25 Things to Never Pay Full Price For

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What’s so great about this frugal renaissance that we’re experiencing is that there are more ways to save on everyday purchases than ever before.

In fact, there’s money waiting to be saved on almost every purchase we make. Some are no brainers, but I bet there are ways to keep more of your cash that you never knew about.

To help you preserve what’s in your pocket, here are 25 broad categories of items (I’m covering much more ground this way than being super specific) for which you should never pay full price. (See also: 25 Things to Throw Out Today)

1. Magazines

If you’re buying the latest gossip rag in the checkout line — either sporadically or on a regular basis — you need to reevaluate your priorities. These magazines sell at the cover price, which can be anywhere from $2.99 to $9.99 per issue. You don’t have to give magazines up all together, but if you like reading a particular title, consider a subscription. You can save up to 93% off the cover price — I know the savings can be that high because I just renewed a subscription for 93% off — if you shop around. When my Entertainment Weekly subscription expired earlier this year, I declined to renew it for the deal they offered, which would have cost me over $120 for two years. However, while reading an EW app on my iPad recently, I saw an ad for a two-year subscription (that comes with a digital issue) for $34.

2. Books

If the bankruptcy of Borders has taught us one thing, it’s that people don’t like to pay full price for books. And who can blame them? Generally I only read a book once, so why pay the premium price? I almost exclusively buy my books on Amazon — the lowest-priced used copies, too (who cares what it looks like) — and then resell them when I’m done. It’s almost like getting books for absolutely nothing.

3. Video Games

I don’t need to have the latest and greatest title, so when I’m looking for a new video game to play, I head straight to the discount or clearance section of the electronics department. However, if you do like to have newer games, Amazon is a great way to cut the costs at least a little bit.

4. Clothing

My favorite store, J. Crew, tends to be a bit pricey, so it’s very rare for me to buy anything at retail. Instead, I shop in the clearance section and dig for the best deals. Other ways to cut costs on clothing include shopping at wholesale clubs, using coupons, signing up for your favorite brand’s e-mail deals, shopping discount sites (JackThreads and Shop It To Me are my favorites), and giving thrift stores your undivided attention.

5. Groceries

Like I said, this list will include a few no brainers — and this is one of them. From coupons (but be careful that you’re not buying more than you need — buy two, get one free isn’t a deal if you only need one!) to the store’s “club card,” instant savings abound. But there are hidden deals that are waiting for you, too. Items that are about to expire may be heavily discounted along with damaged items. I buy canned goods and opened cereal boxes (don’t worry; the bag inside is still sealed) for well below original prices. Most grocery stores almost always have a clearance section, too, so be sure to find out where that is.

6. Dining Out

My husband and I enjoy eating out, but we never ever pay full price for a meal. We research happy hours to find drink and appetizer deals (often half off — and enough to fill us up), purchase Restaurant.com certificates at 80% off, check-in on Foursquare or Scoutmob, or redeem coupons we’ve received in the mail or online. There are a million-and-one deals at restaurants near you. Why wouldn’t you patronize the ones that will save you money?

7. Condoms

I’m always baffled that there’s still a marketplace for condoms. I see them all kinds of places for free. They’re available at bars, doctors’ offices, clinics, street fairs and festivals, and more. I have a huge fish bowl full of condoms in my living room, and I pick up extras whenever I see them. Also, if you have a flex spending plan, you might qualify to get free condoms from your local drug store.

8. Tickets

Whether you’re going to the theater, a concert, or a sporting event, there are tickets available for less than they’re sold at the box office. The first place I look is Craigslist because the sellers are local and I can often pick them up same day; I’ve scored low-priced tickets just minutes before a baseball game because at that point the seller just wanted to unload them. If you have more time to spare, StubHub should be your go-to source for discounted tickets on any event in your area.

9. Gift Cards

Retail stores never offer discounts on gift cards because cash is king — and they don’t want to lose real dollars. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. There are many sites on the web — like Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny — that offer gift cards to popular retailers at up to 50% below face value. Another site, You Never Lose, is sort of the same concept except buyers get to bid on the gift cards, which can result in savings up to 95% off.

10. Lodging

Staying at a hotel for full price is a fool’s game. With sites likes Priceline, Orbitz, and Hotels.com, there are many opportunities to pay less for your lodging. If you want to save even more money on accommodations, however, consider staying with a local when you travel via Airbnb or HomeAway. I can tell you from personal experience that using these alternative options will not only save you hundreds of dollars, but you often get better amenities and service than you do at hotels. Plus, you might make a new friend in the host — nothing wrong with that.

11. Outdoor Activities

My husband and I love to go on new adventures, but we never identify opportunities and seek them out. Rather, we wait for them to come to us via Groupon or LivingSocial. Thanks to these daily deal sites we’ve enjoyed horseback riding, camping, paintball, river tubing, white water rafting, and much more way below what it would have cost us if we had booked our trips privately.

12. Vacation Packages

There’s one piece of advice that I hope you’ll heed when planning a vacation — do not book through a travel agent (sorry, travel agents); you can do much better on your own. By using a combination of sites — Priceline for airfare, Airbnb for lodging, Groupon for activities — you’ll save more money than if let someone else do the work for you. Remember to still compare prices, though. Just because these are discount sites doesn’t mean they have the best discounts. The only way you’ll know for sure is if you compare across the board.

13. Car Rentals

When I took my husband to Chicago for his birthday last year, I got gouged on a car rental. Not only did I not book in advance, but when I arrived there were no cars left. When I finally secured a reservation, I paid three times as much as I should have (and gave the Enterprise guy the stink eye). My advice is to book online and use a discount code that you find through an Internet search. If you can’t find a code online, the Entertainment Book is always full of car rental coupons. You can even get the Entertainment Book at a discount if you buy after the first of the year. Aside from car rental coupons, there are hundreds of dollars worth in other deals inside. It will more than pay for itself if you use it regularly.

14. Appliances

How many ways can you save on appliances? At least eight, according to Darwin's Money's post 8 Ways to Save Big on Appliances. Methods include scratch-and-dent discounts, holiday weekend sales, and good ol’ fashioned haggling. Of course, it’s always nice to have a friend who works at Sears, too. Nothing beats an employee discount. 

15. Flowers

If you have the means to grow flowers but you still buy them, there’s probably no hope for you. Seriously, all it takes is planting a couple seeds; most likely, nature will do the rest. If you don’t have the means to grow your own, consider picking them in a nearby park or field. If you must go to the store to find an arrangement, shop local, at the source, and stick to one type of inexpensive flower. Also, dead people don’t care what kind of flowers you buy, just so you know.

16. Around-the-House Services

Hold off on calling that expensive gardener or handyman, because you may be able to find someone inexpensive on Craigslist or a site like TaskRabbit. These sites are full of listings from people who are ready, willing, and capable of handling your odd job for much less than it would cost a “professional.” That’s not to say that the people listing help ads aren’t professional, though; it may just be that they’re out of work and looking for any way to make a few bucks. Still, be safe and ask for references. You don’t want to hire a dud and end up paying double.

17. In-Theater Movies

Movies are expensive these days, so much so that a trip to the cinema is almost prohibitive. To reduce the costs of a ticket, sign up for the theater club card (which will help you accrue discounts), use your student, senior, or military IDs if you have them, and plan to attend matinees instead of evening shows. I try my best to stick to AMC Theaters before noon so I can score $6 tickets. That’s half the price of what an afternoon or evening movie costs. 

18. DVD Rentals

How Blockbuster is still in business at all baffles me. The company filed for bankruptcy two years ago, and last year the geniuses at Dish Network decided to throw money at the sinking ship. Still, business continues to suffer because truly innovative entrepreneurs figured out a way to allow people to rent DVDs for less. I love DVD rental kiosks (especially Redbox and excluding Blockbuster Express) because not only are the DVDs affordable ($1.29 at Redbox opposed to $2.99 at Blockbuster!), but there are often discount codes available that will lessen the fee or make a one-night rental absolutely free. You can find available codes online. Then all you have to do is enter it at checkout. 

19. Music

Want to know where to get lots of the music you love for free all the time? Turn on the radio!

20. Airfare

Of course you can use discount travel sites, but don’t forget to compare those prices with the airline’s official website. Sometimes there are special deals that are available exclusively from the source instead of a third party. Also remember that some airlines, like Southwest (my favorite), don’t participate in discount travel sites, so if you’re sticking strictly to Orbitz or the like, you’ll never even know what some other airlines have to offer. In addition, here’s verified info on the cheapest day to buy tickets and the cheapest days to fly.

21. Cars

What are the three best times to buy a car? End of the calendar year, end of the model year, and end of the month. The first two are self-explanatory — dealers want to unload inventory to make room for the new stuff. The third, however, has to do with individual salespeople. At the end of the month, car salespeople are eager to meet their quotas so they can earn incentives and commissions. Get a salesperson who’s hungry, and you could drive away with a big bargain.

22. Water

Clean, cold water comes out of every faucet in America. Why are we still buying it in bottles?!

23. A Tan

Another abundant, natural, and no-cost resource is our sun. Instead of paying for a membership to the tanning salon, lay out on the lawn for 20 minutes. Not that I recommend long-term exposure to UV rays — they’re dangerous! But if you must, at least get them for free. 

24. Cell Phones

You can list your phone on Craigslist or eBay to sell them — which works — but you may not be able to unload them for as much or as quickly as you want. Instead, try ExchangeMyPhone, a site that lets you sell your smartphones and iPads instantly. ExchangeMyPhone pays people for their old, new, or broken cell phones, and repairs or recycles them ethically. The money you make from the sale will offset the cost of a new device, too. Great for the environment and your wallet!

25. Baby Food

Once babies are on solid food, they eat much of the same stuff we do — fruits, veggies, proteins, etc. Why are you buying individual jars of baby food when all you have to do is puree foods in a blender or processor? This method cost significantly less, produces less waste (no jars!), and it’s much healthier for your baby than that mush that sits unrefrigerated under nutrient-stealing florescent lighting on the supermarket shelves. We can all agree that that’s not the best thing to feed your pride and joy, can’t we? 

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Guest's picture
J Marie

There are a few items on the list that you can get for free. Check out your library for free books, video games, movies and digital downloads. Our local library allow us to download digital titles for the Nook or Kindle, and audio books for our IPods. This is a great bargain. Also, Pandora radio is free internet radio, that has minimal commercials. There are Pandora apps for smartphones, so you can listen anywhere!

Mikey Rox's picture

Wow! I had no idea that libraries now offer e-book downloads. Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna check my local branch tomorrow.

Guest's picture

Water doesn't come out clean everywhere.. I'm in Florida and it can be anywhere from OK to downright awful. I noticed a significant difference in how I felt when I made the switch from faucet water to water bottles in college.

Guest's picture
BMY

Your right tyler. Unless the water is tested, you can never be truly sure what is in your water. If you must drink out of the water I would recommened that you get a water purifier. And if you want to buy water, it is best to buy in bulk

Guest's picture
Robert

You can look up your water quality online. http://water.epa.gov/drink/local/index.cfm/drink/local/index.cfm
Bottled water is for suckers.

Guest's picture
J.

Actually, tap water is subject to more stringent regulation than bottled water. Most bottled water actually *is* tap water, in fact -- tap water that has sat in a plastic bottle, absorbing plasticizing agents from the water for months or years.

If the water in your part of the country tastes bad, get a filter. But don't be roped into the bottled water scam.

Guest's picture
Guest

Yes, that tip was the one I didn't agree with at all. Tap water has been known to pour out tons of chemicals and toxins such as massive amounts of flouride, arsenic and chlorine. There's definitely something in the water because when I visited my parents in Georgia, I took a drink of the tap water and then a drink of their filtered water and the tap water had a strong taste of chlorine or something, whereas the filtered water just tasted clean.

Guest's picture
Rez

Most bottled water is just glorified tap water. 2 examples are Dasani & Aquafina. Shockingly made by Coke & Pepsi. I just bought a reusable water bottle and my purifier and boom, I'm saving money hand over fist.

Guest's picture
Guest

The library is also a great place to get books, movies, and CDs for free!

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

Agreed! Thanks for adding to the discussion. :)

Guest's picture
Guest

With regard to picking flowers at the park - I hope you mean wildflowers growing on the side. There are landscaping personnel dedicated to maintaining the flowers that you would normally see in the store. Picking these flowers would also be known as stealing.

Also, good tip on car rentals. Once I needed a car last minute at 10 PM in SFO due to a flight cancellation. The agent said they had no cars available. I had to call my business travel agent who booked it for me online, and then I went back to the AVIS counter and proceed to pick up my reserved car. It was the most ridiculous service I've ever encountered.

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

That's exactly what happened to me. When I approached the counter, there were no cars available so they gave me a number to call to make a reservation. As soon as the reservation was made, the guy at the counter told me my car was ready. I couldn't believe it.

Guest's picture
Guest

I was so distracted that you keep a fishbowl of condoms in your *living room* that I couldn't focus on the rest of the article. Questions ran through my mind: Do you host swinger parties with such frequency that you have to keep a bowl out at all times, just in case? Are they more like a bowl of candies for your gusets? Are you in such a rush to use one that you can't be bothered to grab it out of a cupboard? The mind reels!

PS: I went back and reread the piece (minus the condoms) and found some great ideas. I rarely pay retail on anything but I never realized I could get gift cards at a discount. Thanks!

Guest's picture
LJoyce

Guest: That is exactly what I was going to write! :oP

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

I know it sounds strange, but it's justified. I bought lots of condoms and other medical supplies with my flex spending funds before leaving an old job. I put them in the fish bowl because we host tourists in our home on a nightly basis (a great way to make extra cash, btw). Since I had so many, I figured I'd put them out there in case any our of guests need them. Everybody knows it's sort of tongue-in-cheek, but they do come in handy.

Guest's picture
Edward

"...A huge fish bowl full of condoms" in your living room?! "Huge"? Oh cripes, that made me laugh! Is it arranged beside a jar of jellybeans? Always nice to show off when mom and dad or company come over for a visit. I, for one, would certainly rethink making myself too comfy on your living room sofa.

"See, mom--there's about 800 in there. We should be good for at least few weeks, I think." (Meanwhile little kids have grabbed them and are blowing them up as balloons.)

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

I see your point, Edward. Luckily my parents and house guests are grown-ups; they've seen condoms before. And just because there's a bowl full of condoms doesn't mean that people are humping like rabbits on my furniture. They're just there because I have an abundance of them and people should take them if they want so they don't go to waste. Thanks for your input, though. I honestly appreciate when readers take the time to weigh in. Have an excellent afternoon!

Andrea Karim's picture

Ha! I soon as I read this article, I knew there would be someone who would insinuate that Mikey's living room is a den of sin. Sheesh, people. Condoms. It's not like good, moral people don't use condoms.

Guest's picture
Ashley

I don't trust advice on baby food from anyone who keeps a fishbowl of condoms in his living room.

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

I had no idea how many people oppose the promotion of safe sex. My apologies. Thanks for the comment, though; I appreciate it. Stay frugal, and remember to smile. :)

Guest's picture
FrugalCat

I fully support safe sex. The place for the condoms is usually the bedroom! I never trust street fair or bar giveaway condoms. You can get great prices (about half that of drugstores) at Target or a supermarket. That is for trusted brands like Lifestyles.

Guest's picture

Great list of stuff to never pay the full price for. Some of these are no brainers, but still people are paying the full price for them regardless. Sometimes it just takes some coupons or shopping around, but if you're smart about it you can save money on so many different everyday purchases. When you add up all the savings, you'll wonder why you ever paid full price.

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

I totally agree. A lot of people are too lazy to search for the deals, but I'd rather spend more time than more money. Thanks for chiming in!

Guest's picture
Elyse Stein Zois

Magazines, books, CDs and DVDs can all be checked out at the public library. I never pay for them anymore.

Guest's picture
J Marie

I think your fishbowl is funny. Don't know why some are offended.

Guest's picture
Kathleen

Same here~

Guest's picture
Guest

I wasn't really offended myself, and I don't think it sounds like any of the comments I've read sound offended either, but...

Lets just say that when I hear that someone keeps a fishbowl of condoms in their living room, it makes me think frat boy. And who wants to take financial advice from a frat boy? I'm glad the author explained!

Guest's picture
Guest

another way to save on books is going to your local library's book sales, often hosted by "friends of the library". I always find, new, unread, contemporary novels for $1 each.

Guest's picture
Guest

I must disagree with the 'don't book through a travel agent' point. Many agents these days are more than happy to price beat Internet websites (just ask!), plus you get the added security that if something goes wrong, they can sort it out for you, instead of being on your own!

Travel agents get such a bad rep, but I love my travel agent! She's always found me the best deals & it saves me a lot of time! The time it takes me to put together a holiday online (I tried once for comparison) is a lot longer than it takes my agent, and by the time I'd added in the cost of all the extras that the Internet doesn't mention (meals + baggage on planes, resort fees, transfers, visa costs, etc.) it still worked out cheaper through my agent. Plus I had just wasted a number of hours that could've been spent on other things.

Point of my rant: I would never book a holiday without my travel agent!!

Guest's picture
Kathleen

I can (kind of) grow flowers, but sometimes I d buy. Usually, I use decent fakes. Truly, there is no hope for me!

Guest's picture
Jenessa

Mikey, I always love your articles. And I LOVE the fishbowl of condoms! They come in so many cool colors and packages that I bet they look artsy. I was pretty sure grown ups used this site but I guess not. Edward must let his kids play with anything they find. (And he must have kids since he's uncomfortable with condoms!) Yay for responsible sex!

The library is a great resource. Also, Target clearance always has "repackage" items which have damaged exteriors. Such great bargains. Who cares if the box of toothpaste is dented? You can stack that discount with coupon for even better savings.

Guest's picture
Jean P.

Awesome tips! I play video games too, and I like waiting for sales on Steam. As for flights, I actually prefer to book directly with the airline, instead of places like Orbitz - the last time my husband and I went through that, he had such a hassle checking in with his ticket. My biggest issue is finding cheap transportation TO the airport and back since I don't have a car.

I have a lot of books I don't really read anymore, too. Starting to hate how they're piling up. Once, I went to return it to Amazon, and they gave me a full refund AND let me keep the book. I think it might be a one time thing, but I won't complain! :)

The condoms thing made me laugh. Anyone who's offended by that need to take the stick out and chill. Prudes.

Thanks for the great tips, Mikey!

Guest's picture

One o the best posts that i have come across so far and funniest too i mean i never thought that one could save money on condoms hahaha all in all a very informative and implementable information...looking forward to more such posts

Guest's picture
Long

I'll echo what everyone else said about the library for books, magazines, e-books, audio books, etc.

Books can also be bought cheaply at half.com (one of the sources of used textbooks when I was going to school). I also like getting used video games on half.com as well. Another choice for renting video games is the Netflix like service, Gamefly. I have used it in the past and really liked it.

For in theatre movies, try buying tickets ahead of time at places like Costco. You can also look into your employee benefits program or union who might provide discount tickets as well. I usually buy my movie tickets this way, along with them park tickets.

Water bottles have a huge markup. I'll agree with what Tyler said about water. Even though "potable" water comes out of every faucet, it's not all equal and palatable. In my current city, the water is extremely hard. To save money, I installed a water filtration system and use Klean Kanteens. Cheaper than water bottles, and more environmentally friendly by far.

Great topic Mikey.

Guest's picture
Eric

For those of us who are choosy about condoms, a certain online clearinghouse has them cheap. I'd pay a quarter for the condom of my choice rather than take the free ones that break or are just plain unpleasant.

Guest's picture
Geoff

Excellent point about water. It's definitely not environmentally friendly to be buying water in plastic bottles.

Guest's picture
R Hill

Don't forget the value of discount theaters! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discount_theater) There's one about half an hour from where I live, yet the price of admissions, concessions and gas is STILL cheaper than Regal cinemas, about equidistant from where I live. I've seen other theaters offer "all you can watch" specials on Tuesdays, where you pay $2 to get in and watch as many movies as you care to through the day. If the intent is to entertain the kiddos, many theaters offer $1 kids' movies during the summer.

Guest's picture
D

You can avoid paying full price for almost anything (and not by just using coupons). Check the gift card resale market for discounted giftcards to your favorite stores. Buy a card for a price thats lower it's than actual value and then turn around and use it as your form of payment. You will save the difference plus you can still use coupons to save even more.

Guest's picture

Funny how one of the ones on your list, is one I just blogged about (albeit, at a personal and smaller sample size): Water.

I try to get that for free when it comes to drinks, wherever I go.

Beats the cost of $2+ for a soda at a restaurant, every single time. Those savings just add up!

Guest's picture
suehypno

"I have a huge fish bowl full of condoms in my living room..."

Classy!!

Mikey Rox's picture
Mikey Rox

And healthy! :)

Guest's picture
Robert

Video Games: I watch the WalMart website for new releases. WalMart will usually have a special of some kind along with their newly released video games. I bought Mass Effect 3 last month with a $10 WalMart gift card, then Walmart couldn't get it to me on the "Deliver by" date, so they gave me another $10 Online gift card. Total for new game, $39.00, plus some in game stuff free.

I did the same with Skyrim, and had it two days before the release date, while other people stood in line at Game Stop for the midnight release. I got it $10 cheaper and 2 days earlier.

Guest's picture
Guest

I am assuming the author doesn't have a baby since, 1. she so flippantly lists #25 and 2. she has a fishbowl of condoms in her house. Although its nice to make baby food from scratch, and once your baby is older, they can begin to eat more of the things you make for your family, albeit cooked longer and smashed up, sometimes you've had a long day. You've had three shitty diapers, a teething, whiny baby, messes to clean up, cleaning, laundry, and you just want to feed your baby and then eat your own dinner and try to relax. So, it's nice to have a few jars of baby food on hand. Or pouches, as they make now. There's also lots of excellent organic choices with strictly food ingredients that are handy to keep on hand for stressful evenings or dinner outings. They assure me that my baby is getting the nutrition she needs instead of picking at finger food.

Guest's picture
Carl Lassegue

I feel your pain on the car rentals. I recently rented a car for one day and it cost me a ridiculous amount.

Guest's picture
TFM

What a great article -- don't forget about saving money using eBay too! I've bought most of my designer stuff on eBay for a fraction of the price. I've become sort of addicted/a pro.

I wrote about it on my blog too http://thefrugalmodel.com/blog/99/check-ebay-first to anyone interested in how to shop eBay like a pro :)

Guest's picture
Guest21

Some of the points on here are absolutely ridiculous! Free music= radio? Okay... Except there are tons of commercials and they usually play a select few songs over and over again. Also, how the heck are you supposed to drive and enjoy a cross-country ride when you're busy changing the radio half of the time? If you're really cheap but want free music legally, Amazon offers tons of promotions where the reward are $5 in mp3 credit. Buy a textbook purchase of over $50 and get a $5 MP3 credit. Sign up for some newsletter on Amazon, get a $5 credit. Also, there are website that offers free song downloads of the older songs for free.

And the part about condoms... Many of those condoms are cheap and will break easily. Not to mention, some just sit out there for the eternity (and yes condoms do expire!) and that one size does not fit all, and many women (like me) are allergic and/or uncomfortable w/ the use of latex condoms. I'm sure there is a much subtle way of putting it than "I don't understand why a market for condoms still exist!"-- that was snarky and rude. Open up your eyes to see that not everyone fits under the same category.

For books-- it's called library. I can't believe you'd miss the most obvious free place of all! Taxpayers pay for it, why not get the money back? Same goes for magazines, why pay for a subscription when you can get them from the local library for free. These are just the basics, and many libraries offers free e-books downloads that expire after a certain day from when you start reading them. Same goes for movies and music downloads.

Groceries-- in order to use coupons, you have to find them first. I don't know anyone who has a newspaper subscription anymore. I scour eBay for coupons and get them for $.99 w/ $.50 in shipping. I then send the ones I won't use and the ones that are expired to troops since they can use expired coupons 3 months past their exp. date.

Water-- yes, true tap water is good and is more strictly controlled than bottled water BUT that is only true of when it's in the facility. That's not the problem, the problem is when it goes through years old underground pipes and collects microscopic dirt and contaminants seeping in. That's why I invested in a Brita filter. It removes most impurities but the best investment of all is UV sanitizer for your tap. It kills 99% of the bugs and pathogens in your water and you never have to wait for your water to be filtered. Plus UV lamps need to be replaced less frequently.

Other than that, the article was fairly well.

Guest's picture
Guest

Even though the library has 'free books' you do actually have to return them. The inconvenience of going there, spending time picking out books, then having to remember to return them by a certain date, mostly isn't worth the free-ness of using the library. Besides, those late fees are a killer sometimes.

Guest's picture
Guest

Don't forget checks! Bank checks are such a ripoff compared to buying them online. It's unbelievable how much banks try to charge for checks. I always thought I had to buy them from the bank for some reason. But now I only buy them online and feel stupid for waiting so long to do so. But there are a LOT of online sellers so it can take some time to find the best deal. Cheapochecks.com is a good place to start though.

Guest's picture
electrogeek77

You haven't listened to the radio in recent years, have you?

As for water, I personally find it to be a reasonable expense for myself. When I lived in Massachusetts, I was perfectly fine with well water as long as it was cold and filtered. But in Indiana, where I live now, water is so hard that nothing can make it palatable. And don't get me started on well water.hb

Guest's picture
1buy

There are a few items on the list that you can get for free. Check out your library for free books, video games, movies and digital downloads. Our local library allow us to download digital titles for the Nook or Kindle, and audio books for our IPods. This is a great bargain. Also, Pandora radio is free internet radio, that has minimal commercials. There are Pandora apps for smartphones, so you can listen anywhere!

Guest's picture
James Shaffer

"Music
Want to know where to get lots of the music you love for free all the time? Turn on the radio!"

Or Pandora, Spotify or countless other ways to get music for free. There is no reason why anyone should be paying for music anymore.