Business
Your Daily Dose of Dave – September 20, 2011
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Crazy Ways to Save a Buck
What lengths will you go to to save some cash?
In an up-and-down economy, some people fail to make adjustments to their lifestyle and end up regretting it later. Meanwhile, others will go to extreme lengths to cut back on expenses and save a buck or two. We recently asked Dave’s Facebook fans, “What is the craziest length you’ve ever gone to in order to save a buck?” Their answers were creative and funny. Casey saves a little money by negotiating. “I always ask for 10% off,” he said. “I get it most of the time. That’s a 10% increase in my pay!” Well done, Casey! When it comes to creativity, Dawn might take the cake. When she needed surgery to correct some physical issues after losing weight, she got on the phone and called Dr. Phil! “I lost 150 pounds and needed a lower body lift and breast implants to fix the damage to my body, but that was gonna cost me $17,500,” she said. “I don’t have that kind of money, and I sure as heck didn’t want to finance it. So I contacted the Dr. Phil show. Thanks to him and my amazing doctor in Dallas, Texas, I got my surgeries free! That’s what I call saving a buck!” Instead of losing weight, Phillip took a gaining-weight approach to saving money. “I entered a Whopper-eating contest that was free. So I was able to eat the Whoppers for free, and I did not have to spend money on food that day. I ended up winning by eating four 1/2 Whoppers in eight minutes and received a $50 gift card for the food court. So I ended up saving food money for that day and an additional $50!” Let’s hope Phillip ran a few miles the next day to work off those calories. Corinne’s friend takes saving a buck to a whole new level—and a level we would probably not recommend: “I have a friend who always sends her kids to the bathroom at Wal-Mart and other stores to save on toilet paper and water bills.” Poor kids. The question is—how much is she spending on gas to drive to Wal-Mart every time the kid has to do his business? A lot of people complain about the cost of going to the dentist, but Becky figured out a creative way to “recycle” one of her crowns. “While eating a bagel, I accidentally swallowed a crown. The dentist explained that it would cost in excess of $500 to replace. Or we could wait for it to pass, and he would sterilize it and re-cement at no cost. Yes, I am cheap!” Now that just hurts to read. But it sounds like Becky couldn’t “pass” up the opportunity to save a buck. A few other helpful suggestions:- Katy: “I cut open the toothpaste to get the last of it out. My husband thought I had lost my mind.”
- Theresa: “Buy my one-year-old daughter’s clothing six months to a year in advance when the stores have their end-of-season sales. I usually save between 50 to 90%!”
- Kent: “No cable TV for two years and counting! We don’t even own a TV now, and just watch Netflix on our computer for $8/month. All our friends think we’re crazy.”