In the old days, everyone had to use pencil and paper to do this. Thankfully, personal money management software exists today to ease that burden. Quicken by Intuit is generally regarded as one of the best money management software programs. Where can you get a good deal on Quicken?

Newer Is Better?

One excellent way to save money is by buying an older copy of Quicken from somewhere like eBay. This program has been around for years and is an extremely stable product. What that also means is that the differences between last year’s version and this year’s version are pretty small now. In fact, a lot of the reviews end by saying something like “if you’re happy with what you have then there’s no reason to upgrade.”

Two More Tips

First, if you use the online features of Quicken then buying a one year old copy is probably the best value. That’s because support for questions, updates, and online access gets cut off after three years. It’s called being “sunset.” The software itself is still usable of course, my Quicken is older than three years, but you won’t be able to use some of the advanced online features. Things like the integrated online bill payment systems and transaction downloading will stop working. That might not be a problem for you anyway if you normally go directly to your bank’s website.

Second, it’s also best to buy an unregistered copy. That’s because you can register it yourself just like new software from a store. Then you’ll be eligible for the discounts that current owners receive on newer versions and other benefits.

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One really nice thing is that most of the game manuals and instructions are on the internet these days. So you don’t need to worry about anything being missing from the boxes. Simply erase any old characters (this is only needed for some of the DS games) and you’re off to the races. Here are a few ideas that will help you save money.

Online Video Game Stores

You might not know this but EB Games carries a wide selection of used games. So many gamers sell their old games there that even hard to find games are often available. Even if the local EB Games store doesn’t have what you want, their online store probably does. In fact, it’s probably the first place you should look since their inventory isn’t restricted to one city.

Online Auctions

eBay and Half aren’t strictly game stores but that’s just fine. They are fabulous places to get games. Tons of Nintendo games (and systems) are listed every day giving you a great chance of finding what you want at a reasonable price. Talk about a never ending supply of cheap fun! So head over to the Nintendo Wii or Nintendo DS section of eBay, start shopping, and help Link, Mario, and all of your favorite characters save the world!

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Product Refreshes

Whenever Apple introduces a new Mac or iPod, your local stores need to sell their old models. The best part is that Apple gives them strict orders to sell their merchandise at a discount. Lucky for us!

I got my dream machine, a Power Mac Dual G5, this way a few years ago. I knew the Intel-based Macs were about to come out so I checked the electronics stores near me that sold Macs. Sure enough, a few dozen were marked down. A couple of weeks later Apple introduced the first Macs using Intel processors.

Display Models

The computer I actually bought was also a display model. Because of that I was able to talk the salespeople down to an even lower price. It still carried the original Apple warranty but I probably would only do this for a desktop computer. Laptops take more abuse in the store but, other than the keyboard and mouse, a desktop just sort of sits there untouched. I’m very happy with my purchase and it still runs great.

Apple’s Online Store

Are you looking to buy another Mac or iPod soon? Does haggling with a sales clerk and running from store to store just sound like too much work? Then buying directly from Apple might be the best way to find a clearance Mac or iPod. The Special Deals section of Apple’s online store also includes clearance items and gets updated regularly. What could be easier than that!

Are you frustrated by the high cost of groceries? Do yourself a favor and let man’s best friend lend a paw. Save money by using printed or online dog food coupons the next time you’re buying dog food.

The Sunday Newspaper

Finding printed coupons for the most popular brands is relatively easy. Advertisements in the Sunday paper usually have those. Occasionally, local grocery stores and pets stores put coupons in neighborhood circulars as well. So pull out your scissors and go to town!

A Personal Coupon Clipper

Even if you don’t like clipping coupons, can’t find coupons for the brand you buy, or don’t get the Sunday paper, there’s still hope. Some eBay sellers do nothing but clip coupons for you. You’ll essentially pay them a small finder’s fee for doing this. Dog food coupons for Purina, IAMS, Pedigree, and others are listed regularly. Shipping is often free making this an inexpensive option.

Online Dog Food Coupons

It’s more difficult, but not impossible, to get coupons for natural and organic dog foods like Wellness, Innova, and Honest Kitchen. Shopping at an online store might be your best bet in that case. That’s because those retailers offer discounts through online coupons and discounts when you place larger orders (usually $75 or $100). The savings can be substantial and they commonly offer reduced rates on shipping as well. Some of them even let you set up recurring deliveries. Now you can save money on dog food and gas.

Wow, just when you thought you couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks. Your faithful companion helped your pocketbook too!

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Apple Refurbished iPods and Macs

What is a refurbished Mac or iPod? It’s one that was sent back to Apple for whatever reason. Whether someone just ordered the wrong color or it needed a little fixing, Apple spruces them up and sells them at a big, big discount. You can trust the quality and safety because Apple certifies each item just like their new products. These also carry a full 1-year warranty so it’s like they say on their site “Apple Certified. Good as New.”

How Cheap Are They?

You don’t have to look long to find a 33% discount or even 50% discount. That can really add up. Who wouldn’t want $50 off an iPod nano? Or a few hundred dollars off a Mac? Me, me, me! Actually, we started buying refurbished from Apple a few years ago and don’t plan to ever stop.

What’s The Catch?

So what’s the downside to getting such an awesome deal? There are three very minor problems with buying a refurbished product from Apple.

1. All of the items listed reflect the current inventory. So if no one returns the exact Mac you want then you can’t get a refurbished model. That isn’t usually a problem unless you want something super customized though. You’ll want to watch the site more closely since it updates each day.
2. It takes a little while for some of the newer products to show up. They have to get through the whole certification process so it usually takes several months before the refurbished models are available.
3. These don’t ship in the normal, pretty boxes that you see your the local Apple store. They come in a plainer, boring box instead. Don’t laugh. Some people love to save their pretty boxes!

Sign Me Up!

You just need to find the Special Deals section of Apple’s online store. There you’ll see links like Refurbished Mac, Refurbished iPod, and Refurbished iPhone (yes, even the iPhone). Then it’s just like ordering anything else from Apple. Except that you’re saving a ton of money!

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Coke Rewards

Anyone who drinks Coca-Cola should clips the codes printed inside their cardboard boxes. That’s because of the Coke Rewards program. One of the rewards you can get is a coupon for a free rental from Blockbuster. Except for the times when we wanted to watch more than one movie, we went an entire year without paying for a movie rental using them. You just enter the codes into Coke’s website and choose your reward. Of course, they offer other rewards too but these are my favorite.

So what if you don’t drink Coke? Neither do I! I have a relative that drinks diet coke but rarely rents movies. She gives me her old codes since she doesn’t use them for anything.

One thing you need to watch out for is them running out of coupons. There’s only a limited number they allow each year. You’ll need to look for other options for rental coupons if that happens.

Online Auctions

A lot of people get free movie coupons but don’t use them. What do many of those people do with them? They sell them online! Those aren’t hard to find and are very inexpensive. Most of the time you’ll pay just a little bit more than the shipping costs.

Watching movies at home is much less expensive than going to the movie theater. Now the next time you want to watch a new release (or one of your favorite older movies again) you’ll know how to save even more money!

1. If you value your time then you’ll love the efficiency of printing stamps at home. You can forget about driving to the post office, standing in line forever, and driving back to your home or office. Instead, just click a button and you can cross “buy stamps” off your ever expanding to-do list.
2. It’s likely that you’ll save money when you print stamps using your computer. In many cases, bypassing the post office will save you a substantial amount of money. Even excluding gasoline, wear and tear on your car, and the loss of your valuable time, you can save up to 80% over a postage meter. Wow!

How do you get started you ask? Good question. First, you need a computer with internet access. You probably already have one in front of you right now. Second, there’s special U.S. Postal Service approved software that you’ll need to install or access online. Third, you’ll need a printer and some paper to print the postage. This is quite inexpensive because regular envelopes, mailing labels, and plain paper work just fine.

Now you can print the addresses from your address book and your postage all from one place. Most of the companies with special software offers free trials so there’s really nothing to lose. Now you’ll just have to decide how to spend all of your new found free time!