Renting a Car?

Sometimes you just wanna rent a car. Maybe you want to take a hassle-free trip to the beach, or maybe you're visiting a new place and you want to get around. Or maybe you just have a bunch of errands to run and need to haul big items. Either way, there is one rule of thumb for renting a car:

Tell them you are renting the car because your car is in the shop.
Many car companies offer lower rates to clients who have cars that are being serviced. They don't ask for any proof that you have a car, so just go ahead and bend the truth a bit. It can save you up to 50%. Check www.enterprise.com
And if you have issues lying, you can always say clever not untrue things that leave out parts of your statements like: my car is under repair (meaning your dream car); or my car is in the shop (as in...I haven't actually bought it yet, its' still in the shop ;)

Vacation for the Mind, Body and Spirit...not the checking account.

I'm back from vacation, having successfully lived it up - fab style. Beach. Poolside. Cocktails. Delicious meals. Sightseeing - all under my budget. (Ka-ching!)
I'm telling you, adopting a savemoneyhoney attitude can make your vacation still a vacation when you return home - instead of eating rice and beans until your third paycheck arrives and you can finally afford a trip to the grocery store. You may even be able to buy a hot new dress for those warm spring days that shows off you gorgeous new tan.

Here are some helpful hints for vacay: the savemoneyhoney way:

Get on the Bus
Do you really need to rent a car? Take cabs everywhere? What better way to get to know the area you're visit then by taking the bus with the locals? You're sure to encounter some interesting characters and you'll be able to sit back and enjoy the scenery instead of focusing on not getting lost. Not to mention...you're only spending a couple coins.

Take it to the Grocery Store
Oftentimes hotels in vacation areas come with kitchens. While these units may cost more than units without kitchens, lets really examine what you end up paying for. Let's say a kitchenette unit costs $40 more a night than a unit without a kitchen...and you're on vacation with one other person. You'll need to eat, and will probably end up eating out for breakfast ($10), for lunch ($15) and for dinner ($25 - $50). You're looking at an average of $62.50 a day per person on food x two people, that's $125/day on food alone! On a five day vacation...that can get pretty pricey. Now, let's say you get a room with a kitchen, make a grocery shopping list and spend $125 on food for the whole week - totally possible and in my opinion, very wise. You'll even be able to prepare a delicious meal for your ride back on the plane (so few airlines offer anything more than peanuts and cookies these days).



Bee Flexible - Travel on a Weekday
Ever been to the airport on a Friday, or a Sunday? Crazy, right? It's called peak and off-peak. Ever buy a commuter rail ticket? Generally tickets cost more during rush hour than they do at say 2pm. That's just a transit authority's way of taking advantage of the working public. If you get two weeks paid vacation, don't think these "weeks" have to start on a Friday. There are the same amount of days between a Friday and a Friday as there are between a Wednesday and a Wednesday. And chances are, traveling by plane on mid-weekdays is going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to find a flight that leaves Friday and gets back the following Sunday. You can believe that. Plus shorter lines, less crowded planes...it's just a better way to fly.

Sharing is Caring
Timeshares. Everyone knows someone who has one in their family. And many people do not use their timeshares, or do not use all the dates that are available in their timeshares.
What are timeshares, you may be wondering? The basic idea is: you buy a share in a hotel-like unit (usually with a kitchen) which then grants you the amount of weeks you pay for at an appointed time every year, as in, the last two weeks of April every year. They're paid for, and available every year. Now, of course, life happens and oftentimes people are not able to go to their timeshares, or they can only go for a portion of their timeshare. This is a golden opportunity to make use of these hard earned timeshares. Ask around, bring it up in conversation, you'd be surprised to know how many people have these options available. Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Free Z's
Sleep. Seriously, it saves you money. And you know you need to catch up on it anyway. Take a nap. Get some z's. You can't spend money in your sleep...or can you?

Yes We Can...haggle the big name stores

I tell ya, one of the greatest money saving resources we all have lies within our personal network of folks. Remember back in high school, having that friend who could get you that 40% discount at the Gap? Carry this mentality into your adult life. Friends with jobs at big corporations have all kinds of perks - of which most people do not take full advantage. Whether its 20% off theatre tickets, free entrance to museums, 2 for 1 gym membership -- the perks are there just waiting to be used.

Collect data and share.
Plan a casual meeting with a group of friends. Each is to come with a list of "perks" offered to them through their jobs, relationships to so-and-so, affiliations, memberships and so on. Cull the list. The list will be huge, and the list will belong to everyone who contributed to the list. Seriously, try it. And tell me how it works.

Don't forget the greatest perk!
Everyone secretly publishes a "savemoneyhoney.net". For example, a friend of mine just told me a story of how she haggled a brand new full sized mattress and box spring down 50%. !!!!50%!!!!! Her method:
1. Once you've found the mattress or necklace or HD screen of your dreams, ask the salesperson, "What's the sale price?"
2. Then squeeze in any added perks associated with the store or its competitors, i.e. "I'm a first time buyer, doesn't your establishment offer a first time buyer's discount?"
3. By now you're sure to have established a level of comradery with your salesperson, so why not add, "...and what's your discount? Could you add that, too?"
4. And for the cherry on top, ask if you could make your purchase tax-free. It couldn't hurt.

I'm telling you, especially you city-dwellers out there, we ALL know how to haggle. We do it with street vendors and mom and pop stores. What makes you think major shopping centers are any different?



Happy haggling, honey.

Free Consumption

Is it just me, or is anyone else out there spending money like it's water lately? Maybe it's the burgeoning spring, or the excitement of an upcoming vacation, but either way it's getting a little out of hand and it needs to sloooow down.

In efforts to curb spending, while still consuming, my dear friend and I are hosting...(drum roll, please)...A CLOTHING SWAP!

Yaaaaaay :)

It's on Sunday, April 20th from 3-7 @ my house. If you want the address, just send me an email: honey@wallet.com



What is the Clothing Swap, you ask?
Everyone (men, too! all sizes) brings clothing, shoes, and accessories from their closets, from a few choice items to a shopping cart load. They will be brought into the swap room, organized to some degree, and then the floor opens for shopping a gratis. This is a great way to upgrade your wardrobe, clean out your closet, and know that whatever is left over will be donated to a neighborhood charity.
You coming?

And if you can't make it to the swap, don't be discouraged. You will find that there are swaps happening all the time at an apartment near you. Check out some of these resources:
www.clothingswap.org
clothesswap.meetup.com

Or you could host your own swap! Here are some helpful tips:
www.lifeorganizers.com
crra.com

Happy swapping, honey!

DO NOT TAKE GEORGE BUSH'S ADVICE

Use your tax refund to pay down your debts. Period.

...and another thing about furniture...

Don't forget your thrift/vintage/second-hand shoppes. Yesterday on break from jury duty, I browsed some local shoppes. I found my way to this thrift store that sells everything from gowns to dishes to amazing 6'5" x 7'3" x 1'3" solid wood shelving units, painted a creamy white giving it that rustic country couture look for $50!!!! Yes, $50!!!!
It's big enough to hold everything! I almost bought it, but I first gotta figure out how to get it to my apartment. I took a picture with my phone, but I haven't yet figured out how to transfer that kind of data.
Although, I have been able to send my contacts from phone to computer through bluetooth in the past...hmmm, let me work that out...
As for now, I've gotta board my flight. The flight boarding next to mine just asked for volunteers to take a later flight - with free cab service from the airport to your destination and a $300 travel voucher. You thought I was kidding, didn't you. Man, oh, man, I wish it were my flight that was asking for volunteers....

One Man's Trash...

Bored of those same ole' same ole' furniture and home decor items sitting around your place? Need a change of indoor scenery? Well then why no go and get yourself a brand new set of furniture?

Yeah, a new coffee table might add some jazz, or a new set of lamps, new picture frames, a new sofa. And not to worry, I (of course) know a way to achieve these dreams on the cheap - as a matter of fact, on the free.

freecycle.org is a great place to start your home makeover. On the site, you can search for a freecycle yahoo group near you. Join and search the postings for items you'd like. You can even post items you're looking for in case someone out there has the solid wood magazine rack you've been itching for collecting dust in a closet nearby.
craigslist is another great resource. Just click the "free" link under the "for sale" section - its a gold mine. You can find everything from rocking chairs to pianos to red brick to house plants - all free!

And don't forget to put the word out there. We're coming up on moving season - people changing cities, graduating from school, etc. When people move, there is almost always something they like to leave behind - why not have a look through? People also like to redecorate this time of year - again, more free stuff.

And if you're hell bent on paying money for something you absolutely fell in love with in the West Elm catalogue - take the advice I gave on shoes: google the make and model of your item - you're bound to find it for cheaper on ebay or craigslist or something.

Some free stuff waiting for you right now...
Imagine:

A new living room...





For a retro kitchen (yes, it still works! - and will probably work longer than any stainless steel one you'd spend $600 on today)


A new bedframe to create a new aesthetic in the bedroom...




Then invite me over to check it all out over tea and honey!