Smart phones are cool. I look at the iPhone, or something running Android, and I often wonder how many awesome things I could do with one. Check my email. Update social media. Even, in some cases, put together a presentation. However, every time I think I might spring for a smart phone, I stop and think about what it would really cost me — especially since I’m rarely in a position that would require me to “need” a smart phone.
Adding Up the Costs of a Smart Phone
The most obvious cost of a smart phone, beyond the initial purchase price, is paying for the extra services. Even if you aren’t roped into a two-year contract, the service costs on a smart phone are often higher than what you would pay for a standard cell phone, since you “need” to get a data plan to take full advantage of your smart phone. It’s a recurring charge that comes once a month.
But there are other costs often associated with owning a smart phone. Some of them might include:
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As someone with mild claustrophobia triggered by large crowds, I can assure you that no deal offered on the Friday after Thanksgiving will ever be good enough to induce me to camp out with hundreds of fellow shoppers. Some of my friends, however, have made a tradition of early morning Black Friday shopping who swear by it and even have a great time with the early morning camp-outs. But are the deals offered by retailers on Black Friday really that good? Before you line up outside of your local big box this year, here are some questions to consider:
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Teaching your children where money comes from is important for a few reasons. First, keep in mind that if you don’t teach them these skills, nobody will. Do you really want them to learn about money in the school of hard knocks? I didn’t think so.
Next, when you teach your children these skills, you’re learning too. When I discuss different concepts with my children, they often ask me questions that require research on my end. If nothing else, you’ll be forced to think about your money more deeply than you otherwise might.
And the last reason I want to encourage you to guide your children is that this is a wonderful way to spend quality time interacting and learning together. It will bring your family together in a new and powerful way.
Convinced? Here’s how to start:
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Borrowing huge amounts of money to purchase a home has become the norm in our society, which makes picking the right mortgage one of the most important decisions you will ever make. The perfect solution that works for every situation do not exist, but luckily, there are many rules of thumbs that can help guide anyone to the right decision.
Check out these mortgage articles and a few changes could very well make a huge difference to your budget.
Your Mortgage Questions, Answered
Everyone thinks about these questions, and the answers may be debated forever and ever. But before you make up your mind and build a plan based on that decision, read everybody’s point of view and decide for yourself what’s best for your circumstances.
Refinancing
Have you refinanced your mortgage yet? No matter what the rates are, there are reasons to refinance your mortgage. And remember to check out the current interest rates at the bottom of the page to see if refinancing make sense for you too because taking the step to get a new loan could save you a bundle!
Other Mortgage Facts You Want to Know…
Take some time to think about the most significant relationships in your life. Do these relationships maintain a level of equality, or is the balance tipped in one direction – not when it comes to intelligence, humor, social standing, or anything like that, but from good old-fashioned dollars and cents.
Are you in a rich friend, poor friend relationship?
If one person in a relationship has a drastically different financial situation, tension can be a natural side effect of the disparity. Even if both parties are comfortable with the division on paper, you cannot ignore the fundamentals of core human behavior.
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Would you prefer a nice crisp $50 dollar in your hot little hands today, or would you prefer to receive $55 in 10 months? Chances are, you chose the instant money, despite the fact that waiting would give you 10% more — a rate you’d kill for from your bank’s savings account.
That preference for instant gratification is human nature, but it’s also the reason why we have so much trouble saving for retirement, losing weight, and quitting unhealthy habits. Our brains are wired to prefer the instant, the immediate and the now over the future. Behavioral economists refer to this psychological quirk as hyperbolic discounting.
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