Save Money All Year Long

Dry Cleaning

Americans spend nearly $7.8 billion on dry cleaning each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, much of it for low-priced orders (like shirts) and must-haves (suits for work). For expensive projects, like drapes, which run about $200 in a typical cleaning order, or bed linens, which can cost several hundred dollars, it’s best to have them cleaned in January, July, or August. Those are slow times for cleaners, when many offer discounts of about 15 percent on large items. If your local cleaner doesn’t advertise discounts during those times, try negotiating one.

Commuting

You can save 30 to 40 percent on public-transportation costs by signing up for an employer’s commuter-savings program, which lets you buy tickets or fares with money that’s deducted from your paycheck before it’s taxed, says Laura Wheeler, the consumer-trend expert at the industry group WageWorks Center for Commuter Studies, in San Mateo, California. Suggest one of these programs to your employer if it isn’t currently offered―it saves the company money, too. If you take public transportation often enough, it also might be smart to buy a monthly pass. Divide the cost of the pass by the number of times you’ll use it; if that amount is lower than the cost of a single ticket, buy the pass. There are some public-transportation systems that sell discounted advance tickets. The Long Island Rail Road, in New York, for example, offers up to 5 percent off tickets ordered online.