Best Frugal Cars

My hubby and I recently bought a new car and did tons of research and test driving. I wanted to share with you some my favorite frugal cars in this next blog series.

And, yes, buying a used car is often a better frugal decision but not always. It’s a good idea to balance the risk of buying a used car with the difference in price, financing options, and upgrades between the used vs. new versions to decide what is best for you. Enjoy the ride!

The Fine Art of Bargaining

My frugal tip for this week is to learn the fine art of bargaining. Many of us hate to bargain or think we can only bargain on a few items such as a car. Bargaining can be fun, however, if done right. Also, especially in this economy, you can often bargain for discounts on items or services you may have thought were at a fixed price.

Case in point, this week my hubby bargained for a discount on a smog check for our car. In our area smog checks go for $78-$100. This seemed ridiculously expensive since there is little labor involved so we were determined to get a discount. My hubby made a few calls, used his bargaining skills, and we ended up only spending $35!

What's the trick of bargaining? Honestly, I'm still learning myself and would love to get feedback from all of you. Bargaining, like any type of negotiation, is an art of relationship building. Sometimes you connect with the person you're bargaining with and it's easy while other times it can be tough or uncomfortable.

Here are a few tips that work for me:

1. Be nice.

Many people, especially men, think you have to be super tough when you put on your bargaining hat. Just remember, salespeople are just like everyone else. Nobody likes a jerk and people generally want to do business with others who treat them with respect. You can be firm in your price demands in a determined way without being rude which leads me to my next tip.

2. Act disappointed.

I often find this is the best way to bargain. A good salesperson wants the sale and wants to give good service and make their customer happy. It’s also human nature that we don't want to let others down. Saying things like, "Gosh, Joe, I really wanted to do business with you and was hoping you could do better than this price…" with a disappointed tone of voice can do wonders in the bargaining process.

3. Avoid yes or no questions.

I've read some other sources for bargaining tips that say to ask the salesperson "Can you give me a discount on this?" I, however, find this often doesn't work well because it makes it too easy for the salesperson to just say "No." In my experience, it works better to not ask this in a question format. Instead, I follow step #2 and act disappointed and voice my demand for a discount as a complaint not a question, for example, "Gosh, I really hoped there would be a discount on this" and then wait for the salesperson to respond. The salesperson may still say there isn't a discount but if they have to explain it instead of simply answering "no" it leaves the conversation open for more bargaining.

4. Give them some competition.

Never let the salesperson know that their product or service is the only one you are considering. Let them know there are other options and cheaper options out there. Sometimes, depending on your own conscience you may even find it helpful to fib a bit that a competitor is cheaper or has offered a lower price even when they haven’t.

5. Offer more business.

Depending on the product/service let the salesperson know if they give you a good price you may become a repeat customer and/or bring in your friends.

6. Be ready to walk.

The best deals usually come when you are about to walk out or hang up the phone. Sometimes, if you haven't agreed on the deal you need to just leave it. Give the salesperson your contact info and make it clear you are still interested and would like to do business with them if they can come down to your price. Depending on the product/service they may end up giving you a call back. This is another reason why you want to follow step #1 and be nice so even if you don't agree on a price that day you still leave the relationship open for possible future negotiations.

Bargaining is a fine art and skill and each of us may have different techniques that work. What are your bargaining tips or stories? I’d love to know!

Free Stuff : Redbox

I’m a huge movie buff and in addition to my Netflix membership visit my local Redbox frequently. If you haven’t seen one already, Redbox has movie kiosk dispensers in many grocery and drug stores around the country. They are a great place to get cheap movie rentals. Only a buck a night for a movie. Pretty good deal but I prefer, you guessed it, free!

Redbox has lots of coupon codes for free movies you can find on the Inside Red Box site. This site tracks all the Redbox codes and members post updates on which codes work, limitations, etc.

I have a secret as well to share with you. Most codes are supposedly for one time use. However, Redbox tracks if you’ve used the code by your credit card. That means that each code works once per card so if you have a lot of credit cards you have that many more free movie rentals! It even works for gift cards with a Visa/MC logo. Inside Red Box talks more about this trick here. And no need to feel too guilty. I’m sure Redbox knows about this site and the multiple credit card use by frugalites. I bet they actually encourage it to drive traffic to their kiosks so other paying customers get interested. And even us frugalites have limited credit cards so eventually you'll find yourself paying $1 for a movie once in a while. So be a walking advertisement for Redbox and have fun movie watching!

Free Stuff : Walmart

Bet you couldn’t imagine anything more frugal than shopping at Walmart. Well, how about getting free stuff at Walmart! Walmart is well known by frugalities as a great resource for free product samples. All you have to do is go to the Walmart free sample page, find the samples you want, fill out your shipping info and these little goodies will come straight to your door in the mail in a little blue Walmart box.

These samples are just that - samples, mostly toiletries, so don’t expect big ticket items or to save tons of money. However, it’s a great way to stock up on small pouches of shampoos, deodorant, and other toiletries for travel. Since companies are always coming out with new products, scents, etc. there is a never ending supply of new samples to choose from and collect. Thanks to these freebies I don’t think I’ve purchased deodorant in the last 4 years!

Free Stuff : Rite Aid

My next free deal resource is Rite Aid pharmacy. If you don't have a Rite Aid near you don't despair as there are other drug stores with free deal programs. Check out the coupon forum listed below which has info on Rite Aid and other stores.

If you are lucky enough to be in one of the 31 states that has a Rite Aid and have a store nearby then go every Sunday – early! This little drugstore has a good old fashion weekly circular which comes out on Sunday with many free after rebate deals. You can view it on the Rite Aid website or, even better, check out this coupon forum which posts the circular in advance so you can plan your attack. Planning is key as many items must be paired with newspaper coupons to come out free.

And I'm not talking about just some free toothpaste or junk you don't want or need. You can find great brand-name toiletries, shampoos, expensive beauty care products, over the counter medicines and more. Many of our Rite Aid freebie shopping trips adds up to around $30 a pop or more and that's just one week's worth. This can easily be a savings of $50-$120/month - times that by a year and you have some serious money worth of free products.

I love Rite Aid because they have the easiest, most organized, and dare I say, pleasant rebate programs I’ve ever encountered. All you have to do is register on their website and enter a few lines of info from your receipt online. A little postcard check comes in the mail a few weeks later. Super simple and I've never missed a check.

A few tips to remember:

1. Stack coupons: Some free after rebate products must be stacked with the manufacturers’ coupons which you need to clip from your newspaper or get online. The Rite Aid circular will point these deals out.
2. Move fast (literally!): You’ve now joined a secret club of sorts (well not so secret – the deals are posted all over their circular but the majority of shoppers don’t read it or care.) Every Sunday at popular Rite Aid stores is like a mini Black Friday with people-in-the-know going early and sometimes literally running through the aisles to get the good stuff before it’s snatched up. You’ll recognize the freebie Rite Aid regulars by the intense look in their eyes, clutching their flyers, and running around to find the best deals. It’s hilarious!