Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Law And Technology

I am not a technology lawyer, but I wish I were. I worked at a business school for quite a while and was exposed to all of the excitement of start-ups and technology transfer. There is a lot to think about when it comes to technology, including nondisclosure agreements, fair use and copyright, ownership rights and disputes, and risk management.

I know some about fair use and copyright from all of my years as a journalist. That knowledge has held me in good stead as a blogger and attorney. I really know nothing about ownership rights, and a smidgen about risk management.

I learned about nondisclosure agreements in my remedies class in law school. The idea of a non-disclosure makes sense, because you don't want others to learn your secrets and then pass them on inappropriately and financially benefit from that. That is why some companies ask independent contractors to sign such agreements. I have been asked to sign nondisclosure agreements for some of my freelance assignments. It has been kind of funny, though, because in the course of my work, I didn't learn anything that I could have passed on. So the nondisclosure agreement was unnecessary. I wondered why they asked me to sign one, unless they don't really know how to use such an agreement, or maybe they weren't sure of the scope of the project at first. But I signed it, and the freelance gig went nowhere. Go figure.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Figure It Out

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker


I wanted to figure out how to help save electricity around the house because man, our bills had gotten so high. I started turning off lights left and right AND I’ve become that person who unplugs all her appliances when she’s not using them – that’s the type of responsible citizen I want to be. Who am I kidding, I didn’t start doing this out of any eco-concious breakthrough, I just didn’t want to have to break the bank paying my utilities each month! A friend told me about a website where I could get fixed rate energy and I jumped on that chance…it really helped me narrow down my options and save some money right off the bat. It’s still up to me though to try and curb my usage which is hard in this huge old house – the electricity seems to just leak right out of the walls or something. I’m going to keep doing what I can though and we’ll see how that ultimately works out for me.

Monday, December 5, 2011

I Am Gazelle Intense!

For those of you who listen to the Dave Ramsey radio show, you know the phrase "gazelle intent."  Dave encourages his listeners to be gazelle intent in getting rid of debt, using the metaphor of the gazelle as its intent on running away from lions and tigers on the savannah in Africa. He wants you to be that focused on it.

I feel as if I have truly been gazelle intent in the last several months. I am working at my regular job, doing a little legal work part time, doing freelance writing, and mystery shopping. Whew--that is a lot of work. I do feel like I am working all of the time. I am making great progress in paying off my debt, even though it is not as fast as Dave would like. I still have a nasty little habit of meeting friends for dinner too much and blowing my budget. But I am working on scaling that back. And I need to stop overdrafting. I still do that from time to time, and that sets me back and runs counter to my goal of being debt free.

Sometimes I feel like I am working too much, and that has me worried. Like, I am not exercising as much, or sleeping enough, or stressing too much on all the work I have to do. And yes, people have made fun of me being on my computer so much. I have tried to tell them that part of the reason I am on the computer a lot is because of my internet businesses. But they don't get it.

I think within a year and a half, I will have my debt paid off and will be able to slow down. But also what I would like is for my internet businesses to take off, and I could make more money with less work. A dual goal. I am gazelle intent.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Yes, You Can Stop Collection Calls

I am the first to admit I have not been smart about my money. Right after college, I ran up some debt and never really worked at paying it off until recently. I should be debt free within 15 months. So excited!

But I remember when the days were dark for me. When I thought I might have to declare bankruptcy. Luckily, I didn't. I remember the darkest days when American Express kept calling my office at my previous job. Some chick who was a bully kept calling my office and harassing me. Literally harassing me. I had gone to Europe and a few months later got an AE bill that I could not pay off in a month. I never knew what happened. I might have been charged for items I didn't buy or overbilled, but I never investigated. But I tried to work out a payment plan with American Express. Poor naive me. 

The bully kept calling me and calling me and being so hateful. I am glad I had a private office with a door back then. I would shut the door and swing back at the woman. I fought hard. She was so snarky. This went on and on for days. I was in tears most of the time. I needed to stop collection calls! And the sad part is, I knew better than to get so enraged. I know how to stop collection calls, but even I got so rattled, I couldn't think. 

Eventually, I was able to make a payment plan, and that did stop collection calls. But not before it took a real toll on me. I think that was what started my bouts with high blood pressure. These collectors can be rotten people. I did get the last laugh, however. I reported them to the Better Business Bureau, and I got a letter some months later saying they had been found to be wrong and were chastised. And like Dave Ramsey, I will never have another American Express card. They do bad business. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

When Is My Credit Score Going To Improve?

I have been very good with credit the last few years. I have not used any credit cards and have been paying off my balances. So much so that the balances are now under my credit limits. But my credit score is still poor and not improving. I used to check it every once in a while with one of the free credit score  sites and saw no improvement. I then decided to get serious and got a  FreeScore membership and now check my credit score and report every month. But I still see no improvement. What gives?

I think I read somewhere that it is harder to have a good credit score now. Not sure of the details of the why or how, but that the numbers have been tweaked. What used to be a good score is now just a fair score. So maybe that is why mine is still in the toilet? I did have one collections item added to my report--when I switched from comcast to ATT, there was a balance with comcast I forgot to pay off.  That must be the problem. Maybe if I go ahead and pay that off, it would go up.

I know Dave Ramsey says not to worry about credit scores or reports. That you shouldn't rely on credit anyway, so a bad score doesn't really matter. That is good in theory, but not so much in reality. I want to buy a house in a couple years, so I am concerned about it. Maybe it will be better by then.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

You Win A Lawsuit, But Where Is Your Money?

You get injured or otherwise have damages coming to you from a lawsuit. You have been through the wringer just to get to the point of the lawsuit and then the trial. And then you win and have been awarded a large judgment. That is wonderful! But what is not so wonderful is that it takes forever to actually see the money, or it comes to you in small increments. Meanwhile, you have had to pay for all kinds of doctors bills or repairs and maybe you can't even work. You are out of money! What do you do?

You could try to take out a loan or borrow from friends or family. But you may not have that option.  There are companies that give lawsuit cash advances--they go ahead and pay you and then they get reimbursed when your money finally comes in. I don't know the details about such transactions, and what the associated fees may be. I don't even know if it is a good idea to get one of these advances--I just know they exist.

The companies that offer  lawsuit cash advances advertise on TV and such, appealing to those who may not have savings. Can you imagine going through an accident or a medical malpractice injury, and then being on the verge of losing your house or otherwise  being destitute? I guess a fair number of people find themselves in similar situaitons.

I know I worry about having enough money, and I haven't had a serious injury or accident. If something like that happened to me, I might check into one of the lawsuit cash advances just to find out the details.  The stress of worrying about money and getting by would add stress to whatever negative situation you are in. I hope to never be in such a situation. But accidents and injuries do happen unfortunately.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Tools For Managing Business Finances

I have challenges managing my personal finances, so probably would have a hard time with business finances too. I don't know for sure, because I haven't had to manage any business finances yet. But I  may be taking over a company at some point in the future,  so I worry about how I would manage. I can't overdraft my business checking account, that is for sure!

Lucky for me there are some ways around my limitations. I have mentioned I am not good at math or money or some operations, and people have said there are some tools I can use. People have mentioned that there are some online accounting and bookkeeping software options out there that I should check into. And I could always hire an accountant or bookkeeper. I could also buy some estimating and planning software to help me out in those areas.

So I guess I won't despair. There are tools that can help me. In the meantime, I continue working on being better with my money.

Flood Damage Costs A Lot In Money And Morale

Parts of my city flooded a couple of years ago. Luckily, my area escaped devastation, but other areas weren't so lucky.  People were frightened at how fast the water rose, and they had to escape the best way they could, many by boat. One woman said she looked out her door and saw the water a foot away from the house, and an hour later, it was up to the second floor.

What was odd was that some streets and houses were totally underwater, while other streets 500 yards away were dry as a bone. That enabled those who were not affected to immediately come help those who were, however. Our city is good about things like that.

I have a cousin in Austin who also recently had severe water damage. The creek near his house flooded and damaged his basement and first floor. He was really worried as his wife is disabled and can't walk on her own. But he was able to get her out in time, and they were able to go somewhere safe. Now they are repairing the damage and will be able to move back in soon. One small perk is that they will end up with some nicer appointments in their home; they will be replacing their water damage wood floors austin with nicer floors.

I feel particularly bad for one of my cousin's neighbors. He not only had flood damage, but a couple of years ago also had a house fire. http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-restoration-services/smoke-fire.shtml I really don't see how he can cope. He must be superhuman to get through all of it and remain optimistic. I hope he has better luck in the future.

Flooding is terrible, as is fire, and it takes a toll not only on your finances but on your psyche. It can be hard to face the devastation, especially when you don't have flood insurance, or enough homeowner's insurance, and you've lost everything. You are back to square one, or maybe even worse off than before. But as they say, as long as you are safe and still alive, you are rich.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Trading Stocks 101

I have my 401Ks, not much of a savings account, and I am terrible at managing money. So, I know I need to get better at this. I need to budget, clip coupons, stay home once in a while and invite people over for a drink at my house instead of going out to expensive restaurants and bars.

My most recent effort at saving and making money involves the stock market--or more accurately, dipping my toes into the stock market. OK, so I am not one of those top tier stock owners. No company is going to tremble at the thought of my owning a few measly shares of their company. But I have wanted to do this for some time and to learn about trading at my own pace. So I started a sharebuilder account. I have been able to add a few shares of this or that stock every week for minimal cost. Not making much money yet, but am enjoying the learning process. (At some point though, it needs to become about making money!)

So, in the process I have been doing some research on stocks and finding out what looks hot or not. I have been reading everything from information on the sharebuilder site itself to articles in Smart Money, Wall Street Journal, Motley Fool, and some other informative sites, including press releases from the chemical investment banking group and other such entities.

Even though most of these articles are not relevant to me and my investments, it is good to learn what is happening in different sectors. If you read trend reports in money magazines or WSJ, or a chemical m&a advisory or stock analysis from another source, you may know what to do with your money when you have gained a substantial amount. Or what companies to invest in now. If you know that a company is being acquired or merged, that can clue you into how the compay may perform in the future.

Or simply put, reading such material can also prepare you to talk intelligently about mergers and acquisitions when you are at a fancy dinner party, and the people next to you are talking about a deal in the works. Never hurts to know the lingo and what is going on in the sectors.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Think Twice Before Filing Bankruptcy

Years ago, I was afraid I might have to file bankruptcy. Drowning in debt, it seemed like a distinct possibility. But I didn't, and I have been on payment programs for my credit cards since. Within a year and a half, I wll totally be out of credit card debt. So excited! I remember when it was five years until being debt free and it seemed like I would never get there. Now, I it is within grasp. I am glad I did this. Too many times, people may choose bankruptcy, when they can work the problem out for themselves. And a bankruptcy will dog you forever.


Then I went to law school and became interested inb being a bankruptcy attorney. I took the class in school and have since graduated, bot I have not followed through yet on being a BK attorney. I almost took a chapter 7 case, but I taked him into making a payment plan instead. I would really like to have a BK practice someday. I haven't bought the software yet--it is pretty expensive, plus I have't worked out my schedule yet to be able to take some classes. There were some other things that I needed to figure out, like where to find a bankruptcy class for my clients to take (it is required.). I have heard that an online bankruptcy course would fulfill the requirement too. There are a lot of things to think about when taking on this area of law. But I think it would be interesting and also lucrative in this economy.

Going Back To School Expenses

One of my more interesting mystery shops lately involved dental assisting schools. I had to contact a couple of different schools and pretend that I was interested in going back to school and switching careers. The type of schools I was to shop were of the "career college" ilk--those that you frequently see advertise practical type degrees that you can earn in a year or two. So I had to come up with a reasonable explanation that why all of a sudden I wanted to change course 180 and become a dental assistant.

I thought I was pretty convincing. My industry, and therefore my company, are going downhill because of the economy, and I need to be trained in a field that will have demand in the future. So dental assisting makes perfect sense!

If  I really needed to do that, I think it would actually be a good idea. So I went through the whole rigamarole, and learned about the schedules, fees, courses, and most importantly, how well the school administrators handled my inquiry.

One of the things I thought interesting is that students need to wear scrubs to class. http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/. I don't know, but am guessing, that that is to get the students in the right frame of mind. Which makes sense.

For such short degree programs, the students can rack up some debt. But at least they have a good chance of finding a job quickly to pay it off. Some things they can do to help keep costs down are look for used textbooks and find scrubs on sale. Every little bit helps!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Budgeting

Content by Sol Rosales
My husband has really gotten into budgeting over the last handful of months. He has gotten our family on a cash budget, and it has really helped us manage our finances better as a family. I grew up in a fairly wealthy family, and I never worried much about managing money. It was not a skill I needed until after college. At first I did not think using a cash budget was going to work, but it has helped us keep much better track of our spending. We allot a certain amount each month for all of our spending needs, and we simply do not spend more than we allow ourselves for a given month. Using this method we have been able to cut into our credit card debt and are beginning to save for the future. My husband works hard, and I work part-time as a nurse, but we are still a middle-income family. One thing that has helped us figure out how much we are spending every month on energy is to switch to a fixed-rate energy system through http://www.texaselectricityproviders.com/. This allows us to know exactly how much we will be spending every month on energy for our home. We also have switched to less expensive internet and cable providers in an attempt to save money. Probably the single biggest thing we have done to save money is to eat out less. I used to dread cooking, but over the last few months I have actually learned to like it as I become more comfortable in the kitchen. It feels so good to feel control over our finances again.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Saving Money Online

I am very focused on trying to save money and looking for new ways to do so. I am wanting to use more coupons, so am trying out electronic coupons as well as paying more attention to the tried and true paper ones. But I have to be careful not to use a coupon to buy something I normally wouldn't buy. That would defeat my purpose. So far, I haven't done much of that. I just need to find more coupons to save real money on groceries and other items of use. And then actually upload the electronic ones or take the paper ones to the store. So much to think about!

Another goal is to try to find deals on online auction and coupon sites. Again, not to spend money on things I don't need, but on things I do. I have used ebay, half.com, groupon, and living social. I am reading some dealfun.com reviews to see what that is about. Mindfulness about not spending money is what I need. I am getting better at being mindful about not spending some of the time, but not all of the time. I need to be mindful all of the time.

I have come to realize that I will always need to keep vigil about not overspending and keeping a budget. It doesn't come easy for me. I am beginning to think I need to start every day with a little meditation or mental reminder to keep my wallet shut. I just don't have the genes to do it otherwise. I am beginning to think that.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

How To Live Well On $40,000 A Year

I saw this article the other day and was eager to read it. I make more than 40K a year, but not much. I am always looking for tips on how to make money go further, yet live well. I read the article and was a little disappointed. No real insight--just mainly talking about living on one salary and saving the other, and teaching their daughter to give away 10 percent of her allowance, save 25 percent, and spend the rest.

Maybe you have to buy his two books to get to the good stuff? Maybe I will buy them and read them, but I want to see real budget tips.


Monday, October 3, 2011

Older Boomer Women Not Prepared For Retirement

We have been hearing for some time about how a great number of people are not prepared for retirement, but this video points out that older baby boomer women are among the least prepared. The report profiles women in their 60s. It also points out that less than 10 percent of boomer women have pensions and only 32 percent of 401ks.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44764814#44764814

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Renting Out A Room For Extra Cash

Some homeowners or renters have been making some extra cash to pay bills by renting out a room or rooms in their homes. I know of a guy who has done this for years--renting out to multiple people--and never ever had to pay his mortgage. His renters paid it for him!

I'm not sure I would be comfortable with this. I think it is hard to meld peoples' lifestyles. But then again, you could get used to having people in your home and might even like it. My place now is really too small to even consider it. If I had a bigger home, it could be a possibility.

Here is a link to an article about renting out a room in your home. There is some good advice in the article--especially to know your landlord/tenant laws in your state, do phone interviews with candidates before you meet them, and have some house rules set up.

http://money.msn.com/home-loans/should-you-rent-out-a-room-weston.aspx

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Real Finances Of The Real Housewives

Like many people, I was shocked at the death of Russell Armstrong, husband of Tyler Armstrong of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. (I am an ardent watcher of these shows.) I don't think all of the details about why he did this are known yet. He left no note. But he and Tyler were getting divorced, but more in line with why men usually commit suicide where the sad state of their financial affairs. Totally over their head in debt and being sued to boot. He was an investment banker, so I would think that he would know better than most of us how to manage his money. But as the link below suggests, this financial mess is not contained to the Armstrongs, but applies to many of the housewives in many of the shows. Just goes to show you that financial worries knows no zipcode.

http://wonderwall.msn.com/tv/the-secret-reality-of-real-housewives-14481.gallery?gt1=28135

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ginger Lemonade To Cool Off In The Summer Heat

Guest post written by Tom Abrams
Like my wife says, there's nothing like burning up in the heat and trying to keep your power bill low. It requires a whole lot of sitting on our front porch in the early evenings when it cools off outside so that we don't have to run our air conditioning units nearly as much. Well, it also helps to eat or drink something really cold while we're doing that, but we were in the mood to try out something special a few nights ago.

Being retired, we had time to do this and go to the grocery store to get the ingredients. So I used our internet to look up recipes and while I was looking around, I saw the site http://www.cleartvbundle.com/. I read it and after that I chose to change over our home internet service to it, so we did.

We found this recipe for ginger lemonade and it sounded so interesting that I couldn't resist trying to fix it. It tasted really interesting, but once you got over the initial weirdness, it was pretty delicious.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Target Savings Accounts

I read an article today about having multiple savings accounts to boost your savings. The article said you need three types of savings accounts: 1) emergency fund, 2) retirement fund, and 3) for some intermediate goal, such as travel.

Right now, I have such accounts in place. My emergency fund account is at my credit union. My retirement fund is in two different 401Ks, and my intermediate goal fund, for travel or downpayment on a house is in a mutual fund.

So, my accounts are in place. Now I just need to put more money in them!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Get More Business Through Customer Contact

One thing I am learning is that to make money in your business, you have to have regular contact with your customers. You can do that in multiple ways: direct mailings or email. If you do email markeing, you probably need some kind of email list management tool.

I am not at that point in any of businesses yet, but I hope to at some point. I am still small potatoes, lol, but one of these days I hope to really hit the road running.

And then I want to make money quickly! Get out of debt and save money--buy a house. Live well and enjoy my life. Thatis definitely the plan.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Disclosure Policy

This blog accepts compensation for certain posts and affiliate advertising. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics, or posts made, and individual posts may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. A paid review or opinion post, however, will always be labeled as such. The author will always give her honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences with products or services on such posts, and these opinions and views are strictly the author's own. Any claim or representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Use Coupons To Save Money

I have not gotten full steam into using coupons, but I am starting to cut them out of the paper and also add electronic coupons to my grocery store cards. I will start organizing the paper coupons, so I know exactly what I have and can use it when I need to. Every little bit adds up, and I need every little bit!

One thing I need to do is look for ways to cut down on my entertainment costs, which includes going out to eat. I do that a lot, and it adds up. I am going to start looking for restaurant and entertainment coupons that would help cut down on the costs. I have heard of Groupon, which offers coupons for restaurants and entertainment in different cities. I have signed up for Groupon, and have started receiving their emails with local offers and discounts.

Like any other coupon though, you have to make sure that restaurant and entertainment coupons don't end up making you spend even more money. Just because it is a bargain, don't use it. Only use it if you were going to do it anyway and want to save some money.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Wanting To Make Money Online

I am more and more interested in making money online. I do a little bit already, but I want to ramp it up! I want to work a 4 hour work week, and you can do that online. I am going to a bunch of local meetups dedicated to wordpress, seo, podcasting, and such. I am hoping to learn how to create my own website, but if it proves too difficult for me, I will look for a professional web design company. I am really into the writing side of the web and want to do it as much as possible, but the technical aspects of setting one up and the design are a little bit out of my league and interest level. Plus, such a company could help guide me along the path and point out things I might not think about.

A lot of print journalists don't feel comfortable writing and working for online publications, but not me. I am getting to love it more and more, and it makes it so easy to work from home and make money. Hard to do that in print journalism. Plus, with online you get that instant gratification--you can see your article  published immediately! You just hit publish, and wala, there it is! No waiting for the printing press to roll to see your byline.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Learn How To Make Lots Of Money While Working A Four-Hour Work Week

Have you heard of the 4 hour work week? Of course, I mean a 4 hour work week where you still make a lot of money. Doesn't that sound good? If you only worked four hours a week, you could travel, volunteer, do anything you want the rest of the week. But exactly how does one get to the point where you can do this?

Well, right off the bat, I know it sounds like a gimmick, but it is not. It takes a lot of work. And you have to have the desire and stick-to-it-ness to do it. And it probably involves using the internet, but if you are reading this post, you are already familiar with the internet and more than likely could use it in a business or to create a business.

It involves finding a niche and leveraging your skills to make money. You can be a freelance writer, blogger, computer programmer, a whole bunch of things. Then you have to work hard and maybe collaborate with some folks. Join some forums and read up on how to make money on the internet. Once you get started, then you can build up your business. When you reach a certain level of success, you can then start to outsource some of the tasks. That is how you get your business better and better and then start working less and less, as you outsource more.

It is also good to interact with folks of like mind, who also want to succeed in this way. That way you can ask questions and get new ideas, and maybe find one mentor or more. You can start learning all of this from such sites as Project Getaway, which is designed to bring entrepreneurs together in exotic locations to succeed in business while designing a four hour work week type life/work balance. You can become a member of the Project Getaway forum, and get right into the game.

The other good part is that you can do some of these internet businesses with little or no upfront cash. Just get in there and do it. Find out how on the forum.

What a great way to get out of debt and make lots of money for the future. And have fun too.

Savings At The Thermostat

I was listening to an energy show on the radio this afternoon, and they wre talking about how to save on heating costs. One way was through the thermostat. They said the control should be set at 68 degrees in the winter. Even one or two degrees over that can make your heating bill go up one or two percent. This winter, I have been keeping it at 70, so I have been losing a little money there. I am setting it back to 68 this afternoon.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Debt Fast Sounds Like A Great Idea

It is still January and there is still time to make New Year's resolutions. I am going to reaffirm that I am going to save money and pay off debt. Cut back. Simplify. Enjoy small things. Free things.

This coming after I just got back from a very expensive vacation. But I am hoping the vacay fits into my freelance way of life and isn't money ill spent. Plus, I had a great time.

But now that I am back, it is time to settle down. I need to spend time at home with my critters, simplify, smell the roses, so to speak. Save money, Invest. I have to to if I want to do well in the future. First things frist: Get rid of the debt.

Here is a great article on how someone paid off $18,000 in a year by going on a debt diet.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/14/pf/anna_newell_jones/index.htm

Lost In The Casino

I just got off the cruise ship and am taking a moment to reflect on my vacation. It was a wonderful trip to the Caribbean. I heard lots of good music, saw some good friends, made some new ones, and relaxed and caught up on my sleep. I spend too much money on the cruise itself. Even though cruises can be a bargain, this one is not. But the extra money I spent is worth it, I believe. This is my third year to go and hope to go again in the future. I justify it because it seems to me that I would end up paying just as much if I were going to all the islands individually. Oh well, at least I am trying to justify it. I think in the long run, the money will be worth it.

One thing though, I went to the casino last night. I only play slots and only the low baller slots at that. At one point, I had one $164, which is a lot for me. I should have cashed out. You know what they say--pigs get slaughtered, and I lost $80. So I feel blue about that today. Just can't afford to lose $80 like that. Funny, I also like to play bingo, but there were no games onboard. People laugh at bingo and say it is only for old people. I kind of like it, but admit I wouldn't want to play everyday. I might look for some bingo sites and play myself. Might be fun.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Buying Business Supplies Cheaply

At work, we are always on the lookout for deals on office supplies. That is probably not unusual, especially in this day and age. We buy our business checks, pens, paper, printer ink, etc., and we seem to run those items like crazy. We have our suppliers, but they are not always the cheapest, so we might start looking online. Of course, quality and prompt service are also considerations, not just price. But now that companies are more competitive, I am sure we can find better prices, along with quality and fast service without any problem.

In business or personal life, every little penny adds up. So it is good to look for ways to cut costs on such things as supplies, so you don't have to cut costs by laying people off; or in personal life, doing without things you want or need. I am trying as hard as I can to find ways to trim fat here and there (including my waist line!).