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AUTOMOBILE


• Use your vehicle to earn additional income at UBER or LYFT or other ride share or delivery service.


• Purchase a used car instead of a new one.


• Always negotiate based on price when purchasing a car—never payments.


• Get your loan up front prior to going to dealership.


• Consider the total cost of ownership when you purchase a car.


• Thoroughly research the vehicle you are considering purchasing.


• Eliminate all dealer add-on fees other than those that are truly necessary.


• Consider a private car seller—if you are in a strong cash position.


• Always do a thorough inspection when buying a used car.


• Run the numbers to see if leasing a vehicle is more advantageous to you than buying.


• Negotiate the value of your trade-in before you negotiate for the new car.


• Keep your car in good running condition by doing regular maintenance.


• Consider carpooling.


• Use the right octane (gas) for your vehicle.

Shop late in the month to find better deals.

Use Repairpal.com for repair quotes.

Use Smart driver discounts if you take a safety or defensive driving course.

• Use Autoslash.com or Turo.com and Rent car near but not at airport to get a better rental rate.

 

CREDIT


• Eliminate your expensive annual fee Airline Credit Card or other high fee credit card.


• Lower your credit card interest if you have excellent credit.


• Avoid bounced checks and costly overdraft charge.



• Gain mastery of your credit so that you can manage credit effectively throughout your lifetime.


• Set up bank alerts to avoid fraud and other fee and free credit scores from your credit card issuer or other online provider.


• Sign up for automatic federal student loan payments.


• Refinance your home at a lower rate with a good lender by going to lenders who may offer a better rate and terms (compare among at least 3 lenders).


• Consider Credit Card Reward Programs if you have a properly established emergency fund and little or no credit card debt.


ELECTRONICS


• Consider a cell phone instead of a landline.


• Get the best cell phone deal possible based on your usage.


• Shop around for the best software and internet rates.


FINANCIAL


• Consider a credit union rather than a bank to avoid/reduce fees.


• Use only your banks ATM.


• Ask your credit card company for a reduction in your interest rate.


• Consider direct deposit and online bill pay.


• Be sure to enroll in your companies 401k or other retirement account—particularly if there is an employer match.


• Buy no-load or low load mutual funds.


INSURANCE


• Consider an insurer that offers multiple car and home discounts, defensive driving, security and other discounts on home and auto policies.


• Buy term life insurance and invest the difference in savings from whole life (you must be highly disciplined to use this strategy).


• Shop your insurance coverage and be sure you are dealing with a highly rated and solvent company.


• Drop comprehensive insurance if your vehicle is not worth that much.


• Try to eliminate your PMI (private mortgage insurance) or MIP (mortgage insurance premium) as soon as possible.


• Avoid specialty insurers—when possible.


• Choose the best health coverage for you and your family.


HEALTH


• Use GoodRX to help reduce prescription drug costs.

Ada.org dental schools that have reduced costs for dental procedures.

Haggle for hearing aids.

Enroll in FSA or Flexible spending Account to gain pre-tax advantage for health and dependent care expenses.

Daily burn—stream online fitness classes.

• Enroll in HSA or Health Savings Account if you see that it can benefit you.

Get your grooming done at a barber and beauty college rather than a barber or beauty salon.


TRAVEL


Trustedhousesitters.comBe a house sitter.

Consider a daycation at hotelsbyday.com and between9and5.com.

Age 62 or over—look for rail discounts at Amtrak and rail Canada.

Globalgreeternetwork.info for free walking tours around the globe.

Nps.gov62 or over consider National Park pass for $80 that will get you into national parks for the rest of your life.

Consider second class as opposed to first on long trips.

Consider eating at restaurants during “slack season” to get better prices.

Use ATM instead of spending with dollars to have better buying power—currency exchange in foreign countries charge high fees.

 

SAVING


Earny App or Paribus app to find and claim refunds within 30 days after a  recent purchase.

Annualcreditreport.com—free credit reports.

Ask your bank about reimbursed ATM fees if you used other ATM’s.

Billfix and billshark will haggle for you and take a cut such as cable tv and other service providers.

Homeowner tax breaks—look for homestead exemptions, other exemptions if you are age 62—caps on assessed value—tax rate or assessment freezes etc.

Max out your 401k—at least to the company match.

Cut your interest payments by paying your mortgage off early.


ENTERTAINMENT


• Get free e-books at guttenberg.org.

Call cable provider and ask for reduced fees in order to keep your loyalty.

Stream free movies.


TECHNOLOGY


Use prepaid smartphones depending on your usage and need.

Use LED as their cost has goine down over the years.

Check credit card policies for possible warranty coverage for many products at no extra charge.

Check “before” buying on extended warranties and know the exact time frame that warranty will be extended forwrite in what you understand the warranty to be if you feel conflicted about the time frame or other concern.

Cut Microsoft office by using free programs to open excel such as libreoffice or apacheopenoffice.


DINING


Free birthday gift—go to thrilllist.com.

Consider using coupons.

Consider happy hour or timing windows for discounts.

Mykidseatfree.com or coupondivas.com to find where kids can eat cheap.


HOME


Repaircafe.org/en for repairs for household items.

Energystar.com/ratingUse energy star appliances with high rating.


MISCELLANEOUS


Get more interest by moving your money to a new account that pays better interest.

Negotiate your bank fees—wire transfers and other monthly or unfair fees.

Get a signing bonus by switching or moving your money to a new broker.

Book travel on Sunday—especially for airline travel.

Consider a lunch menu over a dinner menu to save.

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Don’t buy costly passes unless you plan on using them.

Know what countries the dollar is  strong in when you travel abroad.

Use smart outlets to save energy.

Get occupancy sensors so light comes on and goes off when you enter and exit a room.

Add smart thermostats.

Lower your water bills by updating and putting an aerator which will mix air into the water and help reduce your water bill.

Pay your mortgage off early to free cash.

Use an ARM loan if it makes good financial sense to do so.

• Use Amazon prime day in mid July to purchase electronics (you can use 30 day free trial).

Buy grocery products in bulk when it makes sense to do so.

Compare drug costs—they often vary significantly from pharmacy to pharmacy—RXsaver, GoodRX and others will help you save and reduce prescription drug costs.

Buy generic medications.

Use reward cards appropriately.

Avoid storage units and declutter your home instead.  Also declutter your mind to live out a more joyful life.

Eliminate old gym and magazine subscriptions.

Upgrade your refrigerator—especially if it is over 10 years old—go to energystar.gov to learn about energy efficiency.

Use your dryer while it is hot to save on energy—do multiple loads back to back while dryer is hot to save on costs.

Use Prosperitynow.org to find IDA accounts for home buying and possibly other large purchases.

Use store brand instead of name brands.

Round up and save with the ACORN app to save monthly.

Eat organic when possible by learning what fruit and vegetables are best to eat organically at ewg.com.

Create an email account just for  promotional deals and other email spam.

Make sure your toilet is not running and consider changing the flap or handle yourself to save on a service call.

Track your finances at mint.com—you will see ads or email TWI and request a Cash Flow statement for a discount that will allow you to plan more effectively…

New dishwashers do not require that you rinse—you will save on water bill.

Shoptagr—tells you when sales are on for something you may be looking to buy.

Consider dorm room rental when you are visiting abroad as that can cut your lodging by over 50%.

Plant trees, shrubs and flowers that are native to your area to save on water and maintenance costs.

Purchase a TV antennae and dump cable.

Gas Discounts—some retailers work with gas companies and offer $50 gas station cards for $40 if you spend a certain amount—may be worth considering.

Get haircut at a beauty school or get the senior rate at your barber if you qualify.

Consider installing solar panels to help reduce your electrical bill if allowed in your area.

Add a roommate to cut down on the cost of renting or mortgage payments.

Consider early bird discounts for entertainment/sports venues—including season ticket packages.

Purchase meat in bulk and break down and store in freezer.

• Do small repairs around the house yourself.

• Consider budget or level billing—with your utility providers—will also help you plan your future more effectively.


• Make your own baby food.


Take lunch to work.


• Buy in bulk when possible.


• Do comparison shopping appropriately by considering unit pricing and generics.


• Grow some of your own food/eat healthy.


• Travel in the off season and shop around for the best airline and hotel deals.


• Consider bread and breakfast, air bnb and other alternatives instead of a hotel.


• Use coupons when you eat out.


• Use the library more.


• Avoid newspaper and magazine subscriptions that you rarely read.


• Use your “imaginative spirit” to find other areas where you can save.


• Lower your entertainment costs by going to fansnap.com.


• Unsubscribe from deal e-mails.


• Improve your fuel economy.


• Use a car buying service to get a great deal.


• Spot lower prices shopping online.


• Rent designer clothing instead of buying at renttherunway.com.


• Haggle like an expert (download free applications on your smartphone) with spending applications at retailmenot, pricegrabber, pounce, goodzer, favado,  google shopper, redlaser or shopsavvy

• Scan bar codes when you are shopping to compare prices with other retailers and online stores—when necessary.


• Listen to free audio books at ambling books, librivox, and project gutenburg. You can also try your local library.


• Eliminate your landline phone if you can do so effectively.


• Text for free by downloading the app—if you are a heavy text messenger.


• Eliminate fees on treasury investments by purchasing directly from www.treasurydirect.gov—by doing so you will avoid brokerage commissions, management fees and possible sales loads in mutual funds.


• Slash expenses with ETF’s.


• Avoid taxes on bonds by purchasing municipal bonds.


• Cut your drug costs by considering generics.


• Raise your insurance deductibles.


• Look for lower life insurance rates by going to accuquote.com or lifequotes.com—you will need to take a basic medical exam before getting the final rate.


REAL ESTATE


• Purchase, refinance or sell your home at the right time.


If you are considering purchasing a home or refinancingyou can go to www.quickenloans.com or www.lendingtree.com along with local mortgage lenders in your areato determine what loan will best suit youand your family.  You can compare closing costs, APR's and Par rates to determine what loan will best serve yourand your family's long-term interests.


• Always have your home inspected prior to purchase or sale.


• Negotiate your rental payment if you are a renter.


• Get a free energy audit for your home.


• Change your filters and make energy improvements in your home, wherever possible.


• Water your yard and plants early—rather than later to avoid evaporation.


• Dress appropriately for the season, and adjust thermostat in your home accordingly.



SHOPPING


Max out couponing—iibotta, checkout51 and shopmium.


Use Carcash.com and cardpool.com—for discounted gift cards.


Swap clothes online—rehashclothes.com.


• Take inventory of where you are spending your money and make cut backs where you can.


• See if you really need an extended warranty.


• Use intelligence in your shopping patterns—such as buying after the holiday— buying at end of the season etcetera.


• Set up a monthly budget—and stick to it—so that you can reach your goals—get family involved.


• Purchase with cash or debit card whenever possible.


• Stop the use of your credit card.


• Don’t shop while you are hungry or tired.


• Use your rebates if you purchase a product that offers rebates.


• Don’t pay for fancy extras that you don’t use or need.


• Have a garage sale—will also help de-clutter your house.


• Workout at home or in neighborhood—either temporarily or permanently.


• Change to fluorescent, halogen incandescent, light-emitting diode or LED—light bulbs.


• Install a water saving showerhead.


• Conserve energy on your electronics by purchasing a Belkin Conserve Smart AV ($29 at Amazon.com).


• Install a programmable thermostat.


• Haggle like an expert (download free applications on your smartphone) with shopping applications at shoppingbythefind, retailmenot, pricegrabber, pounce, goodzer, favado,  google shopper, redlaser or shopsavvy.


Scan barcodes when you are shopping to compare prices with other retailers and online stores—when necessary.


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About This Article:

 

The above article was written by Thomas (TJ) UnderwoodThomas (TJ) Underwood is a former fee-only financial planner, a former top producing loan processor and is currently a licensed real estate broker in the state of Georgia. 


He is the writer behind The Real Estate & Finance 360 Degrees Series of Books that include The Wealth Increaser, Home Buyer 411 The Smart Guide to Buying Your Home, Home Seller 411 The Smart Guide to Selling Your Home, and  Managing & Improving Your Credit & Finances for this MILLENNIUM.


In addition he is also the writer who created The 3 Step Structured Approach to Managing Your Finances, and CREDIT & FINANCE IMPROVEMENT MADE EASY—NEW GUIDE that you can download right now "(at MIMIMAL cost $3.95)" to learn more about his writing style and how you can achieve "more" success in the current economy.


He is the creator of TheWealthIncreaser.com where he regularly blogs about helping consumers improve their credit, finance and real estate pursuits in an intelligent, consistent and proactive manner. 


He’s always looking for ways to make intelligent finance improvement happen for those who “sincerely desire” success in their future. He was the first financial planner to coin the phrase "financially alert mind"  and he consistently writes in a style that is designed to provide consumers the ability to take control of their lives and achieve great results.


You can contact him from a number of sources but the most direct way is to contact him through the contact us block that can be found at the bottom of this page.  You can also get highly relevant tips on "living your life more abundantly" and link to TheWealthIncreaser.com and possibly earn revenue by logging on to TheWealthIncreaser.com.


He is also an IRS registered tax planning professional with over 30 years of tax experience and can be reached at:


ATLANTA TAX PREPARATION SERVICE


https://www.ptindirectory.com/tax-preparers/georgia/peachtree-city-ga/652454/tfa-financial-planning/tom-j-underwood-afsp-rtrp


LOCATIONS:


Atlanta South Location:


Realty 1 Strategic Advisors, LLC

77 Prestwick Lane

Peachtree City, GA 30269


770-719-4550 (Direct)

tj@realty-1-strategic-advisors.com


Atlanta Central Location:


Realty 1 Strategic Advisors, LLC

2940 West Stubbs Road

Atlanta, GA 30349


404-952-9284 (Direct)

tj@TheWealthIncreaser.com






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