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David Leonhardt asked:


Hello. Mr. Cheapie here again with three more fantastic I-can’t-believe-I-didn’t-think-of-that frugal shopping tips. I already gave you my best frugal eating tips at:

http://www.thehappyguy.com/frugal-living-tip.html

Now let’s move away from food, because it is to always important to buy the sizzle, not the steak. That’s the first tip. If the steak was any good, why would Madison Avenue spend all its efforts selling the sizzle?

Let’s face it, you don’t care which widget fits into the combotubulator under the hood; you just want a sporty new set of wheels painted in flamethrower red.

Here is how you negotiate down the price of a new vehicle. Just say, “No engine, please. No transmission. No coolant. Nothing under the hood, please. Nothing that doesn’t shine when I polish the car in my driveway.

You would be amazed at the astounding bargains you can negotiate on a new car with no engine. Plus, the car will weigh much less, so you will save on gas.

Next, head over to your favorite furniture superstore to buy a TV. Tip: NEVER buy a TV at an electronics store. They will try to sell you a whole bunch of useless and expensive features. The last thing you need is another 962 satellite channels that never seem to have anything on anyway.

Go straight to the wall unit section of the furniture store. They always display life-size cardboard TVs in this section. Most people leave their cardboard TVs behind when they pick up their wall units, so you can get yours for a song.

As a bonus, you always know what is showing on your new cardboard TV and you can save even more money by canceling that useless satellite or cable service.

Next, head to the office furniture section and check out the desks. See those cardboard computers?…

Apply this principal to any electronic equipment – telephones, microwave ovens, blenders. Imagine the fortune you can save just by saying “hold the steak.” If you’re a technophobe, you’ll be even happier.

But what if you really, really want the steak? Suppose you run out of ice cream, you’ve eaten all your foam mattresses and food stamps, and you are so hungry that you are willing to pay for the steak?

The second tip is to pay for the steak with online coupons. You don’t have to flip through flyers for coupons any more. For instance, I found this place that offers lots of free online coupons:

http://www.specialoffers.com

Coupon shopping does have its drawbacks, like the first time you try it you will find the coupons are extremely hard to cut (unless you took my advice and bought one of those really cool cardboard computers at the furniture superstore).

But you’ll get the hang of it, and before you know it you will save even more, because you can slash your scissors budget. Plus, you won’t have to clean up all the coupon clippings from the floor. And think of all the trees you will save.

My third tip is to bid at online auctions. Yeah, I know, you think auctions are only for antiques, multi-million dollar canvasses by dead people with funny accents and celebrity underwear.

But online is different. You can even bid on used chewing gum…which is why I advise being very careful what you bid on. For instance, I found this site:

http://www.farmandfieldauctions.com/fly-fishing-gear.html

Feel free to bid on used fly-fishing-gear. I am sure you will get a great deal. But stay away from any auction for used bait.

Notice all the used hunting supplies you can buy at:

http://www.farmandfieldauctions.com/hunting-supplies.html

However, you will also notice how few auctions there are for used moose meat. There is a reason for that. If aliens capture your brain and you are compelled to bid on used moose meat, please watch for the “urgent” label.

My best advice is not to bid on used chewing gun, used fishing bait or used moose meat. These have very little sizzle, and what steak they have is probably not very tasty.

Happy shopping.

Read more satire and funny stories:

http://www.thehappyguy.com/humor-articles.html

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http://www.thehappyguy.com/happiness-self-help-book.html

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http://www.thehappyguy.com/self-actualization-articles.html

Info@thehappyguy.com



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Manolito Montala asked:


Once I’ve read a book the millionaire next door that mentioned about the attitude of rich people who were frugal and financially fit. They were compared to those who were physically fit and exercise regularly. People from rich nations like the United States and Japan where, despite all their wealth, They would still keep every penny and yen they get. In the US, It is not unusual for a man to have a coin purse so they would be able to pay the exact amount most of the time. The Americans and Japanese, despite their affluence, would not pay one penny or yen more than the actual price of any merchandise and would similarly demand that they get no less than their exact change.

And why do you think many Americans spend time clipping discount coupons out of newspapers? For them any discount, even if it is just 10 cents, still means they will be paying a little less for an item. If all discounts are added up, that can mean a pretty respectable saving. They would go to supermarket with the coupons they clipped and use them when paying for their purchases.

Sad to say this will not happen to my country. No one will go to the supermarket with a bag full of coupons. I myself won’t bother to go to the store with those coupons. We even have a calendar from popular drug store with discount coupons. Maybe because the value of our currency is too low to give attention to or is it amor propio? (pride?) Culture? Whatever! No wonder we are still a third world country. A discount is a discount, even 1 centavo, 2 centavo, 3 centavos and so forth. And how much more if it is a freebie? Free stuffs or corporate give away. That doesn’t mean that people who patronize them can’t afford those items. It only shows that they value their money. Getting free samples so just in case they don’t like the product, no one will be blamed for not buying a better one.



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Judy Turner asked:


We all know that we need to eat better but isn’t it frustrating that the healthier you try to eat the more money you seem to spend? It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are just a few tips to help you feed your family nutritious meals without breaking your budget.

1) Plan your meals around the sales. Stores routinely rotate sales items every 6 weeks so plan accordingly and stock up. Is chicken breast on sale this week? Instead of buying 1 pack purchase several packs, separate into family size portions and freeze. If you routinely purchased only what was on sale (besides the perishables you need each week) you will soon have a well stocked freezer and pantry as well as a smaller grocery bill.

2) Avoid purchasing boxed foods. Most boxed foods are full of preservatives and trans fats so it is best to avoid them. Do you like the convenience of boxed foods? There are several good cookbooks and recipes online for making homemade mixes to keep on hand. Everything from homemade cookie mix to macaroni and cheese and more. Put these mixes in a pretty jar with the directions to prepare and it also makes a nice frugal gift!

3) Use coupons wisely. How many times have you gone to the store with a fist full of coupons only to come home spending more than you planned? The key to saving with coupons is to only purchase the items you would normally use anyway. You will also find that the store brand may still be the better bargain. An even better idea is to hold onto that coupon and wait for the item you want to go on sale.

4) Do a coupon exchange. Check with family and friends who get the Sunday paper and exchange coupons for ones you can use. That way you can really stock up when your favorite items are on sale and you have coupons.

5) Buy produce in season. It will taste much better and you will usually pay less. Also in the warmer months be sure to take advantage of farmers markets for low prices on produce. Buy items like peppers and onions when on sale, chop them and freeze them for quick recipes during the week. Zucchini can be shredded and frozen for zucchini bread and other recipes.

6) Make your grocery list and stick to it. Beware of those impulse buys!

7) Shop after dinner. You wont be tempted to pick up take out because you are too tired and hungry to cook when you get home.

Shop alone. Nothing blows a budget quicker than when your kids are with you! You will also get out of the store much quicker which will actually save you money.

9) When buying meat think of recipes where you can get more than one meal out of it. Meatsauce is still satisfying with half the amount of ground beef. Slice up other cuts of meat for stir fries or to put on top of a nice salad and you have a quick healthy meal.

10) Don’t be loyal to just one store. Most grocery stores have certain items priced really low to get your business. If you have several grocery stores in your area try and take advantage of what deals each store has to offer.

11) Have breakfast for dinner once in a while. An omelette, toast and fresh fruit is very economical and very quick to cook on a busy night.

These are just a few tips to help you save money while eating better. I hope that you find some or all of them useful for your family!



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