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Rebates Suck

Finance

About a month ago, I bought a new laptop.

A Picture of an Staples, Inc. easy button
Image via Wikipedia

The old one still works, but it’s kind of slow, and kind of in demand, especially when Kid #1 has friends over. When I need to get on the computer and whip up some side-hustle money, I shouldn’t have to fight with kids and deal with the whiny “Are you done, yet?” every 10 minutes.

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment purchase. Since the old laptop still worked, we had quite a bit of time to find the new one, so I started watching sales. And I waited.

Eventually, I found a great deal.   I got a much bigger/faster/smarter/nicer laptop for about $375 with tax.  There was a sale, a coupon code, and a rebate all in play to make that happen.

I don’t mind coupons and sales.  In fact, I am a fan.

Rebates, however, irritate me.

It shouldn’t have been bad.  After all, I was going to Staples, home of the Easy Button®.  I should have been able to go home, fire up their website, fill out a form, and get my money in a couple of weeks, right?

Grr.

Apparently, the easy rebate doesn’t apply to the good rebates.   If you’re getting $1.05 back on a $100 printer, you can do it in a few clicks.   But if you’re getting $50 back on a $400 laptop, watch out.   Then, Staples has the same horrible rebate process as everyone else.   Print the forms, peel off the UPC label, snail-mail it to the middle of nowhere and wait 4 to 100 months for a gift card.

Double grr.

Obviously, they are hoping a statistically significant percentage of their customers forget to claim their money.

Shady rebate garbage.

Rebates are a marketing ploy to convince customers they are getting a sale, while hoping the customer forgets to ask for the sale price, thereby paying full price and being happy about it.

Ethical businesses would just have a sale and be done with it.   Treating your customers right is good for business.  Really.

Now, where did I put that receipt?

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Build a Bunker: How to make a vault without breaking the bank

Life

The door to the walk-in vault in the Winona Sa...
Image via Wikipedia

In your home, you should be safe.  When the crappy things happen and somebody decides they want what you have, how easy will it be for them to get it?   Is your home a convenience store, or is it more trouble than it’s worth?

Some people will avoid making themselves safer because they think that will make them a “paranoid nut”.  In reality, they are just making themselves easy victims.  The sad fact is that evil exists and it does not care how you feel about it.

Other people think that it will be too expensive to fix up their home.  While you can spend as much as you want on a security system, it’s possible to get started for little-to-no money and still be more effective than 95% of everyone else.

There are a few simple things you can do to make your house less attractive to thieves, and to protect what you have if they do decide to make your home a target.

  1. Lock your doors. This costs nothing, but gives you a first line of defense that can’t be beat.  If someone is going to break into your house, make them work for it and force them to be noisy about getting in.  Keep the door locked, even if you are awake and alert.  It’s a simple thing that can make a huge difference.  Most exterior doorknobs have a setting to stay locked at all times, so there’s nothing for you to remember.
  2. Reinforce your door. If you’ve ever installed a doorknob, you’ve seen the little screws they give you to attach the strike-plate.   Those screws aren’t long enough to make it through the decorative trim.   One swift kick and those screws will pop right out and let your door swing open.  The $2 fix? Replace those cute little baby screws with 3 inch screws that can reach the studs in your wall.  Do that where the hinges attach, too.  Tada!  You’ve made your house a bit more of a pain in the butt for a thief.  Don’t forget to treat the door to an attached garage the same way.
  3. Install a motion-activated security light. When a thief is thinking about getting into your house, they don’t want the lights on, so install a light for them.  If possibly, put it too high for someone to reach.
  4. Lock your screen door. If someone comes to your door, and you open your door, you are removing any protection a door would normally offer.  If you have a screen door, and it’s locked, you are gaining precious seconds to shut and lock your main door if the person on the other side doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
  5. Lock your car in your driveway. If you have an attached garage, keep a garage door opener in your car, and don’t lock your car, you are giving every crook who passes by a free pass into your home.  Lock your car and at least make life difficult for the little thug.
  6. Consider getting an alarm system. You can get an unmonitored wireless alarm system for about $100.  It won’t call the cops, but it will let you know if someone comes into your house and it’s a snap to install.
  7. Put your cell-phone charger in your bedroom. If you need to call 911, you don’t want to have to run to the kitchen to get your phone.  Keep it where you will be if and when you’ll need it.

There, seven tips that will cost you less than $150 to implement, but will go a long way towards keeping yourself safe.

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Avoid Getting Ripped Off On Ebay

Finance

My son, at 10 years old,  is a deal-finder.   His first question when he finds something he wants is “How much?”, followed closely by “Can I find it cheaper?”   I haven’t–and won’t–introduced him to Craigslist, but he knows to check Amazon and eBay for deals.   We’ve been working together to make sure he understands everything he is looking at on eBay, and what he needs to check before he even thinks about asking if he can get it.

Pricing
Pricing

The first thing I have him check is the price.  This is a fast check, and if it doesn’t pass this test, the rest of the checks do not matter.   If the price isn’t very competitive, we move on.  There are always risks involved with buying online, so I want him to mitigate those risks as much as possible.   Pricing can also be easily scanned after you search for an item.

The next thing to check is the shipping cost.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen “Low starting price, no reserve!” in the description only to find a $40 shipping and handling fee on a 2 ounce item.  The price is the price + shipping.

Feedback
Feedback

Next, we look at the seller’s feedback.   The feedback rating has a couple of pieces to examine.   First, what is the raw score?  If it’s under 100, it needs to be examined closer.   Is it all buyer feedback?  Has the seller sold many items?   Is everything from the last few weeks?   People just getting into selling sometimes get in over their heads.  Other people are pumping up their ratings until they have a lot of items waiting to ship, then disappear with the money.   Second, what is the percent positive?  Under 95% will never get a sale from me. For ratings between 95% and 97%, I will examine the history.   Do they respond to negative feedback?  Are the ratings legit?  Did they get negative feedback because a buyer was stupid or unrealistic?   Did they misjudge their time and sell more items than they could ship in a reasonable time?  If that’s the case, did they make good on the auctions?   How many items are they selling at this second?

[ad name=”inlineright”] After that, we look at the payment options.   If the seller only accepts money orders or Western Union, we move on.  Those are scam auctions.   Sellers, if you’ve been burned and are scared to get burned again, I’m sorry, but if you only accept the scam payment options, I will consider you a scammer and move on.

Finally, we look at the description.   If it doesn’t come with everything needed to use the item(missing power cord, etc.), I want to know.   If it doesn’t explicitly state the item is in working condition, the seller will get asked about the condition before we buy.  We also look closely to make sure it’s not a “report” or even just a picture of the item.

Following all of those steps, it’s hard to get ripped off. On the rare occasion that the legitimate sellers I’ve dealt with decide to suddenly turn into ripoff-artists, I’ve turned on the Supreme-Ninja Google-Fu, combined with some skip-tracing talent, and convinced them that it’s easier to refund my money than explain to their boss why they’ve been posting on the “Mopeds & Latex” fetish sites while at work.    Asking Mommy to pretty-please pass a message about fraud seems to be a working tactic, too.  It’s amazing how many people forget that the lines between internet and real life are blurring more, every day.

If sending them a message on every forum they use and every blog they own under several email addresses doesn’t work and getting the real-life people they deal with to pass messages also doesn’t work, I’ll call Paypal and my credit card company to dispute the charges.   I only use a credit card online.   I never do a checking account transfer through Paypal.  I like to have all of the possible options available to me.

My kids are being raised to avoid scams wherever possible. Hopefully, I can teach them to balance the line between skeptical and cynical better than I do.

Festival of Frugality #278: The Pure Peer Pressure Edition

Misc

Peer Pressure
Peer Pressure

Welcome to the Festival of Frugality #278: The Pure Peer Pressure Edition.    If everyone else was jumping off of a cliff, would you do it, too?  Maybe not, but what happens if you surround yourself with people who hold the same values as you and are striving for personal growth in the same way?  Peer pressure doesn’t have to be negative.

“Peer pressure is not a monolithic force that presses adolescents into the same mold. . . . Adolescents generally choose friend whose values, attitudes, tastes, and families are similar to their own. In short, good kids rarely go bad because of their friends.” – Laurence Steinberg

Shameless plug:  If you like what you see, please take a moment to subscribe to Live Real, Now by email or RSS or follow us on Twitter.   All your friends are doing it.

Editor’s Picks:

Dinks Finance shows us a few ways to negotiate your mortgage fees.   Take a few minutes to read this post before you get a mortgage.

Money Ning reminds us that everyone needs a crappy job early in their working life.

Personal Finance by the Book is leading the fight against the 100,000 mile mindset.

Free Money Finance shows several ways to have fun dates on the cheap.   My secret is to make it look “creative” and “unique”  instead of “cheap”.  You don’t have to cave to the pressure of “expensive” to have a good time.

“Most literature on the culture of adolescence focuses on peer pressure as a negative force. Warnings about the “wrong crowd” read like tornado alerts in parent manuals. . . . It is a relative term that means different things in different places. In Fort Wayne, for example, the wrong crowd meant hanging out with liberal Democrats. In Connecticut, it meant kids who weren’t planning to get a Ph.D. from Yale.” – Mary Kay Blakely

The Best of the Rest:

Budgeting in the Fun Stuff talks about my favorite tax-funded institution: the Library.   I’ve easily save thousands of dollars since I started using the library consistently.

Babies are undeniably expensive.   Squirrelers provides some tips on limiting the early expenses.

“Don’t think you’re on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path.”  – Author Unknown

Wealth Pilgrim shows how his daughter discover the secret to saving 80% on college costs.  The trick isn’t just going to a state school, but what you do when you get there.

ptMoney shares some copy-cat recipe sites.   I love making copy-cat meals with better quality ingredients for half the price.

“Every society honors its live conformists, and its dead troublemakers.”  – Mignon McLaughlin

Magical Penny recommends tracking your net worth.   Mint makes that easy to do.

Smart Wallet talks about going cash-only and the benefits of credit cards.  I am currently cash-only, but plan to transition to a good rewards card when all of the debt is gone.

Simple Life in France discusses radical simplicity and frugality in relationships.

“There’s one advantage to being 102. There’s no peer pressure.” – Dennis Wolfberg

I’m a bit of a foodie and more than a bit cheap, so when Not Made of Money talks about creative uses for some we stock up on, I’m listening.

Wanderlust Journey explains the Carnival Cruise loyalty program.  I’ve been on exactly one cruise and enjoyed it quite a bit.  It’s not the best method of travel for all possible destinations, but I can’t think of a better way to spend a couple of weeks in the Caribbean.

Beating Broke just saved a ton of money by switching to…wait, wrong venue.    Read how they saved money on a remodel.  Don’t be afraid to use your social capital–the skills of the people who care about you.

“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”  – Anatole France

If you’ve got kids who are planning to play an instrument, you’ll want to pay attention to Budgets are Sexy‘s ideas on saving money on musical instruments.

Free From Broke talks about the hidden costs of home ownership.   A home is a never-ending money sink.

“Peer pressure has many redeeming qualities. It is the pressure of our peers, after all, that gives us the support to try things we otherwise wouldn’t have.” – Bill Treasurer

Suburban Dollar explains Swagbucks.

Money Help for Christians shares some tips to save money.  I particularly enjoyed the coupon walk-through link.

Provident Planning talks about someone living happily on $7000 per year.  I can’t imagine making it on that.

A “Normal” person is the sort of person that might be designed by a committee.  You know, “Each person puts in a pretty color and it comes out gray.”   – Alan Sherman

Final plug:  If you enjoyed yourself, don’t forget to subscribe to Live Real, Now by email or RSS or follow us on Twitter.   All your friends are doing it.   The coolest ones are even fans of LRN on Facebook.

Money Problems – Day 6: Reducing Expenses

Finance

Lincoln memorial cent, with the S mintmark of ...
Image via Wikipedia

Today, I am continuing the  series, Money Problems: 30 Days to Perfect Finances.   The series will consist of 30 things you can do in one setting to perfect your finances.  It’s not a system to magically make your debt disappear.  Instead, it is a path to understanding where you are, where you want to be, and–most importantly–how to bridge the gap.

I’m not running the series in 30 consecutive days.  That’s not my schedule.  Also, I think that talking about the same thing for 30 days straight will bore both of us.   Instead, it will run roughly once a week.  To make sure you don’t miss a post, please take a moment to subscribe, either by email or rss.

On this, Day 6, we’re going to talk about cutting your expenses.

Once you free up some income, you’ll get a lot of leeway in how you’re able to spend your money, but also important–possibly more important–is to cut out the crap you just don’t need.  Eliminate the expenses that aren’t providing any value in your life.  What you need to do is take a look at every individual piece of your budget, every line item, every expense you have and see what you can cut.  Some of it,  you really don’t need. Do you need a paid subscription to AmishDatingConnect.com?

If you need to keep an expense, you can just try to lower it.  For example, cable companies regularly have promotions for new customers that will lower the cost  to $19 a month for high-speed internet.  Now, if you call up the cable company and ask for the retention department, tell them you are going to switch to a dish.  Ask, “What are you willing to do to keep my business?”  There is an incredibly good chance that they will offer you the same deal–$20 a month–for the next three or four months.  Poof, you save money.  You can call every bill you’ve got to ask them how you can save money.

I called my electric company and my gas company to get on their budget plans.  This doesn’t actually save me money but it does provide me with a consistent budget all year long, so instead of getting a $300 gas bill in the depths of January’s hellish cold,  I pay $60 a month.  It is averaged out over the course of the year. It feels like less and it lets me get a stable budget. Other bills are similar.  You can call your credit card companies and tell them everything you take your business to another card that gave you an offer of 5% under what ever you are currently paying. It doesn’t even have to be a real offer.  Just call them up and say you are going to transfer your balance away unless they can meet or beat the new interest rate.  If  you’ve been making on-time payments for any length of time–even six months or a year–they’re going to lower the interest rate business, no problem.  Start out by asking for at least a 5% drop.  In fact, demand no more than 9.9%.

Once you’ve gone through every single one of your bills, you’ll be surprised by how much money you’re no longer paying, whether it’s because somebody lowered the bill for you or you scratched it off the list completely.

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