Here are some of the best recent tips from readers. The last time I published a gaggle of bargain tips, I got several calls from disgruntled readers who wanted more local tips and fewer online tips. Hey, I hear you, but I can't control what people are sending in. So here's a plug for sending in more local tips. Only one reader has now had three of her tips published, so there is still $50 waiting for two more.
Cheaper magazines Magazine subscriptions can be expensive, said Tina Hauser of Clearwater, Minn. Check with your frequent-flier program, which might offer subscriptions for miles. For Northwest miles, call 1-800-586-9630. She also exchanges magazines with friends to share costs. Ewoldt's tip: When renewing, instead of dealing directly with the magazine, renew through www.MagazinePriceSearch.com or www.Bizrate.com.
Their prices are 20 to 70 percent cheaper than many other magazine services. One caveat: The wait times might be longer for the renewals to kick in. You can get around that by getting a price quote from the low-ballers and then calling the magazine's customer service number and asking them to match the price.
Household tips Tracy Clark recommends using free plastic bags from retailers instead of buying plastic bags for smaller wastebaskets. Ewoldt's tip: For the larger 13-gallon plastic bags, skip the name brands and buy the just-as-good store brand at Aldi, Costco, Sam's Club, Target or Wal-Mart. Target occasionally puts its brand on sale. Clark also recommends tearing dryer sheets in half to make the box last longer. Ewoldt's tip: Skip those stupid dryer balls. They don't prevent static, and towels aren't noticeably fluffier. You might be able to skip dryer sheets altogether if you dry your clothes until they're still damp (about 25-30 minutes), and then hang and air dry. Line drying is even cheaper.
Terry Booker recommends washing all clothes in cold water to save energy. Use an all-temperature detergent. Ewoldt's tip: Save money by using less detergent if you have a front-loading washing machine. Paul Flynn of Savage, who invented a product to eliminate washing machine smells caused by using too much liquid detergent, uses one-fourth of the amount of high-efficiency (HE) detergent recommended by the manufacturer.
Helen Ng of Brooklyn Park prefers big-ticket savings. She recommends conducting an annual audit of home and auto insurance companies. She got out her declaration page and called around so she could do an apples-to-apples comparison of insurance benefits. She saved $1,200 per year switching from Farmer's to AARP. She and her husband weren't members, but they gladly paid $12 to save 100 times that. She also checked the insurance companies' rating online at Standard and Poors, AM Best and Consumer Reports before purchasing.
Anonymous said she finds great bargains at Sears Appliance Outlets (2700 NE. Winter St., 612-331-3648, and at 141 85th Av. NW., Coon Rapids, 763-786-3555). Items bought at the outlet can be delivered for a $65-$75 flat fee and are covered by manufacturer's warranty unless otherwise noted.
Peg Kaplan of Minnetonka keeps one phrase on the tip of her tongue when she shops. "What is the sale price?" she asks with a smile. She said it works for her quite often. Ewoldt's tip: If they won't give you the sale price on the spot, and big-box retailers often won't, ask when the next sale is.
