I love Aetna Dental Access for my family of four. I joined the plan a week before I needed some major work done, the office manager at my dentist office told me about it because I could not afford the $6500 quote for the work needed, no dental insurance. She told me my cost after joining would then be $3900, I about fell out of my chair when she told me the plan only cost $5 a month to cover my entire family! I did not believe her until she showed me the Aetna fee schedule and explained how it worked. The discount plans fee schedule is the same exact fee schedule as Aetna's dental insurance plan. She sent me to elevenbenefits.com to sign up, she said they sell Aetna's discount plan cheaper than any company out there including Aetna itself. I saved the $2600 getting my work done that next week, yeah! My two kids have gone in now for routine teeth cleanings and we saved 46% on that, not to bad for $5 bucks a month. So I have paid a total of $40 bucks now and saved about $2700, what's not to love about that. I tell all my friends about Aetna's discount plan now. Just for my curiosity I started shopping around the internet to compare the cost for it, it was amazing to find it as much as $200 a year for the family and as cheap as $55 a year at elevenbenefits.com. So it makes a huge difference where you buy it and make sure your dentist is in the network and that they know they are in the network!
As an introvert, small talk and social gatherings are not exactly my cup of tea. These TED Talks give me just enough inspiration and direction to help me be even just a little more comfortable with socializing (and not the kind done over the internet either!) :)
It took me a while but I finally found a way to make a few bucks online. I do surveys and I was very skeptical at first. But I did my research and there are some legit sites out there. Check out my blog and you can see my check for the month of June that I posted.
That's Chiang Mai (not Mi) in Thailand. I'm actually living (solo 54 yr old lady) between Thailand, Bali, Indonesia and India; visas, activities and weather oblige. I only come back to the USA to visit family and friends one month of the year. I live a beautiful quality of life on a monthly budget of $900 US dollars.
Americans can't and don't travel and are raised on fear with 'nose to the grind stone'.
Good ole USA? What a joke!
What you fail to mention in this article, is the people; in SE Asia people are gentle, smiling, tolerant, respectful, happy and interested in you as a human being. In Asia I practically NEVER hear about or see aggression, arguments, whiny children, road rage, fights, murders, child and women abuse, police harassment, etc. The healthcare and education is better too.
This article seems to be more 'parroting' than writing from personal experience; much nicer when people write about and comment on actual personal experiences. The concept is good though, for life in general, why wait to retire to start 'living'?
Crockpot has really helped me save money and time for food. I also want to add that rain barrels are a great way to save on your water bill. It pretty much stores rainwater that can be used to irrigate your yard later. Another useful item is waterbroom. A waterbroom uses less than three gallons a minute vs. a hose that uses eight to twelve gallons a minute. Helps the environment and keeps your home clean.
Nextworth and Gazelle are definitely good online marketplaces to sell old phones and tablets. I also recommend uSell, the site even buys camera-less phones and gameboys. If you happen to be an Apple owner who is looking forward to upgrading your gadgets soon, makes sure to check out Apple’s Recycle Program. They provide higher offers compared to Nextworth and Gazelle, but it’s all in Apple Store gift card. So depending on what you need the money for, you should weigh your options and find what is most convenient.
Another myth that people should know is that having a larger number of credit cards does not necessarily help your score. Oftentimes people get more credit cards than they need in order to boost up their score. It’s definitely not beneficial in the long run. The credit score companies evaluate your debt to credit ratio, which means that having more credit open to you without using it can potentially have some positive impact on your score. However, the issue is, studies have shown that even the most responsible shoppers are tempted to spend more when using a credit card. Don’t get a new credit card unless you absolutely need it.
Mahalo, Damian. I'm fortunate in that my best friend has ohana on Kauai, so that's where we usually go.
For travelers going to Maui and Kauai, farmer's markets top the list of ways to save money, there's always a list of days/locations that you can pick up near the brochures at the airport. With at least one open per day, we save a lot of money on wonderfully ripe local fruits, veggies and sometimes local baked goods or cheeses. Even if you don't have a kitchen wherever you're staying, you can still use them for snacks. Also, Costco! Their prices on poke (raw fish salad - think Hawaiian ceviche) usually can't be beat, you can pick up staples for a week even cheaper than WalMart, and souvenirs to take home, like multi-packs of chocolate covered macadamia nuts. They usually have collapsible coolers that you can flatten to take home for your picnics for the trip.
Cultural fairs and open-air markets pop up at least once a week somewhere on Kauai, and are great place for inexpensive goodies, too. Check out Snorkel Bob's for gear rental, they have well-maintained gear at great prices for week-long rental, and the staff is really helpful. Multiple locations. Many beach parks offer areas with good snorkeling that are relatively safe, especially for people who are not familiar with just how dangerous the ocean can be. Pack a picnic and head to one of the covered picnic tables (Early! They fill up fast.) for a great day of snorkeling and beach play that's practically free.
I am not sure. Most of my jobs average stay is 6 to 7 years. In those times I grew immensely but it is in the wrong field. I was in transport not IT, but it is in a team environment and customer service related so am I wrong to put it in. It just irks me when some one calls me with a transport job. Have they not read the career objectives? Even though I worked in transport the career objective should tell them that I have no interest or no ability to work in that industry anymore since my back injury. Don't get me wrong I can still do physical work I just can not sustain at a high level anymore that the transport industry demands.
I use Groupon and Living Social to find discounted attractions for summer vacations and do a Google search on fun and free thing to do in the area. Rather than eating every meal out while on vacation, I pack snacks like nuts, cereal bars, and fruit and limit my eating out to once a day.
I try to avoid processed foods so most coupons don't apply to me. When I see a coupon that does apply to me, I clip and use it, but I don't do it very often. Still, our grocery bills are quite low because we stick to generic brands and whole foods.
You're so right! I belong to the one from my alma mater and it is a great reminder from my university days. What type of credit union do you belong to, Mario?
Not everyone has expendable money to spend. I think you may have missed the point on what "frugal" actually is. I was poor most of my childhood and that is nothing in comparison to just being a frugal individual. You should try paring down - believe it or not - it makes your life incredibly rich in other ways!
Mikey Rox indeed! I think it is unfortunate that people feel it is absolutely required that parties be either of the keg + pizza + sporting event variety or the sequined gown + canapes on a silver tray + string quartet variety. Because party giving has to be PERFECT it is therefore so rare, we dont have enough practice to really do it well. I actually think number 14 is the biggest offender. So many parties end up being 7 married couples, a maiden aunt and me. It is hard to come up with a guest list that makes sense. Parties are all about ensuring the guests have a good time, not showing off your new shore home or your trophy boyfriend or collection of Pez dispensers (although they are fascinating).
We don't have kids so summer vacation is not a definite start/end date, we tend to go places in autumn, it's my favorite season anyway and shoulder seasons rates are cheaper than high season for places you tend to go to in the summertime.
I use my crockpot a lot. Even so I never thought to thicken sauce/gravy by pureeing the vegetables added with the pot roast or chicken, so thanks for the tip. One of my favorite ways to use the crockpot is to cook a whole chicken (without added liquid) for use in a variety of ways: burritos, enchiladas, tacos, pasta salad, chicken-rice casserole, etc. Then I make stock with the carcass: Leave the bones and liquid in the crockpot; add odds and ends of vegetables that I've saved in the freezer (celery ends and leaves, carrot tops, onion ends, green bean ends); add herbs and peppercorns; and cook on low for 10 hours. If I can't make the stock right after cooking the chicken, I refrigerate or freeze the bones & liquid for later.
To save on our travel, we always try to visit places not too far away from home to save on the gas cost! So many great places to visit and explore and love supporting all that our great state has to offer! Take advantage of free places to visit!
I have one to add and it's also a job scam. It was a warehouse job. The listing was the first red flag. It said way too much and then didn't completely relate to what the job actually was in their response. Second when you contact them they respond by saying your a perfect fit. You hired! The pay was amazing for the time they needed you. The person hiring you contacts you and says they trust your resume so no interview needed. They are in Europe and needs you to fill in for them for 3 months part time. It always took 24 hours for them to respond to any questions and they never answer what you ask, never tell you where the company is or it's name. Finally they send you your "salary" and "fees" to cover shipping in the form of a large check. My spider senses were going crazy so I didn't taken by them but it is awful how they target the unemployed. I have a detailed post about this on my blog.
I strongly disagree with number 10! A good host carefully chooses wines that compliment the meal, and a good guest understands that their gift is for the host to enjoy *after* the party, as they relax. It's like a guest bringing their own meal, otherwise.
I think it is possible to travel for even less. Check out our monthly expenses in Thailand and the Philippines: http://aroundtheworldinaday.com/philippines_thailand_comparison/cost_of_...
I love Aetna Dental Access for my family of four. I joined the plan a week before I needed some major work done, the office manager at my dentist office told me about it because I could not afford the $6500 quote for the work needed, no dental insurance. She told me my cost after joining would then be $3900, I about fell out of my chair when she told me the plan only cost $5 a month to cover my entire family! I did not believe her until she showed me the Aetna fee schedule and explained how it worked. The discount plans fee schedule is the same exact fee schedule as Aetna's dental insurance plan. She sent me to elevenbenefits.com to sign up, she said they sell Aetna's discount plan cheaper than any company out there including Aetna itself. I saved the $2600 getting my work done that next week, yeah! My two kids have gone in now for routine teeth cleanings and we saved 46% on that, not to bad for $5 bucks a month. So I have paid a total of $40 bucks now and saved about $2700, what's not to love about that. I tell all my friends about Aetna's discount plan now. Just for my curiosity I started shopping around the internet to compare the cost for it, it was amazing to find it as much as $200 a year for the family and as cheap as $55 a year at elevenbenefits.com. So it makes a huge difference where you buy it and make sure your dentist is in the network and that they know they are in the network!
As an introvert, small talk and social gatherings are not exactly my cup of tea. These TED Talks give me just enough inspiration and direction to help me be even just a little more comfortable with socializing (and not the kind done over the internet either!) :)
It took me a while but I finally found a way to make a few bucks online. I do surveys and I was very skeptical at first. But I did my research and there are some legit sites out there. Check out my blog and you can see my check for the month of June that I posted.
Cash4moms.blogspot.com
That's Chiang Mai (not Mi) in Thailand. I'm actually living (solo 54 yr old lady) between Thailand, Bali, Indonesia and India; visas, activities and weather oblige. I only come back to the USA to visit family and friends one month of the year. I live a beautiful quality of life on a monthly budget of $900 US dollars.
Americans can't and don't travel and are raised on fear with 'nose to the grind stone'.
Good ole USA? What a joke!
What you fail to mention in this article, is the people; in SE Asia people are gentle, smiling, tolerant, respectful, happy and interested in you as a human being. In Asia I practically NEVER hear about or see aggression, arguments, whiny children, road rage, fights, murders, child and women abuse, police harassment, etc. The healthcare and education is better too.
This article seems to be more 'parroting' than writing from personal experience; much nicer when people write about and comment on actual personal experiences. The concept is good though, for life in general, why wait to retire to start 'living'?
Crockpot has really helped me save money and time for food. I also want to add that rain barrels are a great way to save on your water bill. It pretty much stores rainwater that can be used to irrigate your yard later. Another useful item is waterbroom. A waterbroom uses less than three gallons a minute vs. a hose that uses eight to twelve gallons a minute. Helps the environment and keeps your home clean.
Nextworth and Gazelle are definitely good online marketplaces to sell old phones and tablets. I also recommend uSell, the site even buys camera-less phones and gameboys. If you happen to be an Apple owner who is looking forward to upgrading your gadgets soon, makes sure to check out Apple’s Recycle Program. They provide higher offers compared to Nextworth and Gazelle, but it’s all in Apple Store gift card. So depending on what you need the money for, you should weigh your options and find what is most convenient.
Another myth that people should know is that having a larger number of credit cards does not necessarily help your score. Oftentimes people get more credit cards than they need in order to boost up their score. It’s definitely not beneficial in the long run. The credit score companies evaluate your debt to credit ratio, which means that having more credit open to you without using it can potentially have some positive impact on your score. However, the issue is, studies have shown that even the most responsible shoppers are tempted to spend more when using a credit card. Don’t get a new credit card unless you absolutely need it.
Mahalo, Damian. I'm fortunate in that my best friend has ohana on Kauai, so that's where we usually go.
For travelers going to Maui and Kauai, farmer's markets top the list of ways to save money, there's always a list of days/locations that you can pick up near the brochures at the airport. With at least one open per day, we save a lot of money on wonderfully ripe local fruits, veggies and sometimes local baked goods or cheeses. Even if you don't have a kitchen wherever you're staying, you can still use them for snacks. Also, Costco! Their prices on poke (raw fish salad - think Hawaiian ceviche) usually can't be beat, you can pick up staples for a week even cheaper than WalMart, and souvenirs to take home, like multi-packs of chocolate covered macadamia nuts. They usually have collapsible coolers that you can flatten to take home for your picnics for the trip.
Cultural fairs and open-air markets pop up at least once a week somewhere on Kauai, and are great place for inexpensive goodies, too. Check out Snorkel Bob's for gear rental, they have well-maintained gear at great prices for week-long rental, and the staff is really helpful. Multiple locations. Many beach parks offer areas with good snorkeling that are relatively safe, especially for people who are not familiar with just how dangerous the ocean can be. Pack a picnic and head to one of the covered picnic tables (Early! They fill up fast.) for a great day of snorkeling and beach play that's practically free.
Aloha!
I am not sure. Most of my jobs average stay is 6 to 7 years. In those times I grew immensely but it is in the wrong field. I was in transport not IT, but it is in a team environment and customer service related so am I wrong to put it in. It just irks me when some one calls me with a transport job. Have they not read the career objectives? Even though I worked in transport the career objective should tell them that I have no interest or no ability to work in that industry anymore since my back injury. Don't get me wrong I can still do physical work I just can not sustain at a high level anymore that the transport industry demands.
you left out the other two major players Roku and Google Chromecast
We save by having picnic lunches and sometimes ordering pizza instead of a pricey restaurant for dinner.
I use Groupon and Living Social to find discounted attractions for summer vacations and do a Google search on fun and free thing to do in the area. Rather than eating every meal out while on vacation, I pack snacks like nuts, cereal bars, and fruit and limit my eating out to once a day.
I try to avoid processed foods so most coupons don't apply to me. When I see a coupon that does apply to me, I clip and use it, but I don't do it very often. Still, our grocery bills are quite low because we stick to generic brands and whole foods.
You're so right! I belong to the one from my alma mater and it is a great reminder from my university days. What type of credit union do you belong to, Mario?
Not everyone has expendable money to spend. I think you may have missed the point on what "frugal" actually is. I was poor most of my childhood and that is nothing in comparison to just being a frugal individual. You should try paring down - believe it or not - it makes your life incredibly rich in other ways!
Great article! I thoroughly enjoyed it :D
I just mentioned in the WBchat how I've been using Facebook Yard Sale groups to sell items. I sold $150 worth of stuff this week. I wrote about it here: http://www.mommakescents.com/buying-selling-on-facebook-yard-sale-groups/
I'm going to check out those sites listed!
Thanks
This year it is a staycation and eating the vegtables from the garden we planted.
I like the money savings tips the best.
Mikey Rox indeed! I think it is unfortunate that people feel it is absolutely required that parties be either of the keg + pizza + sporting event variety or the sequined gown + canapes on a silver tray + string quartet variety. Because party giving has to be PERFECT it is therefore so rare, we dont have enough practice to really do it well. I actually think number 14 is the biggest offender. So many parties end up being 7 married couples, a maiden aunt and me. It is hard to come up with a guest list that makes sense. Parties are all about ensuring the guests have a good time, not showing off your new shore home or your trophy boyfriend or collection of Pez dispensers (although they are fascinating).
We don't have kids so summer vacation is not a definite start/end date, we tend to go places in autumn, it's my favorite season anyway and shoulder seasons rates are cheaper than high season for places you tend to go to in the summertime.
I use my crockpot a lot. Even so I never thought to thicken sauce/gravy by pureeing the vegetables added with the pot roast or chicken, so thanks for the tip. One of my favorite ways to use the crockpot is to cook a whole chicken (without added liquid) for use in a variety of ways: burritos, enchiladas, tacos, pasta salad, chicken-rice casserole, etc. Then I make stock with the carcass: Leave the bones and liquid in the crockpot; add odds and ends of vegetables that I've saved in the freezer (celery ends and leaves, carrot tops, onion ends, green bean ends); add herbs and peppercorns; and cook on low for 10 hours. If I can't make the stock right after cooking the chicken, I refrigerate or freeze the bones & liquid for later.
To save on our travel, we always try to visit places not too far away from home to save on the gas cost! So many great places to visit and explore and love supporting all that our great state has to offer! Take advantage of free places to visit!
I have one to add and it's also a job scam. It was a warehouse job. The listing was the first red flag. It said way too much and then didn't completely relate to what the job actually was in their response. Second when you contact them they respond by saying your a perfect fit. You hired! The pay was amazing for the time they needed you. The person hiring you contacts you and says they trust your resume so no interview needed. They are in Europe and needs you to fill in for them for 3 months part time. It always took 24 hours for them to respond to any questions and they never answer what you ask, never tell you where the company is or it's name. Finally they send you your "salary" and "fees" to cover shipping in the form of a large check. My spider senses were going crazy so I didn't taken by them but it is awful how they target the unemployed. I have a detailed post about this on my blog.
I strongly disagree with number 10! A good host carefully chooses wines that compliment the meal, and a good guest understands that their gift is for the host to enjoy *after* the party, as they relax. It's like a guest bringing their own meal, otherwise.