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The Glass Half Full

January 25, 2010 By QueenGeek View Comments

I think most people complain about something from time to time and I am no exception.  Lately, I have complained about not getting a raise for the 2nd year in a row, although the company is profitable.  I have complained about the $12,000+ loss in pay from a job I had in Virginia….almost 5 years ago.  Of course, I can never have enough gadgets so my reduction in pay just fuels more fire.

Today I came home to be greeted by a neighbor seeking an air pump for a nearly flat tire.  She went on to explain that she had to move because she had been abandoned in Arizona and her kids were helping her move.  My puzzled face prompted her to explain that her husband had moved her to Arizona only to telephone that he was not going to join her and that  he had a girlfriend. She had worked on Walmart for several years only to lose that job and she just could not afford the payments.  She was in good spirits and took the “oh well, what can I do?” attitude.

Perspective

Needless to say, I felt grateful for my well-paying job even though we did not receive a raise.  I was glad that I could pay my bills and still have a little blow money.  I am truly blessed that I can pay my bills without worry.  It has not always been or seemed that way but that is the case now.

At the end of the day, all I could complain about were wants, not needs.  I do not NEED another mac computer..I just want one.  The only thing I need is really more of a to-do item and that is get my vehicle serviced.  So, at least for the moment, I will not complain and enjoy my blessings.

My glass is definitely half-full.  Is yours?

Better Spending Habits: Do Not Pay Retail Prices!!!

September 13, 2009 By QueenGeek View Comments

Recently, I have started to take better care of my spending habits. Anyone that knows me is well aware that I have a weakness for electronic gadgets. As a result, I’ve been working on changing how and what I purchase so I can afford the items without breaking the bank nor paying retail prices.

Open Box Specials

Currently, I’m in the market for yet another Mac Book Pro and Apple does not make any inexpensive devices. As a result, I’m trying to purchase open-box items at local stores and these deals are better than  Craigslist, Ebay or Amazon combined. I witnessed a gentlemen purchase the June 2009 model of a 15″ MacBook Pro for $1000!!! Folks, these machines start at $1699 so the savings was huge. If you are not aware, I am also a Dave Ramsey fan so I’m confident would endorse this method of purchasing especially since the same manufacture warranty was included. Have you considered purchasing an open boxed item? Often times, there’s nothing wrong with the item but the original purchaser changed their mind and returned the item.

Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist

I’ve also begun purchasing and selling on Amazon, Ebay and Craigslist. There are great deals on all of these sites for new and used items that are priced lower than retail stores. If you’re skiddish about Here’s how I use these sites:

Amazon

If I want to buy or sell a high-price item and get the best protection, I use Amazon. Items such as electronics and a few books are typically what I sell. Additionally, since Amazon offers money towards shipping, it takes some of the hassle out of shipping. I’m not saying that Ebay doesn’t have some protection but the perception is that Amazon is safer so I typically use them for items that are easily shipped and I want the better price without the bidding aspect. Another advantage of using Amazon is they provide all the photos and description of the items so as a seller, Amazon provides a pretty hassle-free experience.

As far as security, someone recently tried to scam me on an item that I was selling. I sent the information to Amazon and they confirmed the scam. Whew!!! The transaction looked correct initially but in the end, the normal process of how Amazon operates were not followed and that was the tip-off. One problem when trying to sell on Amazon is that if the item isn’t listed in their database, then you cannot add it as a new item unless you have a Pro Merchant account.

Ebay

I typically use Ebay when the item doesn’t exist on Amazon and/or I want to add a video demonstration to the item. Canned photos on Amazon don’t always make the cut when selling an item and Amazon doesn’t allow links to external websites like YouTube or Photo hosting sites to show your item.

Craigslist

I love using Craigslist when I have an item that would be too much of a hassle to ship or the fees associated with Ebay don’t make it worthwhile to sell on that platform. I’ve sold an older digital video camera that used tapes for the media when I wanted to upgrade to a camcorder that used secure digital (SD) cards. I’ve also used it to help a friend purchase a car and after test driving it and retrieving the CarFax details, it was a great deal. I like Craigslist for cash-and-carry deals but as a seller, this method is just a step above yard sales in the aspect that the buyers want to pay as little as possible. As a result, if you’re trying to make even a slight profit, then Ebay or Amazon maybe better options.

Just plain old cheap or is that Frugal?

In some regards, I’ve just gotten cheap or I would like to think frugal. I use rechargeable batteries for my TV remotes and wireless computer mice instead of buying expensive batteries over and over. I take empty water bottles through airport security so I can fill-up at the water fountain for free. I use Google Voice to make phone calls over the internet and keep my minutes low on my cell phone plan. I also use Skype to make video calls or conferencing calls over the internet and that reduces my phone bill. Truth be told, I use Vonage as my phone service so my bill is always the same no matter how much I talk.

At the end of the day, my goal is the save money where ever possible so I have it for for savings, geek toys, vacationing and other things that I desire. So stop paying retail prices whenever possible. There’s money to save!!!

Have you checked your credit report?

August 4, 2008 By QueenGeek View Comments

In today’s world, ensuring accurate credit report information is very important. However, where to start can be overwhelming.

Starting Point

By law, each U.S. Citizen is entitled to an annual copy of their credit report from the 3 major reporting companies, namely TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. The problem with many of these “Get your free credit report sites” is many of tem require a credit-card before you can get the free offer because they are trying to sell optional services. Further investigation reveals that Annual Credit Report does not require a credit card prior to obtaining credit reports from all 3 companies. If other optional services are desired, then some form of payment can be entered.

Verification

Next, you will need to verify your information from each company. You will need your social security number (SSN), date of birth (DOB) and your current address and previous address if you have not lived at your current address at least 2 years. Once, all the pertinent information is entered, an online report is viewable and printable. I always suggest print one copy to the printer and saving an electronic copy in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) on your computer so you can reference it later, if needed. (See Technical Tip below)

Correcting Errors

If any errors are found, there is an option to dispute each entry online. On my report, I did not realize that an old account with Best Buy was still listed as open although I no longer had the card nor used it in almost 5 years. I was able to telephone Best Buy and request my options for account closure. A signed, written letter with some key information was required to be mailed or faxed and I chose the latter. Additionally, I still filed a discrepancy on my credit report for them so the error would be corrected sooner rather than later because updates can take anywhere from 3-6 months to process.

Summary

Check your credit report at least annually for errors and your protection. After all, it is free and you are entitled.

Technical Tip

Saving documents in Adobe’s PDF format is a great way to preserve **any** viewable document. Keep in mind with .PDF format, it is easy to re-print, forward to someone via e-mail and even fax without worry that the recipient has the same software as you.

mac-pdf

For Mac users, this is easy because the ability to save PDF documents is built-in, at least for version OS X. When prompted to print any page (from any application), an option to Print to PDF is presented. Choseing this option will prompt the user for a filename (and location on the computer) to save the file. Voila!!! The document is saved in a universal PDF format.

For Windows users, a little bit more work is needed but it is not too difficult. I recommend CutePDF Writer because it is free. Download and install it as well as the GPL GhostScript . Once installed, CutePDF Printer will be installed. When you want to create or save a .PDF document, you will PRINT to this printer. It may seem odd but trust me, it works.

For various platforms; Windows, Mac, Linux and others, the Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and can be used to open and print .PDF documents

Financial Peace: Do you have any?

June 3, 2008 By QueenGeek View Comments

Well, It’s been quite a while since I blogged but I wanted to write something fairly quickly. In short, my household has started on the Dave Ramsey kick!!! If you have not heard of him, do not worry. You are not alone as I had only heard of him as of April 2008.

Who is Dave Ramsey and why should anyone care?

Simply put, he is a radio, talk-show host that advocates living on a cash base system so that you are debt free. His philosophy is based upon Christian principles and whether or not you are a believer, you may find yourself being a follower because his philosophy just make sense. What is great about Dave and the show is he tells it like it is. He does not sugar coat stupid decisions and he will tell you quite bluntly and humorously to sell your car especially when it is 50% of your take home pay!! He has been broke and filed for bankruptcy many years ago so he shares his experiences and knowledge on an easy-to-understand level about managing money.

Financial Peace University (FPU): A College for Everyone

If you thought you could not afford to go to college, this is a university that everyone should attend and is quite affordable. It is not your traditional college, rather FPU is more about educating yourself with Dave’s coursework. If you are skeptical, so was I. Everyone who has made it rich or gotten out of debt has some theory about how to do it whether it is buying real estate, gold, stocks or something a little too risky or pricey for the rest of us. So, before I spent my $150 on the kit, I downloaded podcasts, read everything I could on the website and watched his show on Fox Business Network. I can now tell you that it was worth every penny.

Getting Started

To get started, I purchased The Financial Peace University Kit for $150. For that you get:

  • Entrance to a class which is typically offered at a local church. Again, you do not have to be a Christian or a believer but it is based upon Christian principles
  • The Financial Peace Book
  • The Financial Peace Workbook
  • The Total Money Makeover Book
  • 2 wallets with envelopes
  • Audio CDs that match the DVDs that you view while attending the class
  • Access to online utilities and forums

Purchasing the kit and listening to the CDs was the easy part. Developing a detailed or cashflow budget was the hard part. I thought I had been budgeting for years as I am a seasoned Quicken user. WRROOOOOONGGGGGG!!! I had all the monthly items identified but it was items such as my annual personal property tax for my SUV or gifts through-out the year that never made it into the budget that were causing a problem. The solution? Giving ever dollar a name is Dave’s recommendation, even an amount that you will blow per month. I like this part because everyone wants to spend a little money for themselves and this still allows you to enjoy life with discipline.

Baby Step 1

The first baby step is to get $1000 cash in the bank for an emergency bank. My household was able to do this pretty quickly as we took our tax refund money and put $1500 in savings. However, Dave suggest having a yard sale, a second job or anything you can do to accomplish this step.

Now, I don’t want to give all the steps away but we are on our way to financial peace. We have cut up all credit cards, even our beloved American Excess cards and started our “Debt Snowball”.

Don’t think it can be done? I think it can which is why we purchased the Financial Peace University Kit, listen to his radio program, download podcast and have just started living and breathing, paying for everything in cash!!!

In the upcoming months I will be outline our process. Here is our starting point for “Debt Snowball”. We have listed the bills in order of lowest to highest.

 

From QueenGeek’s Financial Matters

 

 

On a positive note, I will offer a ray of hope to those that think they cannot get out of debt. The first bill, SkyMiles, has been paid off as of mid-May 2008!!! So, it can be done. 

Now, the real question is do you have financial peace? If not, do you have a plan to obtain it? Are you willing to try something that is working for others? For me, I am going to the cash route.

Bogus Emails Out to Steal Our Money and Identity

March 1, 2008 By QueenGeek View Comments

Recently, a co-worker and I were joking about an e-mail he received stating that his PayPal account may have been compromised and he should click the link in the email to verify his account.

Since we are computer professionals we spot these bogus emails right away but not everyone knows how to determine if the emails are scams so here are a few methods help:

  1. Verify the link. First, most sites that handle your money do NOT notify you via email. If you’re unsure, look closely at the link in the email. Most likely, these links redirect you to a similar name but it’s not from your financial institution or bank. For example, if the address were www.verify-paypal.com or www.eonline-usbank.com, most likely it is a trick. The site is “verify-paypal.com” and “eonline-usbank.com” instead of “paypal.com” and “usbank.com” respectively.
  2. Login to your site. Another method to bypass scams is to login to the suspected site and verify your account. Using the example above, if something we wrong with your PayPal or USBank account then login to those accounts www.paypal.com or www.usbank.com and see if there are any messages for you.
  3. Call YOUR financial institution. Some of these emails try to gain access to your banking information by requesting you to call an included phone number. Do NOT use the phone number included, rather call the number that is listed in the telephone books or from a bank summary statement. This way you are confident that you are not calling someone pretending to be from your financial institution.

When handling emails pertaining to your money, especially confidential information relating to your accounts, extra caution should be taken. These emails are design to trick you and gather account and other personal information.

If your accounts were truly compromised, would a bank or other financial institution send an email or call you? Just something to think about.

Save your telephone money

February 11, 2008 By QueenGeek View Comments

I’m always looking for ways to save some money and/or reduce some costs. Well, a few years ago I saw those crazy commercials from Vonage about saving money on your phone bill. Fortunately, I’m a techie because I have never thought there commercials clearly explained their product.

So, what does Vonage, Packet 8 and others like them offer? Voice over IP or VoIP. All that means is you connect a phone to a special device and that special device connects to your high-speed internet connection. Then, you can talk on the phone (voice) over the internet (IP or internet protocol). This does not work on dial-up connections.

The best part about these services is they are relatively cheap and the base package includes caller-id, voice mail, call-forwarding, call-waiting, email notification, call anywhere in the US without additional costs and much more. I currently pay $24.99 USD + tax for an approximate total of $31.00. I love talking on the phone so I could talk to my friends all around the country, all day and night if I wanted and the cost would still be $31.

Now, the con-side. These services do not connect directly to your emergency or 911 service. Many people opt to keep just a basic line or dial-tone line for approximately $6/month + tax or $12!!! These services state that you need to register your physical address with them in case of emergency so they can dispatch 911 correctly.

Unlike traditional phone lines, Vonage or Packet8 devices can be moved to any physical address. I had a 757 area code number (Southern Virginia) when I moved to Arizona. I did not switch my number immediately but I did register/update my 911 service with Vonage. Had an emergency occurred, I didn’t want them to send help to my old Virginia address.

If you want to save some telephone money, VoIP may be an option for you.

How to purchase online safely? PayPal? Visa? Amex?

January 26, 2008 By QueenGeek View Comments

Because I work with computers for a living, I have had many people ask “How can I make purchases online and be safe?” Well, I do not if there is a 100% fraud-free method but I will detail some items that can help minimize your risk of identity theft and/or fraudulent credit card charges.

First, I use 3 methods for online purchases:

1. My American Express Card
2. A verified Paypal account
3. Visa Check Card that is tied to a checking account

Now, you maybe saying “I have heard PayPal is risky” or “I do not want my checking account number on the internet”. Well, not only have I heard these statements but I have repeated them.

Second, I take extra precautions to minimize my risks:

1. I use my American Express card for many purchases. They are pretty good about removing any fraudulent charges as well has catching them should someone get your account information. I have had my account information fraudulently used twice in approximately 20 years. In both cases, Amex notified me; removed the charges and sent a new replacement card. Absolutely no hassle for me.
2. I have a secondary checking and savings account with my credit union. I may keep about $20 to $40 above the minimum required balance which is $25. So, should the Visa Check card that is associated with the account become stolen, no one can purchase much with it. Thieves typically want something more than $40. I do not use my primary account for online purchases.
3. My PayPal account is associated with my secondary checking account so again, there is not enough money in the account for a thief to use.
4. I also Verified my Visa. This process adds an additional layer of security via a password so when you purchase an item online with a verified visa card, you must supply your password.

As I stated, there probably isn’t a full-proof method but this is my method.

Do you have a dollar to spare for yourself?

January 26, 2008 By QueenGeek View Comments

I do not know if you are familiar with internet-type banking and not just paying your bills online but opening up accounts with banks that maybe clear across the town or the country for the purpose of obtaining a good interest rate.

Financial institutes such as E-trade, ING Banks, HSBC and others do this type of thing and they have been around for a while. Well, if you have not, do not worry. I will share what I did so it perhaps it will not seem so intimidating.

Researched various financial institutions:
I started researching “savings” accounts at BankRate. Many money markets or jumbo accounts require larger minimum deposits to open an account while many of these savings accounts only require $1 (US) (yes, 1 whole dollar).

I rated them on over-all customer satisfaction, whether or not I needed to do anything manually like fax in paperwork, customer service hours and helpfulness, whether or not I could setup a beneficiary **and** could I download my transactions into Quicken Financial Software. These were just some items that were important to me but your criteria maybe different. Additionally, how the interest was compounded and/or applied was a consideration. For example, was the interest compounded daily but applied monthly? Just something else to consider.

I liked ING Direct’s Orange Saving’s Account and Emigrant Direct’s Dream Savings Account but what did account holders have to say?

Feedback from Real End-users:
I used Google’s research engine to find feedback from users who had the accounts above or similar accounts. Via google, I entered keywords or phrases such as “ing reviews” or “emigrantdirect comments”, “hsbc quicken”, etc. I read sites/blogs such as Bankaholic, ePinions, Cleverdude, etc. NOTE: Check dates because not all information is current (within 12 months or so).

Setup internet-safe banking as the funding source.
I already had 2 bank accounts w/a local credit union and this was intentional. I have one that I use for paying bills and direct deposit and it is my primary account. The 2nd account is used for online purchases. I am an advocate of credit unions because the minimum balances are usually somewhere between $5 and $25 and typically low to no fees. I also have my accounts setup such that I can transfer money between the two and as a result, I chose my secondary account for the funding source to my online savings account.

I chose to go with EmigrantDirect. They did not have the highest rate but they met all of my criteria and as of this writing, 4.55% APY is not bad.

Signed-up online:
I created an account at EmigrantDirect.
I needed my social security number (SSN), my credit union’s routing number, checking account number, drivers license number and the typical contact information. I also needed the SSN for the beneficiary and associated contact information. I chose to put in more than the minimum $1 to open the account but again, only $1.00 is needed.

NOTE: I do not have any physical checks for my secondary account…only a Visa Check card. A check was not needed and that was another criteria. I did not want a service that required a physical check.

Once the application was completed, I submitted it and my account was opened immediately.

The second day, EmigrantDirect made 2 small deposits into my secondary checking account. I had to enter these amounts at EmigrantDirect to “verify” my account. The verification process confirms that the correct account is being used for funding and confirms transfers between the accounts. The initial deposit was also completed on the second business day. Since I started on a Tuesday, everything was done by Wednesday.

That was about it to start a savings account with a decent interest rate and it took about 10 minutes to open the account and about another minute to “verify”. So, now, I just fund it and try to keep my sticky fingers out of it!!!

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