You mention getting around the sales tax as a legal option. This is true that you do not have to pay sales tax since the selling entity was in Oregon, but Washington and other states have a Use Tax (and 22 states have a special line for it on your annual tax returns). Legally, since the item you bought was primarily for use within the State of Washington, you are obligated to pay the use tax to the State of Washington, which is equal to the sales tax in WA.
Some states have safe harbor provisions, such as Massachusetts, where paying an estimated use tax based on your income will protect you from being penalized for underpayment of your use tax, so you don't need to track every online purchase you make during the year.
If you've made out-of-state purchases and aren't paying the use tax in your home state you are breaking the law, even if it is difficult for the state to note (but beware an audit!)
We had a medical emergency while staying at a friend's house while they weren't home -- they had no land line, and we didn't have a cell. I wound up running around the (strange) neighborhood looking for a payphone (there aren't many of those anymore!). It was just terrible.
Now I have a cell phone of my own, but do consider: do all of
your guests have cell phones? Including older relatives? Because you, and your cell phone, may not be in the house at every minute. It is truly unsafe to leave someone in the house without a working phone. Even if *you* never need the landline, a guest may. That's why I'm keeping mine. Also, *you* may be dilligent about charging your cell, but again, I've had guests whose cells went dead after long days of travel without charging. Something to think about.
I was in a book club for 3 1/2 years and our only rule for choosing books was that the book had to be available in paperback. That did two things 1) made it more likely that a club member would be able to get the book from the public library without a huge wait and 2) more likely that a used copy could be found at a used bookstore or online. We chose books 2-3 months in advance, so people had plenty of time to explore these two avenues. Knowing that we could keep book acquisition costs reasonable was a big help to the book group.
It's worth distinguishing between money market funds and money market accounts.
Money market accounts are just a kind of checkable account at a bank. They were invented back in the 1980s when there were rules about the interest that banks could pay on checking accounts, as a checkable account that could pay a higher rate of interest. There's usually a limit on the number of checks you can write per month. Like any bank account, your money is insured by the FDIC, to an aggregate limit of $250,000 for all a depositor's accounts at that bank.
Money market funds date back to the 1970s. They were aso invented as a way to get around the rules about what interest banks could pay on checking accounts, but they are not bank accounts at all; they're mutual funds. They have historically not been insured, but after Lehman Brothers went bust and some mutual funds came up short, the Treasure created a special program to insure money fund accounts as a short-term emergency measure to keep the financial system from self-destructing. I wrote a bit about the details of that plan in a post on the Money fund guarantee program. The key things to remember are that the insurance only covers the balance in your account on September 19, 2008 (the day the plan was created) and that the program is temporary--it'll expire on April 30 unless it's extended for another three months.
One of the biggest online marketers, Frank Kern, also sells ebooks online, and also has a parrot e-book. I don't remember his URL though. Are you sure this is not actually his site? :-)
You'd be surprised how many authors will visit your book club (or call in for a discussion.) I visited nearly 100 clubs last year -- and more this year now that my novel, STANDING STILL, is in paperback. Always check their website --and look for debut novelists.
I think safety issues are huge and should be considered. When there's been an emergency in my area, circuits on landlines have been busy, though that may change with greater cell phone adoption. My cell phone coverage at home has gone from okay to great in the last couple of years. The FCC has mandated that cell phones are to be GPS-capable so unless you have an older model, a charged cell phone should allow you to be located easily but apparently there are exceptions if you are near tall buildings, and of course in remote areas. I could go to a neighbor's house in an emergency but what if they all had the technology that wasn't working? I've definitely thought more about being prepared for emergencies when I made this move. I would love to see a basic phone rate just like a basic cable rate.
I think that it is very important to teach you children how to budget. When I was younger I would always buy candy from the candy machines. My mom taught me that I was wasting money. I am glad that my mom taught me the importance of being frugal!
I live in Houston and suffered through Hurricane Ike, too, and when we were out of power for 6 days, the only way I was able to communicate with my family outside Houston was through my landline.
I have an archaic, corded phone along with cordless phones, and my family has 4 cell phones. Guess which phone worked during the multi-day power outage? The oldest, least fancy phone. No one else I know still has one of these, and they couldn't communicate with people to let them know they were okay. I didn't use my cell phone all the time because it didn't always work (I have Sprint/Nextel; it could've been my service) and I wanted to preserve its battery.
I don't know about everyone else, but my hurricane experience convinced me that my landline is worth my expense.
I wonder how large the percentage of people is who can't cancel their landline, because cell phone coverage is too bad in their home. Any guesses? We lived once in a house where there was only one corner where we could speak and understand clearly. We had a rocking chair in that corner as our place to call.
We didn't bother with a land line when we moved about 5 years ago, especially since all my calls went to my cell anyway. I was worried about not having it when we had a baby 2 years ago, but all we did was add an additional line to our family plan for $10/month, so we always have a spare for babysitters, low batteries, etc. As for reliability, I was online and receiving calls with my cellphone right through the worst of Hurricane Ike last year while the unused, above-ground land-line was blown off my house.
Oh....I actually just remembered the MAIN reason I don't bug my husband about getting rid of the land line....
Because don't they say that kids should NOT use cell phones?
Because they are NOT SURE yet, if cell phones are bad, especially for kids with growing brains?
So....if I get rid of the land line, they'll HAVE to use my cell phone. And they use the phone plenty, to talk to family and friends. (they are only ages 9 and 6, and it's just gonna get more and more!)
I'm HOPING that portable phones aren't as bad as cell phones, cause that's what we use at home.
I just don't want my kids having to use a cell phone all the time. When they do use mine, I make them put the call on speaker phone, and put it on the table or couch, so the signal is as far from their body as possible! (yeah, I'm probably one of those really bad worry wart moms!)
So...that's a MAIN reason we still have the land line.
My $55 a month will be way worth it, if they ever come out with a definate study that says cell phones ARE bad for you, and especially kids. (I try and use the land line if I know I'm gonna be on the phone long, too.)
Anyone think of this reason? Is it valid? Or am I fooling myself that cordless phones are any better than cell phones? I really don't know.
I loved your post. I myself haven't cut the cord mostly because I have my internet through my phone company so I have the package deal. I have thought about exploring other options but I think I signed a contract for a year. By the way, glad you found skype! It is amazing isn't it?
I've been sooooo tempted to get rid of the land line for the past year, since my Sister did it. She's been fine, and she gets a lot less annoying calls. (she used to get bill collector calls for her ex boyfriend!)
The only thing that stops us from saving that $55 a month, is worrying about "what if something like 9/11 happens?" Remember how tied up the cell phone service was? I know I couldn't make a call till I tried a few times, on my cell phone that day.
But the land lines worked fine. (at least mine, and everyone I called)
So that's a concern...but there's always a way, really...neighbors you can run to and quick use the phone, etc....AND I guess you can't spend $55 JUST because you worry, right?
If I can just convince my husband...we'd probably do it.
This article made it MORE tempting.
He always says if stuff gets bad with money for us, we'd have to get rid of our luxuries...well, I think the LAND LINE should definately go before cell phones! It's all backwards these days!
I'm hanging on to my landline. It only costs us $10 a month, bundled with my DSL. We live in the country and lose power frequently and cell phone signal at our house is poor.
Yep, I have a prepaid cell for occasional use and a landline. It's email I can't do without--phones are mostly an annoyance and cell phones are an even greater annoyance. People just babble all the time, and instead of being in the moment, they don't pay attention to anything they're doing. I see mothers supposedly taking their kids to the park; they stay on the phone the whole time and the kids futiley try for their attention. There are probably kids who take their first steps while the parents are distracted by their need to babble babble such profound words as "Hey, whatcha doin?"
.
We are still in the process of deciding whether or not to let our landline go. I found this information useful. In our area there are many people who do not have cell service in their communities and it is not even an option for them.
My plan this year is to grow a vegetable garden, with just a very few veggies, since it will be my first attempt in 25 years or more. But tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and possibly some potatoes (in an outdoor garbage can http://www.almanac.com/garden/vege/potatoes.php ) for this first year, and we'll see from there...I could feed my family all throughout the autumn. Almost free food.
I know of several people who are still hanging on to land lines. We don't have one anymore but do have our cell, two-way radios and a Vonage line. But many folks are still hanging on to them for reasons of other options cutting out in a power outage or for emergency back up. Julie addressed that. Just because others have made the switch doesn't mean her reasons and timing are in appropriate. They are in fact very appropriate for her.
I love kids, but my round-ups will always contain sarcasm. Those who are easily offended would do well to avoid reading them in the future.
Thanks for the kind words and the tips from the rest of you!
You mention getting around the sales tax as a legal option. This is true that you do not have to pay sales tax since the selling entity was in Oregon, but Washington and other states have a Use Tax (and 22 states have a special line for it on your annual tax returns). Legally, since the item you bought was primarily for use within the State of Washington, you are obligated to pay the use tax to the State of Washington, which is equal to the sales tax in WA.
Some states have safe harbor provisions, such as Massachusetts, where paying an estimated use tax based on your income will protect you from being penalized for underpayment of your use tax, so you don't need to track every online purchase you make during the year.
If you've made out-of-state purchases and aren't paying the use tax in your home state you are breaking the law, even if it is difficult for the state to note (but beware an audit!)
Use taxes in WA: http://dor.wa.gov/content/FindTaxesAndRates/UseTax/
http://www.nancyrichards.org/
We had a medical emergency while staying at a friend's house while they weren't home -- they had no land line, and we didn't have a cell. I wound up running around the (strange) neighborhood looking for a payphone (there aren't many of those anymore!). It was just terrible.
Now I have a cell phone of my own, but do consider: do all of
your guests have cell phones? Including older relatives? Because you, and your cell phone, may not be in the house at every minute. It is truly unsafe to leave someone in the house without a working phone. Even if *you* never need the landline, a guest may. That's why I'm keeping mine. Also, *you* may be dilligent about charging your cell, but again, I've had guests whose cells went dead after long days of travel without charging. Something to think about.
I was in a book club for 3 1/2 years and our only rule for choosing books was that the book had to be available in paperback. That did two things 1) made it more likely that a club member would be able to get the book from the public library without a huge wait and 2) more likely that a used copy could be found at a used bookstore or online. We chose books 2-3 months in advance, so people had plenty of time to explore these two avenues. Knowing that we could keep book acquisition costs reasonable was a big help to the book group.
It's worth distinguishing between money market funds and money market accounts.
Money market accounts are just a kind of checkable account at a bank. They were invented back in the 1980s when there were rules about the interest that banks could pay on checking accounts, as a checkable account that could pay a higher rate of interest. There's usually a limit on the number of checks you can write per month. Like any bank account, your money is insured by the FDIC, to an aggregate limit of $250,000 for all a depositor's accounts at that bank.
Money market funds date back to the 1970s. They were aso invented as a way to get around the rules about what interest banks could pay on checking accounts, but they are not bank accounts at all; they're mutual funds. They have historically not been insured, but after Lehman Brothers went bust and some mutual funds came up short, the Treasure created a special program to insure money fund accounts as a short-term emergency measure to keep the financial system from self-destructing. I wrote a bit about the details of that plan in a post on the Money fund guarantee program. The key things to remember are that the insurance only covers the balance in your account on September 19, 2008 (the day the plan was created) and that the program is temporary--it'll expire on April 30 unless it's extended for another three months.
One of the biggest online marketers, Frank Kern, also sells ebooks online, and also has a parrot e-book. I don't remember his URL though. Are you sure this is not actually his site? :-)
Must be nice, to be so young, and hit it big like that!
Young indian child makes good. I have heard so much about the resourcefulness of India. I am glad to see his site make money good luck to him.
I love kid success stories. Great article.
You'd be surprised how many authors will visit your book club (or call in for a discussion.) I visited nearly 100 clubs last year -- and more this year now that my novel, STANDING STILL, is in paperback. Always check their website --and look for debut novelists.
Kelly Simmons
I think safety issues are huge and should be considered. When there's been an emergency in my area, circuits on landlines have been busy, though that may change with greater cell phone adoption. My cell phone coverage at home has gone from okay to great in the last couple of years. The FCC has mandated that cell phones are to be GPS-capable so unless you have an older model, a charged cell phone should allow you to be located easily but apparently there are exceptions if you are near tall buildings, and of course in remote areas. I could go to a neighbor's house in an emergency but what if they all had the technology that wasn't working? I've definitely thought more about being prepared for emergencies when I made this move. I would love to see a basic phone rate just like a basic cable rate.
I think that it is very important to teach you children how to budget. When I was younger I would always buy candy from the candy machines. My mom taught me that I was wasting money. I am glad that my mom taught me the importance of being frugal!
I live in Houston and suffered through Hurricane Ike, too, and when we were out of power for 6 days, the only way I was able to communicate with my family outside Houston was through my landline.
I have an archaic, corded phone along with cordless phones, and my family has 4 cell phones. Guess which phone worked during the multi-day power outage? The oldest, least fancy phone. No one else I know still has one of these, and they couldn't communicate with people to let them know they were okay. I didn't use my cell phone all the time because it didn't always work (I have Sprint/Nextel; it could've been my service) and I wanted to preserve its battery.
I don't know about everyone else, but my hurricane experience convinced me that my landline is worth my expense.
I wonder how large the percentage of people is who can't cancel their landline, because cell phone coverage is too bad in their home. Any guesses? We lived once in a house where there was only one corner where we could speak and understand clearly. We had a rocking chair in that corner as our place to call.
We didn't bother with a land line when we moved about 5 years ago, especially since all my calls went to my cell anyway. I was worried about not having it when we had a baby 2 years ago, but all we did was add an additional line to our family plan for $10/month, so we always have a spare for babysitters, low batteries, etc. As for reliability, I was online and receiving calls with my cellphone right through the worst of Hurricane Ike last year while the unused, above-ground land-line was blown off my house.
Oh....I actually just remembered the MAIN reason I don't bug my husband about getting rid of the land line....
Because don't they say that kids should NOT use cell phones?
Because they are NOT SURE yet, if cell phones are bad, especially for kids with growing brains?
So....if I get rid of the land line, they'll HAVE to use my cell phone. And they use the phone plenty, to talk to family and friends. (they are only ages 9 and 6, and it's just gonna get more and more!)
I'm HOPING that portable phones aren't as bad as cell phones, cause that's what we use at home.
I just don't want my kids having to use a cell phone all the time. When they do use mine, I make them put the call on speaker phone, and put it on the table or couch, so the signal is as far from their body as possible! (yeah, I'm probably one of those really bad worry wart moms!)
So...that's a MAIN reason we still have the land line.
My $55 a month will be way worth it, if they ever come out with a definate study that says cell phones ARE bad for you, and especially kids. (I try and use the land line if I know I'm gonna be on the phone long, too.)
Anyone think of this reason? Is it valid? Or am I fooling myself that cordless phones are any better than cell phones? I really don't know.
I loved your post. I myself haven't cut the cord mostly because I have my internet through my phone company so I have the package deal. I have thought about exploring other options but I think I signed a contract for a year. By the way, glad you found skype! It is amazing isn't it?
I've been sooooo tempted to get rid of the land line for the past year, since my Sister did it. She's been fine, and she gets a lot less annoying calls. (she used to get bill collector calls for her ex boyfriend!)
The only thing that stops us from saving that $55 a month, is worrying about "what if something like 9/11 happens?" Remember how tied up the cell phone service was? I know I couldn't make a call till I tried a few times, on my cell phone that day.
But the land lines worked fine. (at least mine, and everyone I called)
So that's a concern...but there's always a way, really...neighbors you can run to and quick use the phone, etc....AND I guess you can't spend $55 JUST because you worry, right?
If I can just convince my husband...we'd probably do it.
This article made it MORE tempting.
He always says if stuff gets bad with money for us, we'd have to get rid of our luxuries...well, I think the LAND LINE should definately go before cell phones! It's all backwards these days!
I'm hanging on to my landline. It only costs us $10 a month, bundled with my DSL. We live in the country and lose power frequently and cell phone signal at our house is poor.
Yep, I have a prepaid cell for occasional use and a landline. It's email I can't do without--phones are mostly an annoyance and cell phones are an even greater annoyance. People just babble all the time, and instead of being in the moment, they don't pay attention to anything they're doing. I see mothers supposedly taking their kids to the park; they stay on the phone the whole time and the kids futiley try for their attention. There are probably kids who take their first steps while the parents are distracted by their need to babble babble such profound words as "Hey, whatcha doin?"
.
We are still in the process of deciding whether or not to let our landline go. I found this information useful. In our area there are many people who do not have cell service in their communities and it is not even an option for them.
hi
Ibought this last week from Argos and have tried everything. Does anybody know how to unlock it>
My plan this year is to grow a vegetable garden, with just a very few veggies, since it will be my first attempt in 25 years or more. But tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and possibly some potatoes (in an outdoor garbage can http://www.almanac.com/garden/vege/potatoes.php ) for this first year, and we'll see from there...I could feed my family all throughout the autumn. Almost free food.
I know of several people who are still hanging on to land lines. We don't have one anymore but do have our cell, two-way radios and a Vonage line. But many folks are still hanging on to them for reasons of other options cutting out in a power outage or for emergency back up. Julie addressed that. Just because others have made the switch doesn't mean her reasons and timing are in appropriate. They are in fact very appropriate for her.