The Paradox of Having to Spend Money to Save It

I found this really great article in Parade Magazine and thought it had some useful tips. This is a case of spending money to make money but none of outlays are really expensive except for maybe replacing your toilet. Each of the appliances they want you to consider all wind up paying for themselves over a fairly short period of time.

Programmable thermostat - Buy a thermostat with a “brain” that lowers the temperature when you’re snuggled in bed or not at home. Prices range from $20.00 for a basic Energy Star component to 100.00 for a top-of-the-line model. Any smart thermostat will lower your heating and cooling bills. Depending on how often you’re away from home – it may make sense to send a bit more on one that can keep tabs on your schedule and even switch between heating and cooling on its own.

Spend $20 – $100
Save: an average of $180 a year

Water-filtration systems for faucets – Pick a $20 system that gives you 900 cups of water filtered of 99% of contaminants. Or, for closer to $50, get a high-tech filter that tells you when to change it. Both will help you spend less on purified water. If you buy only two 20 oz. bottles of water a day at $1 each, that’s $60 a month leaving your wallet, not to mention a big pile of plastic to recycle.

Spend: $20 to $50 every 3 to 4 months

Save: $100 to $500 a year

Low-flow shower heads and toilet tanks – Save hundreds of gallons of hot water with aerating low-flow shower heads. Basic models cost $5. Replace your toilet with an EPA WaterSense-ladled model ($100 to $300) that uses only 1.3 gallons for a regular toilet. That’s a savings of up to 4000 gallons of water a year. If you can’t afford a new toilet, try this: Place a water-filled bottle in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.

Spend: Shower head plus toilet, from $5 (aerating head and a bottle in the bowl) to $350

Save $90+ a year

Compact fluorescent bulbs - These bulbs may be pricey – anywhere from $70 to $100 for a pack of 12 – but they’ll pay for themselves in six months, and each will save half a ton of carbon emissions over the life of the bulb. Be careful of the mercury inside the bulb. If you accidentally break one, be sure to open the windows and use gloves to pick up the pieces.

Here is a video with a guy showing you how to put in a CFL bulb and he gives you more statistics on savings

Spend $70 to $100 for a moderately sized home

Save: 5% to 25% on you monthly electricity bill

Coffeemaker and thermos - Skip the local coffee shop and start your own java joint in your kitchen. When it comes to a sturdy coffeemaker, spending $40 to $50 will get you the best bang for your buck. For $15 to $20, get a thermos that keeps your coffee hot and has a close-able spout to avoid spills. You can buy first-rate coffee beans (ground or whole) for about $6 to $7 a pound.

Spend: $45+ for maker and thermos, plus coffee ($24+ a month)

Save: $20 + a month

Online Coupon Smart Bargains

Here is a great list of smart bargains discount codes that I got from Family Circle Magazine. If these codes fail to provide a bargain, the article suggested you Google to see if anyone out there is offering a code – for example “discount code Staples”.

PromotionalCodes.com – Thousands of codes for popular retailers, many of them originally uploaded by customers who received them by e-mail or snail mail.

FreeShipping.org - Hefty shipping charges can scotch an otherwise excellent deal. Look for merchants who ship gratis or rustle up a code for the order already in your cart.

RetailMeNot.com - More than 400,000 coupon codes for more than 100,000 retailers. Bonus: a tool to add to your Web browser that alerts you if your’re shopping at site for which there’s a code.

RedPlum.com Not just online discount codes but also a database of printable coupons for local merchants. Just click on Shop Online and sign up by entering your name, e-mail address and zip code, then hunt for exlusive offers.

Ebates.com - Beyond supplying discount codes, this site offers cash back at over 1,300 stores whn you start your shopping trip there. For instance, if you splurge at Victoria’s Secret,you;ll get a check from Ebates for 2% of the totl order. Checks go out every three months, as long as you earn at least $5.01

Ladies Home Journal also had a little blurb on 5 Discount Websites you have never heard of. So here they are:

jr.com and bhphotovideo.com – These two giant New York City electronics warehouses are authorized dealers for most major brands.

tileshop.com – Get the tiles for your new mudroom floor or kitchen backsplash for a steal

efaucets.com – A bigger selection and smaller prices than local showrooms

Tirerack.com - Huge discounts on car tires, plus local affiliates to install them.

Good Cheap Vacuum Cleaners

As the King of Siam would say vacuum cleaners are a puzzlement. Some friends tell me you can not buy a decent vacuum cleaner under $400.00. My mother swears by her $89.00 (purchased sometime during the late 1990′s) Regina Housekeeper Plus. Another pal says the only thing worthwhile purchasing is the $1000.00 Rainbow vacuum cleaner. My neighbor says she still has her $500.00 Electrolux from 20 years ago. While others sing the praises of the Dyson and that Australian guy.

I never actually had that much money to spend on vacuum cleaners but over the last ten years, I have probably spent $1000.00 because my vacuum cleaners keep breaking. I mean they lose suction just like the guy in the Dyson commercial says. I got so discouraged I went out and bought a cheap Shark vacuum cleaner and just used that for awhile. As you have probably guessed the Shark developed problems also. All three developed this mysterious problem with the roller brush. They were so cheap though, I just kept buying new ones. That is until the third one broke after only a month.

This is not cheapskate living I told myself. I cast my thoughts back to the last decent vacuum cleaner I owned. I don’t remember the model but I do remember I bought for about $85.00 from a shop that sold and repaired vacuum cleaners. It was a reconditioned model. Reconditioned means someone owned it previously  and the repair shop has gone over it and replaced any broken or worn parts. That vacuum cleaner lasted at least five years.

To find out which brands are the best buy go to a shop that repairs vacuum cleaners. Ask  the repair person what brand they would recommend and what brand they use. Often repair shops will have reconditioned vacuum cleaners that you can purchase for a fraction of the price of a new model. I recently purchased a $750.00 top of the line vacuum cleaner for $300.00 and the owner of the shop threw in a one year warranty.

A friend of mine purchased her vacuum cleaner (an Oreck) which usually would cost $400.00 new for $129.00 at a pawn shop and the owner even threw in an extension cord for free.

I know another woman who purchased her Dyson vacuum cleaner on eBay. If you choose this option, visit a shop and test it out first. Vacuum cleaners are a product that you really need to try before you buy.

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