LOW TECH FIXES FOR HIGH TECH PROBLEMS

Here's a helpful article from the NY Times to do some fixes and save you bucks:


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/technology/personaltech/19basics.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

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MOBILE PHONES, CHEAP DEALS

Let's talk cellphones. What is 3G and why is it a network? What is a G anyway and do we need 3 of them? What if we only want 1G? Wait. Isn't that the name of the Google phone?


Confused yet? Welcome to the club. As technology gets more sophisticated, it gets more confusing. Are we spending more money than we need to on nifty features that we really don't need? Do we need to have access to the worldwide web every second of every day? How about this idea? Pay only for the services you really need and saving some bucks.


Prepaid cellphones are becoming increasingly popular in these tough economic times. Prices are very reasonable, and you don't have to sign up for a year or multi-year plan. Take a look at this article from the SF Gate to illustrate our point: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/02/18/financial/f102402S54.DTL&feed=rss.business.


Then take this quiz: http://cellphones.about.com/library/bl_pt_q1.htm?q=UPT-TAKEAGAIN


Not satisfied with your quiz results? Check out this nifty comparison chart: http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm


Don't get us wrong. We're not recommending everyone switch over to prepaid cellphones. Subscription plans with 1 or 2 year contracts can be moneysavers too. HOWEVER, make sure you're buying what you NEED, not what's cute or new or hip or whatever. We got along just fine without cellphones for years. Just because something new is available doesn't mean you have to have it. Remember landline phones? Remember letters? If you travel extensively and need to be in contact with your office, then of course you'll need a plan with email and data. Hopefully your company will pay for it too. If you have a family and want to keep in touch, then of course a family plan makes sense. But do the kids need to run up your bill with constant texting? We don't think so.

As we always say, shop wisely, save money.

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IN LIKE A LION...MARCH BARGAINS

Spring arrives in three weeks; that's cold comfort for our East Coast colleagues as they slog through squalls and ice and snow. You know the CHEAPIOSITY drill by now. Take advantage of the lousy winter weather by buying warm weather items nobody wants now but everyone will need later. Demand is low and discounts abound on: air conditioners, cooling systems, ceiling fans, and air purifiers.


Cookware generally goes up during graduation and wedding season, so shop now for discounts and beat the rush.


After Valentine's Day in February and before Mother's Day in May, jewelers aren't all that busy. Good news for you. You'll find great deals on jewelry if you shop in that calendar sweet spot.



New bedding models arrive in the spring, which makes March a good month to buy that new mattress you've been dreaming about. Retailers look to eliminate older stock for newer models, and you can find some deals.


Spring is the time when most think about home improvement; we humbly suggest you think DIY earlier and buy tools before prices go up.


New vacuum cleaner models come out in June; start looking now for sales.


Look for wedding related items now before the wedding season begins. Filene's Basement, for example, has their famous wedding dress sale at this time of year.


Small electronics tend to be discounted now in anticipation of summer use and the arrival of new models.

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CHEAP GROCERIES

Looking for more ways to save? Let's look at groceries. The Wall St. Journal recently published an article that says not only are consumers cutting back on eating out -- they are also cutting back on buying groceries: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123448606475780133.html.

Enter salvage grocery stores. They work pretty much the same as Lomans, Filene's Basement, Marshalls, Ross4Less, etc. They sell discontinued groceries, overstock, dented or blemished packaging or groceries that are about to expire, but haven't expired yet.

Where do you find them? Of course well tell you.....that's what we're here for:

http://gnivas.com/food/salvage-and-bulk-food-stores-savings-havens/

http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97055

http://www.andersonscountrymarket.net/directory

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REDUCING PHONE AND CABLE COSTS

Here at CHEAPIOSITY, we're always looking to reduce our bills. And yours.

Recently we saw an ad from our local phone company offering high speed internet at a rate cheaper than what we were paying our local cable company. You know how much we love to pit one company against another; naturally, we called our cable company immediately. The first person we spoke to said they couldn't do anything. "Do you want to lose us as a customer?" we asked sweetly. "Of course not," they politely answered. "Well then, what are you going to do about it?" we barked back. "I wish I could do something, but there is nothing we can do," they replied unhelpfully. Then we uttered the words that typically lead us to moneysaving Nirvana, "Connect me to the Retention Dept!"

Yes, dear readers, there's a department that really doesn't want to lose your patronage. Many companies feel that something is better than nothing in these tough economic times. Bottom line, our Cable company reduced our overall bill by $20/month, guaranteed for 1 year, which ended up being $5 more than what we'd pay the Phone company. (Take that, Ma Bell.) That's a $240 savings for the year. Not bad at all for one phone call.

Negotiating with various companies come naturally to Team CHEAPIOSITY. We can't help ourselves! However, we felt totally validated when the Wall Street Journal reported stories of others doing exactly the same thing: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123248760842899491-lMyQjAxM This article (not to mention our years of experience) confirm what we've know to be true all along.....everything is negotiable.

Ready to eliminate Cable? You can get alot online. Take a look at this NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/technology/personaltech/08pogue.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

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THE BEST FREE SOFTWARE OF 2009

Free? Did somebody say FREE? Music to our CHEAPIOSITY ears.

Read it and leap: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2338804,00.asp

But wait....there's more (updated 5/14/09): http://www.pcworld.com/article/161342/101_great_free_sites_and_downloads_youve_probably_never_heard_of.html

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FEBRUARY BARGAINS

Love abounds in February, but before you get all caught up in romance, make sure that you check out small consumer electronics, like MP3 players and televisions. Don't miss winter markdowns on computers and linens as well as treadmills and indoor furniture for the best deals. While these may not be the sexiest items on your wish list (or anyone's), if you buy them now you could have hundreds of dollars. Hey...maybe it's just us, but saving that much money is a total turn-on.


If bargains don't light your fire, stick with tradition. After all, 'tis the season. Indulge yourself or someone you love and take advantage of the Valentine's Day sales on lingerie.

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