Money Saving Idea - Household

Skip extended warranties. They're a hedge against the cost of repairing everything from televisions to furnaces. But odds are you'll never make a claim.

Cost: If something breaks, haggling with the maker to get it fixed for free or paying out of your own pocket.

Savings: $50 to $200 per warranty that you don't buy.


Bonus: Not getting snagged by the fine print. Warranties may exclude your particular problem or contain a depreciation clause, meaning the product's value goes down as it ages - and the payout shrinks.