The holidays are coming up quick and it’s
officially time to rack your brain (and wallet!) for some gift ideas. But if
you are anything like me, sometimes it’s hard to pick out that perfect gift! If
you fit this profile, buying gift cards may be an easy way to shop. But before
you start loading up on gift cards, consider the following:
Carefully
look at the front and back of a gift card before you buy it.
If a gift card looks like it could have been tampered with, don't buy it.
Ask
the store cashier to scan the gift card in front of you.
This will guarantee that your card is valid when you buy it and that it has the
balance you just paid.
Always keep your receipt as long as there is money stored on the gift card. Many retailers can track where the gift card was purchased, activated and used, which may come in handy if the card is stolen.
Never give your personal information. When you purchase a gift card, no reputable company will ask for your Social Security number, date of birth or any other private information.
Ask about expiration dates when you’re buying a card. This information may appear on the card, but if you don’t see it, ask.
Ask
about purchase fees. Do you have to pay a fee to buy the
card? Are fees deducted from the card, including activation, maintenance or
transaction fees? It might be a good idea to shop for gift cards that don’t
charge extra fees.
Make
sure the store you are buying from will be in business for a while.
If you buy a card from a company that goes out of business, the recipient may
end up with a card that’s worth less than the face value.
Happy Shopping!
Nayla
Hey guys – hope you had an awesome Halloween! I know I did! :)
Did you see Paranormal Activity yet? I’m still too scared to see it! But, because there has been so much buzz about it, I’ve been kinda obsessed about finding out all there is to know about it ... especially since it was totally made on the cheap!
It’s no secret that this movie has been a HUGE success, and what’s so impressive about it to me is that this was a product of creativity and ambition. That’s right – those two qualities are absolutely FREE!
I’m not saying it’s easy to come up with $15,000 on the spot or anything (after all, the movie had to cost something …), but seriously – with everything available to us these days, anyone can attempt to make something original (and make some money from it!) with a vision and some hard work. I wish I would have thought of the idea to make a movie like that!
So, as sort of final goodbye to the Halloween season this year, I’ll leave you with some fun financial facts about the movie:
Now, let me get back to my original screenplay … ;)
Kim
I came across this awesome story about two MIT students who built and launched a space camera for only $150. Goes to show, you don’t need a NASA budget to capture that perfect picture!
This shot was taken at about 93,000 feet high using a Canon camera, a helium weather balloon, a Styrofoam cooler and instant hand warmers to keep the camera and battery from freezing. The students rigged it with a prepaid GPS-enabled cell phone, so they can track the camera when it landed back on earth. They set the camera to take pictures at 5-second intervals and the flight lasted about 5 hours total. The balloon got high enough, that the descent took about 40 minutes to return the camera back to earth. Check out the project website to see the time-lapse video, look at more photos and to read up on how they did this. Pretty awesome and creative! Now, maybe NASA can save money by using some of these students’ ideas!
-Nayla
Hey! Did you hear the news? Apple just dropped the price of iPods today – and you know that’s not the usual! I think this definitely qualifies as a very important money-saving announcement. :)
If you’re bummed that you haven’t gotten an iPhone yet, you can at least get yourself a shiny new iPod touch – the price just went down $120! That’s definitely worth the wait, if you’ve been holding out. Nanos went down by $50, and if you wanna go old school, the iPod classic just dropped by $20.
And, just a little plug for the elements of money podcast, the new one just came out today. Perfect timing, too - it’s all about saving money on all those gadgets I’m – I mean, YOU’RE – dreaming about! Check it out here.
Kim
They fill massive jars… they
hide between couch cushions… they line sidewalks and wishing fountains… and on
occasion, they stir up a little controversy. But what we don’t know about the
common penny is what makes them so uncommon.
Now, I know I am getting all nerdy about the penny, but hey, it’s the little things… So with that, here are some interesting facts about pennies. If anything, you might gain some serious bragging rights after winning a trivia game on account of your knowledge of obscure penny facts… you can thank me later!
-Nayla
I got the chance to check out Kim’s iPhone and it’s pretty sweet! In honor of her new purchase, check out the list of the top 20 all-time free and paid applications.
Although some applications can cost you a little bit of cash (starting at $0.99 and topping out at $5.99 per application), you will find there are tons of free apps you can use. In fact, some are even available to help you save money. Here are a few to check out:
Cheap Gas lets users know where they can find the cheapest gas in their area; also, map the route to the gas station.
My Budget Money Management lets you track your budget on a regular basis and keeps you updated with all your budget needs.
Wi-Fi Finder has a list of more than 200,000 locations across 135 countries. All of these locations are verified hotspot locations that are available on iPhone and iPod touch.
Save Benjis is a free price comparison app that supports over 15 million products.
SnapTell lets you take a picture of a product's cover and within seconds, you'll see the lowest price offered online and you'll also see the closest location with a cheaper price.
Coupon Sherpa is a program filled with coupons and you can create a list of favorite stores, email coupons to friends, and coupons can even be scanned by optical scanners.
Now, if only these apps could help me save enough money to buy an iPhone…
Happy searching!
-Nayla
