Customer Service Done Right 1800Contacts.com

Written by 6 Comments

Contact lenses in eyes

I needed to order new disposable contacts.

I realized I was on my last couple of pairs.  I didn’t want to go to my previous eye care provider since their salespeople, what’s the eloquent word?, oh yeah SUCK!  The past few times they have been pushy and do what they can to get you to commit to a purchase.  They speak all sorts of double speak when you ask about prices which just leaves you confused and fed up.  I’d like to think it was just me but my wife has experienced this as well.  I wasn’t going to give them my money again!

That brings me to 1800CONTACTS.com.

I heard all of the commercials and saw the ads online as well as heard great things about them from friends.  I had to at least look into them, right?

Right off the bat I saw two things that interested me: Free shipping on online orders over $50 and they price match against other sites and take off an additional 2%.

Now, I usually check out a price in a few locations but this gave me a real incentive!  Lo and behold I found my contacts on another site for much less.  I was now armed with a price to see if they would match it.

One option the 1800Contacts.com site gives you is to have one of their people call you.  You enter your phone number on the site and they call back.  I did it and immediately got a call with very little waiting.  A real person with little wait?  Another plus!  Ends up this person was located in Utah.

So I tell the woman that I was interested in ordering contacts and I saw a lower price on another site.  I waited a few moments while she looked it up.  (She apologized for the wait too, which wasn’t much.  Another plus).  She found the price and told me they would match it and take off an additional 2%.  We were now looking at a price for 8 boxes of contacts that was less than what 1800Contacts and my previous provider offered!  I’m real close to sold.

Remember that free shipping on online orders over $50?  So I’m on the phone, right?  Not online.  I mention the offer to the woman and she said that because they were price matching they could give me the free shipping too.  Nice!

The next step was to give her the prescription information on my contacts box and give the location of my previous provider who have my eye prescription on file (in New York your prescription is good for a year).  She looked up the location and told me they would contact them for verification.  Once that was done my contacts would ship out.

I felt really good doing business with them at this point.

The salesperson I spoke with was very clear and polite and did everything she could to help me out.  This was how customer service should be handled.  She even informed me that if my prescription should change I could return any unused contact to exchange with a new prescription.  Now I didn’t have to worry that I might get stuck with contacts if my eyes changed (my eye prescription has leveled out so I wasn’t too concerned about my prescription but I have had to change brands).  Now other places will take back an unopened box.  1800Contacts will take back any unopened contacts!  This could save some money if my prescription changed mid-box.

This was last night.  Today I received an email saying they contacted my old eye-care provider and were told that my prescription expired so they had to put my order on hold.

Remember how bad I told you the old provider was?  They just didn’t want to give up my business.  I knew my prescription was still good so I called up 1800Contacts to see what could be done.  The new person I spoke to looked at my account and explained the situation.  She then asked if I would mind being put on hold while she called my old provider.  ”Sure,” I said.  I could always hang up and call back if it took too long.  A couple of minutes later the woman came back on and said that my old provider had made a “mistake” (the mistake was bad service to begin with) and my prescription was indeed still good!  They were giving 1800Contacts a hard time but the salesperson would follow up and get the prescription.  For the trouble, she was going to upgrade my shipping, which was already free, to next-day shipping!  Now I’m getting my contacts faster!

This, my friends, is customer service done right!

Let’s recap the positives here:

  • They price-matched and took off an additional 2%
  • They gave me free standard shipping
  • They were pleasant and helpful at all times
  • They took care of obtaining my prescription for me
  • When there was a problem they let me know about it then resolved it
  • I was upgraded to next-day shipping for my trouble (which wasn’t really trouble at all)
  • Both customer service salespeople spoke excellent English and I didn’t have to repeat myself once! I’m all for cost-cutting but some call centers outside of the US have people that are very hard to communicate with. It may be cheaper for the company that uses them but it makes for a frustrating customer experience!

There are always options these days.  We don’t have to settle for bad customer service!

What companies do you know have great customer service?

photo by Baston

Will The Economic Stimulus Payments Have To Be Paid Back

Written by 47 Comments

Will you have to pay the Economic Stimulus back?

Now that many have already received their economic stimulus payments, and have figured out what to do with it, I’m seeing a lot of questions asking “Will the stimulus payment need to be paid back?”

The quick answer is no. According to the IRS the economic stimulus payment is not taxable and will not reduce what you may be owed in a tax refund for 2008 (filed in 2009). In fact it’s possible that you get more back next year, if you didn’t already get the maximum, based on next year’s return. See the amount was based on your 2007 return so if you didn’t qualify for the full amount you may still qualify for the difference based on your 2008 return. Don’t worry if you received the full amount already. No matter what your 2008 return says you won’t have to pay anything back.

Now the the longer answer – You are going to have to pay back the economic stimulus payment! In some way, shape, or form we will pay that back. The money has to come from somewhere.

Let’s look at the ways in which the gov’t receives income:

  • Taxes (from income and corporate taxes).
  • Loans (in the forms of government backed securities such as bonds, bills, and notes).
  • Printing more money in the treasury.

Which do you think the money will come from? Printing money sounds like an easy way to find the dough but it’s not a policy the US uses due to the fact that more money creates inflation (Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon – thank you Milton Friedman). And who wants even higher prices?!? We can issue more loans. Did you know that in 2006 we paid $406 Billion in interest payments on loans made to cover the national debt? Where does that money come from? See above. So that leaves us with taxes.

Yes, I believe we will be paying back the economic stimulus payments in the form of taxes. It may not be as one lump sum like we received it but it will be paid out. It’s just lumped together with the rest of the national debt.

Could this be avoided? Maybe. But only if the national debt, which is over $9 Trillion, is reduced to zero in our lifetimes. This would mean that government would have to cut back it’s size and spending. Most likely many programs that help people would fall victim to the cuts. I’m not saying it’s impossible for this to happen, just improbable. I hope I’m wrong.

Of course another way to look at it is it won’t be us but our kid’s generation that will pay it back. I’m not too sure that’s a positive spin on it though.

So there you have it! Do we have to pay the economic stimulus payments back?

No, but yes.

What do you think?

Update: There has been a lot of confusion over paying the Economic Stimulus Payment back.  Please read Paying Back the Economic Stimulus – Lots of Tax Confusion for more information and clarification!

photo by Refracted Moments

Buy That Fun Stuff Without Going Into Debt

Written by 14 Comments

Cash Register

You want to buy that new something.

Maybe it’s the Nintendo Wii and the Wii Fit?  Maybe it’s a new digital camera?  Perhaps it’s a new flat-screen TV or a GPS?  You can’t afford to buy it out-right.  If you charge it to a credit card you will be paying interest on top of the price of the item.

What if there was a way to buy the item and earn interest?  What if we can help make sure you buy it at a great price?

Sounds interesting right?

I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.  First off I have to tell we’re going to wait to buy this item.  Bummer I know.  You want it now.  But you don’t have the cash and paying interest on it, as well as being in debt, isn’t a great option.  Deal with it.

We’re trying to be responsible here and still get our new thingamajig.

Do you have an online savings account that allows you to create sub-accounts?  Good.  Now go into your account and create a sub-account titled Thingamajig (or whatever it is that you want to buy).  This is where you are going to save your money.

Now what amount of money can you put away into this account monthly without hurting your budget?  Can you cut back on Starbucks or something similar every week?  What would you expect to pay on your credit card if you charged it?  That’s a good amount to start with too.

Figure out how much a week this comes out to.  Go back to that sub-account.  We’re going to set up an automatic, weekly withdrawal into this account.  Why weekly?  This way you can see the money building up quicker.  I don’t want you getting impatient waiting for a monthly addition to the account.

Now we wait until the account fills up with the cost of your thingamajig!  This can be tough as you’ll test your patience but it will pay off.  Resist cashing out until you have the full amount to cover the purchase (you calculated taxes, accessories, possible warranty, delivery, etc…into your cost already, right?).

Here’s where this plan is great:

  • You earn interest while you save! – Every month you save you’re helping yourself with the interest you are earning rather than paying a credit card company interest for the privilege of using their money!
  • You now have time to do research - Go check out the thingamajig in a few different stores and ask the salespeople about the item. Go online and read consumer reactions. Check everyone’s price and see what locations give you the most bang for your buck (do some throw in accessories or have better return policies should something not work?).
  • A new improved model may come out – In the time you’re saving you may find that a better version has come out. Maybe the first was discontinued. Technology changes rapidly. today’s top of the line cell phone could be a clunker after a little while. It could be another company now has a better product.
  • The price could drop – Look at that. Now the thingamajig isn’t even as expensive as it was. You’ve earned interest and saved on the cost!
  • You may find you don’t want it anymore – This may sound crazy but in giving yourself some time to save and watching your savings grow you may not feel the thingamajig is worth the money anymore. Maybe it was just a fad that’s already faded? Either way, you now have a little extra to add to your savings. Sweet!
  • You became more responsible with your money - You didn’t go into debt buying your thingamajig. You set up a savings plan and stuck to it. You might have even looked at your expenses and found some things you didn’t really need in order to save quicker. What you were saving is now extra savings for you if you choose after you buy your thingamajig!

There you go!  You got your thingamjig, you didn’t go into debt, you earned interest to help pay for it, and you got the best possible price for it.

I bet it’ll feel good when you get home and open it up!

photo by skippy13

Five Things Indiana Jones Can Teach Us About Personal Finance

Written by 19 Comments

Indiana Jones Lego

I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (among all the prior movies).

Was it as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark?  How many movies are?

Was it a lot of fun to watch? Absolutely!

I got to thinking about ‘ole Indy.  What makes him successful in his movies?  What is it about him that keeps him coming out ahead?  And can those qualities be translated to personal finance?

Here are five things I think Indiana Jones can teach us about personal finance:

Indiana Jones doesn’t need a lot of stuff

When he goes off on an adventure he has a few items: His whip, hat, jacket, side bag, boots, pants, shirt, gun holster, and notebook.  This is basically his adventure “uniform” and it doesn’t change.  Indy makes do with what he has and makes his stuff last.  Ever see him buy a new hat?  How about shiny new boots?

How this translates for us: Find out what you need in your life.  Note the word “need” and not want.  Don’t clutter your life with stuff.  Stuff takes up space and uses up money. Also it usually pays to buy quality when you can. If you take care of a good item it can last many years (like a trusty fedora hat).

Indiana Jones has focus and persistence

When he has a goal he goes after it with all of his focus until he can’t continue any more.  Do Nazis stop him?  Angry cult member?  Communists?  Even his enemies recognize this quality in Indy.  Think of the times he’s been caught, kidnapped, or blackmailed into helping the enemy.  Indiana Jones is the go-to guy if you want an artifact found.

How this translates for us: Create personal finance goals and stick to them.  Are your goals worth fighting for?  Will you retire?  Will you be financially independent?  Develop persistence and focus to stay on track with your goals and complete them.

He’s daring, brave, and well educated

There’s times where Indy is doing some crazy things (climbing into an archaeological dig surrounded by Nazis anyone?).   What keeps Indy afloat when he goes off on a daring adventure?  Luck has a bit to do with it.  But it’s his education that tempers bravado. R emember, not only is Indiana Jones an adventurer he’s also a doctor of archeology that teaches at the university level (and a Boy Scout).  A big part of why he’s successful in his adventures is because he’s already done extensive research on what he’s going after.  As wild as he sometimes seems he doesn’t blindly go off looking for adventure.  He’s put years into learning his subject.

How this translates for us: Don’t blindly make investments or make purchases without out doing your homework first.  Educate yourself about personal finance.  Keep learning.  Know why you are putting money into an investment and understand what the risks are going in.  When making a major purchase study up on different brands and their reliability and consumer responses.  Try to find the best value and price (maybe you can pick up a really good hat).

He carries a notebook full of information

We see Indy go back to small notebooks all the time.  Whether it’s looking up a map or deciphering a language, he keeps notes on all his research.

How this translates for us: Keep your own notebook.  Track your expenses to see where your money is going.  Keep notes of things you did that saved money.  Make to do lists to stay on top of your life.  Write out grocery lists so you only buy what you planned on.  And these days there are so many apps out there for notes that you can’t use not wanting to carry a notebook as an excuse.

He tries to do the right thing

There are many times Indy can get quick cash by obtaining an artifact and selling it.  But he doesn’t.  He tries to do the right thing.  Whether it’s saving children from slavery or keeping biblical artifacts from Nazis, Indy does the right thing.

How this translates for us: Act right in your life.  Don’t lie to your spouse about finances however small the lie may be.  Don’t take part in get rich quick scams – they don’t work.

There you have it. Five ways we can learn about personal finance from Indiana Jones.

Can you think of any more?

photo by Gaetan Lee

Carnival Of Money Stories #58 – Dollar Coins Edition

Written by 22 Comments

Welcome to the 58th Carnival of Money Stories – Dollar Coins Edition. I’m very happy and honored to be hosting this week’s carnival as this is my first hosting experience. Have fun checking out the dollar coins…

I hope you enjoy!

The 1st United States Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a year — a large sum in 1789. Washington, already wealthy, declined the salary, since he valued his image as a selfless public servant. At the urging of Congress, however, he ultimately accepted the payment. A dangerous precedent could have been set otherwise, as the founding fathers wanted future presidents to come from a large pool of potential candidates — not just those citizens who could afford to do the work for free.

Editor’s Picks

Lisa Spinelli presents Free Time or More Money-Which is it? posted at Greener Pastures: Personal Finance. Money is always good but time can be worth more.

Ryan Taylor presents My Portfolio Dropped 8% – How’d Yours Hold Up? posted at Millionaire Money Habits. We have to think of the long run when looking at our investments. I can relate having seen my 401(k) in the red.

Pinyo presents Why I Am Glad The Economic Stimulus Check Is Coming Early posted at Moolanomy. The Economic Stimulus checks are coming just in time for Pinyo!

Mike presents The economics of biking posted at Living the Cheap Life. Saving money by biking to work…I love it! I wish I were closer to my job. I’d love to bike to work but I’m too far away.

Dough Roller presents Do You ‘Steal’ Money From Your Spouse? posted at The Dough Roller | Smarter Money Management. Hmm…I guess there is a fine line between borrowing and stealing depending on how you look at it. Either way it couldn’t hurt to be more communicative with your spouse.

John Adams

John Adams, Jr. (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the second President of the United States (1797–1801). He also served as America’s first Vice President (1789–1797). He was defeated for re-election in the “Revolution of 1800” by Thomas Jefferson. Adams was also the first President to reside in the newly-built White House in Washington, D.C., which was completed in 1800.

Finance Tips 101 presents The Pros And Cons Of Personal Loans posted at Finance Tips 101.

RC presents The Health Savings Account (HSA) and Can I Do Better Than a Health Insurance Company? posted at Think Your Way to Wealth.

SingleGuyMoney presents Remembering How Lucky I Am posted at Single Guy Money.

Thomas Jefferson

His opposition to the Bank of the United States was fierce: “I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.

NtJS presents My Financial Beating: Episode 1 posted at not the jet set.

GradGirl presents Money Story: Graduation Announcements posted at This Writer’s Wallet.

paidtwice presents Healthcare Feel Like Throwing Money Down A Drain? Good, Sometimes. posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already….

James Madison

As a leader in the first Congresses, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution (said to be based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and thus is also known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights“.[3] As a political theorist, Madison’s most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called factions.[4]

Phil for Humanity presents Gambling Advice << Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity.

Mitchel Harad presents Fun at the Auction posted at Holy Cash Cow.

Amy presents Settling in for the Summer: May Goals posted at My Daily Dollars.

James Monroe

Monroe is probably best known for the Monroe Doctrine, which he delivered in his message to Congress on December 2, 1823. In it, he proclaimed the Americas should be free from future European colonization and free from European interference in sovereign countries’ affairs. It further stated the United States’ intention to stay neutral in European wars and wars between European powers and their colonies, but to consider any new colonies or interference with independent countries in the Americas as hostile acts toward the United States.

Larry Russell presents The Financial Services Industry is Still the Largest S&P 500 Sector – Even after the Collapse of its Stock Values posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog.

GBlogger presents Success Stories: Retired At 51 With Over $1.4 Million—And Staying Aggressive posted at CAN I GET RICH ON A SALARY.

Madison presents Create Your Own Dollar Plan: Step 2 posted at My Dollar Plan.

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was a diplomat, politician, and the sixth President of the United States (March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829). His party affiliations were Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig. John Quincy Adams was the son of the second United States President John Adams and Abigail Adams. He is most famous as a diplomat involved in many international negotiations, and for formulating the Monroe Doctrine. As president he proposed a grand program of modernization and educational advancement, but was unable to get it through Congress.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Dear IRS posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Todd presents I’m Thinking About Turning Down a Promotion At Work posted at HarvestingDollars.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How Prosper Financed My Trip and Sundry P2P Lending Thoughts posted at The Digerati Life.

Andrew Jackson

He was a polarizing figure who dominated American politics in the 1820s and 1830s. His political ambition combined with the masses of people shaped the modern Democratic Party.[1] Renowned for his toughness, he was nicknamed “Old Hickory.” As he based his career in Tennessee, Jackson was the first President primarily associated with the frontier.

FIRE Finance presents $6000! Save Your Hard Earned Money! posted at FIRE Finance.

Raymond presents Get A Free Extended Warranty By Purchasing With A Credit Card posted at Money Blue Book.

Dorian Wales presents How to Fortify Your Job: 10 valuable (and challenging) Tips posted at The Personal Financier.

Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862), nicknamed Old Kinderhook, was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841. Before his presidency, he served as the eighth Vice President (1833-1837) and the 10th Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson. He was a key organizer of the Democratic Party, a dominant figure in the Second Party System, and the first president who was not of English, Irish, Welsh, or Scottish descent. He was the first president to be born an American citizen[2] (his predecessors were born before the revolution)

BeThisWay presents My Economic Stimulus Check Didn?t Arrive When Promised! posted at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You?.

Shawna presents Where?s my economic stimulus check?!? How to check the status of your stimulus check posted at Bumble…….

Ken Clark, CFP presents Repaying Student Loans: An Overview of Student Loan Repayment Plans posted at Saving for College – About.com.

Statue of Liberty

There are 354 steps inside the statue and its pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown which comprise the jewels beneath the seven rays of the diadem. The tablet which the statue holds in her left hand reads, in Roman numerals, “July 4, 1776″ the day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

M.B. presents My First Mystery Shopping Experience posted at Be Thrifty Like Us.

joseanes presents Be Open About Your Financial Mistakes posted at Money And Investing.

The Financial Blogger presents Take The Power Back Part 2 posted at The Financial Blogger.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed. Please make sure to read through all of these great articles. Check back at Carnival of Money Stories to keep up with future editions.

Until next time,

FFB

pictures and quotes from Wikipedia

15 Things To Do With Your Economic Stimulus Check

Written by 23 Comments
The government Stimulus checks started going out on April 28th. If you are expecting one you should start looking for it in May (here’s a post listing the dates).

So what are you going to do with the extra money? Here are a list of ideas for using your stimulus check:

  • Pay off credit cards – If you have any credit card debt the stimulus check will be a great way knock some of that out! Paying off the debt gives you an instant return in savings of whatever you would have paid in interest fees. Psychologically, you will help in getting the debt monkey off your back.
  • Contribute to a Roth IRA – You can take your money and put it into your Roth IRA. For 2008 the contribution limit is $5000.
  • Start an emergency fund – If you don’t already have some sort of emergency fund (three to six months expenses seems to be the conventional wisdom) then your stimulus check is a good way to start one. Even if you have one you can use the money to increase your fund. A great place to start one is with ING Direct (you can even get a $25 bonus by opening your account with $250).
  • Contribute to a 529 college savings plan – You can use the money to help save for your kid’s education by putting the money in a 529 plan. Not only do you help save for college but you might get a tax break as well depending on your home state’s plan.
  • Pre-pay your mortgage – Take the money and make additional payments to your mortgage. By making additional payments you will own your home faster and pay less in interest. Just make sure the payments go towards the loan principle and not next month’s payment (also check that your lender will accept pre-payments without fees or penalties).
  • Go on vacation – You may have been planning to do this anyway so here is a good way to fund the vacation. Go and do something that will be a great experience for the family that you will all remember.
  • Improve the house – If there’s something you’ve needed to improve on your home, such as a furnace, you can use your stimulus check to pay for it (or at least help). Other options could be new paint job, carpet, furniture, appliances, etc…
  • Car maintenance – Have you been putting off a car repair? Need new brakes? New tires? Your stimulus money can fund it. If your car is about to go kaput your stimulus check could help pay for a new car (or a good new used car).
  • Learn to invest – Do some research and take the money and start investing. Companies such as Sharebuilder and Zecco offer low-fee investing. You have to do your homework with this option but it might be just enough money to start investing but not so much that you will be crazy worrying if you lose it. If you invest through Sharebuilder you can buy partial shares of Berkshire Hathaway B class shares. I hear that Warren Buffett is pretty good at investing.
  • Pay off student loans – If you have high interest student loans then your stimulus check can be a great way to help pay your student loans off. Just like with credit cards paying off your high interest student loans give you the instant return in savings of what you would have paid in interest.
  • Have a nice evening out – Take your spouse out to a really great meal. Get babysitting and go to that great restaurant you wanted to try. Go see that new show that everyone’s talking about. Make an experience you will always remember.
  • Get physically fit – The stimulus check should be enough to pay for a year’s gym membership (or more than a year). Use the stimulus check as a catalyst to get in shape and make your life healthier. Not sure about a gym? Find a class such as yoga or martial arts to join. Not into that? Buy a new bike and go riding. Or get yourself some good running sneakers and running attire. Join your local running club and enter a few small races. You never know, you may one day run a marathon.
  • Go to school – Use your stimulus check to enroll in a college course or two. This can be toward a degree or just continuing education. Hey, you can take a personal finance course. Maybe learn a second language?
  • Do nothing – This is the easiest of them all. Put the money in your savings account and forget about it. You don’t have to spend it or find any particular purpose for it. It doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket. One day you might find a good use for it but for now it adds to your savings.

Personally, we’re closer to the Do Nothing suggestion. Our stimulus check will come via direct deposit right into our ING account. We have no specific plans for the money so it will be added into our savings. Our check may pay parts of many of the suggestions or for none of them. Either way it will earn interest until it finds a home somewhere else.

Do you have any other ideas for using the economic stimulus check?

photo by Argenberg

Best And Worst College 529 Plans From Morningstar

Written by 14 Comments
Morningstar has released their picks for the top five and worst five 529 college-savings plans. To make their choices, Morningstar “focused on diversification, fees, flexibility, and the underlying funds.”Here are the top five:

- Illinois Bright Start College Savings Program
- Maryland College Investment Plan
- Virginia Education Savings Trust
-Virginia CollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan (broker sold)
- Colorado Scholars Choice Savings Program (broker sold)

The worst five:

- Ohio Putnam CollegeAdvantage (broker sold)
- Mississippi Affordable College Savings Program
- Mississippi Affordable College Savings Advisor Program (broker sold)
- New York 529 College Savings Program
- Nebraska AIM College Savings Plan (broker sold)

I’m a little concerned that New York’s plan is considered one of the worst. Not only do I have two funds under the plan (one for each child) I also said recently that it’s a good plan. The main criticism from Morningstar is that the plan doesn’t have any exposure to international funds so it’s been missing out on international gains and it’s not hedged against US economy downturns. Other wise Morningstar says it’s moderately priced and they like that it’s made up of Vanguard index funds.

Many people, like myself, contribute to their own state’s plans since it’s likely they get a tax break. But depending on the plan and state you may be better off contributing to another state’s plan.

The Wall Street Journal suggests the following when considering a 529 plan:

“• When shopping for a 529 plan, you should consider costs, investment options and asset-allocation strategies.

• Weigh any tax advantages of investing in an in-state plan against the plan’s total costs.

• Look for annual asset-based fees of less than 1% for direct-sold plans and less than about 1.3% for broker-sold plans.

• Compare state plans at www.savingforcollege.com, www.collegesavings.org or www.morningstar.com.”Hopefully Morningstar’s review will prompt the New York 529 plan to consider some international exposure otherwise I may have to look into some of the better plans.

Do you contribute to a 529 college-savings plan?

I Switched To Sprint SERO And Saved Some Money

Written by 10 Comments
A little over a week ago I signed my wife and I up each for the Sprint SERO cell phone plan.
We were already on Verizon Wireless. So why switch? First let me explain our Verizon experience:We had been looking into upgrading our phones since they were over two years old and we were due a credit for a new phone as part of Verizon’s plan. We even went so far as to visit a few Verizon stores but I felt like I was getting the run-around at each. See I was supposed to get $100 towards a new phone. At each location I went to they told me only $50 even though when I called Verizon they confirmed the $100. Two of three of the stores pretended to not know about a buy-one-get-one-free offer that was being advertised. This didn’t sit well with me. The next concern was cost. We had a family plan for 700 minutes that could be used between our two lines. This cost us $79.98 without any taxes or extra charges. Any texting was extra. Like 15 cents a text extra. We try to keep our texting below $5 which is what we would pay for their text plan (I don’t generally text much but my wife sometimes does). Our bill would end up between $90-$100 a month. Oh, did I mention that we got terrible reception in our home? We’ve traveled all over and Verizon has had great signals but our luck has it that our service stinks in our living room. So, we were willing to stay with Verizon but our minds were open to finding another service.

Fortunately we never found a Verizon phone deal to upgrade to.

I had remembered reading an article from Cash Money Life about how he transferred his cell plan to someone else and ordered the Sprint SERO service. Since we were already off our contract I figured I’d check the plan out. I went back to the post and saw that he got his info from fivecentnickel, checked out his site and checked out the Sprint SERO site. And isn’t fate funny? The day after I was looking at the SERO site Cash Money Life published 15 Ways to Save on Your Cell Bill. If that’s not synchronicity for you… Suffice it to say I signed us up for two plans.

So what is Sprint SERO? It’s the Sprint Employee Referral Offer. Here’s the $30 plan:

- 500 anytime minutes (they have bigger minute plans that cost more)
- Unlimited nights and weekends starting at 7PM
- Domestic long distance
- Unlimited mobile to mobile
- Unlimited Web/Data access
- Unlimited picture mail (with compatible devices)

Currently there’s unlimited texting until 5/31/08. I was told that they tend to keep extending the free texts. Hopefully this is true.

What I really love about this plan is the unlimited data/web access. I can now access my Gmail account on my phone as well as many other web functions (Gmail is really great for on phones BTW). From what I recall from Verizon their data plan is much more expensive!

But wait. How do I sign up? I don’t know any Sprint employees! If you use the email savings@sprintemi.com at the Sprint SERO site you should be fine. This worked for both Cash Money Life and fivecentnickel when they ordered their phones. Check out fivecentnickel’s article for details.

Me, I’m still a little paranoid about getting stuff online (there’s a bit of irony in there somewhere, no?) so I entered the email address then checked the site for what I wanted. I settled on the Motorola Q9c Smartphone for me and the LG Rumor for my wife. I was a little skeptical about the email address working based on info I read so I picked an employee email from the Sprint Media page (check out this forum on FatWallet.com for SERO info). Next I called their SERO ordering number. I gave the salesperson the email and it went through with no problems. He asked if it was ok for them to check my credit. This is a requirement to make sure you can afford the phones and the plan.

Here’s where it paid to speak to a human: online there is a spot to enter any promotions codes you have (you might be able to find some online). On Nickel’s site he mentions that he used the code URANG to get a $25 credit on the first two bills. This no longer worked on the site but I mentioned it to the Sprint rep anyway. He was able to still apply the credits to each line so I should be getting a total of $100 back in credits. It always pays to ask! Also, if you order by phone make sure you don’t pay for shipping. They wanted to charge me for this but I mentioned that shipping was free when ordered online and they agreed not to charge me (it also pays to check out the deal online first).

So far we love are phones and couldn’t be happier with the text and data plans!

Pros:

- $30/month for 500 minutes. That’s $60 for the both of us. I went in for the insurance plan on my phone which is $7 extra a month. The phone’s a little more expensive than my wife’s and we have two kids. Still, this is cheaper than our last plan and has more minutes ($67 versus $79).

- Unlimited data/web and texts. I’m loving having the web on my phone!

- We have a great signal at home now and have had no problems so far with dropped calls (make sure you check your area for service on the site).

Cons:

- Sprint customer service is horrible! You probably don’t have even a 50/50 shot at getting someone who knows what they are talking about! Seriously. When I called to activate the phones I mentioned to the rep that we would be porting our old numbers over (you have to order the phone with a new number then port over your old number when you activate the phone if you want to keep your old number). The rep didn’t know what to do and at one point told me I had to call Verizon and tell them to release the number. Had I actually done that I might have lost the number! He finally put me on with the porting dept. and they were able to get it taken care of with no problem. Why their reps don’t know what the process is I don’t know (my guess is their customer service is outsourced to another part of the world). Next, my wife’s phone wasn’t working. I spent a lot of time over several days getting them to fix the problem. I finally found a woman who was kind enough to take a real interest in my problem and she put a ticket in to tech support. Finally my wife’s phone was fixed but it took a LOT of time and patience! Note: If you plan on using your old cell phone number make sure you don’t cancel your plan until after you’ve ported you’re number to the new plan. Canceling it before can cause you to lose the number.

- I got the first bill already and it’s wrong. They didn’t include the credits. More time with customer service not knowing what to do. Eventually I was told that the credits were there it just didn’t update. We’ll see soon.

- It’s not open to existing customers. We switched from Verizon so it was no problem but if you already have Sprint you may not qualify.

All said we are very happy with the phones and the phone service so far. And we’re saving money and getting more services from our phones. If you’re looking into a new phone plan then you should consider the Sprint SERO plan. Check out fivecentnickel’s experience as well as the FatWallet forums and decide for yourself if it’s worth it.

Let me know what you think if you sign up or if you already have the plan!

Four Ways I Upgraded Out Of My Raises

Written by 11 Comments

That one day a year you have been dreading/anticipating at work finally comes.

Your boss calls you into their office and shows you a piece of paper that tells you your new salary. Yay, it’s more! Maybe it’s just a raise or maybe it’s a promotion, either way the new salary figure looks better than what you had. “Now I can get ahead of my bills and save a bit” you tell yourself. A few months pass and you look at your bank account. “Huh? It didn’t grow? What happened? I thought I was making more” you ask yourself.I’ve been there. It would happen to me a lot. I would make more but have nothing to show for it.

Know why? Upgrades.

I discovered that I would upgrade little things in my life that would eat away at any raises I got. Of course I didn’t realize this until much later.

Here are some of the bigger culprits:

Coffee – There was a time I didn’t drink coffee. Didn’t like it. Slowly I came to love the brown nectar. Instead of making it at home I would simply go to Dunkin Donuts. As well as regular coffee I would get all sorts of specialty drinks there as well like iced coffee, iced lattes – you name it. Later as I had more money I upgraded to Starbucks. Love their frappaccinos! But Starbucks is more expensive than Dunkin Donuts. Nowadays I still go to Starbucks as a treat but I’ll usually make my coffee at home or at work.

Clothes – There was a time I would shop at Old Navy. I’d get a pair of khaki’s or a polo for work or maybe some personal gear. Maybe I would get stuff on sale at the Gap. As I made more I’d shop at the Gap and get stuff on sale at Banana Republic. My income grew and I would shop at Banana Republic or Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s, not always looking for the stuff on sale. Now I try to stay frugal and shop at discount places like Century 21 or maybe Target. I also don’t buy anything unless I need to (like if a pair of pants blew out a hole that couldn’t be fixed).

Food – I remember a time where if I went out and ate sushi I would be broke. I might have been able to budget for it once a month but that would be it for going out to a restaurant to eat. As I made more money I would find myself eating out more and more. Sushi night didn’t hurt as bad and became more frequent (as well as other foods). I’ve since cut back a lot. We go out to eat from time to time but the majority of our meals are home based (except my work lunches but even those I’ve been getting cheap).

Gadgets/Doodads/CD’s - I used to buy so much junk that would clutter my apartment! I don’t think I have much left to show for it though. I do have hundreds of CD’s (no, not the investment type). Those aren’t a total waste but many I bought just to get something new or try a new artist. A lot of them don’t get listened to any more (and not just because of my iPod either). And you know how I’d pay for a lot of the stuff? Credit cards. So in the end I probably paid more than what the price stated. I’ve cut back on my impulses a lot and when I don’t I have my wife to answer to (luv u hon). As for music, I’ll still buy CD’s but very rarely and only from artists I’m really looking forward to (if only more artists would release their music like Radiohead for free).

So you see, I think a lot of the time when we get a raise instead of upgrading our finances we tend to upgrade our stuff or our lifestyle. As a result we upgrade ourselves out of our raise.

Have you upgraded yourself out of a raise?

7 Ways to Get Rich Quick

Written by 49 Comments
Large Denomination Bill

These are trying times for our economy.  The money in my 401(k) is going nowhere, my high-yield savings isn’t yielding very high, Bill Gates isn’t the richest in the world, the economy basically evaporated…

What’s a person to do?!?

I propose seven ways for you to get rich quick!

Stock speculation

We all know money can be made on the stock market.  You just have to invest in the right companies.   Find lots of small companies that look good.  Big companies weren’t always big – they started small.  Find an emerging industry and invest there.   Surely professional companies will grow and as they do so will your stock price.  Check this out – as recent as 2003 stocks returned over 28%!!

Buy property and flip it

Rates have dropped.   Housing prices have dropped.  Now is the time to start reaping the rewards of of the housing bubble burst!  Do you own a home now?   Leverage that home with a home equity loan and buy up what properties you can.  Housing prices will go up again and you will see the green!

Insider trading

We all know someone on Wall Street in the stock market today, don’t we?  Think they keep everything secret?  Why do you think they are rich?   Next time you run into one of your Wall Street buds hit him up for some tips.  These guys work with stocks all day so they know where they are moving.   Maybe they can tell you the best trades in penny stocks (those always seem to go up, right?).  Use those tips and buy what you can!

GamblingUsing cash instead of credit cards

Ever played blackjack? Craps?   These games have some of the best odds in the casino!   You can learn all sorts of different playing strategies online to help you win.   Heck, there’s even a movie about some MIT students who beat the casinos with blackjack.  Go get to the casinos before everyone sees the movie and has the same idea!

Blog

Anyone can blog.   Really.   Look at me, I’m no Dostoevsky and you’re reading this.   There are so many ways you can make money with a blog.   Just throw some ads on your site, write some posts, and voila!  Instant cash!  Make sure to link back to me when you start up!

Tax return

List anything you can as a deduction.  We can all find some way to justify an expense.  The more you put the better.   The money you donated to the orphanage?  That’s like having a whole bunch of dependents to declare!   Get your tax return to the point where the government is giving you back a huge return.   When the money comes in you can try the other six tips here.  Oh, don’t have your accountant do it.  Do it yourself.  You know what your deductions are.

Win the lottery

Someone has to win.  Yes the odds are bad.  But every ticket you get improves those odds.  What if you took your tax refund or stimulus check and bought lottery tickets?  There’s bound to be a winner in there.

What’s that?………Hold on one sec……uh-huh…ok.

My lawyer and accountant just barged in on me.  They’re telling me I might have gotten a few facts wrong.

Umm, lets see…stock speculation’s not a great idea.  Speculation without real research is actually closer to gambling than investing.

But I like gambling!

Cross off gambling too.  Something about if it were so easy to do well with it then everyone would do it.  And that casinos have the best odds in the long run.  And those MIT kids were an exception that didn’t last.

Remember those 2003 returns?   Here are the returns for the three years before 2003: 2000 -9.03%, 2001 -11.85%, 2002 -21.98%.

Ohh.

Past returns do not guarantee future returns.   And lots of small companies fail or never make the successful leap to become a large corporation.

Related: Online Brokers with Inexpensive Trades.

On the same note, there’s no telling where the bottom is in the housing market.  Many thought it would never drop and here we are.  Buying now could be ok if you’re looking to buy your own house but otherwise you’re back to speculating.  Leveraging what you own could be a sure-fire way to end up foreclosed.

My lawyer mentioned that insider trading is illegal.

Ouch.   Ok, don’t do that!  My accountant chimed in saying that just because someone trades a stock it doesn’t mean they research the fundamentals of any of the companies they trade.   That’s good to know.   So watch out for any stock tips too.   Do your own research!

I just checked my advertiser accounts for this blog.   There’s a few cents in there but nothing to live off of.  I might have jumped the gun saying that a blog was instant cash.  You can make money with a blog but I it takes persistence and hard work and even then it could fail.

Nope, not a way to get rich quick.

That looks funny!

My accountant and lawyer are jumping up and down pointing to Tax Return.  Wha?   oh.

They are highly against putting anything fraudulent on your tax return.  There’s this thing called an audit which is not something you want to go through.   Make sure your return is correct and if you have questions seek out a professional accountant.  Otherwise, you can find yourself with a whole bunch of income tax problems that need a team of tax attorneys.

Can I keep my lottery tickets at least?  I can?  Oh, but odds are I’m just giving money to the state?  Even though someone wins the odds are very much against winning.  Better off saving the money.

Do people sometimes get rich quick?

Yeah, it happens.  But it’s far more rare than you might think.  Rather than spend your time on some get rich quick scheme, put your energy into a legitimate way to earn money.  Work hard at what you do.  Find ways to make money on the side.  Save.  Invest.  Create something of value to people.  Save more than you spend.  Be honest in your work and to yourself.

You may not find instant riches, but wealth is something we can all attain.