File Your Taxes With Help From Cupid

Nothing is certain but death and taxes.  We can't avoid either one, but we can make filing our taxes less taxing on the wallet.  H&R Block is promoting their new H&R Block At Home online product for only $14, from now until Sunday February 14.  They are showing us all some love.


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I've noticed a number of giveaways for online versions of tax software on numerous personal finance blogs.  If you are like me and missed those giveaways, you can wait for others, or you can take advantage of this offer from H&R Block.  I'm definitely thinking about taking the offer, since it is a 70% savings off regular pricing on the Premium product.

I've used the H&R PC products for numerous years and have found it to be a solid product.  PC magazine rates H&R Block a close second to Turbo Tax, which has always taken the lead.  The advantage of H&R Block is, it is a bit less pricy than Turbo Tax, and I find it just as good.

You can register for the $14 offer from now until Valentines day, February 14th.  Doing so will lock-in the price and you won't have to actually DO your taxes until you are ready; as long as it's before the tax man comes knocking.  Hopefully you'll be getting your refund check sooner with this offer.  You can even get your tax questions answered free at http://getitright.hrblock.com/.

You can register for this special offer at http://www.hrblock.com/valentine.

As consumers, we will receive the full menu of advanced features that H&R Block At Home Basic, Deluxe and Premium offer, such as:

• Audit support from a live tax professional
• Import last year's tax data from TurboTax® or TaxCut®
• Automatic import of data from your employer and financial provider
• Tailored guidance for your personal situation or occupation
• Easy-to-use tax calculator

What do you think about this offer?  Do you do your own taxes with Tax software?  What product do you use and why?  Share your thoughts.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Earning More With Online Banks

Are you earning 0.01% interest on your savings account?  Thanks to historically low interest rates, you are probably earning near zero interest on the money you worked hard to earn.  Have you looked into online savings accounts?  I've noticed more and more online savings accounts popping up lately and I think you may like the extra interest it can earn you.

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I joined ING Direct several years ago and have loved it since joining.  It has earned more money in interest than any of my other bank accounts.  They have great customer service, and they have nearly all the services a physical bank has, though you may have to get the services in a more creative way.

So what kind of interest can you earn with Online savings accounts?  Recently I saw these rates:

• ING Direct 1.20% APY
• Ally 1.49% APY
• HSBC 1.35% APY

All three have very low minimum requirements to open an account.  These three are some of the highest paying accounts I've seen.  Compare this to the 0.01% you are getting from Chase, yes that's 1% of a percent.  Just by opening an online bank account, you'll be earning 100x more interest!  I also noticed CapitalOne Direct Banking, which offers Business and personal accounts at over 1% APY

OK, I admit there are reasons for not using online bank accounts.  In fact About.com lists 3 reasons not to use online bank accounts.  The reasons are: bad customer service, speed of clearing, and not being able to spend it from your online bank account.

These are good reasons, though I find them all to be false, at least for ING Direct.  I find ING Direct to have great customer service.  You get someone live nearly instantly, every time you call.  The speed of clearing checks can be a drawback, though you can get around it if you plan a little bit ahead.  As for spending your money, ING's Electric Orange checking account lets you access your cash instantly via ATMs in your neighborhood.  I've also recently called Ally bank to find out about it.  The customer service seems just as friendly as ING Direct.

If you are thinking of opening an online bank account, what bank will you go with and why?  Want to join ING Direct?  Find a friend with an account and you'll earn a bonus just to sign up.  If you don't have a friend with an ING Direct account, send me a tweet and I'll send you a referral, we'll both earn a bonus!

Shouldn't your money be earning you a little more pocket change in the Great Recession?  What are your thoughts on online bank accounts?

Recommended Book: The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.

Love Reading? Get the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)


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9 Books To Bring You Closer To Success

Do you read a lot of books? What about books on success and productivity? I admit I read more than I should when it comes to these topics.  I should be putting some of the concepts into practice. Had I put all of the lessons learned in these books into practice, I'm sure I would be more successful at what I do.  So like many of you, I'm still learning and doing what I can to apply the lessons I learn.

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Here are the books.  I've arranged the nine books in a tic-tac-toe format, or the Brady Bunch format if you prefer.  Aren't you glad I still remember how to do tables in HTML?  These books used to be on my sidebar, I decided to do some cleaning up and so I'm putting them on this post.


These are all great books. At the moment, my favorite book from the above list is The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.  This version contains additional content found on Tim Ferriss' blog along with testimonials from others who used some of the concepts and achieved success.  It gives you a blueprint of how to make the best use of your time so you can do the more important things in life, whatever that may be.

If you love reading, you might want to get the Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation).  I think it's a better product than the Apple iPad for reading books.

What about you?  Have you read any of the books from the above list?  What is your favorite?  Do you have other books you would like to suggest?

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

This Wednesday's Unemployment Chat

Thanks to BudgetPulse, we had another great chat this Wednesday January 6, 2010 at 7 PM EST 4 PM PST. I co-hosted this week and we discussed the topic of Unemployment.

Unemployment is one of the largest global issues right now, not just in the US. Below are some of the questions, topics and things discussed during the Twitter chat session.

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Items Discussed

• Stimulus plans are more about winning votes than savig the economy
• Friend on unemployment is changing sectors.
• do you run the risk of being a job hopper? How long should you stay at the job you didn't want?
• Stimulus $ was intentionally backloaded to match up w/election years. If situation so dire, why not spend all right away?!
• Not even all the fed stimulus spending has really rolled out yet.... apparently only 30% has. Job Growth more over 2010, 2011.
• If you can make more through unemployment than a job you are offered should you take the job or stay unemployed?
• Some people think they'll only be unemployment a few weeks, but that may turn into a few months (or longer)
• California employment doesn't seem to be improving - apparently unemployment there is 12+%
• Important to know that unemployment benefits are only about 50 - 70% of your most recent salary/wages
• Emergency Fund
• Health Care Alternatives
• HSA - Health Savings Account
• High Deductible plans
• Mandatory health care
• Many go without and then end up paying if a catastrophe of sorts does hit.
• COBRA, but it can be expensive #bp High risk pools in most states. Individual and family plans exist too.
• Business Startup Fund
• When to file for unemployment.
• Right Away - after you are given notice and are qualified. Same day is best since it takes a few weeks to kick into effect
• In these days of freelancing and contract "employees" not everyone qualifies for unemployment 
• If ur fired for just cause, or not showing up to work you can't just collect it. For some reason people think this
• it's important to note that you don't automatically qualifty for unemployment
• I agree and think that happens to a lot of ppl. By the time they file and get in funds their finances are already wrecked.
• What would you do if you were laid off today? 
• Become a person of Value
• Career Plan
• Review Expenses and Budget
• Emergency Fund
• Plan ahead for Unemployment
• Family Savings Rate
• Weigh upside of your expenses before cutting them
• Unemploytrepreneurs should consult pro re impact on benefits. 1099 work; controlling forprofit legal entity raise ?s

What expenses to cut?

• Entertainment and Dining out
• Cable TV - More value from internet than from TV
• Cut Expenses now, don't wait till you are unemployed
• Cheaper shampoo
• Downgrade internet
• Figure out what value you get before cutting. Are you willing to give it up?
• Make sure what you cut does least damage in your life
• New Clothes
• Gourmet ingredients for cooking
• small things that add up - coffee, bagel, magazine, gum
• Eating out. Anything monthly - examine it.
• Cut back on cell phone plan or go prepaid
• Magazines
• What not to cut?  Gym

Getting re-employed

• Personal Branding
• pink slip parties, volunteering, social networking, asking people for "informational interviews" on their job/career paths
• networking in the same group is a no go. Connecting groups has value though
• Talk to people via phone not just via net
• there is a lot of empty networking where people just bring business cards. Why not just bring a phonebook
• LinkedIn and Facebook
• Build your network for potential job leads before you actually need them. Social media a great place to start.
• Sometimes it's not who you know but what you know
• a couple killer recommendation letters are always a major plus. It's who you know. Annoying but true.
• networking at local events was the best way to get job leads. Also helps to build long term relationships.
• Look for work internationally
• a lot of young professionals are taking jobs in China.

People who joined in this week

@BudgetPulse @FrugalNYC @moneystrands
@FrugalDad @enemyofdebt @freefrombroke
@EverydayFinance @clarifinancial @RainyDaySaver
@BSimple @skduck2003 @jesssteyers
@MoneyEnergy @extremejacob @SpendOnLife
@BudgetsAreSexy @B4UInvest @thedavidbeach
@KWdesignonline @Matt_SF @FabFinclySav
@patreniaspears @chrisnooney @fiscalgeek
@JonMorrow @CraigKessler @MoneyCrashers @newNYers

If you would like to join us for future Personal Finance chats, the #bp chats take place every Wednesday at 7 PM EST 4 PM PST and usually lasts an hour.  You can also follow along with this PF-Chat list I created on Twitter.

Recommended Book: The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content.
Business Card Giveaway: Don't forget to enter our Business Card Giveaway.  It will help you network or build your new business.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Interview: BudgetPulse's Craig Kessler

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We did a quick review of BudgetPulse.com back in June. They offer a great way to keep an eye on your finances without the need to link your financial accounts like Mint does. Both services are free.  BudgetPulse recently launched a new tool to help individuals and groups raise money - for whatever goals those individuals or teams aim to accomplish.  The tool helps you consolidate your goal and send out to emails to those who can help you reach your goal.  It make your financial goal public and raises the likelihood that it can be achieved.

“We understand individuals, charities, teams, and others may need help raising money for their goals,” says Craig Kessler, marketing director for BudgetPulse.com. “Friends and family are most likely going to be contacted first when asking for help raising funds. Now our customers can collect funds (via PayPal or Amazon, or pledge money) and budget the goals transactions within the personal budgeting software so they can keep organized and don’t have to use multiple systems.”

Craig Kessler, the Marketing Director for BudgetPulse frequents FrugalNYC and often comments on our blog posts.  We did an interview with Craig to find out what makes BudgetPulse tick.

How did BudgetPulse.com start? Why did you start BudgetPulse.com?

BudgetPulse was started from founder Raj Jeyaprakash as a direct result of a lack of a better budgeting software. He wanted to manage his money but without having to worry about supplying personal bank account information and deal with possible identity theft. So he built BudgetPulse for himself, friends, and family, and it got such raves that he decided that others may enjoy the tool as well.

Who is your target audience?

Our audience is very broad but our users are mainly from the ages of 18-35. Our users are your everyday person trying to get a hold on their personal finances with a very simple tool. A lot of our user base is international as well because we do not sync banks that restrict that user base.

How do your customers benefit from your service?

They benefit in a few ways. Some of our customers tell us how they use the tool to help them figure out where they can save to reduce debt. A lot use the tool to keep things organized and determine a balance of what they strive to spend in certain areas, and a lot use the tool to set up spending goals and set up for the future. Even with different reasons for the managing their finances, the main commonality is that they enjoy a simple easy to use tool that can give them a clear outline of their finances.

Are you the main blogger for BudgetPulse?

Yes, I am the main blogger for BudgetPulse although there are several posts from other writers including the rest of the BudgetPulse team. We also are always accepting guest posts if anyone is interested. I also manage the Twitter account and the BudgetPulse Facebook Fan Page.

Is that your voice on the How it works page?

For better or worse, yes that is my voice. I may not be tracked down to do the voiceover for the next big Pixar hit, but I do all the screencasts and videos for the site. I also have an introduction video coming out that will be on the facebook page soon. I also am working on a new street interview videos series that is being planned to start in Jan 2010 that I will also be doing.

You recently released a new savings goals function. It definitely can get those motivated enough (those who would use such a tool) to save and reach their goals. How did you come up with this idea? Was it a community request?

I interact with the BudgetPulse community on a daily basis and always love to hear feedback and suggestions, both the negative with the positive. There was a request to add a savings goals function that we previously lacked. A lot of users wanted a way to track specific goals without adding new banking accounts, and this was our solution. Online fundraising has been a growing area so we wanted users a way to be able to collect donations for their goals whatever they are. We took the savings goals request one step further and allow our users to set a public goal where they can email the goal out to their family and friends who can then directly contribute funds through PayPal, Amazon, or pledge money. This will help individuals, organizations, and non-profits collect money in one central organized place and allowing them to budget accordingly with the same tool. The majority of our improvements come directly from our users and already we are working on our next batch for a future release from comments made by users about things they would like to see added.

I've mentioned it before, one reason we like BudgetPulse is because it does not connect to personal banking accounts. Are there plans to do so in the future?

No. We are separating ourselves from tools that only sync and are offering an alternative. We have no plans to sync accounts with banks or credit cards.

Where do you see BudgetPulse.com going in the next year?

BudgetPulse has had a lot of growth over the past year and we plan on improving even more in 2010. We are going to be adding a premium subscription version of the tool. We want to stay away from advertising and we need to keep the lights on. We are going to be changing the entire interior application pages to have a more clean design to match the homepage. We are looking into expanding the charts and improving on the graphs to help users analyze their data better. We are looking into improving the use of multiple currencies in a single account. And we have even brought up talks about a possible iphone application. From behind the scenes I am going to get more involved with the users and personal finance community. Beginning after Thanksgiving break I'm going to be working on a weekly personal finance tweet chat that will be co-hosted each week. I will be working on hitting up the streets of DC to do street interviews with off topic and taboo money related questions for entertainment, and we will be working on getting our monthly newsletter up and running as well. There are a lot of big things happening in 2010 that we are looking forward to.

Your Product is Free, how do you sustain the company?

We have private investors who fund the company and will be offering a premium subscription soon.

Do you consider yourself Frugal?

I try. I know what things I like and what I can sacrifice. For example I love going to concerts. The concerts I go to are expensive, but since I barely ever go shopping for clothes, it offsets. I try to balance my spending out and am always looking for deals. I set up automatic transfers to my savings account each month which help with budgeting as well. The difficulty is being young and living in an expensive city and trying to find the balance between enjoying the time now and preparing for the future, and I believe I am on the right track and try my best to be frugal.

Is there anything else you want to share with the FrugalNYC audience?

Do what works for you and enjoy life.

Thank you Craig for taking the time out to share some insights with the FrugalNYC community!  You gave us some great ideas and insights about BudgetPulse and balancing our personal finances.  We wish you and BudgetPulse much success.

Are you a BudgetPulse customer?  Do you need a tool such as BudgetPulse to get an outline of your finances?  Share your thoughts with us.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

College Scholarships

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Not too long ago, Jennifer Rotman from College Scholarships.org contacted me with some helpful information for College Scholarships. If you are a college student or bound for college, and you are looking for scholarship information or help, this site can be helpful to you. If you or someone you know are in the position of looking for financial help for college, College Scholarships.org may be able to provide you with the information you need.

The website is full of information on Scholarships, grants and student loans - along with many related resources. From what I have seen so far, it is very thorough and a great resource. Here's what Jennifer had to say:

We've completed a unique and succinct graphical time line of what U.S. college students really go through financially when securing education loans.

Just like your blog, we put a tremendous effort into raising awareness to students. Many, unfortunately, often make financial decisions they later regret. If you feel the time line is beneficial to your audience and serves a positive social purpose, please feel free to share it with them.

As someone who went through undergrad working while attending school full time, I can appreciate the helpful information this site brings.  Having additional financial aid can make a big difference in your college and future career decisions.

I hope you have found this post and information helpful.  What other resources do you recommend for college scholarship and related information?  Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

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New Twitter Scholarship

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Jennifer Rotman, the Editor of College Scholarships.org brought this great opportunity for students to our attention.  “The 140 Twitter Scholarship” is aimed at students who tweet and comes with a total purse of $14,014.00.

Prizes

• $1,400.00 Winner
• $140.00 First Runner Up
• $140.00 Second Runner Up

If you have students in your family or know of students who can benefit from this, please help spread the word.  You can find all the details at college scholarships.org.  This contest closes at midnight 10/29.  You can also follow them on Twitter @Scholarship

Do you have frugal tips for FrugalNYC readers?  If so, contact us with your ideas or guest posts!

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Avoid spending money you don't have

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This is a guest post by Owen Smith, a finance writer with over 10 years of experience. The arrticle will look at 3 ways in which you can avoid spending money you don't have.

1. Chop up your credit cards

Using your credit cards to pay for things is a good way of spreading your costs - providing you can pay it off at the end of the month. However, you might find you are unable to repay your debts, and this is when they become a problem.

To avoid this problem, the simplest solution (and the best) is to chop up your credit cards. If they aren't there, you can't spend on them! If you have outstanding debts on your credit cards then try your best to repay these as soon as you can - and don't be tempted to spend any more on them. (You might want to keep one credit card for emergencies.)

As you are probably aware, credit cards come with high interest rates, so that $60 petrol you put on your credit card won't cost you $60 if you fail to repay it, it will be more like $70, and then $70 if you fail to repay it again….and so on.

2. Don't be tempted by store cards

Store cards often come with 'introductory gifts' to entice you into signing up - but don't let this tempt you, unless you are certain that you will be able to repay the outstanding balance.

Store cards are known for coming with high interest rates (higher than credit cards), and can also come with serious consequences if you fail to repay them.

The rule here is that store cards should be avoided - unless you can easily clear the balance.

3. Create a budget

Finally, to make sure you avoid spending money you don't have, you should create a budget.

Write down all the money you earn/receive each month, and then write down all the money you spend each month - this should give you an indication of how much money you will have left over after you have paid all your bills, etc. And will also give you a greater control of your finances - which should help you see if you are spending money you don't have.

If you find that you don't have enough money each month, you could look for areas where you are able to make cut backs to save yourself money.

Budgeting should let you see how much money you have available to spend each week - so you can draw this out of the bank and keep it with you, again making sure you don't spend more money than you actually have. If you find that you need to lend money short term for that car or house repair, try lending from family or consider a cheap loan before heading straight for the credit card.

Hope you have found this post useful.  If you would like to do a guest post on FrugalNYC on the subjects of NYC, Finance or Frugal Living, please send us an email.

Relevant and Related Posts:

1. How to talk yourself out of any purchase
2. Five Awesome Tips To Putting Your Credit Card On A Diet
3. Our Weekly Frugal Friday Post on The 405 Club - 6 Frugal Benefits To Being Unemployed

FrugalNYC Reminders:

• Today is the last day for Bryant Park Fall Festival
• Last weekend to enjoy a relaxing time on Governor's Island FREE

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Photo by Refracted Moments

Getting Around In NYC

There are numerous ways of getting around in NYC. The obvious walking, public transport (bus, subway - via Metrocard) and biking. Then there are taxis, limos, private bus companies, horse carriages, and other touristy ways of getting around. Owning a car is not necessary, but many people in NYC own one anyway. I'm one of them.

Sometimes the modern convenience of having a car is forgotten when you are in NYC. I own a used car, which I've had for many years now. I don't put many miles on it, since I tend to walk and take public transport most of the time.

Why do I even keep the car? It's old, so I can't really sell it for much. It's not old enough to qualify for the recent Cash for Clunkers program. More about that in another post. The main reason I keep this old car, is due to the convenience of having it around in case of family emergencies or trips. It's cheaper to get around in a car if you actually have a full car - which I usually do when driving it about with the family in tow. Once you own a car, it's hard to imagine life without one. It's like having broadband and then going back to dial-up.

I recently had to get some repairs done on my 14 year old car. Thanks to the abundance of potholes in NYC, something came loose, and it was making rude noises while I drove it. Being the frugal guy that I am, I wanted to make sure the repairs were necessary. Fortunately I have been going to a great mechanic for many years now. In fact he helped check out this car when I was buying it used.

Mr. Kim, as I call him, is the owner of Radial Auto. It is a private shop in Woodside, Queens. In fact, if you need an honest, reliable and trustworthy mechanic (and who doesn't) I highly recommend his shop. They are very friendly at the shop and they do the job you ask of them. They don't over charge you for things you don't need. Just tell them the symptoms the best you can, and they will resolve it for you, usually within a day or two.

The only problem with owning an old used car is the cost of repairs. Hopefully I won't have to get too many of them in the near future. If I do, I know I will get the necessary things done by Mr. Kim.

What about you? Do you own a car? Do you have a great mechanic?

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BudgetPulse - Free Your Finances!

Recently, Craig, a regular reader of FrugalNYC alerted me to changes to his company's website Budgetpulse.

The website is geared to help those who want to better manage their own finances. Now is the best time for such a site, as the global economy is in the worst financial climate since the great depression.

One thing I like about this site is that it does not require you to enter private information, like Mint does. Those of you who are security conscious will like this feature as well. Yes it does mean a bit more work upfront, since you cannot sync your banking accounts with the site, but I see this as a benefit - securit wise. With all the scams going on in the financial world, its good to know you don't need to worry about it here.

Below is the press release regarding the revamped site.

PRNewsChannel.com ● A Selig Multimedia, Inc. Company

17633 Gunn Hwy. #196 ● Odessa, FL 33556 ● (813) 948-7767 ● Info@PRNewsChannel.com

New and Improved Website Takes the Mystery out of Personal Finance Management and Helps Customers Get out of Debt.

A revamped BudgetPulse.com offers everyone from students to retirees a simple and secure way to build a personal budget and eliminate debt.

Washington, DC / Amid the worst financial climate since the Great Depression, a revamped website is giving average consumers access to the same financial management tools as wealth professionals. BudgetPulse.com is a free website offering customers the ability to track their finances and payment obligations and ultimately eliminate debt while maintaining an industry-leading level of security that effectively eliminates the threat of identity theft, the company says.

“We understand this economic climate has made people even more careful about hanging on to whatever money they have left,” says Craig Kessler, marketing director for BudgetPulse.com. “Unlike other financial services, we don’t sync our customers’ information with financial institutions like banks and credit card companies. Our customers have complete control over what information gets stored with us and what gets changed.”

For more than two years, BudgetPulse.com has offered an array of personal finance management tools and services to give its customers an alternative to hiring a financial advisor. The service is designed to empower its customers and enable them to quickly and easily take control of their personal finances.

The personal finance management software is so easy to use, the company says it has seen a growing number of students using the website to learn how to build a personal budget and avoid building personal debt before they even enter the “real world.” These same students say they have used the website’s budget tool in their finance classes to help them learn the fundamentals of personal finance management as well as how to eliminate debt.

The website allows customers to set savings goals, build ideal budgets, and track multiple accounts including credit cards, mortgages and other assets and liabilities. Because the service is entirely web-based, customers are able to access and manage their finances anywhere in the world and at any time.

“The service’s ease of use is actually how the company got off the ground,” says Kessler. “CEO Raj Jeyaprakash created the application to help with his own budgeting problems. He didn’t want to have to sync his sensitive information with banks and he wanted to be able to upload his financial statements in minutes. It helped him so much he gave it to his family and friends and things just took off from there.”

The website’s manual input feature is also perfect for people with international banking ties whereas other financial management programs aren’t normally compatible with overseas banks.

This press release was written by PRNewsChannel.com

I think the site looks great and looks very inviting. If you have used budgetpulse, I would love to hear your experience with this service.

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Geico Isn't Just Autos

I recently received an ad in snail mail, thanks USPS, about Geico. I always pictured Geico as the low cost "Auto Insurance" company with a gekko as the mascot. This notice informed me otherwise.

Many people tend to use the same insurer to bring their insurance premiums down. So now you can do that with Geico as well! There are many other ways to bring your insurance premiums down and I'll share some of that information in a future post.

I just thought it was interesting to find Geico offering anything other than auto insurance. Then again, it was only a matter of time.

What about you? Do you use Geico? What insurance company do you use and why?

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Free Tax Advice - From H&R Block

There's only 8 days left to file your taxes! Hopefully you already took care of yours. If you have waited this long, and I know some of you do that for one reason or another, H&R Block has some additional help for you all day today (April 7, 2009)!

You can call and speak with a tax pro or customer service rep to get high-level tax advice, for FREE! Just call 1-877-HRBLOCK (1-877-472-5625) or e-mail taxtalk@hrblock.com to connect with a tax expert. I would do so myself, since I did have one or two questions, but I'm currently not in the US and I've already filed my taxes even with those questions I had. I hope those of you who do have tax questions will find this service helpful!

If you've used this service I would love to hear back about your experience.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way, feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Credit Card Comparisons - Request Credit

Recently I came upon the website Request Credit. I took a quick look and found some helpful information on the site. If you want to earn some extra credit card rewards, this site has a comparison chart that may help you find your credit card. It's not a comprehensive site that compares every card available, but it does a good job. Sometimes less is more. I like the fact that the front page compared several different cards and listed why the cards were good.

After my initial impression, I dug into the site a little more. I noticed the different categories on the left hand and went through several of those links. They list items like Credit Cards by Reward. If you are looking for specific rewards such as Cash Back cards, you might find a good one here. I never knew Discover Card had so many different types of cards and rewards. I have a Discover Card myself and the 5% cash back categories can add up pretty fast if you use them correctly.

Checking out the Cards by Spending Habits links brought me to categories for Students, Business or Personal cards. A helpful category for many would be the Deals by Credit Rating. If you have a limited credit history, this could be helpful. If you have an excellent credit history, I saw a card with a very low APR 11.9%, compared to the current 30% and above, this is great rate.

Overall, I found the site to be helpful for those looking for another credit card. I think students starting out their own credit might find this helpful as well as I mentioned above.

Have you used Request Credit to help you find a credit card? Have you used another similar site? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments this or another similar site.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way, feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Upside To Our Economy

I read an article called The upside to the down economy on Monday and it talks about businesses that are profiting in this down economy. Jim Cramer had a saying, "There's always a bull market somewhere.", and this is the bull market for repair shops, used clothing stores, fast-food restaurants and Web sites. This proves that there is an upside to the down economy. Too bad I can't say the same thing for Jim Cramer.

This article reminded me of a post I wrote some time back about Healthier Eating with Fast Food. Since so many people are eating fast food now, perhaps you can find ways to eat healthier, even with fast food. I try to limit fast food to once or twice a week, but when I do eat it, I try to eat smaller portions. Not to mention I drink more Water rather than soda.

I think those who are willing to work and don't mind getting their hands wet, will come out of this better off. Now is the perfect chance to do those things you've always wanted to do, but never had the time for. I've taken it upon myself to take photos daily, something I find I enjoy doing, as I mentioned in my Frugal Kaizen blog.

What about you? Are you shopping at used clothing stores? Eating at fast food restaurants more often? Getting things repaired instead of buying a replacement?

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Photo by FrugalNYC

Capital One Checking Account

More Rewards for Everyone!

In the past several days, I've seen subway ads for Capital One's free checking account, with Rewards. It's nothing new to reward you for banking with a specific bank. What seems different to me is what gets rewarded. It seems like they will reward you for just using the checking account to pay bills and just about anything else you do with your checking account.

Too Good To Be True

Sound too good to be true? I think so. According to their website, these checking accounts are only available through their bank branches in Connecticut, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Texas. So if I wanted to open an account, I would need to go to a local bank and open one up. There are many banks with online presences that allow you to open an account online, which saves time! If you are missing documentation during your "Bank Branch" visit, you might have to waste more time!

I'm not sure I would want to open up a checking account that is only available in only these states. Why would I not just stick with my neighborhood bank then? Sure I don't get rewards with my current bank, but I also do not get all kinds of hidden fees and charges. Money has to be made somewhere right? Otherwise how does a bank stay afloat?

Do you have one of these checking accounts? Is it as good as it sounds? How do you like your current checking account? Do you even use a checking account?

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Photo by Andres Rueda

Cars Not To Buy

According to this article on Yahoo autos these are the cars that you should not buy. Reminder to self, in case I land the lottery (unlikely since I don't play) or if I come into some huge inheritance (also unlikely, but I can all dream), I'll be sure not to pick up any of these cars.

• Compact Car: Pontiac G5
• Compact Crossover: Suzuki XL7
• Full-Size SUV: Jeep Commander
• Full Size Pickup: Nissan Titan
• Upscale Car: Volvo S60
• Sports Car: Mitsubishi Eclipse

Are you in the market to buy a car? Since none of the car-makers are doing well it is a good time to buy, that is if you have a steady job, income and good savings. Good luck on your car purchase! If you're in no hurry to buy a car, perhaps you can read my post Ways To Make Your Car Last.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.


Photo by stevoarnold

Freebie - TaxCut Premium Software Giveaway

It's almost that time of the year again, when we have to file our Federal and State income taxes. To help you deal with your taxes and to save you a pocketful of change, I'm holding a giveaway for H&R Block TaxCut 2008 Premium Federal + e-file. I've used TaxCut software for several years now and it has done a great job for me.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post titled TaxCut 2008 Deal Of The Day. If you do your own taxes, unless you are a CPA or other tax professional, you will find using this software will make your job much easier - not to mention fewer errors resulting in a possible IRS audit. There will be a total of two copies of H&R Block TaxCut 2008 Premium Federal + e-file to be given away (shipped to you free of charge). I have not done a Saturday post in some time now, but I wanted to give my audience a few extra days to enter!

Rules for the contest

You must be a US Resident to be considered for this contest. Hopefully you're a regular reader of FrugalNYC, if not, then now's the time to start! Tell your friends and family who may want to enter! Write a comment on this post answering the following questions:

1. What do you like best about FrugalNYC
2. How long have you been reading FrugalNYC
3. How often do you visit FrugalNYC
4. What would you like to see more of on FrugalNYC
5. Finally - Tell me if you subscribe to FrugalNYC via RSS or Email.
   

Bloggers will have a second chance to win

• Write a post answering the above questions with a link to this post mentioning FrugalNYC and what you find helpful from this blog.
• Post a comment with the URL to your post.

Winners will be chosen randomly using Random.org's number generator, the numbers assigned by your comment position. The first comment gets number 1, second comment is 2, etc... The bloggers list will be assigned similar numbers, first blog link is 1, second blog link is 2, etc...

Winners will be announced via Twitter and on this post's comments on Friday March 6, 2009 at 5PM EST. Any comments posted after this time will not be considered for the Giveaway.

You must provide me a way to contact you, just email me or send me a Twitter DM so I can let you know you have won. If you do not provide contact information, the prize will go the the runner-up.

Good luck on the Giveaway! If you do not want to enter the contest and just want to purchase a copy of H&R Block TaxCut 2008 Premium Federal + State + e-file, you can do so with the Amazon affiliate link below, you will also be helping FrugalNYC if you purchase from this link.



For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Save Money By Using Prepaid Wireless

I've been meaning to write an article on prepaid wireless service and the benefits, but have not had the proper motivation until now. I was reading this article about people giving up cell phone contracts on the NYTimes Technology section and decided to put my thoughts on the matter.

There are many reasons why someone would opt for a prepaid service, instead of the standard contract that most people have on their cell phone service today. Visitors from other countries may want a temporary phone during the stay in the US, you may want a backup phone for emergencies, you don't want to pay overages anymore, you're sick of hidden fees, the list goes on.

I started looking into prepaid cell phone services when I had a need for a secondary cell phone that will not be used very often. It did not make any financial sense to obtain a one or two year contract when all I wanted to do was a phone that is used primarily as a backup or for emergency calls. So I opted to look into prepaid wireless services.

First I asked around in stores, and started off with Verizon's prepaid service. I read some information on their "plans" and decided it was not exactly what I was looking for. There seems to be some kind of service commitment attached to it as well. So I did a bit more hunting around and then found other carriers. After a bit of research, I decided I will go with either T-Mobile or Tracfone. My advice on looking for a prepaid plan is to know these three items:

Know your calling patterns - if you only use about 200 minutes a month, why pay for 500? If you continue to have overage monthly, then switch to a plan with more minutes. When it comes to prepaid, its the same thing, but what you need. If you really will be making hundreds of minutes worth of calls monthly, go with one of the new unlimited plans.

Buy the right plan for you - This is basically comes down to knowing your calling patterns. Don't buy more than you need and don't buy less than what you need. Learn a lesson from Goldilocks, and get it just right!

Getting the phone you want - Not all prepaid plans will have the phone you need. Much of the cost of phones are usually absorbed by the carrier when you sign up for a monthly contract. So by going the prepaid route, you will most likely pay more for the phone you want. In my case, I just needed a phone, and I got a free one to boot!

Services and available Carriers
I've listed those I looked at and a few more. Also reasons why I didn't choose it.

Verizon Wireless Prepaid - The Goliath in the North East US. They have enough business, no wonder their prepaid service isn't that enticing. You pay 99 cents for everyday that you do use it, AND pay for the minutes you use.
Sprint Nextel - I didn't go for this due to network coverage. Plus monthly plans didn't make sense for my current needs.
ATT (Cingular) - Also comes with a daily access fee, like Verizon. I didn't go for the GoPhone.
T-Mobile - This seems to require a contract for what I was looking at, so I didn't go for it.
Tracfone - Uses the ATT networks. You can buy a "tracfone" in many stores including
CVS, RiteAid, etc..
Jitterbug - Simple cell phones Minimal minutes. Check out their plans here. This seems like a good plan for those needing very few minutes, but I would still go for something else.
MetroPCS - This came to NYC very recently and looks promising. At $40 / month I may use this in the future.

So what did I choose? I went with Tracfone. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen some tweets about it. Tracfone had the flexibility and cost model that I was looking for. Plus the fact that I ended up with more bonus minutes than I purchase didn't hurt! I basically bought a used phone (free) along with the 400 minute card for $100 plus tax. I ended up with over 1100 minutes of calls. I think that is a bargain. What about you? Do you use prepaid phones? What service did you choose and why? Share your thoughts in the comments.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Photo by Refracted Moments

TaxCut 2008 Deal Of The Day

This is a one day deal on TaxCut 2008 Premium Federal + State + eFile. I've been using TaxCut for some time now and find it helpful to analyze your tax circumstances and prepare for any financial changes. It also helps me determine if I should contribute to IRA accounts and whether the contributions are worth it. For today only, Amazon is selling this software for $29.99. The link is an affiliate link and you would be helping to support FrugalNYC.

If you prefer TurboTax, you can get a copy here.




If you find this helpful, please click through and purchase your copy. Hope this has been a helpful post. For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Save Time - Alternate Side Parking 2009

Every year, I print out a copy of the alternate side parking schedule for NYC, to save myself some time. If you live in NYC, and park your car in the streets, knowing the schedule may save you some time as well. You can find the 2009 Alternate Side Parking schedule here, you will find it in both HTML and PDF formats. The schedule will not change unless there is weather or another critical emergency.

For those visiting and driving to NYC, and planning to park in the streets, this schedule may help you as well. I hope this time saving tip helps you out this year. If you have other parking tips for NYC, please let us know in the comments. For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader.

Photo courtesy Katie Tegtmeyer