Automatic Savings

Sometimes we need to save but it's tough to get into the habit of it.  That's why it pays to have a FREE online savings account at ING Direct.  They have an online account that automatically withdraws cash for you from your checking account (which can be from any bank) and puts it into your ING savings.  You can designate how much and how often.  For instance, if you decide to have it take $10 a week out of your checking and throw it into your savings, that's over $40 a month right there!

Give it a try and see how fast you accumulate extra cash!

Compare And SAVE!!!!

Ok, "duh," right?  But for reals... if you buy the cheap brand of food, it's gonna taste identical... at least most of the time.  Well, often enough to make it worthwhile in my honest opinion.  I just got home from Food Emporium where I picked up some parmesan cheese.  And I was kicking myself the whole time because I knew I was going to pay more for it there than at Fairway, where I was just shopping yesterday.  However, I was totally happy about the fact that there was the "cheap" brand in addition to the "good" brand.  And come on, it's parmesan cheese.  Once it's on the pasta, who's gonna give a damn?

As you can see in the photo.. the "cheap" brand is $2.00 less than the "good" brand!!  Seriously?  Who in their right mind would choose the expensive stuff?  You know what's even cooler?  They have the price per pound in red on the left of the actual price.  The "cheap" stuff is only $8.98 per pound while the "good" stuff is $12.98 per pound.

It's these little changes.  If you really want to make a difference in your wallet and savings account, get in the habit of making the little changes and you'll see a difference.

Happy shopping!

Creating your own projects

Yesterday I had the great fortune of taking a TV Hosting class taught by Jamie Carroll.  I was expecting to do the norm: get in front of the camera, get coached, get feedback, and sit and watch the rest of my classmates do the same.

But it was so refreshingly different and inspiring.  We started the class by getting in a circle and going around discussing what our ideas were about our own kinds of shows.  Jamie was so good about opening up the discussion.  She asked us about ourselves; what our interests were.  Each of us eight students had an idea and something to share.  But the cool part was that while everyone of us had our idea, at least a few other people, Jamie included, had more ideas for us to go on.  It was like an instant support/advisory group.

We did this for an hour then got around to doing our on-camera work, which was way easier and so much more fun since we now had an idea of who we were and why we were there in the first place.

But the most rewarding part of the class was realizing that each of us had a great idea and entrepreneurial spirit to guide it.  Jamie made sure we left the class with things or work on and goals to set and accomplish.  We learned that most hosts out there had come up the idea for their shows themselves.  And that's what we as actors have to do.  Whether it's hosting, writing a musical, getting a TV show going, or making a short film, it's really up to us to create our opportunities.

I highly recommend the class not just for people who want to be hosts, but for any actor who desires to create something.

Check it out at One On One Productions!

Buying Used Instead Of New

We all buy things.  Just about every day most of us buy some thing or another.  But how often do we buy used items?  Over the summer of '09 I was unemployed.  I wanted a set of dumbbells so I could workout in my apartment.  Over the summer I went on Craigslist and purchased dumbbells... pair by pair, using the subway and my rolling suitcase.  I ended up with a set ranging from 5lbs to 30lbs.  I never paid more than 50 cents a pound.  Had I purchased those same weights new, it would have cost me over $2 a pound!  Needless to say, I saved a lot of money by going used.

Below I've included a link taking you to a great article about things you should consider getting used instead of new.  A car is a perfect example.  My brother and his wife just bought a 2008 Camry.  It had quite a few highway miles but they knew the owner well and knew that the car was well cared for.  They paid only $9,000 for that car.  If they had purchased a NEW Camry (2010 model) like my father did, it would have cost them $21,500.  As we all know, aside from the whole sticking-accelerator thing, Toyotas are great cars and will last a long time when well cared for.  The only disadvantage of buying a car used is that you usually have to pay all cash for it, unless you want to get hit with a high interest rate.  But if you have the cash, it's the way to go.  My Dad scored 0% financing on his purchase, so that was pretty cool too.

Click here to see more items you may consider buying used to save your hard earned cash.

Entrepreneurship

Today, while basking in the Central Park sun, I looked over and noticed a sign reading "Charge your phone here."  I was intrigued.  Not because I needed to charge my phone, but because I was in the presence of a really smart business idea.  I immediately went over and started talking to Victor, the man behind the plan.

He sits out in the middle of Sheep's Meadow on a sunny day where tourists and locals throw frisbees and sip their mojitos and Coors.  The only piece of advertising is a nice, simple sign attached to a walking stick.  He waits.  They come.

Victor has a fully charged battery inside his backpack.  He charges the battery from home.  As you can see in the photos, he also has a solar panel.  He says the panel basically just "keeps the battery fully charged."  He can plug several phones in at one time, having most types of chargers to suit an array of phones.  A typical charge for a dead phone takes about 30 minutes to fill back up.  The cost?  Tips.  That's right, he works only for tips.  There is no set charge.  He says most people tip him about $5.  Sometimes a little more.  Seems like a super good deal considering the closest Apple store is at 5th or the new Upper West Side location.

In the time I observed Victor's walkup traffic - about 1 hour - he took in nearly 10 customers.  As I spoke with him there were three phones charging on his charging docks.  He said "yeah, two of these belong to these guys (the fellas in the photo just above) and the other one to that group over there.  They're gonna charge about 30 minutes or so."

He's been at it for about a week now, coming to the park, plugging people in, and saving them precious play time on sunny days.  When the day is over, he packs it all into his backpack, unfolds his scooter, and rides off.

If you happen to see Victor in the park on a day when you need a refill, give him a visit.  Not only is he offering a great service, he's also a really nice guy.

Balance Transfers And Getting A New Card

This past week I was in Boston doing a reading of a really cool new musical called Unknown Soldier,  by Daniel Goldstein and Michael Friedman at the awesome Huntington Theatre.  While there, a fellow cast member asked me if I knew of a good credit card for transfering her high-interest rate balance.  I didn't hesitate: "Actors Federal Credit Union Gold Card!"  Why this particular card?  Well, they have a ZERO balance transfer fee which is basically unheard of these days.  Any time you want to transfer a balance to a new card, or even an existing card, you will most definitely incur a fee of 3 to 4 percent.  That's a lot!  Plus, you may not even get a 0% interest rate on that transfer.

However, at Actors FCU, if you qualify for the Gold Card, you'll get a zero balance transfer fee and an introductory (6-month) APR of only 1.9%.  That's really good by current standards.

So, if you're one of those people (and there are many right now) who needs to transfer a balance to save money from high interest rates, check out the Actors FCU Gold Card.

One more note of interest: the rate after 6 months only goes up to 8.9%!!!  Good luck finding a better deal elsewhere.. just sayin.

And as always, charge with care :)

Click here to see the card offer.

A link worth visiting.

There are lots of reasons to avoid using your credit card, if you aren't responsible.  One of the main ones is if you don't intend to pay off the balance in full at the end of the month.. especially if you have a high interest rate.  There is an exception: when you are in a "promotional" period and you aren't getting charged interest for 6 to 18 months.  However, if you still have a balance at the end of the promotion, be ready to get hit with big interest charges.

This link goes into a little more detail about the credit card thing.

There are other great pieces of advice in the link as well.  For instance, why you should avoid refinancing your home if you're a homeowner.  Many people buy a home because they want an "investment" and don't want to throw their "hard-earned money" away on rent.  Well, yes, if you buy a home, it CAN be a good investment.  BUT if you refinance, it basically means you're borrowing against the newly gained equity in the home.  Which basically means you're going to owe more money on your investment.  Which basically means you've just reduced your investment by borrowing against it.

But if you choose to "throw your money away on rent," and invest in a Roth IRA, or your 401K, you'll be less inclined to borrow against it or cash it out.  In turn, you won't reduce your investment with careless refinancing.  Also, as we've seen in the recent years, homes can lose their value quickly and take a long time to recover.  Your IRAs and 401Ks and lose value quickly as well, but they don't take nearly as long to get their original value back.  What does this mean to you?  Well, if you're just renting, you won't have to worry about how much your apartment is worth, because the bank won't call in the loan.

If this is too much jibberish, just google the terms "mortgage crisis," "call in a loan on a mortgage," and "why homes get foreclosed when values fall."

It's lots of fun.

Enjoy the link and happy saving!