All of us today, especially those of us who sell on ebay for  extra income, need to find solid ways to cut living costs. We all know about clipping coupons, checking out sale ads on a regular basis, and, most of all, checking for what we want first on ebay, since that is usually where you will find the cheapest price for the item in question. Still, there are other inventive ways, varied ones, to save money in everyday life in seveal areas.

For one thing, when buying a car a  lot of us already know about the rich people who go with the "2 year old rule" for purchasing a vehicle. After all, the minute you drive even a brand new car off the lot it automatically becomes a used car and immediately depreciates in value. So buying a car around 2 years old, with lower mileage, can cut depreaction costs; plus you're paying lower sales tax on the lower price, etc. And you're not stuck with paying all that silly "dealer prep" stuff you're sometimes charged for when it comes to  the privledge of purchasing a new vehicle.

There are ways as well to save on the actual process of buying the car. Let's say you have enough cash for a used car. To save on finance charges of a loan, you decide to pay cash. That's okay, it will definitely save you money on interest or finance charges,  but here's what's wrong with that scenario in the long run. At the end of a couple of years you have a car much depreciated in value  but you no longer have that  cash. The solution? If you can do so, instead of turning over the cash you have on hand for a used car, invest that same money in a certificate of deposit and then use that as collateral for a personal loan. Use that loan to buy the car. Between the interest you will gain on the CD (shop around for the best rate) and the interest you pay on a personal loan the loan rate will usually be pretty reasonable, splitting that difference. Then when the CD matures, you have your now-depreciated car, but you still have the money you started with, plus interest.

Another thing with saving money when it comes to cars, if you had an accident could you come up easily with $500 to pay for any deductible on automobile insurance should there be an accident?  If so, then why are you paying only the $250 deductible?  If you can afford to do so, raise your deductible here and, in the long run, you will save money on car insurance (but only do this if you can easily come up with the $500 needed for the deductible should the need arise).

Many years ago now I read a book titled Hit Me, I Need The Money. I've long forgotten the author's name, but do recall he was an ex-insurance agent. The one thing that did stick in my mind then was the part that said if someone rear-ended you and it was that driver's fault, then the insurance would pay you extra money for "depreciation" (the point being that if you later sell the car you will have to reveal that the car was once hit from behind, thus depreciating the value of the vehicle). The key is you have to directly ask the insurance company for this added benefit. Otherwise, they don't voluntarily offer this information. I happened to mention this tidbit about a year after reading this book to my sister-in-law, who, at the time, had been rear-ended.. She immediately called her insurance agent, asked about that added benefit, and received another $200 in compensation. Of course, that was a long time ago now, several years in fact,  and things might have well changed by now. Still, it never hurts to ask. Who knows?  That might still be going on today.

Onto other areas of saving, when it comes to entertainment we all already know that ebay is the best place to buy books, DVD's, etc. However, if you want to view DVD's, books, etc., before buying your own copies, did you know that most libraries will let you check out DVD's for free? Plus, if you can't find a book you want at the library, ask if your local library can get it for you via the library loan system. Some libraries even have a budget set aside for "patron requests" so might even order a new copy, at your request, that you can read for free (not all libraries do this, but some do).

Are you 50 years of age or older? Whenever you visit any fast food places, any shops, etc., always ask if they have a "senior discount" and, if so, how old you have to be to qualify. Where I live it's sometimes 50, sometimes 55, sometimes 65, but I've found that a lot businesses, the fast food places especially, will okay a discount if you're 50 or so. Like I said before, it never hurts to ask.

Now for the little things. (I'm paraphrasing here, but I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Pay attention to the cents and the dollars will take care of themselves.") I like those stores where everything is $1 or stores of the same ilk where items run  anywhere from $1 to $10, depending on the goods being sold. I will admit that some of the stuff in there just looks cheap and is poorly made. However, the toothpaste, shampoo, etc. there is the same sold in the bigger stores , only in these dollar stores it  is usually priced $1 to $2 each; and  it's usually name brand items. Did you know some of these stores will take manufacturers' coupons a lot of the time? So say you have a manufacturer's $1 off coupon for a particular brand of toothpaste and that same toothpaste at these stores is $1, then, by using that clipped coupon at this store,  you've basically just picked up a tube of toothpaste for free. (You'll have to ask first whether any store in question takes coupons. Some do, some don't, but the ones that do rarely advertise this fact unless you ask.)

Do you think you are almost out of shampoo? Turn the bottle upside down and try it again the next day. You might be surprised to find how much shampoo you really have left in that bottle. If you like expensive shampoo, the best place to buy is a warehouse club where you can buy such items in bulk and save money while doing so. If you like to lather your hair twice with the expensive shampoo before rinsing (a lot of shampoos say to lather twice on the label) go to one of those dollar stores and buy a bottle of inexpensive shampoo. Lather first with that, then lather again with the more expensive shampoo. That way you cut the costs of buying your expensive shampoo because you use less each time. This tip is for women: For some reason, I always end up with more conditioner than shampoo. You can use the conditioner to moisturize and then shave your legs. It works as well as that expensive gel sold for the same purpose.

Whenever you buy something during the day, using cash, try to use bills rather than handing over any coins. Drop any coins you receive back as change during the day into a container at night. This is a type of "forced savings." At the end of the month you will find, by not using coins during the month, you will have saved anywhere from about $20 to $40 in change. If you're like me, you certainly don't have time to roll these coins and take them to the bank. Most grocery store chains now have  machines where you can have the machine count the change and print you a receipt that you then present either to customer service or a store cashier in return for your money in bills. (The companies who offer this change-converting service do usually  charge about 8 cents on the dollar to convert your coins into hard cash, which may sound a little pricey but given what you save in time, in my opinion, it's worth it.)

Do most of you have outfits in your closet that are practically new that you don't wear? Or do those of you with children have a lot of next-to-new outfits your kiddies have already outgrown?  If so, and if you don't mind parting with these clothes, check into turning them over to a consignment shop. The shop sells the clothes, takes a percentage, then sends you the rest when an outfit sells. Check with your local consignment shop for their individual policies on how their consignment sales work, when you will get paid, etc.

And, of course, if you want to save money on collectible books, go to my ebay store link. I do take reasonable offers on almost every item listed. My ebay store  is Wind Chime Books. Click on name to go to my ebay store listings. Thanks.