If You're Not Sure, Ask!

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If the title seems silly to you, I agree.  It seems obvious that you should ask questions when you are unsure about something.  Even though I know that, I often spend unnecessary money because I fail to ask a question, or I ask the wrong question.  Often military discounts are available if you ask, or other discounts.  Sometimes one thing is a better financial choice than another thing but the person who knows doesn't volunteer the information until you ask.

Today, I was caught with the "failing to ask" problem. We are staying in a Navy Lodge and it has a laundry room in the building.  There is also a laundry room in the building next door.  I assumed that the machines in the Navy Lodge were free and went to this building's laundry room to do my laundry.  The machines all had prices on them and little slots for the coins.  I figured that they were not free after all.  I didn't have the right change, and there was no bill changer, so I hauled my laundry to the laundry room in the building next door.  They had a bill changer and I put all my wash into the clothes washers, spending about $3.  While waiting for my clothes to wash, I spoke with some of the other people and learned that the room in my building was free, you just had to push in the coin holder without any money.

Thankfully, I was only out $3 and I was able to carry my wet clothes back to the building with the free laundry.  However, I could have saved even that amount by just asking at the front desk, or trying the machines in my building, or asking at the other laundry room before I started.

You will never know when you can save some money if you don't ask.

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