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Renting Fun – The Best Way to Go?

tisha — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:07:49 +0000

DVDs and video games can be very expensive, especially if you enjoy them on a daily basis. Chains, like Blockbuster, have been renting both of them for years, but the price has shot up recently. Why is this? It’s most likely caused by the fact that focus has shifted from renting in-store to renting online. Companies like Netflix have grown in popularity rapidly over the past couple of years.

When someone signs up for Netflix, they can choose to receive one DVD at a time, or up to four. They pay monthly for an account, and then sign on and look through the list of thousands of DVDs that they have available. You choose 1-4, and then they are shipped straight to your door. Is this worth it? Well, it depends on your lifestyle. If you only occasionally watch movies at home, the monthly cost may be more than you need to be paying. But if you watch at least 3 movies a week, chances are you’ll be saving a lot of money in a very short period of time.

Blockbuster continues to raise the prices of renting their DVDs in store, but they have also developed a system similar to Netflix. The only difference is that when you finish the DVDs that were shipped to you, you can bring them to blockbuster and trade them in. This makes the price of Blockbuster’s program more expensive than Netflix, but if you want the convenience of in-store trade in, Blockbuster may be the best bet for you.

Another company that has become popular lately is Gamefly. Gamefly works the same way that Netflix does, except they send video games instead of DVDs. Video games can run upwards of $60, depending on the game system. Instead of buying all of your games, it may be more cost effective to rent them, especially if you have the tendency to beat games in a short period of time. If you have children that play video games on a regular basis, you should look into Gamefly. It may save you a lot of money on games… especially since kids tend to have a short attention span. Instead of wasting your money on a game they’ll get bored of, you can send it back when they’re done and just get a new one!

If you rent a lot of movies or games, look into these companies. Having your entertainment delivered directly to your door is convenient, and can save you a lot of money.

Renting Fun – The Best Way to Go? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Re-Evaluating Your Bank May Save You Money

tisha — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:07 +0000

Many consumers do not often think much about their bank unless there is an accounting discrepancy or fees have been raided noticeably, but re-evaluating your financial institution is something you should consider when trying to reduce your overall expenses. When people first open an account at a bank, they usually select a branch that is convenient to work or home or on the advice of a family member, coworker, or friend who also banks there. Some people also choose a bank based on special promotional offers that were running at the time, such as free checking or savings accounts. However, as years move along not only do your financial needs change, but your bank’s operational methods changes as well. What captured your patronage in the beginning may not longer be relevant to your current situation.Often people underestimate the real costs of maintaining their accounts with their chosen financial institution. What was once a free checking account may have evolved over the years into a low-cost checking account. Customers do not take into consideration that the various monthly fees they may pay to simply have account is indeed an expense and they fail to include such banking fees into their monthly budget. ATM fees and other charges associated with bank related debt or check cards can often be twofold; you get hit once with a fee from the ATM owner as well as a fee from your own bank. While two dollars may seem like an insignificant amount, added together over a month you are probably spending way more than intended on such fees. If you aren’t accounting for these expenses, you will never have an accurate budget plan.

When looking for a new bank, take the time to consider what aspects of banking mean the most to you, Write down a list of important items and any corresponding questions you may have for the manager. Schedule an appointment if necessary to go over your concerns. Cover everything from ATM fees to the cost of an account, ask questions about direct deposits and any other service you are already used to having and see how it compares to your current bank. Check out the interest rates as well. The banking industry is competing for your business so it is in your best interest to see which bank will best fulfill all of your needs.

If you find a new bank that undeniably beats out your bank for services and fees, do not jump right in. It may be worth your time to approach the manger at your current bank and discuss your concerns, as well as the terms of the competition. They may be will to work with you and give you comparable service, saving you the hassle of transferring your money and information to a new bank.

Re-Evaluating Your Bank May Save You Money was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

WEBSITE REVIEW: SMARTYPIG.COM

tisha — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:45:08 +0000

Okay – so I think this is the coolest money idea I’ve seen in a long time! Smartypig.com has created a convenient and easy way to save money for anything you want. It is kind of like a Christmas club but instead of getting a check a few weeks before the holidays, the money you are saving is accessible.

The idea began when several entrepreneurs started seeking out savings plans that operated similarly to the 529 College Savings Plan. In theory, the small amount of money taken from each paycheck to save for the kids college education, eventually added up to quite a nice sum of cash. Using that same theory, Smartypig.com was created as a way to save money for vacations, special occasions, or even a nice big screen television.

Once registered on Smartypig, users can set up an account and establish goals for which they are saving. The account is free to set up and use. You provide information about the item or event you are saving for, how much it costs, how much you can afford to spend, and your target date to have all of the money. Smartypig will recommend how much money you should deposit and you conveniently set up an automatic deduction from your bank account. There is a minimum opening deposit of $25 required and a minimum savings goal of $250. In addition to the money you deposit, Smartypig also enables you to allow your friends and family to help you meet your money goal. Each money transfer will cost a small fee. You can invite them or visitors can search for your account by entering your email address and easily contribute to your account.

The money collected in the Smartypig account will continue to add up and collect interest until your savings goal has met at which time you can opt to retrieve your money via a Smartypig MasterCard or by selecting a gift card from one of many participating retailers. The retailers may also offer bonus incentives towards the item for which you are saving.

Smartypig has a lot of the same terms as a bank account and is still carefully monitored to protect against national security concerns and other illegal money practices. When registering, you will need to be a US Citizen and over the age of 18 (unless you open an account with a parent). You will be asked to provide several forms of identification including your drivers license number, social security number, current and previous address information, email address, date of birth, and phone number.

Smartypig appears to be a one-of-a-kind savings plan for consumers who are looking to avoid credit card debt and instead, use cash savings to make purchases, afford vacations, or any item they are looking to get. It may be a new kind of incentive for people to start saving money towards fun things instead of just for paying bills.

For more information, visit http://www.smartypig.com/.

WEBSITE REVIEW: SMARTYPIG.COM was created by and is property of American Consumer News.