145 Money Tips: Get Free DVDs, Avoid Bad Restaurants, Save Money & Mother Nature at the Same Time

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10 best things I ever bought. Few people regret purchasing an affordable, reliable car that they keep driving until it can’t be driven any more. Like the author of this post’s 1997 Honda Civic:

With respect to old cars, an older properly maintained automobile saves its owner significant cash over time. I figure my trusty Civic has saved me roughly $50,000 in car payments since we paid off the loan over a decade ago.

10 ways to tell a restaurant will suck. Ha! Funny list, with fun insights. Here’s one indication to search for another place to eat:

It’s ethnic food, but nobody of that ethnicity is eating there
You don’t have to ask other diners if they’re Korean or Japanese or Chinese, but if there isn’t anybody who might be, get out of the tofu soup house.

10 backyard DIYers who are changing the world. Wouldn’t it be great if you could borrow tools for free, just as easily and conveniently as borrowing books and DVDs from the library? One DIYer, in fact, led an effort to open a “tool library” in the Seattle area:

Today, it’s a 220-member DIY center offering workshops and loaning from a stock of more than 1300 manual and power implements. The runaway favorite is the wood chipper.

22 things to haggle for. Jewelry, credit card rates, pay TV, mattresses, mortgages, rent, plumbers, and real estate commissions all make the list. It’s wise to haggle over furniture as well:

Markups are typically upwards of 25 percent. Don’t forget to ask for free delivery.

(MORE: 149 Money Tips: Save on Gas, Cars, Kids Gear, Prescription Meds, and More)

40 websites where you can swap and save. Here’s an interesting one for movie lovers—especially movie lovers with shelves full of DVDs they own and never watch:

Swap a DVD
Swap: DVDs
In short, film fans trade DVDs for preferred discs. You’ll find an intuitive search engine similar to IMDB.com, which allows you to search by title, keyword, actors or directors. Can’t find the title you want? Simply place it on your Wish List and the service will notify you when it’s available. Credits are issued and deducted for swapped titles and shipping is paid for by the seller.

Brad Tuttle is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @bradrtuttle. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

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