Take a look at insights that’ll help you negotiate, shop smarter, and get the most out of your local library, along with lists of stuff that’s overrated, stuff that’s cheaper than you thought, and stuff that you can always get for less than the retail price.
5 reasons to skip college. Because you’re probably not going to learn trade skills, you can’t afford it, and, turns out, you don’t want to go to college. For these reasons and a couple others, Bargaineering plays devil’s advocate and argues against the four-year degree.
5 ways to get the salary you want. Suggestions from via the WSJ include three Don’ts. As in: Don’t give out the first number, Don’t take the first offer, and Don’t lie (at least not overtly, or in a way that can be easily checked and proven false). “Don’t go to college” did not make the list.
5 quick steps that could cut your car insurance bill in half. The genuinely quick approaches on this USA Today list include raising your deductible and reducing coverage for an older vehicle. A more time-consuming approach—one that’s arguably the most effective, and not mentioned in this list—is shopping around and getting rate quotes from several insurance companies. The process of gathering multiple quotes and leaving your insurer for another, if need be, is undoubtedly a chore—but one that can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year.
9 tips to max out your local library. Take advantage of your branch’s music, Internet, movies (cheaper than NetFlix!), museum-type exhibits, free classes, and oh yeah, there are books you can borrow too.
10 common car-buying mistakes. From Forbes. And the reader comments are as helpful (maybe better) than the tips in the story itself.
10 ideas for dating on a budget. Classic, easy, cheap dates like a picnic, game night, doing something outdoorsy, and exploring your neighborhood like you’ve been meaning to do, suggested by the NY Daily News.
10 most overrated things in American in 2010. A WalletPop post takes on the iPad, 3-D movies, LeBron James, and other things that are overrated—and that apparently, plenty of people are willing to overpay for.
14 things that are getting cheaper. Not everything is overrated (and overpriced) today. Stuff that has decreased in price in recent years includes housing, furniture, cars, and communications.
14 tips for sensible garage sale shopping. A FreeShipping post advises, among other things, that you plan a route that’ll allow you to hit several yard sales in one efficient loop, inspect and test out the merchandise before you buy (bring some spare batteries to try out electronic toys), and, instead of having only $20s or worse $100s, come prepared with lots of small bills—and not a lot of them if you have trouble controlling yourself.
32 websites and stores where you’ll never pay full price. A round-up from me.
Related:
Tips! 84 Fresh and Frugal Ones
94 Money-Saving Tips and Nuggets of Shopping Wisdom
A List of Money-Savings Lists: 422 Ways to Save in Total