay a small penalty, but it usually only adds up to one months interest on a card with 12.9 percent interest. Saves alot in finance charges!

Doodlebug7521
I had the same insurance company for 12 years (since I got my license!) but decided to shop around when my fiance and I realized how much we were going to be spending each month for our two vehicles and my mortgage. I checked with my bank and we are now saving $130 PER MONTH on our insurance rates. And it will be even more savings when we get married!!

dzablan@gmail.com
you can cut A BUNCH off of your cell phone bill by canceling your "Blackberry" plan, saves me $50/month!

cfcarrion
Text Google at "Googl"(46645). It's free and I get a response in seconds usually.

h2babe
I started ironing my husband's work shirts using a starch spray instead of getting them pressed at the cleaner. This saves me about $40/month. Now I only take winter coats and suits to the dry cleaner.

bksb
if you need 411...call 1-800-FREE-411...it takes a little longer but it works!

safernandez16
you also want to avoid pumping your gas while the gas truck is there filling the pumps as well. that stirs the fumes around and brings the gas thats sitting at the bottom flow freely

ditzydi_2000
The switching gas grades can be bad for some cars though. Check your owners manual before you use this suggestion.

rpetitti
Mrs. DewDew is right! I did that all summer and it worked. Also to add to it, fill up when you get to half a tank, having a full tank will leave less room for the gas to turn to vapor (fumes). Same reason you pump it slow.

Mrs.DewDew
Here are two other things that I HEARD work to get you more for your buck at the pump. NOTE: I haven't fact checked any of it but I've noticed a change in how often I have to fill up: 1. Go in the morning. I read something about the density diffence of cold vs warmer gasoline. In the end you get a higher volume of gas in your tank. 2. Pump SLOW! Pumps have a safety mechanism that pulls the vapors from your tank. The only problem is that if that gas has been allowed to settle it would have turned back in to gas. By pumping the gas slower you create fewer fumes and get all of the gas you paid for.

rosa_hdz_808
I agree with papiercherri

meww
to avoid dry cleaning, sometimes a cheap steamer can freshen up these items...especially if you are bad like me and don't hang them up right after wearing them.