Even before the economy slowed a bit this year, consultants should always find ways to conserve cash. Any tips?

One quick way to lower your expenses is to take advantage of hidden deals on office supplies, travel and services. Because some technology supplies are pretty pricey, taking a few minutes to uncover these deals can save you several hundred dollars a year. Before you dismiss this as "coupon clipping "that is beneath you, spending five minutes to save a hundred dollars probably works out to a better return on time than your consulting fee.

However, one way to get discounts many people are not familiar with and for unadvertised specials, is to use online coupon broker sites. I just had to buy toner and paper that would have cost about $400. I went to a broker site and found a coupon for $150 savings offered by the store for a quick savings that wasn't advertised by the store itself. These are available for many brand names - makes you wonder who pays retail anymore!

Another resource is B2B broker sites like Boss Rocket, which provides a Groupon-like 50% or more discount on business services. These can include SEO optimization, financial review and business planning. Of course, you need to vet these services but the savings can be in the hundreds or thousands of dollars per year.

Tip: The bigger ticket items like travel can really add up. Companion passes on airlines allow you to get a second or third ticket for $99. Bringing your colleague to a job or your family along on business trips several times a year passes a thousand dollars of savings pretty quickly.

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