Switching Satellite Network Saves Money And Updates Household Technology

No Such Thing As Loyalty

It is common knowledge that there is absolutely no loyalty to any one brand. Unlike family, you are not obligated to continue with any relationship that you feel is now overpriced. However, most of us have the tendency to switch products that are much easier such as going from Charmin toilet paper to Kirkland brand toilet paper. I stopped using the cheaper Costco gas because this year not only did my first car stop working for absolutely no reason, but it started working when we put additive that cleaned the gas tank. Further as we asked around, numerous friends and family members told me that their mechanics told them to stop using Costco gas for that very same reason. So, when we saw in our recent DirecTv added a $2 sports fee, after not having any Viacom channels such as Nickelodeon and Disney Channel for quite some time due to the re-negotiations and the only sports programming we watch was the Olympics on NBC, we decide to look at the competition and rethink our loyalty.

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What The Satellite Network War Is About

With all businesses, the theory is to start to sell cheap and slowly increase the prices. This is a common theory as one could see with $19 per month for Vonage and, now it has crept up to $32 per month for absolutely the same coverage. Incidentally, we decided to cancel Vonage recently, too, saving a good portion of the $385 per year fee. The same goes with satellite coverage. Both major satellite companies entice you with incredibly low month costs such as $19 or $25 per month for the first year. However, when you add tax and additional regularly fees, you are looking at $10 or more on top of the advertised cost. Then, it rockets to its regular price for another year until the end of the two-year commitment. However, there is no hard feeling because DirecTv told us that it would welcome us back, probably at regular price.

The Perks Of Being A New Customer

The one thing I learned from this whole decision process is that change is not a bad thing. There are numerous perks for being a new customer. We didn't want to pay for additional television sets that we do not watch, so we started with 2 DVR units, one HD capable and the second one a standard DVR. What Dish advertisement does not tell you outright is a $50 installation fee and it runs your credit. Considering that I am receiving these new devices for $7 per unit lease, I didn't think it was a bad deal. It is not better than owning it outright, but look at the Tivo box that I owe. It is now outdated and useless, and DirecTv was more concerned about receiving the communication cards than its DVR.
It was hard to nail down the price. All customer service representatives gave different prices. I could even tell that one was trying to keep our information for himself and failed to enter our data into the central database. When he took too long to answer questions, I decided to call the central number again, and he was exposed because the second representative couldn't find our inquiry. However, it turns out that it would be roughly $42, including all fees and taxes and a French channel. The latter was something we wanted but DirecTv did not offer it. When I called to cancel, the DirecTv told me that it added a Filipino channel, a Brazilian channel, and a cricket channel. There was absolutely no response on my part. Plus, the $10 discount per month for a year was also not enticing.
We were thrilled that in the first year, there was a $36 per month savings for going with Dish Network, even with the additional French channel, and a $16 per month savings thereafter. Gaining the opportunity to practice French is priceless since my children are half French-American and we are walk-distance to the French Consulate.

                                  TV5Monde through my iPhone

Sling Adapter for Dish Network

Being Caught Up to 2012 Technology

The disadvantage of using an old device that I owned and staying with DirecTv is that we were not keeping up with technology. Who knew that there was a disadvantage with ownership until our Tivo (in addition to our purchase of a lifetime subscription to the information service) became inconvenient. The old remote control was not reliable anymore. Since hooking it up to the second television after the first one broke, we no longer could control the television through the Tivo remote control. There was no remote control from our mobile devices with DirecTv.
However, with Dish Network, it was the total opposite. We learned that it is possible to tape shows away from home. Not only did we have two brand new state of the art remote control devices, but any smartphone can be turned into a remote control.
Plus, with anything new, I am more likelihood to form a close relationship with customer service. With the added bonus of three months of Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, Blockbuster Home, I was on the phone trying to learn about how to watch premium channels online as well as order DVDs from Blockbuster Home. This was definitely a perk compared to 15 years with DirecTv and receiving only one month of one premium channel after I complained that I was unable to use the one free video on demand per year for the last five years because I am an auto-pay customer.
I was also more interested with Dish's website. As I was on browsing DishOnline, I discovered Dish's discussion regarding Sling Adapter. Not only can I control the programming from a smartphone, but with the Sling Adapter, I am able to watch the second television programming on my iPhone as well as watch taped shows that are on the DVR. The only limitation is the low bandwidth that can be frustrating as well as not being able to select television shows because the second television is taping a show. Overall, when the internet feed is regular, I am watching local new on the bus and at work, keeping up with the latest disaster weather in Louisiana where my in-laws reside. If I cannot telecommute on my terms, this is the next best thing. I found myself listening to live shows on the French channel, trying to create a French-speaking environment somewhere other than home. The next time I am at a motel, I will be streaming my premium channels through my computer using Sling Adapter when the shows on television are limiting. I find the television programming in a motel or a hotel to be dismal. I can also watch my shows on the iPhone while the kids watch their Disney program on television, and the family continues to spend quality time together.

Final Word

We spent more time trying to nail down the cost over the phone than the time it took for installation, and one of the two Dish installers had to crawl underneath our house to complete the hookup from the old section of the house to the new section of the house, connecting the two DVRs. This saved my husband a lot of time because he was planning to do this himself. The switch was totally worth it, and I can watch TV anywhere and anytime. What freedom! What a saving!

Every Family Needs To Know About The Reciprocity Program for Science Centers

Exploring Structures

When we joined the family membership at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego, we receive 8 free IMAX theater tickets and a year of fun at other participating science center. The IMAX theater is in a dome. So, after seeing our 2 movies, one of which was the amazing Hubble movie, we no longer attend IMAX movies at local theaters any more. We only want true IMAX experience at a science center.

Renewable Energy

The best thing about a science center is that it is  a hands-on learning experience. As a member of one science center, you have a passport to nearly 250 science centers as part of the Association of Science-Technology Center reciprocity program. Some science centers have distance restrictions that won't allow you to participate in the local science centers that are within 90 miles. Fortunately, the California Science Center which is home of the Shuttle Endeavor is always free, although you might have to print out your reservation to see the shuttle.

We were truly impressed with the Tech Museum in San Jose and Exploratorium in San Francisco, the latter of which is no longer a participating Science Center. Here is the link to the participating science centers: http://www.astc.org/members/pdf/PassPubMay_2013.pdf. 

Bubbles Not Popping On This Surface

Light Activity

Reciprocity Membership at Botanical Gardens Is A Great Money-Saving Perk

South Coast Botanic Garden in Torrance/Palos Verdes

How often are you asked this question: if someone has everything he or she needs, what kind of gift should I get him or her? Well, if this person is an avid gardener, then a membership that allows the person to visit any of the 300 gardens in the United States is the answer. Known as the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program, your membership becomes the passport to a large number of participating gardens in the United States. You also can receive a discount to the gift shop and special events.

Japanese Garden

We joined the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, CA for $60. Since there is no minimum distance requirement from your home (like science center reciprocity), you can visit your local botanical gardens as often as you like. Within a month, we also visited Descanso Garden and South Coast Botanic Garden. While we were on vacation to Monterey, CA, we headed up to Santa Cruz and visited the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, which has one of the largest collections of flowers from Australia and New Zealand. See the blooming flowers that we took in March 2013.

So when there is no festivals or errands to do, we head to botanical garden in our area. My advice is joining the cheapest one in your neighborhood, or the one with the best gift shop. We also find that the state garden gift shops are a great place to find gifts at a great price (gifts that normal retailers charge three times as much). Here is a link to the reciprocity list:

http://www.ahs.org/uploads/pdfs/2013_RAP_Guide.pdf.

How Solar Energy Can Be Affordable

Whenever you choose a solar power system, you will be slowing down the search for coal, which is causing the needless destruction of the Appalachian Mountains. You will be making this planet a better place to live in and you will be stabilizing your electric bill. However, few homeowners, even those living in sunny Southern California, consider this home improvement project. Why? It's just a monumental task.

Factors to consider: INSTALLING COMPANY

There are many different ways to approach the process. I want to share my way. The reason why I chose this factor first is that a good installer will consider the customer's thinking process. By interviewing a few installing companies, I can immediately tell how professional a company is. I learned from our cousins that one leading solar panel manufacturer is Sunpower. By signing up with Sunpower, it will refer you to a local installing company. We used Perma City in Los Angeles.

The other method is to check out www.1bog.com and learn to bargain collectively for a lower price. It's catching on in San Francisco, but I wouldn't know if solar energy would ever become trendy in Los Angeles, despite its reputation for sunshine.

What We Learned At the Home Visit/Interview

 

In addition to the basic information about the licensing and bonding of an installing company, it is important to find a patient salesman who can answer all of your questions. We learned that unlike its competitors, Sunpower considered the disposal of the cells after they are spent. They are non- toxic to dispose. Also, the salesman showed how the panel was manufactured to reduce physical inefficiency, such as thickness of the seams between the cells, etc. Our salesman went to the roof and measured it, telling us that there would be fewer solar panels than we had imagined because the installer must adhere to fire regulations. Finally and most importantly, the installer must explain all of the financial incentives to cushion the cost of the project. These incentives can come from varying levels-- federal, state, and city.

How To Determine The Number Of Panels You Need

First, the salesman asked us for a summary of a year's electricity usage before measuring the roof. A good salesman will sell you enough panels that will product as much electricity as you may need so that it can be affordable. We received a letter with the technically information, offering both Sunpower and non-Sunpower systems:

"The first solar system we've designed for you consists 20 powerful SunPower 215 modules, offsetting 72% of your daily energy usage based on the bill you provided of 1,515 kilowatt hours over a two month period. The second system is composed of 16 of those same SunPower 215 modules, providing you with a more affordable alternative and offsetting 53% of your energy consumption. Finally we have provided an alternative system composed of Sharp 175 modules, which offsets 52% of your power usage and provides with the most cost efficient way to power your home."

We ended up choosing the maximum that our roof can bear to offset the extra electricity we were planning to use because we were in the process of adding a second air conditioning system.

The Financial Factors

We heard about the rental option from another company where for only a saving of $10 per month, you would be using solar power. However, that's not the way to go since you never own the system. By owning the system, after the break even point, you just save the electricity portion of your utility bill and would only have to pay for the connection fee (currently $22 per bi-monthly billing). We were skeptical how the rebates and energy tax refunds work in Los Angeles.

Factor #1: Most solar installing companies offer some type of financing. At one point, recently, Sunpower was offering one year no-interest financing. We were able to obtain the 6-month interest-free financing through its financial partner, Enerbank. After the 6 months, the interest starts to accrue from the first day of the loan. The lender issued 2 payments to the installer, one at the beginning, and the other later on.

Factor #2: How does one get the federal tax portion on time. Since we had only a 6-month interest-free window, we decided that we would contract with Perma City in December. Once you have a contract with a company, you are eligible for the tax refund for that year. So, immediately in January, we completed the tax return forms. Before the change in the energy tax refund, there was a cap of merely $2000, which is nothing. During the year, we contracted to install a system, the incentive was 1/3 of the cost of the project. Right there was $12,000.

Factor #3: How to obtain the rebate portion of the incentive? In Los Angeles, it took longer than we expected, 2-3 months after the utility engineer swaps out the old meter for one that can access solar power and "turn back" the dials. We received a check for $13,000 from the Department of Water and Power just in time to repay the loan.

We still owed about $11,000, but we were expecting $8,000 for all of the interests we paid on the house. In our mind, we had to come up with $3000, rather than $36,000 project price. Further, it's important to find a company that is flexible enough to have the utility rebate go straight to the customer, and we were truly lucky to find one so willing to work with us.

More Than An American Dream -- A Financial Friend for Life

I stumbled upon a novel way to consolidate family debt through refinancing before I read about it in the newspapers or at the start of the world wide web (internet). After three months of looking for a home, I had purchased a small 1938 fixer-upper in October 1996 in West Los Angeles, CA. There were several reasons that led to this purchase. One, I kept overhearing the tax implications for a single person. In short, I heard that a single person has few tax breaks. Second, I had seen an advertisement from a US Department of Housing and Urban Development announcing its annual convention to education future homeowners. At that convention, I attended a lecture where the speaker said that if you are renting, you are buying a house or property for someone else. Third, within three months after moving into our apartment on the Westside, I saw a new notice posted over the mailbox banning all barbecuing on patios. When I called the local fire department to inquire about its regulation, I learned that there was a ban on gas pits on a balcony and not a small charcoal barbecue pit in apartments. Finally, the house is located on a street named after the state from where my husband was raised. So, by October 1996, I cleaned out what little savings I had since I had anticipated only one purchase that year, and it was a new SUV in June.

The Financial Atmosphere in the Mid-90s

Even though I had a decent government attorney position, I felt uncredit-worthy and disappointed when I had left the HUD convention in March 1996 because different representative at several financial institutions could not give me a pre-approved loan letter for the house hunting process. So, you can imagine how difficult it was to find financing within the 90-day escrow period. Back in the mid-nineties, before the real estate bubble burst, you could not combine your income with a boyfriend to qualify for a mortgage. A decade later, the lending world was making so much money that it was allowing any combination of people to borrow money. So, I ended up with an adjustable loan that adjusted every 6 months with a 1 percent margin. All I knew was that the lender was making a lot of money off me. Although the rate started at 8%, 18 months later it was at 13%. So, at that point, we decided that we better consult with a mortgage broker. Fortunately, the mortgage was the type that we could refinance.

Solving Two Problems At The First Refinance

At the same time, I had married, and my husband had delinquent student loans. I had paid off half of it before the purchase of the car. The student loan debts kept growing, and we were looking at $30,000. So, we refinanced $240,000, covering the original loan, the student loan, and several thousand for home improvement.  Our note went from $1400 to a little over $1600, but it was well worth it. The most memorable aspect of the refinance was that our curbside appraisal was determined to be  $600,000, essentially tripling in value of our purchase in 18 months. At this point, we came up with our household proverb, “It’s better to be lucky than to be smart.”

Second Refinance to Improve Our Quality of Living

In 2003, we decided that a small starter home that once housed the prior owner’s family of five was not big enough for today’s family of 4, especially when we had occasional visits from family members living out of state. So, we cashed out $230,000 for an expansion. The rate was at 6%, but the house gave us enough equity that the refinance went smoothly. We had thought that this was the last time we would refinance, but we were wrong.

Recent Refinance for An Historically Low Interest Rate

In 2011, we decided to refinance once more. The interest rate was too low to ignore, and deep down we didn’t like the idea that the loan extended to 2033. We also decided to purchase a quarter of a point because we had the cash and also shorten the loan to 15 years so that it would end at the same time as our initial loan, 2026. At the end, our rate was 3.25% when the average rate nationwide was close to 4%. We dropped our monthly note slightly to $2,635.01. We really love our federal credit union that serviced the military and my sector of the federal government, and we are currently a year ahead in payment. We are not sure if we are going to have to borrow against the equity of our house to send our two children to college, but we won’t rule it out knowing that this little property through refinancing has really helped us financially through the course of our ownership.

You Can Change Your Own Car Oil and Save Money

Changing the oil is probably the simplest auto maintenance task there is, and it can be done by just about anyone. Frequent oil changes can extend your car's life, and help it last longer. I've included the steps here, please read them completely before you start. When you're done, be sure to dispose of the old oil and filter responsibly; most auto parts stores and repair shops typically have a 55-gallon drum into which you can deposit these items; in exchange for this public service, the shop makes a few bucks selling the old oil to recyclers.

Step One: Find An Appropriate Place To Change Your Oil

The first step in changing your oil is finding an appropriate place to do it. Essentially, you are looking for a parking place with a bit of room for you to work and place your tools. The spot you use to change your oil doesn't have any special requirements other than a relatively level surface upon which you can work. It's not necessary to lift most cars to change the oil; the process only requires you to be under the car briefly, and most cars have enough ground clearance such that you can reach underneath and do what you need to do. Some very low cars might need to be jacked up and placed on secure jack stands, or you might want to give yourself more room to maneuver under the car; so if you want to lift the car for either of these reasons, be sure to follow the instructions with your jack and with the jack stands you use. Auto parts stores sell mats and pads that you can place under your car to catch oil spills, but I have found that these are not necessary if one works carefully.

Step Two: Drain The Oil

 

Next, you'll want to drain the oil from your car's engine. Your engine should not be running during this step, as running without oil can damage your engine (sometimes catastrophically). If your engine is warm from running recently, the oil will drain faster but you will need to work carefully to avoid burning yourself. To drain the oil, you will need to place a catch basin underneath the car's oil pan & drain plug. You can use any sort of low basin that fits under the car, but auto parts stores sell plastic basins that work well for this purpose (and often have a pour spot, which will be useful in a later step). The oil pan (sometimes called the "sump") is located at the bottom of the engine, it's an area where the engine oil collects when it's not circulating through the engine. On the pan, there is a hole filled with a bolt called a "drain plug." To drain the oil, unscrew the drain plug with an appropriately-sized socket or wrench and withdraw it quickly, allowing the oil to flow into the catch basin. While the oil is draining, inspect the drain plug; some drain plugs have washers on the bolt, and some manufacturers specify that this washer be changed periodically. When the oil has finished draining (5-10 minutes), replace the drain plug.

Step Three: Remove The Oil Filter   

The next step is usually the most difficult and messy -- removing the oil filter. The oil filter should be changed every time you change the oil. You should move the catch basin on the ground under the car to a location underneath the oil filter (which is usually located on the front of the engine); typically, when you remove the oil filter a bit of oil spills out so you want to catch that. It's sometimes possible to remove the oil filter by unscrewing it using your hands, but there are "oil filter wrenches" available to increase your leverage and make filter removal easier. Once you've removed the filter, you can examine it to ensure that the included gasket has come off as well; if it hasn't, remove it from the oil filter fitting on the engine. Before you put the new filter on, apply a bit of new engine oil to the new filter's gasket to help it seal better. You should apply the new filter using your hands only -- "hand tight" is the expressing shade tree mechanics use.

Step Four: Add New Oil

The last step is adding the new oil. The amount and type of oil is specified by the car's manufacturer, and is typically found in the owner's manual. If you've never purchased motor oil before, you'll find a number of different brands and types of oil for sale at your local auto parts store that meet your car's manufacturer's specifications; more expensive oils generally have useful additives, but any oil of the correct type is fine. Cheap oil, changed frequently, is better than expensive oil changed infrequently! The oil is added through the oil filler cap, which is typically on the top of the engine in an easily accessible location. When you're done, you'll want to check your oil level using your dipstick; be aware that some manufacturers specify that this should be done after the engine has been running, otherwise you'll get incorrect results.

Large White Envelopes: Don't Toss; Just Repurpose

Thick Paper from White Envelope

 

                        Crafters' and Penny Savers' Best Friend

     How many times do you receive large white envelopes? I personally think that they are too wasteful to toss into the recycle bin. And they are good quality weight since they tend to hold heavy or wide materials. I save so much money by re-purposing the good sections of the large white envelopes because going out to purchase sketch books, card-stock and watercolor papers can add up. Secondarily, I feel proud about doing my part in keeping a paper product from a landfill.We all know that for everything that we do, we have to think about reducing, reusing, and recycling in order to save planet Earth for future generations. By using these white envelopes, you are reducing the need to use new paper and you are reusing what you already have, thus saving money.

     First of all, invest in a good quality paper cutter, especially one that can cut at least an 8-1/2"x 11" piece of paper. You want to find one that has clear rulers. The Fiskar paper cutter that I purchased from Michael's Craft Store has clear demarcation of the lengths.  If you want a 6" cut on the paper, you line the paper up to the 6" mark, close the arm and move the rotary cutter over the entire paper. And viola! You have a piece of paper that is 6" as one of your lengths.

This is how I process the large envelope:

(1) Slice off the sides of the large envelope
where  the envelope has been glued. If you don't do this, you are constantly reminded that you have an envelope.

(2) Slice off paper that has writing on one side. If there is a lot of writing on the outside of the envelope, then use the other side for scratch paper. They are great for making grocery lists, jotting down phone numbers, copying recipes for a particular meals, recording Scrabble scores, reviving gel pens and other ballpoint pens, and copying information before storing it in a more permanent place such as an iPhone or Growly Notes, etc.

(3) Then, decide what size paper you like. For me, making gift cards has more value than just small pieces of paper. Have you seen how much a gift card costs at Papyrus? I saw a small gift card starting at $4. So, I find areas of 6" x 3" and fold it to make a 3" gift card, which is in my opinion the universal gift card size.  If there is already a clean fold that is free from writing, such as the bottom of the envelope, I can easily slice a folded section that is 3" x 3" to achieve the same goal. The bottom fold of the envelope if it is free of any writing is the most desirable area since the envelope's fold is already perfect.

 I will cut a piece that is 5" x 2.5" to make a 2.5" gift card. The smallest gift card that I will venture is a piece that is 4" x 2", thus making a 2" card. Anything smaller is just too small to use, unless you are including it in a small jewelry box. You might as well make a flat gift tag such as one that is 2" x 1" and so forth.

(4) After re-purposing  4 large envelopes, I have enough small blank gift cards that my children can use some for Valentine's Day cards. I love spending time making handmade cards with the children, instead of just purchasing Valentine's Day cards and attaching candy to them. I always tell my children that you want to try different art techniques until you own the art techniques.  If the children are not confident with painting directly on a card, I showed them how to paint on a small piece of paper and then we glue the picture to a card.

The Paper Quality Is Good Enough for Water-coloring