From Wisebread.com,
I recently bought an Asus EEE netbook (4 G version) and it's great! Here's what CNet had to say:
For less than $400, the Asus Eee PC 4G offers an impressive package for portable Web surfing and basic productivity, as long as you keep expectations tempered. The incredibly approachable price outweighs any shortcomings; it's a near perfect choice for a highly portable second or backup laptop.I bought mine for less than $300 and I use it not only as a laptop, but I've connected it to my kitchen flat panel television for use as a streaming media device. It's great! I can go to YouTube, Hulu.com or any of the major broadcasters and get virtually every television show on broadcast or cable - for free and on demand.
Sign up for Comed's air conditioner cycling program and save $10 off your electricity bill every month from June - September. The catch? On the absolute hottest days, Comed might turn off your air conditioner for up to 3 hours on weekdays between 11am and 8pm.
Two years ago, I dropped my landline in favor of Skype ($.02 / minute) and a pay as you go cellphone through Virgin Mobile USA ($.25 / minute - no monthly charges).
In the last 12 months, I've spent $125.45 on phone bills. Reviewing VMUsa for some options, I noticed that they had adjusted one of the tiers: $.20 per minute with no fixed monthly fees. Moving to the new plan will save me 20% off the top!
Virgin Mobile also has a program where you can watch and rate web ads to "earn airtime in your spare time". And since I've been earning about 25 minutes of free airtime a week, I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to cut my overall expenses in half over the next 12 months.
Here are more ways to save on gas.
Car maintenance
1. Keep the tires inflated properly. This one is simple and a potential lifesaver. Underinflated tires waste fuel and wear out the tire tread. Also, check tires regularly for alignment and balance.
2. A well-tuned engine burns less gas. Get regular tuneups and follow through with routine maintenance. The right parts and fresh oil keep your engine happy and less thirsty for gas.
3. Get the junk out of the trunk. A weighed-down car uses more fuel. For every extra 250 pounds your engine hauls, the car loses about one mile per gallon in fuel economy. Carry only the basic emergency equipment and items you really need.
Gas shopping
4. Buy the lowest grade (octane) of gasoline that is appropriate for your car. Check your owner's manual for this information. As long as your engine doesn't knock or ping, the fuel you're using is fine. You can save hundreds of dollars a year.
5. Pay cash at stations that charge extra for credit cards.
6. Don't top off the gas tank. Too much gas will just slosh or seep out. Why waste those extra pennies?
Driving
7. Drive intelligently; don't make fast starts or sudden stops. You're just overexerting your engine and burning extra fuel. Gradual acceleration also helps automatic transmissions run better. Engine-revving wastes fuel, too.
8. Lighten up on the accelerator. The faster you drive, the more gas you use. Speed limits have gone up around most of the nation, but you don't have to see your fuel consumption go up drastically as well. For example, driving at 55 mph rather than 65 mph can improve your fuel economy by two miles per gallon.
9. Avoid long warm-ups. Even on cold winter mornings, your car doesn't need more than a minute to get ready to go. Anything more and you're just burning up that expensive fuel.
10. Combine errands into one trip and plan your stops for the most efficient route. You'll save yourself time and money.
11. Do not rest your left foot on the brake. The slightest pressure could cause a drag that will demand additional gas use -- and wear out the brakes sooner.
Other good habits
12. Tighten up that gas cap. Make sure it's on securely. Buy a new one if your current cap doesn't fit snugly. Gas easily evaporates from the tank if it has an escape.
13. Buy a fuel-efficient car. When pricing cars, factor in long-term fuel costs. Keep in mind that sunroofs add to wind resistance, lowering the mileage per gallon.
14. Be smart with the air conditioning. On the highway, closed windows decrease air resistance, so run the air conditioner. But in stop-and-go traffic, shutting off the air conditioning and opening the windows can lighten your fuel use. Air conditioning can lower your fuel economy by 10 percent to 20 percent.
15. Remove snow tires in good weather. Deep tread and big tires use more fuel.
I wanted to dig into my fuel expenses, so I put the graph together below. I already automatically track my expenses is MS Money. A few minutes searching got me to a .gov website with official weekly gasoline prices. And so the graph below:
The green line is the weekly gas price (in cents - right vertical axis). The blue line is my actual expenses. That was pretty volatile, so I added a five week moving average (black line).
You can see in the last 3 months my bills have fallen by almost 25% even as gas prices have continued their upward march.
How?
I've been scrupulously following the speed limit, avoiding 'jackrabbit' starts and trying to keep the engine below 2500 rpm at all times. I also minimize braking whenever possible, allowing friction to slow the car down.
It's doing wonders for my mileage. In an age of rising prices, cutting consumption is the key to holding the line on inflation!
"At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders."
Thus is promised by the federal government at their digital television website. You can visit and receive two $40 coupons toward converter boxes if you, like me, still have an old (analog) television.
Combine this with free hi def programming that is already offered over the airwaves by many of your local stations and you've got a deal! Do television stations in your locale offer hi def programming? Check here to find out.
This is cool. I recently learned that my local power company (Nicor Gas) has a **free** program: they let me to buy natural gas from other utilities!
From their website:
Customer Select® is all about choices. It's a voluntary, free program offered by Nicor Gas that allows you to choose your natural gas supplier. Depending on the supplier, you will find some offers that lock in your gas price and others that compete with Nicor Gas' monthly gas supply charges. By comparing offers and making the choice that's best for you, you may be able to save money on the cost of your natural gas.It's a great program - looking at some cost comparisons, it looks like I could shave 5-10% off my natural gas bill.
Freecycle is a network of over 4,000 different local groups across the US and the world. It's a nonprofit group whose goals is to reuse perfectly good items to keep them out of landfills. Translation: give stuff to other Freecycle members and get free stuff in return!
To participate you do have to sign up, but membership is free. Go to freecycle.org to find the nearest local group today!
Cooking at home is a great way to save money. Even fast food is more expensive (and fattening, and less nutritious) than eating a home-cooked meal.
Not much of a chef? Check out cooking websites like Allrecipes.com. They have lots of recipes for people of all tastes and skill levels. You can even search by ingredients and rate recipes that you've tried.
My recent favorite: Waldorf Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette. I've modified it by tossing in an orange and diced roast chicken. It makes a perfect side dish, main course, and even a tasty on-the-go breakfast!
If you're like me, you probably fly once in awhile on a variety of different airlines, which makes it difficult to rack up enough points in any one program to get goodies like free trips or merchandise.
Enter Points.com. Points.com is a FREE website that allows you to manage points from virtually every rewards program on earth. You can swap points and miles between programs, trade them with other users, earn more points and miles and even redeem them for fun stuff.
Ok, what is EmploymentCrossing? Well, it’s not a sales company; it’s a job-opening research company. What does it mean? Well, most job boards are more interested in earning commissions by posting jobs than they are in matching people to the job that’s right for them.
Visit your local grocery store's website, where you can print coupons and check weekly fliers to hunt for the best deals.
The following is a list of the retailers that I've found:
Public libraries may not sound like the coolest, hippest place on the planet, but if you haven't been in a library lately, you're missing out. My local library has free internet access, free wireless and a huge selection of free music and books. DVDs and VHS tapes (for my parents) are available for $.50 per checkout. All it needs is a coffee bar, and it beat Starbucks hands down!
If you're concerned, librarians aren't scary people and they love to help people find new media and they especially love to sign new library members up. Just be warned: you may find that you stop spending any money on books, CDs or movies. Legally stop spending any money on books, music and movies that is.
Not sure where the nearest local library is? Check out the public library website...
I started using Skype to save money on my phone bill a few months ago and I couldn't be happier. The call quality is good, it's super-cheap and the Skype software helps easily manage my contacts!
What does it cost?
Well, you can get unlimited calls to anyone in the US and Canada for only $29.95 per year!
Or, if you prefer paying by the minute, you can use Skype to call anywhere in the US for only two cents a minute.
How does it work?
Skype is a VOIP service, which stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It's a fancy way of saying that you talk through your computer.
Do I have to use a headset?
No! There are a wide array of internet phones and adapters that you can use with Skype. One well-regarded one is the Nexoteq Smart USB Skype phone; it looks and operates like a traditional telephone, but allows you to take advantage of low-cost VOIP technology.
Paididea isn't really in the 'money saver' class, but is more in the 'money earner' category.
Play video games, read email, drive a car, go shopping ... and get paid for it! That's the idea behind paididea. It's a paid survey website company that allows people to receive checks for the things they'd be doing anyway. It's a great way for many of us who would like extra income, but whose schedule won't allow for something with set hours!
Tired of receiving offers for credit cards that you don't need and won't use? There is a way to make that junk mail stop!
Here is a link to a Federal Trade Commission website that explains how to 'opt out' of those direct mail offers.
Why would you want to opt out? From the website:
Some people prefer not to receive these kinds of offers in the mail, especially if they are not in the market for a new credit card or insurance policy. They may prefer to opt out to limit access to their credit report information for credit and insurance solicitations, or to reduce some mailbox “clutter.” However, some companies send offers that are not based on prescreening, and your federal opt-out right will not stop those kinds of solicitations.
The FTC missed one good reason, however. A pre-screened credit offer is an opportunity for someone to steal your mail and take out a credit card in your name.
From a USPS and FTC flyer (italics are my own words):
Common Ways ID Theft Happens
You may have seen the commercials on television: the cartoon figure 'Erin Esurance' running around battling evil and proclaiming the virtues of online auto insurance quotes. Granted, an unlikely combination. But Esurance.com is owned by an honest-to-goodness adult company (White Mountains Insurance Group) and is one of the fastest-growing auto insurance companies out there. Why?
Welcome to financial social networking. Upload your financial data to Wesabe and their web-based software will help you better understand how your money is being spent. Better yet, you're not alone: the Wesabe community shares tips and advice on personal finance and how to make better financial decisions.
Example:
