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/ .

Playing Defense

Managing money well takes team effort. In our family, my husband plays offense when it comes to our finances. He is the wage earner and he works hard to make money. I see my job as primary spender to play defense. What does this entail? It means that I pay the bills (on time to avoid any penalties). It also means that I do my best to be savvy about getting the best deals. At least once a year it is good to check if you can get a better deal on your monthly bills. Check to be sure that you are still getting good insurance rates. Call your telephone company, cable company, and Internet provider to find out if they have any promotional deals you can take advantage of. Check out your cell plan and make sure you are not overbuying or under buying for the minutes/texts that you use. Sometimes just by calling and asking, they will offer you a better deal. I also try to play defense on the smaller purchases I make. When I go to the store I pay attention to when they ring up my purchases. In the past two days I have been overcharged at 3 of the 4 places I have made purchases. I was overcharged for colored pencils at Staples, toilet paper at WalMart and pizza at Papa Murphy's. Each time I had to wait for the employee to verify the price before they corrected it for me. Though kind, none of the employees were apologetic about overcharging me. Though it is time consuming, for me it is a matter of principle. I believe that when stores have prices posted, things need to ring up right. Make sure if you are doing well on offense (making money) that you also play good defense (stretch those dollars).