The New Cell Phone Plan That’s Allset to Save You Money

September 04, 2014

A couple of years ago, I wrote about prepaid cell phone plans and how they can save you money. I ended up switching from the LG Optimus V on Virgin Mobile to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Ting. However, I’ve recently had some problems with my phone losing data connection and battery power so I decided to upgrade again. That’s when I discovered Verizon’s new “Allset” prepaid plan. Here’s why I think it offers the best deal in cell phone plans right now: Continue reading “The New Cell Phone Plan That’s Allset to Save You Money”

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Case

January 09, 2014

I recently saw someone with a cell phone case that doubled as a sort of wallet. It had an opening to keep cards and cash so everything you need is in one place. At first, that seemed pretty neat. Who wouldn’t want to simplify their life?

Continue reading “Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Case”

Back to School Money Lessons: Making The Most of a Bad Economy

August 27, 2012

My friends are all posting their back-to-school photos of their kids and grandkids – they are so cute with their new clothes and backpacks! I miss the days of dropping my own kids off on those first days of the school year…well, except the first few years. I didn’t let them see a little tear in my eye as they walked into their classrooms looking so grown up.  Continue reading “Back to School Money Lessons: Making The Most of a Bad Economy”

What Eating the World’s Largest Lollipop Can Teach Us About Spending Money

August 02, 2012

Last week, my fellow Financial Finesse planner Michael Smith wrote a blog post titled “What the World’s Largest Lollipop Has to Do With Our Financial Problems” about how the “bigger is better” mindset can lead us down the path of debt. The problem is that a desire for growth and improvement in all areas of our life, including materially, is arguably ingrained in our culture, if not our very DNA. Don’t we always want to become more fit and healthy, more educated and knowledgeable, more liked and respected, more financially secure and yes, more materially comfortable? Continue reading “What Eating the World’s Largest Lollipop Can Teach Us About Spending Money”

Is Your Cell Phone Contract Becoming Obsolete?

June 14, 2012

Back in January, I wrote a post about ways to save money on your phone bill. One of the things I mentioned was using a much cheaper prepaid cell phone plan instead of a more expensive contract with one of the big 4 carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. A lot of the prepaid plans actually use the same network as one of the big 4 so you’re essentially getting the same coverage for a lower price and with the flexibility of not being tied into a contract. Continue reading “Is Your Cell Phone Contract Becoming Obsolete?”

Who’s More Frugal? Me vs. Mr. Extreme Saver

May 17, 2012

Last week, one of our guest bloggers, Mr. Extreme Saver posted a great blog post about how he is able to live in NYC on only a $1k a month of spending. That got me thinking. A lot of spending consists of “trying to keep up with the Joneses.” But what if instead of competing on how much we can spend (which is a lose-lose scenario), we were to compete on how little we spend? Here is my budget and how I stack up to Mr. Extreme Saver: Continue reading “Who’s More Frugal? Me vs. Mr. Extreme Saver”

Are You Paying Too Much On Your Phone Bill?

January 26, 2012

We often review people’s budgets  to help them find savings and one area that I consistently find people spending more than they probably need to is on their phone bill. The average landline bill is probably only about $20 but most people also have a cell phone bill that averages about $50 per month. As people switch to smartphones with more expensive data plans, that cell bill will only increase. The average smartphone user now spends over $100 per month. Continue reading “Are You Paying Too Much On Your Phone Bill?”