Good morning Dinks. As you know I am headed off to New York City in a few days and I can’t wait. Yesterday I was talking with one of my co-workers and she asked me “How can you afford to travel so much?” The answer is simple. I always look for the best deal.
I absolutely love travelling. I try to do it as often as possible and I can afford to do it because just like everything else in my life I do it on the cheap. I don’t ever pay full price for anything in my life from massages and travel to clothing and home decor.
Don’t wish. Just do.
I am not one of those “I wish” types of people, but I used to be. After becoming debt free I never spent money on anything because I was afraid to get back into debt. I would see something I want and keep walking. Then I would be sad for days as I obsessed about not having it. That is a very unhealthy financial habit and it leads to spending binges.
Over the last few years I learned how to spend money on myself without being irresponsible and without overspending. Now I enjoy my money and my life. I take vacations and I try new things without feeling guilty for spending the money. How? By always getting the best deal and never paying full price for anything.
Three tips to help you enjoy your money without spending it:
No full price. Not now, not ever. You never have to pay full price for anything with discount websites such as Groupon and Priceline. I am a huge fan of Priceline. Even though they charge fees for their service the total price for hotel accommodations is cheaper than booking directly with the hotel. I also find the prices and fees on Priceline are a lot cheaper than Hotwire.com.
Search and then search again. This may be my crazy compulsions kicking in but I always like to be 100% sure that I’m getting the best price on anything and everything. If I see a shirt in a store I will visit other similar stores to make sure it’s the best price, even if it’s on sale. I have been searching for a green scarf since January and last week I found one for $5. You gotta love those end of the season sales.
Avoid anything last minute. From travel to attractions anything last minute is expensive. I personally like to plan ahead because it’s cheaper and also because I like to have something to look forward to. If I see something I want and it’s on sale I always think about it for a couple of days. If I still want it in 48 hours later I will go back and buy it.
The only item I have ever purchased at the last minute was tickets to see Peep Show last year in Last Vegas. I knew I wanted to see a show in Vegas and I discovered Tix4Today, which is a half off ticket service for local shows and attractions. I purchased a same day ticket for $47 taxes included. This was one time a last minute purchase paid off.
Photo by tahnyakristina
I totally agree that anything last minute is expensive, based from my experience, last Christmas supposed to be my husband was not going to come home for Christmas because of his job, but his file was approved by his boss on the 21st of December! So I hurriedly look for his plane ticket and as expected the plane fare was triple as the regular price, but we didn’t have a choice. :)
I’m not sure if you can say you can find a discount for *everything*, but I get the point. There are countless discount websites out there to find coupons, and sometimes all you have to do is ASK. My son was looking for a new phone case at a kiosk in the mall. The price was $29.99 – but by the time my wife got done talking to the employee, the price was $19.99. :)
Very well said by a person who knows what and how it is like to spend unwisely. The tips you shared are indeed something that ought to help anyone who is intent on wise spending. I used to be an “I wish” type of person too and it took a while and valuable lessons learned the hard way before I became a wise spender. I continue to support my desire to live frugally by reading a lot of helpful articles such as this one for which I am thankful to many like you who keep sharing what they know.