Favorite deals of 2008

Some of my bargain favorites:

1) Ordering from the lunch menu and often lower lunch time prices at dinner time (most chain sit-down restaurants permit this practice...just ask when you are seated).

2) Checking out books/cds/dvds from the local library for no cost, or low cost in the case of dvds. Also, depending on your library, many have "Friends of the Library" where they will have quarterly or more book sales for as little as .25c each.

3) Using Redbox for newer movie rental releases that are a $1.00 per day. Easy machine to use. Just swipe the credit card, press the button and away you go! Lately, beacuse of our Netflix box (see number 7 below), unless we have a free movie rental code from Wal-Mart we haven't been using Redbox as often.

4) Transferring prescriptions among the chain drug stores (sometimes the grocery stores too) to take advantage of the $20 to $30 gift card offers. P.S. Don't forget to use up your money in your HSA accounts that do not roll-over into the next calendar year!

5) Using alternate airlines (especially foreign) that particiapte in our favorite airline mileage program. While not always the leats expensive fare, usually the foreign airlines don't have the line hassles that the big domestic airlines have.

What's the bargain here? Most of the foreign airlines don't have the insnane baggage fees, seat assignment fees, meal fees, bathroom fees...lol, etc. that the domestic airlines have recently instituted and expanded...and I don't mean the seat...lol.

Plus we have found the foreign airlines (Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, Singapore, etc.) offer just an overall better travel experience with prices that are almost equal (sometimes lower), and we still earn United mileage.

The same principle also works with American and it's OneWorld alliance (British Airways, Japan Air Lines, Qantas, etc.) and Delta/NWA and it's SkyTeam partners.

6) Hometown Buffet (before 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday) for their $4.99 all you can eat soup, salad, taco/mexican and beverage bar! Disclaimer, Hometown Buffet is in bankruptcy proceedings.

7) New this year. Starbucks. Not for the coffee, but for the free Wi-Fi, courtesy of our AT&T $10.00 a month home phone DSL subscription which gives you unlimited time (no Starbucks giftcard required) to surf the net and no two-hour limit. No more hard plastic seats at McDonald's...lol

8) Also new this year is the Netflix movie box that we have hooked into our tv. We pay $8.99 per month for 1 DVD at a time, but UNLIMITED movies through our Internet connection. The neat thing is that the movies are viewable on our tv, not the computer. The Netflix box transmits wirelessly (secured) through our router. We just turn on the tv and select the movie...a few minutes later, the movie is downloaded to the box and ready to watch. Kind of like tivo, but cheaper. The bad thing...the box had a one time fee of $99. See the details here: http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevices

9) My absolute favorite! Price matching at Wal-Mart! Just bring in your ads and Julia's Nifty Gritty Grocery List. As long as they carry the exact name brand, size and weight, or private label for grocery items, you can really clean-up without running all over town! See the details here: http://walmartstores.com/7659.aspx

10) Helping Dean and Carolina save money on....oops...that's a different blog....lol

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT

Good suggestions! Thanks, SCRS. ~Julia

I missed your first installment, but there are many people who do not realize that they can earn big interest on a checking account-even more than a regular savings account. There are many banks offering this. Basically there are three usual requirements(1) receive statements on line (2) using the banks debit/credit card make ten purchases per month
(3) either a direct deposit each month or a direct debit each month. We currently earn annual 5.01% (interest paid monthly on average balance). Free ATMs is usually included. Card is usually VISA or MASTERCARD. The account limit is usually $25,000. But one can have more than one account. FDIC inssured. The neat thing is the liquidity you enjoy.
You can have up to $25,000 available prontito but earning 5% or more.