1. No landline; we use Google Voice for our home phone.
2. In June 2012, we had 5 feature phones on Sprint for $150/month. We now have 4 smartphones on Ting w/Google Voice/Groove IP, one feature phone on Ting, and one smartphone on Republic Wireless.
3. We have one iPod that uses FaceTime and TextFree.
4. We have the $3.99/month 500 mb hotspot from Freedom Pop.
Our home phone is our Google Voice number; my main cellphone number is also the Google Voice number, and my original cell phone number forwards to the Google Voice number. The smartphone users on the Ting plan are around wifi most of the day (one works from home, two are high school students, one is a college student) and all use Google Voice/Groove IP; the Ting feature phone user has a flip phone and does not want to venture into the smartphone world. The Republic Wireless user is also a college student, but did not want to bother with Google Voice/Groove IP. We use the Freedom Spot hotspot as a backup at home when the internet goes out, and on the road away from wifi so that we don't go over the 500 mb level on Ting, and for the iPod when not connected to wifi.
In place of a landline, we've used Google Voice for several years. Our Sprint bill for five feature phones was $150. Our total bill for five smartphones, one feature phone, and one "back-up" hotspot is now right around $80. We are in a metropolitan area with great Sprint coverage, but do travel fairly often and have not had any significant issues. We also are not heavy data users since we spend most of our time near wifi. We encourage our kids to communicate face-to-face and to not use their cellphones when they are with their friends or family.
There are so many alternatives available now that we didn't have just two years ago. It does take some time to determine the right set-up, and it's an ongoing process, but the results can be impressive.
An interesting article, but I disagree with its argumentation. You cannot equate "good" with buying assets and "bad" with discretionary spending. Both types of expenditure are required in order to lead a fulfilled and happy life. In addition, you also consider a house as an asset, which is an assumption that does not correspond with reality. Houses often go down in price if the area loses attractiveness or population. A well-written article, but I do not share its views.
I like how the article is trying to stay with natural solutions and keeping costs down. Believe it or not, there is an organic product that is actually affordable that works wonders. The stuff is amazing. Please take a look at it! Freshana Organic Solutions is the company name.
Good article! Hilarious as Gina Rinehart's statement is, I agree with it. The truth can hurt.
I disagree with point #4 though. I think people should NOT trust their instincts. Instinct is what told people to sell investments at the bottom in 2008 and start buying again now that things are at a peak. It told people to line up and buy gold when it was at an all time high of $1,900 in 2011. When it comes to money instinct is, more often than not, dead wrong. It's been proven that an investor's worst enemy isn't the market, the economy, or scam artists, it's themselves. Jack Boggle has it right when he says to stick with the plan and ignore "the noise". Think like a Vulcan with your money--keep instinct and emotion out of the game and you'll do great.
The example also points to "survivorship bias". An example can be made of a company that did well while ignoring the dozen that failed. Radio One succeeded but how many stations failed over the same time period?
When you consider "does it generate cash flow" do you always consider this as a stand-alone.
For example, say you rent for $1000 a month.
Then, you buy a house, where on the mortgage you pay $500 per month in interest and $300 per month in capital repayment.
Therefore, the house will appreciate in value, and its relative cash flow (compared to the alternatives) is positive. Does this still only fall in the second category?
I am enjoying my mystery shopping, which I have been doing since mid-July. I work with about 20-25 companies and can usually match two or three shops together in the same side of town (San Antonio). I average about $600-$700 a month, which adequately supplements my full-time job/income. Plus, it's fu. I've driven new cars, eat out frequently, conducted Best Buy intercepts, used my daughter on some 'M'-rated video buys, have visited dozens of banks, have posed as a potential client at a dozen apartment complexes and new home builders, and am now doing movie theater blind checks and movie counts. I even got paid to open a bank account. A lot of work? Yes. A lot of fun? Yes. It's a good feeling to know you're helping to evaluate people as they perform their everyday jobs ... and let's face it, there's some satisfaction in knowing you're being a bit sneaky and deceptive in interacting with them!
I am one of "those people" who don't adapt well to change, but I also hate being bored. Road trips are my fave way to get out of a personal rut. I live in Montreal so NYC is only 6 hours away and Boston is only 5. During this time of the year I love going to Vermont for the day - it's an easy 1 hour trip. Great post.
totally. fans during the summer, old air conditioning in hotel rooms, and my humidifier. i don't have sleep problems, but these help me fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Our house has very thin walls and tile flooring. Sound echoed really well, and I could hear into the guest house in some spots. It was hard for me to sleep.
We bought a $3 app called Sleep Pillow (I think) about three years ago. It's wonderful. A ton of sounds. Obviously, we have to plug it into a speaker, but once it's on, my husband can listen to TV in the living room on a volume higher than 10. We're all pretty happy about that.
I agree, the article seems only to apply to people who live in houses or at best large apartments. For those of us who live in small cramped apartments/condos or share small living spaces with several family members, getting storage space may be the sensible or courteous thing to do.
We have a land line that is bundled with our cable internet. For a cell phone, I have a Tracfone with "double-minutes for life" for which I purchase one prepaid one-year card every other year with one added year of activation. I always use a promo code when I buy the prepaid card for extra minutes. The cell phone works out to about $7 per month that way.
Thanks for the great suggestions. I hadn't thought of many of these places where we can make donations that would be truly appreciated.
When I give to a food bank, I try to give something "fun" like cake mix and frosting. Especially during the holiday season, people need something more than basic beans, rice, and canned vegetables. Yes, I'm assuming they have eggs, oil and an oven, but at least they may have a chance to celebrate.
I have to weigh in with Keith. I was having some dizzy spells and my doctor advised me to drink 2 cups of coffee a day to increase my blood pressure a bit. Interesting about it being a diuretic, I have to make sure i get my water in.
Instead of having a data limit, I just forward all my emails to my phone number. They come in as a text message and if they are really important I know to go look it up on the computer. Since I have unlimited texting this is a good fit. Most of the time, the content can wait.
Since my husband is sadly a Walmart employee (with a Master's degree, yes, the rescession kicked our financial butt), we use the Walmart family mobile cell phone plan. It has unlimited text, talk, and web for $50 a month total for two phones.
I don't have a smart phone. I have a Sanyo Katana (think Razr, but not really). Since I am an employee of my state, I get a $5 discount. I work during the day, and I rarely use my alotted 450 monthly minutes. I ask my family and friends to call me after 7:00 p.m. or on the week-ends, when I have my free minutes. I also don't text.
1. No landline; we use Google Voice for our home phone.
2. In June 2012, we had 5 feature phones on Sprint for $150/month. We now have 4 smartphones on Ting w/Google Voice/Groove IP, one feature phone on Ting, and one smartphone on Republic Wireless.
3. We have one iPod that uses FaceTime and TextFree.
4. We have the $3.99/month 500 mb hotspot from Freedom Pop.
Our home phone is our Google Voice number; my main cellphone number is also the Google Voice number, and my original cell phone number forwards to the Google Voice number. The smartphone users on the Ting plan are around wifi most of the day (one works from home, two are high school students, one is a college student) and all use Google Voice/Groove IP; the Ting feature phone user has a flip phone and does not want to venture into the smartphone world. The Republic Wireless user is also a college student, but did not want to bother with Google Voice/Groove IP. We use the Freedom Spot hotspot as a backup at home when the internet goes out, and on the road away from wifi so that we don't go over the 500 mb level on Ting, and for the iPod when not connected to wifi.
In place of a landline, we've used Google Voice for several years. Our Sprint bill for five feature phones was $150. Our total bill for five smartphones, one feature phone, and one "back-up" hotspot is now right around $80. We are in a metropolitan area with great Sprint coverage, but do travel fairly often and have not had any significant issues. We also are not heavy data users since we spend most of our time near wifi. We encourage our kids to communicate face-to-face and to not use their cellphones when they are with their friends or family.
There are so many alternatives available now that we didn't have just two years ago. It does take some time to determine the right set-up, and it's an ongoing process, but the results can be impressive.
An interesting article, but I disagree with its argumentation. You cannot equate "good" with buying assets and "bad" with discretionary spending. Both types of expenditure are required in order to lead a fulfilled and happy life. In addition, you also consider a house as an asset, which is an assumption that does not correspond with reality. Houses often go down in price if the area loses attractiveness or population. A well-written article, but I do not share its views.
Thanks for the article Meg. Nice tips!
I like how the article is trying to stay with natural solutions and keeping costs down. Believe it or not, there is an organic product that is actually affordable that works wonders. The stuff is amazing. Please take a look at it! Freshana Organic Solutions is the company name.
Good article! Hilarious as Gina Rinehart's statement is, I agree with it. The truth can hurt.
I disagree with point #4 though. I think people should NOT trust their instincts. Instinct is what told people to sell investments at the bottom in 2008 and start buying again now that things are at a peak. It told people to line up and buy gold when it was at an all time high of $1,900 in 2011. When it comes to money instinct is, more often than not, dead wrong. It's been proven that an investor's worst enemy isn't the market, the economy, or scam artists, it's themselves. Jack Boggle has it right when he says to stick with the plan and ignore "the noise". Think like a Vulcan with your money--keep instinct and emotion out of the game and you'll do great.
The example also points to "survivorship bias". An example can be made of a company that did well while ignoring the dozen that failed. Radio One succeeded but how many stations failed over the same time period?
When you consider "does it generate cash flow" do you always consider this as a stand-alone.
For example, say you rent for $1000 a month.
Then, you buy a house, where on the mortgage you pay $500 per month in interest and $300 per month in capital repayment.
Therefore, the house will appreciate in value, and its relative cash flow (compared to the alternatives) is positive. Does this still only fall in the second category?
Can guys sell hair too?
I am enjoying my mystery shopping, which I have been doing since mid-July. I work with about 20-25 companies and can usually match two or three shops together in the same side of town (San Antonio). I average about $600-$700 a month, which adequately supplements my full-time job/income. Plus, it's fu. I've driven new cars, eat out frequently, conducted Best Buy intercepts, used my daughter on some 'M'-rated video buys, have visited dozens of banks, have posed as a potential client at a dozen apartment complexes and new home builders, and am now doing movie theater blind checks and movie counts. I even got paid to open a bank account. A lot of work? Yes. A lot of fun? Yes. It's a good feeling to know you're helping to evaluate people as they perform their everyday jobs ... and let's face it, there's some satisfaction in knowing you're being a bit sneaky and deceptive in interacting with them!
I am one of "those people" who don't adapt well to change, but I also hate being bored. Road trips are my fave way to get out of a personal rut. I live in Montreal so NYC is only 6 hours away and Boston is only 5. During this time of the year I love going to Vermont for the day - it's an easy 1 hour trip. Great post.
totally. fans during the summer, old air conditioning in hotel rooms, and my humidifier. i don't have sleep problems, but these help me fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Our house has very thin walls and tile flooring. Sound echoed really well, and I could hear into the guest house in some spots. It was hard for me to sleep.
We bought a $3 app called Sleep Pillow (I think) about three years ago. It's wonderful. A ton of sounds. Obviously, we have to plug it into a speaker, but once it's on, my husband can listen to TV in the living room on a volume higher than 10. We're all pretty happy about that.
I agree, the article seems only to apply to people who live in houses or at best large apartments. For those of us who live in small cramped apartments/condos or share small living spaces with several family members, getting storage space may be the sensible or courteous thing to do.
I would also suggest senior centers and nursing homes. Both can make use of old movies and music.
We have a land line that is bundled with our cable internet. For a cell phone, I have a Tracfone with "double-minutes for life" for which I purchase one prepaid one-year card every other year with one added year of activation. I always use a promo code when I buy the prepaid card for extra minutes. The cell phone works out to about $7 per month that way.
3D TV is dead. Don't waste your money. It has gone the way of the Betamax.
Thanks for the great suggestions. I hadn't thought of many of these places where we can make donations that would be truly appreciated.
When I give to a food bank, I try to give something "fun" like cake mix and frosting. Especially during the holiday season, people need something more than basic beans, rice, and canned vegetables. Yes, I'm assuming they have eggs, oil and an oven, but at least they may have a chance to celebrate.
We dumped our verizon plan for Smart Talk from Walmart and got unlimited text, talk and data for less than text and talk from verizon.
I have to weigh in with Keith. I was having some dizzy spells and my doctor advised me to drink 2 cups of coffee a day to increase my blood pressure a bit. Interesting about it being a diuretic, I have to make sure i get my water in.
Pay as you go........25 bucks every 3 months
I skip the land line and use the Boost Mobile cellphone plan with Shrinkage, which means that I get $5 off my monthly phone bill every 6 months!
Better yet, stick a big NRA sign on your front lawn.
Instead of having a data limit, I just forward all my emails to my phone number. They come in as a text message and if they are really important I know to go look it up on the computer. Since I have unlimited texting this is a good fit. Most of the time, the content can wait.
Since my husband is sadly a Walmart employee (with a Master's degree, yes, the rescession kicked our financial butt), we use the Walmart family mobile cell phone plan. It has unlimited text, talk, and web for $50 a month total for two phones.
Perhaps a recording of a barking dog that plays when someone approaches?
I don't have a smart phone. I have a Sanyo Katana (think Razr, but not really). Since I am an employee of my state, I get a $5 discount. I work during the day, and I rarely use my alotted 450 monthly minutes. I ask my family and friends to call me after 7:00 p.m. or on the week-ends, when I have my free minutes. I also don't text.
Not that I needed any more reasons to drink beer, but now I can back up my habit with scientific facts! I never knew beer had vitamins!