Wow, can't believe that it has been many, many years since I last posted anything here. Since then, I have come to realize that extreme penny pinching takes more energy than it is worth it, and that the bottom line is if you are paying an amount that is worth what you are receiving in return, and it is something that you need and can afford, then go for it.

That being said, it is hard to ignore the cost of technology. It has become a requirement in our daily lives, from he phone we use, the apps we use, the PC and programs that make life easier, or at list somewhat much more fun.

There was a time when PC and laptops where beyond most peoples reach. Nowadays, a decent PC can be had for less the $500 with most of the software you will ever need pre-installed. And even when said software was not part of your package, there is often plenty of open source alternatives available. And that now includes the operating system.

I still remember when Linux first came out, it was a really interesting concept. Before that all I know was Microsoft DOS or Windows and these where not free. As much as I wanted to try Linux, I found the GUI slow and unimpressive when compared to Windows. And finding then installing software required the use of the terminal. The there was the computers. I buy one with a perfectly good running OS pre-installed. Why would I take that out and replace it with Linux. Really did not make sense to me back then.

Back then, manufacturers sold computers with separate installation disks for use during those times when luck was not on your side. Eventually they got rid of those disks in favor of creating a separate partition on your hard drive to hold the reinstall software. But what happens if you hard drive craps out?  Well that is exactly what happened when my Dell Laptop running Windows Vista gave up, completely dying on me. I wasn't too happy with Vista so started looking for an alternative and that was when I rediscovered Linux, Ubuntu to be precise. The GUI was very impressive, much more than I last remember. Software was easy to install, I hardly need to remember any command lines, and best of all, it was free. So I installed Ubuntu and have been using it ever since. Windows has just released Windows 10 and I am still using the same laptop I had when Vista was top of the line. And I have peppermint Linux running on a netbook and it works great.

Re-use old computers, use free OS and software. Now that is real money saved.

Penny Pinching in my youth

I haven't had a chance to post anything here is a long time. But waking up today, I remembered a method my Grandmother (and I am sure others) have used. My Grandmother grew up in a time of war. Basic necessities where scarce.  Tthat meant reusing things to the point of breaking. That could be old radio, radio parts, vehicles, etc.

So, when I was young, among the things my Grandmother liked to do would be to add garters back unto old "jockey" briefs. Certainly the garters where cheaper than buying new briefs. Soap also did not escape. We used bars back then and we would always take the left over bars that,, on their own, were too small to use, and squeezed these together so that they merged into a bigger one. Forget that the different coloured bars and fragrance did not look too appealing.

Brunch

Wikipedia defines brunch as "a meal eaten in the middle of the morning, in between the normal time of breakfast and the normal time of lunch, as a substitute for both of these meals." What a great, really penny pinching way to save money. Not only does doing brunch help you save money during vacations (where meals can get really expensive) but even when at home. We usually eat brunch during the weekends when most members of the house hold tend to sleep in.

Money Jar

Money jar is what a youngster would call a piggy bank. The piggy bank concept is that instead of spending money you are given or earned,  you save it by putting it into a piggy bank. For adults, this means putting any change you receive into the money jar so as not to spend it, and the amount builds up over time. After a while, the idea would be to deposit the contents of the money jar into a savings account where it would now earn interest.

There was a time I would take my money jar to the bank and they would gladly accept all those coins. Nowadays, services like coinstar charges you a service fee of almost 10% to count your money so that you can then deposit into your own account! To be fair, coinstar does give you the option to receive a gift card instead of cash. When you choose this option, then the fee is waived.

Is using a money jar still worth it?

The answer is still yes. You can conlude that without the money jar you would end up with no savings at all, versus retaining 90% of what was in the jar. You can also try locating a Credit Union that you could join. My Credit Union does have a coinstar machine but they do not charge if you deposit the coins into your account with them.  I also use the coins to pay for stamps, vending machine purchases (when desperate as these are expensive purchases)and highway tolls. You can also use these as allowances, bus fares, token purchases, small grocery purchases (Think convenience stores) and more. There are still a lot of places that will accept coins even if your bank does not.

Money Jar Alternatives

The concept has been brought into another level by some banks (notably Bank of America) that allow you to round-up your debit card purchases to the nearest whole dollar amount, and they then deposit this roundup to either a checking or savings account. Bank of America even matches your deposit. This serves as your money jar and it is suppose to help you save money in the long run. But does it really? Depends. There is a limit to what the banks will match. There are also fees (remember those) that could be lurking, potentially costing you more than you save.

A Yes or A No

I usually go through the routine of winterizing the house before the start of every winter season. Despite this, I usually end up with one or two damaged water houses or leaky outside faucets. No big deal. Usually involves minor repair such as replacing washers. So I am used to that. What does not normally occur are leaky faucets inside the house during what is a warmer than normal winter. This tells me the problems have nothing to do with the weather.

A short background

There are days when I am not overwhelmed by daily or weekly activities that I may just spend a couple of minutes, hours just browsing through stores like BestBuy or The Home Depot. During one of these visits, I spied on a device that detects water leaks. A water leak alarm. I thought back then that since I have always gone to the basement, I did not really need this. Any flooding should be handled by the sump pump. Besides, since I live in a "once in a hundred year" flood zone up the side of a hill, when would the occasion for a flood occur?

Well a while back I mentioned that I had a faucet leak issue occur in the basement. I had to tighten that faucet really good to be able schedule a repair for the coming weekend. The next day, while again working in the basement, I heard what sounded like water in the shower. I quickly got up, went into the laundry room and there it was, the brass water Y-valve to the washing machine had sink broke, literally there was a crack on it. I quickly shut-off the valve and now had two items to work on during the weekend. This makes me wonder if this latest leak had just happened, or was it something I just missed a couple of days earlier? And this is not the first time this has happened. Barely three years ago the brass y-valve had also gone bad.

The Issue

So now the issue is this. On all occasions, I had been lucky enough to be in the basement when the problems occurred, the sump pump also worked. Now what if I didn't go down the basement for a few days, or the pump failed to work, what would have happened? Would potential damages be covered by regular home insurance or should I get flood insurance? Because of my location, flood insurance would not make sense. Maybe, I should invest $12.00 - $40.00 on a water leak alarm instead? What do you think?

A Short Story with a lesson

I received this story by email a couple of days ago and there is a lesson to be learned here I would like to share with you.

A Short Story for Engineers


A toothpaste factory had a problem: they sometimes shipped empty boxes, without the tube inside. This was due to the way the production line was set up, and people with experience in designing production lines will tell you how difficult it is to have everything happen with timings so precise that every single unit coming out of it is perfect 100% of the time. Small variations in the environment (which can’t be controlled in a cost-effective fashion) mean you must have quality assurance checks smartly distributed across the line so that customers all the way down to the supermarket don’t get pissed off and buy another product instead.

Understanding how important that was, the CEO of the toothpaste factory got the top people in the company together and they decided to start a new project, in which they would hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem, as their engineering department was already too stretched to take on any extra effort.

The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP (Request for Proposals) , third-parties selected, and six months (and $8 million) later they had a fantastic solution — on time, on budget, high quality and everyone in the project had a great time. They solved the problem by using high-tech precision scales that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box would weigh less than it should. The line would stop, and someone had to walk over and yank the defective box out of it, pressing another button when done to re-start the line.

A while later, the CEO decides to have a look at the ROI of the project: amazing results! No empty boxes ever shipped out of the factory after the scales were put in place. Very few customer complaints, and they were gaining market share. “That’s some money well spent!” – he says, before looking closely at the other statistics in the report.

It turns out, the number of defects picked up by the scales was 0 after three weeks of production use. It should have been picking up at least a dozen a day, so maybe there was something wrong with the report. He filed a bug against it, and after some investigation, the engineers come back saying the report was actually correct. The scales really weren't picking up any defects, because all boxes that got to that point in the conveyor belt were good.

Puzzled, the CEO travels down to the factory, and walks up to the part of the line where the precision scales were installed.
A few feet before the scale, there was a $20 desk fan, blowing the empty boxes out of the belt and into a bin.

“Oh, that,” says one of the workers — “one of the guys put it there ’cause he was tired of walking over….. “every time the bell rang”.


The lesson? Do yourself and your pocketbook a favor and remember, solutions to a problem need not be very expensive or complicated. A lesson that applies not only to Engineers but to everyone else.

Check for Toilet Leaks

It is easy enough to check your faucets. Simply stare at the faucet for a few minutes and if you do not see water drip, then the faucet is likely fine. Toilets are another matter.

Most toilets do not leak in huge, easily visible ways. Sometimes it is like being a detective. You are sleeping at night then you suddenly hear the toilet refill. Did somebody just flush? You open you eyes but the lights are off, no light from the bathroom either, the bathroom door is open and there is no one in either. Was it a ghost? Well, since I tend not top believe in ghosts then it must be a leaky toilet. Of course, because most homes are constructed of what amounts to paper and wood, it is possible the toilet you heard came from outside your door, or even in the living room. The prudent thing to do would be the check everyone of them.

I check each toilet by taking a few minutes to stare at the waterline, looking for tell-tale signs of a constant flow of water. If I do not see anything I usually move on to the next. But what if you really suspect that toilet in the guest room but do not see those tell-tale signs, also called "Silent Leaks"? How do you get the suspect to talk without resorting to harsh interrogation techniques or prematurely jumping to a guilty verdict? Being a good detective who has done some of his homework, I know there is something in my bag of tricks that will do the job. In this case, it takes the form of a tablet, a coloring dye that will make the suspect talk and reveal whether it is the source of the leak, or not.

I have tried a couple of versions of these toilet leak dyes, like Blue Streak Pro 200. The way these work is that you put the tablets into the water tank. The dye dissolves and if there is a leak, you should find out in a few minutes. I have also used cheaper household items to color the water in the tank, things like orange juice or even coffee. OK, only coffee then. The principle is the same whether you use the dye or coffee. The end result is that you catch a leak before it starts costing more money than you care to spend.

Schedule Regular Faucet Inspections

I recently came down into the basement to get some work done and notice a dripping noise. Since it was raining that day I did not pay too much attention to it. A day later, I could still hear the dripping noise yet it was no longer raining. After a quick search I found that the water was dripping. Who knows how long this had been occurring. If I had not gone down into the basement that day the dripping faucet could have gone unnoticed for months. An acquaintance of mine had a similar though far worst experience. His mother lived by herself, in a home with an unfinished basement. She never visits the basement without reason. On receiving her water bill she noticed a huge increase in the amount she must pay, so she visits her basement, and there she finds her water heater with huge water leak. Needless to say she was lucky. Her unfinished basement had actually allowed the water to drain away, the damage to her house could have been substantial. As for my water bill, I have not received it yet but I hope any increase would be minor.

As you can tell, if we my acquaintances mom and myself both regularly scheduled checks of our faucets, toilets or water heater, we could have caught the problems earlier. I do check the toilets and faucets we use on a daily basis but, regularly scheduled visits to those you do not regularly use is important. I have now added this to my calendar, to regularly check every three months all faucets, both inside, outside, and in the basement.

After a Few Weeks of Observation

I've been observing the way the aerators are being used, and so far everybody agrees that in terms of the amount of water saved, the instant aerator takes the cake. It all has to do with turning off instantly. However, it all depends on what you are doing. My daughter had mentioned that when washing her face, she prefers the instant off aerator. I agree, and include brushing your teeth.My other daughter seems to be partial towards the manual on/off aerator. But regardless of what you prefer, it doesn't take long to get used to the aerators, and you would save money on both types, when used right and consistently.

I will continue observations, and maybe soon, decide on standardizing the aerators around the house.

Comparing Water-Saving Aerators

I had a short discussion with some friends regarding aerators over the Holidays. It seems that everybody has some concerns as to which type would be best suited to there situation. If you find yourself with the same situation, please read this short article at http://www.squidoo.com/aerator-on-off on the installation and comparison between the manual on/off aerator and the instant-off aerator. I would certainly be interested in reading your opinion regarding the two types.

Another Aerator with an On/Off Switch

As I had mentioned in my December 18 entry, I do intend to try the other version on aerator with an on/off switch. The earlier version I tried was Danco Perfect Match 36416B that was designed for kitchen use. The other version is the DANCO 2.5 GPM Instant-Off Energy-Saving Aerator which is designed specifically for use in the bathroom. It has a lever (or rod) that lets water flow when you push on it, and stops water from flowing when you let go. An automatic on/off switch. It also has a setting that allows the continuous flow of water.

Why use the Instant-Off aerator?

There are a lot of situations where you need to adjust the water temperature of the sink. Examples are brushing your teeth or washing you face. While using a cup to hold the warm water while brushing your teeth helps, you probably won't do that when washing your face. The result is wasted water as the water continuous to flow while lathering and rinsing. The instant-off feature addresses this issue.

Installation and Use

Installation is simple. Just have an adjustable wrench available to remove the old aerator, then install and hand-tighten the new aerator, then test for leaks. If there is a leak, then use the wrench to tighten, but not too much. One thing you need to look out for is the orientation of the lever. Although water is supposed to flow whether you push, pull or rock the lever from side to side, there is a preferred direction. You should orient the aerator such that this preferred direction matches what you would normally use.

Performance

The Instant-off feature worked as expected. But while I found that setting the continuous flow by pushing the lever up, then twisting it a quarter turn just a little annoying, others in my household found it hard to use. Turns out that some prefer the aerator with an on/off switch (no lever) to the instant-off (with lever). To that I say, “to each his/her own”.

Water-Saving Toilet Fill Valve

I've recently come across a device that should save water from a source that normally is not thought of, the toilet fill valve.

Under normal operation, the refill valve directs water two ways. Most should go towards refilling the toilet water tank, as it should. Some is directed directly into the overflow pipe which then flows directly into the bowl. You need to have the proper level of water in the bowl after a flush to have a proper flush the next time around, also to keep unpleasant odor from seeping through the siphon. It is here where some incremental savings can be had. Notice that most of the time, the water level in the bowl is already at an adequate level, but since the tank is not full, water continuous to flow through the overflow pipe into the bowl. What happens to this excess water? Nothing, the excess water just flows directly out. This is wasted water.

There are a few things you can do about this.

1. Direct all the water from the refill valve into the tank. I have tried this and it works fine as long as you have one of those older toilets that use more than 1.6 gal/flush. Otherwise you run the risk of not having enough water in the bowl at the end of the flushing cycle.

2. Replace your refill valve with a water-saving refill valve from MJSI. This device has a mini-valve that lets you control the amount of water flowing through the overflow pipe into the bowls during the flush cycle. And the device also detects silent leaks.

3. If you have already installed a water-saver like the brondell SimpleFlush, you may decide to just wait until you need to replace your refill valve. I have observed that the water flowing into the overflow pipe when using the 1/2 flush setting on the SimpleFlush is just enough to adequately fill the bowl.

For me, the incremental savings I would get by replacing a perfectly functioning refill valve would not be worth it. It makes more sense to just wait until it is time to replace the existing fill valve.

Home Water Use

Water is something we seem to always take for granted, maybe because there are at times where it seems so plentiful. We go to a river and we see all this water available, or when the rain comes we feel it is always enough to replenish our supply. We open the tap and it is always flowing, easily available. This abundance of water is a gift that we take for granted, despite realization that there are areas of the world where the search for clean drinking water is a constant and often daily struggle.

In recent years, the occurrences of drought has become more often lasting longer than before. This and the ever increasing demand for water due to increases in population and for industrial use is going to continue to stretch the existing supply. It seems only right that we do our share to conserve this resource...and save a little money along the way.

Danco Perfect Match 36416B Faucet Aerator With On/Off Switch

I've always had this feeling of guilt whenever some one leaves the water running while washing their face or brushing their teeth. The reason for leaving the water running is understandable. You just took the time to get the right mix between hot and cold water so you have water at just the right temperature to wash your face, your hands or brush your teeth. No one wants to take the time to redo this a couple of minutes later, especially if you risk getting soap in your eyes! After searching through the local home improvement stores I finally found a possible solution on the internet, the Danco Perfect Match 36416B. I bought initially only to try it out and see how effective it is, and whether it was easy to use. First things first though, where to install it? There is really just two places in a home that you can install an aerator, the kitchen or bathroom. After considering our particular situation through the power of observation, I decided to try this in the bathroom.

Why the 36416B?

The 36416B is actually described as a kitchen aerator, and it is labeled as such. There are plenty of other aerator specifically designed for bathroom use. Most tend to have a lever that extends to allow an automatic on/off feature. Close observation of how we might use the on/off switch seemed to indicate that the lever may end up being an annoyance in the long run. The shorter switch of the 36416B located to the side of the faucet is actually a better option in our case. You may come to a different conclusion depending on your particular situation. I still do intend to try out the aerator with auto on/off feature at a later date. 
 

Installation and Use

The tools you need are simple, an adjustable wrench or pliers. That's it! Simply remove the old aerator and install the 36416B, then test. Start by hand tightening the aerator, using the wrench only as a last resort. Be careful not to tighten too much, and don't tighten it by pushing on the on/off switch, you may end up damaging the aerator.


 Performance

The aerator performed as expected. You adjust the hot/cold water supply and once you get that right mix, turn off the aerator. Not rocket science. The device sometimes drips but I can live with that, compared to what the alternative was. The hardest thing to learn is to remember to actually always use the device, not just for myself but the whole family.

A Word of Caution

While discussing the aerator with a buddy of mine, he had this idea to use the aerator as a permanent on/off switch, kind of like setting the faucet once, never turn the faucet off, and use the aerator instead to turn the water on and off basis. Something to remember, this is for short term use only, as needed. Do not expect to set your hot/cold faucet, and come back 8 hours later expecting the same water temperature. Leaving the aerator at the ON position is like connecting the hot water tank to the cold water source, there is going to be interaction between the two. You might end up spending more on heating water. And I doubt the device was actually designed to be used as an alternative to faucets.

 Simple Flush by Brondell

A major source of water use is the toilet. In the olden days, people would reduce the amount of water used per flush by adding bladders, or stones into the water tank. This reduced the volume of water and thus, the amount used. We've come a long way from those days, with the advent of those low water, 1.6gal/flush toilets, but more can be done.  There have been, in recent years, a push to use toilets that have dual flush function. Dual flush toilets use different amounts of water for handling solids and liquids. Depending on your usage, a family of four could be looking at saving a substantial amount each year. Let us do the math. If you save just 30%/flush, that amounts to 0.48gal/flush saved for low water toilets. For a family of four, using the toilet to flush liquids only, five times a days, that would equal 9.6gal/day or 3500gal/year!

Before deciding to use the Simple Flush by Brondell, I actually considered replacing my existing toilet. Price became an issue because most of the dual flush toilet cost over $300.00, not an amount I was willing to pay. The next option was a converted I ran across at the local HomeDepot store, the Drop-in Dual Flush Converter by MJSI. The concept was simple enough and I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, it did not fit my toilet. The device was too tall so I could not properly close the toilet lid. I also wasn't too sure that the seal was very good. What I needed to find was a different way of implementing the ½ flush. As luck would have it, I came across the Simple Flush while watching a “The Early Show”, or was that, or was that “The Today Show”? Doesn't matter, it looked right the right solution for me.

Installation

The installation instructions were easy to follow. And with the exception of the adjustable wrench, you pretty much got everything you needed with the converter kit. Unlike most other dual flush converters I know of, a device needs to be installed at the water source to control the direction of the water flow. That means a power source is required to operate the device and the flush adjustment, AAA batteries to be precise. 

I followed the instructions provided almost to the letter. I had to make some minor modifications (http://www.squidoo.com/dual-flush-toilet-converter) to make it work with the toilets situation. Other than that, the process is simple and straight forward.

Performance

The Simple Flush performed well, in my opinion. You do need to make some initial adjustments to the full and ½ flush levels. The default was set to 10 but after some tests I finally settled down to a full flush setting of 7, and a ½ flush setting of 4. I did a quick measure of the low level flush and estimated that I was saving around 30% on each flush. The trick is to push the right button consistently.

As with the aerator, using the Simple Flush requires some educating. At first I simply thought I would just install it, leave the original handle installed and let the emblem speak for itself. Nope, people continued to try to flush using the handle and called for help when it didn't work. I finally removed the handle and that seemed to work. With the settings I have, I have noticed that there will be times when there will not be enough water in the ½ flush to completely flush toilet paper. So effectively using this device may also include a change in the way toilet paper is used, perhaps throwing it in the trash instead of the toilet when you would normally just expect to flush down fluids.

Alternatives to Telephone Land Line

POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) has been the main stay of communication in our homes for many decades. And despite the upgrade from using live telephone operators (does anyone remember that?) to mechanical switchboards to the current digital switchboards and telephones, the principle had remained relatively the same. Your telephone basically ran a telephone line from their switches to your home.

The arrival of cellphones is, for many people, a viable alternative to maintaining a POTS at home. Most of the younger folks I assume are comfortable enough not having. I am not one of those. I still long for the security of having an actual phone tethered to a wall socket, that I will not leave somewhere in the Mall and get washed with my dirty clothes. What I did not want was the cost associated with this lines.

The internet and the development of Voip (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony has made it possible for alternative to POTS. Voip, which allows the transmission and reception of voice over the internet has improved greatly since I first tried it out years ago. My first experience with Voip was not very good. The latency (time between the moment a voice packet is transmitted and the moment it reaches its destination ) and the echo was so bad I compared it to using CB radios with only one person talking while the other listened. My next attempt was to use the then popular AIM (AOL Instant messaging) and Skype. Unfortunately until the networks got fast enough, the delays and echos were still bad. In addition, the computer actually had to be on, and somehow, the party I was trying to call also had to be logged on.

Vonage was the first service I tried that showed me that it was possible to get rid of my POTS. I did find it to be a bit expensive at the time (I think I paid $24.99 for 500 mins) and, since it practically cost the same as my POTS, I decided against continuing the service. But I thought it to be a good start. I eventually progressed to Sunrocket and was happy with their service (despite the occasional bad audio quality) up until the time they filed for bankruptcy.

I then tried MagicJack. The earlier version of MagicJack required the use of a PC to make calls, and this could be an issue. So I decided to experiment. I left my PC on for 3 days to see if it could, in essence, replace my land line. But for some reason the MagicJack would always shutdown. I decided it too was not ready for prime time. I eventually switched to ITP and have been very satisfied with it. But I do continue to look for cheaper alternatives and I have now heard that MagicJack Plus does not require a computer to work, just plug it into your router. And you can now even port your old phone number, wow! I am planning on giving this new MagicJack a try as the prospect of paying only $19.95 / year vs ITP $15.95 / month is too good to pass on. If everything works well, then maybe I will go as far as actually port my current phone number.

A Voip service I have not tried is Ooma. The premise behind this is that you pay for the unit in full, then pay whatever taxes and fees a regular POTS would cost but then be able to make free local and long distant calls, for life! State fees as of Nov 2011, amount to about $3.50/month in the state of Maryland. The catch of course is that you pay upfront since the unit costs up to $200 for the base unit. A concern I have is with the voice quality and the companies staying power. Ooma works very much like Skype in that it depends on a peer-to-peer network to operate. So as more and more people use the service, there is a need for faster internet connection between hubs. What happens when there are just too many users? Would the voice quality degrade? As far as the stability of the company is concerned, would they reach a point where there unit sales aren't growing anymore because those who want to use the service already have their own units? It seems to me at that point that they would either close shop or start charging something, somewhere. Perhaps they already do. In any case, if you do the math. If Ooma closes down 10 months after you buy and start their service, you probably would have broken even, already. After 10 months it is all savings.

How about Google Voice? At the moment Google Voice isn't a phone service. I do use it manage calls rather than to make calls. There are ways to make free US calls through Google Voice but at the moment, I do not find it to be worth the hassle.

One question some people may be asking is whether there were any services that are given up when you switch from the POTS to Voip. In most cases, there are none. Caller ID, voice mail or call waiting are, for the most part, tossed in for free. I actually had to pay for these services when I was still using POTS. So, the whole point here is that even for those who do not want to give up their landlines, there is hope. Voip services are now just as clear as the traditional telephone and can be substantially cheaper if you are willing to experiment to find a service that works for you.

Cellphone Plans

Almost every person I know owns a cellphone. Quite a few have made this into their only means of conversing with people and therefore spend a lot of time on the phone. So why do you need to keep that land line then? Why indeed. A number of people (including a relative of mine) has made the jump, saved themselves a bundle by getting rid of their old telephone lines in favor of their trusty cellphone. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages. Making emergency 911 calls can be a little tricky without a land line, and dropped calls is certain to be an issue. Then there are the times you just want to have a long chat with your inner circle of friends, how much is that going to cost you? Fortunately there are some options available.



Or you can all decide to use the same carrier and take advantage of the free mobile-to-mobile plan being offered by most US carriers. This isn't too difficult now a days since phone numbers can be ported, allowing you to keep your old number. Just be certain that you do not have any contracts that may impose a hefty penalty for switching before the end of the contract period. Another option available for you if you (or your friends) cannot live without your current carrier. Some carrier offers plans that allow you to make unlimited calls to a set of phone numbers if you purchase a minimum plan amount and register the phone numbers you intend to call, usually up to a total of 10. Below are two of the most popular cellphone plans for you and your friends.




Verizon Friends and Family (As of Nov. 11, 2011)
Stay in touch with the people you call most – without using your minutes. Add up to 5 or 10 people on any mobile network or landlines.

Sprints Any mobile, Anytime (As of Nov. 11, 2011)
Unlimited domestic class from the Sprint network to AND from any US mobile phone, regardless of carrier. Any network, Anytime

Unfortunately, as of this writing, it appears that AT&T and T-Mobile no longer have plans that compete with the offerings from Verizon or Sprint.

Ditch those Bank fees by switching to a Credit Union

Bank fees on everything, from loan fees to the cost of maintaining an account are typically higher than their Credit Union equivalent. For example, some banks require you to maintain at least $5,000.00 in your account or you are charged a monthly maintenance fee. Credit Unions typically require $5.00. See the difference?

If you decide to switch from your bank, I do have a couple of suggestions that have worked for me.

1. Do not start off by closing your bank account. Like most of us, you probably have your direct deposit salary deposits, automatic payments and debit setup and running smoothly.
2. Leave enough funds in your bank account to cover at least a couple of weeks payments. Depending on how meticulous you are at maintaining a record of all those payments, you may find that you could leave less.
3. Open your credit union account.
4. Transfer your direct deposit, automatic payments and debit to your new credit union account.
5. Check your bank account for the next month to make sure nothing unexpected gets debited from the account.
6. If everything looks goo, then close your bank account. You have now fully transferred to your Credit Union.

To find out more about Credit Unions or to find a Credit Union to join, visit www.CUNA.org. To compare bank and credit union rates , you can also try Creditunion.coop.

Now will Credit Unions be always better for you? Chances are no. Depending on your situation, there are just things that a big bank would turn out to be a better choice. But for all those other services that a typical household would need, a Credit Union is a better choice. I've been using one for over 14 years and have not yet regretted it.