5 Common Sense Tips for Buying Used Goods Online

I shop clearance racks and thrift stores as part of my frugal lifestyle, but I’ve always been hesitant to utilize online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist or the scores of smaller websites and apps that have popped up over the last few years. Alongside the good finds, you still hear horror stories of scamming, stalking, and […]

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I shop clearance racks and thrift stores as part of my frugal lifestyle, but I’ve always been hesitant to utilize online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist or the scores of smaller websites and apps that have popped up over the last few years. Alongside the good finds, you still hear horror stories of scamming, stalking, and otherwise bad experiences.

Still, there’s something to be said about finding a great deal, especially on high-ticket items like furniture and electronics that tend to be overpriced by retailers. In the effort to find some new-to-me furniture for our new house without paying full price, I’ve decided to take the plunge and start engaging with a few of the newer mobile-friendly sites more actively. Here are some common-sense tips I’ve learned so far.

Tip #1: Don’t assume the item you’re looking at is still for sale.
I learned this one early on. I don’t know why people leave listings up after they’re sold, but they do. It’s annoying, but it’s something you’ll encounter if you want to find a good deal. Your first step should always be to ask whether the item is still for sale. It feels tedious to do this every time, but it saves the mental energy of calculating your offer price, as well as the emotional involvement of getting your heart set on something that’s no longer available.

Tip #2: Move fast.
Once you’ve verified that an item is still available, act quickly. With hundreds of other invisible shoppers, hesitating for even one day can mean losing your chance. Even if you’re still finalizing details, go ahead and place an offer on it to hold your spot, so to speak. This may seem rude to the seller if you back out, but in these types of marketplaces, they’re used to it (and will just sell to the next person that comes along).

Tip #3: Don’t be afraid to ask for a lower price (but don’t be cheap).
Just like in a flea market, sellers in these digital marketplaces tend to set their prices high because they expect to negotiate, meeting low-ball offers with counter-offers until both parties are satisfied they got a decent deal. Ultimately, the market decides how much any given item is worth, not how much the seller paid for it (although some sellers successfully use an item’s base retail as a negotiation point, thanks to the anchor price comparison trap).

Although it’s expected that you’ll offer a lower price, don’t be ridiculous with the offer. You’re unlikely to budge the seller extremely low unless other circumstances are putting pressure on them to sell at an extreme discount.

A related tip is to keep your eye out for items that have dropped their listing price – that’s probably a motivated seller who will negotiate a little more readily.

Tip #4: Factor in shipping or pick-up expenses and logistical challenges.
In the eagerness to find a good deal on something you need and want, it’s easy to forget about practical things like shipping or pickup. One of my experiences includes a great deal on a used washer and dryer set from a nearby city that turned into a logistical nightmare.

Settle the practical matters before you finalize the sale. How far away is the seller’s location? Are they willing to deliver, and do they charge? Do you have a vehicle large enough to transport the item? Is it something bulky located in a third-floor apartment with a narrow stairway? Getting these details out of the way can help you decide if the deal is worth it, whether in terms of its total price, fuel, stress, or backaches.

Tip #5: Check all the sites until you find the one or two that are best utilized and offer the best selection in your area.
Not all deal sites are the same for each area. Depending on your location, some apps will be more heavily utilized or offer higher-quality products on a consistent basis. Read reviews from users in your area to watch out for scams, and shop around several of them. You’ll quickly determine which is your go-to marketplace and save yourself extra time or even money.

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How to Cash In Your Pennies for More Than a Cent

If you want a collecting hobby that could yield a financial profit, collecting coins and old pennies is a win-win choice.

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Did you know that those hundreds of pennies lying under the couch cushions and on the car floor could be a source of income?  You have several options that are far more favorable than rolling and cashing them in at the bank.

Recycling pennies may sound a bit like a late night infomercial, but there is some merit in the concept.

Pennies minted before 1982 are comprised of nearly 95% copper. As of the date this post was written, recycled copper was selling in my area for $4.13 per pound (and the price has been rising steadily for several months thanks to a crappy economy).

You’ll need about 151, pre-1982 pennies to make a pound of copper. Yep, your $1.51 could yield $4.13 for the work of sorting through a few pennies and driving to the nearest scrap yard.

“But wait! Can I just bag my pennies and haul them in?” Nope, there are a few catches:

1. Since most of these copper pennies are only 95% copper (and 5% zinc), technically they are considered brass in recycling terms.

Brass is currently selling for between $2.61 and $3.03 in my area (depending on the quality of the brass), not nearly as high as $4.13 for copper.

2. The majority of scrap yards will NOT take a bag of pennies for recycling because it’s against federal law to deface U.S. currency (see USA Today’s article for more information).

While I’ve heard stories of people melting down pennies and separating the copper to place in extruders or molds and make it look like copper wire or scrap pieces, this is still highly illegal and most scrap yards question where you got the scrap.

If they think the origin is fishy, they’ll refuse it on the spot and may call the authorities to investigate. Melting your own pennies is NOT recommended.

Looks like recycling pennies is a bust at this point, but you do have options to still cash in on your old pennies. Here are two viable options for getting more value from your pennies:

David’s Note: Doh! Reading this got me excited there for a moment!

1. Sell them on Craigslist or Ebay.

Many people are hoarding these old pennies in bulk. Some of them believe these stashes will be an asset when the economy collapses, some are waiting for federal laws to change to allow the melting of coins for recycling, and some of them just like old coins, but most will pay high dollar for small to moderate quantities of old pennies.

2. Check out your pennies for rare and valuable coins.

Many of us have probably held a valuable coin at one time in our lives and never even noticed. Making a habit of studying up on what coins are valuable and sorting through your pocket change every night could prove to be a wise financial move.

A good place to start learning about valuable coins is the Professional Coin Grading Service or Heritage Auctions.  When I went through a small pile of old coins given to me by customers when I waited tables, I found six “silver” dollar coins that were worth a total of $90.

If you’re going to start a collecting hobby that could potentially yield a financial profit, collecting coins and old pennies is an obvious win-win choice.

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Are You Prepared for Retirement?

One of the best things you can do for your financial future is to start preparing for retirement as early as you can. Unfortunately, not very many Americans are getting ready for retirement. Indeed, according to a report from the Federal Reserve, 31 percent of Americans have no retirement savings at all. Not only that, […]

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One of the best things you can do for your financial future is to start preparing for retirement as early as you can. Unfortunately, not very many Americans are getting ready for retirement. Indeed, according to a report from the Federal Reserve, 31 percent of Americans have no retirement savings at all.

Not only that, but less than half of Americans have even assessed their retirement needs. Are you one of those with no retirement savings and no idea of how much you need to retire? (Here are some suggestions that will help.)

This is a serious issue for many people right now, and it’s important that you prepare as early as you can – or you might be stuck without sufficient assets later on. Inflation, health care costs as you age and other issues can slow your finances down. Now is the time to prepare for retirement, or you could be in trouble later.

Figure Out What You Need

Too many Americans aren’t adequately preparing for retirement. In fact, an alarming number don’t even know how much they will need in retirement. As a result, too many people probably aren’t setting aside enough money for their retirement needs.

It’s tempting to think that the $200 you’re setting aside each month will be enough to fund your golden years, but the reality is that it probably isn’t going to cut it. You will likely need to set aside a lot more for retirement – unless you happen to be a teenager right now.

So how do you know how much you need?

First of all, you need to set time aside to figure it out. This calculation is different for everyone, depending on individual choices and lifestyle preferences. How much you need to retire will depend on what you want to do, as well as your current situation.

Think about how much you spend now, and whether or not you will spend the same amount in the future. You should also consider whether you will downsize, or if you will move to a different location. Think about how long you plan to work, or whether you plan to get other types of revenue during retirement. All of these factors are important details to know about when you calculate how much you will need during retirement.

And be realistic when you evaluate where you stand right now. You will need this information to be as accurate as possible if you want to create a strategy that allows you to set aside what you need for the future. That’s why a budget, even though it’s boring to maintain, is a great tool. It allows you to quickly see how much money you are spending and which spending categories your cash is going to so you can estimate much more easily what your retirement needs will be.

Start Saving

Don’t wait for another day and start putting money aside for retirement now if you haven’t already done so. Even if you haven’t performed a needs assessment, you need to start saving. Then, once you have gone through your retirement needs assessment, you can make adjustments (and chances are that you will need to make changes).

And consider the whole family in your plan. If you have a life partner, you should consider setting aside money for him or her as well. Figure out how much you need to set aside each month to reach your goals, and then work up to that level of contribution.

Remember to make good use of retirement accounts.
Open a tax-advantaged retirement account and start putting money into it. It’s even easier if you have an employer-sponsored plan, like a 401(k) or 403(b) at work. That way, you have a chance to have the contributions automatically taken care of.

These types of accounts are great, especially if you use some sort of automated type of investing. However, you still need to be careful. Once you set your account on automatic, it’s easy to forget to invest more later on. As you receive raises, or if your household income grows because of a partner’s new job or your new side business, it’s easy to forget to increase the amount that you are saving.

If you haven’t increased your retirement account contributions to keep pace with your income growth, you probably aren’t saving enough for retirement. You need to re-evaluate your savings each year. If you get a three percent raise, you should also make a three percent (or more) increase in the amount of money you set aside for retirement. At the very least, your retirement contribution growth should mirror your income growth.

Be Careful of Compound Growth

Compound interest is powerful, but it’s dangerous too because it’s not a miracle. You need to give interest something to work with. This means you need to keep adding capital. Compound interest works better over time, so if you start much younger, you can get away with setting aside a couple hundred dollars a month for retirement.

The truth for those who are well into their careers, though, is that it doesn’t work quite as nicely. You aren’t going to meet your goals if you set aside $200 a month. You probably need to set aside much more a month if you are getting a late start. The closer you are in retirement, the more you’ll need to “make retirement.”

Don’t expect your investments to “save” you. Plan on a conservative annualized return of between five and seven percent, rather than optimistic projects of between 10 and 12 percent. You’ll have a more realistic idea of what to do, and realize that you probably need to save more.

Once you face reality and get started with your investment plan, you will be more likely to accomplish your retirement savings goals.

And don’t be discouraged. Even if you can’t put in as much as you would like to right now, don’t be one of that 31 percent who doesn’t have anything set aside. Start today to save for retirement, and as your finances improve, you can boost your contributions. Over time, you will improve the size of your account, and you will be happier – and better prepared financially.

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How to Recover from a Blown Budget

Have you ever had a week (or maybe two) when your spending got out of hand? My last two weeks have been like that. I had major family obligations to deal with, I started helping more at my dad’s business, and I took on another small freelance job — all within the same week. Life […]

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Have you ever had a week (or maybe two) when your spending got out of hand? My last two weeks have been like that.

I had major family obligations to deal with, I started helping more at my dad’s business, and I took on another small freelance job — all within the same week. Life got crazy.

Needless to say, I let overwhelm take over, and my money pretty much flew out the window.

When it comes to budgeting, falling off track is a common problem. Here’s how I’ve recovered from my overspend, and how you can do the same:

1. Stop Dwelling

I ate out almost every night for the past two weeks. The house remained a wreck, and I stacked my unopened bills on the corner of the kitchen table.

Going over budget sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. Life happens: you can’t be perfect all the time.

Acknowledge that you messed up, then move on. Obsessing about it isn’t going to bring your money back.

2. Get Back in Your Old Routine

After recovering from a couple weeks of burnout, I started getting my financials back in order by returning to my old routines. I also played a little bit of catch up: paid my bills, balanced my checkbook, and took care of some transfers.

Sometimes when you fall off track, it makes you want to stay off track. It takes more effort to jump back on the bandwagon than it does to remain on the same path. That’s why it’s important to get back into your old routine as soon as you have the chance.

Get everything caught up, map out a plan for the remainder of the month, and immediately return to your former routine.

3. Temporarily Cut Expenses

These past few weeks, I’ve earned a little extra money. My overspending, therefore, didn’t get in the way of paying my bills — it just prevented me from saving the extra money like I’d planned.

I still desperately wanted to add a little extra to my savings this month, so I decided to temporarily cut back on my expenses.

If you need to cut back, consider the following tactics:

• Eat at home until you’ve cleaned your shelves out
• Have “no-spend” days, when you don’t spend a single penny
• Skip paid entertainment and opt for board game nights or free concerts

If you’re still facing a budget discrepancy, you may have to look for extra ways to earn money for the month. Consider selling something or picking up extra hours at work.

The point is: if you’ve blown your budget, don’t beat yourself up too badly. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to pick up where you left off and get back to your budget as

soon as possible.

When’s the last time you blew your budget?

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Are You TOO Cheap? 4 Ways Cheaping Out Could Cost You in the Long Run

Many people tend to focus too much on upfront costs, and not enough on the long term costs sometimes. Cheaping out right now could actually end up costing you quite a bit. Sure, you want to save money and look for the best value for your dollar. But if you are too cheap, you could […]

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Many people tend to focus too much on upfront costs, and not enough on the long term costs sometimes. Cheaping out right now could actually end up costing you quite a bit. Sure, you want to save money and look for the best value for your dollar. But if you are too cheap, you could end up paying more in the long run. Here are 4 ways being too cheap could cost you big:

1. Postponing Maintenance

Many people postpone the maintenance on different items, or pay for cheap half-measures to “get by.” It’s important to understand, though, that this can be a costly mistake. If you fail to properly maintain your car, it will be prone to bigger and bigger — and more expensive — problems down the road. The same is true of maintaining your home, major appliances and other items. Spend a little more up front to properly care for your things, and they will last longer and cost you less in the long run.

2. Purchasing Poor Quality Items

I have a pair of $75 hiking shoes, bought on sale, that have lasted me 10 years and numerous camping trips. These higher quality shoes have been better for me than the $30 shoes I used to buy — every couple of years. If I had to buy these shoes every other year, after 10 years (and five shoe purchases) it would have cost $150. Cheaping out would have cost me twice as much in the long run. Consider the quality of the items you buy. In some cases, paying a little more for something higher quality can mean savings in the long term, since you won’t have to always be replacing items that break or wear out sooner.

3. Neglecting Health Care

My brother-in-law put off having his tooth looked at, because he didn’t want to pay for the visit to the dentist. By the time the pain became unbearable, a $500 problem had ballooned into a $1,500 problem that required a “procedure.” Putting off visits to the doctor, and taking proper care of yourself, can lead to bigger problems later. The same is true of food. Highly processed, pre-made meals can be very inexpensive, and fast food is a great value for the number of calories you get. But if you spend a little more money and time on better ingredients, you can avoid a lot of the costly health problems that come with a high sodium, high sugar diet.

4. Less Insurance than You Need

Carefully evaluate your needs. You need some insurance to protect your assets and, while you want a good deal on the premium, you shouldn’t cheap out completely. Make sure that you have insurance to adequately cover your auto, home, and health. You should also get enough life insurance to help your family in case something happens to your income stream. Don’t skimp on coverage just because you can get it for less. Carefully review your needs, and then get a policy that provides you the protection you require. If you get a cheap policy, you might be unpleasantly surprised when it comes time to file a claim.

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