BeverlyBrongersma.com

I don’t know how many times when offered the additional warrantly plan offered by a store I thought…. I don’t need this. But, I’m a sucker for safety.

And I’ve needed it 9 out of 10 times. You want to know why? Because nothing is made like it used to be. I mean really… why bust your butt on quality when the consumer will purchase it regardless. And in the name of America they will buy it again as soon as a better one comes out.

My XBOX 360 got the red ring of death 3 times. Or should I say 3 out of the four XBOX 360’s that were replaced with the extended service plan offered by Best Buy.

My 52″ DLP TV busted a bulb in a little over a year.

Smartphone stopped working properly.

And most recently my HP Pavilion laptop of less than a year blew the harddrive.  Exactly one year to the day of my initial purchase the damn thing died on me. What are the chances that it would happen the day the one year manufacturer warranty expired. Seriously?!

It was under “repair” for two weeks with HP. But, Best Buy issued me a new one. Or should I say a newer one. Eveything was better than my initial laptop. 2GB of Ram is now 4GB. 160 GB drive is now 320GB. 32 bit OS is now 64 bit…. you get the picture.

There are certain items I would say are pointless to buy the extended plan such as a DVD player. Anything where the cost of the plan is more than half of the purchase price… As a rule, I don’t buy the plan. Most of these items have a 30 day guarantee by the store or some form of a manufacturer’s guarantee. This should be sufficient.

What is your experience in this area? Any suggestions? Any particular retailers better than others? I happen to prefer Best Buy…

The second piece of software I would like to introduce you to is GnuCash. I use it as a bookkeeping tool for my checking account. It is a great and powerful alternative to Quicken. [IMHO]

The most important thing in personal finance is to always be aware of your financial position. If you utilize a service like GnuCash to budget, you will become more aware of how you spend your money. I have found that by being more mindful and intentional I have been able to keep my finances under control.

If you are not aware of what you are spending you will incur debt without even thinking twice. Start taking control of your checkbook today… you won’t regret it.

GnuCash will run on virtually any OS Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows (2000 or newer).

I use Vista and have not had any issues with my installation of GnuCash. If you are in the need of financial-accounting software… I recommend you check out GnuCash before you spend your money on the alternative.

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One of the ways I save money is by utilizing the vast amount of Open Source freeware available.

I’ve decided to start a series of blog entries dedicated to the Software I use. I know that this has been done before by many bloggers… But, there are still a few people who may not have come across this information.

For example; rather than pay $149.95 for the least expensive version of Microsoft Office… I use OpenOffice.Org.

I admit that I was skeptical at first as to whether or not it could stand up to it’s well known competitor. At this time… the only inconvenience I had was having to remember to save the file in a *.doc format before sending it off to an Office user. But, I discovered that you can set the *.doc format as a default!!

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I’ve written about this in the past. But, I figured today would be good for a reminder.

The DMV’s website states the following:

Q: When do the new wireless telephone laws take effect?
A: The new laws take effect July 1, 2008.

Q: What is the difference between the two laws?
A: The first prohibits all drivers from using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle, (Vehicle Code (VC) §23123). Motorists 18 and over may use a “hands-free device.” Drivers under the age of 18 may NOT use a wireless telephone or hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle (VC §23124).

While the fine is only $20 for the first offense and $50 for any additional violations… it would be quite an inconvenience to be pulled over. And $20 is almost 4 gallons of gas!!!

If you do happen to break the law Headset.com will give you a  Plantronics Discovery 925, which retails at $149.99. This information was found on CNET.COM.

You can also get a free headset without breaking the law with FreeHeadset.Org. The one downside with these headsets is that they are not Wireless. But, if you want to skip the drama of having to keep your bluetooth headset synced and charged… This might be perfect for you. There are also some of you out there with dinosaurs that don’t have Bluetooth capability.

Either route you decide to take, I wish you good luck and safe driving!

I came across this site today while I was looking for a promotional code to save money at the Puma store. I signed up; which was incredibly easy… put in my e-mail address and create a password. After searching for Puma and following the link I was able to get 6% back on my purchase. The cash will be deposited back into my E-bates account in 2-3 days. In addition I received a $5 sign up bonus.

This isn’t a way to make money per se… but to spend less money on things you would be purchasing anyway.

The site is incredibly easy to navigate and is laid out in a way that makes it simple to find the store you are looking for.

I was not paid to make this post; I just think it is a very good idea. I am already a member of MyPoints which is a similar service. But, they give you points towards gift cards, etc instead of cold hard cash! Continue Reading »