Saving pennies means extra dollars for your lattes

It’s a sign of the time. Money is tight. Folks are cutting back to the bare bone essentials. I’m a firm believer in scaling back, but also believe that you still need to treat yourself to a few simple luxuries to stay happy. So if you need your daily latte, just learn to trim pennies elsewhere. Try a few of these effective tactics and sip away …

Bigger isn’t always better. Check the unit prices. Buy the smaller size package. It’s not uncommon for a supermarket or pharmacy to charge more for the supersized package. To find the best deal, check the unit price of an item before you purchase. You’ll be surprised to discover that the larger size bottle of laundry detergent or saline solution isn’t always your best bet. Rather than buy the large size bottle of saline solution, I could have ought 2 smaller bottles, saving $3. Being thrifty, I went bought generic version to save an additional $3. Grand total savings - $6.

Stick around for the refill. If you’re hanging out at Starbucks, and need a second cup of java. Don’t buy another cup. Ask for a refill. Most Starbucks give refills of brewed coffee or tea for 55-65 cents. $1.25 savings.

Ask for a better rate/discount. When my friend’s daily newspaper subscription increased $6, I had her call Customer Service and ask for a discount. The senior citizen discount reduced the bill by $2 (a small latte). When my friend selected to cancel, Customer Service dropped it another $2. Chia-Ching! $4 savings in total.

Drop Netflicks. Get your DVDs from the library. Netflick charges $4.99;On-Demand Cable movies run $4.50; the library charges $0 –it’s free. Net – Net, with $5 savings, you buy your latte and the scone.

Get the good deal. If you’re standing the aisle and wondering if the store sale really is a good deal, call 1-888-DO-FRUCALL (It’s Free). Type in the bar code number for the product. FRUCALL will tell you the range of prices that online retailers are currently selling the item.

Free Shipping isn’t really free. Retailers with a free shipping policy often charge higher prices. If you return the item, some retailers will charge you back for the original shipping costs. Be sure to check the return policy before you buy. When I was looking for winter boots, I noticed Zappos was selling the boots for $170, but the manufacturer’s website was selling the pair of boots on sale for $145 plus $9 shipping.


Be happy. Shop wisely.

Power of the Pennies

Restock your home office with back to school deals for a fraction of the price. "Tis the season for great office supply bargains for pennies on the Dollar at both Staples and OfficeMax. Whether you need to get school supplies for your kids, or restock your household with basic office supply items, start shopping the Staples 5 cent deals or Office Max's Power of the Penny Deals and save money! Sign up online for the weekly sales announcements so you can plan your shopping trips in advance. For maximum savings potential, plan to shop weekly; and shop for sale and/or clearance items only; and of course, buy only what you need.

Here's a quick summary of this week's Staples deals - You can get a 12-pack of Staples cap erasers, a 6″ plastic protractor, or two-pocket paper folders for a nickel each. You can also get a 10-pack of Zebra Cadoodles mechanical pencils FREE after Staples’ easy rebate! Easily, you save more than $5 dollars on these basic supplies. At Office Max, you'll need to buy one to get another like item for a penny. Deals include glue sticks, staples, children' scissors. In cases, Office Max requires you to purchase 2 items (e.g, post - its; sharpies, filler paper, etc.), in order to get the third item free.



Feeling generous? Buy extra of the weekly specials and donate the supplies to your local school, child's classroom or to a child in need of school supplies but who can't afford to buy their own.