And she says there are some things you should NEVER buy full-price.
"You don't have to be a superstar saver, just like you don't have to be an ultra-marathoner," Gaynor says.
"You don't always have to be saving 20, 100 times a day. But if you take maybe just five items that you never pay full price for, you will be really able to save quite a bit. "
Tops on Gaynor's "never-pay-retail" list: Cereal. She says cereal coupons are always available online and at least one brand's on sale at the supermarket just about every week.
"If you see a deal where you can get a two-for-one and you can use a coupon, you stack your savings and you can practically get cereal for free," she advises.
Number Two on her list: Childrens' Clothes. She suggests swapping with friends or buying at consignment or re-sale shops, where you can often buy nearly new and even brand-new clothes at a fraction of retail.
Number Three on her never-pay-full price list is Restaurant Meals. She suggests buying discounted gift certificates on restaurant.com. You can check our codes and coupons tab for discount codes for that site. Or you can sign up for many chain restaurants email clubs.
"It's really easy and just by signing up , they'll send you a $5 coupon," Gaynor explains.
Number Four on her list are books and CD's. She suggests online swapping sites and the "Used" section of Amazon and Half.com, along with trips to the library.
And finally, she says there's no reason to pay full price for Shoes when there are online outlets like 6pm.com and ShoeSteal.com that have rock-bottom prices.
Also on Julia's Never Pay Full-Price List:
Vacations:
Right now, cruises offer the best vacation deals. You can find fantastic 4-night cruises with all expenses paid for $300.
Cheapflights.com and Priceline offer bargain basement prices all of the time.
Before leaving home, do an online search for rental car coupons. Remember to apply your AAA membership information to increase the overall discount.
Contact Lenses:
Don't be tempted to buy lenses directly from your optometrist at full price!
Companies like 1-800-Contacts and Coastal Contacts provide coupons that can be applied for free-trial pairs and deals at contact lens manufacturers.
Toothpaste:
Toothpaste coupons can be found in the Sunday paper or online at coupon sites like Eversave.com.
Drugstores like CVS offer coupons for toothpaste on the receipts that print out after your purchase. Make sure you read what's handed to you at checkout.
Insurance:
Bundle your car and home policies to save money on insurance premiums.
Always ask if insurance company offers alumni or AAA member discounts.
Make the insurance carriers aware that you're shopping around for the best quote. They may be willing to negotiate.
Cell Phones:
Look for rebates, online coupon codes and manufacturer's specials.
If your current plan has or is about to expire, look for used phones and incentive plans before signing a new contract.
More money-related links:
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