More penny-pinched people are turning to garage sales to bring in some extra money — and clear out the clutter. A story in the Los Angeles times offers tips for both buyers and sellers.
Looking for garage sales in the Wichita area? Be among the first to find out what sales are planned by signing up for The Eagle’s free garage sale e-newsletter. It goes out on Wednesdays and includes all the garage sale ads that will appear in Thursday’s paper. Sign up here.
When money’s tight, gift-giving is challenging. Personally, I have been invited to five showers and three weddings already this spring and summer. Even purchasing a small gift to give at each event would add up to quite a chunk of change.
A Los Angeles Times advice column addresses whether it’s wrong to ask friends to buy you gifts if you know they’re in the midst of a difficult financial situation. It also offers some creative ideas for alternative gift requests that might be more affordable. Here are some of mine to add to the mix:
Do you have other tips or ideas? Please post them in a comment.
My friend Nicole was shopping at a Wichita discount retail store recently and was admiring a handbag. An employee walked by and noticed the scenario. Nicole asked her how much the bag was. “$12,” the woman told her. A short time later, it came to their attention that the bag actually had a $20 sticker on it. “Would you buy it if it was $12?” the woman asked my friend. That evening, Nicole was sporting a brand new bag that she snagged for 40 percent off.
This might not be the typical negotiation process underway at retail stores nationwide, but negotiating is a tip the Washington Post offers when it comes to looking great during a recession. Check out their other tips, which may challenge you to shop outside of your comfort zone.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling this week put out a press release with these 10 tips to help consumers get their finances in order:
When considering your investment risk, you may be willing to accept a 15 percent loss. But if you think about it in terms of a dollar loss — $45,000, for example — are you still OK with taking that gamble?
That’s one of the helpful tips in a Washington Post article that challenges readers to adopt new guidelines for smart investing.
Those looking to cut unnecessary spending from their budgets likely have considered getting rid of cable TV altogether. The San Jose Mercury News raises a few questions you should ask yourself first, including:
The bottom line is making a decision that’ll save you money … not one that will force you to incur unexpected costs.
Husbands and wives would like to share many things, perhaps, but the experience of being laid off — especially when it’s at the same time — isn’t one of them. An article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel addresses this unfortunate phenomenon, providing helpful tips such as “Agree to take turns being the more supportive and optimistic partner”. In down times, it’s important to manage your emotions as well as your money, experts say.
The “Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempert offers on his Web site recipes, tips and ideas to save money on groceries.
A recent article combines some of his suggestions with those from chefs and retailers. Check out one of the tips that I found most helpful:
Find inexpensive recipe ideas from Pampered Chef (their featured recipes cost about $2 per serving) and USDA, which offers a function in which you can search for affordable recipes that cost any amount per serving or total recipe. (A recent search surfaced 408 recipes that cost less than $2 per serving.)
The tight economy may find you with less money in your checking account and a higher risk of bouncing a check.
Avoid this problem by working with your bank to ensure that money in your savings account will cover any budget blunder that otherwise would slap you with $30 overdraft fees.
Ask your bank if they will provide this service for free. Even if there’s a small fee involved, the service may be worth considering if you’re prone to this problem.
Speaking of banks, now is a good time to shop around. A competing bank may offer free checking, a better interest rate on a savings account or other perk that the bank you’ve been using doesn’t.
I received a press release this week about the new book “Mom-in-Chief: How Wisdom from the Workplace Can Save Your Family from Chaos” by Jamie Woolf ($22.95).
The book addresses talking about the economy and the tough financial environment with your kids. Woolf, according to the press release, shares this advice: “Pretend your kids are anxious employees and take a cue from the communication tactics used by smart bosses.”
It goes on to provide these specific tips:
Read more on Woolf’s Web site, where you can find a blog, Parent Leader Assessment Quiz, sign up for her Parent Leader newsletter and more.
Do you have any other tried-and-true tips? Please click on “comments” to share them.