50 Ways to Save $50

Kara McGrecent post about financial author/speaker Kevin McKinley's 50 ways to save $50, a list that apparently changes a bit depending on his audience. Using McGuire's list, I'll give you a few that I think are good and a few I think are questionable from McKinley's list.

The Good:

Cancel your gym membership.---Nothing is as much of a waste of money as a gym membersip, unless you are truly hardcore. Most are bought and then not used, and then the person doesn't want to cancel the membership because seeing the charge on the credit card gives short-lived motivation to maybe one day work out again.

Say "no" to life insurance on your children.---Life insurance is meant to protect people financially in case you as the family breadwinner die. Most children are not shouldering the burden of a mortgage and car payments, thus they do not need life insurance. Not sure how anyone ever sold this to begin with.

Make "pizza night" early in the week, when deals are better than weekends.---This is absolutely true. All the coupons are for Mondays & Tuesdays when the pizza joints are desperate. Take advantage of their desperation.

The Questionable:

Transfer your credit card balances to a home equity loan. --- On its face, this is smart, as home equity loans have lower interest rates. On the down side, home equity loans are secured loans, meaning failure to pay can put your house in jeopardy, while failing to pay unsecured credit cards can not. Further, if your credit card debt has gotten so bad that your balance is even making you consider this, then what makes you think you have the self control to pay off that home equity loan AND not charge even more to your now no-balance credit cards?

Keep your soda in your car; don't buy it at the gas station. --- I prefer mine cold, which, unless I'm supposed to have a cooler in my car also, means this will not work for me.

Don't buy Girl Scout cookies. Find out how much profit they keep and give that amount of cash instead.---Pigheaded advice. Girl Scout cookies are good. What better excuse is there to get your hands on some Thin Mints?

One of my beefs with lists such as these is that inevitably a number of of the things that will save you $50 will actually save you $50 over a four-year period and will cost you $50 to implement in the first place, all while taking up valuable hours of your life. Sure, I know VOIP will cut down my phone call costs, but until someone makes it a little simpler to do, I don't feel like dealing with it.
Posted by: Justin McHenry    Source