Cheapo Groovo

Family Freebies From Holiday Travel

While traveling to visit relatives, we got the proverbial hotel freebies ~ coffee, continental breakfast, soap, shampoo, conditioner, laundry bag, and free wi-fi. But a pleasant surprise came at our final destination. A pecan tree! So here is the stash we brought back:

 

Straight Talk Cellular Service Review

I recently switched from Net 10 to Straight Talk. Net 10 offered 10 cents per minute w/o a contract, while Straight Talk offers $1 a day service (1000 minutes, 1000 text messages, and 30MB Internet for $30) w/o a contract. Straight Talk also has an unlimited plan for $45.

Straight Talk uses Verizon towers so service coverage is excellent. The Motorola Razor phone I ordered has a built in browser - so getting my sports scores, stock quotes, and weather info is a snap.

There is one big caveat - do not try to port your old phone number. Straight Talk (owned by TracFone) has a problem setting up "web sessions" for numbers they port. So if you try to port your old number, expect several calls to corporate headquarters - 800-876-5753 - before you obtain web access (see here and here). Frustrating for sure, but eventually it does get resolved.

Comprehensive List of Frugal Websites

Travel

• Ready to start seeing the world? It's smaller than you think, when you go via the COUCHSURFING Project. Use this site to find people who are willing to host you on their couches!
• YAPTA sends you price drop alerts on flights and hotels. If the price of your airline ticket drops below what you paid, Yapta will alert you when you're eligible for a refund from the airline!

Movies/Music/Entertainment

• Find the cheapest prices for hard-to-get sports, concert and theater tickets at TICKETPREDATOR.COM. The site compares prices on tickets from hundreds of ticket brokers in the U.S. and Canada.
• Get free movie rentals from Redbox using their CODES.
• Want to re-live those classic rock concerts from the 60’s and 70’s for free? Then go to WOLFGANG”S VAULT where you’ll find streaming audio from over 50 artists.
• RADIOLOVERS offers hundreds of vintage radio shows all for free.
• Learn how to get all the free music you ever wanted at MYMUSIC.
• Trade your used books, music, DVD's, & video games for like items at SWAPTREE.COM. Simply set up an account and find other users willing to receive - and all for the price of postage.

Credit/Credit Cards

• SIMPLEDOLLAR hasa step-by-step guide to getting your credit card interest lowered.
• Clark Howard has the ultimate guide to credit at everything you need to know about your credit.
• Hassled by debt collectors? Know your rights by reading the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.
• How long will it take to pay off that credit card? Find out with this CALCULATOR.

Housing/Renting

• Are you renting? This neat tool lets you see if you are paying too much. It is called RENTOMETER and is so simple to use!
• Want to cut back on your household expenses? THISOLDHOUSE.COM has a list of 50 DIY tips for your house, each of which can save you between $50 and $500 apiece.
• If you need help avoiding foreclosure, head to DOUGHROLLER.NET. The website has links to government and other websites with information on how to keep your home.
• Need to cut the cost of moving into a new residence? FREECARDBOARDBOXES.COM .
• Should I rent or buy? Find out with a detailed analysis at REALTOR.COM.

Solar

• Power virtually all your electronic devices with SOLAR POWER CHARGERS.
• Does solar power make sense for you? Find out with this quote at SUNGEVITY. 

Money/Budgeting

• Get all you accounts in one place with powerful budgeting tools using MINT.COM.
• CHECKINGFINDER is a website where you can search by zip code for high-interest checking account offers.
• MONEYAISLE forces banks to bid on the highest interest rate.

Autos

• Search for new and used autos at ALLAUTOSITES. The site lets you pick search parameters including make, model, price and location. I have also found great information about vehicles at WIKICARS and NADA.
• Tired of paying a mechanic for every minor tune-up or repair to your automobile? VEHICLEFIXER.COM  offers video guides to let you fix your automobile yourself and stretch your dollar.
• FRUGALMECHANIC.COM lets you comparison shop for auto parts from more than 50 different retailers.

Speak to a real person

• GETHUMAN has the direct customer service numbers for more than a hundred businesses, ranging from Avis to Time Warner Cable.
• VOIP-NEWS.COM has a list of 50 tips to get a real voice at any corporation in 10 seconds or less.
• Also check out NO PHONE TREES and DIAL A HUMAN.

Education/College

• Intellectually curious but can't afford tuition? ACADEMICEARTH.ORG has free lectures from some of America's most learned professors online.
• Check out my free education post and 4 Sites That Teach You How to Do Anything.

Shopping

• TINY MASSIVE is an online search engine that combs the Web to find you the best deals on just about any product you can think of. Simply tweet a search query to @TinyMassive. It will then reply to your tweet with the number of results matching your query. If you follow the link in the TinyMassive tweet, you'll be brought to the results page.
  When is the best time to buy …? Learn the day at the cheapest day to buy certain items.
• FREE SHIPPING offers coupons & coupon codes to over 800 Stores!
  Tired of buying toys only to see your kids get bored with them? Try RENTAL TOYS for a low monthly membership fee.
• SAVVYCIRCLE alerts members when the price drops on a "wish listed" item. The site supports most major retailers, so after adding products to your shopping list, the site "watches" the price and sends an email when the price drops.
• Discount women's, men's, and kid's shoes, plus clothing, handbags, & accessories can be found at 6PM.COM.
• WOOT is an online store that offers one product each day at substantial savings.
• DAILY STEALS and NEWATNOON are WOOT clones. 
• Head on over to FROOGLES for bargains, free stuff, deals, closeouts, clearance, and overstocks.
• Find expert and user reviews on just about any product at PRICERUNNER.COM. The website is a shopper's delight that aggregates info on everything, from laptops to espresso makers, to help you make an informed shopping decision.
• SHORTCUTS coupons attach electronically to your participating grocery store loyalty card, so they are always with you when you shop!

Cell Phones

• Free comparison-shopping with your cell phone when you're in a store! How cool is that?
• Hunt for coupons on your cell phone with CELLFIRE.COM. The site lets you scour for discounts at your favorite stores and download them to your mobile phone.
• Send free text message using FREEETEXTSEND.

Giving to Charity

• GOODSEARCH.COM is a search engine that donates half its revenues to the charities its users designate. Yahoo powers it, so results are pretty good. Just 500 people searching 4 times a day can raise about $7,300 in a year!
• THEHUNGERSITE is another great way to give to charity just by clicking.

Making Extra Money

• Look for money a relative left you or perhaps an account you simply forgot about at MISSINGMONEY & UNCLAIMED
• Got stuff? Rent it out and make a little extra cash at CROWDRENT.
• If you have gift cards collecting dust, turn them into money at GIFTCARDRESCUE.COM. The website is a shopper's delight that lets you sell or exchange unused cards.
• Get cash for old or unwanted gadgets at GAZELLE.COM. The site pays for any tech item, no matter how old, and provides free shipping.

Saving Extra Money

• The FREECYCLE Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Their goal is to reduce waste by connecting individuals who are throwing away goods with others who are seeking them. They use Yahoo groups as their conduit so you must have a Yahoo user ID. 
• Research, compare and lower your monthly bills with LOWERMYBILLS.COM. The website, gives you the inside scoop on finding the cheapest rates on home loans, credit cards and auto and health insurance.
• BIRTHDAYFREEBIES is the premiere place for finding birthday freebies, birthday offers, birthday specials, birthday deals and even birthday party venues from local and national businesses.
• Don’t like my money saving tips? Try the 50 ways to trim your budget.
• Want to save tens of thousands of dollars? Read how you can save $20,000 In 1 Year.
• 88 ways to save money, and counting... I love the way this expands like the old windows explorer.
• Giveaways are real popular in a bad economy. How do you find them? Go to the big list of giveaways.
• Get you hands on all that CONTRABAND TSA has been collecting at airports, and be sure to visit the PROPERTYROOM for incredible savings from this police auction online.

Miscellaneous

• Get all the information you need on federal recalls at RECALLS.GOV. A joint project of several government agencies, the website lets you search for product recalls and sign up for email alerts.
• Looking for love? These dating sites are advertiser supported – PLENTYOFFISH and DOWNTOEARTH.
• Avoid speeding tickets by utilizing this cool DATABASE OF SPEED TRAPS. 
• Looking for free wi-f? Check out WIFIFREESPOT.COM or WIFIFINDER or WEFI.COM.
• Lost an owner's manual? Find it at OWNERIQ. The site also has user forums to help you operate any gadget.
• Check out the E-Justice Blog at CRIMINALJUSTICEUSA. The website has a list of 100 free do-it-yourself legal resources that can be found on the web.
• Got empty milk jugs? 35+ uses for plastic milk jugs.

Do Wizetrade or Investools Really Work?

Wizetrade

The projections of the Wizetrade software are almost identical to charts of moving averages. Moving average data is free and up to date on Yahoo finance while Wizetrade charges almost three grand.  I haven’t spoken to one serious trader that relies on this type of software to manage a successful portfolio.

 InvesTools

Prices start around $1000 and can go up to $10,000+. They try to keep the cost a secret until you attend one of their workshops, then you get the hard sell According to their SEC filings they have graduated over 320,000 and only about 1/3 (98,000) are still Investor Toolbox subscribers. Huh?

Bottom Line

The only people that make money from these are the people that sell them to you. If you can afford $3, I'll link you to the scientific approach to trading the market. It takes all the emotion out of buying and selling, and teaches you bankroll management. What have you got to lose? Oh yeah, thousands of dollars on software that doesn’t work!

How To Live on Practically Nothing

Spend Less TV - The Free Video Service About Saving Money

Why Does Food Cost So Much?

There are 2 main reasons why food is skyrocketing in price:: the falling value of the US dollar (we import more food than we export) and transportation costs. 

About 25,000 food shipments arrive daily in the USA from more than 100 countries! 

That food has to be transported by boat, by rail, then by truck. On average about 1500 miles!

That’s why local organic farming is the most sustainable  way to grow and consume food.

Congress Exempt from Short Selling

Pre Pay Your Mortgage

I used an Excel based mortgage spreadsheet to see how the life of my mortgage would change if I paid a little more each and every month to the principal. It amazed me! By paying just an extra fifty dollars a month, I was able to shorten the length of my loan by five years and ten months and save more than $18,000 in interest!

 

Moving to a National Sales Tax! Where is the news coverage?

Online retailers have argued for years that it would be too complicated to collect state and local sales taxes because of differing definitions and the difficulty of submitting payments to thousands of jurisdictions.

The Senate bill would require states that want to require the collection of those sales taxes to join an existing 24-state group called the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement that has standardized definitions and provided a single location in each state to send all payments.

States such as California, whose tax systems might be too complicated to join the group, still could be allowed to require retailers to collect taxes if they adopted similar tax simplification measures.

Freebies from Your Cell Phone

ShopText is an easy and secure way to shop, sample, & save using your mobile phone. After you register, be sure to  text SHOPTEXT to 467467 and let the freebies flow!