How To Save Money on Telephone Service

by Ryan on September 2, 2010

Technology changes everything. 10 years ago, almost everyone had a traditional landline telephone. 20 years ago I lived in a town where you only had to dial the last 4 digits to make a local call. Before that it wasn’t uncommon to have a party line, where people shared a phone line and if you weren’t careful, they could listen in on your calls. Now you can get call waiting, caller ID, and a host of other features via a traditional landline, cable connection, or the internet. Or you can skip the landline altogether and just use a cell phone, which is what I have done for the last 7 years.

But I recently found myself making and receiving more phone calls and I need to add a landline. But I don’t want to pay $20 a month just to have a local number. So I looked into my options, and I realized there are a lot of ways you can save money on telephone service.

How to save money on phone calls

Here are some ways you can save money on phone calls from home:

Do you need a landline?

The first step is to determine if you need a land line, and if so, how many lines you need. When I was in high school, my parents had two telephone lines. It was only a couple dollars extra per month, and the convenience was a nice luxury. Soon after we left home, they realized they could save a few dollars per month by dropping the extra line. Shortly after that, they realized they could join the growing number of people who dropped their land lines altogether. Now I call their call phones.

Which options do you need?

Do you need call waiting, caller ID, and the half dozen other add ons and features? If so, go for it. But you may be able to save a lot of money if you drop those features.

Save money by bundling your service

If you watch cable TV, you can often save a substantial amount of money by bundling cable and telephone service, or even go with a triple play package and bundle cable, telephone and internet service. Many bundled options often come with discounted extras or even free additions like caller ID, call waiting, etc.

Switch to internet based phones – VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is a great way to save money on your cell phone bill. There are varying plans and companies that provide VoIP service, so you will need to shop around a bit. Here are some VoIP options:

  • Skype – offers free video calls and online free instant chat and free video calls to other Skype members. Long distance calls to a landline or mobile number ring in at at $3 per month or 2.1 cents a minute.
  • magicJack uses the same VoIP technology and costs $45 for the hardware and $19.99 a year for unlimited long distance calls.
  • Ooma has a higher up front cost ($200), but doesn’t have monthly charges.
  • Google Voice – you can send and receive phone calls through your Gmail account by downloading a plugin and linking your Gmail account and Google Voice account. This is a great option for free calls (I used it extensively this week and like the results).

Look into calling cards for international calls

If you make a lot of international calls and don’t care to use VoIP or other technology, then look into calling cards, which can often be much cheaper than your long distance plan. Try to avoid using an operator to connect you to an international call, as those calls typically have a surcharge added.

There is no one size fits all phone plan

Telephone service can be as personalized as you want it to be, so play around with the available options to find the one that best meets your needs and budget. My guess is you can knock several bucks off your bill each month.

As for me, I plan on trying the Google Voice for the time being. If that works well enough, then I have a free solution. If I decide I need a little more flexibility, then I will likely buy the Ooma because it more user friendly than some of the other options (i.e. you don’t have to have your computer on at all times to use it).

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Finding Work Overseas

by Guest Contributor on September 1, 2010

Finding work overseas: Yes, it’s possible, yes, there are challenges, and yes, it may be worth it.

The economic recession has been difficult and millions of Americans of all ages are facing the prospect of long term unemployment or underemployment (i.e. having a job that barely pays the bills and does nothing to enhance your career). Some people may be wondering about opportunities in other countries in order to continue their career progression, or simply find a job that pays well.

Unfortunately, this most recent economic crisis has been almost global. Most recessions, in fact almost all of them except this one and the one that caused the Great Depression, are local or regional in nature. For example, when Argentina and Uruguay defaulted on their debt in 2002, the United States, Europe, and Asia were virtually unaffected. When the United States’ markets crashed in late 2008, half entire world shut down.

Notice I said “almost.” I recently read in the news about some countries which have avoided crippling recessions and have posted considerable economic growth. Some of the countries that avoided major recessions include Australia, Canada and New Zealand. China, the world’s newest juggernaut, continues to grow at unprecedented rates.

Even with these challenges, there are ways to find international employment.

How to Get a Job Overseas

Is reading the international business section of a newspaper or business website information enough to find a job? I think it’s a beginning, and it is a start towards the research you will have to do in order to accomplish finding working abroad. You cannot simply pick a country, fly over, and then conduct interviews. You need to know whether the country you wish to work in is looking for expat labor, and whether there are any jobs available in your field.

Here are some basic tips I can give for anyone planning on looking for work overseas.

1. Find out which countries have a need for your expertise. Don’t pick a country and hope you will get hired. You need to do research to determine if there is demand for people with your specialty. A petroleum engineer is unlikely to find work in France but may end up working for a French company in the UAE or Saudi Arabia.

2. Do research on the country you’re moving to. Is it politically stable? Is it economically stable? If it’s not economically stable and in the developing world, you will probably have to keep your money back home. Avoid investing locally, and avoid purchasing a property if the country has a recent history of instability. You don’t want to abandon your nest egg while fleeing.

3. Can you qualify for a work visa? Not only do you need to find the right country with the right job, you need to find out if you can qualify for a visa, otherwise you may be ineligible to work there. If you have a history of illness, are over a certain age, or have a criminal background, you may not be able to qualify for a work visa and the company that hired you may find it impossible to bring you over. However, the biggest companies can usually find a way to get anyone they want over if the person is qualified for a senior position.

4. Keep a home address. Don’t completely cut ties with your home. You’ll need a home address in order to maintain a bank account and you will need a home address to maintain heal insurance, which you should try to do if possible. Private health care may not be guaranteed when working abroad, particularly in the developing world. Your coverage may also be dropped if you are ill for a long period of time and you’ll need to have remained eligible on your guaranteed health coverage back home. This may not be an issue if you work in a country with guaranteed health care for all legal residents, but it’s better safe than sorry.

5. Maintain contact with family and friends. Don’t sever the links that have been a part of your life until recently. When moving abroad you will be confronted with new sights, sounds and cultures which can be overwhelming at times. Keeping in contact with the people you grew up with help you maintain your bearing and your sanity!

Working overseas can be the adventure of a lifetime and it can be a clever way to avoid the current economic recession. But it must be done with a bit of forethought and it’s certainly not something to jump into without research.

About the author: Rick Todd writes at Expat Investing where he discusses such topics as to whether retiring abroad is right for you and if you can afford to live abroad on social security alone.

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Chase Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM) $50 Cash Bonus

by Michael on August 31, 2010

Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM)The Chase Ink(SM) line of small business credit cards are excellent ways for start-ups to acquire a line of credit to help them grow.  However, if you’re more interested in finding a card to make everyday purchases, simply for convenience, look no further than the Chase Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM) charge card.  Charge cards, unlike credit cards, require the balance to be paid in full each and every month.  Failure to do so could result in extensive penalties, including the closure of your account.

As an added bonus, signing up for the Chase Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM) will net you 5,000 bonus points after making your first purchases, which is enough for $50.  In addition to the 5,000 bonus points, you also have the opportunity to earn an additional 47,500 every year!  Here’s how:

  • 7,5000 bonus points when you spend $25,000 annually on your card
  • 15,000 bonus points when you spend $50,000 annually on your card
  • 25,000 bonus points when you spend $100,000 annually on your card

Each tier level includes the first, so for example if you spend $50,000 next year on your Chase Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM), you would earn 22,500 in bonus points.  This is in addition of course to their rewards program, where you’ll earn 2 points on all airfare purchases book through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 1 point on everything else.  Quick math would suggest you can earn over 150,000 points a year by spending $100,000.  Not too shabby.

Additional benefits of the Chase Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM) are that points never expire, the annual fee of $95 is waived for the first year of card ownership and additional cards for employees are free of charge.

To take advantage of this limited time bonus offer, visit the Chase Ink(SM) Bold with Ultimate Rewards(SM).

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Why Do Millionaires Budget?

by Craig on August 31, 2010

This guest post is by Craig Ford.  Craig, a freelance writer and missionary, blogs at Money Help For Christians.  Today is the last day that you can get a copy Craig’s eBook, The Secret to a Successful Budget for 30% off.

In the book The Millionaire Next Door, the authors, Thomas Stanley and William Danko, share the results of their research and interviews with millionaires.  Ultimately, they seek to identify the habits, traits, and characteristics of millionaires.  Essentially, the book serves to correct many false assumptions regarding the lifestyle of the rich.

Stanley and Danko ask millionaires if their households operate on an annual budget.  They share the following response:

In our last national survey of millionaires, we found that for every 100 millionaires who don’t budget, there are about 120 who do.

The authors go on to explain that out of the 100 who don’t budget, they invest first (a minimum of 15%) and spend the balance of the income.

Why would millionaires budget?

1.  Millionaires budget because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be millionaires.

I’ve often heard people say, “If I had as much money as him, I’d go on cruises, get season tickets, go out to eat every day, and …” you fill in the blank.

There is the celebrity breed of millionaires.  They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on watches, TVs, and jewelry for their pets.  They buy houses as often as most people buy the newspaper.  But, think about all those high income earners who are broke.  Think about the professional athletes who file bankruptcy within a few years of finishing their athletic career.

There is really only one way to build your net worth.  You must spend less than you make. Your net worth only grows when there is a distance between what you earn and what you spend.

Interestingly, many people find that their desires can always grow in kind with their income.  While increasing your income certainly gives you the opportunity to increase your net worth, until you set some spending boundaries, you’ll never have anything left over.  A budget helps establish the necessary spending boundaries.

Simply put, millionaires budget because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be millionaires.

2.  Millionaires budget for financial security.

Smart Money reports:

A recent survey by Fidelity found just 46% of millionaires “do not feel” wealthy. “They’re worried about health care, retirement and how they’ll sustain their lifestyle,” says Gail Graham, executive vice president of Fidelity Investments.

Budgeting provides the foundation for financial margin.

The shorter the distance between what you earn and what you spend, the more room there is for fear and insecurity.  Millionaires are not immune to human emotions.  They worry about the same things as other people.  By keeping a budget, they are able to see that some money is being invested for the future which provides a sense of security.

3.  Millionaires budget because budgeting is the best way to reach financial goals.

Danko and Stanley report, “It’s much easier to budget if you visualize the long-term benefits of this task.”

One of the characteristics of those who build wealth is that they “allocate their time, energy, and money efficiently, in ways conducive to building wealth.”  This means millionaires focus on financial activities that bring the most return for their effort.  Since millionaires do budget, it seems clear that budgeting is an effective way to help in the wealth building endeavor.

The Budgeting Habit Comes First and the Wealth Comes Second

People who know how to budget are in an ideal position to build wealth.  Stanley and Danko identify seven factors that people who build wealth share – the first on the list is that they live well below their means.

Do you think a person who makes $100,000 a year can blow that money?  Yes.  Could a person who makes $1,000,000 waste all that money? Yes.

In order to build true wealth, you need to learn to spend less than you earn.  Less might be spending $35,000 on a $40,000 salary or $125,000 on a $145,000 salary, but it must be less.

How you choose to manage your money today (regardless of how much you earn) paves the road for wealth building.  Don’t wait until tomorrow to fix your finances.  Manage what you have today, and if an increased income comes tomorrow, you’ll be ready to put it to work.

Why do you think millionaires budget?

Today is the last day that you can get a copy Craig’s eBook, The Secret to a Successful Budget for 30% off.

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When Companies Go Too Far

by Ryan on August 30, 2010

We live in an information age where most companies welcome the dissemination of information about their products and services. And why not? So long as they can back it up, companies only have something to gain. That is why you see so many businesses with FaceBook pages and Twitter accounts – they want to reach a larger audience and create a buzz about their company.

But some companies can’t back up their products or services and they only stand to lose money if information about their product, service, or business model is examined with a critical eye. In these instances, companies try hard to stay out of the news. Some companies go beyond simply laying low and actively try to hide information about their company behind a veil of silence. And some of these companies or their representatives go even further and try to silence critics with bullying tactics – name calling, threats of legal action or even threatening bodily harm.

I’d like to share with you a story about what is happening to Lazy Man over at Lazy Man and Money.

Does MonaVie Use Unfair and Abusive Tactics to Control Media?

About a year and a half ago, Lazy man wrote an article about MonaVie in which he asks if MonaVie is a Scam. His article was based on research he performed after his wife was recruited to sell MonaVie, a very expensive açaí berry juice product that is sold on a multi-level marketing business model.

Lazy Man’s research showed Monavie was no more special than most other açaí berry products, and in his opinion, not worth the $40 per bottle it cost to purchase (or potentially thousands of dollars in promotional products and training recommended to become a MonaVie distributor, not to mention the research which showed most distributors don’t make much money).

In his opinion, and in the opinion of numerous scientists and journalists which he quoted and linked to on his site, MonaVie was nothing but a lot of hype at best, and potential dangerous at worst (because many MonaVie distributors make illegal claims regarding Monavie’s medicinal and curative properties, many of which have not been proven and are not endorsed by the FDA).

Then things got interesting. People who were researching MonaVie and açaí berry juice found Lazy Man’s article and left comments about their experiences with MonaVie – the good, the bad, and the ugly. To his credit, Lazy Man left all the comments in place, not just those which are critical of MonaVie, but also those from MonaVie distributors and employees, some of whom posted blatantly false information and some of whom openly who openly attacked Lazy Man, his website and his readers.

The MonaVie article on Lazy Man’s site garnered over 3,000 comments on MonaVie which can be found in an archive on his site. There are now over 4,600 comments on the article.

But it doesn’t end there.

MonaVie threatened to sue Lazy Man when he wouldn’t remove the article from his site, and some distributors and employees resorted to scare tactics and name calling. One distributor threatened him with blackmail and another even allegedly threatened him with bodily harm. Here are some of his experiences in the past few months:

Lazy Man’s experiences so far are only part of the story – though I’m sure it hasn’t ended yet. He has mentioned in various comments on his site about discussions with legal representatives, The Federal Trade Commission, and even the FBI (they tend to take threats against bodily harm very seriously). But doesn’t end there.

Apparently other website owners have had similar experiences with MonaVie. There have also been several other websites that looked at MonaVie from a critical angle which have recently disappeared or now only display information that is supportive of MonaVie. Did the people who were once running those sites have a sudden change of heart, or did something else happen?

How far is too far?

I don’t know if MonaVie is a Scam, but I will say that I would NEVER do business with them or use their products based on the information I have seen about their products, and more importantly, how they conduct business. By all appearances, they went to far.

My question is this: How far can a company go before their actions are considered crossing the line?

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