misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en
misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com
Today's topics:
* OT: My personal test of 20 free offline Android gps map routing applications
- 7 messages, 4 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/245df0dfbccb1f4c?hl=en
* alternative to Google Voice to use with Obihai voip? - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/8927d6ec9e4423a8?hl=en
* Micorwave went south and now we need - 5 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/6a1f96c5bc329e10?hl=en
* Are there still squatters in the UK? Was: Re: anyone from UK????? - 1
messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/1b64171cf8cc7700?hl=en
* Interview with Amy Dacyczyn's daughters! - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/6e42eaf43f260057?hl=en
* Credit card security - 5 messages, 5 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/37c8e84f3cd045aa?hl=en
* Inexpensive commuter car - 5 messages, 2 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/ea340ea468b880bd?hl=en
==============================================================================
TOPIC: OT: My personal test of 20 free offline Android gps map routing
applications
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/245df0dfbccb1f4c?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 1 2014 9:38 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 12/29/2013 07:14 AM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Dec 2013 06:34:20 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
> <dannyd@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 29 Dec 2013 00:57:20 -0500, krw wrote:
>>
>>> Buy a throw-away when you get there.
>>> GSM is useless in the US.
>>
>>I understand your point, which is that Verizon is
>>well entrenched in the USA (i.e., CDMA).
>>
>>But, where I travel (mostly the Silicon Valley
>>and San Francisco Bay Area), T-Mobile and AT&T
>>worked just fine for me.
>>
>>So, GSM is decidedly *not* useless in the USA.
>>It's pretty darn good.
>>
>>Having said that, I don't disagree that Verizon
>>does have some areas sewn up; but not the Silicon
>>Valley (which is all I really know well).
>
> So you're worried about travel around the world but not across the US?
T-Mobile (GSM) has a $10/year plan which is just right for me, even
though coverage is skimpier here than it might be. If I need to make a
phone call in Mexico I'll borrow somebody else's phone.
--
Cheers, Bev
" While in high school, we were encouraged to keep a daily journal.
I never liked it, especially when early on I realized that anybody
could find it and read it. Fortunately, the jury never saw it."
-- Anonymous, for obvious reasons
== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Fri, Jan 3 2014 4:36 pm
From: Danny D'Amico
On Tue, 31 Dec 2013 05:57:31 -0800, David Harmon wrote:
> I have had osmand~ do the same. Perhaps "No U-turns" would be a
> good routing option to have.
Hmmmmmmm.... what does "NO U-TURNs" actually mean to GPS software?
Of the two interpretations below, I always thought it meant the first,
but, you seem to intimate it means the latter:
a) Do not make a u-turn in the middle of the road
b) Do not go back the same way you just came
Which one does the option mean?
== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 6 2014 5:29 am
From: sms
On 12/27/2013 7:38 AM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Dec 2013 19:30:13 -0500, krw wrote:
>
>> Using the time or distance to destination gives a lot of
>> information, too.
>
> That's a good point!
>
> I often look at a trip calculation, that, say, I know is about
> an hour, and if it says it's 20 minutes, then I know it found
> the wrong road.
>
> Still, I've been burned. Do you know there are two Mission
> Boulevards in the Silicon Valley, just a few miles apart,
> both of which connect to i680?
>
> I can't believe they named two distinctly different roads
> the exact same name, yet, they both hit a major highway.
Are you referring to the two different places that Mission Boulevard
intersects 680 in Fremont? <http://oi42.tinypic.com/2ewyuyh.jpg>. Those
are not different roads so it must be something else?
== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 6 2014 10:28 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 12/27/2013 09:42 AM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
> <dannyd@is.invalid> wrote:
>
>>About the only software I need to pay for to get good quality is
>>Adobe Acrobat & TurboTax & kid's PC games.
>
> Better Acrobat than Acrobat can be had, free. TurboTax, obviously. I
> don't have kids anymore and I don't play games.
Curiously enough, HRBlock sent me a FREE one this year to encourage me
to come back after using TT last year. TT never did anything like that
-- they say they give you this monumental deal as a valued returning
customer, but you can ALWAYS get it cheaper at
Costco/Sam's/Staples/Office Depot etc. Cheesy.
It's nice that both programs will suck in last year's return from either
program.
--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 7 2014 12:34 pm
From: krw@attt.bizz
On Mon, 06 Jan 2014 22:28:29 -0800, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 12/27/2013 09:42 AM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
>> <dannyd@is.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>About the only software I need to pay for to get good quality is
>>>Adobe Acrobat & TurboTax & kid's PC games.
>>
>> Better Acrobat than Acrobat can be had, free. TurboTax, obviously. I
>> don't have kids anymore and I don't play games.
>
>Curiously enough, HRBlock sent me a FREE one this year to encourage me
>to come back after using TT last year. TT never did anything like that
>-- they say they give you this monumental deal as a valued returning
>customer, but you can ALWAYS get it cheaper at
>Costco/Sam's/Staples/Office Depot etc. Cheesy.
>
>It's nice that both programs will suck in last year's return from either
>program.
That's nice to know, thanks. My taxes this year and next are going to
be a RPITA (last year was no picnic) so I may have it done - haven't
decided.
== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 8 2014 12:28 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 01/07/2014 12:34 PM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
> On Mon, 06 Jan 2014 22:28:29 -0800, The Real Bev
> <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On 12/27/2013 09:42 AM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
>>> <dannyd@is.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>>About the only software I need to pay for to get good quality is
>>>>Adobe Acrobat & TurboTax & kid's PC games.
>>>
>>> Better Acrobat than Acrobat can be had, free. TurboTax, obviously. I
>>> don't have kids anymore and I don't play games.
>>
>>Curiously enough, HRBlock sent me a FREE one this year to encourage me
>>to come back after using TT last year. TT never did anything like that
>>-- they say they give you this monumental deal as a valued returning
>>customer, but you can ALWAYS get it cheaper at
>>Costco/Sam's/Staples/Office Depot etc. Cheesy.
>>
>>It's nice that both programs will suck in last year's return from either
>>program.
>
> That's nice to know, thanks. My taxes this year and next are going to
> be a RPITA (last year was no picnic) so I may have it done - haven't
> decided.
One year I persuaded my mom to use TT instead of her expensive
accountant, to whom she always gave meticulous records. The only
difference was where they placed some trivial amount of foreign
investment income, but it made no difference in the totals. Her vision
was getting worse so that was the only year she used TT, but she would
have if I'd forced it on her earlier. OTOH, I couldn't have done it
before we forced the computer on her...
Estate tax was completely different, of course. I don't think there's
any way that ordinary humans can even understand the forms, much less
complete them.
Look at the website(s) and see which version(s) provide the forms you
need. The TT user interface seems a bit less clunky than H&RB (TaxAct?
TaxCut? They seem to change the name from year to year.) but that
seems to change for both programs.
--
Cheers, Bev
================================================================
"Is there any way I can help without actually getting involved?"
-- Jennifer, WKRP
== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 8 2014 9:53 pm
From: krw@attt.bizz
On Wed, 08 Jan 2014 12:28:19 -0800, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 01/07/2014 12:34 PM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 06 Jan 2014 22:28:29 -0800, The Real Bev
>> <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On 12/27/2013 09:42 AM, krw@attt.bizz wrote:
>>>> <dannyd@is.invalid> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>About the only software I need to pay for to get good quality is
>>>>>Adobe Acrobat & TurboTax & kid's PC games.
>>>>
>>>> Better Acrobat than Acrobat can be had, free. TurboTax, obviously. I
>>>> don't have kids anymore and I don't play games.
>>>
>>>Curiously enough, HRBlock sent me a FREE one this year to encourage me
>>>to come back after using TT last year. TT never did anything like that
>>>-- they say they give you this monumental deal as a valued returning
>>>customer, but you can ALWAYS get it cheaper at
>>>Costco/Sam's/Staples/Office Depot etc. Cheesy.
>>>
>>>It's nice that both programs will suck in last year's return from either
>>>program.
>>
>> That's nice to know, thanks. My taxes this year and next are going to
>> be a RPITA (last year was no picnic) so I may have it done - haven't
>> decided.
>
>One year I persuaded my mom to use TT instead of her expensive
>accountant, to whom she always gave meticulous records. The only
>difference was where they placed some trivial amount of foreign
>investment income, but it made no difference in the totals. Her vision
>was getting worse so that was the only year she used TT, but she would
>have if I'd forced it on her earlier. OTOH, I couldn't have done it
>before we forced the computer on her...
I'm renting a house this year. Do I depreciate it and then back it
out next year as income? Might be worthwhile. Since this is the only
year (well, three months next year) that I'll have this issue, I'm not
sure there is anything to gain. I don't know how to start doing it,
either.
>Estate tax was completely different, of course. I don't think there's
>any way that ordinary humans can even understand the forms, much less
>complete them.
Silly.
>Look at the website(s) and see which version(s) provide the forms you
>need. The TT user interface seems a bit less clunky than H&RB (TaxAct?
> TaxCut? They seem to change the name from year to year.) but that
>seems to change for both programs.
The problem is knowing what forms I need. TT was pretty good at
telling me how to do some business deductions, while making sure that
they weren't giving me tax "advice". It was interesting how they
danced around that line.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: alternative to Google Voice to use with Obihai voip?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/8927d6ec9e4423a8?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 6 2014 10:08 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 12/28/2013 09:45 PM, Ohioguy wrote:
> I have a ~30 Obihai VOIP box that I use with Google voice to get free
> phone service. I hooked up a cordless phone, and can't tell the
> difference between this and a landline.
>
> Trouble is, I've read that as of about 130 days from now, Google
> Voice will no longer work with these little boxes, so I'm looking for an
> alternative.
>
> Everything else I've seen charges a cent per minute or more. That
> doesn't sound like much, but it is a lot more than free. I was hoping
> to find something that charged about a tenth of a cent per minute.
>
> Anyone else on here use Google Voice with a voip box like the Obihai?
> Have you found any cheap alternatives to Google Voice?
Ooma uses its own VOIP system. The device is $100-$140 and service is
$5-$15 month.
--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Micorwave went south and now we need
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/6a1f96c5bc329e10?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 6 2014 10:17 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 12/28/2013 07:55 AM, anthona wrote:
> On Friday, December 27, 2013 11:16:37 PM UTC-5, Derald wrote:
>> anthona <harri85274@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>> a replacement, mostly for reheating and on rare occasions cooking
>>> a tv dinner. This MW lasted just barely 2 1/2 years and just
>>> completely stopped. We don't want another one. Looking into
>>> toaster ovens, but there are so many and so many different
>>> prices. All we want is something that can cook baked potato's,
>>> reheat a cup of coffee ( we make a full pot in morning but by the
>>> time we have a second cup its lukewarm even in a carafe ) cook a
>>> tv dinner when necessary. No HOT top and teflon interior sheet
>>> and timer. Any good suggestions?
Costco has a nice Panasonic for $100 that heats a cold cup of coffee in
a minute. The first one we bought died under warranty and was replaced.
a couple of months ago. So far, so good.
I bought a yard-sale toaster oven to bake things that I wanted to come
out crisp, but haven't had occasion to use it yet. Real Soon Now...
>> Microwaves and toaster ovens are common yard sale and thrift store
>> items.
>
> Thanks, but not looking to buy a used item.
I think that's kind of dumb, but we bought a used one for my mom which
we discovered, years later, contained a dried mouse in its innards which
clearly had climbed in at the factory. Before it was sold. There are
no guarantees. Ever.
--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 6 2014 10:22 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 12/28/2013 03:53 PM, BigDog811 wrote:
> Oh, by the way. If your coffee is lukewarm by the second cup, you
> need a new coffeemaker too. The heating element under the carafe is
> burned out.
I turn mine off as soon as it's finished working and just heat up a cup
when I want one. A 12-cup pot lasts perhaps 1.5 days. A friend stopped
leaving her coffeemaker on all the time and saved 50% on her electric bill.
--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 7 2014 11:26 am
From: BigDog811
On Monday, January 6, 2014 11:22:12 PM UTC-7, The Real Bev wrote:
> On 12/28/2013 03:53 PM, BigDog811 wrote:
>
>
>
> > Oh, by the way. If your coffee is lukewarm by the second cup, you
>
> > need a new coffeemaker too. The heating element under the carafe is
>
> > burned out.
>
>
>
> I turn mine off as soon as it's finished working and just heat up a cup
>
> when I want one. A 12-cup pot lasts perhaps 1.5 days. A friend stopped
>
> leaving her coffeemaker on all the time and saved 50% on her electric bill.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Cheers, Bev
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> The early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
Oh my! I never reheat coffee by any method. My brewer is set turn off after 1 hour. I brew a half pot every morning from freshly ground premium beans from a local small batch roaster. What's not drunk within that hour gets poured down the drain. If I want another cup later in the day I do a pour over from a smaller batch of freshly ground beans.
Yeah...I'm a proud coffee snob.
== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 7 2014 11:34 am
From: The Real Bev
On 01/07/2014 11:26 AM, BigDog811 wrote:
> Oh my! I never reheat coffee by any method. My brewer is set turn
> off after 1 hour. I brew a half pot every morning from freshly
> ground premium beans from a local small batch roaster. What's not
> drunk within that hour gets poured down the drain. If I want another
> cup later in the day I do a pour over from a smaller batch of freshly
> ground beans.
>
> Yeah...I'm a proud coffee snob.
I'm not. I once drank half a cup of hot water in a brown cup and
thought in the back of my mind "This is AWFULLY weak, I wonder who made
it..."
--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My life outside of USENET is so full of love and kindness that I have
to come here to find the venom and bile that I crave." --R. Damiani
== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 8 2014 9:58 am
From: BigDog811
On Tuesday, January 7, 2014 12:34:56 PM UTC-7, The Real Bev wrote:
> On 01/07/2014 11:26 AM, BigDog811 wrote:
>
>
>
> > Oh my! I never reheat coffee by any method. My brewer is set turn
>
> > off after 1 hour. I brew a half pot every morning from freshly
>
> > ground premium beans from a local small batch roaster. What's not
>
> > drunk within that hour gets poured down the drain. If I want another
>
> > cup later in the day I do a pour over from a smaller batch of freshly
>
> > ground beans.
>
> >
>
> > Yeah...I'm a proud coffee snob.
>
>
>
> I'm not. I once drank half a cup of hot water in a brown cup and
>
> thought in the back of my mind "This is AWFULLY weak, I wonder who made
>
> it..."
>
>
>
> --
>
> Cheers, Bev
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> "My life outside of USENET is so full of love and kindness that I have
>
> to come here to find the venom and bile that I crave." --R. Damiani
You made me smile, Bev. Reminds me of my father. He was the most non-discriminating coffee drinker I ever knew. When I was growing up we made coffee at home in one of those old fashioned stove top percolators. Left to his own devices he'd burn it every time. Then thought it was perfectly acceptable to cut it with hot tap water. I took over coffee brewing duties at home in my mid-teens.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Are there still squatters in the UK? Was: Re: anyone from UK?????
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/1b64171cf8cc7700?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 8 2014 8:52 pm
From: nessshares
On Tuesday, 18 May 1999 08:00:00 UTC+1, andrea lea baker wrote:
> Hi!
>
> I'm not originally from the UK but I did live there for about 3 years.
> Are there still squatters, particularly in London? That always seemed
> like the ultimate in frugal living;-)
>
> Andrea Baker
http://bambuser.com/v/4101256
This was the High Court Eviction of the Bohemia in November last year (2013) It was occupied by a group. They didn't get IPOes but the owner still hired out private bailifs and dogs etc to get them out. It's an interesting building, go past it if you get a chance, its on Finchley High Road.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Interview with Amy Dacyczyn's daughters!
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/6e42eaf43f260057?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 12 2014 1:42 pm
From: lenona321@yahoo.com
For any newcomers, Amy Dacyczyn is the author of "The Complete Tightwad Gazette," which used to be a newsletter in the 1990s.
The interviews are from last May.
Apparently, the three sons just didn't want to talk....but the daughters' interviews are pretty good. The three now range from age 22 to 28. Jamie is the oldest.
http://thefrugalshrink.blogspot.com/2013/05/dacyczyn-interviews-jamie-part-1.html
(Jamie, part 1)
http://thefrugalshrink.blogspot.com/2013/05/dacyczyn-interviews-jamie-part-2.html
(Jamie, part 2)
http://thefrugalshrink.blogspot.com/2013/05/dacyczyn-interviews-rebecca.html
(Rebecca)
http://thefrugalshrink.blogspot.com/2013/05/dacyczyn-interviews-laura.html
(Laura)
Great quote from Laura:
"My advice to parents is that children depend less on money for happiness than adults do. It doesn't matter if the toy costs fifty cents or fifty dollars, they are just going to play with the box it came in anyways. My fondest memories of childhood are not of the toys or clothes I owned, instead they are of the family I spent my time with and the general wonder of being a child. On the flip side, the most negative memories I have of childhood are in no way connected to money."
Lenona.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Credit card security
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/37c8e84f3cd045aa?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 14 2014 8:43 am
From: KenK
I'm begining to wonder how to pay for groceries, etc. any more, with all
the security breaches such as Target's and many others. I shop mostly
Walmart for groceries and other stuff they carry. (Price is important to me
on my slender income.) If I use checks I suspect the store keeps a record
of check bank account numbers and other info which could be stolen.
Carrying that much cash or even keeping it at home bothers me. Wish there
was some other alternative that was secure.
Then there's the problem of mail order purchases, on line purchases,
repeating monthly or annual non-local charges best paid by credit card.
Then untilities and mailed bills such as trash, electric, etc.,
conveniently paid by check rather than driving to their office and paying
with cash. Cancelled checks and credit card reports make nice payment
recipts too.
When your credit card number is stolen it is a real PITA, answering many
and often repeated letters from the card company concerning the illicit
charges, getting a new card, notifying everyone who has the number on
record for monthly, annual or whatever charges, etc. BTDT
What best to do.
Comments?
TIA
--
"Where there's smoke there's toast!" Anon
== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 14 2014 1:36 pm
From: wilma6116@gmail.com
On Tuesday, January 14, 2014 8:43:52 AM UTC-8, KenK wrote:
>
> When your credit card number is stolen it is a real PITA, answering many
>
> and often repeated letters from the card company concerning the illicit
>
> charges, getting a new card, notifying everyone who has the number on
>
> record for monthly, annual or whatever charges, etc. BTDT
>
>
>
> What best to do.
>
>
If you are worried about CC theft, ala Target, not much to worry about, the bank already knows about it and you would have to just point out the bad charge.
If it is an individual thing, a little perseverance works good enough. Thing is with thieves, once is usually not enough, they tend to make a habit of their criminality, so once again you're not alone in your claim.
The biggest risk comes from dealing with small, new businesses. I recently dealt with the CC people over a shuttle driver that was using my card to buy male potency pills. After a few weeks, the CC people recognized that the shuttle driver had stolen several card numbers and was making the same purchases. So, the charges were reversed in short order- no harm, no foul.
The big advantage to using a credit card (besides the fraud protection built in) is that muggers now know most people don't carry cash. They instead focus their stealing to shoplifting or identity theft, which results in fewer deaths and injuries.
Life- you pays your money and you takes your chances.
== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 14 2014 5:20 pm
From: The Real Bev
On 01/14/2014 08:43 AM, KenK wrote:
> I'm begining to wonder how to pay for groceries, etc. any more, with all
> the security breaches such as Target's and many others. I shop mostly
> Walmart for groceries and other stuff they carry. (Price is important to me
> on my slender income.) If I use checks I suspect the store keeps a record
> of check bank account numbers and other info which could be stolen.
> Carrying that much cash or even keeping it at home bothers me. Wish there
> was some other alternative that was secure.
Use your credit cards. Watch your statements. If you see something you
didn't do, notify the CC company immediately.
Target is giving everybody (or an least everybody they have email
addresses for, maybe real addresses too) a free year of Experian
monitoring, which is what AAA gave me when they were hacked last year.
No problem so far.
> Then there's the problem of mail order purchases, on line purchases,
> repeating monthly or annual non-local charges best paid by credit card.
> Then untilities and mailed bills such as trash, electric, etc.,
> conveniently paid by check rather than driving to their office and paying
> with cash. Cancelled checks and credit card reports make nice payment
> recipts too.
You still get cancelled checks? I don't even get prints any more. Not
that I use that many checks, I use Bank of America's bill-paying
function. Banks have to be reliable or nobody would use them.
> When your credit card number is stolen it is a real PITA, answering many
> and often repeated letters from the card company concerning the illicit
> charges, getting a new card, notifying everyone who has the number on
> record for monthly, annual or whatever charges, etc. BTDT
>
> What best to do.
Do what's convenient. If they want your money, they'll get it.
Fortunately the CC companies are good about fraudulent charges -- they
have to be or nobody would use their services.
I don't have any automatic payments -- I figure if something goes
belly-up with the payees it WILL be a bitch to straighten out.
A friend's trust account was wiped out and transferred to an account in
Panama or someplace by an employee of the trust company who forged the
friend's signature on an actual piece of paper. He got it all back, but
it was a nuisance too.
--
Cheers, Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Screw the end users. If they want good software,
let them write it themselves." -- Anon.
== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 1:08 pm
From: "Annie Woughman"
"KenK" wrote in message news:XnsA2B562FEEF563invalidcom@130.133.4.11...
I'm begining to wonder how to pay for groceries, etc. any more, with all
the security breaches such as Target's and many others. I shop mostly
Walmart for groceries and other stuff they carry. (Price is important to me
on my slender income.) If I use checks I suspect the store keeps a record
of check bank account numbers and other info which could be stolen.
Carrying that much cash or even keeping it at home bothers me. Wish there
was some other alternative that was secure.
Then there's the problem of mail order purchases, on line purchases,
repeating monthly or annual non-local charges best paid by credit card.
Then untilities and mailed bills such as trash, electric, etc.,
conveniently paid by check rather than driving to their office and paying
with cash. Cancelled checks and credit card reports make nice payment
recipts too.
When your credit card number is stolen it is a real PITA, answering many
and often repeated letters from the card company concerning the illicit
charges, getting a new card, notifying everyone who has the number on
record for monthly, annual or whatever charges, etc. BTDT
What best to do.
Comments?
TIA
--
"Where there's smoke there's toast!" Anon
Credit cards are by far the safest way to shop anywhere. Like Bev said, pay
attention to your statements every month and if there is anything on there
you didn't buy, call the CC company and report it and they will send you new
cards immediately. No hassle. It is so much easier to dispute charges made
on a credit card than on your debit card. The debit card sucks the money
out of your checking account immediately and you don't get that money back
until the situation is settled. Credit cards don't use a dime of your money
until you pay the bill. And checks--like you said, you hand them your name,
address, phone number, bank account number and routing number on the
spot--not a good idea.
Another up side to credit cards--get one that pays you for using it.
Bankamericards not only pay you money back, they give you a 10% bonus if you
have them deposit your rewards into one of their checking or saving
accounts.
== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 1:55 pm
From: sms
On 1/14/2014 8:43 AM, KenK wrote:
> I'm begining to wonder how to pay for groceries, etc. any more, with all
> the security breaches such as Target's and many others. I shop mostly
> Walmart for groceries and other stuff they carry. (Price is important to me
> on my slender income.) If I use checks I suspect the store keeps a record
> of check bank account numbers and other info which could be stolen.
> Carrying that much cash or even keeping it at home bothers me. Wish there
> was some other alternative that was secure.
>
> Then there's the problem of mail order purchases, on line purchases,
> repeating monthly or annual non-local charges best paid by credit card.
> Then untilities and mailed bills such as trash, electric, etc.,
> conveniently paid by check rather than driving to their office and paying
> with cash. Cancelled checks and credit card reports make nice payment
> recipts too.
>
> When your credit card number is stolen it is a real PITA, answering many
> and often repeated letters from the card company concerning the illicit
> charges, getting a new card, notifying everyone who has the number on
> record for monthly, annual or whatever charges, etc. BTDT
>
> What best to do.
For non-recurring online purchases you can use a credit card provider
that provides virtual credit card numbers. BOA offers this service but
it isn't all that common, see
<https://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/accounts-cards/shopsafe.go>.
Paypal also shields a company from seeing your actual credit card
number. Actually there is a way to do recurring payments with a virtual
account.
I'd avoid checks at all costs. All of your checking account information
is on your check.
I'm a lot more inclined to pay cash at restaurants and for small
purchases than in the past. Several times I've had to replace a credit
card when it was compromised, and it is indeed a PITA.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Inexpensive commuter car
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/ea340ea468b880bd?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 20 2014 12:56 pm
From: BrianRosenthal
Elio is planning a 3 wheel 2 person car.
* 49/84 MPG
* Fully enclosed
* Heat, A/C, radio, power windows
* 5 star crash rating
All for $6800. Shipping early 2014 (perhaps).
ElioMotors dot com.
== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 20 2014 2:48 pm
From: wilma6116@gmail.com
On Monday, January 20, 2014 12:56:23 PM UTC-8, BrianRosenthal wrote:
> Elio is planning a 3 wheel 2 person car.
>
>
>
> * 49/84 MPG
>
> * Fully enclosed
>
> * Heat, A/C, radio, power windows
>
> * 5 star crash rating
>
>
>
> All for $6800. Shipping early 2014 (perhaps).
>
>
>
> ElioMotors dot com.
5 star? Show me.
84MPG? Show me.
I don't like motorcycles, three or two wheeled.
== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Jan 20 2014 2:57 pm
From: wilma6116@gmail.com
On Monday, January 20, 2014 12:56:23 PM UTC-8, BrianRosenthal wrote:
> Elio is planning a 3 wheel 2 person car.
>
>
>
> * 49/84 MPG
>
> * Fully enclosed
>
> * Heat, A/C, radio, power windows
>
> * 5 star crash rating
>
>
>
> All for $6800. Shipping early 2014 (perhaps).
>
>
>
> ElioMotors dot com.
One can lease a Smart Car for $99 a month for 36 months.
Or you can get the electric version for $139/mo. and get 122/mpg equiv.
Four wheels AND air bags
== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 21 2014 8:24 am
From: brian@rosenthalmn.com
On Monday, January 20, 2014 4:57:57 PM UTC-6, wilm...@gmail.com wrote:
> One can lease a Smart Car for $99 a month for 36 months.
>
> Or you can get the electric version for $139/mo. and get 122/mpg equiv.
>
> Four wheels AND air bags
Lease requires $999 down, only covers 10K miles per year, and the Smart car only gets 34/38 mpg.
The Elio will have air bags, too. If they actually get to building them.
== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Jan 21 2014 8:44 am
From: wilma6116@gmail.com
On Tuesday, January 21, 2014 8:24:57 AM UTC-8, br...@rosenthalmn.com wrote:
>
>
> Lease requires $999 down, only covers 10K miles per year, and the Smart car only gets 34/38 mpg.
It is a commuter car, not a road trip car. And the electric version gets 122MPG equiv.
>
>
>
> The Elio will have air bags, too. If they actually get to building them.
If!
They still would be considered a motorcycle. They would require a motorcycle license. Your insurance company may raise an eyebrow. And don't forget, you'll have to wear a helmet.
Why wait to drive a tin can, when you can get one now? With four wheels!
Besides, if you want to be frugal, buy two really cheap used cars- one to drive while the other is in the garage. Eight years ago I bought a Ford Aspire, I paid $2,100 and today KBB says it is worth $1,600. I put about $500 in tires and a starter. I drive less than 1,000 miles a year. Total cost has been about $1,000 divided by eight, and you can see I have been a frugal car owner.
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Monday, February 17, 2014
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