frugal underground

If you’re in the US and want to go to Europe, you should really check out the new Chase British Airways credit card. A quick pros and cons list…

Pros

• You can get a free flight to Europe just for signing up and using the card once
• You can get another free flight by spending $2000 (see the note below to learn an easy way to do that)
• These rewards are double what most cards offer

Cons

• Requires a little more effort than just buying a flight
• The card has a $75 annual fee, so you had better make sure you get your benefits
• You’ll still have to pay the taxes and fees that come with any airline tickets

Note: one trick that many credit card gamers use to meet spending requirements is clever and not difficult…

1. Use the credit card to meet the requirement by buying $1 coins from the US Mint (they’re sold at face value and with minimal shipping charges)
2. Deposit the coins into your local bank
3. Pay the credit card from your bank account

Popularity: 6% [?]

Sarah made a great post about using Netflix to replace your cable or satellite provider; and depending on your tv viewing habits that might be the best solution for many.  For the rest, well there’s still cable and satellite.

The important thing is not whether you choose Netflix, cable, satellite or any other entertainment provider, but whether your choice both meets your needs and makes good financial sense.  That’s the key, you need to do both.

We’ve all seen the deals:  Six months of service for this low introductory price, with three months of six movie channels for free and an automatic upgrade to a “free” DVR.  It sounds great.  Everyone wants free and everyone wants a good deal.   It all reminds me of a term from an old Robert A. Heinlein novel: TANSTAAFL.

• There
• Ain’t
• No
• Such
• Thing
• As
• A
• Free
• Lunch.

At this point you’re probably thinking of all the hotels that offer free continental breakfasts and all the other “free” things you’ve received from various companies.  None of it invalidates TANSTAAFL.   Companies give you free stuff for one reason and one reason only:  (answer after the cut).

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Popularity: 11% [?]

I’m a big fan of Freecycle, it not only leverages the power of the internet, but also works on the local level so it helps build community.

At base it’s not much different than handing something you don’t use down to your younger brother or sister – and most of us have done that.

The way it works is that you go to the main Freecycle website and find the closest local group.  Each group has its own Yahoo! group which provides a mailinglist.  If you have something you just want to get rid of, you post it on the group and if any member has a use for it they can email you back through the group.  If you get multiple offers, you choose whichever one you like best.

The catch is that you can’t accept anything in money or trade for the item.

Everything has to be completely unencumbered and free.  You provide it, they pick it up, no money changes hands.

It’s a great way to be frugal:  you can often get fairly expensive items like couches and washing machines for nothing.  Now the best stuff does go pretty quickly, so if you’re serious about Freecycle you need to set it up so you get immediate notifications and call or email as soon as you see something you want.  The early bird really does get the worm.  (Please pardon the cliche)

I touched on this briefly at the beginning, but I really have to discuss the local aspect of Freecycle because I think it’s one of its greatest strengths.  Humans are naturally social, we’ve lived in groups and communities for as long as we’ve been on Earth.  Freecycle builds on that strength by making sure groups stay relatively small and locally focused.  It builds a community within a community and that helps cut down on “freeloaders,” who would try to game the system to get as much as possible whether they have a need for it or not.

Freecycle works because it’s in tune with human nature and doesn’t try to fight it.  Give it a try, it can save you a ton of money.

If you have anything you want to add – good stories or bad – or even competitor sites – don’t forget the comment box at the bottom.  That’s what it’s there for.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I’m a reader.  In fact, I’m a voracious reader.

I’m also more than a little of a gadget fiend.  I love technology, but I can’t always justify spending the money on a new gadget.   As regular readers may know, last week I went and bought a new Sony Reader at Borders.  I got a good deal on it, I had a coupon so it was $199 rather than $299, but that’s still a lot of money.

So, why was it worth it?

I could go on about the experience of reading on the Sony Reader:  it uses the same technology as the Kindle so it’s much more like reading a book than staring at a screen.  I could talk about the convenience of having 99 books in a device that fits in a cargo pocket on my shorts.

But this being the Frugal Underground I think I’ll focus on the financial justification for buying the device.

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Popularity: 10% [?]

photo credit: mollypop

Just a quick note to mention that this Saturday (May 30) is “Free Ice Cream Day” at Walmart. According to their site, it runs from 11am to 4pm and there are various options (ranging from very small—1.57 ounces—to moderate—4 ounces).

Of course, their “evil plan” is to get you in and buying other stuff, but if you can resist (or need to do a regular shopping trip), this could be a fun “event” for the family.

Popularity: 9% [?]