The Dividend Pirate

Like the rest of the country, we are also being hit hard by the high gas prices. Gas has crossed 4 dollars a gallon(ouch!!! I remember filling a tank at 1.81 dollars a gallon three years back). We have 2 cars and my wife and I drive 40 miles each daily. On an average our gas expenses were coming to 250 dollars per month(plus other related expenses due to driving like maintenance, etc…). So due to the spiraling costs, we decided to start taking the bus to work.

In Seattle, we have the concept of a “Park and Ride“. You drive your car to the Park and Ride, park your car and take the bus from there(pretty cool concept right). The Park and Ride is at a 4 minute driving distance from my place. In general Seattle’s public transportation is so much better than Los Angeles. In Los Angeles the big automotive companies never allowed the public transportation to gain good ground. Seattle’s is way better. In Seattle downtown, during the day public transportation is completely free. Riding the public transportation for me is free anyways because my company provides me with a free bus pass. Having ridden the bus for a week, I prefer riding the bus than taking a car because

- it helps me save money. If I save 250 dollars a month and invest it at 10% a year then in 30 years I should have 565,121.98 $$ saved. Now that’s quite a lot of money. You see the power of compounding. Try my savings and other calculators at http://dividendpirate.com/financial-calculators/

- gives me time to read a book.

When you first sign-up for Comcast cable or internet you will usually get a very good deal for the first 6 months or so. But after the 6 months your bill will shoot up big time.

This happened to me recently. When I first signed up for Comcast I got a terrific deal and my cable + internet bill was coming to less than 50 dollars. After 6 months my bill increased to the usual rate which came to around 95 dollars.

A simple phone call to Customer service was all that was needed to lower my bill by 30 dollars every month for the next 6 months. I gave a call and said that I was getting a better deal from DirectTV and unless they reduced my monthly bill I would switch. In just a few minutes they reduced my bill to 65 dollars a month for the next 6 months. A savings of 180 dollars with no hassle of rebates, etc.

So my friends call 1-800-COMCAST (1-800-266-2278) now and avail of this offer instantly. Just tell them you are getting a better deal from DirectTV or any other competitor and save money. For that matter you could try this on any cable or internet service provider you are using. They want customers and you can do some arm twisting easily to save money.

If you do save on your bills, please comment on this article and bookmark it using digg, reddit and stumbleUpon. I will really appreciate it. Thanks.

Update:

Looks like Comcast customer service is having a difficult time today handling all the cancellation calls. I am including some comments that users posted on reddit and this page after contacting Comcast customer service,

Gas prices keep going up, and our wallets keep getting thinner. Below are the top 10 ways to save money:

Fill the car early in the morning: Only buy or fill up your car in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all gas stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the fuel, when it gets warmer gas expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not exactly a gallon.

Fill slowly: When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

Fill only half your tank: One of the most important tips is to fill up when your tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gas evaporates faster than you can imagine. Petroleum storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.

Do not fill if there is a fuel truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy,.Most likely the gas is being stirred up as the fuel is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

Its the beginning of 2008 and can you guess which is the most popular New Year Resolution. Well the title says it all. Statistics show that more Americans join a fitness center in January than the rest of the year. Consumers are highly motivated to fulfill their New Year’s resolution for weight loss, and the winter weather usually makes outdoor exercise difficult.

The usual cycle that happens is that for the first two weeks you will sincerely go to the gym, feel good about yourself and then slowly the effect will start to wane out. After not attending the gym for 2 months you realize that there is a better use of your money so you go to cancel your gym membership and thats when you realize that you have signed a 1 year contract and will have to pay a hefty cancellation fee. Friends, a gym membership is useful when you actually go to the gym.

If you can relate to the above experience and want to do something about it read on,

1. If you live in a place like LA where the temperature is moderate you can always run out. The fresh air will be better for your body than running on a treadmill in the gym. Memberships can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars a year. If you lift weights you can buy weights and do your exercises at home. Body Noble is a great book that contains exercises that you can do at home and are as effective as going to the gym. There are also other fun cardio-vascular sports like tennis, basketball that you can play which will not only help with your fitness but also help you in increasing your social network.