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By Rosemary White, July 27, 2010 9:02 am

The average American household pays $107 a month for cell phone service.  Multiple phones, voice and data plans.  It’s always so easy to pay $15 a month for this and $30 a month for that.  Pretty soon, you’re shelling out a pretty good amount of dough.  I’ve always been pretty stingy about this sort of thing after the necessities like my insurance and investments are taken out of my checking accounts.  And so it is, also, with my cell phone.  Not usually one to have the very latest within hours of an unveiling, I like to wait until the bugs have been worked out. I’m proud to say that I still pay only $39.95 a month for 1,500 anytime minutes for cell service.  Not bad, eh?  I did, however, just add unlimited internet access last week for an additional $10.

But cell phones (smart phones, whatever) are becoming a huge money pit, as I bet you’ve noticed.  As more people use their phone to check their email, their favorite web site or watch a TV show, the costs associated with such pleasures are increasing.  Data is the future and the future will cost more.  Providers seem to have a knack for offering either too little or too much.  Here’s some ideas to keep your costs under control:

  *  If your carrier has a Friends and Family plan, make use of it.  You can list both friend, family and most called businesses

  *  Don’t pay for stuff you don’t use.  Do you really need phone insurance? 

  *  Don’t pay for directory assistance.  Try 800-GOOG-411 or 800-FREE-411

  *  Check your minute usage since January and if you’ve gone over, see what the next level of service vs. what you have paid for additional minutes under your current plan

  *  No need to be rushing for a smart phone, especially if you would have to change carriers and pay a whopping termination fee

  *  Save the TV shows for the TV.  Downloading a program uses a huge amount of data

And don’t forget to review your monthly bills.   Hope this helps.   Until next time, here’s to good planning!

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By Rosemary White, July 23, 2010 3:36 am

I’ve become a fan of the online group purchasing groups.  So far, I’m getting emails from four:  www.Groupon.com, www.Eversave.com, www.BuyWithMe.com and www.LivingSocial.com .   I’ve used one to get a terrific discount on barbeque at a great joint near me and another for a couple of stone massage treatments (or as a friend in the Midwest says, “rocks on your back”). 

It’s just another example of how the internet has changed everything.  On these sites, merchants decide the minimum number of customers they’re willing to offer a discount to.  If enough people want the product or service and enter in their credit card information online, then everybody gets the deal.  A great discount on something you want, at a price you may or may not pay again and the merchant has a throng of new customers in the store or calling to book their service.  What’s not to like.   I predict these sites will continue to thrive long after the economy recovers.  Half price on a cruise around Boston Harbor.  60% off for a massage.  Save $50 on a dinner at a fancy restaurant you’ve been wanting to try for years.   Everybody’s doing their part to help the economy.

Most of these online groups are operating in a number of different cities around the country.  Another reason to live in a metropolitan area?  Anyway, check out the sites.  Until next time, happy shopping and here’s to good planning!

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By Rosemary White, July 2, 2010 6:09 am

I really can’t keep up with all the changes going on out there in the world of finances (I know…it’s my job…).  In the last several months, there have been “peer-to-peer payment services” popping up all around the country.  And, if you can believe this, banks are in the forefront of this.  Basically, a business owner, rather than write a check for a good or service, is now able to transfer money to a customer’s account.  All you need is a mobile phone number and an email address.  The transaction occurs directly from one bank to another.  Why didn’t I think of this?

Five years ago, this probably wouldn’t have been possible.  But as consumers and businesses become more comfortable paying bills online or making purchases online, I guess this is just the natural next step.  Javelin Research reports that nearly 44% (38 million) of the 86 million households online made at least one online P2P fund transfer in 2009.  That’s up 27% from 2008.  This is fast, direct and safe.  What’s not to love about it? 

If a bank offers the P2P system, a business owner can login to his/her bank account, input an email address and send a message to the recipient before transferring the money.  The transfer can be done online or via a browser-enabled mobile phone.  The recipient then goes online to claim the money which is automatically deposited into his/her account usually within 24 hours.  So, no more writing checks, buying stamps, dropping in the P. O. box and waiting for it to clear.  If your cash flow tends to be tight, this isn’t for the faint of heart.  The dough moves quickly, so just make sure you’ve got enough to cover the payment in your bank account.  Until next time, have a great July 4th holiday and here’s to good planning!

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By Rosemary White, April 23, 2010 9:09 am

I hope you were able to tip your hat to Mother Earth yesterday.  I remember the very first Earth Day, back when I was getting ready to graduate from high school.  Going green isn’t just about saving our planet for future generations.  It’s also about saving money and improving your lifestyle.  Here’s some ideas as a refresher:

•  Recycle more.  If you aren’t throwing away as much, you’ll spend less on replacing things (like plastic bottles or plastic baggies).  Spending less means you’ll save money.  What’s not to like about that?  If you recycle items like MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras, etc., you might actually MAKE a few bucks.  Check out www.BuyMyTronics.com and www.YouRenew.com
• If you own your home and have a yard (a strange concept for those of us living in a city) try composting.   In addition to weeds, leaves and grass clippings, you can also throw in the lint from your dryer, the ashes from your fireplace, shredded newspaper, fruit and vegetable scraps and tea/coffee grounds.  You might reduce your cost for trash pickup and you’ll certainly have a source for nutrient-rich material for your garden and flower beds
• Sell more stuff.  Cleaning out the garage or attic?  Don’t throw it all away.  Try selling things by having a yard sale or using online sites like www.Craigslist.com or www.eBay.com
• Donate stuff.  You do have items that would be appreciated by a charity in your town.  Make the effort to contact them.  And don’t forget to get a receipt for your income taxes next year
• Reuse stuff.  Add a kitchen towel so you’re using fewer paper towels.  Use the empty sour cream and yogurt containers for saving leftovers.  Cute wrapping paper on that holiday or birthday gift?  Remove it and save it for later (just try not to give it back on a gift to the same person)

These will all help your bottom line.  Let me know if you’ve got any other ideas.  Until next time, here’s to good planning!

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By Rosemary White, March 16, 2010 6:44 am

I’ll do virtually anything for a good photo.  Despite being acrophobic, several years ago I climbed more than 75 steps to get to the top of Boston Light, the oldest lighthouse in America.  (I’ll add some of those shots to this blog as the weather warms.)  My photo shoot budgets average somewhere between zero and the cost of batteries.   For Annie Leibovitz, the famous photographer, it was lavish photo shoots that, reportedly, put her in a $24 million hole.  She almost lost her home and the rights to all of her 100,000 photographs.  Last week she cut a deal with a private investment firm that will help her market her photographs and manage her debt.  She’s the best example I’ve got of late for why it’s important to have a budget and live within your means. 

That investment firm, Colony Capital LLC of Santa Monica, CA, will be her sole creditor.  In addition to her home, there are two additional Manhattan town houses. The real estate alone is valued at $20 million.  No other details have been released.  I hope Colony Capital can help keep her on track so she can focus on her photography.  Remember the magazine cover with a nude and pregnant Demi Moore or Whoopi Goldberg in a tub of milk?

This economy continues to be very tough for many people.  Cash flow is tight and millions of Americans are still struggling.  Please cut your expenses and keep working to pay down your debt.  Let me know if you need a budget form.   Until next time, here’s to good planning!

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By Rosemary White, January 7, 2010 6:40 am

There are numerous reports in recent weeks the U.S. economy is improving, but that’s no reason to go back to former bad habits of overspending or not keeping track of your finances.   As a way to start the new year off right, you might want to consider bartering.   Along with shopping at consignment shops, bartering has become more popular the last couple of years as the U.S. wallowed in the worst recession in a generation.  And this isn’t your father’s bartering.  Nowdays the bartering is taking place online.

You may have a trade or professional skill that would be of interest to someone else.   Or, you may find items in your garage, basement or living room that could use a new home.   Need your teeth cleaned?   Maybe you can help organize the dentist’s office or hang some of your framed photographs.   Or your pet sitting skills might really come in handy in exchange for some marketing or computer work.   Anything’s possible.  Just nothing too weird.

Two of the more popular online bartering sites are www.Swaptree.com and www.BarterQuest.com .   It’s becoming the new normal.  Good luck and have fun.  Until next time, here’s to good planning!