The Frugal Free Gal

Many casual drinkers will admit one thing: They don’t know much about wine. That’s okay, of course. After all, you don’t need to be a wine expert to appreciate a glass of your favorite whites and reds. But if there’s one thing you should know about wine, it’s that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy it.

Below are four tips to help you save a few dollars on your favorite pinot noir or white zinfandel. Cheers!

1. Drink Cheaper Wine

I’m assuming you’re not a wine snob (otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading a blog entry about how to save on wine), so you should be open to this tip. It’s a common misconception in wine circles that you have to spend a lot of money to get good wine. Truth is, for most casual wine drinkers, there’s not a big difference between a $10 wine and a $30 wine. So what’s that mean? In other words, buy the $10 bottle.

2. Buy Boxed Wine

Just like frozen pizza, boxed wine has made tremendous strides over the past decade with it comes to quality and reputation. The best part, of course, is the price. At $15 to $20 for a box – which can contain up to four bottles of wine – you’ll pay less than $5 per bottle! (Bonus: The tap system keeps air out of the bag inside the box, which helps the wine last a loooong time.)

3. Buy By the Box

This is a different kind of boxed wine. For this one, I’m talking about buying your favorite bottled win in bulk – usually still in the case. This method can result in savings of 10 to 20 percent per bottle.

4. Keep a Wine Journal

No, I’m talking about writing pages upon pages of your most personal thoughts and feelings about wine in a secret diary. A wine journal is nothing more than a few pages in a notebook which you can use to jot some basic notes about the wines you like and don’t like. How does this help you save money? A quick scan of your notes might save you from wasting $20 on a bottle of cabernet sauvignon that you don’t like.

5. Get to Know Your Local Wine Clerk

The best way to save money on wine without spending hundreds of hours studying it is to become friends with the clerk at your local wine store. They know more about wine than anyone and are more than happy to make a few recommendations in your price range.

How do you save on wine? 

Think your five-cup-a-week Starbucks latte habit is expensive? It’ll run you about $20 a week, but that’s nothing compared to a pack-a-day smoking habit, which can cost in the neighborhood of $40-$45 a week. If saving more than $2,000 a year isn’t enough reason to quit, the positive effects on your health definitely should be.

If you’re quitting (or know someone who is), the following tips will help:

1. Have a Good Reason 

The first step is convincing yourself that you want to quit, but you need a good reason if you want to motivate yourself to give it up permanently. The more personal the reason, the better. Examples include saving money to help pay for your child’s college fund or preserving your health so you’ll be around long enough to watch him or her graduate from college!

2. Plan Your Quitting Strategy

Quitting smoking is hard, and like any challenging task, it helps to have a plan. And like any plan, it also helps to write it down. Your plan includes your reasons for quitting, your rewards, and what you’ll do to fight back when the urge to smoke hits.

3. Tell Everyone That You’re a Quitter

You might be tempted to keep your smoking cessation plans to yourself, but you’ll be more likely to succeed if you share your challenge with others. They’ll keep you motivated, ask for updates and encourage you along the way. And if you fail, they’ll also be there to help you get back on the right track.

4. Skip the Cold Turkey

Tossing our your cigarettes and quitting “cold turkey” – that is, without the help of nicotine replacement therapy – might seem like a good idea, but it’s not. Nicotine is a powerful drug, and using nicotine gum, lozenges, patches or prescription medication will dramatically increase your chances of kicking the habit permanently.

5. Join an Online Forum

Just as your friends and family members can help motivate you, fellow quitters online can also help. An online quitters’ forum is filled with people just like you – including former smokers who know exactly what you’re going through – who are there to help each other out and offer support during the good times and the not-so-good times.

Do you have any tips to help quit smoking? 

Save on Gym Memberships

If you’re like me, one of your resolutions is to lose a little weight (again). Dieting is a big part of that plan, but regular exercise also helps.

When it comes to working up a sweat, you’ve got two options: Work out at home or get a gym membership. Yes, the gym membership will cost money, but when you consider that you’ll have access to state-of-the-art gym equipment and expert advice, it’s money well spent. And just like your shrinking waistline, it is possible to trim the cost of that investment by following a few basic rules:

1. Explore Your Options 

Like any sizable investment, you’ll want to shop around for the best deal. Remember: The gym closest to your house isn’t always the best one and the one with all the fancy equipment isn’t either. Find a gym that has all the equipment you need, without all the extra stuff you don’t, at a decent price.

2. Get Ready to Haggle 

The membership coordinator at your gym is usually willing to negotiate a bit. Ask for a lower initiation fee or, better yet, no fee at all. Also see if they can match a lower monthly rate at a competing gym or throw in some classes that normally might cost extra.

3. Think Short Term

Most gyms will require you to sign an agreement that locks you into monthly payments for anywhere from six months to a year. Thing is, there’s a good chance you’ll be over this New Year’s resolution and done with the “gym thing” in two months (hey, just being realistic). Ask for a short-term contract – either month-to-month or three-months. You might pay a little extra for the privilege, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

4. Wait Until March

If you sign up during the busy season (January), your chances of scoring some negotiated discounts and perks are pretty slim. You’ll also have to deal with going to the gym during one of the busiest months of the year. Instead, wait until March, when gyms are more eager to please potential new members. In the meantime, use that time to research your options … and practice your haggling skills.

5. Workout At Home

If you really want to save money, you can choose to workout at home and skip a gym membership.

Related: 10 Highly Rated DVD Workouts to do at Home

How do you save on gym memberships?