I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

How Television Tricks You into Wasting Money

After a long day at work, most Americans like to spend their free time staring at the warm and inviting glow of the television set. While it may seem like a completely innocuous activity, there are all kinds of hidden dangers for those attempting to save money and pay off debt. Everyone thinks they are smarter than the advertisers, but they really are not. Subliminal, supraliminal, and extraliminal advertising are all present and running under the noses of consumers every day.

While traditional advertising methods have been failing for several years, companies and corporations have turned to more subversive methods in order to sell products. If you are watching anything other than C-SPAN or PBS, you are getting sales pitches fed to you. Here are a couple of industries that use product placement in order to move products onto the unassuming masses:

Alcohol

If you have ever watched a show like “How I Met Your Mother,” “Cheers,” or “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” it’s hard not to notice the rampant alcoholism that the characters exhibit. Major liquor distributors are forced to put warnings on their traditional commercials that encourage users to drink in moderation, but that doesn’t move product. By strategically placing alcohol into sitcoms where the major characters get into wacky adventures, it encourages people to drink more in order to have the same experiences.

Food

Just like alcohol, there is a strong product tie-in with food in most major television shows. While “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle” is an extremely obvious example, shows like “The Biggest Loser” and “Survivor” feature popular foods as rewards for contestants. By placing their products as special treats, these companies are positioning themselves quite favorably in the minds of consumers.

Household Appliances

The biggest offenders of the household appliance marketing scheme are channels like DIY and HGTV. Companies like Craftsman, Whirlpool, and Kohler all pay money in order to get their tools, refrigerators, and toilets installed and used on these shows because their target audience is captive and their filters are not set for specific advertising.

Cell Phones

Watch any police procedural? Have you ever noticed that the main characters are using either Samsung, Apple, or Motorola brand phones? Along with the annoying T-Mobile girl commercials, companies are placing their products into characters hands and showing close-ups whenever they use them.

Music

It’s no secret that the recording industry has seen better days. In order to sell more records and get fans interested, they are turning to television in order to get people familiarized with popular songs. The worst offender of this trend is the CSI series. Not only do they use songs by The Who for their opening credits, they also have lead singer Roger Daltrey making guest appearances as cadavers quite frequently.

Just because you think you are tricking advertisers by using DVRs and skipping through commercials doesn’t mean that they are not convincing you to make unnecessary purchases. Be more analytical and pay attention to product placement while you are watching TV. You can even make a game out of deciphering what is part of the script and what was placed there by advertisers.

Financial Advice I Wish I Had Known

I’m sure everyone has, at some point or another, wished that they could go back in time and give advice to their younger self. We wish we could caution against getting into a bad relationship, encourage our younger versions to attend a certain school or pursue a certain line of work, and generally provide bits and pieces of wisdom that we have only come to realize in our more mature years.

Recently, I’ve wished that I could do exactly this. I would meet up with Younger Me, take her out to lunch, sit down across from her at the table, and lay out some important Dos and Don’ts to guide the next couple decades of her life. While I’d certainly touch on topics of love, family, work, and friends, I’d pay particular attention to one other important area: personal finance. Specifically, I’d want her to avoid some of the mistakes that I’ve made – and, theoretically, that she’s on the cusp of making.

Here is the financial advice I would give her:

Consider Cost of Living

In the past, I’ve chosen to attend schools and accept job offers in cities that seemed cool and hip, but that were also much more expensive than other places where I could have still gotten a great education or found excellent work opportunities. I learned that living somewhere “cool” is not worth the extra expense that applies to everything I do, from renting an apartment to buying groceries.

Keep A Budget

I didn’t keep a budget when I first became financially independent – and, since I only had a few bills to pay and general areas of expense each month, I really didn’t need to. However, not keeping a budget in those early days translated into a bad habit of financial disorganization that stayed with me even as my finances became more complicated. I want my younger self to know this. Even if she doesn’t need to keep a budget now, she should start doing so anyways.

Save Early

While the importance of saving money is obvious to most of us, many people save less than they should when they get their first job. With more money than they’ve ever seen before sitting in their bank accounts, these people figure that they can spend a bit more freely and save a bit less than they ideally should. I would tell my younger self to spend more frugally and save more in her early years of employment. I would advise her to open investment and retirement accounts at a younger age, both of which would give her a place to put her savings and the ability to earn more years of interest.

Alas, I do not have the ability to time travel and convey this advice. If I did, to be fair, my financial concerns would probably be null and void in the first place. Nevertheless, this is the advice I would give to younger people who remind me of myself – whether they are friends, family members, or just anonymous readers on the internet.

Five New Years Resolutions That Will Save You Money

Five New Years Resolutions That Will Save You Money

In less than a month, we’ll be ringing in the New Year. As usual, it’s time to try and come up with a resolution that you’ll actually be sticking to. But maybe instead of focusing on the difficulty of your self-imposed chosen challenge, you ought to instead set your sights on the money that could be saved by committing to a long-term life change. The following are five New Years resolutions that are likely to save you money as well as make you a better person:

Focus less on vanity: The monthly trip to the salon is an expensive habit over the course of a year – so is always making sure you’re dressed to kill. Make a promise to cut back on personal vanity within reason (keep buying deodorant) and watch significant savings accrue over time.

Limit credit card use: This one goes without saying – cutting back on your monthly charges will bring down your debt over time, reduce your interest rate, and help you be put back on top. In the immediate future it limits your available money, but only spending what you have is the first step in the right direction.

Dieting and exercising: If you can manage to do so without joining a gym, getting into shape through diet and exercise will also save you some serious cash. For one, the reduced food intake means less spent on fast food. But in addition, exercise further curbs your appetite thus reducing food spending even further.

Quitting smoking and drinking: Again, this one is a no-brainer. It costs roughly $5.00 on average for a pack of smokes in this country, and a six-pack is double. Cut these bad habits out of your life and you’ll be sure to reap the monetary benefits of such a healthy decision.

Quitting caffeine: Sure, skipping the cup of coffee is as much a money saver as saying goodbye to cigarettes. But more importantly than that, is the fact that high levels of caffeine are linked with high levels of stress. When stressed, what do you do? You tend to commit to further vices and other things that cost money in order to alleviate your anxiety.

With all the spending you’ll likely be doing in the next several weeks, you’ll be aching for a way to save money next year. Make it your New Years resolution to stop whatever bad habit costs you the most money. It will help make you both a better person, and a slightly richer one as well.

Finding a Cheap Winter Getaway

Finding a Cheap Winter Getaway

For those on a budget, the difference between vacationing in the summer and vacationing in the winter may seem like a daunting one. After all, the summer offers many options for cheap trips: you can jump in your car, drive a couple hours to a lake, a beach, or a park, and then enjoy the outdoors without needing to empty your wallet. The winter is a far different situation. For those of us who live in colder climates, a winter trip means either flying somewhere warm or holing up in some sort of mountainside chateau – trips both of which can cost a considerable sum of money. There would seem to be little room for the frugal traveler here.

But if you’re looking for a winter getaway, and you don’t want to break the bank in the process, you can still find cheap ways to take a trip in December. Here are a few suggestions:

Road Trip

Taking a road trip is the ultimate way to vacation on a budget, and there’s no reason why this cannot also apply to the winter months. Sure, your destination may not be an outdoor recreation area; and yes, you’re going to want to check the forecast beforehand and make sure that you won’t run into a blizzard. But taking a road trip can otherwise be a unique, relaxing, and enjoyable affair. Make your destination a nearby major city, thus allowing you to seek out nightlife, restaurants, and cultural events upon your arrival.

Go Skiing

You may instinctively associate a ski trip with considerable and unnecessary expenses – expenses that render skiing far from a cheap getaway. While this is normally the case, there are myriad ways you can go about reducing the cost of skiing and enjoying such a trip on a budget. Look for the cheaper destinations within driving distance. Rent your equipment beforehand. Find Groupons and other offers online. Ski at nights or during off-peak hours. A ski trip will never be free, but with some effort it can be done pretty cheaply.

Bed and Breakfast

A bed and breakfast can run the gamut from dirt cheap to unreasonably expensive. In certain areas of the country, however, there are so many of them that it isn’t too difficult to find options on the budget end of this spectrum. If you enjoy warm fireplaces, interesting home-cooked meals, curling up and reading a book, or exploring snow-covered rural landscapes, a trip to a bed and breakfast may be a worthwhile winter getaway for you.

Hopefully these ideas can get you started on your low-budget, winter vacation search. While it can be easy to spend thousands of dollars on a trip this time of year, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t cheap options out there, if you know where to look.

Gifts that Can Save Your Bank Account

Gifts that Can Save Your Bank Account

The holidays come around and we are subjected to advertisements and societal pressure to buy, buy, buy…

If we do not meet this societal standard, we are usually relegated to the bottom of the social circles and meant to feel less important than our peers. The fact of the matter is that we live in an increasingly materialistic culture that places all of the emphasis on things. If you are strapped for cash and need a good gift idea, you should look into cheaper alternatives that can prove practical and sufficient.

The Gift of Facebook

Every American kid wants to act more grown up than he or she really is. Coming of age traditions are found in every major religion and act as the entry into adulthood. With the digital era in full bloom, most parents are worried about securing their kids from the potential threats of social media. If you have a child who is reaching the age of responsibility, the best gift you can give them is access to a Facebook account; a gift that is totally free.

Alternative Jewelry

Nothing says you care more than a piece of exquisite jewelry. The only problem is that large retail operations overcharge for their accessories in order to keep the demand for their products high. There is no shame in crafting your own unique pieces of jewelry out of ceramics, scrap metal, and tumbled stones in order to get a piece that is straight from the heart. If you feel you aren’t creative enough to craft jewelry, you can look into a black diamond ring or vintage piece from your local thrift store.

Fire-Sale Electronics

iPads and tablets are the hottest items this holiday season. While it may seem impractical to throw down $500 on a brand new tablet that will become obsolete once the new version comes out, you can purchase a similar model on the cheap if you shop around. The HP tablet, which is not being manufactured anymore, will run you around $69 on most websites and the Kindle Fire is available for only $200

Get a New Suit

While a new suit may cost you a bit of money, it can be considered an investment more than anything. With more people competing for open positions within companies, if you know someone looking for a job they will need every advantage they can get. A brand new suit will make your loved one stand out in a competitive job market.

There is no reason to become flustered and fret over your holiday purchases. The holidays should be enjoyed rather than a source of economic stress. If you ever feel that your holidays are becoming too superficial or materialistic, take a step back to enjoy the company of your friends and family instead of the things that you don’t have.