Just ask!

Note: This blog post appeared on my guest blogging column on GirlPowerHour.com. 

Smart, savvy professionals know that you have to ask in order to get what you want. Whether it’s in the boardroom, at a networking event, or in your personal life, nobody is going to read your mind and just give you what you’re hoping for.

So why are we so shy when it comes to asking for things related to money? I’m talking about discounts, sales, bargaining, and returns. It’s time to speak up. You work hard for every last dollar you make, so why would you be so lax about letting it slip out of your hands?

Here are five places you can save some cash just by asking:

Pick up the phone and get to work!

Your TV and Internet service: Cable and Internet eat up a big portion of a lot of people’s monthly utility budgets. Luckily, unless you’re in a long-term contract, you can call your cable or Internet provider and ask for a discount. Tell them your bill is too expensive, and ask if they have any current promotions that can be applied to your account. I’ve saved upwards of $100/month doing this. Note that most deals are for three, six, or 12 months, and then a higher rate will kick in automatically. To avoid the shock of a large bill after the end of the promotional period, set yourself a reminder in your Outlook calendar to call them back a month prior and ask for another new deal.

Credit cards: If you’ve been a long-time customer of a credit card company or bank and always pay your bill on time, call and ask if they can offer you a better interest rate. A lower interest rate will save you actual dollars every month as you chip away at that pesky balance you’re carrying. If they can’t lower your interest rate, they may be able to give you a balance transfer offer to help you consolidate your debt at a lower rate.

Medical bills: Americans fork out a lot of cash paying for out-of-pocket medical expenses each year. This may be especially true if you have a high-deductible health plan, or are self-employed. Do a little research online about the true cost of procedures you’re having done, and then ask your doctor or dentist if the rate can be lowered at all. Additionally, many smaller medical offices may offer a discount for paying with cash instead of a credit card.

Fitness membership: If you’re currently paying a month-to-month gym membership or forking out the drop-in fee at your favorite yoga studio, ask the manager if they can offer you a lower monthly rate if you agree to a contract. Of course, only agree to a contract if you’ll actually use the membership enough to make it worth it.

Retail stores: Many big-box stores offer weekly coupons via email or in the Sunday newspaper. But, if you lose interest somewhere between clipping coupons and actually remembering to use them in the store, just ask instead. Now that more coupons are online, stores are getting more flexible about the rules for using coupons. Just ask, “Do you have any coupons available that would work on my purchase?” If they’re not able to type in the discount code at the register, just whip out your smart phone and see if you can find a digital coupon online.

So, it’s time to be bold, be brave, speak up, and ask for great deals. Remember – companies love loyal customers, and if they help you find a great deal, you’re much more likely to return in the future, and tell your friends how great the experience was! 

Digital Coupons

I really admire couponers (except when they're in the checkout line in front of me), but I don't have the patience for it, for myriad reasons: our printer is perpetually out of paper, we don't get the newspaper, whenever I cut out coupons I promtly leave them at home (along with my grocery list), and I don't buy that much name brand or junk food, which is what coupons tend to be for, in my opinion.

But, yesterday I was doing some research on new dinner ideas. The Mr. and I are getting a little tired of the same dishes we make over and over again. I found some great recipes on Cooking Light. While I was browsing, I swung by my local grocery store's website (Fred Meyer).

I discovered that, once logging in with your rewards card number, you can download digital manufacturer's coupons automatically to your rewards card! So, I spent 5 minutes or so comparing my list with what which coupons were on sale, loaded them to my card, and headed out to the store.

My biggest win: Crest toothpaste was on sale at 2 for $3.00. I bought one ($1.50), plus my digital coupon for $.75 off, and I got my big tube of toothpaste for just $.75!

Another big win? No coupons to cut, no slowing down the line, no leaving them on the table at home. I saved $8 with only 5 minutes of work. Not bad!

Oh, and I'm testing out these three recipes. I'll let you know how they turn out: Barley and Beef Soup, Asian Green Bean Salad, and  Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad.

The Spender vs. The Saver

I believe that in every relationship, one person is the saver, one person is the spender. The degree can vary, but I think it's rare that two people have the exact same outlook on the big M (that's money, if you're new to my blog).

In my relationship with the Mr., I'm the saver. Some might even call me cheap, penny-pinching, overly thrifty, whatever. I take that as a compliment, thankyouverymuch! My dear husband is the spender in our relationship. He loves nothing better than to buy "something nice" after payday, bonus time, tax return time, or hell, just because it's a Tuesday night with nothing to do. In my opinion, there are pros and cons to each side:

Saver
Pro: it's good to save money for a rainy day. You never know when you'll have a financial emergency
Pro: Some people (read: me) get a thrill out of transferring money from checking into savings. Victory!
Pro: Most Americans are bad with money. I'm planning for the future.
Con: Money issues really stress me out. Bad.
Con: I have a hard time letting loose and treating myself to something nice once in a while.

Spender
Pro: You worked hard for that money! You deserve to have some fun. The Mr. reminds me of this frequently.
Pro: As long as your bills are paid, what's wrong with going on vacation, buying nice Christmas gifts, or sprucing up your wardrobe. The Mr. is also very generous with gifts for loved ones. This is something I really admire.
Pro: Sometimes higher price does equal higher quality.
Cons: Bankruptcy. (Okay, I'm probably being a little dramatic)
Cons: When the economy is unstable, you never know how long the big and/or steady paychecks will last.

The Mr. and I are trying to reconcile my obsessive love of frugality with his appreciation for the finer things in life.

I've come to the conclusion, though, that when we are going back and forth about buying something we "need", he's right more often than not. (Don't send him this link! I'll never live it down!)

Here's a quick example. I have long hair. We also own a golden retriever. Between the two of us, all the hair broke our vacuum cleaner. Sigh. Of course, the Mr. wants a top-of-the-line Dyson. I want whatever's on clearance at Target. I finally give in and tell him we can get the Dyson, but I WILL find it on sale.

Fast forward one week. Between Macy's summer sale and some extra coupons, I score a Dyson for $200 off. I am pretty proud of this. I get home, assemble it, and I swear to you, I vacuumed up enough hair to make a whole dog. Maybe sometimes paying a little extra for quality is worth it.

I'd love to hear from you in the comments. Does your family have a saver and a spender?

Fun new coupon website

First, I'd like to say WOW where did the month of April go! Forgive the lack of posts. I'm laying the groundwork for a new life plan of sorts, that I will be able to fill you in on shortly! In the meantime, in my never-ending quest to save money, I have a new tool.

Check out CouponChief.com. There are a lot of coupon sharing websites out there, but I feel like a lot of the coupons don't end up working. Whenever I'm about to check out from an online store, I always do a quick google search for free shipping or discount coupons, but they are usually expired.

Coupon Chief has 50,000+ coupons to 15,000 stores, both brick-and-mortar and online. I've snooped around Coupon Chief's Coupon Codes and they have a ton of coupons for stores I visit, and reported success rates (the whole site is user-generated). They also have coupons tagged for special occasions and interests: check out their Mother's Day store, or Travel store (my fav).

Check out the site and let me know what you think, in the comments!

Extreme Couponing: Is it for you?

A few weeks ago I came across a show on TLC called "Extreme Couponing". It's about people who are extremely dedicated to collecting coupons and saving money at the grocery store. In some cases, they even end up getting things for free, by combining store and manufacturers' coupons. Check out a clip from the TLC show here. It is truly amazing. Although impressive (and I love that he gave some of his purchases to charity), I was a little skeptical of "extreme couponing", based on the amount of time it would take out of my week to score these kinds of coupon victories.

Tracy with her kids

I was recently put in contact with Tracy Vinson, a mother of two kids in Dallas. She is a big coupon fan, and has saved her family lots of money over the last few years. I asked her a few questions about her coupon quest.

How did you get started clipping coupons and thinking about ways to save your family money?

I tried couponing a few years ago and found it was too frustrating, so I quit and kept paying full price for all my groceries and pharmacy items. About a year ago I started receiving the Sunday newspaper through a special promotion. I saw the coupon inserts and thought I would give it another try. I researched online and through couponing blogs to find out the best method to use my coupons. I slowly started gathering coupons every week and printing them from online websites. It took a few months to get the hang of things and learn my store’s coupon policies, and since I have started I have saved at least 50%-75% on all my grocery & pharmacy purchases.

How much time do you spend per week working on money saving projects?

I clip most of my coupons on Sunday when I have gathered all of my newspaper inserts. Sundays are the days most of the coupon websites refresh their coupons, so I will log on and print out all the coupons I think I will use. I probably spend about 2 hours clipping and organizing on Sunday, then maybe another hour or so during the work week finding other deals that have come out.

How do you stay motivated? Many people want to try and save on things, but they get too lazy to actually clip coupons, or take the time to plan out their shopping trip. 

I stay motivated by thinking back to my previous shopping trips and remembering how much I have saved. I think of it as a challenge each week. It is such an uplifting feeling looking at the receipt and seeing what I spent and what I saved.

What is your advice to people looking to save money while shopping?

Start out slow. Couponing can get very overwhelming and you will find yourself losing motivation. Just give it some time. Also, stay organized; find a coupon organization method that works best for you.

Do you have an estimate for how much money you have saved in the last year?

I am in the process of making a spreadsheet so I can keep track in the future. I usually save anywhere from 50%-75% my grocery bill each week.

What is your biggest money saving/coupon victory?

I have been couponing for just about a year and have had many successful shopping trips, but the one that stands out the most to me is a Walgreens trip I did about 1 month ago. I purchased several items including some food items, cosmetics, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste. After all sales & all coupons, I didn’t pay anything and I received about $10-$15 in register rewards to use on my next shopping trip. So you could say they paid me $15!


Do you have the dedication to be a extreme couponer?

Coupon Clipping for the 21st Century

We've all been stuck in the grocery store checkout line behind the little old lady with a million coupons. Don't be one of those ladies (or gentlemen). Most grocery store coupons are for junk food, aren't that great of a deal, or expire before you remember to use them. Unless you have the time to commit to using coupons, it most likely won't be worth your time or money.

Here's a better idea: Pick your ten favorite stores--clothing, sporting goods, restaurants, furniture, whatever, and sign up for their online coupons. Most national chain stores offer serious discounts every few weeks, including free shipping, buy one get one free, etc.

Yes, you'll get a ton of emails in your inbox, but here's an easy tip: Either set up a separate email address for these offers or set up your email to filter those particular emails into a separate folder, bypassing your inbox. That way, you'll have the coupons when you need them, but won't be tempted to buy things you wouldn't buy otherwise.

Bottom Line: 30% off DSW, 40% off one item at Michaels, free shipping at Banana Republic, and more, all in one week.