I have five small children and at times, I have struggled. There have been days where we have more "have nots" than "haves." However, having a large family is a beautiful thing with an investment for years to come. Herein, I will discuss life, things we have learned (or are dealing with) and also suggestions for others. Hopefully I can shed a male perspective on family life as well as other things a dude can encounter as a father.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Cutting Costs - Electronics & Media Edition

There are several ways to cut costs in life. Not every cost cutting approach is best for you. Everyone has a different reason for the priorities they have chosen to uphold. For example, getting rid of a cell phone may be a great idea for me, but for you who travels 50% of the time it may not be a good choice. Below, I have outlined a handful of cost cutting ideas. Many are popular (sorry for the overkill) and others well - may not be of any interest or use to you. Happy savings!

Cable TV
With Cable TV rates so high consider cutting back on the costs. Several options do exist that will allow you to stay somewhat connected to the world.
  • Hulu & Netflix - Hulu is an online service that is free if you watch from your PC or $8 a month for streaming access. Hulu has many of the popular network shows available for streaming the day after it aired on television. This also makes it very useful if you would normally DVR (Tivo) anyway. Netflix is an online streaming movie company where many movies are available to watch. You can get a free trial to Netflix here or Hulu Plus here.
  • Other streaming options include Justin.TV, or if you search there are many free event specific streams (sports etc.)
  • Over the air signals have gotten an added emphasis with the conversion to digital from analog signal. The quality has also improved. You could look on CriagsList, your local retailer or eBay for the conversion box (if you have an older TV) or antenna to catch the waves.
Cellular Phone
Society has so much of a demand for communication now, that a cellular phone is labeled as a necessity in some "basic needs" lists. I would challenge that, but thought that I would show a few options. (Of course, the cheapest way is to go without.)
  • Safelink Wireless is an income based FREE cellular phone program which you would have to see if you qualify for.
  • TracFone is a cheap alternative to a monthly bill but you do not get a lot of minutes up front. However, the phones are cheap to purchase and it is very easy to get started.
  • Other Carriers - Most major carriers offer an option. You can go to the cellular phone section of your major retailer and see several available options (based on area/region).
Buy/Sell/Trade
There are a lot of items that I am not going to go into specifics on but wanted to share a good list of options where you can  save in general.
  • Thrift Stores - GoodWill, Salvation Army and other Thrifts are good options for many items you may be looking for. Many major retailers (including Target) donate unsold merchandise.
  • CraigsList is a good place to search for a particular item that you are looking for. You can also list items for sale, to trade, barter or "wanted."
  • FreeCycle.org is a good online group (hosted mostly by Yahoo! Groups) where you offer items via email group. You can Offer an item or post a Wanted to your local group. There are some restrictions but there are a lot of items that people donate to the group for free.
  • Facebook often has groups associated with this as well. 
Software
Several free options to major software are not available for little or nothing. Below I have a few items of choice that I use, or have used.
  • Linux is an operating system that is mostly free. Linux Mint, Ubuntu to name a couple are excellent options for the end user. With the GUI system (graphical user interface) almost anyone can use these two Linux based systems. The GUI that both of these use offer the basic Windows style look and left/right clicking like Windows. You no longer have to know command lines to operate the systems. Dell even offered Ubuntu as an option for consumers who purchased a particular brand of PC at one time. Do not worry - with the operating systems and available software you will have almost the same options (but different names) as you would with Windows. Most of those options also allow you to save in your familar formats such as *.xls, *.doc, *.mdb etc.
  • OpenOffice is a free office software package that is much like Windows Office. The same saving options are available as well as a unique set for the software if you wish. 
  • Other options include Google Docs which is the future of some software. The software is used in "the cloud" and operates pretty much like your current office software. Granted, there are exceptions but for most users this is an acceptable alternate. Not to mention that Google did what it does best - integrated it with each of its platforms. 
Computers
  • To find a good deal on a PC consider shopping at GoodWill, Craigslist or your local news paper. Be careful and test the units prior to purchase. I have found a good computer for basic use for around $20 - $50 dollars. FreeCycle.org has a PC available once in awhile.

Books and Media
  • The Library in your local area will have many of the most popular books, books on tape, videos (DVD's), magazines, as well as some eBooks for FREE.
  • Amazon.com offers free books for the kindle (.mobi) as well is the leading source for used cheap books if you need the traditional hardcover/softcover. 
  • The Gutenberg Project also has free books for download. Many of which are classics.
  • Pixels of Ink has free or cheap books for the kindle.
Other ideas (not categorized)
  • Rechargeable batteries are a good option for electronic devices especially if they consume a lot of energy. The up front costs are significantly higher but at $6+ a pack, you will break even in two to three uses. 
Granted that several of the options above fit into various categories. Bottom line is everyone should research every purchase prior to purchase. Do you need the new version or a new item? Could a "hand me down" work? Is there a business that specializes in the item that I want and maybe can get a deal on it? Cutting costs can be difficult but it does not have to be painful

God Bless - Joe








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