Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaable Guy!

I sit here writing this with glossy, yet extremely dry, eyes... I'm exhausted!! I've had one of those days where you're so sleepy it's hard to function which makes this whole achievement all the better!!

Today, after inspiration from a co-worker, I called RCN and asked to cancel our service (a total bluff). When they asked me why, I told them it was because Comcast was offering me a better rate for the same products. I gave them a bogus quote (about $15 less than what I'm paying now) that included DVR, HD, Internet as well as HBO and other movie channels we currently have all of the above except for HBO and the other movie channels -- and the service agent on the other line asked me if they could lower their rate or give me more services if I would consider staying.

Honestly, my goal was to end up paying less overall but this guy started telling me about their current promotions. It was an earful to say the least but basically to the right is our "before" services and to the left is our "after" services.

I just realized since I'm tired I didn't think about how usually the "before" picture tends to be on the left... You'll just have to deal with it cuz I don't want to re-upload them to be on either side :)

The upgraded package includes 20 Mbps High-Speed Internet (their fastest connection which is 4x faster than what we currently have), Encore, Showtime, and 84 additional channels including 15 new HD channels! Personally, I'm most excited about getting BBC America!!!

I'd like to tell you I'm getting all this for $15 less than what I was previously paying but I can't - I am paying $1 less/month though! I consider this a frugal battle victory - the war continues as I'm sure they'll try to creep up the price in the future. At that time, I'll just tell them I'm switching to RCN!

In order to achieve best results:

• Don't just tell them you're cancelling - you're going to a different service provider. (Since many areas don't have more than one cable option if you have satellite, tell them you want cable and vice versa)
• Be polite on the phone - the customer service workers aren't going to be motivated to keep you on as a client if you're rude to them. These people aren't getting paid to keep you on as a customer, so what's in it for them if you're mean?
• If you have a legit offer from a competitor in your hands, that's preferable - however if you are comfortable with streeeeeeeeeetching the truth then make up a deal on your own.

Good luck and let me know about your results in the comments below!!!

Not Without Coups, Babe

I officially love you if you get the Dane Cook reference in the title!

Since I've decided to talk more about my frugal activities I've though it would be fun to talk about the under used coupon crisis!!

I'm not addicted to online shopping, but I get my joys out of ordering something fun, letting my roommate know to look for a package of whatever awesome thing I bought- or better yet, actually picking up the package yourself and feeling the surge of joy that you have something fun, new and probably pretty to play with :)


Here's one thing about online shopping I didn't quite get until this past year - discounts are offered for almost every store - all the time! These discounts can range from free shipping to a percentage off the sale... or sometimes even a freebie with a purchase. My theory behind online coupons is this - if they don't pay for the brick and mortar costs of running a business, they save a lot of money by encouraging online business.



My recommendation for the day: ALWAYS CHECK FOR DISCOUNTS!

This is similar to ask to pay less that I wrote about last week, however it doesn't involve much other than a few clicks when you're online shopping. To offer you guys an example I did a quick google search of Bath and Body Works Coupons.

A few things to note right away:

• 460,000 results come up. Stick to the first or second page though, many older/not even relevant coupons may be showing up.


• When I entered "Bath and Body Works coupons" the BBW website came up 3rd, meaning that these websites promoting these coupons PAY to come up earlier in the search. This indicates that they have a more legit website than the 459,997 following websites.

Some of these coupons are printable, which is great if you have access to a printer and the brick and mortar location of the store, but they should also have an online checkout code too. Online checkouts generally ask for this promotional code right away. Authors note: What is this promotion they're running that you save $0.04 on shipping? Whew, run right out and jump on this one!!!

This is about the easiest thing you can do to save a few bucks here and there, especially in the midst of the holiday season!!!

Happy frugal shopping!

A Penny Saved...

Every day I'm becoming more and more frugal. This all started after this economic downturn and I was laid off in November. This resulted in me taking a job that pays me far less than what I was getting paid before. If my employer ever reads this I hope they know that although I'm not making as much, the people/personalities of the office far outweigh the cost of the stress and working with people who have the personality of a brick wall. That being said, I wouldn't mind a raise at the end of the year :)

So I've started keeping a closer eye on my expenses. I took a second job working at Bath and Body Works for the holidays. I'm trying to put any cash I make from my second job towards my Wells Fargo Visa bill and Discover card bill. My credit cards piled up after I graduated and moved to Chicago. A lunch here, a trip to Ikea there... well lets just say it's added up.

I think it's been at least 4-5 months now that I haven't used my credit cards at all and I'm just working on paying the balances I have. When those are paid off in full (hopefully less than a year from now) I plan to responsibly use my credit card for every day purchases and PAY IT OFF at the end of the month. Ahhh it's nice to have a responsible boyfriend who has somewhat motivated me and taught me how to be a good spender.

From what I've learned over the past few months I know that there are certain tricks to being frugal that can really help everyone out!





Today's Lesson: Ask to pay less!!!



While this concept is foreign to most, paying the "sticker price" is actually far less common than you may think. Recently, I had an issue with a doctor bill that had me down... I unexpectedly received a bill for $160 that I thought was a covered visit by my insurance. (If my employer is reading this, I'm very vocal about how much I HATE my current coverage... I'm sorry but I can't lie about that) When I got the bill it was rough! I finally had the money in my account that wasn't dedicated to rent (or Rent tickets haha) and was getting ready to write a check for the full amount.

Stop!!!

If you're paying for a service you have far better negotiating power than you may let yourself believe. In my case, I called my doctor's office and asked for their Billing department. Simply put, I explained my financial situation and let her know that I wanted to pay her but couldn't pay that much. After a little back and forth discussion she finally realized "oh you want a discount!". DING DING DING - we have a winner! Now I was hoping to spend about $120 on this visit but she offered up settling the cost for $100. Woot woot! That means I saved $60 on an expense that I otherwise would have paid in full!! Hmmm after writing this I kind of wonder if I could have gone for $80...

I used to think that asking for a lower price somehow indicated that you were poor- this isn't at all the truth!

My experience is that asking for a lower price is most accepted at:

• Smaller boutique stores.

Generally if a manger is present, they can bend the rules for you. Especially if the item has a defect. Example: I saved 20% on a pair of patent leather shoes that had the teensiest of scratches just by pointing it out.

• Markets/Fairs/Generally anything you're buying from under a tent.

This especially applies if you're buying more than one of a product. If a deal isn't posted somewhere, ask the person who is in charge if they can offer you a reduced rate if you buy in bulk. Be sure to do this when the tent isn't as well trafficked for two reasons.
1- Other people around may scare the vendor into thinking that other people may hear the deal you're offering and they may the same deal or an even better deal.
2- A less trafficked market will give the effect that business is slow and it's better to sell 2+ items at a reduced rate than 0 products.

• The last day of the Market/Fairs/ Generally anything you're buying from under a tent.

This is key, vendors don't want to take anything home! Packing it up it a chore in their mind and the more you're willing to take off their hands the better. The vendor also isn't worried that he/she will run out of supplies by the end of the Market/Fair... you get it. This leads to easier bargaining.

***I haven't tested the "ask for a lower price" method at Retail stores as I fear their strict rules make it harder for the average employee to offer a lower rate. Feel free to try it, or if you have any good examples, share it in the comments below!

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This post has inspired me to write more about the deals that I find going out and about, so be on the look out for more ways to save money and ways to have fun on the cheap!