With the economy on the ropes, you may be facing a tough 2009. Here are a few tips to save you hundreds of dollars in the new year, leaving you money to spend on your webporn business (or, even better, yourself):
Get a more rewarding credit card
Have you been using the same credit card for years? Then it's time to consider giving yourself a credit makeover and find a better deal.
The key is to be honest with yourself and predict what you'll do with credit over the next several months.
Will you carry a big balance from month to month? Then you're better off just finding a card with a low interest rate; forget about the cards that reward you with cash or points. (As of press time for this column, the average interest rate for reward cards is a whopping 2 percentage points higher than that for low-interest cards.)
You'll be able to find lots of offers for low-interest cards at the respected Bankrate.com site.
If you're one of the few who actually pays your balance in full each month, then definitely consider a reward card. But make sure to spend time comparing offers: Lots of reward cards - particularly Discover and American Express cards - don't give you the highest cashback percentage until you've already spent thousands of dollars.
Again, Bankrate.com is a good site to visit to compare cards. Also drop by ConsumerReports.org, which offers free tips on the best reward cards.
Buy your computer and electronic equipment online
That fancy new monitor may look really fantastic at the local Apple Store. But don't give in and buy it on the spot. Instead, head to an online retailer like Amazon or Buy.com and snatch up the Next Big Thing there.
Why? Because you won't have to pay any state sales tax.
Yes, you'll have to wait a few days for the monitor (or iPod or digital camera) to show up at your door. But it'll be worth the money you'll save.
Become a student
If you're a college student, you can get discounts on everything from movie tickets to Apple computers to subscriptions to the New York Times. I know what you're asking: Don't you have to go to school to be a student and take classes and everything?
Yes. That may be unappealing if you haven't seen your twenties since the Reagan administration. But you might be forgetting something: Your local community college.
Even if you just take a computer class, you'll count as a student and be eligible for discounts.
If you don't need to learn anything new, why not take a fitness class at your local campus? Maybe there's a Saturday morning yoga class or a tennis class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Even if you enroll in a single exercise course, you'll officially become a student - and eligible for student discounts.
Don't forget that there are other benefits to working out at your local community college: It's a lot cheaper than the gym, and tuition is tax-deductible. And, perhaps best of all, you'll get a chance to exercise with a bunch of 19-year-old hardbodies.
Suspend your Netflix account
If you're like a lot of people, you sometimes never get around to watching your Netflix movies on DVD. The little red envelopes sit around for days or weeks, waiting for you to finally feel like watching that Oscar-winning best picture that just doesn't seem as enticing as it did when you ordered it.
Or maybe you just have a really busy month or two on the job and don't have time for movies. Or perhaps you're preoccupied with watching new TV shows.
Whatever the case, you don't need to keep paying the monthly Netflix bill if you're not using it much for the time being. Netflix allows users to put their accounts on hold for up to a few months. Just restart your queue when feel the urge to watch Angelina Jolie in slow motion.
Dump your cable company
A satellite TV system like those offered by DirecTV and the DISH Network might save you lots of money, at least for the first year, compared with cable. The key is to get a special deal that will keep your prices down.
But make sure you read the fine print. Cable companies typically have monopolies, meaning they don't need to sign you into a long-term contract. Satellite companies have heavy competition, and they'll rope you into two-year contracts so you won't bail.
Just remember: If you move and don't need satellite service in your new home, you'll get stuck with a hefty cancellation fee, potentially hundreds of dollars.
But if you plan to stay in one place for a while, satellite TV could be a better deal than cable, at least until the regular prices kick in.
This article originally appeared in the January issue of AVN Online. To subscribe, visit AVNMediaNetwork.com/subscribe.
