Catholic Fire

# To save money at the cleaners and avoid ironing at home, buy only no-iron clothing. # Stores often match competitors coupons or advertised specials. When shopping, bring along these ads and coupons and ask for the same deal. # When shopping online, always check Google for a coupon for the site before checking out. # Many businesses give affiliation or age discounts, so always ask. # Try to negotiate everything, not just cars. Just ask the manager or the salesperson if there is something they can do about the pesky high price. Many times they’ll cut it. # For nights when you don’t want to cook, but don’t want to spend money eating out, compromise with takeout. You’ll save money on tipping, you won’t be tempted with dessert and if the portion is large enough, save half for the next day’s meal. # Many plumbing fixtures have a lifetime warranty. Call the manufacturer for free replacement parts when the fixture breaks. Source

As grocery prices continue to rise, how do you control your shopping at the grocery store so you don’t need a government bailout? The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts a 2 to 3% increase in grocery prices this year, on top of the 6% increase from 2008. A report out of Chicago shows a box of cereal is up almost 40 cents, a can of chicken noodle soup is up 20 cents and a jar of baby food is up 25 cents. Here are a few suggestions on how to be a smart shopper: Bread. Go to a bakery outlet store. Sometimes the price of bread can be half of what it would be at the grocery store. Rain Checks. Ask for rain checks on out-of-stock sale items. Also, watch for more stores offering deeper discounts. Avoid Loyalty Shopping. Don’t be afraid to switch stores to get better deals. Loyalty shopping is costly and retailers will respond. One bright spot for shoppers is that fresh fruits and vegetable prices have begun leveling off and even dropping, according to the USDA. Three agricultural economi...

With recent news of an economic recession, it important to make every penny count. Steve Santiago from bankrate.com suggests five ways to stretch your dollars. 1. Homeowners insurance - If you can afford to, consider raising your deductible to $500 to $1,000. You can also reduce you premium by reducing coverage on the household contents portion of your policy. 2. Auto insurance - Start by shopping and requesting multiple quotes. Again you can save money by raising your deductible, but do not skimp on liability coverage. The average cost of a crash related injury is more than $68,000 per person. If you're in a nasty accident you could lose everything. 3. Groceries - Americans spend nearly 14 percent of the household budget on food. Of that amount -- 25 percent is wasted. So -- buy only what you can use and cook only what you can eat. Use coupons and meal planning to buy only what you need. 4. Communication - Premium cable channels and cell phone plans with thousands of minutes and o...