Save money on your phone bill with Google

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Google is bringing Gmail and Google Voice together with the launch of phone call integration within Google Chat and Gmail.

* Phone Calls in Gmail announced. The option to “Call phone” now appears within Google Chat. When you click the link, a Gchat pop-up appears where you can dial numbers and make phone calls.

* Phone calls in U.S. and Canada are free, and calls to most countries cost $0.02

Google has a cute little video for Googll Voice in Gmail. And here it is:

Saving money at USPS - Express vs Regular

Most people believe that the United States Postal Service is somehow owned and operated by the U.S. Government. In reality, it is not. The USPS operates by a government mandate, and in contract with the government, but it is a for-profit business with a corporate hierarchy, profit margins and budgets. As is the case with most businesses, sales representatives will often try to up-sell the customer for services they do not necessarily need. The most popular form of this at the post 0ffice is a postal clerk strongly suggesting an expedited shipping service, when it is not needed.Most customers are not aware of the many ways to ship certain, such as via printing postage off WWW.USPS.com (which is priced at a discount and comes with free tracking service for first class and priority), and/or the use of flat rate envelopes, which can accommodate hold up to 70 lbs for $4.80 (priority) and $16.33 (express).

Another misunderstanding is the pace at which parcels are shipped and received. Shipping regions are categorized into groups of proximate states. Each parcel can reach its destination at about the same pace as others in this region. For example, if you lived in Newport Beach, CA you can expect a parcel shipped to Los Angeles, San Francisco, or to Phoenix, AZ to reach its destination in about a day using USPS Priority, as long as the parcel is received by the shipping office by 5PM. Most customers are unaware that the lesser-priced Priority Flat Rate ($4.80), can make it to their destination as quickly as Express Flat Rate ($16.33). Express shipping rates also increase greatly if the parcel shipped is over 1 Lb, and Flat Rate packaging is not used. There is a wealth of knowledge regarding the shipping system online at www.usps.com. This may not be the source of the biggest savings for everyone, but over the course of one’s lifetime (especially around the holidays and important birthdays) the cumulative money overspent on postage can be significant.

Saving Money on food at a Sporting Event

Nachos, Beer, Sodas, Candy and Ice Cream. Bottled water too. Sporting events are a wonderland of junk food. And baseball and football stadiums across the country sell their refreshments at highway robbery prices. Many will argue that getting a beer and a hot dog at the baseball game is part of the experience, but for those looking for a healthy or cheaper (or both) alternative, outside food can often be legally brought into the parks. For those unwilling to pay super-inflated park prices, they can call the local stadium in advance to see what types of food items may be purchased outside and subsequently bought in. Calling the stadium to make see if this is an option, is one way of cutting expenses for a professional sporting outing nearly in half, and can be done as easily as dialing free 1800-GOOG-411 (very convenient) on the way to the game.

The cheapskate next door

This is a guest post from Jeff Yeager, author of the newly-published ">The Cheapskate Next Door. Yeager calls himself the Ultimate Cheapskate — and his wife agrees. Yeager is also a contributor at Wise Bread and on the Early Retirement forums.

“Sure, we could afford to spend more, but why would we? It wouldn’t make us any happier.” — Those are the words I’ve spent the last two-and-a-half years traveling the country to hear. It’s a simple but rare statement, given that nearly half of all Americans say that they literally live paycheck-to-paycheck and have little if any savings.

How can some people live not only within their means, but substantially below their means — even when their incomes are often less than the national average? And here’s the biggest question of all: How can some of those same people insist that they’re happier — joyous, really — because of their thrift and frugality?

Some of what I found may not surprise you. These frugal folks:

• Despise debt and have found creative ways to eliminate it from their lives.
• Differentiate between “needs” and “wants,” and between “affordability” and “borrow-ability”.
• And, yes, most own and still wear at least one article of clothing dating back to the Carter administration (or earlier).

These aren’t your miserable, Scrooge-like cheapskates. These are folks who know what’s important in life, and they skip the rest. Here’s a glimpse inside the mind of the Cheapskates Next Door:

• Cheapskates say, “The Joneses can kiss our assets.” Cheapskates are highly self-confident and proud of their frugal lifestyles, caring very little about what others think of them and even less about things like buying designer brand names and keeping up appearances with the Joneses.
• Cheapskates are immune from buyer’s remorse. Most shoppers eventually regret nearly 80% of the discretionary items they buy; but cheapskates are “premeditated shoppers” and, because of it, are largely immune from buyer’s remorse. Nearly 90% of the cheapskates surveyed say they “never” or “rarely” regret a purchase. And they don’t shop for “recreation” or “therapy,” which is one reason they prefer shopping at thrift stores (with a more certain selection of merchandise) than wasting time shopping at yard sales.
• Cheapskates appreciate appreciation (and depreciation, too). Other than when buying a house, most people usually don’t think about whether something will increase or decrease in value after they buy it. Cheapskates are tuned into appreciation/depreciation, often preferring to buy antique furniture (like the Amish do) that will retain/increase in value, and buying everything from cars to computers to clothing used, rather than new, so that the first owner pays for most of the depreciation.
• Cheapskates know that the best Things in life aren’t things. Social science has shown that Stuff tends to disappoint us over time, but experiences — how we spend our time — is what adds true value and meaning to life. Cheapskates value their time, and the things they can do with it, more than money, and the things they can buy with it.
• Cheapskates answer to a higher authority. For most of the cheapskates polled, it’s truly not about the money. Nine out of ten cheapskates say that their decision to live a more frugal life isn’t about trying to amass a big savings account; rather it’s primarily grounded in some higher ideals, such as religious beliefs or environmentalism. That’s why, of the cheapskates polled, they donate nearly twice as much to charity as the average American.

One Way to Lower Your Doctors Bill

In his book, “Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel: 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets,” Consumerist.com’s contributing editor Phil Villarreal shares one way to get a lower medical bill.

Last year, he was able to knock $1,000 off the $4,000 price of his daughter’s birth simply by asking the hospital, obstetrician, anesthesiologist and pediatrician to each reduce their bills by 25 percent if I paid the bill in full over the phone.

“It seems the medical establishment is so used to getting stiffed by patients who either declare bankruptcy or just flat-out refuse to pay, that they’ll give up one in the bush for three in the hand,” Mr. Villarreal wrote in his book.

What was his exact script? Here it is.

“Hey, my friend told me that if I offer to pay the bill in full over the phone, I get a 25 percent discount.” And the response he generally received was “O.K.” “It was the same conversation with the doctors as it was with the hospital. There was no negotiation whatsoever. Just standard procedure,” Mr. Villarreal said by e-mail.

Good Luck and I hope it saves you some money.

Banking Fees You Should Never Pay

Banking fees of all sorts

Banking fees are generally small -- a couple dollars here, a couple dollars there -- but they can add up to hundreds throughout the year if you’re not careful. Don’t pay money just to manage your money. You can take easy steps to avoid these fees:

• Overdraft fees. Sign up for low-balance alerts via e-mail, and link your checking account to your savings account to move money as necessary to avoid $35 fees for insufficient funds.

• Checks and postage. Pay your bills electronically instead. You’ll also avoid any late fees and black marks on your record if the postal service loses your payment.

• ATM fees. Know where your own bank’s ATMs are located, even in other states, so you can save $3 every time you get cash out of the wall. Or consider switching to a bank that offers free ATM usage regardless of which bank’s ATM you tap.

• Coin-counting commissions. Save the 5% it can cost you to cash in your nickels and quarters at the supermarket. Coin counting is gratis at hundreds of TD Bank branches in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Florida, whether or not you have an account. (Just pray the machine, called Penny Arcade, isn’t down for service. That seems to happen a lot.)

How to Reduce the Cost of Dental Work

I have no training in dentistry, so I am left to trust the recommendations of the professional. Dentists are businesspeople, so part of their motivation should be to ensure patients are happy with their treatment and return. Just like any other business, there are some who make recommendations based not on what is necessary but on what will result in bigger spending for the customer.

1. Get a second opinion for any major expenditure. If your dentist is suggesting a root canal as a treatment for a cavity, you might want to shop around by visiting other recommended dentists.

2. Find a dentist that accepts your insurance. My dentist’s office is not a participant in any insurance plan. That means they are free to charge more than the negotiated rate a plan dentist might charge. While they submit my charges to the insurance company, I am responsible for any amount not covered. I could save some money by finding a dentist who accepts my insurance, but I prefer to stay with the same dentist I’ve been visiting for about ten years, and my insurance usually covers almost all of the cost.

3. Consider whether you need every recommended service. Insurance companies generally don’t pay for fluoride treatments for adults, for example. If your teeth and gums are in great condition, fluoride may be an unnecessary expense. Some dentists are more aggressive than others and are willing to suggest treatments at the first sign of a problem. Don’t be quick to dismiss treatment, but don’t be afraid to ask about other options.

In addition to improving your health, taking care of your teeth also improves your appearance. In today’s economy, your appearance could be the difference between getting a job after an interview and not getting called back in. It’s unfortunate, but appearance plays a role both in conscious and subconscious impressions.

At least with auto mechanics, customers can have more than a basic knowledge of their own vehicle and with some focus can determine when professionals might be attempting to take advantage of their situations.

Cut Debt Now, Save Later

Should I focus on paying off debt or saving more money for retirement?

Debt is like a monkey on your back. The best thing we can do is pay off debt. This is especially true since money sitting in a bank account is earning less than 1%. After you have paid off your debt, you can focus on saving for retirement.

5 Financial lessons for College Students

Forget tuition. Once that bill is taken care of, the biggest financial challenge you face when sending kids off to college is making sure they don’t overdraw their checking account or run up a credit-card bill they can’t pay off.

(1) Open a low-cost checking account in your child’s college town, especially if his current bank doesn’t have branches there. Pay close attention to the bank pitches you’ve been getting in the mail so that you can spot the best combination of low balance requirements and low (or no) fees. With a host of new regulations squeezing bank revenues, totally free checking will be harder to come by and may come with strings attached, such as a minimum number of required debit-card transactions. For help in searching for an account, go to www.checkingfinder.com.

Extra credit: Choose a bank with a network of ATMs that’s convenient to your child’s dorm or favorite hangouts. College kids are notorious for running up ATM fees by going to the closest machine, even if it’s not in their bank’s network.

(2) Set up an overdraft plan. Students are also prime candidates for racking up charges by overdrawing their accounts with small purchases at the drugstore or coffee shop. As a result, they’re particularly affected by new rules that prohibit banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft-protection programs. Now you have to actively select such a program or choose a less-expensive option, such as linking your child’s checking account to a savings account -- or letting him suffer the embarrassment of having his purchase declined.

Extra credit: Have your child sign up to get balance alerts via e-mail or text when his balance is low.

(3)Downplay credit cards. New rules require that young people under 21 have a co-signer when they apply for a credit card. Don’t be too quick to sign, or even to make your child an authorized user on your card. Your student should first be responsible enough to manage a checking account. If he doesn’t overdraw his account, he may be mature enough to handle a credit card. But don’t rush it.

(4)Guard personal information. This is the Facebook generation, who will tell the world “everything but their underwear size,” as a friend of mine puts it. Better they should reveal the size of their skivvies than disclose their PIN or credit-card number, even to a friend.

Extra credit: Remind your kids that when they’re shopping online, they should look for secure transaction symbols, such as a lock in the lower right corner of the browser window and a Web address that begins with “https.”

(5)Keep track of expenses at least for the first semester. Student services should be able to estimate how much the average student will shell out for entertainment, travel, food outside the dorm and other miscellaneous expenses. But your kid may not be average. He can monitor his own transactions via online banking.

Extra credit: Before your child leaves home, make it clear which expenses you’ll cover and which are his responsibility. Hint: He gets to pay $300 for a football season ticket.