Last week I dropped by the Verizon Wireless store to snoop around a bit. My 2-year agreement was up, and my existing cell phone had taken a beating. In fact, the outer LCD display was cracked and non-functional from the time I put the phone in my pocket and then smashed my keys (in the same pocket) into the phone. Now I had options. Lots of options, and that is a good thing from a consumers standpoint.

At any rate, I had also been looking at my monthly cell usage. Between my wife and I, we rarely were using more than 200 anytime minutes per month, …

I read a post by Robert Frank at The Wealth Report blog hosted by The Wall Street Journal Online today that left me scratching my head.

It might be my engineering background that had me thumbing my nose at the post, but generally it’s my propensity to question what they’re not telling you that really had me intrigued.

The author noted that as evidenced in the book “The Millionaire Next Door,” it’s those who pinch their pennies, drive old pickup trucks and make conservative investments that end up getting ahead in the financial game.

The author goes on to …

I was in Best Buy this afternoon looking to upgrade my Norton Internet Security program to a newer version.

After checking out the latest in big screens, I strolled over to the computer section. For the women out there, regardless of why us guys go to Best Buy in the first place, checking in at the television and computer department is a requirement for every trip. Gotta keep up with the latest and greatest you know, even if it’s only for informative purposes only…

I digress.

So I stroll over to the computer department, and low and behold, they don’t have a single computer on display. …

Andy posted a comment on my recent eBay shopping experience revealing to me that there is more to eBay than just entering a maximum bid value and hoping no one comes along at the last minute and beats you by mere pennies.

Introducing eBay sniping.

Sniping is really a method of having a program automate your bidding.  As I mentioned in my previous post, with two days to go I placed a bid for a set of sun visors for my wife’s Honda Accord.  In reality, I just jacked up the price on myself, allowing others to see that I’m interested …

I’m in search of a drivers side sun visor for my wife’s ‘95 Honda Accord.  Our local Honda dealer wants naming rights to our first born, and the local salvage yard wants naming rights to Honda.  Get my drift?

I’ve found that a great place to find old auto parts is, none other than eBay.  But there’s a trick to not only finding the parts, but getting a good deal on them as well.

I found the parts I need with a few days left to go in the bidding process.  The one and only bid was for $0.99 for both the …

Increases in energy costs are not isolated at the gas pump.  Electricity costs are rising as well, thanks in part to higher natural gas prices and scalding hot temperatures across the nation.  As demand for energy rises, power companies switch on additional power plants which use natural gas rather than coal.

So it was no surprise yesterday when my flat black mail box not only looked hot, but heavy as well.  Reaching inside revealed an electric bill for $138 for last month.

Actually, the numbers were a bit better than I had expected, since the sky high temperatures throughout the Midwest have kept my air conditioner working …

Here are some tips to save you some money by adjusting your household habits and making some changes around your house:

Light bulbs

Replacing your regular incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) will require 70 percent less energy, and while they cost more than regular bulbs, they will last much longer.

Install dimmers on light bulbs to save energy and extend their life. Timers work well for front-door and security-related lights; sensors, which turn on lights only when needed, are ideal for outdoors.

Potential Savings: At least $90 a year.

Total Energy Savings: If every American home swapped just five incandescent bulb fixtures for Energy Star CFLs, it would keep 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air and save $6.5 billion in energy costs.

Of all the morning rituals, shaving is the worst.  What’s not to like about taking a razor blade to your face and removing a layer of skin while wobbling in a half awaken stupor?

If only we had a razor blade that would remove hair to the skin on one pass, making the art of face sculpting much less demanding.

It seems the shaver wars are still raging, as Gillette has added their 5 bladed Fusion to the shelf for a whopping $11.99.  That’s just for the handle and a single cartridge.

Need a refill pack?  Get eight cartridges for only $28.99.

Rather than spend a fortune …

It’s never good when you have to take your car to a mechanic for repairs.  It will always cost you an arm and a leg, no matter what kind of work you have done.

Recently, we took my wife’s Honda Accord to a Honda dealer to service the air conditioner.  The result:  A leaky evaporator, a leaking Schrader valve, a bad o-ring, a leak in the….  I quit listening at that point, all I wanted to hear was how much it was going to be to fix the darn thing.

$826.79

Ouch! Smoke started pouring out of my ears, gears were moving at warp speed, the grip on the phone was starting to cause …

That 411 service provided by my cellular service provider has come in handy on more than one occasion. Of course, on that first occasion, I was a bit surprised as to the cost of that handy service, making me think long and hard about how badly I needed that telephone number or address information in the future.

Now, however, it appears that the “Google-esque” advertising business structure has made its way into the 411 realm.

By dialing (800) FREE-411, you get the same service as dialing 411, only for free.  The way they make their money is by playing an advertisement when you …