If you collect money-saving tips, then you know that you can't have too many. Here are six ways to get things cheap, or even free …
Are you a money-saving tip collector? Then you can always use more, right? The more ways you know how to get things at a discount — even at a sharp discount — the better.
As with all money hacks, your mileage will vary. However, my friends and I have had good fortune with these below.
Six money-saving hacks
Here are six hacks that you can add to your bag of tricks to get things cheap, or even free:
1. Turn on the charm
I know others can play the charm card far better than I can, but I managed to snag a free dessert by being charming.
There was a long wait to get a seat at Noodles and Company one evening. I didn't want a seat, though; I just wanted to get a giant Rice Krispies treat from the counter and go.
The take-out line, however, was empty. So I whipped out my cell phone and called Noodles and Company. From inside the restaurant.
I ordered my Rice Krispies treat, and told the cashier that I was waving at her from the line. She got a good laugh out of my antics, smiled, and gave me the dessert for free!
2. Let people know what you're seeking
A friend of mine is looking to start up mountain biking. He was looking for a bike rack for his vehicle.
After striking out at a yard sale, the seller asked my friend what he was looking for. He said he was looking for a bike rack.
The seller went back to his shed and pulled out a bike rack that hadn't seen the light of day in years. “Like this?” he asked. “Yeah, how much do you want for it?” my friend asked. “Oh, I don't know … five dollars?”
He snagged it.
3. Capitalize on pricing mistakes
My same friend looked at Walmart for a bike rack for his other vehicle. The clearance section had a number of bike racks. One was in the $30-$40 range, which was quite a bit lower than the original price of around $120.
When he was in a neighboring town he visited another Walmart and found the same bike rack discounted quite a bit less: down to about $80-$90.
As far as he could tell, the second Walmart took 35% OFF the original price, while the first Walmart sold it for 35% OF the original price. Oops! But they sold it to him anyway.
4. Capitalize on who you know
Our church gives our local Domino's quite a bit of business. They give us (the church) one-topping pizzas for $6 all the time.
So when one of our musical groups was getting lunch the day of our concert, we said that we were with the church when we ordered. We got the same discount.
(We did this with a clear conscience, because not only were we with the church, but it was for a church function. I don't advocate pretending to be part of a group that you're not part of!)
5. Peruse the clearance section
This is a tip that works especially well if your tech isn't bleeding-edge.
I inherited an iPad 2 from a previous role. I had never gotten a protective cover for it while I was using it, but decided I needed one.
Since my iPad is now several generations old, the accessories were on clearance.
6. Shop the curbside
I know from experience that sometimes it's an absolute relief to just get rid of something, especially something bulky.
But, it's also fun to be on the receiving end of free stuff. We got some nice patio furniture a few years back that still is giving us a lot of use in our sunroom.
It was discarded by someone in our subdivision. We just had to haul it away!
What other tips help you to get things cheap or free?
Just like with the mistakes in pricing, you can sometimes get a good deal on slightly damaged items. I wanted this pair of shoes and it was the only pair in my size….but they were slightly scuffed. Nothing I couldn’t get out with some kiwi polish. But I asked the manager if there was anything he could offer…and 30% off just like that!
Hah that’s a win! You got the discount even though it was the last pair in your size.
A corollary: People probably shouldn’t pay full price for an item that’s obviously damaged.
Thanks for these tips ! Mistakes happen indeed, I once saved 20% of the original price because there had been a mistake with the price tag =) I also use the 1st tip (but not everytime…), smiling and being respectful can be very rewarding in the end =)
My best ever pricing mistake score was the small tin of The Body Shop shea body butter. Full price was $8 with $6 being a normal sale price. Ulta had them online for $1.75, which I think had something to do with the 1.7oz size. I normally bought the 6.8-7.0oz size on sale for $16-18, and here I was getting that amount for $7. I got 36 of these on 2 orders before they figured it out. But here’s the poetic part – The Body Shop, to my great sorrow, suddenly went out of business 3 months later. It was the perfect time to stock up!
Hey there Katie, thanks for stopping by!! That’s a great deal you got there. That was great timing!