Making Your Money Work This Season

Here are a few tips to entertain the holiday spirit of giving while staying cash positive.

Work It
1. Use cash on hand, accommodating the monthly budget you should already have set in place.
2. Layaway is making a comeback in a wider variety of stores. Make a list of what you need and where you plan to shop as you consider this option.
3. Walmart and Target are a few stores that match the price of competitors during the holiday season. Amazon is tactfully low-balling its Walmart competitor on some items, even if it is by a couple cents plus free shipping.
4. Cell phone and cable bills. Call customer service and see what new offers can help you maximize monthly savings.
5. Receive a free gift that you can then use as a Christmas present by spending the required amount on perfume or make-up, for example.
6. Compare prices online the same way in which we are use to comparing prices for airline tickets and hotels. Use sites like PriceGrabber.com.

Ditch it
1. Credit card companies are charging "inactivity fees" and bringing back annual fees as well.
2. Bottled water. You can save upwards of $500 a year by boiling and bottling your own water or using an easily installed water-filtration system.
3. Don't be a brand whore. Switch to a generic prescription drug and take a chance on store brands. Target relaunched its store brand UP & UP to accommodate changing consumer habits in the recession.

Notable Mention
1. Checking account fees. Bank of America and a few others have eliminated over draft fees on charges in excess of $10 or less.
2. Compare checking account rates at Bankrate.com if you don't have a free checking account. A lot of banks also offer free checking if you have direct deposit.
3. With websites such as Coupons.com and Savings.com you can double up on coupons you reveive in the mail.
4. Priceprotector.com can be used to to track prices of things you want to buy and will e-mail you if the product is marked down after you buy it.

Save on.

Miss** 2009