A free tip on how families can save money

Regardless of the time of year, you need to save money.  The single guy down the street, the family up the road and the retired couple that live next door all want to pay less for the stuff they buy.  The internet has made comparing prices effortless, but it’s important not to forget the old school ways that companies advertise.

This past week I had to purchase some wood for the fireplace.  Last year we purchased a half cord of wood, which wasn’t enough, so we knew that this year we needed a full cord.  Wood is a good manly thing to buy and it made me feel good to actually know what the heck a cord was. 

I did several internet searches for local companies that sold and delivered firewood.  The price was a bit higher than I expected (disclaimer, I’m cheap) so I didn’t purchase it.

The weekly neighborhood paper came out and for giggles I checked the classifieds.  There were two listings for what I was looking for and lo and behold one of them had a cord of wood for sale $50 cheaper than anything else I’d seen.

I had forgotten that neighborhood papers also list all of the yard sales, which is a great place to frequent if you’re cheap.  Granted not all of the advertisements in the paper produced such a great deal, but it is a reminder that I need to check multiple sources when comparing prices, even those outlets seen as old school.