If you’ll recall, and nobody will, that my first ever frugal hack was about a secret Dish Network programming plan that they don’t advertise which gets you 50+ channels for only $19.99 a month. Pretty darn good deal, right? I know many of my frugal readers have already cut the cable cord, but if you’re a sports fan, like me, your options are pretty darn limited.

After all, you’re not going to get ESPN with the $19.99 plan, or the Discovery Channel, or Fox News, or TBS, or TNT. By knowing how to negotiate a deal with DishNetwork, you’ll learn how to get many of those channels without a significant increase in your bill.

Also, it is worth mentioning that the strategy I’m going to describe will work for any cable or satellite TV company. If done correctly of course!

Below is a picture of  what my goats think of my once expensive Dish Network bill:

1. Do Your Research

The first thing you have to do is analyze your situation.

Are you currently under contract with your cable or Satellite company? (If so, this hack is going to be much more difficult to pull off.)

Next, find out what the competition is currently offering.

If you know this info like the back of your hand you’re going to get some serious street cred when talking to the rep.

In my case, DirectTV was offering a special promotion of $29.99/mo. for 12 months for something they call the “Choice” package.

It offered 150+ channels, including ESPN, and was going to used as my ammo when shooting for a better deal.

UPDATE: – DirectTV is ridiculously expensive these days and doesn’t give you much power to negotiate anymore.

Instead, when you make the call to Dish to negotiate, tell them you plan on using Hulu Plus and Netflix along with an HD Antennae.

I just did this and got the screaming deal of $45 off my bill for 12 months with the America’s Top 120+ package.

2. Make the Cancel Call

Next, you call the DishNetwork 1-800 number and tell the first person you speak with that you want to cancel your account.

They’ll ask “why?” and you’ll say “I have found a better deal with a competitor of yours.”

They’ll immediately put you on hold and send your call to the customer loyalty or customer retention department.

The name varies by company, but the bottom line is you’ll want to talk with these guys as they are the ONLY ones authorized to give you the kick-ass deal you’re going to ask for.

3. Be Polite, But Persistent

Here is how the conversation went:

Me: “Yeah, hi, I want to cancel my service today.”

DishTV Rep: “I’m really sorry to hear that. Is there any particular reason you want to cancel?”

Me: “I found a better deal with Direct TV and want to switch.” I then explained the package I mentioned earlier.

DishTV Rep: Silence. Then she says “Well, we’d really like to keep your business. For you to get a similar package with us, it would be the America’s Top 120 and it typically is $49.99 per month. But today I can lower that to $39.99 per month. Would that be OK?”

Me: “Well, I appreciate that offer, but like I mentioned, DirectTV is offering a very similar package for $29.99 per month. So I guess I’ll just go ahead and switch.”

DishTV Rep: “Let me talk to my manager and see if we can come down any further.” Silence and some whispering. She comes back on and say, “I have authorization from my manager to offer you $35.99 which is $14 off the regular monthly price.”

Me: “Well, I appreciate that but I think I’ll just go ahead and switch.”

DishTV Rep: “Let me ask again if we can meet the $29.99 a month deal.” More semi-silence. I don’t think she was actually talking to anyone, just playing solitaire on her computer while pretending too. She finally comes back on and says, “Yes, I have authorization to offer $29.99 a month for a 10 month period.”

Me: “That is awesome, thanks so much! So, after the 10 month period I’m not put into a contract to pay $49.99 a month or something?”

DishTV Rep: “No, you are not under any contract at any point.”

I got off the phone, immediately did my happy dance, then wondered how low she would have gone.

Maybe $19.99 a month? Maybe a bunch of free movie channels as well?

Has anyone gotten a better deal than the one I got? I’d love to hear about it and how you pulled it off.

After the ten months are over, I plan on calling them up and doing it again.

I was on the phone for a total of 5 minutes and ended up with a $49.99/mo. programming package for only $29.99 a month.

I saved a total of $200 over the 10 month period.

So stoked to finally have ESPN, especially with the start of the college basketball season.

Ask the Reader: Do you pay more than you would like for cable or Satellite TV? If so, it’s about time you did something about it before your goat takes matters into her own hooves.

By Kyle James

Couponing, budgeting, winterizing your home, all pretty common ways to save a few bucks. But what about some of the more “non-mainstream” ways to save some cash. Some might consider them weird or even completely asinine. But wherever you fall on the spectrum you have to applaud the effort. Here are five that I had heard about but were too lazy to actually research, until now that is…

1. Potty Train your Cat

300 bucks a year, minimum. That’s what it costs to have your cat crap in a plastic tub.

Tired of cleaning your cat’s litter box and buying and hauling 25 pound bags of kitty litter? Consider training your feline to squat on your commode and save a bunch of money over the course of the cat’s lifetime.

According to CatHabits.com, you can buy a training system for around $150 and within a few weeks the costs associated with the litter box will be a thing of the past and you’ll be officially sharing your crapper with your cat.

The website recommends the “Litter Quitter” system and says success is greatly increased in younger cats.

Also, the more sociable your cat is, the better chance for success.

Side-note: I’m not sure I could share a toilet with a cat. Unless, of course, I could also train it to flip the fan on when it left.

See Also: 8 Highly Clever Ways to Save Money on Amazon

2. Permanent Make-up

According to the UK Daily Mail, the average woman spends $14,000 on makeup in her lifetime.

Some women have been saying goodbye to the never-ending costs associated with lipstick, eye shadow, and mascara and opting for permanent cosmetics.

Three of the most popular procedures include eyebrow tattoos, permanent eyeliner, and permanent lipstick.

The costs varies depending on the skill of your technician, but according to former fashion model, turned permanent makeup artist, Stephanie Drumright, expect to pay $400 for eyebrows, $600 for full lips, and $400 for a shadow liner to cover wrinkles.

Always research your technician and make sure they are educated, certified, and operating in a licensed facility.

3. Paint Your Roof

Consider painting your roof white and watch your energy costs go down, up to 20%.

Bill Clinton actually wrote an article for Newsweek a couple years ago detailing the benefits, “Every flat tar-surface roof anywhere (should be painted)…you could recover the cost of the paint and the labor in a week. It’s the quickest, cheapest thing you can do.”

The color white has long been known to reflect heat, while black, the color of most roofs, absorbs heat from the sun.

The options go beyond a flat tar roof as well.

This doesn’t only apply to flat-tar roofs, you can also paint a metal roof and tile roof white and notice a savings in your summer cooling bill.

Side-note: I wonder if you’d lose any savings in the winter when you don’t have a black roof absorbing and holding in heat.

4. Host a Fashion Swap

Another money saving trend gaining traction these days are fashion swaps.

While this one is not ridiculous it definitely is awesome.

Organize and host a group of 10-15 swappers and send out an invite a few weeks in advance so they have plenty of time to clean out their closets.

Have guest presort their clothing so when they arrive you don’t end up with an unorganized mess.

The idea is to not bring anything that you wouldn’t give to a good friend.

Once the fashion swap starts, guests are free to peruse the offerings, try them on, and start trading outfits.

To host a swap all you need a large room, garage, or backyard. Donate all items that don’t get swapped to a local charity.

See Also: 9 Brilliant Ways to Save Money at Walmart

5. Reuse Pet Hair

The next time you give your poodle a trim or comb your cat, don’t throw the fur away, instead turn it into something usable.

Many Americans, well at least 2 or 3, are teaching others how to knit with dog hair.

Just visit YouTube and perform a search for “knitting with dog hair” and you’ll be inundated with tutorials from the pros. Essentially they turn the hair into usable yarn that can produce socks and sweaters.

Also, if you have a garden, spread cat fur and dog hair around to deter skunks, rabbits, and deer.

The hair is also completely organic and is a good additive to your compost heap as it provides an excellent source of calcium and protein for your fruits and veggies.

Ask the Reader: So what say you? Could you share your toilet with a cat? Or how about wear a dog sweater?

By Kyle James

I’ll start this Frugal Hack with a sad, but true, confession. Whenever my wife and I have a rare date night we always end up at our local TJ Maxx or Ross rummaging through aisle after aisle of designer brands at bargain prices. Now before you blast me in the comments for being the most unromantic man on the face of the earth, I have to say that it is usually her idea and it is always after I take her to an incredibly romantic restaurant where she is wined and dined.

If you have ever shopped at a discount store like Ross, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls you know that it is virtually impossible to do with small kids and quickly becomes an exercise in futility and looks something like herding cats.

Like a fine wine, you need time to take in the aroma of the clothing deals and browse through the merchandise without interruption. No one knows this better than my wife which is why we typically end up here at the end of a date night.

Well, hopefully with a little luck, it won’t be the absolute end of the date night…thankfully a great deal really turns my wife on.

Anyways, here are my insider tips to score you a great deal at TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshall’s.

Also, be sure to check out our article detailing all the top name brands you can find at Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls.

TJ Maxx

When it comes to finding the best deal at TJ Maxx there are some important nuisances to consider:

~ Shop on Wednesdays – Historically, TJ Maxx marks down merchandise on Wednesdays. While this can vary some from store to store, your best bet for finding new mark downs is on Wednesday mornings right when the store opens.

Also, most TJ Maxx locations get new arrivals 3-5 days a week so the selection is constantly changing.

~ The Scoop on “Irregular” Items – Over 95% of the items at TJ Maxx are first quality while the other 5% are “Irregular”.

This doesn’t mean they have a hole or a big stain on them, but rather an error in the manufacturing process.

Things like the wrong color dye or wrong material. In other words, they are irregularities that the average customer is not even going to notice.

~ TJ Maxx Vs. Macy’s – Don’t be shocked to see the same merchandise in TJ Maxx as your local Macy’s or Nordstrom on the same exact day. The price will be much less at TJ Maxx of course.

The reason? Let’s say that a clothing manufacturer has enough denim to make 65,000 pairs of jeans but Macy’s only buys 50,000, then off-price retailers like TJ Maxx will come in and buy the extra 15,000 pairs for a steep discount and pass the savings along to you.

~ Sales at TJ Maxx?– The only time when you will find any sales at TJ Maxx is at the end of the current season when they try and clear out old merchandise.

This makes it a great time to stock up for the following year. Snatch clearance deals quickly as they won’t last forever as TJ Maxx will eventually donate unsold clearance items to local charities.

~ Designer Names at TJ Maxx?– Don’t be fooled by TJ Maxx commercials which are not allowed to display name brands in their ads. They have them in droves. On a recent shopping trip I found big deals on Nike, American Eagle Outfitters, Levi’s, and Puma. And that was only in the men’s section.

~ Holiday Shopping Strategy – Unlike many big department stores, TJ Maxx receives new items for Christmas shopping right up until Christmas eve.

Why? Their buyers are buying merchandise all year long and not on a seasonal basis.

Which means they are buying for Christmas right into early December making them a great place to shop if you procrastinate this year on your Christmas gift list.

See Also: The Name Brands You Can Find at Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls

Ross – (Dress for Less)

People either love or hate Ross. There is not a lot of middle ground when it comes to the discount store.

The stores often look like a small tornado has gone through and many of the floors appear to have not been mopped since the Clinton administration.

But people go for the amazingly low prices, not the ambiance. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your next shopping trip.

~ Shop With an Open-Mind – The secret to shopping at Ross is walking into the store with an open-mind.

You have to be aware that you’re probably going to have to dig for a deal and maybe even step over a child throwing a temper-tantrum to receive aforementioned deal.

Give yourself plenty of time to look through the racks of often unorganized clothing, shoes, purses, luggage, and home goods.

~ Snatch Up Deals ASAP – Ross replenishes their inventory at least 3 times per week.

Their buyers do NOT buy a ton of any certain item as they try to keep inventory costs as low as possible. What this means to the shopper is that deals are here today, long gone tomorrow. I can attest to this personally.

A few years ago I found this really cool Calvin Klein shirt at my local Ross store, bought it, wore it a few times, and it quickly became a gamer. I went back to buy a couple more and they were gone and I have yet to see them again.

The funny part is I look for it every time I go in even though CK probably stopped making it a couple years ago. Lesson learned.

~ Shopping Secrets – The other day I stumbled upon this really cool forum on The Nest.com and found a couple little known gems from loyal Ross shoppers:

Business travel secret from member Tiki_life, “Knit polyester tops from Ross (which they seem to have WAY more of than any normal store) are comfortable for the plane, NEVER wrinkle, and don’t show sweat.”

Hidden bargain secret from member Love_to_Shop, “Don’t forget to spend some time in the wrong size. Many shoppers will shove clothing back on the rack in the incorrect spot, so spend some time perusing your incorrect size for a hidden gem.

The employees can’t keep up with the chaos of the store so use this to your advantage.”

See Also: 11 Brilliant Money-Saving Tips to Save at Ross Dress For Less

Marshalls

Unfortunately, we don’t have a Marshalls in the town I live in but we have been known to hit one on occasion when driving to the San Francisco bay area. Here are some shopping secrets:

~ Look For Red Tag Items – When you see an item at Marshalls with a red price tag you should snatch it up like a fat man eyeing the last Krispy Kreme. It means that the item is on clearance and the price will NOT get any lower.

~ Shop in January & July – A couple years ago, Marshalls style expert, Sonya Cosentini, let the cat out of the bag about red tag items. She said that items are only marked down to clearance prices in the months of January and July.

This obviously makes sense as it’s the end of the cold and warm seasons so they have a lot of clothing to clear out to make room for new styles. So be sure to shop those two months to maximize your savings.

See Also: Marshalls Employees Tell Me 5 Brilliant Tips to Save on Your Next Shopping Trip

~ What About Purple Tags? – For those that are highly fashion-conscious, you’re going to want to look for items with a purple sales tag at Marshalls. They signify clothing items that were seen on the runway during Fashion Week.

Apparently these items move pretty quickly so you’ll have to be persistent to find them. Items including not only clothing but also shoes, handbags, and other accessories.

~ Get To Know an Employee – This one is based solely on my own experience. I think Marshalls has some of the the friendliest and most helpful employees of any large chain store I have been in.

Whenever I ask one of them a question they actually take the time to stop and help me. Novel concept, huh?

They always point me to the best deals and drop the dirt about new shipments and when they will be hitting the sales floor. Has anyone had a similar experience or am I just getting really lucky?

Ask the Reader: Are you a fan of any of these discount stores? What tips do you use to score the best deals?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mike Mozart (1, 2) and Daniel Oines.