DIY Repair: 4 Things To Check Before Replacing Your Garbage Disposal

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I thought my Sunday afternoon would be spent replacing my garbage disposal. It had stopped working the day before after washing some food scraps down the drain and turning it on. It made a funny noise, and after turning it off and back on, it ceased to make any noise at all. I figured the motor had burnt out, and that my wallet was about to be burnt to the tune of $80. Garbage Disposal Troubleshooting I mentioned my situation to my neighbor, who gave me a few suggestions to try before heading to the hardware store to buy a […] Read more »

Saving Money On A Friday Night As A DIY Plumber

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Coming out of the bathroom after her morning shower, my daughter told me the bathtub was draining extremely slowly and asked if I could take a look at it. I was certain a monstrous glob of her very long hair was causing the stoppage. I could either pay a plumber to unclog the drain, or I could put on my DIY hat later that evening and save some money.  Little did I know I was in for an adventurous Friday night. YouTube To The Rescue My wife suggested I pour a bottle of Liquid Plumber or Draino down the drain. […] Read more »

Save Money On Prescription Medication using GoodRx

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A doctor’s visit resulting in a prescription being written usually concludes with the question, “ What pharmacy would you like this sent to?” Instead of immediately answering with your favorite pharmacy name, you should instead be asking the question, “What drug is being prescribed?” Like any other purchase, you should shop around for the best price for your prescription medication. The GoodRx ap on your mobile device is an easy and free way to to find the best prescription drug prices in your area. How It Works With the GoodRx ap installed on your mobile device, enter the name of […] Read more »

Saving Money on Senior Pictures

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My daughter is on the cusp of beginning her senior high of high school. Traditionally, many parents have senior pictures taken to commemorate this milestone of their child’s life. We did exactly that for our son a few years ago, paying a significant amount of money for a professional photography session and pictures. We decided to go a different route with our daughter. Friend Photographer We gathered a list of recommended photographers, but I suggested a friend of ours. Photography was her hobby, but she had taken pictures of our family a few times in the past and her work […] Read more »

Take Advantage Of Summer Sales For Year Long Savings

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Pressed for time, I debated stopping at a big box hardware store to pick up deck stain. I planned staining my deck at some point during the weekend, but likely not that day. Being nearby, I pulled into the parking lot, and I’m really glad I did. They were having a 4th of July weekend sale (that ended that day) on deck stain which amounted to 33% off the price of the stain after mail in rebate. Summer Sale Items Great sales can be found on almost any holiday, and summertime holidays are great for finding deals on items needed […] Read more »

I Love Change, You Should Too

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I noticed the “need a penny take a penny, have a penny leave a penny” dish next to the cash register at the convenience store while paying for gas. My bill was $43.01, so I was tempted to take a penny so I wouldn’t be given back 99 cents in change. But at the last second, I handed the cashier two twenties and a five, getting back a one dollar bill and enough change to weigh down my pocket for the next several hours. Why would I do that? Why Everyone Should Save Change Having a pocket of change at […] Read more »

My New Strategy If I HAVE To Go Out To Eat

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My usual dining out methodology failed me. It failed me so badly that it left me with a significant bill, a lack of satisfaction, and wondering if I needed to alter my strategy. Dinner Failure I went out for dinner recently after an important event. I’m a great cook, so my usual dining out philosophy is to order either something I’ve never tried before, or  don’t normally make at home. After a quick scan of the menu, I decided on the twin lobster tails. I love seafood, and don’t have lobster often. My wife went with a ribeye steak, and […] Read more »

Five Second Fruit Smoothies for $1

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Fruit smoothies are cool creamy treats enjoyed by many, including myself. But with a price tag of five to eight dollars depending on the food vendor, I don’t indulge often. That changed when I recently acquired a personal sized bullet style food blender. I received a NutriBullet blender for free as part of my employer’s healthy living incentive program. The blender came with a sizable book of recipes to make vegetable and fruit smoothies. Unfortunately all the recipes had at least half a dozen ingredients. I knew I would never use any of them. I wanted something simple and convenient, […] Read more »

How A MicroSD Card Could Save You $100 On Your Next Phone

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With my current cell phone refusing to charge, I was shopping for a new one. I wanted a Samsung Galaxy S8+ (I could save money by buying the previous generation of phone), color didn’t matter. A little more thought was required when the sales representative asked me how much internal storage I wanted. Several choices were available, the price increasing with the memory size. I knew memory could be added to the current Galaxy phones by inserting a microSD card, so I contemplated if I should buy a phone with less memory and add a microSD card, or just buy […] Read more »

Black Friday Shopping Done Right

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For years I’ve bragged about the good night’s sleep I have the morning after Thanksgiving, portraying an attitude of non-interest regarding Black Friday shopping.  But, it’s time to come clean. I am a willing participant in the Black Friday madness, including this year.  Well, sort of.  Let me explain. Two Black Friday “Secrets” To say I slept in on Black Friday was no lie. I woke up well past eight o’clock, a full 4 hours past my normal weekday waking time.  I fought no crowds, visiting exactly zero stores that day.   There are two very important things to remember when […] Read more »

Never Pay Full Price For SiriusXM Satellite Radio

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We’ve had SiriusXM satellite radio in our van for years. We actually have the package that comes with online streaming, so we can use it with our phones paired to a bluetooth speaker when sitting outside or traveling. So when I noticed our subscription was about to expire, I knew exactly what I needed to do: I needed to call and cancel our subscription. It may sound strange that I would call and cancel a service I use daily. Our subscription was a promotional offer that was half the regular advertised price. Now that the promotional period was over, our […] Read more »

Restaurant Wine: By The Glass Or The Whole Bottle?

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My wife looked at the wine list at a nice restaurant and noted many were available both by the glass and the bottle. We were out with friends and several in the group were looking at having a glass of wine. If we could all agree on one would it be worth it to buy the entire bottle instead of each ordering an individual glass? Figuring out whether buying a bottle would save money requires several questions be answered. What Is The Restaurant’s Wine Pour Size? The size of a restaurant’s wine pour (serving size) may vary, but is typically […] Read more »

Save Money, Be Ready For Spring With End Of Summer Sales!

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With Fall approaching, garden centers at big box stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot and others are looking to move their Summer seasonal items. This is a great time to find items you may be in the market for if the price is right. I found just such an item at Walmart yesterday. “Hello?” said my wife, answering her phone. “We have a situation here at Walmart,” I said seriously. “Oh, and what is that?” she replied. “There’s a smoker that I’ve had my eye on all summer that would be perfect for smoking sausage. Regular price is $174. […] Read more »

My Favorite Generic Products

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Store brand and generic products generate strong feelings of poor quality. As I put away my groceries over the weekend I couldn’t help but feel this perspective is many times unwarranted. I was surprised just how many of the products I had purchased were store brand or generic products. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite store brand products: Soda I’d be lying if I said store brand soda tastes exactly like the high profile brand names. However, for some flavors such as orange and root beer, I like the store brands just as much, and they cost significantly less. […] Read more »