Saving Money due to high Gasoline Prices

If you didn’t know, the world is going to end.  Okay, that’s true in the long long long (short in geological time) run, but for our purposes we’re still okay.  All that is going on at the moment is unfortunate but we have to accept that it happened, and try to do our best to make the situation better.

The sudden oil hike in prices has been fueled (appropriate word isn’t it?) by the recent Libyan turmoil, among other factors.  While we do have our own supply here in the US, which president Obama has decided not yet to let us use, it really isn’t such a financial disaster yet.  Here’s my gasoline expenditure extrapolation for this year assuming that prices stay at the current average.

Cost of 1 tank	$ 65
per month	$ 260
per year	$ 3,120

(based off of premium unleaded gas for a 2009 Honda Accord on 3/11/11 in greater Los Angeles, CA)

So how can we make the best of this situation?  For one, while I’m all for going green and saving green, I’ve tried carpooling and it just doesn’t work for me.  I’m late to work, which isn’t acceptable, the carpool lanes in California just don’t work during rush hour, and I find it more efficient to hang around my work area to wait for traffic to die down than to head right into it and go home right after work.  I think these are the top methods to help us during this tough time:

• curb expenses elsewhere (no daily Starbucks, Old Navy vs. Nordstrom, home energy retrofit, etc.)
  • Resisting the Urge to Splurge
  • 5 Steps to Green Your Living Space
• if you do have money saved up, invest in an electric or hybrid vehicle (my fav. the Volvo C30 electric /other people like the Chevy Volt)
• if you have the time and flexibility, public transportation or ride sharing
• download the GasBuddy app for your smartphone
• spot those deals such as Groupon, LivingSocial, Tippr, download the RetailMeNot browser add-on, etc.
• go into day trading (9 Steps to a Day Trading Career)
• diet (saving on medical costs, insurance, craving costs)
• quit your job and work from home

Obviously, all of my ideas are sound.

Good luck!

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 for AT&T

They say to write about what you know.  Well, I’m not an expert on the Sony Ericsson Xperia yet, but I am an avid Sony Ericsson phone user and I’d like to think that I know this phone pretty well.

If you’re thinking of renewing your contract with AT&T, or whatever other service offers this phone, search your market.  In an age of competition, you can find this phone for $0.00. That’s FREE! Who doesn’t enjoy and appreciate and prefer FREE?  Here are some current places offering great deals for this and many other phones:

• Best Buy (pros: comes in a rare white color / $0.00 right now)

• Radio Shack ($49.99 for a new plan / sometimes $0.00)

• Costco (currently unavailable / $0.01 when in stock / comes with a free bonus back of extra chargers, headphones, and a leather case)

Why should you get it besides the low $$$-factor?  First, here’s a trusty CNET review to reassure you.  Second, Sony has a reputation for phones that are versatile, for example, it’s a great media player.  The battery life is also relatively strong, considering the wifi roaming, droid running, and talk time.  Here’s a list of my reasons for you:

• it’s an ANDROID.  Droid Does. Done.
• You can, and should, ROOT IT.  This let’s YOU be the superuser and have the power to upgrade the software and increase its speed.
• Uses USB connection, so you can essentially use the same cable for other devices too
• Has WIFI so you can limit your data usage, especially if you don’t have the unlimited data plan
• Can combine your entire life into a trusty and enjoyable TIMESCAPE program, that comes with the phone, uniting all your contacts’ life details in one
• Will make you look smarter than a iPhone user.  Done.

That’s all I have for you today!  Have a great Monday and happy phone buying!