For decades in the USA we have been paying for our TV shows via a monthly subscription with our local cable or satellite provider. Nowadays you can even view some TV shows via your cell phone- for a price! Regardless of how much competition there may be, on the low end, packages start around $30, but add fees for remote(s), box(es), and premium channels; before taxes, the average household is actually spending between $65 and $100 a month. That is a pretty penny for entertainment in your own house! Especially, when you are struggling as is to make that mortgage or rent payment. Thankfully, it is the 21st century and we have more options, FREE options! Chances are your internet subscription is lower than your cable bill. There is no reason you should be paying over $20 a month if any at all. If your neighbors are kind enough to have an unsecured connection, and your computer is only a few years old, you can tap into there wireless connection. My top choices for free (and download free) internet TV are....
hulu.com::Ever since we had to cancel cable at our house, hulu.com is all we watch. It allows us to not only catch up with today's new shows, but those from the past like The A-Team and Who's The Boss. Great memories!
crackle.com Somewhat alike hulu.com, but with a larger library of movies. Also, each of there selections are supposed to be ironic (i.e. make you crackle).
wwitv.com The beauty about wwitv.com (which stands for World Wide Internet TV) is the opportunity of watching live streaming TV not only across the USA but throughout the world! Say you grew up overseas or relocated from New York City to Kansas due to work, but miss your local station that you grew up with- you may be able to find it right online! Some of the options are prerecorded shows, but I like to stick to LIVE streaming video.
youtube.com Okay, so millions of users have been using youtube to share family videos or perhaps get there "5 minutes" (did you know that is how Justin Bieber was discovered??), but it is also a great place to catch up with some of your TV shows and movies. The downfall- with a maximum video length of 10 minutes, most shows will have to be watched in more than one clip.
So set aside the money you had been giving away to the cable company, and put it instead towards paying off those credit cards, starting (or adding) a rainy day fund, or simply put towards your retirement!
You want to start by planning ahead; check your mail for the weekly circular or go onto the stores website. You want to create your shopping list based solely on sales- guess what, not too much thinking and you have already saved at least 10%!
Next, check my favorite grocery coupons sites: www.smartsource.com, www.redplum.com and www.coupons.com. ONLY print coupons of items that you need. Yes, I know it sounds like common sense, but I hear of so many people printing all the items. Just remember, we are trying to reduce our expenses and printing costs us money.
Sometimes you get lucky and coupons you just printed are for items already on sale at your local supermarket. For example, imitation crab meat is on sale from its regular $3.50 per package to BOGO (buy one get one free); that is an automatic 50% savings of $3.50. You also found coupons online for $1 off each package. So for the 2 packages that I would typically pay $7.00 I am now getting at only $1.50!! That is 80% in savings!! Not all items will fall under this category but typically you can find great pantry staples like cereal, butter, coffee; stock up!
Now you are probably thinking "what if something I want is not on sale?" Great question! First, realize whether it is a real needOR whether it is a want. If you conclude that you still need it but it is not on sale, compare prices once at the store. Typically, store brands are manufactured at the same plant as the brands, just have different packaging. Do not be fooled by brands!
Also, lookout for store specials that are not advertised in the weekly flyer. These items are typically sectioned off because the packaging is dented, they need to be consumed within 24 hours, or products which are being discontinued , and you can get at up 50% off! Items that you may find vary anywhere from shampoo to bread.
Lastly, have a budget and know ahead of time how much your total bill will be. This way you will avoid throwing onto your cart non-essential items, but it also helps avoid the headache of checking your receipt while holding up the line in case something did not ring up correctly.
Once you start seeing that your bill comes up to $30 and you saved $28 it not only gets exciting, but you can turn it into a fun game and see how much you can save on your next trip. Make it fun!
With a college degree and over 10 years of experience in the financial industry, I too have been affected (just like everyone else) by the economy. Fortunately, I have been savvy enough to be able to apply my resourceful ways to work in my best interest and be able to pay for our mortgage and bills while only earning minimum wage.
While this life experience still continues to be a struggle, it has taught me and reminded me how much I enjoy helping others, so I decided to start my own blog in hope to inspire others!
