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/ .

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.

Join the Polson Freecycle group!

Breaking news...Freecycle has come to Polson, Montana! So what is Freecycle(TM)? It is a group that is open to everyone who wants to "recycle" that special something rather than throw it away. Whether it's a couch, a fax machine, your perishables before you go on vacation, piano or an old door, feel free to post it. The one main rule is everything posted must be free. This group is part of The Freecycle Network, a nonprofit organization and a movement of people interested in keeping good stuff out of landfills. When you are part of the group, you get emails (either individual ones or a digest for the day) of the things that other people have to give away. You can contact the person by email and they choose who they would like to give their item to. If you are chosen, you make arrangements with that individual to get the item. This is a great site because it allows you to clear out those closets or garages of things you don't need and pass it one to someone who can use it!

You can enter your email address below to join the Polson Freecycle group. You do have to have a Yahoo! profile which you can quickly set up.

Subscribe to PolsonFC

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Essential websites for the bargain hunter - Craigslist

If you are looking to sell/buy something, you should check out http://www.craigslist.org/ . You select the area you live in (in my case, the state) It is a great website where you can browse items you are looking for. Items are broken down into categories which makes for quicker searching. You can also list items to sell. The beauty of it is, it is free to use. To list an item, you post it (you can include pictures), then you confirm an email that is sent to you, that the ad is the way you want and it is posted.

I have made two purchases off of Craigslist. The first was a worm factory. My children were interested in buying a worm factory which you use to recycle your food scraps (not meat). I posted a wanted ad on http://montana.craigslist.org/ and a gentleman in Missoula contacted me and we were able to buy it for half the price of new. They lived in Huson, but his wife met me in Missoula and we were able to complete the deal. The other thing I bought off of http://montana.craigslist.org/ was a package of carpet pad. When we were having new carpet put in upstairs, I saw that a man in Florence had posted a package of new carpet pad. He had purchased carpet pad for his whole house and had an extra package that hadn't even been opened. I was able to purchase it from him for and save a couple of dollars per yard off the new price.

Of course, it is always good to check if you are getting a good deal. When I bought the carpet pad I had to research how much carpet pad there is in a new package (the seller did not know) and what it goes for other places to determine if I was getting a good deal. Right now I am watching for deer fencing to go around a garden I would like to put in next summer. Someone had listed some deer fencing. The price that they were asking was more than I could purchase it new at Ace...so be savvy!

Essential websites for the bargain hunter - slickdeals.net

As a bargain hunter who loves to find a great deal, I would like to review some of the websites that I have found to be very useful. http://www.slickdeals.net/ is a community of bargain hunters that post their best finds on the Internet. The site is well designed and easy to navigate.

On the http://www.slickdeals.net/ home page they list the price of the item, any applicable coupon codes, and what the shipping charges are. These great deals are in a long list (not put in categories) . When a deal is no longer available, they note that the deal has expired.

There is also a list of coupons codes that you can use when you are making a purchase at stores on the Internet. You can search the coupons alphabetically by the store name, by whether they are new or expiring, or by subject (apparel, technology, or others).

There are also forums to read on a whole host of subjects relating to getting deals (ie. coupons, freebies, rebates), a blog, and a whole list of tools.

The tools they currently have listed are slickdeals mobile, Amazon fillers, credit card deals, price lookup, global search, store ratings, and product reviews. Slickdeals Mobile allows you to get alerts that are formatted for your cell phone. Amazon fillers is great because Amazon often offers free shipping if you spend a certain dollar amount. These fillers help you find something the amount you need to get that free shipping. They also have an extensive list of credit cards with rewards...but I personally don't use or promote credit cards. The price listing allows you to enter the product you are looking for and it will give you the price from various online merchants. The global search...There is also a list of Store ratings. Before buying from a retailer, you can see what others have experienced when they worked with them. There is also a whole section of product reviews, so when you are considering a purchase, you can read reviews from others who have purchased that exact item.

Do I really need that?

It's January and there are bargains to be had. The question to consider...is that item I am looking at buying going to improve my life? I have been checking out http://www.slickdeals.net/ most days. They have a list of great deals that is constantly updated. However, I almost never need any of those things...they don't sell groceries! So if I buy things I don't need, just because I can save a lot off the list price, is it a good deal? Obviously not. It's no bargain to have to manage stuff you don't use or need! However, if I happen to see items on there that I have been watching for and can get a really good deal...now that is bargain shopping.