Money to save
Utilities, groceries and school supplies are not as exciting as restaurant meals, transit cars and exotic trips. Even when jobs are not scarce and the economy is doing well, saving money is a good idea because it allows you to spend less on the things you need so you can buy more of the luxuries you want.
Haggling
Negotiating for a better price is no longer something you do just at swap meets. It works for everything from department store merchandise to monthly services such as cable television. If you find this process uncomfortable, think about the potential savings and practice first with a friend. Remember that the worst thing that can happen is the vendor will say "no."
Always be patient and pleasant when trying to bargain. Think of it is a game with potential rewards rather than a competitive sport that you have to win. Begin by asking the merchant whether he can do better on the price. Sometimes, this is all that is needed for a reduction. If you can, pay cash, which saves the seller on credit card charges. Bargaining for retail goods can be more effective when done at the end of the week or the month, which is when a store might have sales quotas to fulfill or needs to clear inventory for new merchandise.
For services, it helps to bring up an ad for information about a competing service that is trying to get your business. Point out that although you really like your current provider, money is an issue and will cause you to switch. Try bargaining with the sales department, rather than customer service. The former has incentives for gaining or keeping customers, while the latter simply wants to get you offline quickly to tend to other customers.
Adjust Taxes
Though the taxes you pay to the government are fixed, you can control the amount withheld from your paycheck by increasing your deductions on your W-4 form. This is especially beneficial if you receive a large tax refund every year. You want your refund to be as close to zero as possible so your money goes into your pocket every month rather than at the end of the year. If necessary, contact your personnel department or company accountant for help in adjusting this amount.
Pay Yourself
If you want to set aside cash for a vacation or a rainy day fund, the easiest way is to treat these goals as bills that you must pay into every month. First, set up a separate bank account for each goal. Then, if your workplace has direct deposit, automatically pay a certain part of each paycheck into each account. The deduction is painless because you never see the money to begin with.
Another method is to charge yourself a savings tax for each purchase you make. If you charge yourself 10 percent, for example, you can put $1 away for every $10 that you spend. If needed for each goal, create a savings envelope or jar into which you can drop the money. At the end of each week or month, transfer the envelope contents to one of your accounts.
Tags: rather than, better price, charge yourself, each goal, every month, week month