I understand the benefits of a 401k, but at all the jobs I've worked I haven't had one (not even without an employer match, my companies just never have 401ks.) Where should I put my retirement money? I already max out my Roth IRA but I have some funds left over each year. I pretty much put them into a Sharebuilder account with index funds and a few stocks, but I'm worried about capital gains tax law changing by the time I'm ready to sell. What would you advise?
There also seems to be a great deal of wasting going on with the CVS extra care rewards program.
My sister and her friend both do the whole CVS-ing thing. They end up with huge amounts of things that neither of them really use- but they've "saved" in getting them. When they review their schemes with me, it makes sense to take something for free, but not if you have no need for it. Case in point, somehow last Xmas Sis's friend ended up with many MANY glucose meters- and is not diabetic. In reviewing her schemes for getting the meters, they were in fact all free- but to what end? She gave them away as stocking stuffers for family-- none of whom were diabetic either. If it had been me, I would have found a free clinic and given them there, but again, I don't obtain things I don't need in quantity either.
I'm curious about your situation. I know that many retailers (Walmart, for one) have very liberal return policies. They won't even ask the reason why if you return within the window (usually 60 days for most items.) Outside of the window, however, they are not responsible (as most stores are not.)
As far as manufacturer's rebates go, however, I think you have to get the manufacturer to make good on the product replacement. (At least that's what the language in the warranty will most likely state.) It will depend on the warranty, but this is another reason I use my Platinum Visa for purchases, not only does it extend any warranty by another 2 years, Visa will handle the replacement or repair process for me.
"The two biggest differences between the CVS ExtraCare program and Walgreens Register Rewards are you can buy more than one ExtraCare item in a single transaction and earn ECBs (ExtraCare Bucks) on both items, and you can use your ECBs on successive transactions to buy more of the same item, whereas if you use an RR that you earned at Walgreens buying Crest toothpaste to buy more Crest toothpaste, you won't earn a new RR on that transaction. Also, CVS does have a limit on each ExtraCare offer, whereas Register Rewards typically do not have a limit."
If you find that a product fails while in the warrenty period, you may not be able to return it to the store for replacement. I tried to return an ice bag, under warrenty, with original packaging and receipt (as directed by label) and was refused. The Corporate office was unable to make the local store responsive.
This is why I created my 2010 budget and really analyzed items line by line. I learned so much from doing this. I actually have a savings plan. Budgeting forced me to look at things differently. I had to eliminate a good amount of expenses, but it was worth it.
i am looking to sell about 20" of long wavy thick hair i do not smoke i do not drink i do not blow dry i do not die i do not use any chemicals other than shampoo and conditioner and i use pantene pro v only looking to cut it off after christmas please contact me if your interested or can give info on who to contact to sell at shmegma0608@comcast.net
I think you can get more mileage from an app like this, depending on where you live. I'm currently about 40 minutes from the nearest metro area, and can drive 35 minutes in two other directions to get to some larger towns with big-box stores. For me, comparison shopping is not something I want to do in store -- I have to guarantee the lowest price before I make the drive (and ad-matching isn't an option when you're dealing with completely different geographic locations, and in some instances different states!) This app is great for me, because I have to get a product somewhere. It just points me in the direction I need to drive (north, south, or southwest.) Saves gas money, time, and frustration to know ahead of time, especially since online comparison engines haven't been as accurate.
We used this app when we were in the big box store for home improvement supplies. We checked alternative pricing for tile and supplies. In the end, we purchased as we would have otherwise.
We also used it for flea treatment medication for our pet. There was the brand name box sitting beside a no-name box. The no-name brand was considerably cheaper at 25% of the price. I did not recognize the active ingredient names though. I scanned the no-name brand and drilled down to learn about the ingredients. It directly decided my purchase decision. My point is that it enabled basic research on the product, in store. This was great when I was presented with a situation I could not know to research first at home.
I think the technology is fantastic, but I will echo some of the other comments above in saying that this only works well in certain situations--for example, on Black Friday, or if you're a compulsive electronics shopper (which I used to be).
When we buy anything over $50 these days, it's usually accompanied by days of online research first. There is no "in the store" decision. So in our case, this app would be woefully under-used.
Having said that, I think the potential here is incredible for this and future apps, and I'm excited to see what innovative people will come up with next!
I have found the best deals to be in the "scratch and dent" of our local Sears (especially for washers, dryers, microwaves, etc.) and the items are almost always new and just open box returns. I agree with the comment on online purchases always beating brick and mortar retailers (although sometimes it can just be a brick and mortar store in another state). ymmv
Interesting app that works well with electronics. The issue that I see with it for things like groceries is that you aren't likely to leave the store for a 20 cent difference from a store a mile away. The other problem is how many items in a grocery store are you going to scan and how long is that going to take. Electronics make perfect sense especially with the option to buy right on your phone from someone like NewEgg or Amazon.
The sales tax differential plus free shipping makes almost no in store shopping worth it for things like electronics. There is seldom a retail electronics deal that is priced 9% lower than the best online price. But I guess its a good way to see if you are getting a good price as opposed to the lowest price. My guess is where this would have the most value is in things like appliances where you want to know if you are getting a decent price but want local delivery and service plan.
Hi Craig - great article! (It's nice to see another Wise Bread writer in the southern hemisphere, much less the fact that we're neighbours in a global sense - I'm currently in Australia).
Anyway, I too have managed to move to and live in places with a high cost of living, and have made similar adjustments. My time living in Hawaii is a perfect example of being in a place with an extremely high cost of living, but not sacrificing much to live the life I wanted to live, in a place that fed me with inspiration (and warm weather)!
This sounds great, but your review only highlighted the money saved on electronics. Has anyone ever used this for clothing, groceries, or other purchases?
Leatherman is indeed great. My leatherman bit the dust on the road (in ways it shouldn't have fallen apart), and in idle conversation with a sales rep at an outdoor gear store in Melbourne, I mentioned my broken Leatherman and asked if I could have the number for Leatherman's warranty dept in Australia.
They did one better: they offered to broker the warranty repairs for me and send it in on my behalf - free of charge of course. Once again - the power of being polite + customer service + warranties is stretching my dollar a little bit further!
You being a "Frugal Shopper" can you tell me a little about your phone plan. I have a smart phone (windows based) and I am dying to justify the upgrade to the Android but it would jack my phone bill up $30/month
They do not do anything proactive to stop you from using one per month. "If they notice" they will send you a letter/email asking you to stop. "If you continue" they can block your ccard number and/or email address. Both of which, you could get around.
Many ongoing expenses such as utilities, Internet, etc. give you the option to have your bill automatically deducted from your bank account. I did this for a few of them a couple years ago. One or two is OK but you can quickly get into losing control of your bank account. I budget and know my upcoming expenses but still would be surprised when money would appear to be missing.
It can also be a huge hassle to get these things off automatic payment.
Not having automatic payments means you also have the flexibility to delay a payment one month if you have an emergency and need the money.
I've been out of work for a little over a year collecting unemployment. I was in the printing industry-which has been slowly dying for years. I was making 60k a year and now on unemployment I'm getting 600 a week and the job prospects have been less than dismal. I'm in Mass and am eligible for up to 99 weeks. I'm definitely not happy collecting unemployment and am struggling to support myself and two kids. I have been offered a temp job with the possibility of going to perm at $18 an hour. This is 23k less than what I was making previously. It won't include health benefits so that is another expense that I have to consider. If this job doesn't work out for some reason, then my unemployment will be based on this new figure. I'm really torn as to what I should do. I feel like I'm starting all over again. I really need some solid advice.
I understand the benefits of a 401k, but at all the jobs I've worked I haven't had one (not even without an employer match, my companies just never have 401ks.) Where should I put my retirement money? I already max out my Roth IRA but I have some funds left over each year. I pretty much put them into a Sharebuilder account with index funds and a few stocks, but I'm worried about capital gains tax law changing by the time I'm ready to sell. What would you advise?
There also seems to be a great deal of wasting going on with the CVS extra care rewards program.
My sister and her friend both do the whole CVS-ing thing. They end up with huge amounts of things that neither of them really use- but they've "saved" in getting them. When they review their schemes with me, it makes sense to take something for free, but not if you have no need for it. Case in point, somehow last Xmas Sis's friend ended up with many MANY glucose meters- and is not diabetic. In reviewing her schemes for getting the meters, they were in fact all free- but to what end? She gave them away as stocking stuffers for family-- none of whom were diabetic either. If it had been me, I would have found a free clinic and given them there, but again, I don't obtain things I don't need in quantity either.
I'm curious about your situation. I know that many retailers (Walmart, for one) have very liberal return policies. They won't even ask the reason why if you return within the window (usually 60 days for most items.) Outside of the window, however, they are not responsible (as most stores are not.)
As far as manufacturer's rebates go, however, I think you have to get the manufacturer to make good on the product replacement. (At least that's what the language in the warranty will most likely state.) It will depend on the warranty, but this is another reason I use my Platinum Visa for purchases, not only does it extend any warranty by another 2 years, Visa will handle the replacement or repair process for me.
Sorry to hear you had such bad luck!
Linsey Knerl
I asked Tara, and she said this:
"The two biggest differences between the CVS ExtraCare program and Walgreens Register Rewards are you can buy more than one ExtraCare item in a single transaction and earn ECBs (ExtraCare Bucks) on both items, and you can use your ECBs on successive transactions to buy more of the same item, whereas if you use an RR that you earned at Walgreens buying Crest toothpaste to buy more Crest toothpaste, you won't earn a new RR on that transaction. Also, CVS does have a limit on each ExtraCare offer, whereas Register Rewards typically do not have a limit."
Hope this helps!
Linsey Knerl
If you find that a product fails while in the warrenty period, you may not be able to return it to the store for replacement. I tried to return an ice bag, under warrenty, with original packaging and receipt (as directed by label) and was refused. The Corporate office was unable to make the local store responsive.
Out of curiosity, does anyone know how this compares to Walgreens Register Rewards?
This is why I created my 2010 budget and really analyzed items line by line. I learned so much from doing this. I actually have a savings plan. Budgeting forced me to look at things differently. I had to eliminate a good amount of expenses, but it was worth it.
Nice trick, but some of the stuff parts are hard to find in Indonesia for general use. >.<
Thanks for the trick, the bazooka antenna works for my 3G USB Modem.
i am looking to sell about 20" of long wavy thick hair i do not smoke i do not drink i do not blow dry i do not die i do not use any chemicals other than shampoo and conditioner and i use pantene pro v only looking to cut it off after christmas please contact me if your interested or can give info on who to contact to sell at shmegma0608@comcast.net
I think you can get more mileage from an app like this, depending on where you live. I'm currently about 40 minutes from the nearest metro area, and can drive 35 minutes in two other directions to get to some larger towns with big-box stores. For me, comparison shopping is not something I want to do in store -- I have to guarantee the lowest price before I make the drive (and ad-matching isn't an option when you're dealing with completely different geographic locations, and in some instances different states!) This app is great for me, because I have to get a product somewhere. It just points me in the direction I need to drive (north, south, or southwest.) Saves gas money, time, and frustration to know ahead of time, especially since online comparison engines haven't been as accurate.
Linsey Knerl
We used this app when we were in the big box store for home improvement supplies. We checked alternative pricing for tile and supplies. In the end, we purchased as we would have otherwise.
We also used it for flea treatment medication for our pet. There was the brand name box sitting beside a no-name box. The no-name brand was considerably cheaper at 25% of the price. I did not recognize the active ingredient names though. I scanned the no-name brand and drilled down to learn about the ingredients. It directly decided my purchase decision. My point is that it enabled basic research on the product, in store. This was great when I was presented with a situation I could not know to research first at home.
I think the technology is fantastic, but I will echo some of the other comments above in saying that this only works well in certain situations--for example, on Black Friday, or if you're a compulsive electronics shopper (which I used to be).
When we buy anything over $50 these days, it's usually accompanied by days of online research first. There is no "in the store" decision. So in our case, this app would be woefully under-used.
Having said that, I think the potential here is incredible for this and future apps, and I'm excited to see what innovative people will come up with next!
I have found the best deals to be in the "scratch and dent" of our local Sears (especially for washers, dryers, microwaves, etc.) and the items are almost always new and just open box returns. I agree with the comment on online purchases always beating brick and mortar retailers (although sometimes it can just be a brick and mortar store in another state). ymmv
Interesting app that works well with electronics. The issue that I see with it for things like groceries is that you aren't likely to leave the store for a 20 cent difference from a store a mile away. The other problem is how many items in a grocery store are you going to scan and how long is that going to take. Electronics make perfect sense especially with the option to buy right on your phone from someone like NewEgg or Amazon.
The sales tax differential plus free shipping makes almost no in store shopping worth it for things like electronics. There is seldom a retail electronics deal that is priced 9% lower than the best online price. But I guess its a good way to see if you are getting a good price as opposed to the lowest price. My guess is where this would have the most value is in things like appliances where you want to know if you are getting a decent price but want local delivery and service plan.
Hi Craig - great article! (It's nice to see another Wise Bread writer in the southern hemisphere, much less the fact that we're neighbours in a global sense - I'm currently in Australia).
Anyway, I too have managed to move to and live in places with a high cost of living, and have made similar adjustments. My time living in Hawaii is a perfect example of being in a place with an extremely high cost of living, but not sacrificing much to live the life I wanted to live, in a place that fed me with inspiration (and warm weather)!
Thanks, Anna for the info on Masters programs abroad! Cheers.
This sounds great, but your review only highlighted the money saved on electronics. Has anyone ever used this for clothing, groceries, or other purchases?
Leatherman is indeed great. My leatherman bit the dust on the road (in ways it shouldn't have fallen apart), and in idle conversation with a sales rep at an outdoor gear store in Melbourne, I mentioned my broken Leatherman and asked if I could have the number for Leatherman's warranty dept in Australia.
They did one better: they offered to broker the warranty repairs for me and send it in on my behalf - free of charge of course. Once again - the power of being polite + customer service + warranties is stretching my dollar a little bit further!
Bananas in syrup are amazing. Actually banana in anything is amazing. Like peanut butter, almond butter and Nutella.
and the best I could do was $24.99/month for data. I'm afraid it's something I couldn't really get them to budge on.
You being a "Frugal Shopper" can you tell me a little about your phone plan. I have a smart phone (windows based) and I am dying to justify the upgrade to the Android but it would jack my phone bill up $30/month
@ #33
They do not do anything proactive to stop you from using one per month. "If they notice" they will send you a letter/email asking you to stop. "If you continue" they can block your ccard number and/or email address. Both of which, you could get around.
I would also add:
Don't put bills on automatic payments.
Many ongoing expenses such as utilities, Internet, etc. give you the option to have your bill automatically deducted from your bank account. I did this for a few of them a couple years ago. One or two is OK but you can quickly get into losing control of your bank account. I budget and know my upcoming expenses but still would be surprised when money would appear to be missing.
It can also be a huge hassle to get these things off automatic payment.
Not having automatic payments means you also have the flexibility to delay a payment one month if you have an emergency and need the money.
I've been out of work for a little over a year collecting unemployment. I was in the printing industry-which has been slowly dying for years. I was making 60k a year and now on unemployment I'm getting 600 a week and the job prospects have been less than dismal. I'm in Mass and am eligible for up to 99 weeks. I'm definitely not happy collecting unemployment and am struggling to support myself and two kids. I have been offered a temp job with the possibility of going to perm at $18 an hour. This is 23k less than what I was making previously. It won't include health benefits so that is another expense that I have to consider. If this job doesn't work out for some reason, then my unemployment will be based on this new figure. I'm really torn as to what I should do. I feel like I'm starting all over again. I really need some solid advice.
Re # 19. Paint/stain
They can also be very useful for straining out lumps in old unused paint or for filtering new paint that is to be used with a paint spray gun.