Archive for the ‘saving money’ Category
Monday, February 9th, 2009
Pre-Cut Produce
Pre-cut fruits and vegetables didn’t even exist 10 years ago, but we spent more than $600 million on prepared salads alone last year. While grabbing pre-cut fruit and vegetables can help cut down on your time in the kitchen, that small convenience carries a big price. It’s safe to say you are paying at least double the cost for pre-cut produce vs. buying their whole counterparts. Another negative — you aren’t getting all the vitamins you think. Tests have shown that pre-cut vegetables, for example, start losing their Vitamin C once they are cut!
I bought some pre-sliced mushrooms on Tuesday and made them for dinner last night. They were on sale, so in this case they were cheaper than whole mushrooms… that is if I am able to eat them all. If I end up throwing any of them away it will be a waste. The thing is though, they were sliced so thickly, they might as well not have been cut at all. I had to cut each slice into at least 3 pieces. It’s a good thing I didn’t pay more for the pre cut, because it certainly wasn’t more convenient.
I think everyone knows that buying anything while out at the movies is a terrible idea, but when you look at the math, it’s just crazy.
According to a professor at the University of California-Irvine, you’re paying a 1,300% markup on that tub of buttery popcorn! When you do the math, $5.50 for that bucket of popcorn makes an ounce of popcorn more expensive than filet mignon!
Other money wasters include anything at eye level at the grocery store, brand name medications. Read more. If you have spent more than you were expecting to on groceries this month and need a little extra cash, a Payday Loan or Title Loan can help you out.
Tags: food shopping, groceries, saving money, tips
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Thursday, November 20th, 2008
Almost FREE to eat at local restaurants
Tracy Coenen
Nov 19th 2008 at 1:30PM
Filed under: Food
Run right over to
Restaurant.com, do not pass go, do not collect $200. But you DO get great restaurant certificates almost FREE. Normally the site sells $25 gift certificates for $10. Through tomorrow, you can get a $25 certificate for only $2 with the coupon code
SURPRISE.
It’s easy to find certificates if you search by your zip code. Be sure to read the fine print though… Many of the restaurants require minimum purchases or restrict the days on which you can use them. Even still, it’s a great deal! And getting your certificates is easy: You simply print them out at your convenience.
Beware… The site is slow because of heavy traffic. And make sure you opt out of any offers at checkout, because consumers have reported finding charges on their credit cards for these special offers. But I completed a purchase today, so I know the site is still working and the deal is still valid. What a great way for those who have cut back on eating out to have a little fun!
These may also make a good gift, if the receiver doesn’t mind the potential blackout dates, or a simple printout. The coupon code expires today.
Tags: food cost, gift certificate deals, holiday savings, restaurant deals
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Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
Landline Phones
There’s one big reason that people keep a landline at home: 911 calls. The landline runs off power from the telephone line itself (a neat precursor to power over ethernet) so if there’s a blackout, the calls still go through (unless you have a cordless handset, of course). And because a landline is tied directly to a single address, the emergency services know where you are.
But a cellphone is always with you, even when you’re hiding under the bed from burglars or murderers. What if your battery dies? Borrow another phone — there’s always somebody around. And if you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and things get ugly, a landline won’t help you anyway. What about coverage? It’s true that cellphone coverage in the US is not exactly ubiquitous, but again, if you’re out in the sticks with no signal, you’re unlikely to find a landline anyway.
The emergency services still know where you are, too. Your rough location is tracked by the cell tower routing your call, so you’ll be directed to a local call center. With GPS enabled phones, things will only get better.
Burglar alarms? File under the caveat above. If you have a dedicated line, fine. Just don’t rent a second one just to hook up a handset you don’t need.
There’s one other problem with a landline, or rather, with your brain: You don’t remember anyone’s number anymore. Stick with the mobile, and learn to be less paranoid.
— Wired
Because we got rid of our DSL internet, we no longer need our land line (which AT&T had required we get when we ordered DSL). At least half the calls we got were from AT&T asking if I wanted long distance service, when I already have long distance on my AT&T cell phone, not to mention I didn’t want the land line to begin with. Land lines are dead. However… I get really bad reception in our apartment. I was thinking of doing Vonage, but it was more expensive. It needed to be cheap for me to even consider, because I could always walk out on to our porch or use my roommates phone if it was raining or something. Then I stumbled upon Skype. It’s less than $3 a month to call out. Totally worth it. And no taxes, which is great because just the taxes on our land line was $40 a month. I love saving money. Plus, no telemarketing!
The only problem now is that I may not get my bill credit for our DSL modem because I won’t have any more bills for it to be applied to (Uverse billing is separate for some reason). Hopefully they can send me a check.
Today is Pay Day!
Tags: 911, AT&T, cancel service, cell phones, cost cutting, cut costs, ditch land line, dsl, land lines, landlines, money saving tips, save money, saving money, skype, useless gadgets, voice over internet protocol, VOIP, vonage, wired, wired magazine
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Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
Hello world! Welcome to my new home on the web… icanhavepayday.com.
I finally have TV, AT&T U-verse. It’s awesome. Did you know that Paris Hilton has a show where she’s looking for a new BFF? How did I live without TV?
But seriously… The quality is great, the usability of the set top box/DVR is way better than the DirecTV my parents have. My roommate likes it better than my old TiVo… I like TiVo’s remote better, except for when I’d hold it upside down and rewind instead of fast forwarding. I’ll get used to it. I’m not thrilled about the price, but when I compared it to cable from Comcast, AT&T was actually cheaper. I also compared it to buying shows from the iTunes store and getting an Apple TV… That would have been cheaper, but we also would have gotten a lot less… just like the Sling. Not every show we wanted was available, and we wouldn’t be able to just sit down and watch whatever was on.
In other news I got my first credit card bill… and I owe nothing! I got a refund on the only thing I had charged to it.
Tags: AT&T, AT&T U-verse, cable, cable tv, comcast, credit, credit card bill, credit cards, icanhavepayday.com, new domain, sling media, slingbox, tivo, TV
Posted in Renting, credit, credit cards, credit cards, saving money, tips | No Comments »
Monday, October 13th, 2008
…Or Canadian Thanksgiving if you prefer.
Today I am thankful that our Slingcatcher was delivered this morning before work. We now have all the components of our new television solution. We’re just having some trouble setting up my parent’s network to allow for remote viewing. I can’t wait to see it in action.
If any of you are interested in a Slingbox, use the link below to save some cash.
Special ‘friends only’ offer: Save up to $30 on Slingbox
In other news, my roommate got his credit card this weekend. The interest rate is over 20%, yikes! Not something you’d want to carry a balance on, good thing he wasn’t planning on it.
No matter how much the world changes, some things will always stay constant. There will always be a need for cash when unexpected expenses come along, which always seem to come along at just the wrong time. Today you can be thankful for the evolution of payday advance loans over the last decade, providing a quick solution that is a hassle-free personal loan.
Your finances are your business, and with paycheck loans available online now, there’s no need to trouble your friends and family. Paycheck advances are a simple solution to an age-old problem. Once you decide an online payday loan is right for you, you’ll have to choose the right lender. Different websites will offer different interest rates, which are posted to help you make your decision. Terms and conditions should be considered as well in addition to lending rates. Look for a secure website that will protect your personal information. A good lender should be up front about their policies, and willing to answer any questions you may have.
While there is some disagreement over the “high” interest rates on payday loans, however these rates similar to what traditional banks usually charge for a small dollar transaction. For example, ATM fees are normally $1.50 per $100 transaction and insufficient funds fees for a $100 bounced check can be over 8% APR. Just about any lender is going to charge high interest rates on short-term transactions. Arthur B. Kennickell, a Federal Reserve Bank economist, says, “these finance companies are picking up the slack left from the savings and loans, says it is part of the continuing restructuring of the industry.”
When you are shopping for a loan, keep in mind that loan repayment should be as easy as obtaining the loan. Get all the necessary information up front, before you receive a loan. Generally, the loan amount and interest is automatically withdrawn from your bank by the lender on your next payday. Qualifying is easy, any employed person can be approved for this type of loan. Additionally, no credit checks are performed and most applicants can be approved instantly. What are you waiting for?
Tags: atm fees, bounced checks, coupon, credit approval, credit cards, interest rate, interest rates, loan application, loan applications, loan repayment, no credit check, online lenders, online lending, online payday loan, payback, paycheck advance, paycheck loans, payday advance, Payday Loans, personal loan, slingbox, slingbox discount code, slingbox referral, traditional banks
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Monday, October 6th, 2008
We STIIIIILLLL don’t have TV.
We throw TVs!
The installer for Dish could only get a signal from the HD satellite, and the channels really weren’t what we wanted. It wasn’t worth the price. Aside from that, there was no place to ground the satellite, so if it got struck by lightning our TV would have gotten fried.
But, I have another new plan. We’re going to get a Slingbox to leave at my parents’ house which will “sling” their TV to us over the internet. We’ll also be getting a Slingcatcher for our apartment (so we can watch it on our TV instead of the computer), and an HD DVR for my parents’ house. It’ll be expensive up front, but after that we don’t have to pay anything. If you divide the cost over 24 months, which is what we were going to sign a contract for with satellite, it ends up being much cheaper. This plan shouldn’t take too long to implement either. However there are some things that are slowing us down. The DirecTV HD DVR has to connect to 2 cables coming in from the satellite, which means a professional installer has to come out and add some more connections to the dish and run extra cables. Also, the Slingbox we want isn’t in stores near us, so we have to order it and wait for it to be shipped. Then, the Slingcatcher isn’t even out yet… though it should be shipping very very soon. I wish I didn’t have to pay for shipping.
I really don’t foresee using my credit card, even when a big surprise purchase like this comes up. If things do get tight I have an overdraft line of credit on one of my checking accounts that I can use. So, I’m thinking I might do that balance transfer, it’ll save me a few hundred bucks in interest. I’m just a little worried about what happens after the year is up. I need to do some math. I wonder what is best for my credit score. While I’m at it, it would be interesting to compare the cost of using my overdraft line of credit versus getting a payday loan.
My roommate also applied for a credit card last week, I wonder how long it will take for him to hear back on his application.
Tags: bad credit, building credit, checking account, credit cards, credit line, credit score, DVR, HD TV, interest rates, monthly payments, overdraft credit, Payday Loans, Satellite, slingbox, television, TV, upfront expense
Posted in Payday Loans, Personal loans, Renting, Title Loans, credit, saving money | No Comments »
Monday, September 29th, 2008
My credit card arrived on Friday. I honestly didn’t ever want to get a credit card. I hoped I’d never need to. Even now that I have one I don’t see why it’s necessary. Stupid Dish Network. I’m not against loans all together but for day to day expenses I don’t see why I’d ever need the credit; I shouldn’t be spending more than what I have in my bank account. When I called to activate my card they asked me if I wanted to transfer the balance of my car loan to the card. Balance transfers have 0% interest for the first year, but if I make any other purchases all the payments I make will go towards that balance transfer, and the purchases will be racking up that interest. If I don’t use the card though, it might be a good idea since I am being charged interest on the car loan already… I have to talk to my mom about it. I also signed up for this credit protection plan thing that is free if you’re not carrying a balance, if I decided to do a balance transfer I’d have to pay for it… though I do have 30 days to cancel it without fees.
Our satellite installation is scheduled for Saturday morning. I really hope someone shows up this time. I signed up through AT&T instead of Dish’s site, so hopefully they have their act together. I’m gonna punch someone if I got this credit card for no reason. Not to mention all the time I’ve wasted, how long I’ve been waiting. I really wasn’t expecting this would take sooo long. Even though I said it would probably be October be for I got TV, I was really hoping it’d be sooner, now it’s going to be later.
PS! I was shopping this weekend and now is the time to buy LED holiday lights, I bought 3 boxes. By the time you think about putting up your Christmas tree they will all be sold out. You would be shocked at how much money these puppies can save you in energy costs.
A household burning 10 strands of lights for eight hours a day for a month at $0.0853 per kilowatt-hour would spend $127.67 for large, incandescent bulbs, $7.20 for traditional mini-lights, and just $0.72 for LEDs.
From the Aliance to Save Energy.
Tags: AT&T, balance transfers, car loans, credit, credit card interest, credit cards, Dish network, satellite tv
Posted in Articles, Personal loans, credit, saving money | No Comments »
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
Saving money can be tough in today’s world of constant spending. It is very easy to spend small amounts of money every day and have no idea where it all went just a week later. So here are some pointers on ways to keep track of you spending:
For many of us, shopping has become a daily activity. Everybody has certain purchases that are necessary. Trying to do all your shopping in one trip is a good way to not only cut back on spending, but can also reduce your fuel usage. Studies show that most people buy things they need when they shop in bulk and tend to not spend much money on frivolous items. The larger the bill we have to pay is, the more we focus on what we really need. When shopping is spread out we only see the small amount on the receipt and it is easier to think we can get away with buying extra things. It’s these smaller shopping trips that add up to become more costly then the one large trip for necessary items.
It also helps to prepare a list before you go shopping. Things like this are all a part of financial planning. Plan ahead before you shopping, try to stick to only buying items on your list. Careful spending is the best kind of spending.
Another trick I’ve come up with is to try to cancel a service you really have no interest in canceling. When I called to cancel my TiVo service I was offered a reduced rate. When I still wanted to cancel, I was offered a few months free service. I was also offered a reduced rate when I called to cancel a free trial of All State Roadside Assistance.
Should a financial emergency arise, you might not be able to pull from your savings. If this is the case, consider a payday loan as an alternative way to get some cash. These loans are like a cash advance or paycheck advance. The borrower takes out a loan and pays back the money on their next payday. Payday loans offer a quick turn around time for receiving cash and an easy application process, perfect for when you need fast cash but don’t have liquid savings.
Contact your local payday loan lender for more information and rates, or check out WhichPaydayLoan.com to compare the best online payday loan websites.
Tags: best payday loans, cash advances, compare payday loans, financial emergency, money saving tips, money saving tricks, paycheck advances, paycheck loans, payday advances, payday loan, payday loan websites, Payday Loans, saving money, savings, shopping lists, shopping strategy, smart spending, spending money
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Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Here is a great post about the adavantages of renting. It’s from last year, but it is still relevant.
In many instances, the rent payment is one-third to one-fourth the cost of the gross monthly payment for a home (loan payment, property taxes, and maintenance costs). Consequently the savings incurred (versus owning) make sense when other financial objectives are more important, such as saving for a home, paying off student loans, or supporting family members. What happens when life throws you a major curve ball? Consider the following life changes: divorce, new job, death of a spouse, and transition to a new city. Renting may provide the optimal platform for dealing with these situation.
Read the rest of the post here.
While I would love to own my own place, I simply can’t afford it right now. Now that I’m done with school the rest of my life isn’t already planned out. I have no idea where I could end up in the next 5 years. I still need the freedom renting provides.
Tags: apartment, apartment benefits, apartment living, apratments, buying a home, freedom, insurance, Renting, renting versus owning, renting vs owning, stability, taxes
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Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Yesterday I forgot to mention the best thing about my apartment, I’m now only 7 miles from work, instead of 21. Which means not only will my commute time be reduced to 1/3rd what it was, but so will my gas bill. Woo! My roommate had a longer commute than me, and now his will be shorter, meaning he’ll save even more. I know we’re both looking forward to being able to sleep in a little more after we move.
Last night I switched the electricity to my name. They wanted a deposit of $230, yikes! Luckily they waive the deposit if you sign up for automatic withdrawals. I just have to be careful that I have enough money in my account whenever they withdraw money from my bank for my bill, otherwise I might get an over draft fee, and nobody likes those.
Tags: apartments, commute, electricity, fuel bill, Renting
Posted in Renting, saving money | No Comments »