Discounts – Not Just Another Post On How To Make Money

Rob Pivnick, Author “What All Kids (and adults too) Should Know About . . . Saving & Investing

Outlet malls may not be as great a deal“How’d you get that for free?” “You got a discount on that…how?”

To use a cliché, I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard something like that – that would be a real money-making tip. Sometimes, one of those questions is followed up with advice that I should write a book about all my money saving tricks.

My response has always been that any book I wrote would just get lost in the sea of other crappy books on how to save money. I did, however, write a more thoughtful book on good saving and investment habits, “What All Kids (and adults too) Should Know About . . . Saving & Investing.

But, this article focuses on the short term win – how to get discounts when purchasing retail.

With a bit of insight into the mind of a salesperson, this post sheds light into why people might agree to give something for free – that allows us to more successfully seek items for free or obtain discounts. And since not too many of us on are on unlimited budgets, with holiday shopping upon us, you might actually save yourself some real dollars.

These are real money saving tips, strategies and methods that work – based on tried and true experience and human nature. It isn’t a narrative on wants versus needs. Nor does this article touch on life advise ideas like “set a budget and stick to it,” “downsize your house,” “don’t buy the latest expensive trend” or “cut back on your vacations.”

If that’s what you’re looking for, buy a self-help book. This article details a concrete method to save money on just about every purchase thanks to asking for a discount.

And it is simple: Just ask. Really, just ask for a discount.

Aside from the other beneficial coupons and discounts detailed elsewhere on the Living on the Cheap site, this simple technique works for various reasons:

  1. the general foundation of customer service is to please the consumer,
  2. most folks who work retail either (a) don’t have an ownership interest and don’t care if they give something away or (b) simply don’t know that they may not be allowed to give you the discount you’re seeking,
  3. people generally want to make others happy and will gladly give you free stuff just for asking, and
  4. people don’t like confrontation and will avoid it at all costs (which means giving you the discount you’re seeking).

Ben Franklin was way off when he said that a penny saved is a penny earned. If you pay any taxes, then a penny saved is actually much more than a penny earned . . . that’s because it would take you much more than a penny to net a penny for your savings.

For example, if you’re in the 15% federal tax bracket, you have to earn close to $1.18 to put $1.00 in your pocket – so you would actually “earn” much more than the amount you save.

Ask For a Discount and Ye Shall Receive

People want to be accommodating. And people generally don’t like conflict. So you’ll find that more often than you thought you would, you’ll get free stuff just for asking. Ask nicely. And smile. It will make your wallet fatter.

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How a Master’s in Public Administration Can Help You Run the Show

Earning a Masters of Public Administration offers you the opportunity to become your own boss. In the process of gaining your degree, you’ll learn much more than how to communicate with employees and the public. You’ll learn how to form limited liability corporations and how to use a trademark to differentiate your brand. And if you don’t want to build a company from scratch, there are several jobs in both the public and private sectors where a Masters of Public Administration will boost you to the top. Below are only a few examples of how an MPA can lead you to run the show. Masters of Public Administration Jobs City Director The city director oversees the daily operations of all … Read more

Affordable Homeownership: How To Get Help To Buy a Property

Using a mortgage calculatorThere are more would-be first-time house buyers than ever before, who think that they will find it almost impossible to get on the housing ladder without a bit of help to get them started with affordable homeownership.

Many first-time buyers either have to make use of some funding from the bank of Mum and Dad if it is available, towards the deposit, or they turn to one of the homebuy schemes that have been set up to help people achieve their dream of owning their own home.

Home ownership schemes

There are currently four specific home ownership schemes that are being backed by the government for property purchase, with different schemes operating in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Here is a look at the schemes available and how you might be eligible to apply in order to assist you in buying your home in England, if can’t afford to do so without extra financial help.

Help to Buy With Affordable Homeownership

The Help to Buy program, or scheme, is probably the most accessible option in terms of eligibility, as the equity loans offered are available to not just first-time buyers but home movers as well.

The scheme is designed to help people buy newly built homes with a purchase price of up to £600,000 as long as it is intended to be your only property and you don’t sub-let it after purchase.

The government-backed equity loan is designed to bridge the affordability gap by offering you as much as 20% of the purchase price in the form of an equity loan, which is secured against the property. You will be expected to be able to put in a minimum of 5% deposit and then qualify for a mortgage of up to 75% to complete the purchase.

This scheme is understandably heavily subscribed when funds are made available, as you won’t be hit with any loan fees on the 20% portion from the government, not until the 6th year of ownership. You will be expected to pay a 1.75% fee on the value of the loan as a fee in the sixth year and this will increase each year thereafter, in line with index-linked inflation plus 1%.

You will have to buy your home from an approved Help to Buy builder and the loan is repayable when you sell your home or after 25 years have elapsed, which is the normal mortgage term.

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Peach State Problems: All About Car Accident Settlements Georgia-Style

Car AccidentWhen you’re traveling through Georgia, be on the lookout for drivers. If you’re in a car accident here, you may be surprised to learn that car accidents are handled a little bit differently than in some states you might be used to driving through.

Georgia’s At-Fault Rules

Georgia has unique at-fault rules. At-fault drivers are liable for any personal injury or any property damage that is the result of a auto crash or accident. The insurer will first try to pay the claim out of the policy before assigning liability to the individual personally. In Georgia, an injured person can either file a claim with his or her insurer, file with the other drivers’ insurer directly, or file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court.

The Minimum Requirements In Georgia

In Georgia, all drivers must carry at least $25,000 in personal injury for the injury or death of another person. While this is the state minimum, this is usually insufficient if injury or death actually occurs. A $50,000 minimum limit for injury or death of more than one person is also required. Finally, all drivers must carry $25,000 in liability coverage for property damage.

These limits might seem low, and they are. Most accidents, unless they are very minor, can easily exceed these minimum dollar amounts. Any amount not covered by insurance will be covered by the individual, personally.

Time Limits

Generally speaking, you have two years after a car accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in Georgia. You have four years after a car accident for filing a lawsuit for property damage. But, you should always speak with an Atlanta car accident lawyer before you make any final decisions about whether or not you’re still able to file suit. Some circumstances may alter the way you file or your time limits.

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Life Insurance Myths – The Truth About Getting the Best Coverage

Some consumers avoid thinking about their family’s need for life insurance because it requires them to consider their own mortality, and unfortunately, that prevents them from educating themselves on the topic. There are certain life insurance myths that lead many to misunderstand its purpose, cost and availability. There is also a healthy amount of distrust regarding the insurance industry as a whole. This may be because, in exchange for your hard-earned cash (premiums), consumers simply get a promise. Insurance is not tangible – it is a financial instrument with an “if-then” statement. If something bad happens, then you get a payout. If nothing bad happens, then you got peace of mind and not much else. This “trust” issue isn’t helped … Read more

Different Types of Insurance Available

Types of InsuranceInsurance is a financial product in which companies that offer it will take on some form of monetary risk in return for the payment of premiums. There are many types of insurance that you may want to consider purchasing to protect yourself and your family.

An individual will typically invest in it to guard against having to pay out a large sum of money for common problems that may occur. Being insured gives peace of mind that should disaster strike, the financial implications of this can be dealt with and some of the common insurance products available include the following.

Life Insurance

No one wants to think about dying although all adults need to consider the problems this can leave for family members. This is especially true for those that are breadwinners, and life insurance is designed to pay out a sum of money in the event of the insured person dying.

This is most commonly paid to a family member and is a way for someone to ensure their loved ones are provided for in the event of their death. Contacting a company that offers this is a way to get life insurance quotes that will show how much money can be obtained for different premiums.

Property Insurance

Anyone buying a home or business premises will usually have to get property insurance as part of the deal for receiving a mortgage. This type of business insurance can have a few elements to it, with the two most common being building and contents.

The building part covers for the cost of damage to the property caused by fire, flood, and other disasters. The contents part covers for the loss of the property owner’s belongings due to theft, vandalism, or damage.

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