--- description: This week's tip roundup also includes lessons learned from taking on DIY projects, from observing the business model of discount supermarkets, and from not shopping... title: 83 Money Tips: Get Half Off All Your Purchases, Get Out of Speeding Tickets, and More image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Business](/section/business/) # 83 Money Tips: Get Half Off All Your Purchases, Get Out of Speeding Tickets, and More by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) May 13, 2011 6:07 PM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) May 13, 2011 6:07 PM CUT This week’s tip roundup also includes lessons learned from taking on DIY projects, from observing the business model of discount supermarkets, and from not shopping for 127 days in a row. more [**3 steps to getting up to 50% off on every purchase.**](http://www.wealthinformatics.com/2011/04/25/discounted-gift-cards-online-get-10-50-on-every-purchase/ "undefined") The strategies here start with buying discounted gift cards, a system explained fully in a [Q&A with a woman who lived exclusively on gift cards for a month](http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/03/31/qa-saving-money-by-living-exclusively-on-gift-cards-for-a-full-month/ "undefined"). Overall, the gist for getting discounts on nearly everything is this: --- > “” --- [**4 things retailers hope you won’t realize.**](http://www.mint.com/blog/how-to/don%E2%80%99t-lose-your-mind-shopping-0512201/ "undefined") The rich seem to have realized the [foolishness of paying full-price](undefined "undefined") in today’s discount-crazed shopping environment. Here’s an insight that’s harder to realize: --- > “” --- [**4 reasons to bike to work.**](http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2011/05/12/bicycling%5Fto%5Fwork%5Fcan%5Freduce%5Fthe%5Fsize%5Fof%5Fyour%5Fgas%5Fbill%5Fas%5Fwell%5Fas%5Fyour%5Fwaistline/?p1=Well%5FFinance%5Flinks "undefined") Beyond, you know, that we’re on the [eve of Bike to Work Week](http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/05/13/celebrate-the-quasi-holidays-give-something-away-bike-to-work/ "undefined") and you’re interesting in jumping (or pedaling) onto the bandwagon, there are many logical reasons to use leg power to get to work, like: --- > “” --- [**4 things I learned by not shopping for 127 days.**](http://www.financefox.ca/index.php/noshoppingfor127days/ "undefined") Here’s a blogger who went on quite a shopping fast, with no inessential purchases (gadgets, fashion, etc.) for a seriously long time period. Among the lessons learned during the non-shopping journey: --- > “” --- [**5 frugal lessons I learned from Aldi.**](http://www.wisebread.com/5-frugal-lessons-i-learned-from-aldi "undefined")Unfamiliar with Aldi? It’s a [low-cost upstart supermarket chain from Germany](http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/04/25/supermarket-shift-6-innovations-and-changes-affecting-how-you-buy-food-and-how-much-you-pay/ "undefined") that’s been [expanding rapidly in the U.S.](http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/01/25/fewer-choices-more-savings-the-new-way-to-buy-groceries/ "undefined") Sure, Aldi is good for inexpensive groceries, but [consumers](http://topics.time.com/consumers/ "undefined") can also take cues from the way the business operates. Here’s a lesson that works for the grocery store, and for the average household: --- > “” --- [**5 DIY lessons from a recent DIY project.**](http://moneysmartlife.com/do-it-yourself-lessons-roundup/ "undefined") Speaking of DIY, building a kids’ playset yielded wisdom such as: --- > “” --- [**5 surprising items you should buy secondhand.**](http://www.moolanomy.com/4768/5-surprising-items-you-should-buy-secondhand-egbirken/ "undefined") Hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers can last decades, and through multiple owners. Now if only it was easier to find them secondhand for cheap: --- > “” --- [**5 ways it pays to skip supermarket cards.**](http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/5-ways-it-pays-skip-supermarket-cards "undefined") On the one hand, using a store’s loyalty card basically [means never having to pay full price](undefined "undefined"). On the other, the consumer gives something up by giving blind loyalty to any store: --- > “” --- [**5 negotiation strategies overused by tough customers.**](http://blog.findthebestcarprice.com/car-negotiation/overused-negotiation-strategies/ "undefined") Instead of threatening to go to a competitor, here’s a recommendation: --- > “” --- [**6 tips to getting the best deal on your rent.**](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703859304576309671790302028.html "undefined") Some comparison shopping is in order: --- > “” --- [**10 things you can get for free or cheap.**](http://lifehacker.com/#!5797326/top-10-things-you-can-get-for-free-or-cheap "undefined")Big roundup of mostly previously posted tips at Lifehacker includes tips for getting out of speeding tickets: --- > “” --- [**13 things you didn’t know about composting.**](http://bargainbabe.com/2011/05/05/things-you-didnt-know-about-compostin/ "undefined") Hair, dryer lint, and paper napkins can all be composted, and that’s not all: --- > “” --- [**14 ways to save money on damn near everything.**](http://youhavemorethanyouthink.org/how-to-save-money-on-damn-near-everything/ "undefined") Composting is one way to use nature. Here’s another: --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7102568/83-money-tips-get-half-off-all-your-purchases-get-out-of-speeding-tickets-and-more/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7102568/83-money-tips-get-half-off-all-your-purchases-get-out-of-speeding-tickets-and-more/"},"headline":"83 Money Tips: Get Half Off All Your Purchases, Get Out of Speeding Tickets, and More","datePublished":"2011-05-13T18:07:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-16T01:30:29.409Z","description":"This week's tip roundup also includes lessons learned from taking on DIY projects, from observing the business model of discount supermarkets, and from not shopping...","url":"https://time.com/archive/7102568/83-money-tips-get-half-off-all-your-purchases-get-out-of-speeding-tickets-and-more/","keywords":["Food","plants","marketing","cars","bicycle","freebies","groceries","gardening","DIY"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/archive/7102568/83-money-tips-get-half-off-all-your-purchases-get-out-of-speeding-tickets-and-more/","name":"83 Money Tips: Get Half Off All Your Purchases, Get Out of Speeding Tickets, and More"}}]}] ```