better
FAMILY M ONEY
is
^insurance
Review all your policies every year to be sure
you have the right coverage at the best price.
Did you lower your cholesterol? Then shop
for a better price on life insurance. Did you
shorten your commute? Did your teenage
driver’s grades improve? “What else have you
done to be safer?” asks Sam Belden of
Insurance.com. “That can probably save you
money.” Call and ask your insurer what
discounts are available. And don’t be afraid to
shop for a new auto policy. “It’s very conve-
nient,” says Belden. ‘"You can often find a
better deal, and buy it in 15 or 20 minutes.”
A $2-or-less cup o f b rew ed
C olom bian a t th e coffee shop
every once in a w hile is still an
affordable lu x u ry in o u r book—
an d it cu ts th a t $4 la tte h ab it b y h a lf o r
m ore. You’ll save even m o re by grinding
y o u r ow n b ean s an d brew ing a tn o m e on
m o st m ornings. In v est y o u r savings in a
quality p
couple o
e ra ii
iable coffeem aker an d a
to-go cups.
is f o r
LIBRARY
our local library has changed a lot since
you were a kid.Thanksto online catalogs,
you can request books,audio books, music,
and movieswithyourcomputer— allfor
free or very low cost. When materials are
readyfor pickup,you’llgetacall ore-mail.
i s
/orkids
C h ristin e Schelhas-M iller,
co -au th o r o f
D on't Tell M e
W hat to Do, Ju st Sen d M oney:
The Essential Parenting G uide
to the College Years,
says that
as early as m iddle school yo u
should “G ive the kids an
allow ance and m ake them
responsible fo r buying clothes,
entertainm ent, and other
necessities.” G o to
Pearfoudget.com
to set up a
sim ple budget ($ 3 p er m onth).
H ave college-age kids? Sit them
dow n at
JustThrive.com
fo r a
thorough fiscal education with
m o n ey m anagem ent tools.
M
i s
f o r
m
e d i c i n e
If yo u take a prescription d ru g regularly,
take the tim e to locate the cheapest
source. You m ight save big at a W eb
pharm acy, w hile m any retailers such as
Target now m atch W a l-M a rfs $ 4 price
fo r so m e generic drugs. S o rt through
price confusion at
Pillbot.com
o r
PharmacyChecker.com.
N
is f o r
n e g o t i a t i n g
“Times are tough. I would
hate to leave
,
but this is too
much money. What can we
do?”
That’s a great way to
start a conversation with
the cable company, bank,
or anyone you do business
with, says Ramit Sethi,
O
is f o r
o n l i n e
d e a l s
A lm ost anything you w an t to buy can be com parison-
shopped a t sites such as D ealN ew s.com and
P ricegrabber.com . Shopping fo r electronics? W e like
G azaro.com and Pricespider.com . Go to S hopittom e.com
fo r deals on clothing, bags, and shoes. C heck Tor
m an u factu rer discounts a t Prqm otionalC odes.com , and
h it F reeshipping.org fo r shipping offers and codes.
author of
I Will Teach You
to Be Rich.
Companies
spend a lot in marketing—
sometimes over $1,000—
to get you as a
customer. They |
don’t want to
lose you over a
$20 squabble.
230
AUGUST 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTOS: (COFFEE CUP) VEER; (BOY HOLDING PIGGY 8ANK) JUPITER IMAGES; (
8 0 0
K) CO URTESY RAMIT SETHI
