ask to be bumped

Here's one that I used to pull ALL the time when I travelled for work. Whenever I flew, I'd make sure to go to the gate and ask that my name be added as a volunteer to be bumped. If I did get bumped, the airline would typically provide me with a free travel ticket or a voucher good for a certain dollar figure. Of course, I'd make sure to reserve a flight that had at least one more flight going after mine to my destination. By doing this, I managed to get several free travel vouchers, and I'd still get home on the same day.

skip the restaurant

Whenever I have to travel for work, I try to get a hotel room that has a microwave and a fridge in it. Then I hit up the local market and buy some frozen foods. You might end up paying slightly more for the hotel room, but the money you save in dining costs will more than make up for it!

be grocery strategic

It's been very tough to come up with new and interesting ways to save money, but I wanted to post this link to my friend Mary's blog at Merlot Mudpies because she just posted a review of a book entitled "Family Feasts for $75 a Week" by Mary Ostyn. (Note: my friend Mary and the author are not the same person.)

I'll let you read Mary's review, but the moral of the story? Mary has been able to cut her substantial grocery budget by 50% by following the strategy listed in Ostyn's book. Disclaimer: I haven't read the book yet, but I'm going to based on the following excerpt from Mary's blog:

As I sat cackling over the money I’ve saved since reading a pre-publication copy of this book a month ago I said to Ryan, “I can’t believe how much money we’ve saved this month! I’ve cut our budget by 50% and I think I could easily go lower if we needed to.” To which he replied, “That’s insane, because we have been eating really well recently, too!”

check the rates

Still on vacation so here's a short one... Compare credit card rates at http://www.cardtrak.com./ It has a compare feature for side-by-side comparison. You can also choose to filter the selections based on your credit history, what your card goals are (e.g., frequent flyer miles) and you can sort by several features including annual fees.

troll the internet

The following ideas are NOT the least bit creative but I'm on vacation so I'm allowed. Check out the following comparison-shopping sites and coupon sites:

• http://www.smartbargains.com/
• http://www.pricegrabber.com/
• http://www.retailmenot.com/
• http://www.dealsofamerica.com/

save the receipt

Here's one that has saved me TONS of money. Whenever I go to Macy's, I keep the receipts with me. If I happen to go back within a few weeks, or make a point to go back, I take the receipt to a sales clerk and ask if any of the items have reduced prices. They scan the receipt and credit you back the dollar amount on your credit card. Easy peesy! No need to take the purchases with you.

buy kid-sized shoes

Here's an idea given to me by my friend Lalaisha. If you're a woman with smaller feet (size 7.5 and below), go check out shoes meant for kids. Lalaisha was able to score on Keen shoes at Nordstrom's that are normally priced at $90 for the women's size, but only $45 for the girl's size. You're going to have to play with the shoe sizes, but at 50% off, it's worth the effort!!!