What can you do today to save money later?

Today I took my daughter to the dentist. She had a tooth that was bothering her. It turned out it was badly decayed. I guess failing to make getting to the dentist a priority is going to cost us because she is going to have a large filling in one tooth and the the other tooth they are going to have the take out all the pulp and fill it with a calcium substance before putting a large filling on that tooth too (it's a baby tooth). Then this afternoon I was working on a project I need to have done before Christmas. When I ordered some prints online, I ended up paying extra to have them done in one hour rather than waiting a week to ten days to have them sent to me.

In both of these circumstances, I realized that if I had been proactive, I could have saved. If I had gotten my daughter in for a regular check-up or at the least, when I first noticed the decay on her tooth, chances are it would have been a small filling. If I had gone online and ordered the prints I needed two weeks ago, I could have taken the cheaper option and had them shipped to me without fear that I wouldn't be able to complete my project on time.

What do you have in your life that if you accomplished it today, it will save you money in the long run? Post your suggestions for the rest of us to learn from!

Shop for the best deal

One of the best ways to save money when making a purchase or getting a service done is to shop around. When I had to get my windshield replaced I called 6 different businesses. They were all able to tell me over the phone what it would cost. There was a wide range. If I just went with the first company I called, I would have paid double what I got it done for. I even called a local shop and asked them if they could meet a competitor's price (that was farther from where I live) and they did adjust their price. It took me about an hour and a half to find the best deal on a new windshield.
There is a really neat site that has just been launched in Missoula, MT, called http://www.whocanhelp.com/ . This site allows you to put in whatever service or job you need done. Then, instead of you having to call providers to get quotes, they look at the jobs and give you a quote on what they would do it for. The other neat thing is that if you have a simple task that needs to be done, you can hire a handyman for a much lower rate than a professional to accomplish your task.
So, if you are in the Missoula area, check out http://www.whocanhelp.com/ .

I Wanted a Good Deal on a Stapler

This last week I did some shopping at Staples. I was struck with this thought: You have to study the way a store markets things to know how to get the best deals there. I was shopping for general office supplies. When I went to look for staplers, I went to a section where they had about 25 different ones to choose from. The cheapest one was $7.99. Since I wanted three, that seemed quite expensive to me. However, when pushing my cart through the aisles, I found a "dump bin" of staplers that included a normal size stapler, staple remover and box of staples for $3 by the packing materials. I don't know if it was a special purchase or what, but I liked the price! If I never had ventured away from the stapler section, I wouldn't have found the deal. Staples also has "dump bins" near the front with special purchase office supplies that they are selling at a good deal. I got many of the things I was looking for in that section for a dollar or two. My theory is that if you want a stapler, they want to sell you one at full price. However, they place the "dump bins" in places that you will impulse buy since it is such a good deal. So, I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to shop at Staples, I should plan time to quickly walk through the aisles before making my purchase. You will have to study each store to find where the deals are to be found. Each store is run differently. If you make friends with the clerks at the stores, you may be able to find out when things are typically marked down or put on clearance. So, take a few minutes next time you are out shopping to consider how the store you are shopping at markets it's goods to you.