Save Money All Year Long

The Savings Plan 

Things always seem to be expensive exactly when you need them. A bikini in May? Zero percent off. A tank of gas before your Saturday errands? Not cheap. That January vacation in the Caribbean? No one would call it a bargain. American women spend trillions on consumer goods and services every year, and a lot of them pay full price simply because it’s convenient.
But by planning ahead, you can get great deals. Wait for the right day or month instead of shopping on the fly, and you’ll see the annual savings start to add up.

Groceries

The estimated average weekly grocery bill for an American household is $90, according to the Food Marketing Institute, a food retailer and wholesaler trade association in Washington, D.C. By using a store’s discount card, you can shave about 18 percent off that cost. Try not to bring along the kids, who may ask for treats you weren’t planning to buy. You can also save with coupons: Check sites like CoolSavings and shop on double-coupon days if possible. Avoid buying prepared and packaged goods (e.g., Consumer Reports found that two pounds of carrots cost $1.29, compared with $7.16 for the same amount of precut carrot sticks). And stock up on freezable foods after their peak times. Gary Foreman, publisher of the Dollar Stretcher website, notes that prices for turkeys are slashed after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Books

Wait for the paperback (which typically comes out six to nine months after the hardcover, at about half the price), or check sites like Powell’s Books, Strand Book Store, Amazon.com, and Overstock.com for used and overstock books. If you buy a lot, consider an annual membership card from a chain like Barnes & Noble ($25) or Books-A-Million ($20), which will give you 10 percent off most in-store purchases. Remember, though, that you have to spend plenty of money on books annually (at least $250 at Barnes & Noble and $200 at Books-A-Million) to break even. Of course, the library offers the best deal: It’s free, as long as you remember to return the book before those 20-cents-a-day fines start piling up.

Dry Cleaning

Americans spend nearly $7.8 billion on dry cleaning each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, much of it for low-priced orders (like shirts) and must-haves (suits for work). For expensive projects, like drapes, which run about $200 in a typical cleaning order, or bed linens, which can cost several hundred dollars, it’s best to have them cleaned in January, July, or August. Those are slow times for cleaners, when many offer discounts of about 15 percent on large items. If your local cleaner doesn’t advertise discounts during those times, try negotiating one.

Movies

For a family of four, going to the movies even just once a month can be a big expense. Cut your costs by buying corporate bulk tickets, like those offered by Regal Entertainment Group, the biggest theater chain in the country. Regal sells blocks of 50 “VIP Super Saver” tickets that let you see films that have been showing for at least 12 days. At $6 each, these tickets are up to 40 percent less than regular tickets (depending on the region). You can also find price breaks through Working Advantage, which offers discounts of up to 46 percent on movie tickets and DVD rentals through more than 4,000 companies and organizations, or through Entertainment, which charges $25 to $51 for books of coupons for movies and live events.

Vacations

Only 5 to 10 percent of an airline’s seats are reserved for frequent fliers, so if you want to get restricted frequent-flier tickets―the ones that eat the fewest miles―book about 11 months before your trip, says Tim Winship, founder of Travelocity, a site that provides information on mileage award programs. If you are paying for your seats and are willing to risk bad weather, it’s much cheaper to travel to popular destinations during “shoulder” seasons (just before and after peak travel times). Shoulder trips―February in Europe, April in the Caribbean and ski country―can save up to $400 per person for a one-week vacation. Check sites like Travelocity, Expedia, and SkyAuction for deals. And you can save if you book your hotel and flight as a package. Kari Swartz, a travel expert at Expedia.com, says that customers who book a package to one of its top 50 domestic and international destinations save an average of $193. You may also be able to get discounted tickets through your company’s corporate-travel program or through SideStep, which compares prices on different travel and airline sites.

Summer Camp

Four weeks at a typical sleepaway summer camp costs $3,200, and an average camp raises its price 5 to 10 percent a year, according to Jeff Solomon, executive director of the National Camp Association, a New York City–based organization that offers guidance in choosing a camp. To lower costs, lock in your rate the year before. For a month or two after the end of each summer session, many camps offer early-bird specials, letting you sign up for next year’s camp at current prices. (This deal generally doesn’t apply to one-week specialty sports camps.) Some camps may even let you lock in a lifetime rate if you’re willing to commit to―and pay for―several years in advance.