Become An Opportunistic Shopper
The recession has an upside. A lot of things you'll need in coming years are cheap right now — like cars and houses and fixed-rate mortgages. Take advantage of the sales today in order to save money tomorrow . Many new cars are available at loan rates approaching zero and some dealers have even extended the government's popular cash-for-clunkers program at their own expense. Who needs new furniture that the kids will only tear up when there are so many bargains at garage and estate sales as a result of lost jobs and foreclosures. (It may seem insensitive; but they really do want to sell the stuff.) Electronics like cameras and large-screen TVs are bargain priced. So is a lot of clothing. To start your search check websites like dailycandy.com and pricegrabber.com. And make sure you are setting aside enough money in your 401(k) or Roth IRA to capture any matching benefit your company offers.