Merry Thrift-mas...

I feel like I have partially neglected this blog.  Most of my attention has been with my photography blog which you can see by clicking here or on the link to the right.

I have been only skimming magazines and not really having time to pass things along to all of you, but hopefully that will improve.  I did want to pass along a quick read from USAWeekend that comes with the Sunday issue of many newspapers.  The article is from award-winning journalist and best-selling author, Jean Chatzky who wrote a featured article called "Merry Thrift-mas."  She made some key points as you all head into the home stretch of holiday gift purchases which include:

• Think "Life List," not Christmas list
• Consider what you could buy instead. This is called "opportunity cost" in economics
• Involve other and commit (to spending limits)
• Get more out of gift cards
• Embrace impulse control
• Shop (online) till you drop (limit yourself to 2 hours)
• Think life a recipient, not a giver

For more details click here for the full article: http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20121130/MONEY01/311300005/Merry-Thrift-mas

Related websites:

• Wikipedia entry on Opportunity Cost: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost

I hope you found this helpful.  Click here to see how you can support me.

AAA Members-Only Night at Magic Mountain

In case anyone missed this announcement in the last Westways magazine. Members get admission on May 18, 2012 to Six Flags Magic Mountain in southern California for $27 and for $10 more you get access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Parking is also complimentary.

For more details go to the following website:  http://www.calif.aaa.com/en-ca/find-discounts/Pages/six-flags-member-night.aspx?

Trafalgar - rediscover the romance of travel

If you are looking for some travel ideas, this is a great place to start.  Their catalog and website have a pretty amazing list of vacation ideas that start at about one week in duration and can go up from there.  I have not personally participated in any of their packages, but most of the lodging and food and travel appear to be included.  There are some meals and optional activities that may not be included.

If you do not like to "micro"-plan your vacations, then just buy one of their packages.  If you want to have full control over your itinerary and pace, then you pay want to see what their schedule is like and try to reproduce it.  Of course, you need to balance this with the possible increase in cost to your trip. 






I had previously posted on a similar service that Disney offers called "Adventures by Disney" which you can read by clicking here.

Related websites:

• Adventures by Disney
• Trafalgar

I see some itineraries that look very interesting.  Just need the time and resources to go.

To see how you can support me, click here.

Stop upgrading everything...

Just watched this video on Yahoo! Finance which talked about the Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.  Mike Daisey visited the Foxconn manufacturing plant where a lot of our electronics are built.  He says that the United States exported jobs, but not values.

One way to "revolt" against the poor working conditions is to fight back the internal feeling of the need to upgrade everything you have as soon as something new is released.


For more information, click here to view the video.

To read about Foxconn on Wikipedia, click here.


To see how you can support me, click here.

Apple is skimping this year!

Oooh.  Apple is skimping this year!  In previous years they would run a promotion of something like "Buy a Mac and get an iPod free" where you would be reimbursed for about $199 for the purchase of an iPod.

I guess this year they are giving you an "app" store credit in the amount of $100.  For them, it isn't a big deal because there is virtually no overhead for this variable cost.

Bummer.

Click here to be taken to Apple's website for more information.

NFL Women's Merchandise

I guess the NFL has launched a website just for women.  Women account for 44 percent of their fan base.  They are targeting merchandise that can be purchased for use at games or at any other venue.

They have a fairly slick website, and on quick review all of it can still be purchased on the main NFL shopping site.

Support me by clicking on my Upromise link.  Click on the "See Deals and Shop" button and then type nfl.com on the search window.

Fry's Lenovo H215 0893 1AU computer deal

Here is a pretty good deal until 9/30/10.  Fry's electronics has a special on the lenovo H215 0893 1AU system.  On Amazon, a similar system is going for $359.99 and on eBay, it is going for about $400.

Until 9/30/10 you can get a system for $299.99 after $30 in instant savings.  Here are the specs:

• AMD Athlon II x2  at 2.7
• 2 GB RAM
• 320 GB hard drive
• DVD-RW
• 16 in 1 media card reader
• 6 USB Drives
• Windows 7 Home Premium 32
• 1 year basic warranty

It is basic computing if you need it.  

Click here to go to Frys.com It says that you can only have one per customer.

The following is to buy from Amazon.com

AAA: Keep your old car or trade it for a new one?

In this AAA article titled "Keep It or Dump It?" Peter Bohr tackles the mind battle all of us grapple with when deciding how much longer to keep our current cars.

Here are the common reasons rationalize buying a new car:

• Too much hassle (too many trips to the mechanic, etc...)
• Too unattractive
• Too few of the latest bells and whistles
• Too fuelish

To tread the whole article, click here

For big-ticket items, know when to shop

USAWeekend.com had a short blurb by Peggy J. Noonan on when the best time to shop for big-ticket items.  Here is a summary:

• Cars:  August to September
• Gas grills: September to December
• Lawn mowers: October
• Camcorders, GPS devices, Bicycles: November
• Appliances: December to January
• Exercise equipment: January
• Furniture, Indoor: February
• Televisions, DVD/Blu-ray players: March
• Computers: at the end of each financial quarter (April, June, October, January).  I think they actually mean March, June, September, December?
• Athletic shoes and apparel: May
• Tools: June
• Electronics: June (not sure how this fits with the above Television, Computer categories)
• Furniture, Outdoor: July

For more details, click here to view the entire article.

Secrets of Extreme Savers

In this recent feature by CNNMoney.com it features eight people or families and what they have done in their lives to be able to save a

Their key strategies are at the very core of nearly every "get rich" or "get out of debt" books in print and include the following:

• Avoid debt
• Delay gratification
• Create multiple streams of income
• Live below your means
• Cut down on everyday expenses
• Track your spending
• Live on one salary while bringing in two
• Automate saving

For more details, click here to read the entire feature.

Trade a cell phone (eventually) into a Porsche?

I recently read an article on Yahoo! Finance about a person who over the course of two years made multiple trades off of Craigslist and turned an old cell phone into a used Porsche Boxster.

I applaud his efforts, but here is my point.  It states that he spends five to six hours a day looking for possible trades for two years.  The value of the car was $9,000 and it reports that he later decided to get rid of it because maintenance was too high.

I am just wondering what would have happened if he had just worked for two years and bought the $9,000 car outright?  I know someone reading this will throw in that it is a poor job market and that it would be difficult to get a job, and on and on...   At the Federal Minimum wage of $7.25 per hour at five hours per day and 250 days per year for two years, he would have earned (before taxes of course) $18,125. Of course if someone would be able to get a job paying more than the minimum wage or worked more than 25 hours per week, this amount would be higher.

Was it worth it?

For more details, click here to read the article

If you received $10,000, what would you do with it?

That is one of the questions you are supposed to ask a prospective partner in life to help determine if they tend to be a "saver" or a "spender."

There were a couple of questions listed at the end of an article by Laura Rowley titled "Keeping Finances Separate Can Be Costly" that discussed whether you should keep finances separate as a couple, merge them together, or have a hybrid system.

To read the entire article, click here to be taken to Yahoo! Finance

Papa Johns lost out tonight

We were going to order pizza, but there is a programming error or something.  Even though they have a special of all large pizzas for $10 and all XL pizzas for $12 right now...

It was not easy or intuitive to get to the specials.  Once we pulled up the pizza, it would not allow us to change the type of crust or remove items.

Oh well...will need to try another day.  

Click here for the PapaJohns website 

Westways: Careening in a Can

In the June 2010 issue of Westways, the magazine for Auto Club members, there was a nice (and interesting) article about one family's "adventure"vacation in an RV.  We have been thinking about renting an RV and using it as a base for a similar "adventure."  With six people in the family, logistics is a little more difficult.

Now as for buying, we are not sure whether we could commit.  Some of the nice entry-level RVs run anywhere from $150k to the high $300s.  It seems to make it not worth it unless you are really going to use it the equivalent of about one weekend each month.  In addition, there is the maintenance on the engine, storage, sun damage, etc., etc.

An alternative is to get a trailer.  There are some nice trailers that can sleep six people and run below $30-40k.  One would need a truck that can handle the towing, maybe a 4x4 or a dually.  A truck could serve a dual purpose of running errands or for commuting as compared with an RV that serves one purpose. The dually would not be as practical for getting around town because of the wide rear axle.  The problem with a truck is that it needs to be able to hold six passengers and tow a decent sized trailer.

I am sure there are benefits with having a single electrical system in an RV, but the cost of a nice truck and trailer is much less than an RV.

Bottom line: not ready for an RV or a trailer/truck combination.

Click here to read the whole article.

Update:

I guess there are some Class C motorhomes that are priced between $75k to $100k that can sleep up to eight people at a time.  This may be an option in the future.

Is it time to Downshift?

If you have been reading this blog, you will know that I have been receiving Forbes Magazine for free.  It looks like I will be likely getting it for another six months or so.  In the April 26, 2010 issue, there is an article called "Downshift" by Monte Burke which showcases some vignettes on five people in a variety of industries who have either by choice (most of them) or by being laid off.

This is just another reminder to stay grounded and focus on the fundamentals (live within your means, positive monthly cash flow, emergency savings, etc.) because sometimes you never know what is going to happen.

Click here to read the article.

To subscribe to Forbes magazine for 12 months, click here.

Adventures by Disney: Worth it or not?

While at the local American Automobile Association office to renew a car registration, I saw a video on these guided tours targeted for families.  They are run by Disney and I recently checked out their website.

Most of the trips are around a week in length and run in the thousands per person and usually do not include airfare.  If you review the itineraries they look like outstanding "adventures" and great family experiences.  I think there probably is some minimum age for the kids to enjoy this (maybe somewhere between six and eight years of age?).

Even though these look tempting and I am sure the service is superb, with a family of six and the cost per person in the thousands, some of the trips may reach the tens of thousands in overall costs.  It would probably best to review the itineraries and develop your own similar (and likely less expensive) experience.

Click here to go to Adventures by Disney.

Incremental costs: iPad example of fighting the rationalization game

Here's a great article about how a slippery slope can be started by starting with a basic purchase for a low-end model and then "rationalizing" yourself into buying something that costs much more.  I am sure we all do it whether it is something small like food purchases at a grocery store or larger items like appliances (microwaves, refrigerators, etc) and electronics (think TVs, cameras, computers).

Click here to read the Consumer Reports example. (How My $499 iPad Purchase Became a $1,170 Credit Card Bill)

Yahoo! Finance "How to Be Your Own Financial Regulator"

In this article by Laura Rowley she discussed the recent proposals for financial reform.  It is 1,300 pages long!  I know there are debates back and forth "For" or "Against" reform.

She makes the following points where if you adhere to them, the chance that you making a bad decision is low:

• Thou shalt not live beyond thy means.
• Thou shalt set aside cash for emergencies.
• Thou shalt not carry a revolving balance on they credit card.
• Thou shalt not use a financial product without searching for the best deal.
• Thou shalt save early and often for expensive goals.
• Thou shalt not be overconfident whilst demonstrating financial ineptitude.

Click here to view the article and more details about the above recommendations.

Money Magazine: Selecting a knife that is a cut above the rest

I found this video on knife selection.  It is hosted discussed by one of the associate deans at the Culinary Institute of America.

Click here to view the video on CNNMoney.com.

To subscribe to Money Magazine click on this link for a 1-year subscription for $10:  Money (1-year)

Interesting Product: Pogoplug

I ran across an interesting Tech product called "Pogoplug" which allows you to access any USB storage device (solid or hard drive) via the internet through an internet browser.  The interesting thing about their business model is that you, the consumer pay for the device up front with no additional annual fees.  Compare this with other access companies which require you pay a yearly charge.

It currently is going for $129 on Amazon at the following link:  Pogoplug Multimedia Sharing Device.

It amazingly allows you the plug up to 4 USB devices or even more if you use a USB hub. What isn't clear is whether you can allow access to certain drives or partitions to family or friends via another ID/password. There is a "Usecase" for file sharing, but there isn't specific information on how to actually get it set up.