Websites that will directly save money.

April 27, 2010 @ 2:00 pm - Written by Trent at the Simple Dollar



Craigslist (and its’ cousin, Freecycle)

http://www.craigslist.org and http://www.freecycle.org
Stuff can sometimes go very fast on there. Look for stuff that’s outrageously undervalued or free.

Ebay

http://www.ebay.com
Great place to find bargains.


PaperBackSwap
http://wwwS.paperbackswap.com
This has been my primary source of books for years. It’s simply online book swapping – mail out a book you’ve already read to someone who wants it and get a credit, then spend that credit to get a book from someone else. Get books in the mail for about $2 (the cost of sending out one of my old ones).

Skype
http://www.skype.com
Skype allows you to use the internet as your telephone service, allowing you to call any number in the U.S., Canada, and a few other countries as well as have your own phone number for about $3 a month.

FeedSifter
http://feedsifter.com
Allows you to set up automated searches of coupon sites for the things you actually want.

RetailMeNot
http://www.retailmenot.com
Of course, sometimes – in a short-term pinch when you have an urgent need for something – such coupon sites can actually come in handy. You’re going there with a purpose and you just find what you need.

DealCatcher
http://www.dealcatcher.com/
Another time when a coupon site can be useful is when you go there for a specific purpose.


Healthy Grocery List
http://www.healthygrocerylist.com
Hand in hand with a grocery store flyer,  use this site to come up with a set of healthy recipes and a grocery list for those items.. Take the flyer, find some recipes using a few of the fresh ingredients on sale, then generate a grocery list.

Gas Buddy
http://gasbuddy.com/
Find the cheapest price on gas near you.

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/
Use YouTube all the time for do-it-yourself projects. Watching videos can save you from hiring a repairman or botching something badly.

BillShrink
http://www.billshrink.com
Shop for the best deals on purchases.


Yard Sale Treasure Map
http://www.yardsaletreasuremap.com
Love going to garage sales.  You can find some really great deals; this site makes it easy to find ones near you.

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Get Rid of Cable - Free or Cheap sites for Televison Entertainment

Connect a computer (wireless laptop, or build a home theater PC for you living room at a cost of about $250), Wii or playstation to your current television and save money using:


Hulu
http://www.hulu.com
 Disconnect your cable entirely, saving us about $40-$150 a month.  Many movies and some of the series can be found on Hulu for free.

Netflix
http://www.netflix.com
For about $9 a month you can either stream movies to your television or receive DVDs through the mail.  In fact, you are likely going to shrink your DVD collection because some of the disks are redundant with what’s available on Netflix.

CASTTV.COM is a great website to watch almost any tv show for free, sometimes the streaming is an issue but if you are patient it is worth the wait.

ABC, NBC, CBS
Also if you are interested in watching a recent episode of a show go straight to the shows networks website ie. ABC, NBC, CBS, they are getting better and better about putting the newest episodes on their website, cable networks are quickly following.

 Redbox/Blockbuster
Check out Redbox or the blockbuster box; both offer DVDs for $1 rentals.

And last but not least:

Antennas

There is another great way to watch lots of free television that doesn’t even require internet access

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

(Build a Gray hoverman antenna and put a 20db amp on it and get several channels for less than the cost of a conventional antenna.Every thing you need to know about this is posted online.

8 Ways to Save Money on Facebook

Submitted by: Kira @ Tip Hero  10/05/2010 3:52 PM

For those of you who can't go a day without checking up on Facebook, this article is not for you. This is for those who keep hearing about Facebook but are hesitant to try it. This is for those who aren't quite sure how a person "liking" something or "sharing" can have as big an impact as the daily news. This is for those of you who are trying to resist, daring to be different and who are constantly repeating, "why should I get a Facebook page? What's so great about it anyway?" Well, frugalistas, here is your answer. If you're a penny pincher or looking for any and every opportunity to save some cash, you might be neglecting one very important outlet if you don't have a Facebook account. Much like Tip Hero, Facebook utilizes a supportive social network and helps you connect with others. There are some great ways to save on the Book, some obvious and some not so apparent. I know a lot of non-Facebookers are strictly against the site because they don't want to share their business with the world. However, one of the best parts about Facebook is that you control who you share information with. All you have to do is appropriately adjust your privacy settings. You can also check out this great article about protecting your privacy on Facebook. So it's okay to jump on the bandwagon in this case. Check out the many ways you can save money and take advantage of the benefits of Facebook. Make Friends With Companies There are lots of ways to take advantage of coupons and deals on Facebook. You can easily benefit from company deals by becoming a "fan" of companies. All you have to do is perform a search for the company that you're looking to buy from and find their page. Some companies offer incentives for becoming their fans on Facebook. For example, if you become a fan of Sears on Facebook, you'll receive two $5 coupons; one on a $50 in-store purchase and one for a $50 online purchase. You can also follow coupon feeds on Facebook. Instead of scouring the web for daily deals, you can follow sites like Coupons.com on Facebook to find the best deals and coupons from all around. Just by "liking" a company, you'll ensure that your personal news feed will be updated with the deals of the day. Many companies also offer sweepstakes and giveaways that are specific to Facebook users. Check out your favorite stores on the Book and never miss out on great freebies and offers from your favorite companies. Note: You can also become friends with Tip Hero on Facebook as another way to keep up to date with money-saving tips! Ask Questions This may seem pretty obvious, but sometimes, people simply forget to utilize their social network to ask for help. Are you going for an oil change or a hair cut? All you have to do write a status about it on Facebook. Something like, "need to get my hair cut but don't want to spend a ton. Any suggestions?" would most likely generate a few responses from your friends. You might be friends with several people in your area who recently had a great experience and inexpensive haircut at a little-known local salon. You'll never know until you ask. Also, people generally love to post pictures on Facebook. If you have friends who post pictures of interior decor, gardening, hairstyles, or clothing, you can ask them about it and see if they have any great deals to rave about. Send Paperless Invitaions Facebook does for social events what paperless billing does for banking and credit card companies/customers. You don't have to worry about sending out paper invitations if you want to host an event. Just open up your Facebook account and create an event online. The best feature is that you can be as exclusive or inclusive as you'd like. When you create an event, you have the following choices: Create an "open" event which is open to the public. The event will be published on your profile and all of your friends will be able to view the event and RSVP. Make the event public, but hide the guest list from people who have not RSVPed (or who have not been invited). Keep the event private and you select who is invited and who can view the event page. Keep the event private and keep the guest list private to all who have yet to RSVP. So, if you are hosting a small birthday party in the near future, you might want to create a private event on Facebook and only invite your nearest and dearest. However, if you're advertising something like a walk for Breast Cancer or a Relay for Life and you need a big turnout, you'd want to create a public event for everyone on Facebook to see and RSVP to. Either way, say goodbye to casual paper invitation costs! Promote a Cause Spreading the word about a good cause is tough work. If you feel like an army of one without the resources to spread the news about a cause or effort, call Facebook to your aid. You can create, "like" or promote a cause, like Breast Cancer Awareness, and keep up to date about the ways you can get involved and make a difference. Spread the word about your cause by suggesting the cause to friends and keeping in touch with others like you who want to be involved in the effort. Chat feature In case you don't have Gmail or AIM, Facebook also offers a free chat feature. Send a quick message to a friend for a quick reply if they too are online. This is a good way to save on texting fees if you just have something quick to say while you're surfing the web. Share Photos Have you gone on a killer trip recently or want to brag about a new baby or an extra special event? Instead of spending the money to print out photos and send them out to share them, just publish them to your Facebook page. You can adjust the privacy settings accordingly so that the only people who can view the pictures are the ones you have authorized to do so. By posting pictures, you give your friends the ability to view and comment on them. You'll also be able to view and comment on pictures that people post of you. This is a fun way to share your moments and memories without spending a cent on photo printing. Marketplace Powered by Oodle, Facebook's Marketplace provides a place to buy, sell and trade. This service started as a way for people to post classified listings on Facebook, but now offers so much more. You can visit the Marketplace to buy and sell furniture and household items from/to friends or friends of friends. Facebook does the work for you by searching through your social circle to find out what people are selling. This helps to eradicate the anonymity of selling or buying through Craigslist or Ebay. Instead you can deal with people you know, or at least people who your friends know. Keep Track of Birthdays Ok, this may not save you money, but it will save you from a world of trouble at least. If you have difficulty remembering all of your friends' and family members' birthdays (or haven't written them all into your calendar), Facebook will come in handy. Everyday, Facebook will display the birthdays of the day (that are relevant to you, of course) on the right-hand side of your newsfeed. I'm sure I've just scratched the surface here, but these are the ways that I utilize Facebook on a normal basis. What are your thoughts about Facebook? If you're a fan, how do you use your Facebook to save money? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below, and thanks for being a Tip Hero! Homepage photo credit: benstein

--- sponsored: Find Free Grocery Coupons.