Victor Bezrukov/Flickr
I went over my cell phone minutes the past two months and the overage charges bothered me so much they seeped into my sleep. Two nights ago I dreamed that I called AT&T and asked them to bump me up to a more expensive plan and forgive my overages.
And they did!
I woke up refreshed and wondering if I had actually called AT&T. Turns out the dream – and the overage forgiveness – was just that.
Drat.
I decided to call and ask if my new plan was pro-rated, giving me a few more minutes until the beginning of the month when my plan resets. While on the phone with a nice gentleman named Rham I asked if it was possible to forgive my overage charges this month, seeing how I was a loyal AT&T customer who always paid my bill on time.
“Let me see what I can do. Please hold.”
Rham came back on the line. He couldn’t immediately credit my account for the overages but put in an “adjustment request.” I would get a call early January with the adjustment amount. The last time this happened I received an adjustment (read: credit) for $1,214.65 so I expect full or partial credit this time.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Well, yes. I also went over my texting plan this month. I’d like to bump up to the next texting plan, and, if I do, is it possible to forgive my overage charges for extra texts in December?”
Rham asked me to hold.
Unlike my minutes overages, Rham was able to immediately credit me $20-some dollars for my overage texts. (At $.10 a pop they add up slowly, but apparently I texted like a teenager in December!) And he pro-rated my new texting plan so I don’t have to worry about texting the rest of the month.
“Thank you for the excellent customer service you have provided me with today,” I told Rham before hanging up.
“You’re very welcome.”
I see the call as a win-win for AT&T and myself.
AT&T keeps a longtime customer happy (so much so that I’m blabbing about it to everyone) and they make more money off me to the tune of $30 extra a month. I save money (at $.45/minute extra paying up front is the cheaper route) and I am more loyal to them because of the consideration they showed me.
Proof dreams come true!
Related: My bra dream: proof I need to spend
This 2:20 minute video from SpendLessTV is pretty darn helpful if you are trying to get out of a cell phone contract. It suggests a few ways to do the deed that I’d never heard of. And it has practical advice that is easy to follow.
This is a guest post by Alex, BargainBabe.com’s intern.
The iPhone has become quite the celebrity and as a result it has alienated it’s closest, much cheaper cousin, the iPod Touch.
If you take an iPod Touch, buy a headset with a microphone, and download an application called Skype, you end up with something incredibly similar to the iPhone. But it’s a lot cheaper. You can make and take calls, and even set up an answering machine.
What’s the catch? The iPod Touch must be connected to the internet via Wifi in order to make phone calls. This isn’t always a downside. WiFi hotspots are becoming more and more common. There’s even an application that will locate Wifi hotspots near you.
Let’s do a quick cost comparison to see what the iPhone’s convenience costs compared to the iPod Touch.
Features by Comparison:
iPhone: Built-in microphone, built-in camera, AT&T phone service, access to satellite internet, Wifi optional, 8 GB hard drive, text messaging optional through AT&T, email and Safari web applications included.
iPod Touch: Headphone microphone, must use Wifi, Skype phone service, 8 GB hard drive, text messaging optional through Skype, email and Safari web applications included.
The iPhone is clearly more convenient, but to purchase one at a reasonable cost you must sign up for a 2-year AT&T contract and the monthly internet. Without signing up for a 2-year contract, a new iPhone will easily cost $400+.
On the other hand, Skype is free to try and doesn’t force you into contracts, plus they can’t nail you with overage charges. You can stop paying that $2.95 per month whenever you want and switch to a better deal if you find one. Still, with Skype you have to purchase a phone number if you want other people to be able to call you. That phone number will run you $30 per year when you purchase a year of service.
You’ll get a cheaper monthly cellular service if you share a family plan, and save even more if you limit your use of minutes. Click here for a list of AT&T plans, and here for Skype.
Maybe after all these comparisons it seems like the iPhone is not worth the money and the iTouch is not worth the hassle. I think there’s a lot of people who would agree with you, which is why I came up with a third option, buying a used and older model iPhone.
By purchasing used, you avoid getting pulled into a two-year wireless plan that comes with a new one, and by purchasing an older model (nicknamed the iPhone 2G) your wireless data plan costs $20 dollars a month instead of $30. You’re paying for a slower connection, but it’s still quite functioning when it comes to downloading email or reading the latest news on the go.
If you search eBay for iPhone 2G, you’ll see that $150 is about as cheap as the old iPhones are going for. It’s more expensive than a brand new one! There’s so many people who either don’t want to start a new 2-year contract, or they’re already in the middle of one from the “latest technology” they bought last year, that there’s a big demand for used iPhones with no contract.
Be on the lookout in the near future. Wifi networks are ever-expanding and there are a lot of rumors floating around the web on a new iTouch with a built-in microphone and camera. The iPod Touch Alternative might just become even more cost effective.
A friend invited me to a happy hour Friday and I instantly said yes. Having a drink with friends is one of life’s great pleasures. Then I remembered my spending moratorium. Ug.
I could bail, but this presents exactly the type of situation that makes the moratorium a worthy experiment. The point is not to sit at home for an entire month holding my breath until August when I can spend. The point is to live my life as normally as possible while not making an discretionary purchases. That means socializing with friends.
So far I have found plenty of free activities to do with my friends, including a game of pick-up Ultimate Frisbee, a picnic on the beach, and yoga (I buy classes in bulk to get the best price so it’s already paid for).
But going to a bar is going to directly confront my non-spending initiative. Luckily, I have a plan.
1. Eat before I go so I can honestly say I’m not hungry.
2. Leave my wallet home, except for my ID. No cash = no temptation.
3. Be very engaging so nobody notices I’m sipping water.
Apparently many folks are joining me on my spending moratorium. This morning news outlets reported retail sales are worse than the dismal expectations. GAP is down 10%, JC Penney is down 8%, Target is down 6%.
A reader named Emily, who joined me on the spending moratorium, wrote in with this update:
One purchase that I did make an exception for myself is a used copy of the South Beach Diet cookbook for use at home as I am redoing phase two at present and my father, who is a diabetic, should be eating fewer carbs anyway. As I considered it a health investment, I figured the $2.00 the store was asking for made it a worthy purchase. I’m glad to see your moratorium is still happening, albeit slightly challenging.
Who else is observing the moratorium this month? Email me an update, please.
I was considering giving myself a haircut – if I botched it my pesky spending moratorium nixes a quick fix at the salon – but the challenge has been put off until August. My video producer (yes, I was going to make a video of the ordeal) is on vacation.
But it got me thinking, when is Doing-It-Yourself in the name of saving money a really awful idea? A countdown.
10. Cutting your own hair. The opportunities for disaster are as thick as my hair. Not that this is going to deter me. Hair grows back!
9. Butchering your own (wild) animal. I heard on NPR that a grown buck is worth hundreds of dollars!
8. Using bug spray with abandon. One man blew up his home this way.
7. Making your own clothes. Fixing buttons and socks, sure, but princess seams?
6. Car repair beyond the basics. Your safety is important, yo.
5. Trying a bold new hair color at home. You pay your stylist for their skills and a second opinion.
4. Electrical work. There are reasons why electrical work requires licensed professionals and permits. Reasons like fires and explosions.
3. Making your own fireworks display. This is sure to get you a Darwin award.
2. Repairing your microwave. The cost of new parts will likely cost more than buying a new one, and fixing the broken involves handling very dangerous parts.
And the No. 1 activity that is a stupid way to save money is…
1. Nipple piercing. One hapless gal from “Lower Indiana” tried this at home and concludes “I still have trouble believing how tough the skin was to pierce.” Ouch.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve done to save money?
The coupons I purchased from TheCouponMaster.com arrived yesterday in the mail, sorted neatly with a receipt for $3.95 ($3.01 worth of coupons plus a $.94 shipping fee). But now that I’m on a spending moratorium I’m not sure if I can use them. In fact, I’m pretty sure I cannot use them.
The problem is 22 of 31 coupons I purchased expire in July. $*%&#!
My spending moratorium puts the kabash on spending money on anything but groceries, basics like rent and utilities, and business expenses.
Three of the coupons are for a legitimate grocery item (ice cream), but the others are all for toiletries, which I often buy at the grocery store on sale but they are not truly grocery items.
My plan – before the moratorium – was to use the coupons at Target, which has really good prices on toiletries. Now I’m stuck between a rock and this friggin’ moratorium, which, until now, I have had no trouble observing!
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In the final hours before my spending moratorium kicked in today, Day 1 of 31, I made three purchases.
1. I paid $.68 for a Twix bar at CVS on my way home from the library. (To me, candy should still be $.50. I won’t miss paying retail.)
2. I charged $31.65 for a Thai dinner after my dancing lesson with Hubby. Had some very tasty fresh spring rolls and curry at Chili Thai in LA.
3. I spent $12.61 filling up my gas tank at the 76 station. I’ve got a full tank to last me the month – roughly 400 miles.
Now it’s no more spending for a month!
Two brave souls stepped forward to join me on this frugal experiment.
Emily said:
I will be joining you on the Moratorium although I will have slightly fewer restrictions as I have recently moved and am not ruling out the possibility of unexpected expenses.
Tamara said:
I am going to join you on your spending moratorium for the month of July! I do have one question though, and I will post it in the comments, what do you think about buying wedding gifts? I have two weddings to attend in July and am not sure how to proceed with “counting” the spending on gifts. Am I allowed to, or not?
I wanted to make it easy on Tamara so I put her question into a poll.
Loading ...Related:
BB considers going on a spending moratorium
Votes are in! BB goes on a spending moratorium
Spending moratorium starts Wednesday
Wise Bread is one of my favorite blogs because it is so interesting. My case in point is a recent post from one of their bloggers on DIY funerals. The writer breaks down how a low-budget funeral can add up to $8,000. Then he suggests a few alternatives, including making your own coffin.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I guess he didn’t know you can buy coffins at Costco. Read the post here. It’s quite interesting!
Once again, my readers are keeping me honest. Earlier this week I came up with three very good reasons why I should not go on a spending moratorium, but you all rejected my pleas and voted overwhelmingly to put myself through this wacky experiment.
As of Friday morning there were 112 votes. About 45 percent want me to go on a spending moratorium, 27 percent say it’s silly, and 13 percent (15 readers) agreed to go on the spending moratorium with me!
It’s nice to know I’ll have company. 
Three readers in particular encouraged me to take the plunge.
Katie said:
I challenge you to go on a complete spending moratorium! Don’t buy ANYTHING (except phone, utilities, rent) for 30 days. See how long you can live off of the groceries you already have on hand. You will be surprised. Be extra careful about how much electricity & gas you use–unplug appliances, play a game instead of watching TV or read a book, don’t leave the light on when not in the room, etc.
Kristin at makingcentsoutoflife.blogspot.com said:
I think that if your hubby is willing, you should do it jointly if you are going to do it at all. Kind of like a diet, it’s easier with support. I think it’s a very worthwhile experiment that anyone who does it will benefit from because it will save you a ton of money as well as force you to be content with things you already have. By not spending, you focus your efforts on other parts of your life and can make those things better. Heck, if I could stay out of Walgreens I might get more done.
Sarah said:
I’m doing this in June. It’s a really interesting experience. I’m still buying food, gas, and other things I consider necessities (like a new filter for my PUR–though I stretched the old one farther than I thought possible). I’m also have a budget plan but this really is making me consider and evaluate every single purchase. What’s fun is how other people respond: I’ve had more offers to buy me lunch than ever before!
So here are the ground rules for my spending moratorium.
Allowed purchases include rent, one tank of gas, groceries, utilities, my Internet and cell phone bill. My automatic monthly savings withdrawal remains unchanged.
Business expenses, such as flyers or postage, are allowed.
During the moratorium I’m allowed to use any gift cards I have currently have in my possession (either previously purchased or received as gifts).
I’m allowed to receive gifts as long as they are a true gift and not a way around the moratorium. (This is a gray area I’ll try to define later.)
The 15 readers who voted to go on the moratorium with me should send me an update about how they are doing at least once a week. Don’t think you can get away with not participating just because, ahem, I have no idea who you are! Participating readers, let me know if you are using my ground rules or setting your own (and what they are). I’ll regularly write about what we are struggling with, our creative solutions, and lessons learned on BargainBabe.com.
The moratorium starts July 1 and ends July 31, 2009.
Remember the days when text messages were $.10 each? Or even $.15? Now T-Mobile joins AT&T, Verizon and Sprint in charging $.20 per text, reports Engadget and Poynter. This fee applies to users who don’t have a texting plan or who go over their monthly allotment of texts.
But there are free alternatives to texting, which I discovered a few months ago. Here’s a recap from my earlier blog post.
Call me a late adopter, but I just discovered a free alternative to texting, something I am doing a lot more of now that I have an iPhone. I was facing a much higher texting bill – going from 200 texts a month ($5) to 1,500 a month ($15) – when a friend told me about Google Talk.
Now I’m not worried about buying more texts or going over my allotment. And this deal is not just for iPhones.
Smart phones like the iPhone and Blackberry have free instant messaging as part of their data plan. There is also AIM from AOL and Yahoo! Messenger. Instant messaging is about as close to texting as you can get without paying for it.
For iPhones and other smart phones, I recommend downloading Google Talk on your phone. If you have a BlackBerry and want to chat free with other Blackberry’s, use Blackberry Messenger, which is part of the phone’s operating system if you have a data plan. The Pearl, 8800, and Curve models support Blackberry Messenger.
Now you can instant message your heart out, and not worrying about the cost of texting.
Junk mail and overzealous catalog companies create a lot of waste and tempt you to buy things you didn’t know you needed. Here are a few free and paid ways to opt out.
CatalogChoice.org is a free service that lets you chose which catalogs you want to receive. More than 1 million people and 1,000 merchants use CatalogChoice. Read more about how the site works.
ProQuo promises to reduce your junk mail by 90 percent by removing your name from marketing lists. The service costs $18 a year. ProQuo says their members have less clutter in their lives, are safer from identity theft and help the environment.
DMAChoice.org helps you cut back on credit card offers, catalogs, magazine offers, and other mail like donation requests, bank offers, and retail promotions. The free site connects you with company websites or customer service departments so you can opt out. Read more about DMAChoice.
OptOutPreScreen.com allows you to remove your name from lists used by the main credit card agencies, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. This means you will not receive credit card offers for five years. The site says you can also opt-out permanently or opt-in.
DirectMail.com is another free opt-out or opt-in service for direct mail. They say they are the closest thing to a national Do Not Mail List (which doesn’t exist – yet). DirectMail.com is not a government-run agency and also sells mailing lists.
Related:
Thanks, PJ!
I was checking my utility bill recently and noticed So Cal Edison included stats on our past electricity usage. Our average daily electricity usage has dropped from 16 kilowatt per hour in 2007, to 14.59 kWh last year. This year our average usage is 13.33 kWh.
That’s a drop of by 9 percent from 2007 to 2008, and another 8 percent from 2008 to 2009. Not too shabby.
Here are some purposeful (and inadvertent) changes we made to reduce our wattage.
- We replaced our ancient fridge with one that is newer and more efficient
- We run our hot tub less frequently (but still often enough that our friends come over!)
- We wash our clothes on the cold water setting
- We line dry about half of each load (which is as much as the line can take)
- We updated our microwave when the latch broke, above, to one made this century
- We fixed our forced air heater last winter instead of using our plug-in heater
- We unplugged our TV and eventually got rid of it (Hulu, baby!)
What have you done to reduce your utility bill?
Call me a late adopter, but did you know that you can calculate how much juice your old appliance is costing you on EnergyStar.gov? Their handy calculator lets you see how many dollars you can save by upgrading a refrigerator or freezer and how much you can reduce your bill if you unplug an extra fridge or freezer. Cool!
All you need to know is the approximate year your model was made, the capacity (in cubic feet), and the general shape of the appliance. Or you can plug in the model number. They also have a link to your state’s average electricity price in case you are too lazy to dig out your utility bill. How practical.
The numbers are convincing. For instance, if your fridge was made before 1980 and cools 19-21 cubic feet, you could save $1,005 over five years by upgrading. The calculator says your old clunker costs $246 a year to run, but an Energy Star qualified fridge costs just $45 a year to run. That’s $201 cheaper per year!
If you are running a second freezer, you could unplug it and save $174 a year. (That’s for a 19-21 cubic foot freezer made before 1980.) Both calculations are using the average national price of $.11 per kilowatt hour. Of course, if you unplug your extra freezer you have less space to be a freezer diva, which has many money-saving attributes.)
I like this site, FindABetterBank.com. It looks at where you live, the features you want, and your banking habits to suggest a checking account with the lowest fees.
For my preferences it spit out a list of about a dozen accounts with annual fees from $0 (ING Direct) to $334 (Citibank). Funny thing is, I currently bank with both these companies. The list of suggested banks tells me what percentage of my requested features each account has, how far away the nearest branch is and the number of locations within five miles.
The site is run by two guys who believed if it was easier to switch banks the best banks would win. FindABetterBank.com has a great FAQ page that tells you the site makes money – through fees collected from participating banks and credit unions. They say these fees do not influence their presentation of each bank, but more details about how they collect the fees would strengthen this argument. (Sites like this typically make money through referral fees when a person clicks through to a bank and opens an account.)
FindABetterBank.com updates their info every 3-6 months and currently includes 85 major banks across the country.
This is a guest post reader Anirudda Gore, who is a 20-something software professional who writes about getting the best value for money at LetsBeCurious.blogspot.com.
I reached my nearest gas station this morning and found $2.63 per gallon, not the cheapest price but it was the closest station. Because I had to get to work on time, I bought that costly gas. Since then I’ve been thinking:
- If the cheapest gas is not available at my nearest gas station, how far should I drive for a better price?
- Is a difference in 5 cents per gallon worth burning the fuel and time?
I created a formula to decide whether you should drive to a far away station to fill-up OR whether it makes sense to buy expensive gas at a nearby station.
When To Drive That “Extra Mile”?
There are two elements behind my motivation to drive to buy cheaper gas:
- Save money on gas
- I can buy more gas at a cheaper price, which means I will get more miles from that tank
Let’s calculate how much more “extra” distance you will travel if you buy cheap gas:
Your monthly/weekly fuel expenses = FE (constant)
Gas Price at the cheaper but far-away station = Pc
Gas Price at the expensive but nearby station = PE
Distance between the two stations = DIST
Your car’s average Miles Per Gallon = MPG
c = cheaper, E = expensive, v = volume
Volume of gas bought in gallons = Total money spent/Price of gas per gallon
Thus, the volume of gas bought at cheaper far-away station, VC = FE/Pc
Volume of gas bought at expensive nearby station: VE = FE/PE
Extra gas you would buy at cheaper gas station: VC - VE = FE/Pc- FE/PE = FE (1/Pc – 1/PE)
Extra miles you can drive if you buy at cheaper gas station:
ExtraMiles = Extra Gas * MPG
ExtraMiles = FE * Difference in Gas Prices at two stations * MPG / Pc*PE
Here’s How To Decide
Plug-in your values in formula above and calculate ExtraMiles.
- if ExtraMiles > DIST: you drive more miles while spending the same amount so consider driving to a cheaper station
- if ExtraMiles < or = DIST: it makes more sense to buy gas at the nearest station, even if more expensive
Application of formula: Case #1
FE = $30
Pc = $2.59 per gallon (3 miles from my apartment)
PE = $2.65 per gallon (1 mile from my apartment)
DIST = 2 miles
MPG = 25 miles per gallon
ExtraMiles = FE * Difference in Gas Prices at two stations * MPG / Pc*PE
= 30*0.05*25/(2.59*2.65) miles
= 5.46368 miles
I get to drive (5.46368 – 2 =) 3.46368 miles extra (one way to my work), thus I will certainly drive away to get that cheaper fuel.
Application of formula: Case #2
FE = $30
Pc = $2.55 per gallon (12 miles from my apartment)
PE = $2.65 per gallon (1 mile from my apartment)
DIST = 11 miles
ExtraMiles = FE * Difference in Gas Prices at two stations * MPG / Pc*PE
= 30*0.10*25/(2.55*2.65) miles
= 11.09878 miles
I only get to drive (11.09878 – 11 =) 0.09878 miles extra; definitely not a go-for option.
Conclusion
“The cheaper, the better” should not be the rule here. Cheaper gas costs $2.59 in Case #1 which is available 2 miles from my home while cheaper gas costs $2.55 but I need to (burn more fuel and) drive 12 miles from my home. Total money spent is $30 in both cases but gas purchased in Case #1 lets you drive (3.46368/0.09878=) 35 times more than that purchased in Case #2.
So the next time you plan to fill-up your car tanks, remember it’s not just how many dollars you save but also how many miles you drive to get that gas. The formula takes into consideration both these factors and thus gives practically guided numbers. Once you decide how much money you want to spend on gas this week/month, now just calculate the ExtraMiles and go from there.
Bargain Babe’s two cents: I like the concept of ExtraMiles, but think it is important to take into account time spent filling up and actual savings. How many people spend the same amount on gas each month? Not me. But I’m curious, what do you think of the ExtraMile approach?
