Even though extreme times call for extreme measures, I’m like many other Survivors: time-stressed and a bit lazy. So I’m always looking for ways to save money that don’t take a lot of time or effort. See below.
Saving money on dry cleaning
This item ran in the New York Times’ Advertising column, so isn’t exactly rife with tips, but does talk up two interesting new products from Procter & Gamble: Tide Total Care and Downy Total Care. Both products help you cut down drastically on your dry cleaning bills by helping clothes look new and keep their shape for a longer time (up to 30 washes). Quote from P&G: “Women spend $1,500 a year on dry cleaning, and 65 percent of those clothes are actually machine washable.” Don’t ask me exactly how this “fabric care product" works, but I’m going to try it. My dry cleaned clothes often look crisp but aren't really fresh and odor free, so maybe this new way of cleaning will be a double win.
So once you’ve stopped dry cleaning clothes…
… you need to find ways to save money—and energy—while washing your clothes. This blog posting from the NY Times’ Green Inc. blog details some basic ways to conserve while doing your laundry. It’s the typical list of “duh, why didn’t I think of that” tips that actually can’t be read enough times--maybe eventually it'll sink in. Want to save energy/money while using your dryer? Dry multiple loads in succession (piggybacking on the heat you’ve built up). And the lengthy list of comments to the posting offer a bounty of easy tips such as clean your lint trap with a little dish soap and water to really increase your dryer’s efficiency. The blog readers also share tips for the best drying rack--the ultimate energy saver.
Still not cutting coupons?
Coupon-cutting is becoming cool again (wait—was it ever cool?). This article from cnn.com details the growing trend of using coupons in the U.S., after 15 years of decline in their use. The head of the coupon council issues this hopeful statement: "I think that what we're seeing is a behavioral change in the consumer that could have lasting effects. If you shift buying patterns and enjoy benefits of doing that, you will likely continue in that pattern. For the marketer, it's an opportunity to bring in more customers and get them to try new things." Sure, we’ll try new things, but all we really want to do is save money, so make those coupons worthwhile, marketers.
Coupons are rife on the internet--no cutting required, you just need to plug in a number. I’ll post some on the Digest when I find them. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Entertainment.com for their $30 book of casual dining coupons—if you have a family and still want to go out occasionally, the discount book purports to save you close to $1,500/year on dining, travel, and shopping. With that savings, and the savings on dry cleaning (above) you’re already $3,000 ahead in your yearly expenses. (Well, if you can believe these numbers from marketers…)
Laughing's better than crying
"I don't know, should we talk about the stock market? Oh my gosh, today, talk about your roller coaster, dropped 800 points. Whoa, so thank you, bailout rescue plan. Thank you very much." --David Letterman
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