MiB Smarter Money » Going Green

$5 a Gallon For Gas; End Of The World, Or Ripe For The Picking?

hank — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:01:17 +0000

Well, it really can be a coin flip as to who is hurt worst by the big rise and oil pushing $150 a barrel today. It’s a shame on one hand, but being a “glass half-full” guy, I can see the silver lining that I’m actually enjoying…

It Is Not Cheap

Well, “enjoying” might be overkill, but there ARE some things that will be better off with gas needing to be purchased with a bank loan. Combine that with J.D. Power & Associates stating that overall auto sales are down about 8 percent so far this year and large cars/trucks sales dipping an outrageous 23 percent and we’ve got an epidemic, or is it an opportunity?

There’s no strange puzzle as to why new cars aren’t selling, people have a strong inclination that gas isn’t going to be going down anytime soon. At the same time, we realize that something better is just over the horizon. Whether that be a change in the government come election time in the US, or whether it be the car makers kicking out vehicles that don’t guzzle so fast.

I’m not a political pundit by any means, but I feel there is something to be said for the candidates getting grilled about the gas prices now. You’d think they’d need to make a change when they get their place in the Oval Office, but stranger things have happened.

On the other side though, people aren’t buying because they know that car makers are at the cusp of change now. All vehicles are going to need to get 35mpg by 2020 as per the CAFE standard Congress passed last December. This isn’t going to START in 2019, as with any business, they’re building and researching now. People know that the cars that are being pushed out now are end-of-life models that are going to need redesign to meet what Congress is pushing.

Looking To Capitalize on High Gas Prices

Several companies are chomping at the bit and being proactive on this now. They’re taking advantage of the big companies being so big and getting in when they see the opening. As with any entrepreneur, these companies see a hole that needs filling. Jumping in now is going to turn a pretty penny for them before the big manufacturers can work this change into their environment.

Take the Aptera for example. They’re saying this thing can potentially get 300mpg. That’s leaps and bounds above what anyone else has talked about in the past and certainly will get some good ink from around the world if it is possible. Here’s a video about it:

You Can Probably Get a Steal Now

On the flip side and “glass-half-full” mentality though, if you’re in the market for a big rig now, there may not be a better time to jump on it. Dealerships are piling up cars on their lots and not being able to push them now. If you just can’t fight off that new car bug and need one now, consider some of these models that are probably dirt cheap now:

The big V-8 engine Jeep Commander caught on with its catchy phrase of “got a Hemi”. But now the catchy “got a Hemi” phrase has run its lifeline and people are realizing what that really means: “Got a Deep Pocket Book”? The beastly car has dropped 48 percent in sales this year and tops the charts. 13mpg just isn’t going to cut it if you’re on a budget, but like I said, if you’ve got the extra cash, you could probably walk away with a pretty sweet deal right now.

Next on the chopping block is the Nissan Titan. It never really was able to get up to snuff with US rides from Dodge, GMC, and Ford and the gas crunch has made it even tougher for the foreigner and sales are off 45 percent for the year. It is steep, but that’s not to say that the big dogs aren’t hurting as well – Dodge Ram sales are down 27 percent, Chevy Silverado sales down 26 percent, and Ford F series sales are looking good in comparison down just 19 percent.

Hummer sales aren’t actually as bad as I would have thought, I would guess they’d be topping (or bottoming) the list so far this year being down just 36 percent. It’s not rocket science why though. They are built on the same frame as the Chevy Suburban, but offer far less room. This ride was destined to failure I think because it only offered uniqueness. I rarely see one pulling anything and aesthetics and Hollywood keep this one alive. It doesn’t have the space capacities needed, nor the fan base to keep it flowing. Unless they completely overhaul it, I think it’s reached the end of the line.

Chrysler’s sweet deal to lock in $2.99 gas seemed to do the opposite of what they were trying to push. The beefy Chrysler 300 sales are down 31 percent.

Know Where Your Money Goes

Yes, I drive a Suburban and yes it costs me $100+ to fill it up, but it’s not killing me yet. I have a second car that I drive that sees about 10 miles a week. I live very close to my office building; so I offset the big ride gas prices with realizing that I only drive one car. Per month I’m putting in $200-ish for gas. Is it killing me? No. I can afford it now. I budget my money properly and understand that gas isn’t going to be coming down till it has some competition.

People that are complaining about the prices and not doing anything about it (budgeting properly) are going to be the ones that are hurt most by it. Big business isn’t going to slow. We’re all ants in the whole scheme of things and big tires run over ants pretty easily. Roll with the punches and know what is coming. Budget properly and don’t buy any big expenses until you can offset this cost.

Get a raise, don’t buy that flat screen tv, hold off on that vacation for another year. There are plenty of ways to pay for the gas if you analyze what you’re spending now and where you can cut back.

photos by: /travoc/, /chadica/

Money Hacks Carnival #18 — The History Of Money!

hank — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:12:29 +0000

So I did some deep undercover investigation for this weeks carnival digging back in time to bring you The History of Money! Did you know that China was the first to use paper money around the year 1000. It was made from the bar of mulberry trees. Leaves from these trees, you may recall, are feed to caterpillars to produce silk. I honestly don’t know the last time I used paper money – I stick to plastic. Without further adieu…

The Editors Picks – Series 1934 Gold Certificates Go To:

The largest denomination of currency ever printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) was the $100,000 Series 1934 Gold Certificate featuring the portrait of President Wilson. These notes were printed from December 18, 1934 through January 9, 1935 and were issued by the Treasurer of the United States to Federal Reserve Banks only against an equal amount of gold bullion held by the Treasury Department. The notes were used only for official transactions between Federal Reserve Banks and were not circulated among the general public.

A lot of good submissions this week, but the Series 1934 Gold Certificates go to:

Dorian Wales presents The Importance of Learning to Let Go posted at The Personal Financier. I grew up in a family that had a tough time letting go of a lot of things. Maybe it was because we were so frugal with everything, but we did and this post hit home.

Aryn presents Avoid Baggage Fees: How to Pack a Suitcase posted at Sound Money Matters. It’s a lost art, but I lived by it when I got out of school and went traveling – if you don’t know how to do this, you best stay home.

Livingalmostlarge presents Investment Mistakes a Couple Makes posted at LivingAlmostLarge. I’ve made a few mistakes on that front, and it’s a list that you don’t see often, but it is DEFINITELY worth reading.

Broke Grad Student presents 9 Simple Ways To Save Money On Gas posted at Broke Grad Student. With gas where it is now, this is always something people are interested in. The tips may “seem” small, but when we’re looking at where gas is headed, every penny counts!

Big Bills, Big Dreams

On July 14, 1969, David M. Kennedy, the 60th Secretary of the Treasury, and officials at the Federal Reserve Board announced that they would immediately stop distributing currency in denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. Production of these denominations stopped during World War II. Their main purpose was for bank transfer payments. With the arrival of more secure transfer technologies, however, they were no longer needed for that purpose. While these notes are legal tender and may still be found in circulation today, the Federal Reserve Banks remove them from circulation and destroy them as they are received.

Hilary Green presents When is Leasing Not For You? | Cars for Girls posted at Cars for Girls.

Ybother presents 10 Ways To Get The Best Price For Your Car posted at www.ZhouWenhan.com.

Dividends4Life presents The Will to Win posted at Dividends4Life.

jim presents Advanta Business Card for Bloggers, eBay, PPC posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Unique Money Uses

The $2 bill has not been removed from circulation and is still a circulating denomination of United States paper currency. The Federal Reserve System does not, however, request the printing of that denomination as often as the others.

The Series 2003 $2 bill was the last printed and bears the names of former Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snow and Treasurer Rosario Marin. As of April 30, 2007 there were $1,549,052,714 worth of $2 bills in circulation worldwide.

Joy Harrison presents Reduce your debt load: 9 proven techniques posted at Money Sense.

The Happy Rock presents Sometimes You Just Don’t Feel Like Saving Money posted at The Happy Rock.

FMF presents A Real-Life Example of How to Save $1,300 in Less than Two Hours by Shopping Around for Car Insurance posted at Free Money Finance.

Mark Runta presents Seeking Therapy for Debt Management posted at investing lessons.

NtJS presents Do You Trust Trans Union? posted at not the jet set.

Steve Faber presents - Top Debt Consolidation Loans – How to Get the Best Debt Consolidation Loan posted at Debt Free.

passive family income presents Creating a monthly family budget to track income and expenses. | Passive Family Income posted at Passive Family Income.

MrsMoney presents Does it Make Sense to Drive Farther to get a Lower Price on Gas? posted at The Ultimate Money Blog.

Brice Hogan presents How to Radically Save Money posted at Financialzip.com.

Saving Money Tips

On March 10, 1862 the first United States paper money was issued. The denominations were $5, $10, and $20. They became legal tender by Act of March 17, 1862.

The inclusion of “In God We Trust” on all currency was required by law in 1955. The national motto first appeared on paper money in 1957 on $1 Silver Certificates, and on all Federal Reserve Notes beginning with Series 1963.

retirehappy presents Rules on Claiming Dependents posted at My Retirement Blog.

RothIRA presents Graduation Gift Idea: Roth IRA posted at Roth IRA Explained.

DMH presents Best Gas Credit Cards posted at Daily Money Hack.

FFB presents Customer Service Done Right 1800Contacts.com posted at Free From Broke.

PT presents Credit Card Rewards – Are They Really Worth It? posted at Prime Time Money.

Joe Manausa presents Property Flipping Re-Energized? posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog.

Helen Anderson presents 8 Tips for Saving Money and Your Life posted at Bankaholic.

Mrs. Common Cents presents 8 Tips to reduce your medical spending posted at Our Common Cents.

J. Savings presents Save $10 bucks and wash that sexy car of yours. posted at Budgets are Sexy.

Chief Family Officer presents Lesson: Always track Amazon’s prices posted at Chief Family Officer.

Joy Harrison presents Cash-out refinance loan? is it a good choice for extra cash? posted at Money Sense.

Coupon Artist presents How Couponing Changes Your Outlook on Life posted at artofthecoupon.com.

Kaye presents Savannah Family Fun – The Intro posted at Mrs Nespy’s Frugal World.

Heather Allen presents Where There’s a Will… posted at The DebtFree Playbook Blog.

Bill D presents 13 Lucky Tips to Save on Life Insurance posted at The Wealth Hunter.

Worldly Money Influence

Reserves were formerly held only in gold, as official gold reserves. Under the Bretton Woods system, the United States pegged the dollar to gold, and allowed convertibility of dollars

to gold. This effectively made dollars appear as good as gold. In 1971, however, the U.S. abandoned the convertibility of dollars to gold, and the dollar became a fiat currency.

Since then, all major currencies have removed convertibility to gold, resulting in a general devaluation of world currencies over time. The dollar has remained the most significant reserve currency, though central banks now typically hold large amounts of multiple currencies in reserve.

Foxie presents The Latest Object of My Affection posted at Dreaming of Ferraris.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Managing All My Money Is Futile: Outsourcing My Finances posted at The Digerati Life.

Will presents Prepaid Visa Travel Cards posted at Your Finish Rich Plan – A Personal Finance Blog.

GBlogger presents Market Plummeting! Recession! Plague! posted at CAN I GET RICH ON A SALARY.

Interesting Hack (Facts) About The $100 Bill

The vignette on the back of the $100 note is Independence Hall in Philadelphia. There are three people depicted in the engraving. Two (a man and a woman) are in front of the hall close to the building; the third person is a man pictured looking toward the building. There is no record that the man and woman are embracing.

The hands of the clock are set at approximately 4:10. Although the time is not readily identifiable to the naked eye, it may be verified if examined under twenty-fold magnification. There are no records explaining why that particular time was chosen.

Lisa Spinelli presents The Dope On Stagflation posted at Greener Pastures.

Ryan Taylor presents What are the Risks of Shorting Stocks? posted at Millionaire Money Habits.

The Shark Investor presents No Buzz = No Business posted at The Shark Investor.

MoneyKing presents Real Estate Profits And Losses: Burn, baby. Burn!!!!. Scenario 39. posted at The Money Kings – RULE your money at home, at work, and at play!.

CreditAddict presents Amex Delta SkyMiles Cardholders Can Pay With Miles posted at Credit Card Addict.

nickel presents Four Financial Tips for Recent Graduates posted at fivecentnickel.com.

mbhunter presents Why are some gift cards more “expensive” at MyPoints? posted at mbhunter.

Kay Bell presents Tax help for summer camp costs posted at Don’t Mess With Taxes.

Madison presents What is Credit Card Arbitrage? posted at My Dollar Plan.

Brooke presents Six Flags and Other Theme Park Details posted at Dollar Frugal.

Ray presents Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards posted at Money Blue Book: Personal Finance Blog.

Bryce presents Perot Charts posted at Save and Conquer.

Pamela Grundy presents Recession Monday: Do Vegetarians Save More Money? | Personal Finance Analyst posted at Personal Finance Analyst

Amanda Milne presents Show Me The Coupons! posted at Value For Your Life.

RC presents 7 Reasons You May Not Have Received Your Economic Stimulus Rebate Yet posted at Think Your Way to Wealth.

Kevin Fleming presents Netflix 30 Days Free Coupon – Satellite TV Guru posted at Satellite TV Guru.

Thanks to everyone for participating! Keep an eye out next week over at SoundMoneyMatters as the carnival heads that way!

“Summer Savings Series” Tip #13 – Don’t Drive 10 Miles Out Of Your Way To Save $0.20 On Gas! Use GasBuddy!

hank — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:01:55 +0000

By the time you get back, in traffic, you’re looking at stop and go driving for that 10 miles, you’re likely to burn that $3 you’re saving on the 15 gallon tank. It’s not worth the time or the hassle. There are several places online that will show you were to go for the best gas prices; if you can find any of those on your current commute, I say to hit them up!

In continuing with the “Summer Savings Series” from The Money Life Network, we’re already to post #13! Get in to win the $100 Amazon card before it is too late! It is VERY easy to enter! Head over and toss your hat in the ring!

GasBuddy.com has a pretty large database and following that can show you just what you’re looking for and where the cheapest gas is located in your city! Here’s the latest chart [click the chart to enlarge] for what they’ve got available in Seattle. Oddly enough, I’ve used that exact gas station for quite a few years before I moved from the area. $4.19 sounds ridiculous, but maybe it won’t in another 6 months.

If these gas stations are on your way to or from work, I’d hit them up but there really is no good reason to travel out of the way to get the gas from them.

Yes, I’m in the same boat of not enjoying the prices going up. Some people are trying to prey on it, and some people are trying to take advantage of it. No qualms, just fact.

I’m all for turning/saving a dollar when I can, but there’s no “good” answer in site. We’ve still got trillions of dollars of oil bubbling around underground and it is still “black gold” that people are going to continue to use, and pay for; just don’t think you need to get the best bang for your gas buck by driving across the city to do so, because it’s likely just going to be a wash anyway.

“Summer Savings Series” Tip #3 – Everyone Can Save Money This Way In The Heat!

hank — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:01:01 +0000

The Money Life Network’s “Summer Savings Series” #3 is courtesy of our beloved power companies. My bill is usually around $200 since I’ve lived here, and I can certainly keep the bill a bit lower just by checking on a few key things…

Plug The Holes

Check out your windows and doors for drafts or air leaking in or out. It may be tough to see if there is a draft, but one cheap tip to test is to put a candle by the suspected door or window. If you’re seeing it flicker you’ve likely got some leakage that needs to be looked at or caulked up!

Insulation Works Both Ways

It keeps warm air in during the winter months, but don’t forget that it also keeps cold air in during the summer months. If you’ve got a new house, it’s likely that it hasn’t sagged down or gotten old yet, but it doesn’t hurt to check it out. Make sure you’ve got it throughout the attic in a level pattern.

You may even be under warranty with your housing company and they’ll fix it if it isn’t properly set up. It may be worth your $ to check it out.

Check The Thermostat

Your thermostat MAY actually be off. Check to make sure it’s actually heating or cooling as needed throughout the year. If you’ve got a regular mercury thermometer, test it against your thermostat. If your thermostat is off, you’re blowing cold air when it shouldn’t be and that’s just like having a hole in your pocket book. Make sure it works and is reading properly!

According to LiveEarth.org, just lowering your thermostat two degrees will save 4% on your energy bill and prevent 500 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, keeping you living green as well!

Also keep appliances away from your thermostat thermometer, this will also trick your thermostat to thinking it is warmer than it really is in the house.

Mind Your Window Opening Timelines

Yes, in theory, it is always nice to keep a draft flowing through the house so you’d think that it is a good idea to keep the windows open during the heat to cool it down, but you’d be fooling yourself. The secret here is to open them when the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature. So open them up around 10pm when it starts to cool down to a temperature you’re want IN the house.

Keep them open until morning when the sun starts getting warm, usually around 8 or 9am at the latest. Close them up and shut the blinds to keep that nice cool air you’ve let in during the night to keep you cooler during the day!

Nix The Pilot Light

Your furnace has to keep going even if you’re not using it for warmth during the summer. Your pilot light typically costs $3-$5 per month to keep lit. If your heating system has one, save yourself some green and put it out during the summer. Just remember to turn it back on when you need it in winter!

Don’t Cool Yourself With Your Refrigerator

Yes, it is very tempting, especially when you’re seeing 100+ degree temperatures in your area, but you’ve got to resist when you consider what you’re going to be spending to cool yourself down for a short stint.

Beware though that opening the refrigerator/freezer door accounts for $10 – $20 of a typical family’s electrical bill each year based on 40-60 openings per day.

Think if you leave it open to get cool; it takes time to cool back down once it IS open for a bit.

Turn Off Your Computer

Computers generate a lot of heat, and a lot of $ for the electric company. Keeping it on during the summer (or ever for that matter) is sending your power bill in the wrong direction. Leaving that thing running when you’re not using it is also bumping up the heat in your house; every little bit helps!

Conclusion

You can save yourself a lot of money and cool air if you follow these simple steps here, but keep the MoneyLifeNetwork in your back pocket the entire rest of the summer as we’re cooking up a post-per-day regimen through the month LOADED with tips like this to save you money and improve your lives this summer! Keep an eye out, subscribe to the MoneyLifeNetwork RSS feed, join the party and win money to boot!

Photos by: photohop, demibrooke

Hanks Weekly Hangouts #32 (May 31, 2008)

hank — Sat, 31 May 2008 08:01:22 +0000

The week tossed around a few posts that culminated in the opening of The Money Life Network! I also wrote about how you should think about ditching the “offer” Jeep is giving you for a new car purchase, reviewed an alright book, and Bumped Up My 401k Contribution!

The Top Ten List

1. FourPillars says to concentrate on savings first! Probably one of the best ideas you can focus on when you’re beginning.

2. CowboyEconomics delves into an interesting post about your social and cultural groups affecting your investing strategies.

3. PaidTwice makes a point as to why debt stinks. Doesn’t it ALWAYS stink? But sometimes it forces you to make cheap decisions!

4. DiscoverDebtFreedom tries to find out if it is a good idea to get a credit card in college. I say, if you’re good at paying it off, it’s a good catch all.

5. TheCreditLetter describes what a personal “warchest” is, and why you need it. I vote YES!

6. Saving $ on the road is a big thing on everyones mind now. ThePennySaved has a handful of gas saving ideas!

7. Trent from TheSimpleDollar caught my eye with this post about having a monthly family finance meeting. A pretty brilliant idea actually.

8. Moolanomy has a good post about “Words of the Financially Challenged“. I have heard myself spit one or 2 of those out before.

9. Free wireless on the road! It’s a cheap trick to hang out with when traveling that is always needed courtesy of LivingTheCheapLife.

10. Oh oh tow truck drivers. MoneyBlueBook isn’t a big fan of their parking habits, but then who really is?

Best of The Money Life Network

1. FreeFromBroke taught us how toBuy That Fun Stuff Without Going Into Debt
2. BibleMoneyMatters shows usHow to find cheap gas where you live
3. MilkYourMoney figured outThe Best and Worst Discount Brokers
4. PrimeTimeMoney tried to askWhere Is Our Economic Stimulus Payment Direct Deposit?

photos by: parkinglot, xeyedblonde

Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge Aren’t Saving You Any Money On Their New $2.99 Incentive

hank — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:01:38 +0000

I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials from Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge that give you a gas credit card that guarantees that you will pay no more than $2.99 for a gallon of gas for three years. These guys are SELLING something, and in so doing, they’re NOT doing you any favors…

These guys know the market, and they know that gas is going to push $5 this summer, and $2.99 DOES sound pretty good, but lets look under the hood of this deal a little bit.

1. This deal is SO special, that you can’t get any other offers with it. You have to give up any other rebates, savings, or incentives to qualify. So essentially you’re foregoing your options to haggle. Super.

2. AutoGreen blog says it’ll probably save you about $1,200 over those 3 years if gas prices rise like they’re doing now. Not as much as you’d maybe have hoped for.

They say:

“Dan pointed out in a comment on the original post, buyers need to give up any other incentives currently available in order to get the gas card, and some of those deals are much bigger than $1,200 (the gas plan is in effect for three years). Automotive News is reporting that the Union of Concerned Scientists has got their own phrase for the plan: a “cynical deal.”

Here’s the kicker, the Union’s statement continues:But a mere 3-mpg boost would yield the same savings over the 15,000 miles per year typically driven in the first three years of ownership. Over the lifetime of a vehicle, such a fuel economy increase would save drivers more than $3,000. It wouldn’t stop saving drivers money after just three years.”

3. Hope you don’t buy a car that needs Premium gasoline because the deal is only good for regular unleaded gasoline, diesel, or E85.

4. Do you drive a lot? Most cars go for about 15k per year, but if you’re one of those people, you’re out of luck, the incentive only pays for the first 12k.

5. Giving up your rebates is a bad idea if you’re buying new anyway. Look at their site, they’re offering 3k right up front. You lose that privilege when you hit option 1; no other options.

6. What IF, I know it’s a big WHAT IF, but it is possible that gas may go down in the time. Who knows, electric cars may be here before we know it. Democrats are making a run and may drop that price.

If gas prices are bothering you AND you’re in the market for a new car, check out a more fuel efficiency instead of the Chrysler’s sweet deal. Look around for something a little more “green” as “a measly 3 MPG gain would save consumers far more money than the $2.99 deal, while also decreasing demand for oil and emissions of CO2.”

photos by: dizfunctional, BrianToad

Net Worth Update May 9, 2008 [$120,697.64 (+3.55%)]

hank — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:01:22 +0000

We’re looking up again this month – looks like the mutual funds are coming back a little bit this month. Both the wife and I had good 401k returns this month. The house dropped a bit, but that’s to be expected, but overall we’re looking up again.

I’m still keeping my eye on a few “green funds” because I’d like to be able to dip in at some point. I’m waiting for the right one to come around though that piques my interest. Haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary yet. Right now I’m looking at:

Green Century Balanced GCBLX 17.19 0.00 (0.00%)
Green Century Equity GCEQX 20.63 +0.01 (0.05%)
Calvert Large Cap Growth A CLGAX 32.39 +0.19 (0.59%)
Spectra Green N SPEGX 6.91 +0.01 (0.14%)
Guinness Atkinson Alternative… GAAEX 14.59 +0.18 (1.23%)
Winslow Green Growth WGGFX 18.53 +0.40 (2.16%)

Like I’ve said before, none have really caught my eye yet, let me know if you have any you’d be willing to share in the space that make sense right now. I think they’re all a little pricey now without great return.

The Emergency fund has bumped up to $3,704.00 which is nice to have as a cushion and it is sitting in the Washington Mutual 3.30% high interest savings account. Yea, 3.30% isn’t spectacular, but it’s better than chasing the rate around.

You may ask why I’ve got some much in the standard savings right now and that is just because it hasn’t been transferred to my WAMU account. I’m also thinking of dumping the rest in to my ROTH IRA before we hit the ROTH phase out range. To offset this the wife and I have both bumped our 401k contributions up to 15% to offset that ability.

Slowly but surely we’re inching our way up the chain. Nothing major, but we’re up 4,000+ since last month and up 3.55% from the month prior so thing are certainly going well.

Click the Excel spreadsheet to enlarge.

Lower Your Monthly Power Bill, Make $256, And Save The World!

hank — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:01:08 +0000

Ok, the title was catchy enough to get you I’m a fan of saving $$$ AND saving the earth. I dig hybrid cars. I dig reusing and recycling for both its benefits to my pocketbook and benefits to my children. I dig greendimes and my new digg-ee is UniBlue LocalCooling…

I’m a fan of going green especially when it saves me money!

I’ve always been a big fan of making green, but lately I’ve been a big fan of slinging green. I enjoy helping out where I can, but for the most part, “being green” is associated with “spending green”.

It’s not cheap (yet) to be on the cutting edge of protecting the environment.

I try to keep an eye out for new “green funds” but they’re all still a little “eh” for me. They are all not really stellar performers from what I’ve seen and have expenses that also fall on the high side, which is the nature of the beast I guess.

These are some green mutual funds I’ve been keeping tabs on:

Green Century Balanced GCBLX 17.19 0.00 (0.00%)
Green Century Equity GCEQX 20.63 +0.01 (0.05%)
Calvert Large Cap Growth A CLGAX 32.39 +0.19 (0.59%)
Spectra Green N SPEGX 6.91 +0.01 (0.14%)
Guinness Atkinson Alternative… GAAEX 14.59 +0.18 (1.23%)
Winslow Green Growth WGGFX 18.53 +0.40 (2.16%)

None have really caught my eye yet, let me know if you have any you’re watching. I’m down with checking them out if so…

Back to LocalCooling

It’s a slick setup that doesn’t cost anything to run, but I’ve always been one for stats. I was big into the first Nintendo “Baseball Stars” really big in the early 90′s because it kept stats and I remember falling asleep actually playing it with my buddy.

Now they come along with a sweet program that actually pegs what you’ve saved in terms of k/w hours and gallons of fuel. I had some trouble, and still am having trouble getting it to report to their website but

I’ve got a case open with them to figure that part out. But the point of this is the financial and environmental savings!

I’ve saved almost 1/10th of a tree. I don’t know how big or what kind of tree, but that always makes you feel good. A gallon of gas and 2 kWh of electricity. I’ve only had it running for about a week but there are some pretty interesting $$$ saving tips here by using this if it is as effective as it says! One of the facts on their page says:

“…even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. By unplugging them you could save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year?”

Who WOULDN’T want to save that kind of $. I can assume that if you’re reading this blog, you likely have a computer, and I would assume that even more of you enjoy saving money, so buzz on over to LocalCooling and starting putting YOUR green back in your wallets and save the earth in the process!

Photo by: flippingout

What The Point Of A Phonebook Anymore? How Do I Stop Getting One Every 3 Months?

hank — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:01:44 +0000

I’m serious; if you’ve got the time and a big truck let’s fire it up. I absolutely hate the fact that they think I want a phonebook. Did they ever ask me? No. Did I ever ask them to give me one? No. Well this is an open letter to the phonebookers of the world and some ideas to getting ride of them…
[poll=7]

Why are phonebooks still around in the first place?

One of the oldest types of advertising – in the yellow pages. It’s a dying art that really does need to go; you’re not reaching the eyes you once were when there wasn’t the internet. I have to think that the people that read the advertisers in phonebooks either come from small towns or are over the age of 70 and don’t know how to open Google and type what you’re looking for. Another interesting stat is that I got another book last week and noticed that plumbers and lawyers advertise the most in phonebooks. Do we have any of either on here reading this that could give advertising statistics on the thread?

I haven’t opened a phone book in close to 10 years. I have had no use for it since Al Gore created the internet back in the early 90s. Even then the main use for my phonebook was as a booster seat.

I’m a big fan of saving the environment and I have mentioned more than once that I support GreenDimes.com, but this should be at the top of everyone’s list of things to get rid of if they’re looking to save the world. I seriously get 2 or 3 a year that go directly from my driveway to my recycle bin in as much time as it takes to walk out and back to the bin!

If we really break it down, I would estimate that a phonebook weighs in the neighborhood of 2 pounds? We’ve got 300MIL people in the US so that adds up to about 600MIL pounds of trees that we’re immediately throwing in the recycle bin per cycle!

Yes, there ARE people that use them and I don’t discredit the need for them in SOME communities; albeit mostly senior citizen communities, but even they’re getting upgraded with high speed internet these days!

How about a new way to get in our out of phonebook deliverings?

The next phonebook I get I’m going to look through it to see if there is an “opt-out” email or something I can use to tell them to take me off the list. What would be the problem with phonebook companies just sending an opt-in or opt-out mailing or email with it before they just fire it off? Clearly they’re losing money by sending out phonebooks and 80% of people just put them directly in their recycle bin; wouldn’t it help them?

The only reason I can think of that they WOULDN’T want to do that is that it kills their sales pitch. Right now they can say they deliver to 300MIL people in the US that will see your ad. They say nothing about how only 1MIL keep the phonebook for one reason or another; nor do they say that of that 1MIL that keep it, only 20,000 actually open it to look for a phone number.

I was reading a post from TheGoodHuman and SPK remarks in the comment section something interesting:

I spent 7 years at Bell Atlantic/Verizon Yellow Pages in directory advertising sales in NJ and PA.

What a business! I started out in telephone sales handing customers who spent $2.50 per month up to $300 or so per month. Our job was to “run money”. What does this mean? Renew, renew, renew. See, when the customer keeps their ad the same, I got 10% of the monthly cost in commission.

In the late 90s and early 2000’s the renew rate was 85-87%. So, you had to up-sell and sell new businesses and non advertisers to make any money. We got 125% of the increased monthly revenue and Verizon got the rest. Where do they make their money? Renewals. I sell a $500 per month ad and get $600 in commission this year, and next year I get $50?

So, when the yellow page rep calls you – they want to first upsell you on ANYTHING, then renew you to move on. Be vigilant with them – don’t trust their marketing numbers.

Humminbird thinks a giant Jenga game is in order for all the books she sees lying around. I think I may agree. Another writer points out: “I don’t like them because a telephone book sitting on my front porch screams, “Rob this house! Nobody’s home!”

So wanna try to turn a dime on an idea?

I honestly think you could make money by going through your community and asking who doesn’t want their phonebook and telling them you’ll keep them off a front porch. Ask for a dollar per year to do it and you won’t have many people say no.

Then just follow the delivery truck with your list of people that paid you to pick them up and as he laid them down, pick them back up and toss them in your truck to be taken to the nearest recycling station! Be sure to stop by my house, I’ll pay you for it!

Maybe a better way or 2 to get rid of them

I haven’t used any of these methods, but if you have, please let me know!

IslandPacket.com says you can call Call (866) 416-2074, ext. 80555 to be removed from the list.
Log on to PaperlessPetition.org and sign up to be removed. (may not be valid! thanks kenc [comment #7])
Telephone book reduction project in Washington state.
Hit up the Head of the Industry Association: (thanks Kenc [comment #7])
Mr. Negley (Neg) Norton
Two Connell Drive, First Floor
Berkeley Heights, N.J. 07922-2747
(908) 286-2385
Neg.Norton@ypassociation.org
Call them each individually:
Call 1-877-243-8339 to opt-out of receiving DEX phone books.
Call 1-800-929-3556 to opt-out of receiving Yellow Book directories.
If you want to opt-out of the Verizon phone book, you can call 800-555-4833.
UPDATE: There is a site that does allow consumers to opt out from getting telephone books: http://www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org Thanks you Alex Ireland on comment #22 on this post! I submitted my name here; we’ll see how they come back!

UPDATE: I pinged Greendimes about it and they chimed back and said:

> Hank,
> Thanks for supporting us! We do not currently have the ability to stop
> phonebooks, but we are constantly looking for ways to improve our service.
> I forwarded your message to our General Manager and while we don’t have
> any plans at the moment, you can be sure it will be looked into.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Ben
> GreenDimes

Photos by: MattShepard, cogdogblog, justinbaeder