7 items that you should totes stop spending money on
DeAndre' Upshaw on Mar 31, 2009 Friends.
Please, first ignore my use of "totes" in the title of this post. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but by the time that I wrote it, it was too late. IT WAS TOO LATE!
Anyways. Moving onsies. (Dangit, "onsies?!)
The Wall Street Journal has released a list of seven things that you could save money on by simply not buying. These are products that are either costly in convenience (like number 1) or peace of mind (like number 2.)
So, without further ado...
7 Things That Aren't Worth Your Money:
- Bottled Water
- Extended Warranties
- Gym Membership
- Overdraft Fees
- Organic Produce
- Auto Insurance (re-negotiate to save money)
- Music Downloads
The two that stand out to me the most are bottled water and extended warranties. Bottled water not only comes in those pesky bottles (recycle, ya'll!), but the markup of bottled water is like 300%! Run to H-E-B and get a reusable water bottle and a filter, and you'll spend about $7 once every few months as opposed to a dollar a day!
Looking at extended warranties, it's important to look at how much the item costs, how you'll be using it, and your level of expertise with the item. For instance; I don't need extended Apple Phone Support for my Macbook because I have a high level of expertise with it.
However, it's important to look at the price of the warranty in relation to the product. Warranties on normal tech items rarely go higher than a few hundred dollars. On a $2,000 television, a $100 warranty is probably worth it. One note of advice, though: buy your warranty from the manufacturer.
For instance, if I go to Best Buy and buy a Sony surround sound system, I'll want to buy my warranty from Sony as opposed to Best Buy. At the end of the day, the people at Best Buy are trained to deal with a myriad of products; the guys at Sony actually built the product. Depending on the warranty, Best Buy may still be able to service your item under the warranty.
Hit up the Wall Street Journal for their reasons why and more fun-ness!
Also, today is the LAST day to comment and sign up for E-Updates for a chance to win an XBOX 360 and Guitar Hero Aerosmith!
DeAndre'
