I am one of those people who others call and ask, “How much should I pay for an oriental rug?”

Friends call and ask me if $1,500 is a good deal for a new leather sofa.  They ask me which store is having the best coat sale. 

While I cannot give that kind of advice to everyone, I can tell you where to find this information.   
 
CostHelper.com is a new website that tells you how much you should pay for what. 

The site consists of a database of hundreds of items, where you can investigate how much others are paying and find similar deals. 

One would think that hand-washing dishes is more economical than using the dishwasher.  That is far from true. 

Now, if you hand wash dishes and then put them in the dishwasher, then you reduce your costs by using the dishwasher.  However, measuring one method of doing dishes against another, dishwashers cost less and get your dishes cleaner. 

Here are some other things you can do to save money while using the dishwasher...

I love to comparison shop to make sure I am getting the best deal for my money. 

Sales people, on the other hand, are not crazy about comparison shoppers.  They want to catch you as soon as you think you might want to buy an item, and get you to make an impulse purchase on the spot.  They want your money now and are not afraid to pressure you into making a purchase.  Some of these tactics can make shopping for certain items a frightening experience. 

Here are 4 tips for resisting high-pressure sales...

I am an appliance salesperson's worst nightmare.  I will relentlessly haggle the price on a refrigerator, washer, dryer, or other appliance until I get the price I want. 

This is not very hard to do. Salespeople at appliance stores tend to give in on the price of appliances because they expect to make money on the additional service warranty.  If you want to see a really upset salesperson, refuse the warranty after getting an excellent price on the appliance!

A huge part of being thrifty for me is being natural. 

I find that when I focus on avoiding products that are toxic to either the environment or myself that I save a great deal of money. For example, if you take a visit to The Fun Times Guide to Living Green, you will find many ways to save money.

Here are some of the natural ways I use to save money...

I think one of the best things I ever did to save money was to buy a chest freezer.

It might sound a bit crazy to suggest spending $200-$500.00 on a chest freezer in order to save money on food.  After all, your refrigerator already has a freezer; why do you need a second one? 

The answer is simple: You can purchase frozen foods in bulk, and you can also purchase a large quantity of items that you find are on sale. 

I like my chest freezer because not only does it allow me to purchase sale items in large quantities, but it also helps to ensure that there is always something in the house to eat.

I purchased mine 11 years ago, and have never once regretted it.  Here are some tips you can use to make the most of your chest freezer.

It's amazing how much money can be wasted in the laundry room.

From using inefficient washing machines and dryers, to washing items that were barely worn, the costs can add up quickly.

Here are some tips you can use to save money on laundry day.