Category Archives: Economics

Unknown's avatar

Is a Smartphone the Best For You?

by

My first cell phone, which I got in 1996, was one of those big Motorola flip phones. While it did clip onto my belt, it was big and heavy enough for me to feel its weight as I moved. Also, its battery had a short life and because it was analog, the number could be cloned, and it was, twice.

Thankfully, cell phones quickly improved and the next phone I had was not much larger than what I have now. And, with each progressive phone I’ve had, I’ve gotten more features.

The latest one is an LG Extravert with a slide out miniature keyboard, for easier texting. Now, it can also accommodate a data plan as well, though I don’t have one as I don’t feel the need for one. I don’t know if it is considered to be a true “smart phone”, but if not, it is as close as one could get. It is still as small as my previous phone, however, it was slippery and easy to drop as a result, so I had to get a protective rubber covering for it, as well as a screen protector.

As a result, I couldn’t use a standard flip phone clip-on case. I had to purchase a small Lowepro camera case that clips on to my belt (Lowepro makes the best and most user friendly cases!), and it works with the phone just fine and is still small enough not to feel like an added heavy appendage to my belt.

Recently, I was on a trip, visiting family, and my cousins had smartphones. The were able to see each other as well as talk, and the visual quality was great! The phones looked easy to use, too, and I could see how they could do so much. One of my cousins also used the navigation feature on her phone with no problem. While the car had its own navigation system, the phone’s worked just fine, and we could have been in a Model T, and it wouldn’t have made a difference because my cousin’s phone had its own portable navigation system!

But is a phone that can do everything really for you? Only you can answer that, but, having seen what they can do, and having checked them out in stores, I’ve made my own observations.

Being able to see one another while talking, at least for now, as I understand it, requires a data plan, which costs more money than just a talk and text plan. Readers, If I’m wrong about this as I write, please let me know.

I do know, however, that data plans, at least in the “Paygo” world, of which I am a part and highly recommend, are coming down in price.

And some smart phone class phones are being offered at cheaper prices with some plans.

But, here’s a problem. The phones are getting larger, and some are approaching tablet size. The good thing about this is, you can now find a size that fits your needs.

But, on the plus side of this, while getting larger, the size increase is only one-dimensional. They are getting thinner and are much lighter than those old Motorola phones, so that still means less bulk.

But, they can be more obtrusive and vulnerable to breakage when worn on a belt or put in a pocket. I can see them breaking if they are on a belt or in a front or back pocket when you get into your car. If they are in one of the lower pockets on a pair of cargo pants, or in someone’s purse, handbag, or day pack, they should survive. But they are not as convenient to carry as my phone still is. And recently, there was an issue with a recently released phone that bent too easily.

So, while true smartphones phones now have more and better features, I’m satisfied with what I have. Of course, if you are in the market for a smart phone, do check them out, as there are so many kinds, from Androids to Galaxies, and others.

Of course, bear in mind that new and more advanced phones are coming out all the time now, and plans are constantly evolving, so, if you can’t quite find what you really want in a phone, just give it some time before buying. Sooner or later, the phone, and plan, that you want will be here.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

 

*** Update! In January, 2015 I did get my first smart phone! An LG Optimus Zone 2. To see what transpired and what I have to say about it, see my post, Again, Before Jumping In, Do Your Research! (Or how I got a $149 phone for just $49!)

Unknown's avatar

How to Stay Safe with Craigslist Transactions

by

You may have read my earlier posts regarding Craigslist and how to buy and sell using Craigslist. But what happens after you find that item, buyer, or job offer? How do you know if it’s safe to meet or do business here?

Well, Craigslist is a lot like working with the classified ads in a newspaper, except that you can tell how old a Craigslist ad is. Other than this, Craigslist is a pretty much a free for all marketplace. They don’t act as a middleman, like Ebay or Amazon, where buyers and sellers are regulated to an extent and can be penalized for bad behavior, and where there’s a secure system for payment and shipping. And there are lots of scammers and other nefarious types using Craigslist, sometimes to commit horrible crimes.

But you can stay safe with Craigslist if you use it right and know what to look for.

When selling or buying a physical item, and you either want to see the item or you have an item that someone wants to see, there obviously has to be a meeting. And you can’t blame someone for wanting to see your item, as they are following the rule you probably follow yourself that says, “Don’t buy something sight unseen from someone you don’t know”. So, what to do?

My advice is to not meet at your place, or theirs. Not yours, because they can see what you have and case out your place for future burglary or worse.

Not theirs, because they can rob you or worse, and you be on “their territory”, so to speak, and won’t know what to expect. The only exception to this is, if they are having a garage sale. And then, drive by first to see if they really are having a garage sale. See nothing there? Drive on.

Solution? Meet in a public place, where lots of people are. A fast food place, mall, or even a police station can be good. And take someone with you if possible. There’s safety in numbers. But if you can’t take someone with you, always meet in a crowded public place.

Now, before you meet, be sure to get the person’s name and description, and also learn to pick up what ever else they say that can help. One guy I sold something to suggested meeting at a fast food place where he worked. I came early and asked one of the employees there about him, mentioning his name, and the employee knew him and verified that he worked there, so this made it much safer.

If you or the person you want to deal with is selling items at a flea market, you can also have them meet you there, since there will naturally be people there, too.

What about large items that are hard to move, or even homes? If you are the buyer, and the item is being sold by the owner and not a dealer or agency, go early and check out the area. This may not always help, but sometimes it can. And definitely take someone with you, even if they are just an acquaintance. And let someone else know where you are going.

If you are the seller, make sure that someone is with you. Having a garage sale with neighbors, friend, and relatives helping out would be ideal.

In my opinion, if it’s your house that you’re selling and you’re selling it yourself, it would be wise to move everything out, including you and your family, out first. This way, anyone who comes to see your home, will think you no longer are actually living there and they’ll see no items to steal. However, having said this, I would still speak to a realtor first before selling the house myself. They may have better ideas regarding this.

What about posts in the jobs or gigs categories? Same applies. When inquiring or responding to ads in these categories, always ask for the business name if it is not in the ad. If they are vague or won’t tell you outright, move on. If it is a private party, as is often the case in the gigs category, be extra cautious, especially if it involves modeling, entertainment, or the arts. Many scammers will claim that they can get you in but instead will empty your wallet or worse. If someone appears legit, check them out further and anytime someone won’t give you information that they should give you, like their name, or details about what they require, again, move on!

Lastly, regarding any job or gig posts, don’t give out personal information until you can really confirm that you’re dealing with someone legitimate and that it is required! If you answer a gig where they just want you to dig a ditch for cash, they do not need your social security number, and if they demand it, leave!

If you are selling a service on the side, you will have customers and they will be paying you. To stay safe, if the service, or business that you do can be done online and delivered by using shipping or e-mail, try to keep from having to meet clients if possible. I do this with my resume business.

Clients call me or e-mail me and send me what they want on their resume. I put the resume together and send it to them as an e-mail attachment. They then send payment to my P.O. Box, or via PayPal, which is safer than having it sent to my home address. If the client does need to meet with me, I make sure that it is in a public place.

While none of what I said will absolutely guarantee your safety, they will lessen the odds significantly that something bad will happen to you during a Craigslist transaction. Craigslist can be a great site to use if you just use common sense and keep your eyes and ears open. Stay safe!

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site. And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Will Automation Phase Out Work?

by

Recently, I read an article online where it was said that one of the reasons for the future growth of unemployment will be that more and more jobs will be done by robots and other forms of automation.

Among the jobs that were listed as ones that could fall to automation were dental assistant, delivery driver, and restaurant wait staff.

Actually, this may turn out to be true, and I understand that there is a restaurant in France that does have automated wait staff.  Driverless cars are being tested. And sure, we’ve all seen, or rather, heard automated answering systems (“…press one, for customer service, two, to leave a voice mail..”, etc.), and automated toll booths, among others. But a fully automated world where no human will hold a job?

Possibly, but only after a very long time, for several reasons I can think of.

First, and possibly the strongest reason is, though we are encountering more and more automated systems, we still tend not to like them. We still want to talk to a human being. And this is especially true in medical situations and those situations where things have gone wrong in general. I’m sure most people simply don’t feel comfortable with a robot diagnosing their symptoms and prescribing medicine just yet.

And then there’s the hassle factor, which I have dealt with. Some automated phone systems will simply not let you get to a human being, and their voice recognition systems will often misunderstand what you are saying. And, of course, they cannot think so when your situation falls through the cracks because it doesn’t neatly fall into one of the categories you’ve been presented with, so you get nowhere.

Second, is reliability issues, which is related to the first reason. Again, many voice recognition systems won’t understand what you are saying. A company may be reluctant to completely rely on a fully automated customer service system without some kind of human backup.

Third, which is, yes, related to the second reason. It’s a lack of an ability for self correction, or to think, period. That is, if a human employee makes a mistake and sends you a toaster instead of the blender you ordered, it may be caught by another employee before it even gets to you. If a human employee has to leave suddenly for the day, another will see it and offer to cover for the now absent employee. And if the employee is a mistake prone jerk, the boss can let the employee know that his or her job is at stake unless they shape up.

But with robots, at least for now, if one makes a mistake, you’re getting that toaster and you’ll have a real hassle trying to straiten out the mess through the company phone system. If one machine breaks down, it stays broken and the other machines don’t know it. The pumping machine may just keep filling that tank until it explodes. The other machines cannot make a call for repairs. Production and other functions stop until a human notices, by which time much more damage may have been done. And if a machine or robot just will not work, no amount of threats will make it start working.

Lastly, we’re not quite there yet. That is, while certainly, we have been able to successfully bring automation to areas such as the factory floor, and yes, the example of the exploding tank above has been solved by adding sensors and systems that will shut down the pumping machine, the technology for having robots completely replace humans in many areas is a long way from reality, even now. And while many businesses are looking to use more and more automation, it is still very expensive to start, and somewhat risky, so many businesses, especially small ones, are not yet on that bandwagon and won’t be for a good while.

We don’t have a robot that can go door to door delivering mail, or selling items and services, and people are not ready to deal with a robot salesperson or clerk unless there’s another human from the company there who understands what you’re saying and who can correct any problems on the spot. And no one’s yet ready to trust a robot surgeon acting alone in the OR just yet.

So, not to worry yet, humans will still be needed for jobs, including those that robotics and growing automation will generate, for a long, long time to come.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading! 🙂

 

Unknown's avatar

New Tech Toy has Just Arrived! Don’t Get It Now!

by

That new tech gizmo that just came out? Like the title above says, don’t rush out and buy it now! Why?

Here are a few reasons:

1. Fewer features and capability. Oh, it will probably do things that other gadgets cannot do or haven’t been done before, but it won’t have those things and features that people will find they inevitably want after they try out the new tech toy. Those first models just won’t have what the later versions are sure to have due to popular demand.

2. Bugs. The first model of any new tech toy, from I-Phones to cars, will have the most bugs and problems. Always. Advice for car buyers often includes the advice to not buy a new model the first year it comes out just for this reason alone.

3. Cost.  The first version will usually cost the most. Or, if not, it will have less bang for the buck, due mainly to the two reasons listed above.

4. No Line in the rain. You’ve no doubt heard about or have seen stories of people waiting to be the first to get that new tech toy, usually an I-phone or something similar. They’ll be interviews with people standing in that long line in the rain or snow, willing to pay twice what would be paid in just a few short months! You can avoid this just by waiting! The product won’t go away, unless it proves to be a real lemon, in which case, you won’t have wasted time or money, and won’t have had to endure discomfort on top of that.

To illustrate this, I remember when I saw my first handheld calculator, in 1970. This calculator cost $100 and could only do basic math, that is, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. And that was it!

By the late 1970’s, you could get calculators at 1/5th the price that could practically do back flips for you!

Computers also show this. When computers with a new version of Windows comes out, the most bugs are reported. By waiting a year or two, you can often get a computer with that new version of Windows for somewhat less and also with fewer bugs.

And later versions of I-phones tend to have fewer problems and a greater range of features.

So, it’s often best not to stand in one of those long lines in anticipation of getting that first new tech toy. I know you are chomping at the bit to get it, but try to wait. Sometimes waiting as little as 6 months could mean paying just half the price, with the gadget actually doing more for you with less hassle.

And you won’t have to stand in a line in the rain.

If you like what you’ve read here, let others know of this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Lose that Bath Mat!

by

For years, my folks and I used bath mats for the bath tub. At first, the mats would feel great and grip well, but always, the mats would become grimy and/or mildewed, and some would lose a little bit of their grip as well.

No matter how diligently my folks or I cleaned the mat, the result was always the same. Some mats did last longer than others, but in the end, they always had to be replaced.

A number of years ago, when I visited my folks, they’d gotten rid of the mat in favor of a pair of “shower” shoes. These were some plastic slip on type of sandals or flip-flops. And they worked well. Their grip on the tub’s floor was excellent! Well, I still liked my mats so I continued with them for a while, but finally, with the last one, which just wouldn’t get truly clean, I’d had it and bought myself a similar pair of shower shoes. And they’re great!

They cost less than just about any mat, about $6 at Wal-Mart. They are easy to clean. I wash them as I take my shower and wash my feet, so they always are clean when I’m done, and this just takes about a minute, if that!

Then, they are easy to store and dry quickly. And they grip the tub’s bottom better than any mat I’ve ever tried, so I feel even safer using them.

Finally, the tub doesn’t pick up the griminess of the mat!

So, instead of a bath mat, try using shower shoes! Lose that mat and you may just be amazed!

If you like what you’ve read here, send your friends and family here to this post, blog, and site!

And thanks for reading!  🙂

 

Unknown's avatar

Who to Work For, Big or Small?

by

Looking for a job? One question to ask yourself is, do I want to work for a big corporation or a small business? This can be more important than you think.

For me, I prefer, in general, to work for small businesses. But first, I’ll tell you what I’ve experienced and read so far.

I worked for a large firm for 13 years, before I left and moved on to take a few jobs with much smaller businesses.

In terms of articles I’ve read, I have found that the vast majority of job and career advice centers around big executive jobs in large firms or in fields that are held to be, lets say, “prestigious”, such as the legal field. However, some of the advice given can certainly be applied to any field or job for any size employer.

So, is it best to work for the big corporation or the small business?

Let’s look at the big corporation first.

Getting that corporate job can be hard and complicated work in itself, and requires a lot from you before you’ve even been hired.

Unless you know someone in the company who is really powerful and loves you to death, you will most likely have to submit an application with a resume and cover letter to Human Resources, or HR. Having spoken with people in the HR where I worked, I can tell you that some HR reps will send an application and resume to the shredder or round file for so much as a period on the resume that isn’t perfectly round! (I’m talking microns here, and believe me, I’m not kidding!)

It’s now coming to the point where they will also require such things as your social media passwords, credit reports, and require that you pay for the checks they do on you as well. Oh, and if you’re currently unemployed, some will now reject you out of hand, also. They also have all sorts of reasons that they will deem you to be unemployable.

Then, you may have to go through several interviews. And, according to various articles I’ve read, wearing business attire and being polite is just the beginning of what you need to do to ace the interview. You also have to read the interviewer’s mind and body language, as well as watch your own, and of course, you can do all of the best things from all of the articles’ suggestions (as they often contradict one another), and still not get the job!

And don’t think for a second that, even if all of the interviewers say that you’re a shoe-in for the job, that you have the job. I was told this by interviewers many, many times, but didn’t get the job after all. You don’t have the job until the company officially says that you do!

Let’s say you survive the application process, checks, and interviews and finally get the job.

Oftentimes, keeping the job, and especially trying to move up the career path in a large corporation means not only trying to present yourself well and doing the job well, but learning to decipher a multitude of hidden messages, dealing with office politics, trying to read the mind of the boss, knowing what words to use and when, and hoping nothing in your past, no matter how innocent, will come back to destroy you.

Now, I’m not saying that this is always the case, but you’re more likely to encounter this when working for a large firm or corporation. But let’s say your unit, boss, and even upper management is friendly and easy to work with and for, there are still some disadvantages.

Rules may be the biggest one. Even if your boss and colleagues just adore you, your boss cannot give you those two extra weeks of vacation, or that raise or bonus you asked for, and that promotion, or even lateral movement you wanted to make may be turned down by upper management or the rules themselves, no matter how much your boss and colleagues are in your corner backing you.

Changes, including layoffs are another. The bigger a business is, the more like a government it becomes. Unless you are really close to the top, you become less a person and more of a cog to the higher-ups. That means it’s easier to force bad changes like layoffs or poor assignments upon the employees. After all, the CEO sees, “employees“, not “John, the loyal employee“. Things become less personal to the higher-ups.

Poor decisions can be made regarding equipment as well, where the employees who have to use said equipment have little or no say or recourse when problems arise.

When I worked for the large corporation, I used to run a roomful of printers and would make sure that various departments had their reports printed and delivered to them. Well, the company decided to get new printers, which is perfectly understandable.

However, these new printers did not perform as well, and had a very bad flaw. If a report was over a certain size, the new printer would literally shut down and fail to complete the job. Now, if the old printer had done this, which was rare, all that was needed was for the printer to be shut down and restarted. The old printer would continue the job from where it left off so that you wouldn’t need to print the whole report over again.

The new printer didn’t do this. It would lose the job, no matter what you did, and would have to reprint from the beginning! This happened one day with a report that was about 3,000 pages and the most important page was the last page, which summarized the whole thing. They never got that page despite several frustrating attempts to get it printed, as well as having the help of the IT department.

Why didn’t the people in charge of purchasing equipment test out these printers at the manufacturer’s for this problem, I’ll never know. Quite possibly, due to the size of the company, the purchasers had no idea of the size of the reports these printers would have to deal with. And, since I was an employee in the field, I could only tell my immediate superiors, which I did. The machines were replaced about a year later, possibly due to multiple complaints, but it may have been solved naturally earlier within a smaller company where those who make purchases for the company have greater contact and exposure to those who will use the equipment.

There are some advantages to working for a larger firm, if you can handle the disadvantages.

Have a bad boss who’s out to get you? In a big corporation, unless he or she is the CEO, they have to be more careful in what they try to do to you, as there are the rules and channels, and they, too, have a boss they have to report to. There is probably a system as well for “skip level” meetings, where you can talk to your boss’s boss or even higher in some companies. And your colleagues might be on your side and, as a group, might have more sway with upper management. This can be especially useful if the boss is new and upper management has the collective conscience to at least wonder why you or your unit has suddenly gone downhill, just after this new boss arrived.

Big corporations can also afford bigger pay, greater benefits, and more perks, if they’re willing to offer them. Being large, they are less likely to suddenly go out of business, but size is absolutely no guarantor of this not happening. Employees of some large corporations in the past have arrived at work to find the doors closed for good, too. But, chances are you may see the writing on the wall sooner. And, if they have several divisions, they may just transfer you instead and use the economic benefits of simply not having an extra building to maintain instead of laying off people, including you.

What about small companies?

Here are the advantages.

They are more intimate. When you try to get a job there, especially if it’s just a mom-and-pop, chances are the owner will be the one to see your application and resume. He or she is probably a lot less interested in keywords on your resume or whether you are right or left-handed, or what your credit score or Facebook page looks like. They are just looking for someone who can man the counter, or sell accounts for them and who will fit in and be reliable, and if they say you’ve got the job, you’ve got the job!

If they really like you, they can give you that raise, extra time off, or other perk you asked for and don’t have to answer to some higher-ups.

Also, they are easier to contact and more likely to seek your input when making business decisions that can impact your job.

And, if they are contemplating letting you go due to economic reasons, they may find another way to survive without letting you go, because they know you personally and you’re not just some far distant employee.

And if they do have to lay you off for economic reasons, they may call you back later if things improve, because they remember you.

Of course, there are some disadvantages, too.

They usually have less money, and may not offer as much pay and probably few to no benefits. And, if times get too tough, you may be laid off and the company may even go out of business.

If you have a bad boss and he or she is the owner or a relative of the owner, you’re probably out of luck.

If you’re the type who has to be constantly rising on the career ladder, you may hit a glass ceiling rather quickly and end up frustrated.

So, these are things to consider when deciding how big or small a company you want to work for. And of course, it’s important to remember that you can encounter any of the advantages or disadvantages listed above at any size company.

So, good luck with your decision and job! Oh, and if you need a resume, see the services page for more info.

If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to check out the rest of this site and blog and let others know, too! And be sure to follow this blog as well. And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Moving Long Distance? Some Things to Do for a Successful Move

by

So, you’ve gotten that job transfer out-of-town, or have just decided the time’s ripe for you to have that change of scenery or fresh start. And the place for that just happens to be far, say over 200 miles, from where you are living now.

This means a long distance move. And things to consider.

You may already know where you want to move to. But even if you’ve visited the area many times at different times of the year, it is still best to plan an extended visit, of at least two weeks, with the idea of living there. The greater the differences of all kinds between the new area and where you live now, the more this is important!

And it is also important that you make your visit during that time that you may find it most difficult to cope!

And differences in climate can be one of the biggest factors determining whether or not you will really like the area you want to move to.

I’ve heard, and I’m sure you have, too, stories of people from areas with cold, snowy weather, who went to Florida or southern Arizona for the Christmas holidays. They found the 70 degree days just beautiful and decided on the spot to move there. Then summer arrives with 90+ degree temps and great humidity in Florida, or 110+ degrees in Phoenix, and boy, they can’t stand it!

Also, even if temperatures and humidity don’t bother you much, can you cope with seasonal extremes such as droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, or flooding?

What about earthquakes, wildfires, and landslides? Earthquakes, while not weather related, are a fact of life in California and Alaska in particular. And much of the west is subject to wildfires in summer and early fall. Any hilly area can experience landslides and can be especially treacherous in snowy or icy conditions.

I moved from southern California to the Portland area in 2004. I dislike heat and that was one of my reasons for leaving. So, I planned a two-week trip to Portland, not in summer, but in the dead of winter. I knew that if I could stand a Los Angeles summer, I could certainly stand a Portland summer. But winter was another matter. While not as cold as back east, a Portland winter is still much colder than a Los Angeles winter. While two weeks does not add up to a whole winter, I did get a good taste of what I would have to deal with yearly, and helped me make a much more informed decision as to whether I should move to the Portland area. So, if climate is a big concern and the new area has a different or more extreme climate than your current area, try to go when the new area’s climate is most disagreeable to you.

Also consider cost of living and taxes. If you’re moving from a small town in Kansas to New York City or Los Angeles, be prepared for major sticker shock!  That one-bedroom apartment you’re in now that you rent for $500 could be $1500 in Los Angeles and $2,500 in New York City! And this can apply even if you’re moving from Bakersfield, California to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Cost of living can vary even within the same county in some cases. In Los Angeles County, an apartment in Palmdale will rent for less than a similar apartment in the city of Los Angeles.

Population is another thing to consider. Can you handle the big city crowds? Will you feel like you’re living in a ghost town in that small town you want to live in? Are the neighbors too close? Or too far away?

Culture can be related to this. You want to live in the French Quarter of New Orleans? That means a huge party at your front door every year at Mardi Gras time. If you’re not sure about this, be sure to visit during Mardi Gras. You may like it or you may not.

Layout of the new area. Yes, this is also important! When I made my preliminary two-week trip to Portland, I discovered that an apartment complex that had looked promising to me on the internet, was located in an area that had only one main route into downtown, and was often crowded with traffic. I found the other side of town better laid out and traffic and crowd friendly. No amount of internet research would have told me this, which is why a personal and extended preliminary visit is really essential.

What is the local economy like? If you are moving due to a job transfer, then you won’t have to worry right away about finding a job, as you’ll already have one, but it’s still a good idea to find out what the local economy is like, just in case you get laid off unexpectedly. You can get an idea even before you take your preliminary trip. Craigslist.org is a good start. You’re able to select from a large number of locations. Check out what jobs, and how many, you find in the new area you’re moving to. And you can also browse the forums as well. You can also get an idea of rents and housing prices as well. It’s a good area to start your research.

And of course, finding a new place to live is important. My first post is titled  “How to Find a Better Apartment: What I Did“, which I published in November, 2012. In it, I tell how to find a better apartment, what to consider, etc. Much of what I talk about in that post can also be applied to buying a house or condo as well.

Lastly, there’s the problem of moving your belongings. You can hire a moving company which can do it in one trip, but it can cost you and you do have to make sure you’re dealing with reputable people. Or you can do it yourself, which may involve several long distance trips or renting a truck. Then, if you have pets, they may require special treatment or arrangements. there are companies that specialize in transporting pets, but again, you need to do your research.

So, you can see that there are lots of things to consider for this type of move. Again, the best thing you can do to make it successful is to make sure you really want to do it, and the best thing to help you decide is to take that preliminary trip to the area you want to move to. And, if this is the result of a job transfer, and especially if the company offers to pay for a preliminary trip, take that trip!

So, best of luck with your move!

If you like what you’ve read, please let others know of this post, blog, and site. And thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

Vibram is the Way to Walk!

by

For the last 8 years, I’ve been distributing fliers door to door, which involves a lot of walking. 

Well, of course this means needing, and going through, pairs of comfortable shoes, like running shoes or deck shoes. So, I found this one brand of shoe that was very comfortable and fit just right.

However, the shoes would wear out quickly, especially in the heel section, so after 1 1/2 to 2 months, I would feel as if I were leaning back when I wore the shoes. And at 3 months, the soles were too worn and I had to get another pair at $110 – $120 a pop!

This could add up to $450 a year! Well, I decided to look for a different shoe and noticed one made by Merrell. The word “Vibram” was printed on the side of the sole’s heel. I asked a rep at the store what vibram was and he told me. It indicates that the sole is made of vibram, which is similar to what car tires are made from, and wears very well.

The shoe was also slightly less expensive, at around $90, so I decided to give it a try. And am I glad I did. The Merrell shoe fit as well as my previous brand and the sole had better grip on slippery surfaces than my previous shoes did.

But the best part? The shoes lasted over a year doing the same heavy walking that I’d done in my previous shoes! I’ve since bought other pairs, two that are waterproof and made for light rain to heavy rain and snow conditions, and a pair to wear when I’m not working. And all of these shoes have stood up really well, some for over two years now. And it’s saved me a good deal of money.

I do know other brands of shoes are also made with vibram soles and now, I don’t even consider shoes whose soles are not made of vibram.  And I recommend you do the same and save yourself a bundle.

If you like what you’ve read on this post, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

Happy walking and thanks for reading! 🙂

Unknown's avatar

The Best Cell Phone Plan?

by

Like just about everyone these days, I do have a cell phone. I started out with one of those large Motorola phones that came out in the mid 1990’s. You remember those? They were state of the art and, by today’s standards, they were big and bulky.

The plan I was on, I stuck with, through changes of phones and also my provider being changed and bought out. My plan was grandfathered, and was pretty good if I didn’t use my phone much. But, as I became busier and ventured into new things, I found that I was using my phone much more often and, those minutes’ charges were making my once great cell phone plan not so great or cheap.

I’d seen those “pay-as-you-go” phones, as well as the minute and money cards for them, but thought that they would be too limiting for me. All of this was assumption on my part. But finally, when going over the bill I had last December, and really going over it with a fine toothed comb, I found that, on some days, my calls and minutes added up to $18 in charges! For one day alone!

I thought about the pay as you go plans and decided to investigate. There are several plans out there, depending on what company you choose. I was with Verizon Wireless and they’d always treated me right, so I went to a Verizon Store and asked about the Pay as you go plans. The one that suited me was the $1.99 per day plan.

This plan charges you only when you use the phone or receive a phone call on a particular day, and, only charges you $1.99 for that day. It doesn’t matter if you are “roaming”, or make or receive one call or 100 calls, or if you are calling next door or across the country, you only pay $1.99 for that day. Texting is 2 cents per text. Other than that, unless you do other things like going online, those are the only charges. Of course, there may be an activation fee, but this is the case with all plans, and it’s also no more, and often less, that with regular plans. And, you do prepay, usually with a credit card or phone card that you can buy in any store. Most require putting at least $15 on the phone, and usually have a $100 upper limit. This gives you a balance that you use, and also a time amount. The time that any amount of money you put in is pretty generous. $100 for me gets me a whole year before I have to use up any remaining balance. I often use up the balance well before the time is up. If your time expires or your balance is exhausted, you may lose your number if you forget to add money to your phone, but your phone will tell you when you’re getting close to having to add money. Your phone will let you know your remaining balance and time left. And, when you add money to your phone, any remaining time and balance is added, so you lose nothing and you don’t have to wait till your balance or time reaches zero before you can add more money and time to your phone.

There are no contracts or monthly bills and in most cases you can keep your cell phone number. And you can get off the plan by simply not adding money to your phone, however, in order to not lose your phone number, you would need to go to some other plan.

The most you would spend is $63 a month and for that you would have to use your phone every day that month! And, if you were to come down to say, $4 left on your balance, you would still be fine and not have to worry about inadvertently running out of money that day, as you only get charged when you use the phone!

To be sure, I went home and looked over my bills for the past year and made note of how many days I used my phone and what the total charges for each month as well as for the entire year were. then I made a hypothetical list, showing what I would have paid if I’d been on the $1.99 per day plan. I was astounded! My bills would have totaled about $300 for the year under the $1.99 plan, while my actual bills totaled over $700 under my grandfathered plan!

I was convinced and switched plans in January. And I’ve been satisfied ever since. My first month, I only spent a little over $17, and I’ve been averaging $25 -$30 a month since, even when I went out of what would have been my service area under the old plan!

Under my old plan, I often had bills from $40-$70, and occasionally, over $100!

To find out more, go to a cell phone provider or ask someone in the phone department or at a kiosk inside a big store or mall, and don’t let them sell you on some “grand plan” that could cost you considerably more!

If you like what you’ve read, please let others know about this site and blog. Thanks!

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Unknown's avatar

Why I Prefer Small Cars

by

When I was a kid, I liked big cars and sports cars. Sports cars looked good and were fast. And large cars were roomy, impressive, had the most options, and suggested wealth and prestige.

I thought that small cars tended to have fewer options, were clunky and clangy, and weren’t fun to drive.

But, having gotten older and now that I drive, I’ve certainly revised those opinions. Especially since visiting an annual auto show every year for the past 8 years.

Some of the opinions I had were true, such as large cars being roomier, and sports cars being fast. But I also have seen that larger or sportier isn’t always better.

However, large cars use lots of gas. Ever hear the term, “gas guzzler”? Large cars of the 1970’s often had this label once gas prices started surging after 1973.  They’ve gotten better over the years as surging gas prices have helped put pressure on automakers to increase gas mileage, but a smaller car will still use less gas and often have the same, or even longer, driving range than many larger cars.

Large cars also take up more space. This can mean a more difficult time trying to find a parking space or, for some drivers, like me, a feeling that the car is too wide for the lane. I can cope with the “too wide for the lane” feeling, but some drivers may have more trouble with this. The term, “boat” comes to mind. I find that smaller cars are just far more maneuverable in tight spaces and, while driving, I don’t feel as if I will sideswipe the cars on either side of me if I drift so much as a micron to either side.

What about options? Well, it is probably still true that the larger a car is, the more options it will offer, as the “flagship” car of nearly any automaker tends to be the largest car that automaker produces, and will be the most expensive, and so will offer the most options.

But, automakers have come to realize that many people in these gas price and mileage conscious times are opting for smaller cars, and so, smaller cars are now coming with a greater offering of options once reserved for the larger models. These include moon-roofs, advanced stereo systems, power door locks and windows, electrochromatic mirrors, and gps navigation units, among others.

And of course, the smaller cars still get the best gas mileage, for the most part. After all, gas mileage has been improved in all sizes of cars, so that now, while 20-25 mpg for larger cars is not uncommon now, small cars can often do 35-40 mpg!

Then there’s handling. Small cars do tend to handle better and are less likely to have that “heavy” feel on corners or when braking or accelerating.

What about sports cars? Well, yes, they are small, but, in compensating for horsepower, they, too, suffer in the gas mileage department. And, they can be very cramped, low, and uncomfortable. Plus, they can be very expensive, especially the exotics from Europe.

Small cars that are not sports cars are not as cramped as sports cars are, though they still don’t have the interior room of larger cars. However, where interior room is concerned, some small car models are, and have been, better than others, and many small car models have been greatly improved in this area.

And where insurance is concerned, the small cars usually come out best as well. After all, how often do people race Corollas and Civics and VW Beetles?

All of the cars I owned were small cars and I’ve been satisfied with all of them. And as the years have passed, it seems they’ve gotten better and better. So, next time you are in the market for a car? Check out the smaller models. You may be very surprised.

If you liked this post, or others on this blog, please let others know about this site! Thanks!

Keep driving and thanks for reading!  🙂