Recession Hot Spots: Part Two
March 12th, 2009
Last week I highlighted a few places that everyone should be using during this recession – Hulu, eBay, and Redbox. I’m going to detail a few more resources that you can use to pull yourself and your family through this recession. We don’t know how long it’s going to last, but we can definitely get through it.
Discount Stores
- Summary: Let’s all be honest for a second. Discount stores, especially places such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, get a bad rap most of the time. People think that only homeless and the underprivileged shop at these stores because the
items they sell are secondhand, smelly, and dirty. This is most certainly NOT true. If you have ever set foot into one of these stores, you know that you can find some really great items here, including clothing, dishes and cutlery, toys, and books. Some of them may have imperfections but a lot of them are hardly noticeable. If you haven’t given discount stores a try, you are missing out. - Economic Benefit: Simply stated, you can get a lot of great things on the cheap from discount stores. I recently purchased a 7-in-1 game table, new in the original box, for $60. It would have cost me close to $150 to purchase the same table from Sports Authority or Wal-Mart. A majority of my dress clothes have been great Goodwill finds. You can find quality items at discount store, it just takes a discerning eye at times.
- They’re everywhere!: There are plenty of stores out there, both national chains and local entities. Some bigger national chains include Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Gabriel Brothers, Big Lots, and Ollie’s. These types of stores will often have ads in the local papers so be sure to scour them for stores near you!
Online Forums
- Summary: Most of us have been to an online forum before, whether it is to post a question, find an answer, or just laugh at people (yes, this does happen). Did you know that there are specific online forums dedicated to deals, bargains, coupon exchanges, and best practices? Yep! They do exist and they have a lot to offer! Two of the most popular sites are FatWallet and SlickDeals. I have a tendency to visit SlickDeals more often than FatWallet, mainly because I happen to like their design better and they have the same content most of the time so there is kind of no point to visit both. There is great information on these sites which is up to date, relevant, and easy to read. Check both of them out and I’m sure that you’ll love what you find!
- Economic Benefit: Without a doubt, online forums can save you tons of money. Whether you use the sites to find out the latest sales and discounts or if you exchange online coupons with someone to reduce the amount of a single purpose, you’re going to benefit from visiting these sites. One of the best things about online forums is that you don’t have to be a member to view the content, only to post and respond.
So if you don’t want to join, you don’t have to! - Organized Chaos: Online forums, especially FatWallet and Slick Deals, can be very overwhelming at first. What I would suggest doing is previewing the content you might be interested in, searching for a few specific things, and playing around with the site before diving into the site too much. This will help you become acquainted with the rating system, how things are posted, and the categories for posts. If you have an RSS reader, you can subscribe to the forums so you don’t have to visit the site constantly to get updates. (This is a great option for people who have an online filter set up at their job that blocks message boards and forums. you won’t be able to view the specific post while at work but you can save it for when you get home or to an unblocked computer.)
Discount Movie Theaters
- Summary: Going to the movies costs an arm and a leg. You practically need a small loan to buy tickets, food, and drinks. If you don’t want to wait until a movie is out on DVD but you don’t want to pay full price, consider locating a discount movie theater near your house. At a discount theater, tickets and refreshments are significantly less. The theaters normally show films that have been released for a few weeks but you still get the theater screen and sound. I often attend showings at my discount theater, especially for movies that have gotten so-so reviews or that I want to see again.
- Economic Benefits: this is one of the areas that you could probably save the most money, especially if you attend the movies often or have a large family. My girlfriend and I are able to get tickets and refreshments for less than half of what we would normally pay at a regular theater. If you go to the movies often, you could probably save hundreds in a year.
- Where Do I Find Discount Theaters?: It’s sometimes hard to find discount movie theaters. Either do a quick Google Search for your area to see if you can locate a theater (ex. “cheap movie theaters boston”) or ask around. There is bound to be one nearby and it could become one of your favorite places to spend time.
I’ll continue the “Recession Hot Spots” series next week when I detail three more places that you should visit during the tough economic times.
Where do you go when times are tough? What websites or locations do you visit to find the best bargains? Share your suggestions via the comments section!