I was skeptical, but the title appealed to my laziness.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tried over and over to “get disciplined” about saving money and failed.

Because it’s hard to get motivated about saving when it feels like self-deprivation!

But as I read more, I found myself nodding in agreement.  The saving tips are easy to implement but pack a powerful punch.  He reasons saving money shouldn’t be about squeezing every penny out of your budget, but finding ways to spend less on the things you pay the most for.

Maybe not all three strategies will be your cup of tea, but if you use just one of them, you’ll probably save a few hundred bucks.

Regardless if the House and Senate pass the Bailout Bill, what can Americans do to avoid foreclosure and cope with rising health-care, food and gasoline costs?

I did some research and found these ideas for saving money and stretching every dollar you make…

Bailout Idea #1 – Use Coupons (The Smart Way)

Maybe you’ve noticed lately, but a lot more people are handing cashiers heaping piles of coupons when they checkout at the grocery store. Kudos to them, but if you’re like me, it sounds like a lot of work!

Stephanie Nelson, who calls herself the “Coupon Mom”, has a free area on her site that makes it easy to save money with coupons.

Instead of clipping coupons, just grab a Sharpie and write the date on each packet of coupons you get in the newspaper. Then, login to her site and click on “Grocery Deals by State” to see which sale items match up with coupons in the circulars.

Instead of spending hours clipping coupons, you can use her list and do it in 10 minutes. I’ve saved as much as $50 in one shopping trip using her system. Well worth the effort for 10 minutes time!

Bailout Idea #2 – Get Banks to Give You Free Money

If I told you it’s possible to get free money from banks and never pay it back, you’d say I’m crazy or I’m telling you to do something illegal.

But, now more than ever, banks want to win your business. I know of three banks within 1-mile of my house that are giving away $125 cash, $50 grocery gift-cards and iPod Nanos just for opening checking accounts.

In fact, there are web sites devoted to educating people on how to find bank deals.

Just make sure to read the fine print if you decide to go on an account-opening spree. Some banks have minimum monthly service charges. Others require that you get direct deposit and/or keep your account open for at least six months to keep the bonus.

YMMV, but I made over $500 last year from bank promotions.

Cheers!

My mother’s birthday was last week and I wanted to send her a beautiful flower arrangement.  Normally I’d pick up some flowers from a local florist or the grocery store, but, I was out of town on business so I was at the mercy of using a flower delivery site.

I visited FTD.com, first, because they’re well-known.  Like most people, I assumed if they’re popular, they must be good.  I spent half an hour looking at flowers until I found an arrangement under $60 that I loved.

Then I got to the order page…

I was shocked to find out it’d set me back $25.99 to have them delivered the next-day.  No thanks!  Who buys flowers and doesn’t want them delivered ASAP?

So, I scratched using FTD and looked up reviews of online florists.  Most sites were a little outdated, but I found a site called Best Florists which provides in-depth reviews of flower delivery sites.  It rates them based on value for your money, flower selection, delivery options, money-back or replacement guarantee and customer service.

FTD was rated the lowest (2 out of 5 stars) because their customer service record.  So, I went with their top pick (1-800-Florals), and spent $67.88 on a nice arrangement.  I assumed my flowers would be delivered the next-day, so I was a little surprised to get a call from my mother later that day telling me she loved the flowers.

YMMV, but I’m glad my first online flower buying experience went without a hitch!

Cheers!

Writer Mary Ann Winters suggests that instead of going into your bank (or calling customer support), writing what she calls “The Magic Letter” works wonders.  She also says, the best part is if your bank says “No”, just send another letter!

I like her thinking, and I have a few suggestions to add…

1. Make sure your “Overdraft Fee Refund” letter does not arrive on a Monday (which means if you’re mailing it, don’t mail it on a Friday or Saturday.)  Your letter is probably going to be looked at with contempt if the banker reading it is hung-over and has a serious case of the Monday’s.
   
2. Instead of sending your letter via snail mail with return receipt (that’s overkill!), try faxing it!

If you need overdraft fees waived and everything you’ve tried so far hasn’t work, it doesn’t hurt to use this approach.  If you’ve tried it, I’m curious to know how well it’s worked.  Post a comment below and let me know.

Cheers!