Cold or dreary weather, holiday pounds to lose, post-Christmas doldrums…what is there to like about January?  The savings.  Smart Mr. Cheap Stuff readers know this month is an excellent time for finding bargains.  If you’ve been following our previous advice then you’ve held off on your post-holiday shopping because there weren’t as many markdowns in late December.  So bundle up and get ready to shop now!   Try these seven strategies for January savings:

-Don’t re-gift it, re-sell it.  If you received unwanted items for Christmas and you couldn’t return them, unload them on eBay or Craigslist and pocket some cash.  Or donate the cash to a worthy charity and keep records for next year’s taxes.

-Try Target this month.  They started a new sales promotion called The Great Save.  It’s primarily an in-store event (although some items are also available online) and the idea is to feature various products priced as low as you would pay in a warehouse club such as Costco or BJ’s, but without membership fees or ID cards.  The Great Save runs through February 21st at about 1,000 of Target’s 1,740 stores.  All of the featured items are located in one central area of the store so they will be easy to find.  Items range from bulk-packaged stuff such as paper towels, to designer brand fashion and accessories.

-Get crafty.  All those holiday craft and decorating supplies are on clearance now at your favorite hobby and fabric stores.  Stock up on fabrics, ribbon, silk flowers, baskets and more, plus wrapping supplies as well.  Score big savings and store them away for next time.  Or start some new craft projects to keep you busy during the winter.

-Snack up.  Give yourself (or others) a gift of a delicious holiday basket or gourmet candy and other treats, marked down cheap.  Try stores such as Crate and Barrel, Williams Sonoma, or Amazon.
 
-Fix it.  With the holidays over you may have more time on your hands, especially if you live in a climate where it’s too cold to do much outside.  Look for tools on clearance this month; try our online coupons for Tool King and Ace Hardware or visit your local Home Depot or Lowe’s, and catch up on all your home projects this winter.

-Scoop up holiday-packaged items.  Things like body lotion, soap and candy are specially packaged in Christmas-themed boxes and wrappers; in January the prices are slashed just because of the holiday packaging even though they are the same products on the inside.

-Scent it.  Prices are slashed at stores such as Bath and Body Works and Yankee Candle, so now is a great time to stock up on your favorite scents.  Prices likely will be cheapest for holiday and winter scents such as bayberry.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

College is expensive but hopefully with these tips you can get the most bang for your buck.  Feel free to leave a comment on your own college money savings tips.

1. Get a free checking and savings account.  Many banks offer “student” accounts that don’t charge the fees that some other accounts have. Look for free online banking and bill paying.
 
2. Always keep your check register with you, to track your balance and make sure to avoid overdraft fees, which happen when you don’t have enough in the account to cover your checks.  A lot of banks also offer mobile phone websites or apps, so you can bank from anywhere.
 
3.  Empty your pockets and save that spare change.  Count it yourself…come on, you’re in college…not as if you need to pay for those coin-counting machines.
 
4. Don’t drink. That’s a surefire way to flush your money down the drain.
 
5. If you decide to drink anyway, buy the cheap brands.
 
6. Take advantage of specials at college bars and dance clubs.  If you don’t have to get up early for class the next day, you can to go out on a weeknight and enjoy lower prices then, too.
 
7. Other people’s parties – be there.
 
8. When you go out, don’t bring your whole wallet or purse.  Ration out a small amount of cash to limit your spending.
 
9. Why buy new?  Before you shell out for a textbook, borrow one if possible.
 
10. If you can’t borrow, buy used college textbooks.  Try Amazon or Barnes and Noble online.
 
11.  Cheap college food in two words: ramen noodles.  If you can afford it, thrown in some vegetables and/or meat, and you have a complete meal.

12. Take advantage of your campus meal plan – eat at the college cafeteria, or if you have a declining cash balance plan, make sure you use up those dollars at approved dining locations; some schools don’t allow you to carry over dining dollars to the next year.

13. Save $2,000 during your college career by brewing your own coffee.  Buy a decent coffee maker or ask for one for as a gift.

14. Skip the fast food and late night take-out. Keep healthy, affordable snacks in your dorm room or apartment – cheese, whole wheat bread, instant oatmeal, peanut butter and fruit are all good choices.

15. Avoid high-end gourmet markets; find out where the poor people shop, such as discount groceries.  Don’t forget to clip coupons, too.??

16. For a date, kick your roommates out for the evening, and prepare a simple candlelight meal.

17. If you’re buying a computer, save by shopping the student specials; discounts, rebates and back to school specials. Apple Computer offers student discounts and rebates to students and teachers.  And many schools negotiate special deals with manufacturers; check with your college store or the college IT department.

18. Forget about the TV; just watch cable television through your computer. Make sure your desktop or laptop has a DVD/CD player and you can also watch your favorite movies.

19. You also don’t need a stereo.  Get a good set of computer speakers, preferably with a separate woofer to boost the bass.  Then play away from your iTunes music library.

20. Why pay high movie ticket prices?  Take advantage of your flexible schedule and hit the weekday matinee showings, which are cheaper. Also look for free movies on campus.

21. Offer your services as a tutor. Pick your best one or two subjects.  Try posting your services on Craigslist.

22. It costs little or nothing to enjoy a picnic, a long walk, flying a kite, a pick up game of basketball, soccer or football, a card game or reading a good book which you can find in your college library.

23. Check your college paper and local websites for free upcoming events such as concerts, arts and crafts fairs, theater, festivals, art galleries, and museums.

24. Living on an upper floor will typically keep you warmer in the winter, but it’ll get hotter in the summer. If you go to school in a region where winters are longer then upper floors are smart, otherwise live low.

25. When it’s time to head home, check Amtrak or Greyhound for student discounts.

Dean writes:

Being broke in college brings back fond memories.  It also makes me realize I’m getting older.  Here are some of my personal favorite money saving tips from college

• I never did this but I have heard of people scanning text books so they don’t have to buy them.
• Always try to carry with you a nice reusable water bottle so you don’t get tempted to buy soft drinks or bottled water.
• House or dorm parties are a lot cheaper than going to the club.
• Try going to discounted college theater play or sports game for a cheap date.
• Sport drinks are nice after working out but so is water.  Buy a water filter and use it.
• Your college ID probably gets your deals at restaurants so use them to cheap meals.

Photo Credit via Flickr

1.  The obvious one: drive less by walking, carpooling, bicycling or taking public transit.  Google Maps has an excellent map that makes using mass transit simple and easy.

2.  If you have to drive, see if you can combine trips, e.g. run your errands on the way home from work.  You can also time your trips during off-peak times to avoid traffic to help you save time and money.

3.  Get the junk from the trunk – your vehicle uses more gas with the extra weight.  Clean out the car and take out all the stuff you don’t need.

4.  Check and maintain proper tire inflation according to manufacturer specifications.  A tire pressure gauge only costs a few bucks but will save you a lot of money if you maintain the right tire pressure. 

5.  Plan your trip for best combination of: shortest distance and minimum traffic congestion.  It could be worth a slightly longer route, though, if the shortest route is heavily jammed.  Go to Google Maps, input your location and click the box for "Traffic" to see current traffic conditions.

6. Go with the flow – although you want to avoid traffic jams, a freely moving flow of traffic on a highway is better for you gas-wise than an empty road.  That’s because the traffic flow creates an aerodynamic wind current.

7. Choose the smoothest roads for the least rolling resistance and less gas usage.

8. Go with good weather, when you can.  Driving in rain and snow increases your vehicle’s aerodynamic resistance and lowers your mileage.

9. Close your sunroof at higher speeds.  Certain styles of sunroofs, when open, greatly increase drag.

10. Also, at higher speeds, keep your windows closed to reduce drag.  Even running your air conditioner (windows closed) may be more fuel-efficient than open windows at 55 mph.

11. Know fuel efficient braking techniques – coast in neutral when you can, to slow down before you brake.  But only do this when it’s safe, depending on traffic conditions.

12. When you can, avoid braking at all, by adjusting your speed to follow the traffic flow and take advantage of green lights.  Again, you’ll have to adapt to traffic conditions and safety.

13. Barefootin’ – believe it or not, you can save gas by removing your shoes and driving in socks or bare feet.  This increases your sensitivity to use the accelerator and brakes at maximum efficiency.

14.  Avoid parallel parking in tight spots – all the back-and-forth and maneuvering will use up extra gas.  Park a little farther away in an easier spot.

15. In a multi-vehicle household, choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle as often as you can.

16. With an automatic transmission, use "overdrive" or "economy" mode to save fuel; these settings shift the transmission into high gear sooner.

17.  In winter, clean snow and ice off your car to reduce wind resistance (as well as improving safety and visibility).

18. In summer, keep air-conditioning use to a minimum.  Parking in the shade will help reduce the need for a/c.  It also helps to tint your windows to keep your car interior cooler.

19.  Maintain appropriate following distance; if you follow too closely, you’ll have to hit the brakes hard to stop.  That’s less fuel-efficient and potentially unsafe.

20. Don’t speed.  Going fast uses more gas.

21.  Avoid roof racks, since they increase drag.  For bicycles, get a rear-mounted carrier.

22.  Save gas by minimizing use of accessories such as dvd players, interior lights, etc.

23. If you use toll roads and bridge, get EZ Pass, so you won’t burn up gas sitting in tollbooth traffic.

24.  Finally, if you own an old gas guzzler, see if you should trade it in for a more fuel efficient model.  Check if you qualify for the government’s new "Cash for Clunkers" program.  http://www.cars.gov/  This program has been extremely popular and may run out of funding, so act soon.

The amount of the credit is $3,500 or $4,500, and generally depends on the type of vehicle you purchase and the difference in fuel economy between the purchased vehicle and the trade-in vehicle.

Your trade-in vehicle must:

•     have been manufactured less than 25 years before the date you trade it in
•     have a "new" combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less
•     be in drivable condition
•     be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year preceding the trade-in

Photo credit via Flickr

If you’re like me, when you hear the word "budget" you want to plug your ears and go "lalalalala" because the thought is just so dull, or possibly intimidating. So I learned the hard way what happens when you don’t bother to budget. I always thought of myself as frugal. I love bargain hunting and cheap deals that you can find on sites like this one. I know how to pay the lowest price. But until I sat down and put a spending plan on paper, I didn’t fully know where every penny of my money was being spent, and my wallet felt squeezed. So I knew it was time to buckle down.
 
I tried some popular software like Quicken and Microsoft Money. They’re fine products, but just too darn complicated if all you want to do is create a simple budget. Fancy financial software is fine for those who want spend the time to download every banking transaction, monitor investment portfolios, and create pretty charts and bar graphs. But it’s like buying a racing bike for a kid who’s still using training wheels. There also are sites such as Quicken online, or Mint.com, which pull in your bank account data, but I’m not comfortable with the security issue and anyway, it still won’t track the cash you spend out of pocket.
 
So after scouring the web, reading books, and playing with MS Office, I figured out a more painless approach to share with you. Here it is, step by step:
 
1. TRACK CASH SPENDING
 
Okay, this part will be a little tedious – but it’s not difficult, you only have to do it once (unless your circumstances change) and it’s absolutely necessary. You’ll be amazed to find out how much cash you spend every week, even if you think you’re being thrifty.
 
Get a small, pocket-sized, lined notebook, or you can buy pre-printed expense notebooks or forms from your local office supply store. Just make sure it’s something you can fit in your pocket or purse at all times, and attach a pen to it.  If it’s not a pre-printed form, then write down headings for "date", "description", and "amount".  Then, write down everything you spend for a month, yes even a pack of gum.  If you’re not patient enough to do a month, then do this for one week, as long as it’s a fairly typical week for you.

2.  PICK YOUR BUDGET FORM

If you have Microsoft Excel, then I highly recommend doing your budget that way.  Just open Excel, click "new", and look through the list of template styles.  You’ll see a heading for "budget".  Click that, and you’ll see a choice of pre-programmed and designed budget forms.  Just use the one that you find easiest to look at and understand.  All you need to do is enter data and it will do the calculations for you.  Or, you can find downloadable Excel budget forms online.  You’ll find Mac versions at:  http://www.microsoft.com/mac/templates.mspx?ttid=3 and Windows versions at: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101172321033.aspx

If you prefer the pencil and paper method with a simple, printable form, try one of these:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/budgetformsfree-basicbudgeting.htm or http://www.foxway.com/worksheet.html.

3.  FILL OUR YOUR BUDGET

Assemble the following: your cash spending records from step 1, your checkbook register or a recent bank statement, a current pay statement or other income records, and your current bill statements.  You’ll also need a pen or pencil, and a calculator.

Now, start entering figures in the appropriate boxes.  Some boxes will need to be subtotaled, i.e. if there’s an "entertainment" category, you’ll add up what you spent on movies, concerts, shows, etc.  If you only kept a week’s worth of cash expense records, you’ll need to multiply your numbers by 4.3 (number of weeks in a month), to obtain monthly figures.  And if any other income or expenses are not monthly, again, you’ll need to calculate a monthly figure.

One little trick: if you get paid every other week, then calculate your income as being two paychecks per month.  There are two months of the year when you will receive three paychecks – but those extra two pays will become an painless automatic savings and financial cushion for you.  Nice, huh?

4.  REVIEW YOUR BUDGET

Add up all expenses and subtract from your income, or if you’re using Excel, the program should do this automatically for you.  Now, what did you find?  Are your expenses exceeding your income?  Or are you cutting it too close for comfort?  If so, it’s time to make some changes.  Shop around for cheaper phone plans and car insurance.  Refinance your home loan if necessary.  Cut out the premium cable channels.  Eat out less.  Get a second job.  Get a roommate.  There are many, many ways to save money; check out the other useful articles on this site.

5.  CRACK DOWN ON CASH SPENDING

Once you’ve tweaked your budget and cut down your spending, figure out how much cash you need to carry around.  I’ve found the envelope system to be a foolproof easy method to keep cash spending in line.  Do this by reviewing your budget categories and seeing which categories are usually paid for in cash out of pocket.  Add up those numbers and determine a monthly cash amount, then divide by 4.3 for a weekly amount.  This is the amount you withdraw in cash each week.  Get a bunch of little envelopes and mark each envelope with the category and budgeted amount.  Apportion your weekly cash among those envelopes.  When you’ve spent all the money in the envelopes, that’s it, no more spending for the week.  If you carry a wallet and don’t have room for envelopes, you can use pieces of scrap paper as dividers; mark them with the categories and amounts, and put the paper dividers in your billfold.

Good luck – and remember to review and update your budget if you have changes to your expenses or income. 

Photo Credit via Flickr

If you have bad eyes like I do, it’s crucial to get quality glasses and contact lenses.  They can cost you a pretty penny, too – and many of us have little or no vision insurance coverage through work.  Here are some great tips and options to keep you seeing clearly for less.

1.  $39 DOLLAR GLASSES

Check out our own Mr. Cheap Stuff deals and coupons for this popular and well-reviewed online retailer.  As you can figure by the name, prices start at $39 for a pair of metal or plastic single-vision eyeglasses in a variety of styles for men and women.  Note we said "start at"; you’ll pay extra for things like bifocal or progressive lenses, anti-reflective coatings, tints and certain styles of frames.   But if you just need a simple pair of glasses for work, reading or driving, this is a great site.  I like the fact that you can print out an actual-size photo of your chosen frame, and also view the frame on men and women with different face shapes.  And they give you a 100% quality guarantee.  This company is based in New York and the glasses are U.S. made.

$39 Dollar Glasses

2.  ORDER AS PRESCRIBED

To order glasses online, you’ll need a copy of your prescription.  Did you know that in the U.S., there is a federal law that your prescription must be given to you at the end of your eye exam?  If you lost it, you can always call your eye doc for a copy.  And by the way, a contact lens prescription is NOT the same thing.  You’ll need a specific glasses prescription.

Now, how do you read the prescription to enter it correctly online?

The top row (O.D.) is the information for your right eye.
The second row (O.S.) is the information for your left eye.
Fill in each number as it appears in your written prescription.  You’ll see numbers labeled spherical, cylindrical and axis. 

If you wear bifocals or reading glasses, your doctor will also write in an "ADD" power either to the right of, or below, your prescription for each eye.  For example, your ADD power might be +1.  When you enter your order online, just enter each number in the appropriate dropdown boxes provided on the order page.

3.  KNOW HOW TO MEASURE YOURSELF

To order glasses online, you’ll need to provide not only your prescription but also your pupillary distance (the distance between the centers of your eyes).
To measure your Pupillary Distance (PD):
Place a millimeter ruler on the bridge of your nose.  The ruler must be metric, not inches, in order to measure millimeters.  Have a friend face you about arms length away.  Have your friend measure the distance between the center of your pupils (the black dots in the middl e of your eyes).  Or you can do it yourself simply by looking in the mirror. If you need your glasses on to do this, you can draw dots on the lenses where your pupils are (using a magic marker or highlighter); then take the glasses off and measure the distance between them.

4.  GET CHEAPER CONTACTS ONLINE

Once again, Mr. Cheap Stuff comes through with some great discounts for you on contact lenses.

Vision Direct is a division of well-known retailer,  Drugstore.com.   Orders over $99 get free shipping, and they guarantee they will beat any competitor’s price by 105%.  They are based in Washington state.

1-800-Get-Lens guarantees you will receive the exact type and brand of contact lenses specified in your order, sealed in the manufacturers’ sterile packaging at 50% lower than your local opticians and 15% lower than the other reputable online vendors.

To order contact=2 0lenses online, you’ll need a current contact lens (not glasses) prescription, the box from your current contact lenses, and the name of your eye doctor.  Do not attempt to order contact lenses if you have not been already properly fitted for them.

Vision Direct Coupons
1800GetLens.com Coupons
Lens.com Coupons
AC Lens Coupons

5.  COMPARISON SHOP FOR LENSES

If you want to quickly compare prices for the same contact lenses, try Lens Pundit.  They display comparative prices from several companies including Lens.com and ACLens.com.  So you can find your price, then use the Mr. Cheap Stuff coupon links to save even more.

6.  CAN’T ORDER ONLINE?  GET LOCAL.

There may be some reasons that a few folks can’t order glasses online.  If you are very hard to fit for frames, or have a very unusual or strong prescription, or certain eye conditions, you may need to order glasses locally.  But before you head off to one of the major chains, try your local optician and ask if they offer any sorts of discounts.  Some of them will have a price matching policy or may discount your glasses if you also order contact lenses from them.  It never hurts to ask. 

Photo Credit via Flickr