Who Else Wants To Save Money? 88 Tips, Tricks, Tutorials

If my previous posts about saving money weren't enough for you, I've compiled a list of 88 ways to save money. Sure, some of these might seem obvious, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded once in a while.

The items are in no particular order of importance, but might be grouped by themes. (Apologies for any possible duplicate or similar items. I did my best to edit.) I've linked some items to other websites, including pfblogs (personal finance blogs). By doing so, understand that I am not necessarily endorsing them , nor have I necessarily tried out the linked-to services or products. I have, however, read most of the articles linked to.

Upon reading the first few items, you might think that I have a vegetarian agenda. Not true. I am a former vegetarian (because of personal health reasons). But food costs can often be the type that goes out of control in the monthly budget, since many others are usually the same each month. As well, eating properly means preserving your health, which in turn means avoiding expensive medical and health bills in the future.

(1) Look for jobs online.
Instead of buying a newspaper.

(2) Take advantage of credit card promos.
This includes cash back and free iPods. American Express. Discover Card - 5% cash back. $100 cash back or gift card, Bank of America iPod, AmeriTrade iPod [My Money Blog]. For general info about credit cards, see Credit Card Lowdown or Your Credit Advisor.

(3) Manage your credit card debt.
Pay off your credit cards with the highest interest rates first; pay your monthly balance off in time; pay off more than the minimum  monthly amount. All of these will save you something in terms of interest. Otherwise you end up desperate for credit [MSN Money] and should just bend over.

(4) Ditch your credit card and pay with cash.
Spend only that money which you actually have. What a radical idea.

(5) Buy and sell stocks less often.
Save on transaction fees.

(6) Don't buy a TV.
Instead, get a large computer screen and a TV capture box (PVR - personal video recorder) so that you can watch on your computer. You'll also save on electricity by not having both TV and computer turned on at the same time. If you record shows on your computer to watch later, you can often watch at a slightly faster speed, to save total viewing time. (Depends on your viewing software.)

(7) Don't buy a TV, part 2.
There are dozens of free video streaming sites online. There are even a few broadcast networks releasing TV shows free online, including NBC and CBS (United States). In some cases, you have to live within a certain geographical area to access content, but not always. You may have to watch commercials as part of the deal. If you're just looking for video content, a good place to start is by visiting YouTube. Or if you prefer to download video and watch it later, get the free Democracy Player. You can also find info about IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) at ItsMyTelevision.

(8) Get a voltage regulator.
If you have a lot of AC-based consumer electronics, use a voltage regulator to even out the amount of peak power you use at any time.

(9) Get a free iPod, MP3 player, or laptop.
There are legitimate programs online, but they do require you to get friends to sign up for the same programs. So this isn't for everyone. In some cases, you also have to spend a bit of money to sign up for certain promos, as will your friends.

(10) Download legitimate MP3 files.
Many official websites of musicians make a few songs per album available online. Download MP3 files from several of your faves, then burn your own mix CD using free music player software such as iTunes or Windows Media Player.

OSAWatch In Personal Finance Carnivals

I've submitted a number of articles from this site at several carnivals. As I get confirmation of acceptance, I'll be adding them to this list. So this list may change after you see it. In the spirit of such pf (personal finance) carnivals, please go pay the host a visit and check out the other articles in each carnival.

• Sep 17/06: Carnival of Personal Finance at Free Money Finance - Secrets to Spending Money.
• Sep 18/06: Carnival of Investing #40 at Consumerism Commentary - Finance Tips: Investing A Windfall.
• Sept 19/06: Festival of Frugality #40 at Blueprint For Financial Prosperity - Saving Advice: Save 10% In Hard Cash?.

Backing Up Your Financial Details

Jonathan at My Money Blog gives good advice about backing up important files, especially your financial detals. However, while he points to a free online service called Mozy, I'd seriously think twice before putting sensitive personal data online. While Mozy won PC Magazine's Editor's Choice award, and they claim to be secure, take it from someone who has been a computer programmer for nearly 30 years and a webmaster for 10. Simply put, don't do it!! [Nothing personal against you, Jonathan.]

Don't put your sensititve details anywhere online. But do backup your personal finance files, whether they be for your mortgage details, bank details, online savings accounts, etc. If you don't have a computer with a CD burner, get one. You can buy an inexpensive external CD-ROM burner, and blank CDs are so cheap these days. Burn a CD containing any personal and financial details that you want to preserve. Make 2 or 3 copies and date each one. Keep one copy at a home (preferably in a safe), another in a safe deposit box at a bank, and maybe send a third copy to someone you trust and whom is organized enough to keep your CDs in order.

Personal Finance Advice - Sat Sep 9/06

Fine Tuning Your Ing Direct Online Savings Account
Do you have an ING Direct online savings account? Did you know that you can actually set up "sub-accounts" to organize your money? Consumerism Commentary gives you the lowdown on how to set up ING Direct sub-accounts. These sub-accounts allow you to organize your funds. By the way, here's how to setup an online savings account, in case you don't have one. They're a great way to earn more than a half percent on your savings.

Tracking Your Monthly Expenses
Having trouble figuring out why your expenses are increasing? Doing an itemized monthly breakdown of expenses goes a long way to show you where the extra money is going, especially if you plot a chart for each item, by month. Consumerism Commentary has a couple of screen captures ofa financial balance spreadsheet: simple and complex. Madame X, at My Open Wallet, also talks about using spreadsheet software to track expenses, as well as a couple of accounting methods.

Accumulating (Almost) Free Money
Jonathan at My Money Blog talks about how he scores an extra $1500-300 in a year in sign-up bonuses (banks, credit cards), etc. While you probably can't do this every year, he talks about how, if you managed to find an extra $2000 each year and saved it, what it would add up to over 30 years. There are a few examples on his post as well. And in my experience, it's the person who has developed a frugal mindset who tends to notice these opportunities when they cross your path. People who are not in a savings frame of mind just don't pay attention.