For adding up to $500 on your MUNI Clipper Card, you can save up to $50 for paying through your Chase Credit card. Offer good through 11/30/10 and Chase credits you on 1/31/11.
https://www.chase.com/psmhelp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/shared/help/page/138305_CommuterCash_enroll
Friday, October 29, 2010
Food Co. in the Mission for Grocery Savings
Yesterday, I discovered the Food Co. in the Mission. Food Co. compares their prices to that of Safeway. I used to go to Pete's in Chicago. Food Co. is very similar.
The prices are good to great for many basic items. The selection is very good. For example, a rotisserie chicken cost $4.99, a 18 ounce of Kraft BBQ sauce is $0.98, and hot dogs are any where from $0.98 to $3.99, depending on which brand.
In addition, there are Manager Specials! Food Co. is very close to Best Buy, Sports Basement, Office Max and the Potrero Center. There is plenty of parking too. Check them out! www.foodsco.net.
The prices are good to great for many basic items. The selection is very good. For example, a rotisserie chicken cost $4.99, a 18 ounce of Kraft BBQ sauce is $0.98, and hot dogs are any where from $0.98 to $3.99, depending on which brand.
In addition, there are Manager Specials! Food Co. is very close to Best Buy, Sports Basement, Office Max and the Potrero Center. There is plenty of parking too. Check them out! www.foodsco.net.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Why College Students Should Vote in November 2010
For the Past Two Years, Legislation Has Affected Pell Grants and Health Care. It Has Mattered.
This election, whether you agree with President Obama or your representative or not, it is worth voting. It is worth expressing your opinion. As a college student, you may think that you do not have that much of a stake in the economy. After all, the future is still years away. Over the past two years, two issues affect millions of college students directly. If it does not affect you directly, it most certainly affects some one in your dorm, in your class or at your school.
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which gives parents the right to add their children (married or unmarried) onto their company insurance plan until 27 years of age. On March 27, 2010, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, which reallocated $61 billion bank subsidies to Pell Grants and other education initiatives. This has increased the maximum Pell grant award from $5,000 to $5,500 in 2010-2011, and will steadily increase it to $5,975 by 2017.
President Obama and Vice President Biden promised to make change on these issues on their campaigns, but they most certainly did not do this alone. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/CollegeAffordabilityFactSheet.pdf They worked with or fought against all 535 members in Congress, both Senators and Representatives. Each member had a vote. President Obama and Vice President Biden are not up for election this November, but many members of Congress are standing. Every one in the House of Representatives serves for 2 years and is up for re-election. Members of the Senate serve for 6 years and some are up for re-election.
You may think that more money needs to be allocated to education. Your university is really struggling. There are cut backs everywhere. Conversely, you may think that the government should not allocate so much money to Pell Grants because so many people in college should not be attending school. You are entitled to an opinion.
To some students, a Pell Grant means a great deal. A few hundred dollars in grant money might not be important. He or she might be able to get a loan to cover the amount, but it could mean that he or she does not have to spend hundreds of hours working at the student store, or delivering pizzas. In addition, if there is less money for Pell Grants, in a need-based, fixed-resource system, your scholarship could be reallocated. Whether it affects you personally or not, you can be sure that it affects someone at your dorm, in your class and most certainly in your school.
You might think that government has no business mandating health care insurance. You are at the healthiest age in your life, and you might be able to do without the insurance. Chances are you will not need the help, but if you are thinking about a non-profit job that would benefit the community or your resume for graduate school, it might not come with health care insurance. Whether you can find a job or not when you graduate from college may affect whether you need to get back on your parents' insurance plan. If you get into an accident or have a preexisting condition, you may matter. Whatever your opinion, you can be sure that it matters.
You may not think that President Obama is right, or your representative is right, but you should express your opinion. You might not think that this country can afford more Pell Grants or health care insurance, or you could see how these the new legislation really benefits those around you. Either way, as a citizen of this country, you are entitled and should express your opinion. It does affect you and those around you.
It might not seem like a big deal, but what if your date last week could not afford to attend college, or your fraternity brother had to drop out or had to work on a weekend night. About one quarter of college students need and receive Pell grants. Chances are that it affects someone close to you. That is certainly something to think about.
Whether you vote or not, one thing is for sure. President Obama and Vice President Biden will have to work with or fight against 535 members of Congress after the election over the next two years. It may not be as important as Pell Grants and health care insurance, but you should have a say in who makes the decisions for you on what issues are important.
This election, whether you agree with President Obama or your representative or not, it is worth voting. It is worth expressing your opinion. As a college student, you may think that you do not have that much of a stake in the economy. After all, the future is still years away. Over the past two years, two issues affect millions of college students directly. If it does not affect you directly, it most certainly affects some one in your dorm, in your class or at your school.
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which gives parents the right to add their children (married or unmarried) onto their company insurance plan until 27 years of age. On March 27, 2010, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, which reallocated $61 billion bank subsidies to Pell Grants and other education initiatives. This has increased the maximum Pell grant award from $5,000 to $5,500 in 2010-2011, and will steadily increase it to $5,975 by 2017.
President Obama and Vice President Biden promised to make change on these issues on their campaigns, but they most certainly did not do this alone. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/CollegeAffordabilityFactSheet.pdf They worked with or fought against all 535 members in Congress, both Senators and Representatives. Each member had a vote. President Obama and Vice President Biden are not up for election this November, but many members of Congress are standing. Every one in the House of Representatives serves for 2 years and is up for re-election. Members of the Senate serve for 6 years and some are up for re-election.
You may think that more money needs to be allocated to education. Your university is really struggling. There are cut backs everywhere. Conversely, you may think that the government should not allocate so much money to Pell Grants because so many people in college should not be attending school. You are entitled to an opinion.
To some students, a Pell Grant means a great deal. A few hundred dollars in grant money might not be important. He or she might be able to get a loan to cover the amount, but it could mean that he or she does not have to spend hundreds of hours working at the student store, or delivering pizzas. In addition, if there is less money for Pell Grants, in a need-based, fixed-resource system, your scholarship could be reallocated. Whether it affects you personally or not, you can be sure that it affects someone at your dorm, in your class and most certainly in your school.
You might think that government has no business mandating health care insurance. You are at the healthiest age in your life, and you might be able to do without the insurance. Chances are you will not need the help, but if you are thinking about a non-profit job that would benefit the community or your resume for graduate school, it might not come with health care insurance. Whether you can find a job or not when you graduate from college may affect whether you need to get back on your parents' insurance plan. If you get into an accident or have a preexisting condition, you may matter. Whatever your opinion, you can be sure that it matters.
You may not think that President Obama is right, or your representative is right, but you should express your opinion. You might not think that this country can afford more Pell Grants or health care insurance, or you could see how these the new legislation really benefits those around you. Either way, as a citizen of this country, you are entitled and should express your opinion. It does affect you and those around you.
It might not seem like a big deal, but what if your date last week could not afford to attend college, or your fraternity brother had to drop out or had to work on a weekend night. About one quarter of college students need and receive Pell grants. Chances are that it affects someone close to you. That is certainly something to think about.
Whether you vote or not, one thing is for sure. President Obama and Vice President Biden will have to work with or fight against 535 members of Congress after the election over the next two years. It may not be as important as Pell Grants and health care insurance, but you should have a say in who makes the decisions for you on what issues are important.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
How the All-You-Can-Jet Pass and JetBlue Helps Seniors
The All-You-Can-Jet pass http://www.jetblue.com/aycj/ is such a wonderful idea because it gives seniors citizens an opportunity to visit and revive friendships that they have accumulated over decades. Seniors often have many children and grandchildren spread over many states, and friendships that they have made on the highways and byways across the country from over the years. They also have limited budgets and in this financial environment. With recent returns being what they are, discretionary expenditures such as visiting friends often have to wait. The All-You-Can-Jet pass is much more about price, it is about relationships. The one low price of All-You-Can-Jet prices are a wonderful opportunity for them to make all the some days today!
The All-You-Can-Jet pass is particularly valuable for those that have a lot of time flexibility. Recently, applications such as Skype and IP telephony have significantly lower the costs of calling and keeping in touch around the world. My mother can now call her relatives in China for two cents per minute. Jet Blue is a part of this trend. Previously, my mother and her relatives could only afford to write letters to each other, which took weeks to arrive. The lowering of costs is such a wonderful thing.
However, JetBlue does not go everywhere, is not like the major carriers. http://www.jetblue.com/wherewejet/ JetBlue serves most major cities such New York, Los Angeles very well. Then, there are some flights to most major cities, and smaller cities in densely populated cities in Florida and the Northeast. However, seniors with some flexibility can combine many modes of transportation. The All-You-Can Jet Pass of 30 day allows people who are time flexible to combine with other modes of transportation, primarily buses and trains, without overly worry about time pressure.
Among the popular bus systems from Chicago are Mega Bus in the Midwest http://us.megabus.com/routemap.aspx and Amtrak. http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage The Northeast has many ground transportation opportunities including trains and buses. Apex in the Northeast serves cities from Boston to Richmond, VA. Amtrak and bus carriers combine to serve even the smallest of towns.
In these tough financial times, it is easy to push off discretionary spending of visiting friends and relatives till a later time. As we all know, time does not wait for anyone. Despite all the young and smiling faces that work for Jet Blue, the company is doing a very wonderful thing for the senior demographic. For many this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am not a senior citizen, but through various trials I do understand the value of time, and I truly applaud Jet Blue for making this opportunity available.
The All-You-Can-Jet pass is particularly valuable for those that have a lot of time flexibility. Recently, applications such as Skype and IP telephony have significantly lower the costs of calling and keeping in touch around the world. My mother can now call her relatives in China for two cents per minute. Jet Blue is a part of this trend. Previously, my mother and her relatives could only afford to write letters to each other, which took weeks to arrive. The lowering of costs is such a wonderful thing.
However, JetBlue does not go everywhere, is not like the major carriers. http://www.jetblue.com/wherewejet/ JetBlue serves most major cities such New York, Los Angeles very well. Then, there are some flights to most major cities, and smaller cities in densely populated cities in Florida and the Northeast. However, seniors with some flexibility can combine many modes of transportation. The All-You-Can Jet Pass of 30 day allows people who are time flexible to combine with other modes of transportation, primarily buses and trains, without overly worry about time pressure.
Among the popular bus systems from Chicago are Mega Bus in the Midwest http://us.megabus.com/routemap.aspx and Amtrak. http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage The Northeast has many ground transportation opportunities including trains and buses. Apex in the Northeast serves cities from Boston to Richmond, VA. Amtrak and bus carriers combine to serve even the smallest of towns.
In these tough financial times, it is easy to push off discretionary spending of visiting friends and relatives till a later time. As we all know, time does not wait for anyone. Despite all the young and smiling faces that work for Jet Blue, the company is doing a very wonderful thing for the senior demographic. For many this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am not a senior citizen, but through various trials I do understand the value of time, and I truly applaud Jet Blue for making this opportunity available.
How to Get the Best Price on Restaurant.Com
I love restaurant.com for casual meals. The basic concept is that you can buy credits for meals for a fraction of the price. So, you can buy $15 of credit for $2-5 depending on whether they have a sale or not. You can buy $25 of credit for $10. The deals depend on the sale that they are having at the time. If you sign up for their emails, you are sure to find the lowest price that they offer.
For most cities, there are many restaurants that are signed up for restaurant.com, which is why I love the website. If you are going out of a casual dinner, generally places that will take you that night, as opposed to Gary Danko or some place special, restaurant.com usually has a option for you.
In the city of San Francisco Bay Area where there is a lot of culinary talent and the marketplace is hyper-competitive, I have always found good options on all nights with restaurant.com. There was one time when I was starting out when I arrived at a restaurant and they informed me that they no longer take the certificates, but for the most part, if you call ahead you will not be disappointed.
There are a number of options on how to take advantage of the website. You can sign up at www.restaurant.com, and you can purchase at the time that you would like to dine. They will let you know if the restaurant has a particular discount available. When I first started out, I used to purchase directly from a restaurant. This is not the best option. You can also purchase general certificates and use them later. This is the preferred method because it does not lock you into any particular restaurant but does lock in the discount.
If you are a bargain shopper, you can also look for these certificates on eBay. Many times, you will find restaurant.com certificates from wholesalers for a price that is even lower than that offered by restaurant.com. For example, one day I thought that buying $15 off coupons of $25 purchases for $2 was a great deal, but later found them on eBay for $1.50 for a lot of 10. (You are required to make some purchase, and do tip on the full purchase amount.) Overall, if you just want to go out, and do not care about a specific restaurant, www.restaurant.com is a great deal. I have found many good restaurant this way.
Groupon, livingsocial and other websites are also great way to try restaurants because they offer a very steep discount. http://bit.ly/cABiMm I hope you will read this and my other articles. http://bit.ly/cLVm5f Thank you.
For most cities, there are many restaurants that are signed up for restaurant.com, which is why I love the website. If you are going out of a casual dinner, generally places that will take you that night, as opposed to Gary Danko or some place special, restaurant.com usually has a option for you.
In the city of San Francisco Bay Area where there is a lot of culinary talent and the marketplace is hyper-competitive, I have always found good options on all nights with restaurant.com. There was one time when I was starting out when I arrived at a restaurant and they informed me that they no longer take the certificates, but for the most part, if you call ahead you will not be disappointed.
There are a number of options on how to take advantage of the website. You can sign up at www.restaurant.com, and you can purchase at the time that you would like to dine. They will let you know if the restaurant has a particular discount available. When I first started out, I used to purchase directly from a restaurant. This is not the best option. You can also purchase general certificates and use them later. This is the preferred method because it does not lock you into any particular restaurant but does lock in the discount.
If you are a bargain shopper, you can also look for these certificates on eBay. Many times, you will find restaurant.com certificates from wholesalers for a price that is even lower than that offered by restaurant.com. For example, one day I thought that buying $15 off coupons of $25 purchases for $2 was a great deal, but later found them on eBay for $1.50 for a lot of 10. (You are required to make some purchase, and do tip on the full purchase amount.) Overall, if you just want to go out, and do not care about a specific restaurant, www.restaurant.com is a great deal. I have found many good restaurant this way.
Groupon, livingsocial and other websites are also great way to try restaurants because they offer a very steep discount. http://bit.ly/cABiMm I hope you will read this and my other articles. http://bit.ly/cLVm5f Thank you.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
List your rental properties for free and effectively
Being a real estate property owner has not been easy during the recession. The mortgage payments keep coming and lessees who lose their jobs or see their business decline have unilaterally decided to reduce, delay or stop payments. In many cases, you have vacancies, but you cannot pay afford to pay a service or a person to list them for you. Furthermore, in this market you cannot count of them to continually list them for you, especially when the property have not moved in a couple of months. It's hard to keep the enthusiasm up for anyone.
Fortunately, I have found three free, do-it-yourself services that have been particularly helpful. First is Craigslist (www.craigslist.com). Second is Rentlinx (www.rentlinx.com), and third is Loopnet (www.loopnet.net). They are all free at the basic level, and if you do manage to rent out some of your properties, you can send them some love and sign up for a membership.
First, we all know that you can do your listing on Craigslist for free. However, if you do not refresh them, they quickly fall to the bottom. Most readers will not have time or patience to scroll through page after page of listing, especially when there are so many vacancies. So you have to refresh them every 48 hours. Craigslist has other limitations, in the you can only post 4 pictures and they cannot total more than 10 MB.
Second, Rentlinx, www.rentlinx.com, has been very helpful. The basic and free level is very good. They aggregate for many other websites, including Show Me the Rent (www.showmetherent.com), trovit (www.trovit.com), and others (including Craigslist every 15 days). You can list up to 10 residential properties, which much more flexibility in the pictures and details in the listing. You can refresh every hour, and watch your web traffic go up and compare month to month. Rentlinx is a real gem. The customer service folks here are really wonderful and responsive even if you are a free member! No strong sales pressure tactics.
Third, for commercial properties, I like Loopnet.net (www.loopnet.com). They allow you to list your first three properties for free. Loopnet.com say that their service will get you 10 times more leads, but I always found that they provide me enough leads as a “courtesy” to keep me going. When the listing are stale, they will prompt you to refresh your leads. Loopnet is also an aggregates many other services. Again, don't forget to send them some love it they manage to help you out.
Fortunately, I have found three free, do-it-yourself services that have been particularly helpful. First is Craigslist (www.craigslist.com). Second is Rentlinx (www.rentlinx.com), and third is Loopnet (www.loopnet.net). They are all free at the basic level, and if you do manage to rent out some of your properties, you can send them some love and sign up for a membership.
First, we all know that you can do your listing on Craigslist for free. However, if you do not refresh them, they quickly fall to the bottom. Most readers will not have time or patience to scroll through page after page of listing, especially when there are so many vacancies. So you have to refresh them every 48 hours. Craigslist has other limitations, in the you can only post 4 pictures and they cannot total more than 10 MB.
Second, Rentlinx, www.rentlinx.com, has been very helpful. The basic and free level is very good. They aggregate for many other websites, including Show Me the Rent (www.showmetherent.com), trovit (www.trovit.com), and others (including Craigslist every 15 days). You can list up to 10 residential properties, which much more flexibility in the pictures and details in the listing. You can refresh every hour, and watch your web traffic go up and compare month to month. Rentlinx is a real gem. The customer service folks here are really wonderful and responsive even if you are a free member! No strong sales pressure tactics.
Third, for commercial properties, I like Loopnet.net (www.loopnet.com). They allow you to list your first three properties for free. Loopnet.com say that their service will get you 10 times more leads, but I always found that they provide me enough leads as a “courtesy” to keep me going. When the listing are stale, they will prompt you to refresh your leads. Loopnet is also an aggregates many other services. Again, don't forget to send them some love it they manage to help you out.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Are Double-Coupons Worth the Effort?
Double-coupons is using two coupons and receiving two discounts for the item. While I have only done it a couple of times, there are many people who do this an art. As an aside, most of the ideas that I write about in this blog are just that, ideas. I would not expect anyone to have the opportunity and patience to implement every single idea, but those that become habits are usually those that mean the most to you.
One place where looking for double coupons is very value is big ticket items like computers and technology that cost hundreds of dollar. I was able to double coupon my Lenovo laptop or a 40% discount off (20% and then 25% off) of the retail price of $2,199. Lenovo put the computer on sale, and I was able to find an applicable discount code that had no restrictions. That is, a savings of $880 plus I received 4% cash back from ebates on the purchase for another $53. ebates and other companies give you cash back, which is okay if they share the data with the retailer, but have privacy issue when they sell your data. I will write about this in the future.
Generally, double-couponing is less glamorous and exciting. It means that the store (be it Safeway, Dominick's, Jewel-Osco, Duane Reade or some other store that has chose to sell an item for leas than the “normal” retail price. The customer is also able to find and use a coupon for the same item that is advertised in the Sunday paper or through some other source. Both discounts or coupons must say not say “no other discounts apply,” otherwise one of them is invalid, and you receive only one discount. If the customer meet all conditions, then he receives both discounts.
This is not that easy to do, and take some effort. This is a good article on double coupons. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1758884/the_myth_behind_double_coupons.html?cat=46. It basically says that merchandisers are aware of double couponing, and they must still make a profit, so they increase the cost of other items in the store to make up for it. Therefore, to truly benefit from double couponing you must not spend more on the other items that you are able to use double coupons.
Second, and this is beyond the scope of this article is that you have to account for the cost of finding and locating the double-coupons, and the extra cost in transportation and time of buying from this alternative store. Remember, you will still have buy the non-double coupon items from somewhere, so you possibly have to go to a second store. After accounting for all of that double-couponing is often not that much more a deal – especially if you place some value on your time.
The double-couponing for a computer was great. I bought the machine on line and finding the coupon and testing it before final payment cost me less than 15 minutes. I saved $933 before addition tax savings for 15 minutes of work. It does not happen often though.
One place where looking for double coupons is very value is big ticket items like computers and technology that cost hundreds of dollar. I was able to double coupon my Lenovo laptop or a 40% discount off (20% and then 25% off) of the retail price of $2,199. Lenovo put the computer on sale, and I was able to find an applicable discount code that had no restrictions. That is, a savings of $880 plus I received 4% cash back from ebates on the purchase for another $53. ebates and other companies give you cash back, which is okay if they share the data with the retailer, but have privacy issue when they sell your data. I will write about this in the future.
Generally, double-couponing is less glamorous and exciting. It means that the store (be it Safeway, Dominick's, Jewel-Osco, Duane Reade or some other store that has chose to sell an item for leas than the “normal” retail price. The customer is also able to find and use a coupon for the same item that is advertised in the Sunday paper or through some other source. Both discounts or coupons must say not say “no other discounts apply,” otherwise one of them is invalid, and you receive only one discount. If the customer meet all conditions, then he receives both discounts.
This is not that easy to do, and take some effort. This is a good article on double coupons. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1758884/the_myth_behind_double_coupons.html?cat=46. It basically says that merchandisers are aware of double couponing, and they must still make a profit, so they increase the cost of other items in the store to make up for it. Therefore, to truly benefit from double couponing you must not spend more on the other items that you are able to use double coupons.
Second, and this is beyond the scope of this article is that you have to account for the cost of finding and locating the double-coupons, and the extra cost in transportation and time of buying from this alternative store. Remember, you will still have buy the non-double coupon items from somewhere, so you possibly have to go to a second store. After accounting for all of that double-couponing is often not that much more a deal – especially if you place some value on your time.
The double-couponing for a computer was great. I bought the machine on line and finding the coupon and testing it before final payment cost me less than 15 minutes. I saved $933 before addition tax savings for 15 minutes of work. It does not happen often though.
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Easiest Way to Reinstall a Mac Operating System
I say this of course tongue in cheek. I have an old MacBook. I have not used this MacBook in some time, and I wanted to sell it on eBay, or even Craigslist before it lost value. However, because of my worry about information security, and the desire to leave the hard drive in the computer, I have not touched it in six months. I looked for a while but could not find the original disks. I check on eBay and Craigslist for someone selling the original disks, and no luck. Yet, this problem has been eating away at me. Whenever I look at the MacBook, it looks like $500 to me.
So, today, like many other times, I wander into an Apple store. I was looking at the new iPad, like many people do nowadays, and wondering if I should purchase one. The ones that have that have the internet connection actually require you to open a new account for $25 a month. I am already paying AT&T for my data plan on my Blackberry, so that would be $55 each month going to AT&T each month for mobile internet. I am sure with taxes that would come out to about $70 a month.
That would be $700-800 for the iPad plus $300 a month before taxes for the internet service. But, I digress, then in one moment it all came together for me. I walked up to a blue shirt (there are many of them around any Apple Store), and asked him if I could bring my MacBook in and have someone at the Genius Bar do a complete reinstall for me. With a wonderful smile, he said, “Of course, just make an appointment, bring it in, and we will take care of it for you.” That is it, months and months of anxiety disappeared in a single moment. With that I was happily on my way.
I had previously asked a friend with a MacBook about his operating disks, but nothing ever came of it. More anxiety and more months passed by. If you are an owner of an Apple product, it never hurts to ask about the customer service at the store. It is amazing how months and months of anxiety can disappear when you ask the right question to the right person. I have an old Apple iphone that I want to get rid of as well, but the operating system would lock up whenever I wanted to save the information on their one last time.
So, today, like many other times, I wander into an Apple store. I was looking at the new iPad, like many people do nowadays, and wondering if I should purchase one. The ones that have that have the internet connection actually require you to open a new account for $25 a month. I am already paying AT&T for my data plan on my Blackberry, so that would be $55 each month going to AT&T each month for mobile internet. I am sure with taxes that would come out to about $70 a month.
That would be $700-800 for the iPad plus $300 a month before taxes for the internet service. But, I digress, then in one moment it all came together for me. I walked up to a blue shirt (there are many of them around any Apple Store), and asked him if I could bring my MacBook in and have someone at the Genius Bar do a complete reinstall for me. With a wonderful smile, he said, “Of course, just make an appointment, bring it in, and we will take care of it for you.” That is it, months and months of anxiety disappeared in a single moment. With that I was happily on my way.
I had previously asked a friend with a MacBook about his operating disks, but nothing ever came of it. More anxiety and more months passed by. If you are an owner of an Apple product, it never hurts to ask about the customer service at the store. It is amazing how months and months of anxiety can disappear when you ask the right question to the right person. I have an old Apple iphone that I want to get rid of as well, but the operating system would lock up whenever I wanted to save the information on their one last time.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Amazon and eBay, a great way accumulate small savings over and over again into real money
Shopping has changed considering since the time that I was growing up. Yesterday, I was at Office Depot and I saw the same CyberAcoustics AC-401 theadphones hat I have been using for the past 4 years. I always buy the same one because they have worked so well. My ears have not changed a lot in the past 4 years, and it is not surprising that my headphones has not changed either.
The last time that I bought a bunch was when Gateway was still in the accessories business. I think that I was able to purchase them for $7.99 a pair of its predessor AC-201's with no sales tax and the shipping costs spread over multiple pairs. Today, they were selling the AC-401's on ebay for $7.99 plus $6 in shipping. For practically every semi-durable item that is standardized, I check Amazon, I check ebay, maybe I check Bing.com, I do nearly the same checkdown progression in terms of purchasing.
Do I need it immediately? Can it want till I get home and buy it on Amazon or ebay? Sometimes I check a couple of price comparison sites, but usually Amazon, ebay and may one two more sites does the trick. On this day, I will get my headphones for about $13.99 including shippng per headset, instead of the $16.99 plus another 11% to in sales tax. I won't have the satisfaction of taking the product home, but then I am saving a whopping 25%. When you think about all the small transactions over the course of a year, shopping has changed dramatically.
In the old days, I used to look at a catalog by Consumer Distributing or a newspaper by Sears or some different department store. I used to think about constantly, and then run down to the store to have another look. All of this increased the search cost dramatically. I now just do my progression and my instincts are so honed that I can get everything done in less than 10 minutes, thanks to one click and Paypal. The supply curve has definitely shifted out, and I am much happier for it. Sometimes the savings is much more dramatic, but for the most part 25% savings is about right, and I do it over and over again with my Amazon Prime account.
The last time that I bought a bunch was when Gateway was still in the accessories business. I think that I was able to purchase them for $7.99 a pair of its predessor AC-201's with no sales tax and the shipping costs spread over multiple pairs. Today, they were selling the AC-401's on ebay for $7.99 plus $6 in shipping. For practically every semi-durable item that is standardized, I check Amazon, I check ebay, maybe I check Bing.com, I do nearly the same checkdown progression in terms of purchasing.
Do I need it immediately? Can it want till I get home and buy it on Amazon or ebay? Sometimes I check a couple of price comparison sites, but usually Amazon, ebay and may one two more sites does the trick. On this day, I will get my headphones for about $13.99 including shippng per headset, instead of the $16.99 plus another 11% to in sales tax. I won't have the satisfaction of taking the product home, but then I am saving a whopping 25%. When you think about all the small transactions over the course of a year, shopping has changed dramatically.
In the old days, I used to look at a catalog by Consumer Distributing or a newspaper by Sears or some different department store. I used to think about constantly, and then run down to the store to have another look. All of this increased the search cost dramatically. I now just do my progression and my instincts are so honed that I can get everything done in less than 10 minutes, thanks to one click and Paypal. The supply curve has definitely shifted out, and I am much happier for it. Sometimes the savings is much more dramatic, but for the most part 25% savings is about right, and I do it over and over again with my Amazon Prime account.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Amex Travel Medical Protection; No deductible, no out of pocket. Well Worth It!
If you travel to developing countries, you know what it is like to stand there at the airport, or to stare at Expedia on each trip and have to decide if you need travel insurance. The best travel insurance that I ever found is offered by American Express, and it has a very low annual premium, $59-269, and the extensive coverage is unheard of, unless you are an executive or with a large company.
It is a real gem. It is well worth the peace of mind. If you are hospitalize for any reason in a developing country, generally you want to be out of there asap. Billed once a year to your Amex account, and you never have to even think about it.
https://www257.americanexpress.com/openhome/osbn/landing/insurance/tr_medicationprotection_faq.jsp
Offered exclusively to American Express Business Cardmembers, this insurance provides coverage for up to $100,000 in unexpected emergency medical or dental treatment expenses you or your employees incur while on a Covered Trip traveling anywhere in the world. And unlike traditional health insurance, this Plan can pay the benefits directly to the provider and carries no deductibles.
As an enrolled Business Cardmember, you get:
* Coverage that is effective as soon as you travel more than 150 miles radius from your Permanent Residence for up to the first 45 days(depending on State of Permanent Residence) of Your Covered Trip
* Coverage for employees, when they enroll with their own American Express®Card
* Up to $100,000 for emergency medical and emergency dental treatment
* Up to $100,000 for an emergency evacuation and Accidental Death or Dismemberment coverage
* Coverage for one visitors round-trip transportation to Your bedside if hospitalized for more than five days
* Doctor, dentist, and translation service referrals worldwide
* Emergency prescription coverage
* No age or health restrictions for coverage
* Can be paid in monthly premiums ranging from $5.50 to $23.00 depending on coverage level and age (monthly premium option only available in certain states)
* Annual premiums range from $59* to $269', depending on coverage level and age
It is a real gem. It is well worth the peace of mind. If you are hospitalize for any reason in a developing country, generally you want to be out of there asap. Billed once a year to your Amex account, and you never have to even think about it.
https://www257.americanexpress.com/openhome/osbn/landing/insurance/tr_medicationprotection_faq.jsp
Offered exclusively to American Express Business Cardmembers, this insurance provides coverage for up to $100,000 in unexpected emergency medical or dental treatment expenses you or your employees incur while on a Covered Trip traveling anywhere in the world. And unlike traditional health insurance, this Plan can pay the benefits directly to the provider and carries no deductibles.
As an enrolled Business Cardmember, you get:
* Coverage that is effective as soon as you travel more than 150 miles radius from your Permanent Residence for up to the first 45 days(depending on State of Permanent Residence) of Your Covered Trip
* Coverage for employees, when they enroll with their own American Express®Card
* Up to $100,000 for emergency medical and emergency dental treatment
* Up to $100,000 for an emergency evacuation and Accidental Death or Dismemberment coverage
* Coverage for one visitors round-trip transportation to Your bedside if hospitalized for more than five days
* Doctor, dentist, and translation service referrals worldwide
* Emergency prescription coverage
* No age or health restrictions for coverage
* Can be paid in monthly premiums ranging from $5.50 to $23.00 depending on coverage level and age (monthly premium option only available in certain states)
* Annual premiums range from $59* to $269', depending on coverage level and age
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Traveling on less than a 7 day advance; using your miles wisely
Despite the best laid plans, I often have to travel without a 7 day advance. In the old days, I would have to burn either 25,000 to get an economy ticket plus pay the less than 7 day fee, or pay the higher price.
In the good new days, at least with American Airlines, United Airlines, and Jet Blue, I often find myself, usually only a free ticket for the outbound and paying for the return flight.
The combination allows me to use 12,500 miles when I would otherwise have to pay a really high price, and then pay for a one way ticket on the return flight often with the 7 day advance, so it is much lower, and of course get the miles on American and United.
It does not work in all cases, but there has been more than enough cases where I come out $50-200 ahead in value that it is worth looking into, especially if you are gold, or platinum with a particular airline.
In the good new days, at least with American Airlines, United Airlines, and Jet Blue, I often find myself, usually only a free ticket for the outbound and paying for the return flight.
The combination allows me to use 12,500 miles when I would otherwise have to pay a really high price, and then pay for a one way ticket on the return flight often with the 7 day advance, so it is much lower, and of course get the miles on American and United.
It does not work in all cases, but there has been more than enough cases where I come out $50-200 ahead in value that it is worth looking into, especially if you are gold, or platinum with a particular airline.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Buy AAA with your next hotel stay; Its Almost An Arbitrage Opportunity
The AAA membership is generally thought of as composing two parts. Part One is they come out to your location when you have a car problem. Part Two is discounts when you travel. Book AAA before your next trip out of town for $49-59, and you will be glad you did.
With regard to Part One, your insurance company charges you about $3 per month for the service if you opt in. It is a good service to have in case your car does not start in the morning, you get into an accident, or something. This was especially true when I lived in cold weather cities in the Midwest. You just never knew which day your car was not going to start. So this part is worth $36 a year.
If you have to make a reservation with the Marriott, Hyatt, Meridan or Ritz chain for a couple of nights. With the AAA discount, you can save an additional 5%-15%, or $20+ easily on a 2 day trip. You can even easily save $15 at even a moderate hotel like Choice International.
If you buy the AAA membership for your next trip out of town, the rest of your membership with AAA is gravy, which includes hotel discounts for your own travel and other goodies. Make sure you let your boss know that you are getting the AAA discount and watching his money.
With regard to Part One, your insurance company charges you about $3 per month for the service if you opt in. It is a good service to have in case your car does not start in the morning, you get into an accident, or something. This was especially true when I lived in cold weather cities in the Midwest. You just never knew which day your car was not going to start. So this part is worth $36 a year.
If you have to make a reservation with the Marriott, Hyatt, Meridan or Ritz chain for a couple of nights. With the AAA discount, you can save an additional 5%-15%, or $20+ easily on a 2 day trip. You can even easily save $15 at even a moderate hotel like Choice International.
If you buy the AAA membership for your next trip out of town, the rest of your membership with AAA is gravy, which includes hotel discounts for your own travel and other goodies. Make sure you let your boss know that you are getting the AAA discount and watching his money.
Don't Pay for Rental Car Insurance You Dont Need
For many years, I used to pay for liability and collusion insurance when I rented cars at the airport. I no longer to that, and you might not want to reconsider as well, especially if you are paying for the rental
yourself.. This reason that I am no longer paying for liability and collusion damage is that I do not want to pay twice.
Over the years, I had been enticed to pay an extra $12.99-18.99 a day for my rental. The rental car counter agent had various techniques and it always ended up with me paying for insurance that I did not need. One day, I called the auto insurance company, and then, I called my credit card company. Both confirmed that my rentals were covered for liability and collusion during a rental.
I have Ameriprise (through Costco), and GEICO before that. I don't know that they have the best rate. I have never done the research, but I if you have a major auto insurance company that should cover your rental. . I had heard over the years that the auto insurance companies covered liability, but I was not 100% sure so I just paid for the insurance. The first few times, I called Ameriprise each and every time to confirm that I was covered during a rental. I no longer call every time now. If you use American Express or some other major credit card with a Visa or Mastercard logo on it, it will likely cover you during a rental as well for collusion damage to the vehicle.
It is one thing if you rent a car for one day, and pay an extra $20 in insurance that you don't need. However, if you rent the car for a three-day weekend, that's $60 for insurance that you did not need. If you rent a car for a week, the extra cost is even higher. In many cases, the insurance costs was up to 50% of the daily rental. It's a little embarrassing to not pay for rental insurance the first few times. Ifelt like a cheapo, but I really don't need it, so it was just paying twice.
If you need a vehicle for a free hours during your travels, consider borrowing a Zipcar. Your hourly rate covers both the car rental, gas and insurance. http://bit.ly/9Ktkk0
yourself.. This reason that I am no longer paying for liability and collusion damage is that I do not want to pay twice.
Over the years, I had been enticed to pay an extra $12.99-18.99 a day for my rental. The rental car counter agent had various techniques and it always ended up with me paying for insurance that I did not need. One day, I called the auto insurance company, and then, I called my credit card company. Both confirmed that my rentals were covered for liability and collusion during a rental.
I have Ameriprise (through Costco), and GEICO before that. I don't know that they have the best rate. I have never done the research, but I if you have a major auto insurance company that should cover your rental. . I had heard over the years that the auto insurance companies covered liability, but I was not 100% sure so I just paid for the insurance. The first few times, I called Ameriprise each and every time to confirm that I was covered during a rental. I no longer call every time now. If you use American Express or some other major credit card with a Visa or Mastercard logo on it, it will likely cover you during a rental as well for collusion damage to the vehicle.
It is one thing if you rent a car for one day, and pay an extra $20 in insurance that you don't need. However, if you rent the car for a three-day weekend, that's $60 for insurance that you did not need. If you rent a car for a week, the extra cost is even higher. In many cases, the insurance costs was up to 50% of the daily rental. It's a little embarrassing to not pay for rental insurance the first few times. Ifelt like a cheapo, but I really don't need it, so it was just paying twice.
If you need a vehicle for a free hours during your travels, consider borrowing a Zipcar. Your hourly rate covers both the car rental, gas and insurance. http://bit.ly/9Ktkk0
Why Zipcar is Great for Traveling
I have been a Zipcar customer a few times now, and I am getting used to doing without a car in San Francisco. The best part about Zipcar is actually when I am traveling. http://www.zipcar.com/
Basically, I signed up for an account with a credit card. You can also use a debit card. About a week later, your zipcard comes in the mail. This is a very important card, as it unlocks the car. The key is already in the car. This concept takes some getting used to if you have lived in the city all your life.
I like Zipcar when I am in San Francisco, but I LOVE it even more when I am traveling. I used to get online to rent a car before my trip. Then, take a shuttle to the rental car lot from the airport. Inevitably, the counter agent would try pressure me to buy $12-20 insurance per day, and a tankful of gas, neither of which I needed. The auto insurance and American Express (or Visa) takes care of the insurance. I would have to find a parking spot every few hours in a city that I am not familiar with, or pay $25-35 at the hotel per day. If I get a parking ticket, in some cities, it was $50. Sometimes, I would have to return the car before the end of the trip. This meant driving back to the airport, remembering to find a gas station and filling up the tank (or be charge over $4 per gallon, and taking a shuttle back to the airport and a train ride back to the city. With Zipcar, I rarely have to do that any more, and gas and insurance are included for $7-12 an hour.
One thing that I would like to mention Zipcar is a strong argument for location-based services for non-iPhone users. Although the website is great for reserving cars, if I have to reserve a card by your Blackberry it is cumbersome. I cannot be sure the exact time when I need a car, and some times I like to reorder my errands. One day, I had to go through seemingly, all the neighborhoods in Chicago. I don't know the demarkation of each neighborhood that well, so this was not that easy. There are a lot of neighborhoods in Chicago. I had to scroll through all Zipcar locations in the neighborhood. Then, I had to scroll through all of available cars. My Blackberry can pinpoint my location on Google maps, and I was standing right next to the car that I wanted to rent. Some day, the marriage of Zipcars and location-based services would be a perfect match. Nevertheless, ZipCar is already a tremendous advancement.
Basically, I signed up for an account with a credit card. You can also use a debit card. About a week later, your zipcard comes in the mail. This is a very important card, as it unlocks the car. The key is already in the car. This concept takes some getting used to if you have lived in the city all your life.
I like Zipcar when I am in San Francisco, but I LOVE it even more when I am traveling. I used to get online to rent a car before my trip. Then, take a shuttle to the rental car lot from the airport. Inevitably, the counter agent would try pressure me to buy $12-20 insurance per day, and a tankful of gas, neither of which I needed. The auto insurance and American Express (or Visa) takes care of the insurance. I would have to find a parking spot every few hours in a city that I am not familiar with, or pay $25-35 at the hotel per day. If I get a parking ticket, in some cities, it was $50. Sometimes, I would have to return the car before the end of the trip. This meant driving back to the airport, remembering to find a gas station and filling up the tank (or be charge over $4 per gallon, and taking a shuttle back to the airport and a train ride back to the city. With Zipcar, I rarely have to do that any more, and gas and insurance are included for $7-12 an hour.
One thing that I would like to mention Zipcar is a strong argument for location-based services for non-iPhone users. Although the website is great for reserving cars, if I have to reserve a card by your Blackberry it is cumbersome. I cannot be sure the exact time when I need a car, and some times I like to reorder my errands. One day, I had to go through seemingly, all the neighborhoods in Chicago. I don't know the demarkation of each neighborhood that well, so this was not that easy. There are a lot of neighborhoods in Chicago. I had to scroll through all Zipcar locations in the neighborhood. Then, I had to scroll through all of available cars. My Blackberry can pinpoint my location on Google maps, and I was standing right next to the car that I wanted to rent. Some day, the marriage of Zipcars and location-based services would be a perfect match. Nevertheless, ZipCar is already a tremendous advancement.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Best Free Birthday Dinners from Restaurants
A lot of restaurant chains will give you a free desert or appetizer for your birthday. Those that give you a free entree tend to belong to the lower cost chains. The following three chains offer you a free meal, and their entrees are pretty high quality.
McCormick and Schmidt will give you $30 credit on your birthday if you have purchased 3 meals from the chain in the preceding 12 months. This is not hard considering that you could take a client out, chose from their significantly cheaper lunch or happy hour menu.
Black Angus will give a free entree, which could be one of their nicer steaks.
http://www.blackangus.com/PrimeClub.htm
Todai will give you a free meal on their birthday.
These are the best that I have found, but please email me at qselections@gmail.com if you have found other good ones. Thank you.
McCormick and Schmidt will give you $30 credit on your birthday if you have purchased 3 meals from the chain in the preceding 12 months. This is not hard considering that you could take a client out, chose from their significantly cheaper lunch or happy hour menu.
Black Angus will give a free entree, which could be one of their nicer steaks.
http://www.blackangus.com/PrimeClub.htm
Todai will give you a free meal on their birthday.
These are the best that I have found, but please email me at qselections@gmail.com if you have found other good ones. Thank you.
Budget-friendly Ronco Rotisserie for College Students and Singles; Eat Steaks for the Price of Fast food
I am in love with my Ronco Rotisserie, the Set it and Forget it machine. Over the years, I have bought a few things from late night infomercials and generally the products were either too flimsy or did not work as advertised, often both. The Ronco Rotisserie machine does what it says. https://www.ronco.com/offer/Default.aspx Don't let the advertising fool you. For the price of a visit to McDonald's, Wendy's, you can have a nice steak, salmon or rotiserie leg quarters for three or four nights!
A meal at a fast food restaurant generally cost $6 with a sandwich, fries and a soda, more if it is supersized. For the same amount of money, you can rotisserie chicken quarters for 3-4 days, a flatiron steak, many pork chops, a couple of pieces of lamb, or a piece of salmon. You can even have 8 hot dogs. All without going to a fast food restaurant and waiting in line and traffic. Ironically, a burger will fall apart in the rotisserie, so there is a place for fast food.
After you purchase the machine, just put in the meat that you want, and experiment with the time a bit and before long you will perfect the time to cook. Rarely, does a piece of meat take more than 20 minutes. This means that you can skip the lines at the local fast food joint, eat healthier and take a shower and detox after work. If it is high quality steak or lamb, just adding salt and pepper may do just fine. Hot dogs you don't have to add anything. Salmon easy. Pork chops might have to a little something.
In my opinion, every guy, unless he is a professional cook or something, should have a Ronco machine. Like most guys, I can only handle 5-6 receipes with this thing, but once I perfect each one of them, it's easy. Don't the machine from the Ronco website. The machine cost $59 at Amazon and if you can wait about a week, the super saver shipping is free. At Walmart, its $54, but you have to pay tax and go to the store to pick it up if you want free shipping, as well. The site charges you 4 payments of $39.99.
I would get at least the compact size Ronco machine. The petite size Ronco machine is both expensive ($49.99), and does not do much more than cook at piece of salmon or a small piece of steak. You will get bored of a machine this size really fast. It is very hard to put in a leg quarter into a machine this small. Spend the extra $10, and purchase the real thing, the compact or above. You will not be disappointed. It does what is advertised. I purchased both the Ronco Petite and the Ronco Compact, so I have experience with both machines.
If you amortize the cost of machine ($59) over 6 months, and use it once a week, it is well worth the investment. Cleaning up is very fast. You need to clean the rods and drip trays, and maybe the removable front window if you have spill anything. Once a month, wipe down the whole machine. Don't let the infomercials fool you. This is an incredible investment and time saver.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ronco-Compact-Showtime-Rotisserie/10197092
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ronco-Stainless-Steel-Showtime-Rotisserie-Oven-with-Accessory-Kit/14957871
http://www.amazon.com/Ronco-ST3001SSGEN-Showtime-Rotisserie-Stainless/dp/B000JCYYME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1284249038&sr=8-2
A meal at a fast food restaurant generally cost $6 with a sandwich, fries and a soda, more if it is supersized. For the same amount of money, you can rotisserie chicken quarters for 3-4 days, a flatiron steak, many pork chops, a couple of pieces of lamb, or a piece of salmon. You can even have 8 hot dogs. All without going to a fast food restaurant and waiting in line and traffic. Ironically, a burger will fall apart in the rotisserie, so there is a place for fast food.
After you purchase the machine, just put in the meat that you want, and experiment with the time a bit and before long you will perfect the time to cook. Rarely, does a piece of meat take more than 20 minutes. This means that you can skip the lines at the local fast food joint, eat healthier and take a shower and detox after work. If it is high quality steak or lamb, just adding salt and pepper may do just fine. Hot dogs you don't have to add anything. Salmon easy. Pork chops might have to a little something.
In my opinion, every guy, unless he is a professional cook or something, should have a Ronco machine. Like most guys, I can only handle 5-6 receipes with this thing, but once I perfect each one of them, it's easy. Don't the machine from the Ronco website. The machine cost $59 at Amazon and if you can wait about a week, the super saver shipping is free. At Walmart, its $54, but you have to pay tax and go to the store to pick it up if you want free shipping, as well. The site charges you 4 payments of $39.99.
I would get at least the compact size Ronco machine. The petite size Ronco machine is both expensive ($49.99), and does not do much more than cook at piece of salmon or a small piece of steak. You will get bored of a machine this size really fast. It is very hard to put in a leg quarter into a machine this small. Spend the extra $10, and purchase the real thing, the compact or above. You will not be disappointed. It does what is advertised. I purchased both the Ronco Petite and the Ronco Compact, so I have experience with both machines.
If you amortize the cost of machine ($59) over 6 months, and use it once a week, it is well worth the investment. Cleaning up is very fast. You need to clean the rods and drip trays, and maybe the removable front window if you have spill anything. Once a month, wipe down the whole machine. Don't let the infomercials fool you. This is an incredible investment and time saver.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ronco-Compact-Showtime-Rotisserie/10197092
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ronco-Stainless-Steel-Showtime-Rotisserie-Oven-with-Accessory-Kit/14957871
http://www.amazon.com/Ronco-ST3001SSGEN-Showtime-Rotisserie-Stainless/dp/B000JCYYME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1284249038&sr=8-2
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Buy Refurbished; Save on Your Next IPhone, Blackberry or Computer
Buying refurbish is a great way to save money, especially if the item is a second television, computer or another electronic item that you do not absolutely need. I buy many of my primary electronic items refurbished and have never had a problem. The savings from buying refurbished can be anywhere from 20-50%, which is a very significant savings. There can be many reasons that items are returned, and many of them do not have to do with the functioning of the actual product. For example, the item could be returned or the packaging could be damaged in transit. In other cases, there could be a minor cosmetic blemish. This is almost always noted in the advertisement. Furthermore, many of the items are covered by manufacturer or distributor's warranty, often both, with the manufacturer warranty sometimes extending one year or more. Even if it is 90 days, this should be more than enough time for you to determine if the product is reliable.
If you items from a reputable store you should have not have a problem at all. I have bought many Blackberry phones from AT&T without much problem. I have also bought many computers and components from TigerDirect without any problem. Phone companies are especially good deals because many people return the phones because of buyer's remorse, and many states mandate that customers be given a 30 day grace period. Also, phone companies have a financial interest in your phone remaining functioning. Buying from refurbished computers from a manufacturer is another great opportunity because they have to stand by their products. I have never had any problems, but I have heard that many times, the manufacturers will just send a new computer or part if the refurbished one is returned. Also, there are many computer distributors, such as TigerDirect, do a great job on refurbished products.
The savings on a phone at AT&T could be huge. A new Blackberry can cost $199 and up even with a two year contract. If you give it some time, you can often find a refurbished Blackberry 9700 at AT&T for free or $50 or less. The item will be shipped to you by second day air and be guaranteed by AT&T just like the new product. Similarly, if you buy from a reputable dealer like TigerDirect, you should not have a problem. I would avoid many of the places that charge restocking fees that can be as much as 15%, but there should be no reason why you would not have confidence in Dell Outlet. Buying an electronic item refurbished is a great way to save money.
The one drawback is that many of the latest computers tend not to be available refurbished. However, with the latest craze in netbooks and other stripdown computers, this should no longer a significant problem.
For other articles, see http://bit.ly/cLVm5f
If you items from a reputable store you should have not have a problem at all. I have bought many Blackberry phones from AT&T without much problem. I have also bought many computers and components from TigerDirect without any problem. Phone companies are especially good deals because many people return the phones because of buyer's remorse, and many states mandate that customers be given a 30 day grace period. Also, phone companies have a financial interest in your phone remaining functioning. Buying from refurbished computers from a manufacturer is another great opportunity because they have to stand by their products. I have never had any problems, but I have heard that many times, the manufacturers will just send a new computer or part if the refurbished one is returned. Also, there are many computer distributors, such as TigerDirect, do a great job on refurbished products.
The savings on a phone at AT&T could be huge. A new Blackberry can cost $199 and up even with a two year contract. If you give it some time, you can often find a refurbished Blackberry 9700 at AT&T for free or $50 or less. The item will be shipped to you by second day air and be guaranteed by AT&T just like the new product. Similarly, if you buy from a reputable dealer like TigerDirect, you should not have a problem. I would avoid many of the places that charge restocking fees that can be as much as 15%, but there should be no reason why you would not have confidence in Dell Outlet. Buying an electronic item refurbished is a great way to save money.
The one drawback is that many of the latest computers tend not to be available refurbished. However, with the latest craze in netbooks and other stripdown computers, this should no longer a significant problem.
For other articles, see http://bit.ly/cLVm5f
Saving Money by Putting Airline Tickets Hold; The Value of an Option
If you are a frequent traveler, and price sensitive, then you will want to put tickets on hold.
There is no obligation to purchase, but if you want to come back to it later, generally 24 hours, it is very helpful and can be helpful. In economics and finance, they call this the value of an option. You cannot do worse then the price that you have held it at. American Airlines (www.aa.com) will allow you to hold the ticket for up to 24 hours on the website if you establish an account. Your travel agency can also do this, but you might want to choose an impersonal travel agent such Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity, www.expedia.com, www.orbitz or www.travelocity.com, respectively. A small travel agency might not all that happy with you after a few times. For others airlines, such as United, www.united.com, that do not have this option, you can call them. Hold times nowadays could be long though, but some times that extra day saves you $50-200 and is well worth it.
The key thing to remember is that you can do no worse than the price that you have found. This is especially help if there is a 7 day advance, but you are not sure and need an extra day. This allows you to make the purchase with a 6 day advance.
There is no obligation to purchase, but if you want to come back to it later, generally 24 hours, it is very helpful and can be helpful. In economics and finance, they call this the value of an option. You cannot do worse then the price that you have held it at. American Airlines (www.aa.com) will allow you to hold the ticket for up to 24 hours on the website if you establish an account. Your travel agency can also do this, but you might want to choose an impersonal travel agent such Expedia, Orbitz, or Travelocity, www.expedia.com, www.orbitz or www.travelocity.com, respectively. A small travel agency might not all that happy with you after a few times. For others airlines, such as United, www.united.com, that do not have this option, you can call them. Hold times nowadays could be long though, but some times that extra day saves you $50-200 and is well worth it.
The key thing to remember is that you can do no worse than the price that you have found. This is especially help if there is a 7 day advance, but you are not sure and need an extra day. This allows you to make the purchase with a 6 day advance.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Netflix Update; Stretching $8.99 still further. On-demand on iphone, ipod, and PC and still 1 DVD at a time
If you loved Netflix unlimited on-demand and one DVD for $8.99 before, you will love Netflix even more with unlimited on-demand on the iphone and ipod.
See this statement by Netflix's product manager
http://blog.netflix.com/
Don't forget to get magazine miles (e.g., on United Airlines www.united.com) for signing up on Netflix.
See this statement by Netflix's product manager
http://blog.netflix.com/
Don't forget to get magazine miles (e.g., on United Airlines www.united.com) for signing up on Netflix.
Flying into New York (LGA and JFK); take the bus and train into Manhattan for as low as $4 or $7!
I lived in New York over the summer and as most people we come to the City, particularly Manhattan know, everything is expensive.
When I was younger, I used to stress a lot about paying for a taxi from JFK and Laguardia. Taxi's into the city were notoriously expensive and even made more so when you are a student. During the summer, I was able to take the bus from LGA to Penn Station, Grand Central Station, Port Authority or mid-town Manhattan hotels for a mere $12 one-way and $21 for round-trip. www.newyorkairportservice. The M60 into Astoria, New York http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/manh/m060cur.pdf where I used to live is still $2, and for another $2 you can get on the New York subway system at Columbus Circle. Into the city for $4! The bus and subway trains are air-conditioned. (The terminals are unfortunately not.)
At JFK, the airtrain takes me to anywhere in New York City for a direct cross country flight for a mere $7. That is $5 for the airtrain and $2 for the subway. http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-airtrain.html Similarly going from the City to JFK is also $7.
There are much lower cost than the $50 cab rides that used to take into the city, and much less stressful since I am not watching the meter all the time.
When I was younger, I used to stress a lot about paying for a taxi from JFK and Laguardia. Taxi's into the city were notoriously expensive and even made more so when you are a student. During the summer, I was able to take the bus from LGA to Penn Station, Grand Central Station, Port Authority or mid-town Manhattan hotels for a mere $12 one-way and $21 for round-trip. www.newyorkairportservice. The M60 into Astoria, New York http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/manh/m060cur.pdf where I used to live is still $2, and for another $2 you can get on the New York subway system at Columbus Circle. Into the city for $4! The bus and subway trains are air-conditioned. (The terminals are unfortunately not.)
At JFK, the airtrain takes me to anywhere in New York City for a direct cross country flight for a mere $7. That is $5 for the airtrain and $2 for the subway. http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-airtrain.html Similarly going from the City to JFK is also $7.
There are much lower cost than the $50 cab rides that used to take into the city, and much less stressful since I am not watching the meter all the time.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Savings and Coupon codes; Nice Return on Investment (ROI)
If you are shopping with a national retailer such as Office Depot, Sports Authority, Staples, and even some not so famous ones, it is worth typing in the name of the establishment and the word "coupon" or "coupon code". into the google search bar; I have found that even smaller retailers like Blue Nile and Overstock.com will provide coupon codes online. I don't like to be part of a club and get emailed every day. I don't clip coupons because I forget them more often than not, but when I am ready to buy something, I am ready and I tend to my homework online.
I am not one for looking or saving coupons, but it is very easy for me to find them online, and each time that I buys something more than $20, I almost always type in coupon or coupon code. I generally do not look for more than 5 minutes, but the number of times that I am able to find a discount or free shipping is incredibly high. I am online anyways, either doing the research, looking for directions, or specials. It does not hurt (or is not that much more effort) just to type in the addition search terms into http://www.google.com/, and like I said the ROI is very high.
I am not one for looking or saving coupons, but it is very easy for me to find them online, and each time that I buys something more than $20, I almost always type in coupon or coupon code. I generally do not look for more than 5 minutes, but the number of times that I am able to find a discount or free shipping is incredibly high. I am online anyways, either doing the research, looking for directions, or specials. It does not hurt (or is not that much more effort) just to type in the addition search terms into http://www.google.com/, and like I said the ROI is very high.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Save Money and Calories, and Go Green; Bring an empty bottle to the airport on your next flight
Like many travelers, I assumed for a long time that I could not bring water on my flight. Those times when I forgot, I drank the water at the security gate and threw away the bottle. I would go through security and then buy a bottle of Evian, Dasani or Fiji for $2.50-$4.50, depending on the airport and taxes.
Everything change when I learned that you can bring an empty water bottle through security! This is correct! TSA will allow you to bring an empty water bottle through the gate. You just cannot bring water through security. So, I bring an empty water bottle, and fill it up at the water fountain, which is usually near the bathroom. Now, I usually go through a bottle while waiting for my flight and refill the bottle again before I board. In the past, not only did I buy water, but some times I even bought Coke and Pepsi instead.
I have saved $5-9 per trip ever since I found this tip, and reusing a plastic bottle feels great.
Everything change when I learned that you can bring an empty water bottle through security! This is correct! TSA will allow you to bring an empty water bottle through the gate. You just cannot bring water through security. So, I bring an empty water bottle, and fill it up at the water fountain, which is usually near the bathroom. Now, I usually go through a bottle while waiting for my flight and refill the bottle again before I board. In the past, not only did I buy water, but some times I even bought Coke and Pepsi instead.
I have saved $5-9 per trip ever since I found this tip, and reusing a plastic bottle feels great.
Free Videos in Flight: How to Use Real Player and Youtube While Traveling
If you are like me, there are definitely times when you are traveling when do not feel like working, but don't want to waste your time. Other times, There are times when you are assigned a middle seat and it is hard to work. On board. the entertainment choices are limited and unless you are likely to be on a cross-country flight, wifi is almost never offered. A flight from San Francisco to New York is about 6 hours. This is a long time to read the airline magazine and flip through Skymall. I like to watch documentaries, and the major airlines rarely show these on their one movie fits all small selections screens. So what can you do? Fortunately, the combination of Real Player and Youtube does the trick.
How to dramatically increase your viewing choices during your flight or train ride. Youtube has a huge catalog of videos, virtually anything you can imagine. I prefer documentaries, but there are many other categories. Other sites have large libraries as well, so you can select sites of your choice, as long as it is for personal use. I generally have two fully-charged extended batteries with me, which is good for 8-10 hours, more than enough for a 6 hour cross-country flight. (OEM extended batteries can be bought on ebay for a fraction of the suggested retail costs of the genuine models.) Even if you don't have an extended battery, you can still view a couple of hours of videos.
How to download free videos. Download the latest version ( RealPlayer SP 1.1.4) on www.realplayer.com. After you have downloaded the realplayer, go to www.youtube.com, or your favorite site for videos. Select the video that you want to watch and scroll over the top right corner of the video. For videos that can be downloaded, the realplayer icon should come up. Click on this icon, and you should be able to download the video. (If you do not want to watch the video in realplayer format (.flv), at this point, RealPlayer will allow you to convert the file to a format to your liking for your audio / video device with RealPlayer Converter.) Since most computer hard drives are now 80GB or above. This is a lot of selection, and you can delete videos that you are no longer interested in watching.
How to minimize the time to upload. Unfortunately, most videos on youtube and other sites are divided into segments. This is an inconvenience when downloading, but fortunately, you can download multiple videos at the same time. Once you have selected a video for downloading, you need not wait for it to finish. Just check that it is downloading, Real Player will tell you, and move on to the next segment of the video to download. You can have many segments downloading simultaneously.
How to minimize disruption when viewing. For most people, the videos are in My Documents / My Videos / RealPlayer Downloads. All your videos should be there, unless you selected a different path. Select that videos (right click) that you want to watch, you will have the option of adding it to your realplayer list. Put the videos in order that you want to view them. Drag and drop works here. RealPlayer will automatically proceed through your list from top to bottom, and even play them continuously.
Since discovering this tip, my travels have been much more pleasant. Many airports, such as San Francisco International Airport, has free wifi, so even if you forget to download videos at home, at Starbucks or McDonalds, or your favorite wifi local hotspot, you can download some videos last minute.
How to dramatically increase your viewing choices during your flight or train ride. Youtube has a huge catalog of videos, virtually anything you can imagine. I prefer documentaries, but there are many other categories. Other sites have large libraries as well, so you can select sites of your choice, as long as it is for personal use. I generally have two fully-charged extended batteries with me, which is good for 8-10 hours, more than enough for a 6 hour cross-country flight. (OEM extended batteries can be bought on ebay for a fraction of the suggested retail costs of the genuine models.) Even if you don't have an extended battery, you can still view a couple of hours of videos.
How to download free videos. Download the latest version ( RealPlayer SP 1.1.4) on www.realplayer.com. After you have downloaded the realplayer, go to www.youtube.com, or your favorite site for videos. Select the video that you want to watch and scroll over the top right corner of the video. For videos that can be downloaded, the realplayer icon should come up. Click on this icon, and you should be able to download the video. (If you do not want to watch the video in realplayer format (.flv), at this point, RealPlayer will allow you to convert the file to a format to your liking for your audio / video device with RealPlayer Converter.) Since most computer hard drives are now 80GB or above. This is a lot of selection, and you can delete videos that you are no longer interested in watching.
How to minimize the time to upload. Unfortunately, most videos on youtube and other sites are divided into segments. This is an inconvenience when downloading, but fortunately, you can download multiple videos at the same time. Once you have selected a video for downloading, you need not wait for it to finish. Just check that it is downloading, Real Player will tell you, and move on to the next segment of the video to download. You can have many segments downloading simultaneously.
How to minimize disruption when viewing. For most people, the videos are in My Documents / My Videos / RealPlayer Downloads. All your videos should be there, unless you selected a different path. Select that videos (right click) that you want to watch, you will have the option of adding it to your realplayer list. Put the videos in order that you want to view them. Drag and drop works here. RealPlayer will automatically proceed through your list from top to bottom, and even play them continuously.
Since discovering this tip, my travels have been much more pleasant. Many airports, such as San Francisco International Airport, has free wifi, so even if you forget to download videos at home, at Starbucks or McDonalds, or your favorite wifi local hotspot, you can download some videos last minute.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Netflix (DVD + On-Demand Viewing)
Company: Netflix
Product: 1 DVD at a time + on-demand viewing
Regular Price: $8.99
Website: www.netflix.com
Netflix is a mail service that send one or more DVD's to your home at a time. There is never a late fee, and the selection of movies and my personal favorite, documentaries, is outstanding. However, the real gem in Netflix is the on-demand service.
For $8.99, you can receive one DVD at a time, and all the on-demand service that you can use. This price is worth it just for the on-demand feature. I generally forget to return the DVD, some times for a week or two at a time. The selection for the on-demand features is not as rich as the DVD service, but sometimes I just want computer to keep me company.
Hulu has a very limited selection, and so do the other sites such as PBS. You tube cuts up videos into very short 10-15 minute segments, which is okay, but I rather just have a quality documentary in the background. In my opinion, the on-demand feature is a real gem.
Don't forget to check with your airline program, type in netflix and coupon code in the google bar, or get some other benefit for signing up with Netflix. Earn up to 3,000 miles on United.com for signing up on www.netflix.com. You are signing up anyways, might as well get the miles too.
Product: 1 DVD at a time + on-demand viewing
Regular Price: $8.99
Website: www.netflix.com
Netflix is a mail service that send one or more DVD's to your home at a time. There is never a late fee, and the selection of movies and my personal favorite, documentaries, is outstanding. However, the real gem in Netflix is the on-demand service.
For $8.99, you can receive one DVD at a time, and all the on-demand service that you can use. This price is worth it just for the on-demand feature. I generally forget to return the DVD, some times for a week or two at a time. The selection for the on-demand features is not as rich as the DVD service, but sometimes I just want computer to keep me company.
Hulu has a very limited selection, and so do the other sites such as PBS. You tube cuts up videos into very short 10-15 minute segments, which is okay, but I rather just have a quality documentary in the background. In my opinion, the on-demand feature is a real gem.
Don't forget to check with your airline program, type in netflix and coupon code in the google bar, or get some other benefit for signing up with Netflix. Earn up to 3,000 miles on United.com for signing up on www.netflix.com. You are signing up anyways, might as well get the miles too.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Amazon Prime (2nd Day Air all year for only $79; Add $3.99 each time for next day air)
Company: Amazon
Product: Prime
Cost: $79 (order something and look for free 3 month trial)
Website: www.amazon.com
Amazon Prime is a great service. For $79 a year, Amazon will send practically anything that you buy by 2nd day air. There is not a minimum as long as it qualifies for Amazon Prime. If you orders something, Amazon is currently offering 3 months of "trial" for free before they bill you. That is 15 months for $79.
I feel that the Amazon Prime service is great because while I am willing to wait 2-3 days for my books or items, I am more inclined not to wait much longer, and would otherwise buy the item at the store. Also, for now, there is still no tax on buying from Amazon. Not having to pay for tax combined with the 2nd day air service makes Amazon Prime a great service, and pays for itself in no time.
With Amazon Prime, I am no longer subjected to the $25 requirement for free ground shipping. How many times have I spent another 20 minutes looking for another book to make the $25 minimum? and it was for an item that I did not really want anyways.
Yesterday, I was able to fine 4 alkaline batteries for $3.99 and Amazon Prime sends to me 2nd day air for no additional cost. This saves me a trip to Walgreens - which takes me up to an hour round-trip! I travel a lot and with 2nd day air, I can predict when the item will arrive at home or in my hotel room. If I need it next day air, it is only $3.99 extra!
Product: Prime
Cost: $79 (order something and look for free 3 month trial)
Website: www.amazon.com
Amazon Prime is a great service. For $79 a year, Amazon will send practically anything that you buy by 2nd day air. There is not a minimum as long as it qualifies for Amazon Prime. If you orders something, Amazon is currently offering 3 months of "trial" for free before they bill you. That is 15 months for $79.
I feel that the Amazon Prime service is great because while I am willing to wait 2-3 days for my books or items, I am more inclined not to wait much longer, and would otherwise buy the item at the store. Also, for now, there is still no tax on buying from Amazon. Not having to pay for tax combined with the 2nd day air service makes Amazon Prime a great service, and pays for itself in no time.
With Amazon Prime, I am no longer subjected to the $25 requirement for free ground shipping. How many times have I spent another 20 minutes looking for another book to make the $25 minimum? and it was for an item that I did not really want anyways.
Yesterday, I was able to fine 4 alkaline batteries for $3.99 and Amazon Prime sends to me 2nd day air for no additional cost. This saves me a trip to Walgreens - which takes me up to an hour round-trip! I travel a lot and with 2nd day air, I can predict when the item will arrive at home or in my hotel room. If I need it next day air, it is only $3.99 extra!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Magazine for Miles; WSJ, Barron's, Economist and BusinessWeek at Tremendous Savings
Company: Magazine for Miles
Product: Magazine for Miles
Cost: pay in airline miles
I get my Wall Street Journal, Barrons and a number of other business magazines with my airline miles. If you are like me, you probably have miles on various airlines that do not add up to 25,000 miles, the general amount needed for a free ticket. These spare miles sit there month after month, year after year. However, it is likely that you have 2,626 miles or 3,200, just a cross-country trip, enough for 39 weeks of the Wall Street Journal. Some annual subscriptions can be had for as little as 1,200 miles.
In my experience the process is relatively automated and the magazines come relatively quickly. There are generally no problems with the service, and at 1.0 - 1.5 cents per mile, the cost is relatively low. Mostly this is about getting something that you could use, that you usually pay for, for something that you usually don't give a second thought to, a pretty good deal.
Sample Business Magazines from American Airlines and United Airlines
Barron's 26 issues for 1,200 miles
Businessweek 50 issues for 1,600 miles
Economist 51 issues for 3,200 miles
Wall Street Journal 254 issues for 2,600 miles
Product: Magazine for Miles
Cost: pay in airline miles
I get my Wall Street Journal, Barrons and a number of other business magazines with my airline miles. If you are like me, you probably have miles on various airlines that do not add up to 25,000 miles, the general amount needed for a free ticket. These spare miles sit there month after month, year after year. However, it is likely that you have 2,626 miles or 3,200, just a cross-country trip, enough for 39 weeks of the Wall Street Journal. Some annual subscriptions can be had for as little as 1,200 miles.
In my experience the process is relatively automated and the magazines come relatively quickly. There are generally no problems with the service, and at 1.0 - 1.5 cents per mile, the cost is relatively low. Mostly this is about getting something that you could use, that you usually pay for, for something that you usually don't give a second thought to, a pretty good deal.
Sample Business Magazines from American Airlines and United Airlines
Barron's 26 issues for 1,200 miles
Businessweek 50 issues for 1,600 miles
Economist 51 issues for 3,200 miles
Wall Street Journal 254 issues for 2,600 miles
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Pamfax
Company: Pamfax
Price: about $0.10 per page (pay $7 at a time or per use on your skype account)
Website: www.pamfax.com
Pamfax has been a great help! Since I have a tablet x61 and tether, it allows me to receive and sign (and edit) faxes as I travel.
Pamfax allows people to send me documents (usually in email), and I can sign and edit them and fax it back! No fax machine required. With my present travel schedule, its a major win for those people that require or are used to getting a signature.
I end up sending a lot more faxes than I used to, and at 10-13 cents for a one page fax I am not complaining. It sure beats finding and running into Kinkos are back to my hotel's business office.
You can buy credit on Pamfax in increments of $7.00 or transfer unused credit over from your skype account! in any increment. Pamfax has been a very nifty tool to have with my tablet but you could do the same thing without a tablet and a digital pen that you connect to your laptop.
Price: about $0.10 per page (pay $7 at a time or per use on your skype account)
Website: www.pamfax.com
Pamfax has been a great help! Since I have a tablet x61 and tether, it allows me to receive and sign (and edit) faxes as I travel.
Pamfax allows people to send me documents (usually in email), and I can sign and edit them and fax it back! No fax machine required. With my present travel schedule, its a major win for those people that require or are used to getting a signature.
I end up sending a lot more faxes than I used to, and at 10-13 cents for a one page fax I am not complaining. It sure beats finding and running into Kinkos are back to my hotel's business office.
You can buy credit on Pamfax in increments of $7.00 or transfer unused credit over from your skype account! in any increment. Pamfax has been a very nifty tool to have with my tablet but you could do the same thing without a tablet and a digital pen that you connect to your laptop.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Walgreens Pharmacy and Private Label Rewards Program; Also Walmart Pharmacy
Company: Walgreens
Product: Prescription Savings Club
Cost: $20 annual fee
I did not know about this program until my pharmacist at Walgreens told me about it. Walgreens has a list of 5,000 drugs according to a formulary that you can purchase a 90 day supply at a time for $12. Usually Anthem Blue Cross will only allow me 30 days at a time with a $10 co-pay. This is especially good for those that do not live near a Walmart, and need to talk to someone that they mail order companies do not provide.
For those that have insurance, the minor part is the cost savings. The minor part is the cost savings, of 12*$10=$120 minus $20+4*$12=$92 or $28 per year. The major part of this is that I can now go to Walgreens 4 times a year instead of the 12 for generics.
Second, I get 10% reward on Walgreens private-labeled merchandise. This is really great since Walgreens puts their private-labeled product right next to the brand name product, so this card pays for itself in very short time.
Walmart also has a 90 day for $10 generics program delivered to you home for free (7-10 days), but without the private label rewards program. That is $40 per year without leaving your home versus $120 and leaving your home 12 times and waiting at the pharmacy.
In either case, Walgreens or Walmart, these programs are better than using your insurance for generics prescriptions. If you have more than one generic medication, your savings is even bigger.
Website: www.walgreens.com
Product: Prescription Savings Club
Cost: $20 annual fee
I did not know about this program until my pharmacist at Walgreens told me about it. Walgreens has a list of 5,000 drugs according to a formulary that you can purchase a 90 day supply at a time for $12. Usually Anthem Blue Cross will only allow me 30 days at a time with a $10 co-pay. This is especially good for those that do not live near a Walmart, and need to talk to someone that they mail order companies do not provide.
For those that have insurance, the minor part is the cost savings. The minor part is the cost savings, of 12*$10=$120 minus $20+4*$12=$92 or $28 per year. The major part of this is that I can now go to Walgreens 4 times a year instead of the 12 for generics.
Second, I get 10% reward on Walgreens private-labeled merchandise. This is really great since Walgreens puts their private-labeled product right next to the brand name product, so this card pays for itself in very short time.
Walmart also has a 90 day for $10 generics program delivered to you home for free (7-10 days), but without the private label rewards program. That is $40 per year without leaving your home versus $120 and leaving your home 12 times and waiting at the pharmacy.
In either case, Walgreens or Walmart, these programs are better than using your insurance for generics prescriptions. If you have more than one generic medication, your savings is even bigger.
Website: www.walgreens.com
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Reduce Clutter Physically &Emotionally; Scan All Paper with Your Printer
Company: Any scanner or all in one.
Price: Incrementally $0.
Scanner is generally not thought of a product, unless you are shelling out $100 for a portable receipt scanner. Scanning is signficantly underused. This is especially true of the all-in-one types of printers that almost always come with scanners (by definition).
I dont have a receipt scanner. I just save all of my receipts in one bag and scan them when I get home. I used scanning for all my bills, pieces of paper with notes or phone numbers, advertisements, invitations, coupon codes and receipts - literally everything that creates a huge mess, that I used to try to juggle in my head. I literally just scan everything and dump the actual papers into a box. I don't even think about wasting my time filing any more.
Most of the time I dont even bother wasting time naming the document unless it is really, really important, because MS windows will show me the document as a thumbnail, if I just sort by date. (Generally, I have some idea about the date.) The only thing I even bother to file and name are tax documents, actual W2, 1099 documents, and those are few and far in between.
Not having to file paper has been really great, a tremendous time saver, and since external hard drives are cheap, about $80 for a terabyte, the whole thing is guilt free. The whole exercise pays for itself in no time, and mentally is so incredibly liberating. I use a Brother 7820n, but any printer will do.
Price: Incrementally $0.
Scanner is generally not thought of a product, unless you are shelling out $100 for a portable receipt scanner. Scanning is signficantly underused. This is especially true of the all-in-one types of printers that almost always come with scanners (by definition).
I dont have a receipt scanner. I just save all of my receipts in one bag and scan them when I get home. I used scanning for all my bills, pieces of paper with notes or phone numbers, advertisements, invitations, coupon codes and receipts - literally everything that creates a huge mess, that I used to try to juggle in my head. I literally just scan everything and dump the actual papers into a box. I don't even think about wasting my time filing any more.
Most of the time I dont even bother wasting time naming the document unless it is really, really important, because MS windows will show me the document as a thumbnail, if I just sort by date. (Generally, I have some idea about the date.) The only thing I even bother to file and name are tax documents, actual W2, 1099 documents, and those are few and far in between.
Not having to file paper has been really great, a tremendous time saver, and since external hard drives are cheap, about $80 for a terabyte, the whole thing is guilt free. The whole exercise pays for itself in no time, and mentally is so incredibly liberating. I use a Brother 7820n, but any printer will do.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Tether (Almost Free Internet); one-time fee for the life of your Blackberry
Company: Tether
Price: $49.99
www.tether.com
This is a great product for those of us who have a blackberry and some times want web service on our laptop anywhere, but don't want to pay $60 a month for internet service.
Since the Blackberry and your cell provider provides 3G service, and you are already paying for it, you can already access the web at 3G speeds. It is just that the cell phone interface is bad b/c of the small screens.
Well, you can have your cake and eat it too. For a one time fee of $49.99 (or some times as low as $19.99 - 24.99 when they have a sale), you can link up your laptop at 3G speeds subject to the 5gb monthly limit (which is the same as data card at $60.00 a month that you would have provided your cell phone company any ways). $60 a month service for a one time fee of $49.99. What a bargain!
I took Amtrak from Chicago down to St. Louis and I got the internet for 90% of the way down.
Price: $49.99
www.tether.com
This is a great product for those of us who have a blackberry and some times want web service on our laptop anywhere, but don't want to pay $60 a month for internet service.
Since the Blackberry and your cell provider provides 3G service, and you are already paying for it, you can already access the web at 3G speeds. It is just that the cell phone interface is bad b/c of the small screens.
Well, you can have your cake and eat it too. For a one time fee of $49.99 (or some times as low as $19.99 - 24.99 when they have a sale), you can link up your laptop at 3G speeds subject to the 5gb monthly limit (which is the same as data card at $60.00 a month that you would have provided your cell phone company any ways). $60 a month service for a one time fee of $49.99. What a bargain!
I took Amtrak from Chicago down to St. Louis and I got the internet for 90% of the way down.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Aircell's Gogo; WiFi Aboard a Plane
Company: Aircell
Product: Gogo
Price: $12.95
I have been taking airplanes for the better part of 15 years now. Gogo allows me to access the internet while aboard going from West Coast to East Coast and visa versa. I greatly appreciate this service because for 14 years, I paid full prices for magazines and newspapers at the airports and watched the single movie feature that was available aboard the flight.
With Gogo, I can use the better part of my flight to return email and watch clips and movies aboard a plane. This service only cost $12.95, and greatly impacts my productivity. If you are on a business trip, you can almost certainly pass the cost to your employer. At less than $3 per hour from San Francisco to New York, it's a steal.
If you register online, you will not have to show the person seated next to you your credit card number!
Link: http://www.aircell.com/
Product: Gogo
Price: $12.95
I have been taking airplanes for the better part of 15 years now. Gogo allows me to access the internet while aboard going from West Coast to East Coast and visa versa. I greatly appreciate this service because for 14 years, I paid full prices for magazines and newspapers at the airports and watched the single movie feature that was available aboard the flight.
With Gogo, I can use the better part of my flight to return email and watch clips and movies aboard a plane. This service only cost $12.95, and greatly impacts my productivity. If you are on a business trip, you can almost certainly pass the cost to your employer. At less than $3 per hour from San Francisco to New York, it's a steal.
If you register online, you will not have to show the person seated next to you your credit card number!
Link: http://www.aircell.com/
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