Saving Money | Unexpected Leisure

May 28, 2012

Save Money On Your Medical Bills: Pay Cash

Unknown to most consumers, many hospitals and physicians offer steep discounts for cash-paying patients regardless of income. But there's a catch: Typically you can get the lowest price only if you don't use your health insurance. Read more [...]

November 24, 2011

A Minimalist Thanksgiving

You're not trying to feed the whole block, so don't try. Overindulgence sounds like fun until you actually do it. Make enough for nibbling afterward plus some leftovers. You want to enjoy yourselves. Read more [...]

September 26, 2011

Audit Your Benefits

Do you have a Costco or BJ's membership? Gas card? Discount card for a local supermarket like Safeway or Stop 'N Shop? Auto club? Professional organization? Do you have a small business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be a good idea for you to sit down with each of these items and see if there is some perk you could use. Read more [...]

May 25, 2011

Repair it Yourself: A Manifesto

IFixit is a group dedicated to the radical notion that people should be able to repair their own stuff. To that end, they have set up a web site with a growing collection of repair manuals, how-to tutorials, and places to order parts for just about everything that is remotely repairable. At least that's the idea. Read more [...]

April 16, 2011

Dodging Price Traps

We've all seen the trick where something is priced for a penny less than what it could be; in stead of charging $50 they charge $49.00. Gas stations even increment things down to tenths of a cent. The weird thing is, this strategy works of they'd stop using. This is an example of what I call a pricing trap. A psychological trick to make think you're paying less, or getting a better deal than you really are. Read more [...]

March 26, 2011

The 23% Decline in Household Incomes

While this will hardly come as a surprise to most readers, the Fed has released the results of research conducted in 2007 and 2009 showing a 23% decline in household income during those two years. While there is some evidence that some households, including some of the poorer, have seen slightly better days since then, this survey makes it possible to actually quantify somewhat the extent of the damage done by this recessions. Read more [...]

February 19, 2011

“Funny Numbers” on Inflation: It’s Higher Than You Think

Now the question is, if excess money in the system causes inflation, how bad is it? The answer is that it's worse than you're being told. Starting in the early 80's the Government began fiddling with the numbers used to define inflation. This practice continued through several presidential administrations. Read more [...]

February 10, 2011February 10, 2011

A New Twist on Cheap Food

Recent global events have sent world food prices soaring. I suspect that speculation is having an impact on those prices as well, as is the increasing cost of a barrel of oil. Whatever the reason it has thrust the problem of high food prices back into the news, so this might be a good time to talk about some new ideas related to eating on the cheap. Read more [...]

February 9, 2011February 9, 2011

Fun With Gift Cards

Gift cards can be purchased outright at many retail outlets. Some stores such as Costco sell them at a significant discount. Besides that, there is a whole market that has opened up where people deal in gift cards, almost like a stock market or currency exchange. Read more [...]

February 4, 2011February 4, 2011

Building a Deep Pantry

Assuming you still have a job, you might want to consider putting together a pantry with enough in it to see you through more than just the end of the week or even the month. I'm talking about a serious food supply that can sustain you and yours, albeit with diminished variety, for the better part of a year. Read more [...]