Mother’s Day Is For Your Mother!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Frugalmaster

Hi Hallmark! I know you are in the business of selling love and happiness and cards, but please, quit thinning out our holidays!

I go into the card stores and see Mothers Day cards. For Mom. For Daughter. For Sister. For Wife. I wouldn’t be surprised to see “For Him on Mothers Day”, but I guess with Fathers Day just a few weeks away you haven’t gotten there yet.

I also hear people are planning on spending 8% more on Mothers Day this real. Really?! Who’s putting that much thought into it. Mother’s day is for honoring mom, and showing her some love. Really, it isn’t about spending 8% more or selling 100% more cards, so STOP IT!

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AT&T, Verizon, Your Tablet Prices Stink!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Frugalmaster

I just bought the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7″ Android for $249 at Walmart. That’s the retail price, and it’s a wonderful, WiFi device with Ice Cream Sandwich, or Andriod Version 4 for the uninitiated.

While I’ll mostly use this tablet as a couch-surfing, quick email-checking, Words With Friends playing, eBook reader at home I do see that it would be nice to connect wherever I am. A quick check on Verizon’s website shows the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, which is a little nicer, a little larger, and includes a 4g modem. ALL FOR ONLY $450. And you have to sign a 2-year contract! Data plans begin at $30/month and climb as high as $80/month. You can also buy the device without a contract for $699.99, a mere $450/more than the WiFi tablet from Walmart, and every bit as functional!


AT&T has the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, which is larger than I actually like, but I am using for comparison purposes. Prices ranger from $479.99 with a 2-year-$35/month data plan to $629 without a contract, and data plans starting at only $15/month, which is in itself a bit fishy.

I don’t know what bugs me more, the contracts, the data prices, or the charge for including the data modem in the device. After all, if a cell phone can be sold for $25 or less, certainly a little more circuitry could be included in a tablet for the same amount. Even Apple only chargers a $129 premium for the modem in the iPad.

So what’s a frugal shopper to do? Go to Walmart and wait until you get home to use the thing. Or surf on your hotspot for free! More on that later!

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Protecting Your Privacy On The Facebook

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Frugalmaster

I just read an article published by the New York Times about people lying on facebook to protech their privacy, altering personal details such as their date of birth.

Thinking about your privacy when you post is a good idea, though I may not be as obsessed with it as some. My philosophy is that if someone is desperate to find out my address then they will. Things such as my mothers maiden name aren’t hard to figure out for anyone who really knows me. If I get a call from someone because they’ve learned my phone number then it’s a nuisance, but as I’m not (yet) a celebrity then it doesn’t mean that I’ll have to change my phone number.

I am more careful about some things. I don’t post things like my social security number. Why would I? And I even extend my care to trying not to slip that I may be out of town for a few days, thus making my home a target to thieves. I have not yet taken to the use of a shredder, though I may cut up an expired credit card.

I’m definitely NOT worried about Google “spying” on me. If anything they’re spying for me. Their reputation is worth much more than anything they could learn from me or anyone else, and what they give in return for my privacy is truly privacy. Some are Apple fanatics, call me a Google devotee.

How about you, what precautions do you take to guard your privacy, online or off?

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Frugal Funnies

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Frugalmaster

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Good deals south of the border. Or across the aisle.

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Frugalmaster

One of my favorite budget foods is Lentils. Cooked up with some brown rice, a carrot, and onion and a little oil it makes a huge pot of satisfying grub that is satisfying and keeps well. I also think it’s good food.

So as I found Lentils on my list while browsing the local market I first found a bag in the “Spanish Foods” section, with other dried beans. Though they were actually labled “Lenteja” I recognized the little darlings and dropped the $1.59 bag into my cart. A moment later I saw more beans, including lentils, across the aisle. They must have been labeled for gringos, as they were actually called “Lentils” and not “Lenteja.” Also, they were priced at $2.69, though the did include a “garlic herb” flavor pack that I didn’t particularly want.

I decided to stick with the Lenteja. They did appear to be slightly smaller, but a pound is a pound and I imagine they’ll be just as tasty. I’ll certainly report any problems here.

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Should You Shave It? And Should You Pay $1 For The Privilidge?

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Frugalmaster

SmartMoney highlights the discount razor “controversy over Dollar Shave Club (video below)

Dorco, alleged supplier to Dollar Shave responds with their own video!

And then there’s the (rather lame) Dollar Beard Club video.

My own take on it is that even the cheapest razors will work well, if you first let your beard soften up for a few minutes first. Shaving is the last thing I do in the shower and my blades last for months!

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Yardsale Steals

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Frugalmaster

100′ black rubber hose, excellent condition. 2 pairs worn but servicable BMX type gloves.

Estimated value:
Hose: $20
Gloves: $50 (new)

Total cost: $3

Ok, the hose was a gamble, but it checks out ok, no leaks!

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Harder to save? Maybe just easier to spend.

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Frugalmaster

An article I recently came across made the argument that technology does not make it easier to save money. With online money management, stock-trading, research, electronic (and usually free) bill-paying, and access to our financial institutions I am not sure I agree that technology does not make it easier.

If not easier, than at least we have access to much more power and information. Remember when checking your recent credit card charge meant waiting 30 days and opening an envelope? Now we are more likely to receive a text message 2 minutes after the transaction.

What technology DOES do is makes it easier to spend! And gives us so much more to spend on! Without really trying I was drawn into the internet purchases of a new watch, an Android tablet computer, and a Stamps.com account! Only the watch was a good deal, so I used the Stamps swagger to return the tablet. (See Shipping is expensive! But you should see the cost of Stamps.com!)

It’s no secret that the internet is funded by advertising. (Google a search company? Silly boy, Google is an ADVERTISING company!) I’d rather endure the ads to get most of the internet for free than have to pay for access to the websites and services that I use. For the most part I’ve learned to ignore the adds.

But I use the internet for shopping, so it’s not unusual to find myself looking at items which I didn’t know that I needed/wanted/existed, and find myself placing an order!

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Shipping is expensive! But you should see the cost of Stamps.com!

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Frugalmaster

I kept hearing the offer: “110 offer with postage meter, $50 free postage, printing labels and 30-days of free service!) This is true, sort-of. You actaully get $5 worth of free postage and have to pay $10 for shipping. After the initial month you pay $15.99/month for service and may get additional free postage if you play the game correctly.

So I took the bait and signed up. My kit arrived quickly. The scale is neat and looks like an Mac Mini sitting on my shelf.

I did install their software and use the system to return a defective product. The software is very polished and intuitive to use. As shipping was more than $5 I had to purchase additional postage ($10 minimum purchase), and used the surplus to print stamps, leaving 7 cents in my account.

It’s a nice system, but $15.99/month works out to be around $192/year! I probably haven’t spent that much on postage alone in the last 5 years. Though I do plan on eBay-ing some things in the near future, I find that my time is worth less than the time that Stamps.com might save me.

Frugal as I am, I can never go for this. I might pay $1.99/month, or a per-use fee, but never $15.99/month. I’m sure tens of thousands of others have made the same decision.

I’m sure tens of thousands have also made the mistake of forgetting to cancel before paying  for a month or three of service. Cancellation does require calling customer service, an experience I’m not looking forward to.

I’ll probably end up cancelling during the free trial period. The sad thing is that Stamps.com will lose money on me, and I’ll be using this useless scale as a paper-weight for the next 10 years.

Posted in Freebies, Ripoffs, Uncategorized, Words | 1 Comment

Shopping Kohl’s Lifted Prices

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Frugalmaster

I was fortunate enough to receive a $10 gift card to shop with at my local Kohl’s store which I made use of last night. The problem I have shopping there is that everything seems so over-priced to begin with!

After selecting a garlic press from the kitchen-wares department ($14.99) before my discounts I did a little more browsing and came across 4 and 5-packs of Hanes underwear for men inexplicably priced at $38 and $34 respectively! I seem to recall buying similar underwear at Walmart for 1/3 the price, or less!

So I’m greatful for Kohl’s gift card, but won’t be shopping there much in the future, despite the huge 25-50% off sales they sometimes have. As another blogger asked, off what?

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