Ask and you shall receive savings big and small

When the battery in my car died recently, my husband took it in for a replacement. I was so relieved to have my car start that I didn't really give the $100 price tag a second thought.

Until later that same afternoon when a coupon for $20 off arrived in the mail from the very place we had purchased the battery.

For a frugal-minded person like me, it was hard to accept that I had spent $20 more than necessary.

You can probably guess where this story is headed.

Straight back to the auto parts store to ask if they might accept the coupon after the fact.

And guess what?  The store took it. In fact, the sales staff was especially gracious about it.

Cha-ching. $20 saved. And all it took was a question.

Which leads me to this.

When you want to live frugally, or circumstances require you to live frugally, it never hurts to ask.

Here are a few other ideas for saving money, one question at a time:

Call your telephone company, cell phone company, Internet and cable TV providers and ask for a better rate. We've had great success with this. Front-line folks typically can't help you, but if you ask for someone in "retention" you can usually lock in a much better deal.

At the farmer's market or roadside stands, ask whether the farmer has any produce past its prime at a cheaper price. If you don't mind a few bruises or brown spots, you can usually score produce for well under $1 per pound. I especially love to do this during strawberry and peach seasons. Just last month, I brought home a giant box of so-called "ice cream peaches" that weighed in at 17 pounds. I paid $8.
We ate the best-looking ones, made a peach cobbler and turned the rest into jam for Christmas gifts.

When you're prescribed a new medicine, ask your doctor for samples or coupons. Nowadays, a lot of the new drugs have rebates on them that you can request from your doctor.

When grocery shopping, don't settle for a giant-sized package of meat when your recipe calls for one pound. Ask the butcher for a fresh package that meets your recipe's requirements. This not only saves money but food waste. I can't tell you how many times I've needed a pound of ground beef and every package in the case was 1.5 pounds or more. Now I just ask.

Before you head to the store to buy a tool or a piece of equipment for a project, ask yourself if you're likely to ever need it again? If the answer is no, or rarely, ask family or friends if you can borrow the item.
Not everyone needs to own a pressure washer, garden tiller, stud finder, steam cleaner, etc.
This would also apply to books, DVDs, a special-occasion dress or just about anything else likely to be used once.

Ask friends, family and coworkers for their unwanted coupons. You'd be surprised how many people toss their coupon inserts in the recycle bin or clip just a few.

When you're out shopping and you choose something that's not on sale, go ahead and ask the manager for a discount.  Most retailers these days will gladly offer you 10 percent to 20 percent off to make a sale.

If you have a coupon for one store, but prefer shopping at a competitor, ask if your preferred store accepts competitor coupons. I've had this work at hair cut places and grocery stores.

And here's one last question that will save you more money than the previous eight questions combined: Before making a purchase, ask yourself, 'Do I really need this?' As in, 'Do I need a new handbag when I already have 10 in my closet?' Or, 'Do my kids need new sneakers when their old ones still fit?' Learn to tell the difference between a want and a need and you'll save a bundle.