mike r baker / Flickr
Running out of minutes before the end of the month is something that can happen to the best of us. Whether you had a busy week or spent too much time on the phone with your friends, there are ways around racking up huge phone bills if you refrain from using voice calls. With the development of smartphones and the many applications being developed for them, there are many ways in which you can stay in touch with your friends and family without using any phone minutes.
Viber:
Viber is a great money saving application that utilizes VoIP to avoid using mobile phone minutes. VoIP means voice over internet protocol, allowing users to phone each other using the Internet. The quality of voice calls are by no means as good as a regular phone conversation, however considering that you don’t have to pay for this service, it makes it an absolute winner. Having recently added Android support to the application, expect for lots of users to start using Viber.
Skype:
By far the most popular VoIP service is Skype. This software has been developed to support PCs and smartphones, meaning the range of people you can contact has massively increased. Call quality can vary but it’s definitely a good option if you have run out of minutes at the end of the month. Some mobile phone offers include unlimited mobile Internet, meaning that you can technically never run out of minutes if you use Skype to make calls.
Whatsapp:
The most popular texting service between smartphones is Whatsapp, which allows users to send and receive texts messages through the Internet. You can either use your mobile Internet (which will eat into your monthly data allowance) or connect to a wireless Internet point to send messages (free of charge). Whatsapp is supported on both Androids and iPhones, making it extremely easy to get in contact with people.
If you don’t happen to have a smartphone, keeping in contact with people is considerably harder, thus being a good argument for investing in one. If however you want to hold onto your current handset there are ways in which you can still keep in contact with people. Using the Skype application on a computer as mentioned before is the optimal way of contacting people. You may also take advantage of the many free SMS services that can be found with a quick Google search should you need to contact somebody on their phone.
As mobile internet technology develops and non-smartphones are completely phased out, running out of voice minutes will be a thing of the past, but until then, using any of the suggested applications will help you save vast amounts of money and minutes in the long run.
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Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Taking a holiday while trying to be frugal can seem a bit frivolous, but everyone needs a break now and then and going on holiday doesn’t have to break the bank. There are lots of great tips and tricks that can help you to save money, no matter where you are travelling. From a weekend away close to home, to an elaborate two week holiday in Europe, there is no end to the ways you can save money along the way, without compromising your fun.
Be flexible with your dates – accommodation and flights are always cheaper at less busy times. Often charter airlines can be considerably cheaper than traditional airlines. You’ll need to be flexible with your dates as they don’t fly as often as the big airlines, but the savings will be worth it.
Consider renting a self-catering holiday cottage – you’ll have much more room than in any hotel room and will be able to save money (and calories) by cooking for yourself. There are lots of great holiday cottages to rent in the UK, visit Sykes Cottages to get an idea of what is available.
Walk, walk, walk! It’s good for your health, lets you see so much more of a city, and it’s 100% free. Alternatively, use public transport. Decide on some of the places you want to visit in advance and see if there are ticket savings online. This can also allow you to jump the line-up, which is always nice!
Stay away from tourist areas when you are eating out, these areas are always overpriced. Don’t be taken advantage of!
Try any or all of these tips to save on your next holiday and you’ll return feeling renewed and with a full bank account. It really is possible, just give it a try!
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What can you get for 30 cents these days? By our calculations, 30 cents covers a trip to the toilet at London Kings Cross Station, 1/3 of a croissant in Paris and a ¼ of a hot dog in NYC. Or, you could get a bed for 30 cents in one of ten amazing HostelBookers hostels worldwide.
Every day between the 21st and 25th of May, 100 beds will go on sale at 16:00 UK time. Customers can book up to two beds per night, for travel between June 18th and 22nd, 2012.
Some examples of cheap accommodation participating in the offer include Sant Jordi Gracia, a new hostel located in Barcelona and designed to reflect the vibrant Barcelona urban arts scene. There is a fixed-gear bike-inspired common area with a chillout room with big screen and beanbags, plus a kitchen and dining room. Upstairs, guests sleep in four, six, and eight-bed dorms. There’s also a large outdoor private patio area accessible during the day for barbeques, reading a book or meeting
up with friends. Staff are happy to recommend cool places to go in artsy surrounding neighborhood El Barrio Gracia.
Guests can stay for just 30 cents at the Jazz on Amsterdam Ave in New York City. Awarded the ‘Most Popular’ in the HostelBookers Awards for Excellence 2012, it is situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the heart of one of NYC’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. The property features spacious rooms, a private lounge, lobby, café area, luggage storage and a roof deck.
Over in the heart of Bloomsbury, London, travellers can bed down for 30 cents at the Generator, London’s largest hostel with over 800 beds. Lively and funky, it provides a unique atmosphere by entertaining guests with DJ nights, karaoke, quizzes and fancy dress evenings and is close to major attractions like the British Museum.
The Vintage Hostel in Paris and MJ Place Hostel in Italy’s capital of Rome are 2 of the world’s most expensive cities that are offering also 50 beds each for 30 cents.
In Australia, WakeUp! is a fresh, modern hostel and the hub of backpacker activity right in the heart of Sydney. Whether guests are budget-conscious travellers or after a little luxury, Wake Up! offers mixed or all-female dormitory style accommodation, as well as private rooms with and without an en-suite.
Bookings are processed on a first-come-first-serve basis and terms and conditions apply, for further information visit HostelBookers.
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
Charline Tetiyevsky / Flick
Graduation season is here! If you’re heading to a graduation this year, we’ve got you covered. I’ve rounded up some of our best graduation posts to help you save money.
Know a grad and need a thoughtful, yet inexpensive graduation gift? Consider a financial gifts for your grad. Don’t worry, it won’t break the bank. It’s as simple as getting them a financial book to bone up on their personal finances. Our gift ideas work for both high school and college grads!
We have all been there. A friend or a loved one has a special occasion and you want to send a gift, but you don’t have the mailing address. Now, there’s a new Facebook-based service to spare you the embarrassment of having to call or ask around for an address. (That’s especially true if you don’t have a family members’ address.) GiftAccept.com, a unique gift giving website, recently launched a new Facebook application that allows you to sync up your Facebook friends, address books, calendars and
contacts to easily shop, send and track gift giving with just a few clicks.
Gift Accept’s new service works great if you want to impress someone you just met, but don’t want to ask for their address since it may be too soon.
A simple one-step process downloads your Facebook friends to this secure site. Once your Facebook friends are imported, all you need to do is select who you would like to send a gift to, pick out the perfect present and Gift Accept will take it from there.
Gift Accept will notify the recipient that a gift is on its way through Facebook, and email them to get their mailing address safely and securely. They’ll ensure total privacy and there’s no risk of their information being shared or sold. The address will not even be shared between the gift giver and the receiver.
Gift Accept saves Facebook friends, successful first dates, or even longtime contacts the hassle and embarrassment of having to ask for an address – whether you should already have the address and you lost it or maybe it’s just too soon to ask but you’d really like to send that special someone flowers.
The best part: Gift Accept does all the work for you while you sit back after simply choosing the perfect gift for that special someone. If you happen not to have a mailing address, that’s no problem at all.
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
creative1the / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Do you know what you’re giving your mom, yet? Below I share frugal ways to celebrate Mother’s Day without breaking the bank.
1. Make a memory book – If you’re into scrapbooking, put a photo book together. This low cost gift will be filled with memories that mom will appreciate. If you’re not good with scissors and glue, you can also make one using your computer.
Shopping around for car insurance is time consuming and a pain. Thankfully, there are ways to minimize costs when you’re looking for comprehensive car insurance. Below you’ll find tips to minimize your car insurance cost.
Shop around
Using an online comparison site like iSelect can save you money. Settling for the first quote is a big no-no! iSelect aims to save its customers money and time by offering an easy way to compare car insurances. You can also get a free quote! If you’re already insured, you can use the site to compare your insurer’s quote to others.
Be a good driver
If your driving record is clean, you’ll end up paying less to insure your car. Insurers will use your driving record and claims history to evaluate your risk level. The higher the risk, the higher the premium — that’s just one more reason to be a safe driver!
Want to save money on your phone service? Try Ooma. It was recently named the best home phone service by Consumer Reports. Ooma offers long-term savings without having to sacrifice on high-quality phone service or affordable add-on options.
Ooma allows you to take control of how you communicate! Stay in touch with friends and loved ones for free with crystal-clear audio, and home and mobile services.
Here’s how it works: Ooma uses broadband Internet (Voice over IP technology) to provide free home phone service with voicemail, caller ID, and call waiting. All you have to do is plug the device, which costs $199.99, into your high-speed Internet connection and then you plug your phone into the Ooma unit. You don’t even need a computer. Note that many VoIP services can’t be used for emergency calls, but with Ooma you can make an emergency call!
All you pay is roughly $3.50 a month for taxes and fees. For an average family spending $30-$40 a month on home phone service, Ooma can pay for itself within 7 to 10 months, and continue to save them money year after year.
Calls between Ooma phones are always free from anywhere in the world. For those who have family outside the U.S., users can purchase 500 international minutes for just $4.99, plus the $9.99/month fee – that’s a penny a minute!
With Ooma Premier, an optional level of service for $9.99/month, you’ll get more than 25 advanced features including a second line, three-way conferencing, blacklisting and call screening.
To save money on your mobile plan, just download the Ooma Mobile Application, which uses Wi-Fi or 3G connections on Droid phones, iPhone, iPad or the iPod Touch. You’ll save minutes on your calling plan and save up to 90 percent on international calls compared to mobile plans.
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
Buying a diamond on a budget can be overwhelming and confusing. Check out this diamond buying guide from Briliance.com that includes tips to save money when buying a diamond or a ring.
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
ke9tv / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Every time I look in my closet and see my burgundy gown collecting dust, I’m reminded of my prom. I don’t regret going, but I would have done some things differently to save money. I’m much more savvy now and below I share tips to save money on prom.
The ticket – I waited to the last minute to get tickets. Big mistake! I ended up paying a lot more. Many schools have early bird specials so take advantage of them!
Luxury and bargain aren’t generally two words that you associate with each other. This, however, doesn’t have to be the case. There are some great ways to take yourself on a luxury UK holiday at a bargain price; you just need to know how to look for the deals!
Imagine waking up under crisp white sheets, and looking out through your bedroom windows at a view across the sea. At a hotel such a view would demand a premium price, well outside the means of those traveling on a budget. If you were to be staying in a luxury UK holiday cottage, however, such a view would be yours to savor for a fraction of the cost! Self catering holiday cottages are a popular vacation accommodation choice in the UK because not only are they less expensive, you get so much more for your money.
Along with a fully equipped kitchen, a luxury holiday cottage can also offer you a range of exclusive facilities, such as a private swimming pool or hot tub, as well as en-suite bathrooms and state of the art amenities. In short, a luxury holiday cottage can provide all of the conveniences of a 5 star hotel, for a fraction of the cost.
Why is it a fraction of the cost you may ask? Well, holiday cottages are generally independently owned properties that are offered for part, or all, of the year for holiday rentals. They don’t have the overhead costs of a big hotel chain and these savings are passed onto you!
If you’re looking for great luxury holiday cottages in the UK visit www.sykescottage.co.uk today.
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
Below are three ways to save on your wedding day.
Go GREEN:
Eco-friendly weddings aren’t just good for the planet, they can be great for your “green,” too. All-natural centerpieces and decorations, and even invitations and save-the-date reminders on recycled paper, are all ways to lower your wedding’s bottom line. And with more and more retailers getting into the green trend, you’ll find plenty of eco-friendly options to met your color theme and style needs.
Go MODERN:
Traditional wedding bands of gold and platinum are not only pricey to purchase initially, but due to their soft nature, there is the added cost of constantly having to re-polish and buff scratches from the exterior of the rings. Modern metals like tungsten carbide are much stronger and more durable than gold and even platinum. Tungsten wedding bands do not scratch and the purchase cost is considerably lower. Taking advantage of space-aged metal alloys, these modern marvels deliver the toughest, longest-lasting women’s and men’s wedding bands without emptying your wallet, even with a solitaire diamond tungsten ring as seen below.
Go OFF-SEASON:
Brilliant burnt oranges, browns and reds, cooler temperatures and savings. That’s what you get when you book a Fall wedding. Just a few short months after the peak of the wedding season, soon-to-be-weds booking in Fall will find a bevy of venues and vendors offering cut-rate prices and unbeatable deals in a traditionally down period. Take advantage of nature’s beautiful color scheme while reaping the benefits of the Fall wedding season savings all the way to the bank.
This is dedicated content. Want to reach tens of thousands of savvy spenders? Read our blog marketing page.
Happy Easter! aussiegall / Flickr
I’ve updated the printable coupons post with coupons for Easter candy and ham. Make sure to check them out! I can’t wait to have some Easter chocolate this weekend.
I’m spending my weekend baking and cooking my family’s Easter meal that cost less than $40. Hope you have a wonderful Easter (or Passover) and find lots of eggs!
As always, thank you for your continued support of BargainBabe.com.
Yazmin
DG Jones / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
The sky-high food prices are not keeping the Easter bunny away this year. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are shelling out $4.29 more this year on their Easter meals as the average person is expected to spend $44.34! Below I share my Easter menu and how I’m trimming the cost.
For the main dish, I’m roasting a turkey breast. I know it’s not the traditional main course, but my family does not eat pork and the price of lamb was ridiculous. This is the most expensive part of our meal at $16.
We did not accept the political ad - or receive money for it - that ran Tuesday. Credit: DonkeyHotey/Flickr
UPDATE: Phil at Feedblitz got back to me with a brief response. The news is not good. Feedblitz ads are outsourced.
PREVIOUSLY: Reader Jennifer emailed me Tuesday making a case for why I should not have accepted a political ad for Rick Santorum that ran in Tuesday’s email (not on the blog):
I know that you need to accept ads in order to make a living from your newsletter, but I think you might want to rethink accepting political ads. Most of the ads on your site and news letter are for services that save people money so there is an implication that you endorse these advertisers and they endorse you. Rick Santorum is a very polarizing figure, while some of your readers may love him many people rather viscerally hate him. I am guessing that your readership is predominately female. Given how strongly many women feel about Santorum’s attacks on
