It never hurts to ask...

The first week of December I was cooking a turkey. I put my meat thermometer in to see if it was done and while it was in the oven, the glass on the thermometer exploded. My normal course of action would be to throw it away and add it to my grocery list of things to buy. Before doing that, I decided to contact the manufacturer and see if they would replace it. My thermometer was made by OXO. So, I contacted the customer service by email. I soon received an email from them stating that "OXO has a satisfaction guarantee policy" on all their products. They then directed me to their website to find the item that best resembled the one I had break. The FedEx man just arrived with my new meat thermometer today. I appreciate that they stand behind their products and will definitely buy their stuff in the future. The effort of contacting the manufacturer also saved me the $12 of buying a new thermometer. So,when you have something break, check to see if there is a warranty on it or check with the manufacturer to see if they will replace it....it just might save you some money!

Do your own "grunt work"

Right before we were leaving to visit my husband's family for Christmas, we discovered that the sewage line from our garage was blocked. We had thought it had frozen I will spare you the gross details, but we called out a plumber who discovered the blocked pipe and discussed with my husband what we needed to do. We turned off the water to the garage and left for Christmas. When we got home, we called the plumber to figure out when he could come and fix the pipes for us. We tend to be "do-it-yourselfers," but this was something we felt we needed professional help with. The plumber estimated it would cost $300 to access and fix the pipes and drill another hole in our septic tank. Once we knew when he could come, we let him know we would have it all dug up. So, we took an hour and dug up the two pipes that he indicated we needed to access. Then when he came, I was available to run to ACE Hardware when we the plumber needed extra parts. When all was said and done, because we did our own "grunt work" of digging up the lines and being available to run to the store to get the necessary parts, we were able to save $150.

Just Ask!

I received a statement from the bank with a $8 maintenance fee for last month for our business account. We have had the account for over 6 years and I honestly didn't remember what the minimum balance I was required to have to avoid fees was. In finishing up the end of year expenses that needed to go on this tax year, I let the balance drop lower than usual. Hating extra fees, I put in a quick call to the bank to find out if there was "grace" for this happening one time in over six years? The gal at the bank was happy to reverse the charge for me. She also told me that since it was over the end of the month, I would have the same charge for January too, and to just give her a call and she would reverse that charge as well. She went on to tell me how much they appreciated that we had been customers for many years with them and asked if there was anything else I needed help with. I appreciated their being willing to reverse the charge and I also appreciate the great customer service I received. So, if you end up with extra fees, give a call and see if the company is willing to reverse them for you. Thankfully, I got to talk to a real person right away and the call took less than five minutes.

Save on Medical Costs

My son broke three bones in his foot when he jumped down some stairs. When we began this medical journey, we knew we needed to do all we could to cut costs while getting him the help he needed.

We were told he needed a CT scan because one of the bones had been broken right by the growth plate and near the joint in his toe. We were told it was going to cost $1200-$1500 to have the scan done in the city where our doctor's office was. My husband called a couple of the hospitals in nearby towns. One hospital quoted us $980 and the other hospital quoted us $750. We had the CT scan done for $750 at a hospital that was newly remodelled and had state of the art equipment. The CT scan was top quality. The doctor said it even had additional views that the $1200-$1500 scan typically doesn't have.

The next area we were able to save was in buying our own walking boot. After being in a normal cast for a month, we were told my son needed to wear a walking boot for a month. We talked with the doctor and asked about bringing our own boot. That was fine with her. So I called the gal who was in charge of all the medical equipment at the doctor's office to find out what to look for. She was very kind and gave me pointers on what to look for and also a quote on what a boot would cost if we got it from them. She said it was $160, but if we paid directly instead of running it through our insurance, we could get a 35% discount. As you can see from the picture, the boots isn't that special, so it seemed quite expensive to me. So, I looked online. I found I could buy a new one for $80-$100. Then, I posted a wanted ad on www.craigslist.org hoping to buy a used one. A gal contacted me and she had one but it was a larger size than my son needed. However, we still got that boot from her and he wore it over his normal cast when he was out in the snow. She told me she had gotten it second hand from a thrift store. That was not a place I had thought to look. That evening I sent a message to a friend who works at a local thrift store. I asked her if they got medical equipment in and explained what I was looking for. She said they got medical equipment in all the time because people often use it for a very short time and then have no need for it. I went to the thrift store she works at and they had a boot that fit my son perfectly. It didn't even look like it had been used. It had the instruction manual inside and an extra cushion with it. It cost $1! I was amazed and incredibly blessed!

When it comes to medical issues, the costs can be outrageous. You can take the easy road and just do whatever the doctor or the office suggests or you can be pro-active and see if you can't reduce those costs a bit. I would never want to cut costs if it meant inferior care. In our case, we were able to save a significant amount of money on the CT scan and they did a great job. And as for the boot, every time I see it, it makes me smile...because I love a bargain!

And, if anyone needs a short walking boot(size medium), I have one to give away. And in another two weeks, I'll have a tall walking boot (size small)...that is now in used shape.

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.

Use coupon codes when buying online

Today I made a purchase online. Several hours later I realized hadn't checked to see if there were any coupon codes for the merchant I made the purchase from. You can save significantly by taking that little step. All you have to do is type in the name of the vendor and coupon code. If I was going to buy something from Amazon I would type in "Amazon coupon codes." I could then look through the list and see if there were any that applied to my purchase. Sometimes the discount available is free shipping, other times it is a % off your purchase, or sometimes you get a certain dollar amount off. Some companies have special discounts if you are a new customer and other coupon codes you can use over and over again.

Speaking of online purchases, I will remind you to check out www.slickdeals.net . They have a great list of deals that are available online. They often will list deals with the coupon code needed to get a great deal. Several weeks ago I was able to get a 4 year subscription to a magazine for $4.40 (That's $1.20 a year!!!). It's retail value is $3.99 an issue. Prior to reading about the deal I could get at www.slickdeals.net, the cheapest I had seen the magazine was $10 a year.

Stack those deals

It's a good time to stack deals. It takes a little time to get all your coupons in order, but you will save more. Tomorrow we have a cereal sale at one of our two local grocery stores. They have boxes of cereal on sale for $1.68. I went to safeway.com (go to Coupon link...you can use those coupons at other stores unless they specify they can only be used at Safeway) and coupons.com, and printed off coupons for cereal. You will have to download a little program that allows you to print the coupons. Then go through the list of coupons and select the ones you want and print them off. You can go back to the site and keep printing coupons if you want to buy more than one box of a particular kind of cereal until you reach the limit set for each coupon. The extra $.50-$.75 cents off a box makes for a great buy on cereal. So take a few minutes and collect some coupons before heading off to a sale to save even more.

Buying sale items

Yesterday I had a few items I needed to pick up at the grocery store. I was again struck by how much you can save if you simply buy items that are on a good sale. Some people carry a price book and keep track of when the prices are cheapest on an item. I haven't ever maintained one long term. However, I do know what a good price is for the items that I use often. The item I needed yesterday was hot dog buns. Because I hadn't picked up more when they were on sale earlier in the summer I was stuck paying full price.

What do I mean by good price? I mean buying when an item is at it's cheapest or significantly cheaper than it usually is. I don't usually bother with sales when an item is only discounted a very small percentage. This week Whipped Topping is on sale at one of the two grocery stores we have here. The sale price is $.88. The regular price is $1.76. (That is half off the regular price!) Because I use Whipped Topping when I make coconut or banana cream pies or no-bake cheesecake, I bought five containers. I used one on a banana cream pie right away and froze the other four. When I go to make one of those desserts, I will be able to make it for quite a bit cheaper because I had the foresight to buy my ingredients on sale.

So keep an eye out for those good deals and stock up when you can. It will save you big in the long run!

You have to try Pomona's Universal Pectin

Our family really enjoys homemade jam. One thing I have never liked about making jam is the large amount of sugar that you use. I have tried the low sugar or no sugar version of the Pectin available at most stores and I didn't care for the taste or texture. This year a friend told me about Pomona's Universal Pectin. It uses 4 cups of fruit and 2 cups of sugar per batch of jam. I made cherry jam (with pie cherries). It was so well liked that our family consumed the whole jar of jam in one meal. The pectin appears to be quite expensive ($4.65 at our local health food store), but each box makes several batches of jam so it ends up being cheaper than the other boxes of pectin. It has such a fresh fruity flavor. I am using Pomona's Universal Pectin now whenever I make jam. Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

Compare prices before buying

It really pays to call around and check prices before making a purchase. We need a new windshield for our Honda CR-V. I called 7 companies within an hour drive of where we live. It took about 15 minutes. The highest priced one was $259; the cheapest one was $165. The one for $165 is an hour away. The best price I could get locally at Glass Doctor was $199. So, armed with the information I had gathered, I called Glass Doctor and asked if they could match the best price I was quoted. They checked and the best deal they could give me was $185. One benefit of going with them is they offer free rock chip repairs for a year. In the end I decided to go with my local company...and I got a better deal just by asking.

Taking advantage of coupons

I have to say I have not consistently been able to save much using coupons. Sometimes one of the grocery stores in the area will have great coupons, or there will be coupons in the store by a certain product that I have at times been able to take advantage of.

This week, however I was able to do quite well with coupons. Safeway.com now has coupons available on their site. They have both store coupons (which you have to use at Safeway) and manufacturer coupons (which you can use anywhere). The other place I got coupons was from kraftfoods.com . You have to set up an account, but then you can print off coupons. The thing I liked this week was that they had coupons for things I use and they were for a $1 off! For instance, they have coupons for a $1 off of Kraft BBQ sauce. Because that is on sale this week at two stores that I know of, I was able to get it for free. Anybody else like free? :) They also had $1 off coupons for Triscuit crackers, Wheat Thins and Ritz crackers, Miracle Whip, and Kraft salad dressing. By using those coupons when they had a good sale at Albertsons, I was able to get the Triscuits and Wheat Thins for $.47 a box and Ritz crackers for $.99 a box.

Great coupons like this aren't always available. So, if they are things you use or want to donate to a food bank, print them off and watch for a great sale.

Case in point...

So have you entered any drawings? Brianna did on Saturday at the Trade Show and her name was drawn for a movie bowl. It was a nice big bowl filled with 2 movies and all kinds of snacks. She was thrilled!

You can't win if you don't enter

Today is an exciting day. There is a gal coming down from Kalispell to template my bathroom. Three weeks ago my sister and I went to a building and home show in Kalispell. One of the vendors there had a drawing for a free granite counter top. I entered the drawing and won! The owner is coming to template our bathroom. Then we get to choose what kind of granite we want. They will fabricate it and come and install the new counter top. When there are free drawings to enter, take a minute and fill out a card. I know the odds aren't great that you will win when you enter drawings, but hey, you can't win if you don't enter.

Pick up those coupons

About a week ago I was at one of our two local grocery stores. As I was walking through I noticed that they had one stack of coupons on the side of the cooler for meats. I had never seen anything there before, so I stopped to check out what the coupons were for. They were buy one get one free for Bistro Naturals sausages or hot dogs. It looks like maybe they are introducing a new product and are offering coupons to encourage you to try them. Finding hot dogs and sausages that don't have nitrates and are made from meat that is not mechanically separated and yet economical is not always easy, so this looked like a bargain to me! This is not the time you take one coupon, you check the expiration date (4/30/09) and ask yourself how many you could use. Honestly, I took all that was left and gave some to a friend. I bought four packages to try them out. There is no use in stocking up on them if we don't like them. Well, we did like them so the next time I was at that store I checked and they had some packages marked 50 cents off because they were within one week of their sell by date. So, I bought all 10 packages they had marked down and used my coupons. I brought them home and put them in the freezer and we'll enjoy them on the BBQ this summer. I got those 12 ounce packages of sausages for not the full price of $3.29, but buy one get one free, plus the $.50 off because it was near the sell by date, for $1.15! Now that is a deal!

When you see coupons while you are shopping, they may not be a great deal that day, but if it is something you use, pick up a coupon (or two or three) because it might become a better deal later. Our grocery store also had coupons for $1.50 off a package of Oreo's if you buy a gallon of milk. It wasn't a great deal this week. But if Oreo's go on sale and I need milk anyway, it could be a good deal in the weeks to come.

I don't use coupons for lots of things, but this time, I think I saved big.

Watch the size on packages

Today we were at our local grocery store. They had a big display of pop. They were on sale for $4.99 for a case of Coke. My husband noticed that there weren't 24 in a case anymore. They now have 20 cans in a case. So, the price hasn't changed, but you are getting less for your money. So check out not only the price, but the quantity/size you are buying.

It always pays to ask

I don't always read things as closely as I should. We received an email from Choice
Privileges stating that if you stayed at one of their motels during a certain time frame on two separate occasions, you could earn a free night stay. Because we had plans that included needing a motel, I thought this was great. However, when I went to check to see if they had awarded us those bonus points today, they weren't there. So, I clicked on the promotion link and read all of the details (which I should have done at the start) and found out that to get that free night, you had to book your stays through choiceprivileges.com . Oops! I then sent an email to their customer service asking if there was anyway I could receive credit for those two stays and earn my free night. I received a very nice email back from them a few hours later letting me know that as a one-time courtesy they would award me those bonus points. The two lessons I learned were:
1. Read the fine print. It will save you from having to ask for special help later.
2. It never hurts to ask. Since they said yes, I have a free hotel night (value approximately $85). If they had said no, I would have only lost the 5 minutes I took to write the email.

Go scouting!

This past Saturday my children had a party to attend, so my husband and I took the opportunity to scout the area. We have lived in this area for a year and a half and there were many stores we had driven by and never stopped at. We visited pawn shops, second hand stores and normal retail stores By taking the time to visit eight stores we hadn't been in before and three that we hadn't been to for some time, we got a better idea of what is available to purchase here. We didn't spend much...just bought a set of pruning shears on sale at Home Hardware for $7.99 and went out to lunch at the new Mexican restaurant in Ronan. The thing of value that we acquired in that afternoon was the knowledge on where to get things And yes, there's at least one of those second hand stores I won't be going back to because it stunk....literally!

How about some spring organizing?

How about some spring organizing?

There have been a couple of things that I thought I needed this week only to find out I already have them. My son was sick and I ran to WalMart and bought some medicine. Later when looking through my cupboard, I found I already had a brand new box of medicine...ooops. I also thought I needed more black socks. However, when I was cleaning out my closet, I found that I had stashed some pairs up there last summer (because they have wool in them). I had forgotten that I hadn't pulled them all down. Now that I "found" more black socks, I won't need to go buy some.

So, along with that spring cleaning I know you are all working on, do some organizing. Knowing what you already have can save you!