Hi all,
Get ready for a rant. Bank of America is the root of (most) evil. Do you remember the poor tax in monopoly? Well, BOA did the following:
a) Got bailed out by our government. You know, the same government that can't seem to properly fund education.
b) Charged me $500 in fees while I waited for a home improvement loan. I would literally have been better off taking a cash advance on a credit card.
c) Has, thus far, refused to make any restitution, despite the fact that there are connected accounts with thousands of dollars in them and I have overdraft protection.
I'm changing banks, for several reasons.
1) Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union has a 5% checking account.
2) They don't have ridiculous fees
3) They didn't need a bailout because they lived responsibly while BOA was making bad loans.
4) They seem to actually care about their members. Shocking, I know.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Costa Rica - travel on the cheap and mistakes to be avoided by silly turisticas
Hi again,
As you probably know by now if you've been reading along, I'm a frugal guy. What you might not know about me is that there are several people in my life who are even better with a penny. My friend Adam is such a person, and many of my new friends in Costa Rica are even more so. I mean frugality in the best sense of the word though - it is a quality, described by Ben Franklin as thrift, that we Americans and indeed much of the world should strive to emulate.
This trip began as a dream between two friends on a hammock camping trip in the early spring. I had just renewed my passport at the behest of my girlfriend. Her urging, with no expectation of benefit or gain for herself, was that a random beautiful stranger might invite me to Paris someday, and I'd have to decline because my passport wasn't renewed. After a few weeks of gentle nudging, I gave in to Anna and filed all the papers. That was somewhere around June 18th.
After I filed, I started thinking about what to do with my passport and then had a conversation with my college friend Adam. We met at Bates in the fall of 99 at Clason House, and he has been one of the most consistent and steadfast friends a guy could ask for. He is reasonable in many of the ways I consider myself to be, and totally cheap (oh sorry, I meant thrifty). He, like me, has blue collar roots and self describes as "salt de la terre" or salt of the earth. This is the highest compliment he pays to others, and I have been lucky enough to be a recipient. So when he said he found tickets to San Jose Costa Rica for $400 from Logan, I said that it sounded like a great adventure.
Since Adam found the tickets, I got the rental car and chose a small 4wd - Suzuki Jimny. I hadn't driven stick in a few years, but I missed the feel of absolute control over the car and the ability to pop start in the case of a dead battery (I thought it might be useful, since on trips there's so much to charge and so much to think about that it's easy to forget to turn off a light and end up with a dead battery. I made the assumption that since Adam and I are so similar in so many ways, he'd pick up driving manual transmission like he was born to it (although he hadn't had a manual since 1998).
That last bit was a mistake. I didn't realized that Adam hadn't driven stick in so long, or that he was so nervous about doing so in a foreign country with narrow roads and many one way bridges and strange intersections. In my hubris and my excitement (as well as my implied friendship/brotherhood assumption that he could do and feel confident doing anything I could do) I pigeonholed us into only one driver for the trip. I don't mind driving, but that became problematic in a few instances.
The trip began, as so many do, in a flurry of excitement and adventure. I applied for my passport 5.5 weeks ahead of the trip, and thought I could get away with not expediting because my girlfriend got hers in 3. I waited patiently for 4 weeks, then called and paid extra for the espediting service. With a few days to go, I still didn't have a passport in my hand. I researched the options, and the day I was to depart for the trip I waited rather impatiently to hear back from my postal carrier that my passport had indeed arrived. Anna advised me to check my credit card statement to ensure that the nation passport agency had charged my card for expedtion.
No passport. After several hours on hold with operators who didn't know the status and couldn't talk to the National Passport Center, they told me it might be at the processing center in Portsmouth NH. So I gathered all my paperwork and embarked on my trip, fully packed for Costa Rica just in case I got my passport that day. I probably drove too fast, but I arrived by two. They were able to find my passport, apologized for not expediting, and turn it around in less than an hour. Worth the drive. To celebrate, I had a great burger and a beer at a local hangout, and amused the bartender by telling her my story of woe.
Then I drove to Boston, after a short stop at the NH liquor store. One can't travel without cheap booze, now can they? I got to Boston for 4:30, picked up my friend and went to Boston Beer Works just outside of Fenway. We re-packed, decided to risk street parking and slept for a few hours (11-3 if I remember correctly). No ticket in the morning, and then we drove to the long term airport parking and got on our flights. It was dark and we were in a rush, so I forgot a few things (most notably my camping supplies, bluetooth headset and digital camera) but we got on the plane with no issues.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
gps, gas rewards and chromecast
Hi all,
Back posting about being cheap (I mean frugal) with a smart phone. First off, chromecast kicks butt. I can use my phone as a remote and use my speakers and tv screen to watch pretty much anything. For just $35, you have a device that can stream nearly anything via an hdmi and a usb charging port. Way cheaper than having a dedicated media machine, an apple tv, a smart tv, playstation 4, xbox, etc. to stream your videos.
Next: gas rewards cards. These are slick. You know how many gas companies give you cheaper gas if you pay in cash? Well, that's not great to carry in huge quantities and it takes valuable time to go in and pay. Instead, install apps like cumberland farms or pride's pay at the pump app, save 10 cents a gallon, and earn free stuff. All for just registering your debit card with them. I think so far, I've earned 10 free coffees, 5 free slushies, and some other stuff. All for filling the tank, which I had to do anyway. Use in conjunction with gasbuddy to get the best deals, period.
One more thing: WAZE. This app is awesome. In many ways, it outdoes a garmin gps. Garmin users may disagree, but this app on my smartphone gives me traffic, road hazards, police, and the ability to ask another waze user a few miles ahead what's happening. Basically, it's social driving. Bye bye radar detector, this thing finds cops because other people are looking out for them. It also routes you around traffic and changes your eta based upon it. One thing Garmin still wins on - it tells your current speed based upon the satellites. We used both side by side on a trip halfway across the country, and I prefer the waze app. Most of the time, the two devices agreed upon the best route, and though stereo directions from both of them was a bit annoying at times, it was neat to see that they (mostly) sent me the same way. We avoided a cluster of cars and police in a big midwestern town and saved tons of time.
Hope these are helpful,
~Mark
Back posting about being cheap (I mean frugal) with a smart phone. First off, chromecast kicks butt. I can use my phone as a remote and use my speakers and tv screen to watch pretty much anything. For just $35, you have a device that can stream nearly anything via an hdmi and a usb charging port. Way cheaper than having a dedicated media machine, an apple tv, a smart tv, playstation 4, xbox, etc. to stream your videos.
Next: gas rewards cards. These are slick. You know how many gas companies give you cheaper gas if you pay in cash? Well, that's not great to carry in huge quantities and it takes valuable time to go in and pay. Instead, install apps like cumberland farms or pride's pay at the pump app, save 10 cents a gallon, and earn free stuff. All for just registering your debit card with them. I think so far, I've earned 10 free coffees, 5 free slushies, and some other stuff. All for filling the tank, which I had to do anyway. Use in conjunction with gasbuddy to get the best deals, period.
One more thing: WAZE. This app is awesome. In many ways, it outdoes a garmin gps. Garmin users may disagree, but this app on my smartphone gives me traffic, road hazards, police, and the ability to ask another waze user a few miles ahead what's happening. Basically, it's social driving. Bye bye radar detector, this thing finds cops because other people are looking out for them. It also routes you around traffic and changes your eta based upon it. One thing Garmin still wins on - it tells your current speed based upon the satellites. We used both side by side on a trip halfway across the country, and I prefer the waze app. Most of the time, the two devices agreed upon the best route, and though stereo directions from both of them was a bit annoying at times, it was neat to see that they (mostly) sent me the same way. We avoided a cluster of cars and police in a big midwestern town and saved tons of time.
Hope these are helpful,
~Mark
Monday, November 4, 2013
Best Buy, Insurance, and To Upgrade, or Not to Upgrade?
Hi all,
It's been a while since I've had time/motivation to write. However, I have a question for you all. I have unlimited data on Verizon, and I know if I upgrade I lose it. Since it seems to me that most communication soon will be data (skype, google chat, etc.) as well as the fact that I routinely use way more than my data quota, I'm unwilling to do this. Does anyone have a workaround/solution for that? I don't need a new phone, but I'd like the Samsung Galaxy s5 when it comes out. Can I win the argument with Verizon to upgrade and keep my plan? Has anyone successfully done that?
I've done some research for what I can buy at amazon/newegg/bestbuy outright, but the prices suck (probably because nobody does it that way).
On another note, Bestbuy pisses me off. Apparently, using their insurance policy (which I've been paying for a year now and can't get out of by walking in a store - you have to call a special number) DOESN'T GUARANTEE YOU A NEW PHONE - JUST A REFURB! Had I known this, I think I wouldn't have signed up. It's only a few dollars cheaper per month than the Verizon insurance, and I'm pretty sure that gives a new phone.
Be Frugal, be well :)
~Mark
It's been a while since I've had time/motivation to write. However, I have a question for you all. I have unlimited data on Verizon, and I know if I upgrade I lose it. Since it seems to me that most communication soon will be data (skype, google chat, etc.) as well as the fact that I routinely use way more than my data quota, I'm unwilling to do this. Does anyone have a workaround/solution for that? I don't need a new phone, but I'd like the Samsung Galaxy s5 when it comes out. Can I win the argument with Verizon to upgrade and keep my plan? Has anyone successfully done that?
I've done some research for what I can buy at amazon/newegg/bestbuy outright, but the prices suck (probably because nobody does it that way).
On another note, Bestbuy pisses me off. Apparently, using their insurance policy (which I've been paying for a year now and can't get out of by walking in a store - you have to call a special number) DOESN'T GUARANTEE YOU A NEW PHONE - JUST A REFURB! Had I known this, I think I wouldn't have signed up. It's only a few dollars cheaper per month than the Verizon insurance, and I'm pretty sure that gives a new phone.
Be Frugal, be well :)
~Mark
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Not cheap, just awesome.
Hi Everybody,
From time to time, things happen in life that really make me wonder. I went on a bike ride in the woods this morning, got irrevocably lost, found multiple survivalist shelters, a bunch of great mountain biking, and eventually, my way out of the woods. I was supposed to go to a concert today, leaving sometime around 1. Instead, I got lost in the woods, found some amazing things, and was helped out of them by multiple good Samaritans.
It all began as a normal Sunday bike ride - we discussed routes, decided terrain, and then hoped for the best. The first guy we passed was a hiker who had clearly spent the last evening in the woods. He stopped us, informed us that he just had passed a bear and her two cubs, and to be careful. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIGN. We didn't find a bear, but about 10 miles later, we were pretty lost with no real way of getting out. The ride borders a dam, and there used to be roads at the bottom of it before they flooded it. So, after a few hours in the woods and no signs of the outside world, we found one of these roads which led into the water. I saw a way around it, and my uncle said it wouldn't work. Having had a difference of opinions, he went his way and I went mine. I forded the stream, hiked up and down a steep gulley, and then noticed a path in the woods. I followed it and ended up at a survivalist hut, a la Bear Grylls or Les Stroud. It had a lean to made of pine branches, a tarp roof, a fire pit and a stocked woodpile. I took some pictures, marveling at how deep in the woods I must be, and then set out. I saw blazes on the trees, and followed them through a briar patch, ripping my poor legs to shreds. Eventually, this led me to the river, almost exactly where I started. Ugh. Maybe my uncle was right (but please don't ever let him hear that).
I followed the coast of the river through some of the best biking all day - mud and stone that had clearly been underwater in earlier parts of the spring. I was breaking new ground, having a blast, until I got to some rocks that were too bumpy to keep riding on. I walked my bike for a few minutes, and saw two blue herons that I had startled wing their way across the water - and over a bass fishing boat near shore.
As politely as I could, I said, "Sorry to interrupt your fishing, but do you happen to know how far up the next road is?" He replied in a slow drawl that it was at least 3 miles to the nearest road that he knew of, then another 2 or 3 to the paved road. From there, I knew I had at least 2 miles north, 4 miles west, and then 10 miles back down south to my house. I had long since given up any ideas I might have had about getting back to my car first.
He pulled his boat in to shore, and despite my protests, said he'd ferry me to the other shore. This saved me, by my rough estimate, at least 10, but maybe up to 20 miserable miles on top of my already epic 15 mile bike ride/hike/pocalypse. He introduced himself, talked about his kids and grandkids, and leisurely putted us across the previously insurmountable river/lake I'd been wrestling with for two hours at this point. I replied in kind, with great gratitude, and tried to help him with his docking procedure, but he waved me off. I explained that I believe in Karma and that he was certainly due a boatload of it, but again he modestly shrugged me off and wished me well.
I hopped back on my bike and sprinted the 5 miles left on my ride. Now I knew where I was going, and was determined to get back in time to help my uncle find his way out of the woods and safely home. A mile from home, I stopped and called my aunt to let her know what was going on, and while on the phone with her, my uncle rode in the driveway. Somehow, he had beaten me home! Against all odds, he had found the exact way out of the forest, gotten on pavement and beaten me home.
I learned/remembered a few life lessons today. I) Appreciate the grand beauty and power that nature offers, and how quickly it can win. II) Don't let disagreements force you to separate in the woods, and III) Never underestimate how kind strangers can be.
I'm always impressed when I travel with how much nicer people seem to be, but it's not just that they're nicer. It's that I have to ask them for things, and they almost never disappoint me. People are almost always nicer than you think they are, if given the chance to be and asked respectfully. My take away in terms of my daily life is that I should ask for help more often - needed or not - because it gives others a chance to shine, and reminds me how good people can be.
From time to time, things happen in life that really make me wonder. I went on a bike ride in the woods this morning, got irrevocably lost, found multiple survivalist shelters, a bunch of great mountain biking, and eventually, my way out of the woods. I was supposed to go to a concert today, leaving sometime around 1. Instead, I got lost in the woods, found some amazing things, and was helped out of them by multiple good Samaritans.
It all began as a normal Sunday bike ride - we discussed routes, decided terrain, and then hoped for the best. The first guy we passed was a hiker who had clearly spent the last evening in the woods. He stopped us, informed us that he just had passed a bear and her two cubs, and to be careful. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIGN. We didn't find a bear, but about 10 miles later, we were pretty lost with no real way of getting out. The ride borders a dam, and there used to be roads at the bottom of it before they flooded it. So, after a few hours in the woods and no signs of the outside world, we found one of these roads which led into the water. I saw a way around it, and my uncle said it wouldn't work. Having had a difference of opinions, he went his way and I went mine. I forded the stream, hiked up and down a steep gulley, and then noticed a path in the woods. I followed it and ended up at a survivalist hut, a la Bear Grylls or Les Stroud. It had a lean to made of pine branches, a tarp roof, a fire pit and a stocked woodpile. I took some pictures, marveling at how deep in the woods I must be, and then set out. I saw blazes on the trees, and followed them through a briar patch, ripping my poor legs to shreds. Eventually, this led me to the river, almost exactly where I started. Ugh. Maybe my uncle was right (but please don't ever let him hear that).
I followed the coast of the river through some of the best biking all day - mud and stone that had clearly been underwater in earlier parts of the spring. I was breaking new ground, having a blast, until I got to some rocks that were too bumpy to keep riding on. I walked my bike for a few minutes, and saw two blue herons that I had startled wing their way across the water - and over a bass fishing boat near shore.
As politely as I could, I said, "Sorry to interrupt your fishing, but do you happen to know how far up the next road is?" He replied in a slow drawl that it was at least 3 miles to the nearest road that he knew of, then another 2 or 3 to the paved road. From there, I knew I had at least 2 miles north, 4 miles west, and then 10 miles back down south to my house. I had long since given up any ideas I might have had about getting back to my car first.
He pulled his boat in to shore, and despite my protests, said he'd ferry me to the other shore. This saved me, by my rough estimate, at least 10, but maybe up to 20 miserable miles on top of my already epic 15 mile bike ride/hike/pocalypse. He introduced himself, talked about his kids and grandkids, and leisurely putted us across the previously insurmountable river/lake I'd been wrestling with for two hours at this point. I replied in kind, with great gratitude, and tried to help him with his docking procedure, but he waved me off. I explained that I believe in Karma and that he was certainly due a boatload of it, but again he modestly shrugged me off and wished me well.
I hopped back on my bike and sprinted the 5 miles left on my ride. Now I knew where I was going, and was determined to get back in time to help my uncle find his way out of the woods and safely home. A mile from home, I stopped and called my aunt to let her know what was going on, and while on the phone with her, my uncle rode in the driveway. Somehow, he had beaten me home! Against all odds, he had found the exact way out of the forest, gotten on pavement and beaten me home.
I learned/remembered a few life lessons today. I) Appreciate the grand beauty and power that nature offers, and how quickly it can win. II) Don't let disagreements force you to separate in the woods, and III) Never underestimate how kind strangers can be.
I'm always impressed when I travel with how much nicer people seem to be, but it's not just that they're nicer. It's that I have to ask them for things, and they almost never disappoint me. People are almost always nicer than you think they are, if given the chance to be and asked respectfully. My take away in terms of my daily life is that I should ask for help more often - needed or not - because it gives others a chance to shine, and reminds me how good people can be.
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