Before you use the articles in this department, begin to implement the program in this department: Getting Started.

Because I feel so strongly about this, I have closed my Buying Smart department to the public. You must join this site to access this highly practical department. But it's free to join.

My reason for not giving everyone access is this: I believe in cost-cutting as part of a systematic program of debt reduction. This site is not for frugal people who are trying to find out better ways to save money. It is for people who have lost control over their finances.

If you adopt a program of reduced spending and increased giving and saving, you will escape the bondage of debt. The idea is not to get more consumption per paycheck by buying smart. It's to cut costs and re-structure your spending habits.

I will provide this tip: an article on saving a lot of money on food, insurance, and cell phones. click here.

People do not discipline themselves as children to shop smart. They don't learn to negotiate. They feel embarrassed to negotiate. This pleases retailers.

In Wal-Mart, you cannot haggle with a clerk. Everything is bar coded. But Wal-Mart is cheap. You get the discount when you walk in the door.

When an item does not have a bar code, negotiate. The practice will do you good.

This won't work at a restaurant. If you are in debt, don't go to restaurants. Go to a supermarket and buy something to eat: fruit, veggies, or something else in a bin that is not wrapped.

There are many ways to skin a cat. There are many ways to cut spending. You must learn more of them. This department will help you do this.