Unbelievably Cheap Cell Phone Offers

Our family was looking for another cell phone for the family, but didn’t want to break the bank. It was also important that the phone work well throughout the United States.   So, here is how we went about making our decision.

1. We called up our existing cell phone carrier to see how much money it would cost to add a line sharing the minutes.  Since we had a basic plan with them with only one phone attached, they wanted us to upgrade to a pricey plan with features that we did not need or want.
2. Next, we started looking at pre-paid (pay-as-you-go) plans.  We were pleasantly surprised at how much the services and prices have improved in the last couple of years.
3. So, we started digging deeper and discovered tons of pre-pain plans offered by different phone carriers.  We wanted to focus on plans that cost the least over a twelve month period of time.  Since we’re not going to be using the phone very much, the annual cost is what decided to focus on.
4. Ok, so after considerable research, we ended up with two companies that are owned by the same parent company, but offer different plans (TracFone and Net10).
5. We found that Net10 and TracFone were the most competitively priced and offered us the most flexibility in terms of coverage.
6. Since we’re  light-weight cell phone users, TracFone ended up being the best bet for us.  Plus we really liked the fact that they offered an option that allowed us to keep our pre-paid minutes for 90 days.  If we re-filled our minutes within that 90-day period we get to keep our unused minutes. Nice……
7. Our best bet was to go with a phone that came bundled with the double-minutes for the life  feature.  The LG phone we purchased with that feature only cost us $21.89 (including free shipping and sales tax)…..Sweet.
8. After looking at Wal-Mart, we found the best deal online at the TracFone.com web site.

If you plan to use your cell phone more often, you may want to look into the Net10

As always, things change over the months and years and it pays to double check what’s being offered right before you sign up.

How to buy smart on eBay

How to buy smart on eBay

If you’ve never used eBay before visit the eBay how-to-buy page.  Otherwise, jump right into our step-by-step article.

Step 1   Decide on the specific product that you want to purchase (brand, model, etc.)

Step 2   Use Internet Resources like google and Amazon.com to determine the going retail and used prices on the specific product that you decided on in step 1 (above).  While researching, be sure to check on return policies and warranties being offered on new, used and refurbished products.  These considerations should be taken into account before you buy.

Step 3  Armed with the information that that you collected in steps one and two above, you need to consider how much the product is worth to you.  Write down the maximum dollar amount that you are willing to spend on this product.

Step 4  Consider the shipping costs.  If the shipping costs include insurance and/or rapid delivery, slightly higher than normal shipping costs may be worth it.  However, keep an eye out for sellers trying to boost their profits by adding costly shipping and handling charges.

Step 5 Know the risks and how to deal with them.

Step 6   Bid or Bail. Now that you’ve completed your homework assignments, it’s time to decide if biding on eBay is right for you.

The Real Cost of Your PC Printer

Learn secrets to how to finding the best PC printers for a lower overall cost.  LeapToCheap.com will walk you through several important considerations to think about before you shell out your hard earned money.

Can Extended Warranties extend your current bank balance?

Generally, we’re not big fans of paying  for extended warranties.  However there are times that they can make good economic sense.  So, here are a few things to consider before purchasing an extended warranty.

• Does it make dollar good sense?
  Take the purchased  price of item and divide it by the number of years that you expect to own it. Next determine the difference between the price that you pay for each extended warranty year you would pay for the warranty and multiply it by the number of years that you expect to own it.   Finally, do some number crunching using the information below:
  • Determine the length and coverage of the free warranty that came with the purchased item
  • Will this warranty fit your needs?  If not
    • Subtract  the number of years of coverage you have  under the free warranty to determine how many years of extended coverage you will want to buy to arrive at [A].
    • Take the annual dollar price for each year of extended warranty coverage and multiply that by the number of years of coverage you want (See A)  to arrive at [B].
    • Take the purchase price of the item and divide it by the years that you expect to own it past the free warranty coverage period  that came with the item (see A) to arrive at [C].
    • Determine the difference between B and C (above) and this will reveal if the extra coverage  makes sense.
    • If the difference between the above two calculated numbers reveals an annual warranty cost that is unacceptable to you, then you may want to consider skipping the extended warranty.
• You may already have free extended warranty coverage and not even know it!
  • Many credit cards automatically cover items purchased with that credit card.  Call up your credit card company and as if  you card is already equipped with this coverage.  If so for the details (preferably in writing).  Read the fine print to know how to jump through the hoops.
• Your automotive insurance company may offer you very reasonable prices on your automotive extended warranty (if you choose to purchase one).  That being said they have vehicle age and mileage requirements to qualify.  So, it couldn’t hurt to give your insurance company a ring.

• Automotive extended care warranties. Are they worth the cost?
  You really need to read and understand the fine print and limitations to these types of warranties.  Many sound good, but when you need it you could be very disappointed when you need to use it.  We would start by assuming that all auto warranties contain catches to them.  So, here are some of the question that you may want to ask before signing up:
  • What isn’t covered?
  • Are there any limits to coverage based on mileage and or age?
  • What do you have to do to file a claim?
  • On what basis can they deny your claim?
  • Will your rates go up in the future?
  • Is the warranty transferable to another owner?
  • Can you take your vehicle anywhere for the repair work (including the dealer)?
  • Are both parts and labor covered?
  • Is the drive train covered (engine and transmission)?
  • Are you able to stipulate factory replacement parts on your repair?
  • Are they highly rated by the Better Business Bureau and also from independent reviews that you can find on the internet?
• Some items that it may make since to purchase  extended warranties on:
  • Expensive electronics that can cost a bundle to repair (e.g.  laptop computers, hi-end televisions, hi-end printers, large appliances).   Home warranties can be handy to help you sell your home as well.