Nikon D70

Canon PowerShot SD780IS

Canon PowerShot SD780IS

On Amazon the camera has about a 4 1/2 out of 5 star rating based on user reviews.

Sony Cyber-Shot

Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1

The camera can shoot up to 10 frames per second. And when set to manual mode, you can set the aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. One of the things I like best about this camera is the 3 inch display.

Sony Cybershot 3

The Sony Cybershot normally sells for $499.99, but is regularly on sale at Amazon.

Panasonic Lumix

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

The other nice features is the 3 inch LCD display, which is a nice tough on such a compact device. The camera retails for about $350, but you can check out Amazon sales by clicking here.

Nikon D3000

Nikon D3000

One of the really cool fetures of the D3000 that I don't have on the older D70 is in-camera image editing. You can actually edit the picture without the need for a computer. The Retouch Menu offers 13 editing functions, including trim, red-eye correction and soft filter. The D3000 is available from Amazon for about $530.

The initial idea was simply to charge a fee for each movie rental.  The total cost after shipping was $6 for each DVD rental and if you decided to buy the DVD you rented, Netflix would simply charge your credit card and the movie was yours.  Problem was, no one owned a DVD player pre-2000 and so the Netflix client base was extremely thin. Luckily for them, a few good partnerships and the success of the DVD turned the first quarterly profit for Netflix in 2003 and there’s been no stopping this red enveloped monster since.

So what makes Netflix so popular?  Convenience, Quality, Pricing.  Simple as that.

Convenience – One of the main reasons Netflix is trouncing Blockbuster right now lies in the simple click and rent ability Netflix has.  Even more convenient is that you can watch thousands of streaming movies online through your Netflix subscription.  No more driving, walking around and waiting in line to rent a movie, everything comes straight to your mailbox and FAST.  Netflix has distribution centers located all across the country so you can be assured that the wait is almost always two business days or less.

Quality- All DVD’s are in excellent condition and if anything ever happens to a DVD while it is shipped or even at your residence, all you have to do is file a quick form online and a replacement DVD will ship in the next business day.  The online movies you have available to you are also of excellent quality.  Back when they first became available, Mac’s could not use the function and the video was extremely choppy for PC users.  My, they've come a long way.

Pricing- In store rental charges from Blockbuster (Around $5 for a new rental) pale in comparison to the plans you have available for Netflix.  Below is a current pricing list for Netflix.  I think you'll find the 3 DVD's at a time to be the best bang for your buck but there are a wide variety of plans for all types of movie watchers.  I'm also pretty sure they have the 8 DVD plan listed just for humor.

In addition to the low pricing Netflix has to offer, they are famous for their Two Week Free Trial.  Sign up, select the 3 DVD’s at a time option, and watch six movies in two weeks.  (Or nine movies if you're fast!) If you don’t like what you see, make sure you cancel before the 15^th day and get out without paying a penny.

So where does Netflix go from here?  Well the future isn’t looking too bright, as the DVD will inevitably be phased out just like the videotape was.  I know Microsoft and Apple are going to be kicking their streaming movie apps into full gear at the turn of the decade but it’s tough to bet against a company that had 23 consecutive quarterly losses!  Look for Netflix to enhance their features, lengthen their Two Week Free Trial Offer and possibly create a way to rent DVD’s that filter straight to your brain.

What costs more per ounce than imported Russian caviar? At $22 per quarter-ounce, the cost of printer ink cartridges reminds us of why we got that inkjet printer for "free" when we bought our last computer.

Last month my wife took our kids to Staples to get school supplies. They called me while they were there to ask if we should get replacement printer cartridges for our HP OfficeJet 6310 All-in-one-printer. We then spent 10 minutes on the phone figuring out how many we needed, how many we could afford, and questioning why hp printer cartridges cost so much.

And every time we need to buy printer cartridges, I promise myself I'm going to look into lower cost alternatives. Even if it means buying a new, more expensive printer, it's worth the investment if the ink refills don't cost an arm and a leg. The problem is that the ink cartridges run out of ink so fast, that we're back to the store to buy more before I've figured out an alternative.

Well, I've finally done the research and found some lower cost alternatives. The alternatives include finding places to buy brand printer ink cartridges for less, use remanufactured ink cartridges, use printer ink refill kits, and to buy printers that use less expensive ink. None of these solutions will make printing "cheap," but they all can save a lot of money.

5 Facts About Printer Cartridges That May Surprise You

Before we get to ways to save money on cartridges, check out these facts that may surprise you.

1. Razor and Blades: Manufacturers of printers and printer ink cartridges typically follow the "razor and blades" business model. In the shaving industry, manufacturers give away the razor and sell the blades (which also cost a small fortune). The printer industry is the same. The sell the printer at cost or even at a loss, and make their money on the printer cartridges.
2. ISO Standards: The cost of ink cartridges is so expensive that the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have set standards specifying how printer manufacturers should test printers to determine the yield or cost per page of the printer.
3. $21 billion: According to one study, the printer ink cartridge business generates $21 billion a year in sales.
4. Lawsuits, and lots of them: While ink cartridges might not seem like the subject of the next episode of Boston Legal, there have been lots of lawsuits involving the big brands in the industry. Epson has been in lawsuits over the selling of remanufactured cartridges. Canon won a lawsuit in Japan prohibiting the sale of Canon remanufactured ink cartridges. And HP has been involved in lawsuits alleging unfair competition in the marketing of recycled cartridges.
5. Recycling cartridges reduces our dependency on foreign oil: Cartridges are made of plastic, which uses oil in the manufacturing process. Depending on the size of the cartridge, the amount of oil can run up to nearly a gallon. Just another good reason to recycle!

Low Cost Brand Printer Ink Cartridges

The most expensive option is to buy brand cartridges. Whether you have an hp, canon, epson, or lexmark printer, buying print cartridges from the company that manufactured your printer will cost the most. For some, however, there are reasons to stick with a brand cartridge. For starters, manufacturers implant microchips into their cartridges. These chips communicate information about ink levels back to your computer, a feature that a generic cartridge won't offer. In some cases, the chip is also required for the cartridge to work at all, a feature some manufacturers introduced to keep consumers from buying cheap generic cartridge alternatives. Epson is well know for this tactic.

In addition, depending on what you are printing, you may feel that the brand cartridges offer better print quality. Some studies support this conclusion, although generic alternatives have greatly improved print quality according to some studies. Finally, it's important to remember that the cost of the cartridge is not the key factor; it's the cost per page. A generic cartridge may cost less, but if it doesn't provide the same number of printed pages, the cost savings may be less than you expected.

If you chose to stick with a brand cartridge, buying online is almost always your best bet. We've started using 4inkjet.com, which seems to offer very competitive prices. You can easily search for the ink cartridges that work with you printer at 4inkjet.com. Check out the end of this article for some links by printer brand to the 4inkjet website.

Remanufactured Printer Ink Cartridges

A cheap alternative is to buy a remanufactured ink cartridge. The remanufacture or recycle process is pretty simple. The cartridge is cleaned and tested to ensure there are no cracks or other structural anomalies that would impair the cartridge's functionality. Ink is added to the cartridge, which is then inspected for any ink leakage and run through a test cycle. In addition to minimizing its impact on the environment by recycling the cartridge, remanufactured ink cartridges are also significantly less expensive.

For example, for our HP OfficeJet 6310, a new HP ink cartridge (#98-black) bought online costs about $25. A remanufactured cartridge runs less than $10.

Ink Refill Kits

If you are willing to do the work yourself, you can also reuse cartridges with an ink refill kit. A kit for the HP #98 cartridge costs about $13 and comes with enough ink to refill a cartridge 3 to 4 times. Eventually, the cartridge and print quality will degrade, so an ink refill kit won't eliminate the need to buy a new or recycled cartridge. But it will enable you to get three or four print cycles with the same cartridge for a lost less than cost of buying new.

Low Cost Printers

Picking the right printer in the first place is also a great best way to keep prices low. As a general rule, the lower the cost of the printer, the higher the cost of print cartridges. Printer and ink manufactures rate the cost of each print based on the yield or number of printable pages for a given ink cartridge. There are many factors that will affect the yield of the cartridge, including the type of paper used and the print quality selected. But factoring in the cost per page of a printer before making your buying decision can save you a lot of money in the long run.

When examining a printer's cost per page, make sure the manufacturer's estimating process follows ISO standards. You'll find that the cost per page will vary widely from one printer to the next. It's also important to consider how you'll use the printer. The total cost of ownership will vary substantially depending on whether you'll use the printer every few days to print out a couple of pages, or whether you'll be printing hundreds if not thousands of pages per week. For limited use, a low cost printer with higher cost ink cartridges might be the best economical choice. As your use of the printer increases, however, it's likely that a more expensive printer with less expensive per cost printing will be the best option.

Where To Find Cheap Printer Ink Cartridges

As I promised, here is any easy to use ink cartridge finder. Simply select your printer, and you'll find a wide selection of brand cartridges, remanufactured cartridges, and ink refill kits at competitive prices for your printer:

If you prefer to shop at Amazon, you'll find a similar tool by clicking here.

Having spent 7 years in college and law school, I can testify to the fact that there are three major problems with college textbooks: (1) they require the harvesting of a lot of trees to produce, (2) they are a pain to cart around, and (3), they cost a fortune. At least one company, CourseSmart.com, is trying to address all three of these drawbacks by offering cheap college textbooks online in the form of ebooks. Well, "cheap" may be a bit of an exaggeration, but half-price for textbooks that can in hardcover run $1,000 or more per school year is worth checking out.

I first heard of CourseSmart through the good folks at the Dollar Stretcher. CourseSmart allows students to buy textbooks in the form of ebooks. The ebooks can either be viewed online through CourseSmart, or students can download the ebook and view it through free software provided by CourseSmart.

CourseSmart currently offers more than 7,000 textbooks in over 900 courses. And the online viewer offers some great functionality. Students can highlight the text online, take notes online, and of course search the full text of the ebook. In addition, the page numbering of the ebook is the same as the hard copy version, so there is no confusion when a professor references a specific page. And pages can be printed if necessary.

Naturally the big question is exactly how much will CourseSmart save a student on textbooks. So to compare prices with Amazon, I picked an Algebra textbook called College Algebra with Applications for Business and Life Sciences, Enhanced Edition. Amazon offers the book new for $156.95 and used for $119.00. The CourseSmart price for the ebook version is $78.49. And if you're curious what the etextbooks look like online, you can preview the textbooks at CourseSmart.

Finally, here's a video CourseSmart put together to describe how textbooks can be viewed online.

Fact: Many of us have not tried to lower these monthly bills in the last year, if ever.

Fact: Many of us could save hundreds of dollars a month by taking a few simple steps.

Do you agree with the above statements? For me, it was the realization that I was sending unnecessary money out the door for monthly expenses that led me to write 99 Painless Ways to Save Serious Money. It's a book that provides tons of information, links, tips, and resources on how to reduce the cost of everything from cable to gas, health insurance to cell phone service, and online shopping to credit card debt.

In a moment we'll look at how you can get a copy of the book (for free), but first, we need to talk about how to get control of our monthly bills. It really is a simple 3-step process to bring "shock and awe" to our monthly bills. Here are the three steps:

1. Monthly Bills: Evaluate each monthly bill (e.g., phone, insurance, cable, credit cards) and ask three questions: (1) Can you get rid of this service, (2) Can you reduce the expense, and (3) Can you get the service for less from another provider.
2. Utilities: Reduce the cost of electricity and natural gas by making simple, inexpensive changes to your home.
3. Shop Smarter: Use the power of the Internet to get everything from vacations to books for less.

Let's now take a look at each of these steps.

Step 1: Evaluate your monthly bills

In this step, write down on a piece of paper or in a spreadsheet each of your monthly bills. Include bills that you pay every six or twelve months, too, like life and auto insurance. And next to each bill, write down how much you pay each month. If the expense varies from month to month, just guess at an average for now. Note that we are not including utilities, which we'll get to in step 2.

For many of us, monthly bills will include the following:

• Telephone service
• Cable
• Cell phone service
• Internet service
• Auto insurance
• Life insurance
• Homeowner's insurance
• Health insurance (even if provided through your employer)
• Mortgage/Rent
• Home equity line of credit
• Credit cards
• Credit monitoring
• Club/gym memberships
• Magazine subscriptions
• Car loan payments
• School loans
• Gasoline

Next, go down the list one at a time and ask these three questions:

1. Can I eliminate this expense completely?
2. Can I reduce this expense?
3. Can I get the product or service from another provider for less?

If you really start to think creatively, you can find ways to lower these monthly costs. Take cable service for example. First, can you get rid of cable completely? Today, free digital HD TV is an option.

Second, if you don't want to get rid of cable, can you lower the cost by, for example, reducing the channels you receive. Is Netflix a less expensive option than the movie channels offered by your cable company? And if you can't think of a way to lower the expense, call the cable company and ask them if there is a way to lower your bill.

And finally, consider whether you can get the same service from another provider for less. In the case of cable, consider satellite service through Direct TV.

And this is where my new book, 99 Painless Ways to Save Serious Money can help. I've listed tons of ideas and resources on how to attack just about every monthly bill one can have.

As you go down your list of monthly bills, keep track of how much money you are saving. It may be only $5, $10, or $20 per item, but it can add up to a significant sum once you complete step 1. And reducing these costs generally does not require any sacrifice in how we live our lives. Once you've gone through every monthly bill and asked the three questions, it's time to move on to utilities.

Step 2: Utilities

Each year, utilities consume a larger and larger portion of our monthly budget. Energy Star estimates that the average family spends about $2,200 a year on utilities. For many, it's a lot more. If we can shave even $50 off our monthly bill, we pocket $600 a year without sacrificing our standard of living, and we do our part to conserve natural resources and the environment at the same time.

What's great about step 2 is that there are some really simple and inexpensive steps we can take to bring down our energy use. I won't go through all of them here (get the book!), but here are a few ideas:

• Conduct an energy audit of your home: It's easy to do and will show you where your home is leaking money!
• Install a programmable thermostat: They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. According to Energy Star, a programmable thermostat can shave 20% of your heating and cooling bills.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs: They last longer, which means you'll replace bulbs less often. And the consume a lot less energy.
• Buy energy star products: This may be obvious to some, but energy star products consume less energy than other models. When shopping for everything from a refrigerator to a dehumidifier, look for the energy star label.
• Consider tax breaks: Today, significant tax breaks are available for energy efficient home improvements, so make sure to take advantage of these if you plan to make improvements to your home.

These are just some of the ideas you'll find in 99 Painless Ways. With a little effort and relatively small investment, we can bring down our energy costs.

Step 3: Shop Smarter

The final step deals with how we spend money on everything from groceries to vacations. The Internet provides a wealth of resources to help us get more for less. For example, did you know that. . .

• certain car tires can increase gas mileage
• finding the cheapest gasoline in your area is a snap on the Internet
• you can print grocery coupons off the Internet before you go to the store
• if you don't have prescription drug insurance, there is a website that can help you get significant discounts
• there is free software available for just about everything you would need to do on your computer

I could go on, but you get the idea. And that brings us back to 99 Painless Ways to Save Serious Money. In the book you'll find tips and resources to save money without sacrificing your lifestyle. This is not a book about eating out less, or spending less on clothes. 99 Painless Ways is instead focused on the three steps described above.

The book is free for those who subscribe to the weekly Dough Roller newsletter, which you can do by filling out this simple form:

I hope the book helps you bring some "shock and awe" to your monthly bills.

Ride sharing, also known as carpooling or vanpooling, has minimal costs because it makes use of vehicle seats that would otherwise be unoccupied. Unlike public transit services, ride sharing does not require a paid driver; therefore it will have an overall lower cost per mile. Ride sharing is ideal for longer commutes of at least 10 miles or more and is one of the most common and cost effective alternative modes of transportation.

Here is a rundown of the benefits of carpools, followed by some links to helpful resources to get you started.

Cost and Benefits of Carpooling

The American Automobile Association reports it costs an average of 54.1 cents per mile to drive a car. This average takes into account gasoline, oil, maintenance, tires and vehicle depreciation. On a 50 mile round-trip commute, the cost is $27.50 per day, $577 per month, and an eye-popping $6,924 per year. Once you factor in tolls and the cost of parking, your commute gets even more expensive.

Using your car less will reduce the amount of gasoline and maintenance you need to operate it, which will save you money. Some insurance companies even offer discounts for reduced driving. Also, if you lease a car, you might be able to reduce your monthly payment by leasing at a lower annual mileage if you intend on ride sharing.

Carpools offer Flexibility

You don’t have to ride share everyday or even roundtrip, which makes it a very flexible option. If there are certain days of the week that work best for you, just ride share on those days. Many ride shares make things as convenient as possible for all riders by making the arrangements as close to door-to-door as possible. By ride sharing you can often have a faster commute because you can take advantage of the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes that are restricted for vehicles with only one rider.

Environmental Impact of Carpooling

Carpooling can significantly reduce greenhouse emissions. According to one report, driving just 10 percent less, by walking, cycling, carpooling, or taking public transit, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.2 to 0.8 tonnes per year. By driving less it will help improve the air quality and result in cleaner air. In fact, car pooling for just three days a week can cut individual ozone producing emissions by 30 percent.

Resources

If you’re not sure how to get started there are various ride share websites that can help you get connected with other commuters in your area. Below are five online resources to help get you on your way to saving money and reducing your transportation footprint.

• Ridesearch - helps you find other commuters in the area for a safe, secure rideshare experience.
• Ride Share Directory – offers a national and regional directory of ride share links
• eRideShare - connects you with other commuters and gives tips on ride sharing
• Commute Smart - connects commuters in the Southern California area
• Ride Share Online - helps arrange daily commutes and cross country trips
• nuride - is an online community where you can save money and earn rewards when you carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, telecommute or take public transit.
• Craigslist - offers rideshare listings by city.
• Carpool Connect - helps you find carpool and rideshare opportunities in your neighborhood.

Photo Credit: Tronics

Would you like to get digital quality TV and most of your cable channels for free?

If you answered yes to these questions, June 12, 2009 is your lucky day. June 12 is the deadline for broadcast TV stations to switch from an analog to a digital signal. This switch from analog to digital broadcast television is referred to as the digital TV (DTV) transition. As of June 13, 2009, full power television stations will only broadcast digital, over-the-air signals. Many local broadcasters (42% to be exact) have already made the transition.

For those cable and satellite customers that would like to stop paying the TV each month, this article will walk through each step of the process. Here's what we'll cover:

1. Cable versus free digital TV picture quality
2. Digital TV converter box (do you need one and where to get it)
3. Reception quality
4. Access to cable TV shows
5. Alternatives to the digital video recorder (DVR) provided by cable companies

Cable versus free digital TV picture quality

Free digital TV picture quality is as good or better than cable and satellite. One of the reasons is that over-the-air digital TV is less compressed than cable, which often results in better picture quality. Keep in mind that there are three types of digital TV:

• Standard Definition TV (SDTV) - SDTV is the basic level of quality display and resolution for both analog and digital. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format.
• Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV) - EDTV is a step up from Analog Television. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen (16:9) or traditional (4:3) format and provides better picture quality than SDTV, but not as high as HDTV. Enhanced Defintion Television
• High Definition TV (HDTV) - HDTV in widescreen format (16:9) provides the highest resolution and picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound and picture quality in television. (Note: HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing — HDTV is one format of digital TV.)

Free digital TV can transmit each of these types of digital TV.

To find out which TV stations have converted to digital TV in your area, you can use this lookup tool from dtv.gov.

Digital TV Converter Box

Whether you need a digital TV converter box depends on the kind of TV you own. Fortunately, converter boxes are inexpensive, and you can get a $40 coupon.

As of March 1, 2007, federal law required all TVs to have a digital tuner. If you bought your new television after March 1, 2007, you won't need a converter box. For those TVs purchased earlier than March 1, 2007, markings on the TV or in the manuals should indicate whether it has a digital tuner. These labels may contain the words “Integrated Digital Tuner” or “Digital Tuner Built-In.” Keep in mind that “Receiver” may be substituted for “Tuner,” and “DTV,” “ATSC,” or “HDTV” may be substituted for “Digital.”

Also keep in mind that digital TV and HDTV are not the same. You may have a digital tuner but not have an HDTV. If you want to watch HDTV, you will need a high definition television, and that's true whether you have cable, satellite, or free digital TV.

If your TV does not have a digital tuner, you need to do two things. First, you need to get the government sponsored $40 coupons for the digital converter box. Each family can receive two coupons, and they can be obtained through the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Coupons are generally mailed a few days after a request is submitted via the Internet.

Second, once you have the coupons, you need to buy a converter box. You can find a wide selection at just about any electronics store. You'll also find a wide selection of converter boxes at Amazon for reasonable prices.

Reception with Digital TV

Reception will vary depending on your location and antenna. In urban areas, a set-top antennae will likely be sufficient. There are tools to determine the reception quality in your area. The place to start is AntennaWeb.org. This website will tell you which TV stations have switched to digital TV, what the signal strength is, and the type of antenna needed to get a clear reception.

Keep in mind, however, that antenna web focuses on outdoor antennas. With set-top models, it may be best to simply buy one and try it out. Reasonably priced models can be found at electronic stores, and they are easy to use.

Getting Free Cable Channels

There are now several ways to get cable channels without cable. These options are via the Internet, so you'll need to connect your computer to your TV or get a special device (like TiVo). But if there are cable shows you can't live without, check out these resources to see if they are available without cable:

NetFlix: This is my first choice, and what we are going to use as soon as I get our antenna set up. With the NetFlix unlimited plan ($8.99/month), you also get over 12,000 movies and TV shows (including current season episodes) to watch instantly on TV. You can connect your computer to your TV to stream these shows.

There are several really good features with NetFlix.

1. Instant TV + DVD rentals: With instant movies and TV from Netflix's unlimited plan, you can still check out up to three DVDs at a time throughout the month. So you get the best of both worlds, and the instant TV/movie feature doesn't cost anything extra.
2. Set-top device options: If you don't want to connect a computer to your TV, there are several alternative devices (NetFlix calls them Instant Devices) that can stream the TV/movies. These Instant Devices include the following:

   TiVo HD DVR: With TiVo, not only can you stream NetFlix, but you can also record TV shows for playback later. If you chose this option, make sure you get the HD DVR version (retails at $299, but is currently $30 off from Amazon), which is required for digital TV.

   Xbox: If you have a gamer in the house, the Xbox can also steam Neflix video.

   Roku: The Roku digital video player is designed specifically to stream NetFlix video. The box costs $99.

   Blu-Ray Players: Both LG and Samsung blue-ray players can stream NetFlix video. According to NetFlix, look for LG models LG BD370 or LG BD390 and Samsung models BD-P1600, BD-2500, BD-P3600, BD-P4600.

Hulu.com: Through Hulu you can watch hundreds of shows and moves for free. Shows include:

• The Daily Show
• The Colbert Report
• The Office
• House
• 30 Rock
• The Simpsons

There are other options as well, such as iTunes or Amazon Video.

TiVo or DVR without Cable

We currently rent a DVR from our cable company and pay a monthly fee. Total monthly cost is $20. Without cable, there are two good options--TiVo and MythTV. We have chosen TiVo for several reasons, but MythTV is an interesting option, particularly if you like to build things.

TiVo: The TiVo box comes in three different models: TiVo Series2™ DT DVR, TiVo HD DVR, and TiVo HD XL DVR. For those that want high definition TV or to record over-the-air transmissions (which we do), the TiVo Series2™ DT DVR is not an option. We are going with the TiVo HD DVR because it offers everything we need at a reasonable price:

• Save up to 20 hours of HD programming (or 180 hours of standard definition) at one time
• Record two shows at once
• Works with cable and antenna; does NOT support satellite
• Use CableCARD decoders from your cable company to replace your cable box
• Supports high definition TV

The TiVo box costs $299, but is currently $30 off from Amazon. The XL model can record up to 150 hours of high definition TV. But with a price tag of $599, it's just not worth the money for us.

You also have to pay for a service plan with TiVo. The lifetime plan is $399, which is likely the option we'll pick. You can also get a 3-year plan for $299, and they offer yearly and monthly plans as well. At these costs, it will take us a little over two years to recoup our money. But add in the savings from not paying for cable, and the time period shortens considerably.

MythTV: MythTV is open source software that allows you to build your own digital video recorder. This is not for the faint of heart, but if you're comfortable with source code and tackling big projects, it can be a money-saver.

If you've made the switch from cable to free digital TV, please share your experience and any tips or tricks you learned.

Here's the latest from General Motors, Ford and Hyundai

In GM's case, the automaker is offering to make up to nine months of payments of up to $500 each if you lose your job for what it calls "economic reasons." Ford says it will make up to 12 months of payments totaling $700 per month or less. Naturally, there are additional terms and conditions, starting with the time limit. GM's offer could be renewed, but for now it applies only to cars purchased before April 30. Ford's deal applies to cars purchased before June 1.

Wow! What a great offer! Well, actually not. Yes, it would be nice if someone made your car payment for awhile if you got laid off. But, if you go for this deal and do get laid off, you'll still be in a heap of trouble.

To see how, let's put together some hypothetical situations. We'll compare purchasing a new car (in this case a Ford Mustang 2 door coupe), buying a 5 year old used car (also a Mustang) and doing a little fix-up on your current wheels.

A new Ford Mustang lists for $20,430. According to Cars.com invoice is $18,877. So let's say you negotiated a really good deal and got it for $18,800. And, let's further suppose that your trade-in or cash deposit was $1,000. So you were financing $17,800 for 60 months (5 years).

A 60 month new car loan rate averages 7.38% according to Bankrate.com and their payment calculator says your monthly payment would be $355.66. So to put those new wheels in your driveway you've reduced your savings by $1,000 and committed to a $355.66 payment for five years.

What happens if you bought a 5 year old Mustang? It would cost $8,004 retail according to Edmunds.com. You could expect to find 60 to 70,000 miles on the odometer. Hardly a new car, but still one that should be dependable and provide good transportation.

Let's suppose that you paid full retail for the used car. And, you put the same $1,000 down. So you'd be financing $7,004. A 36 month used car loan averages 7.74%. Your payment would be $218.64. Those wheels cost you your $1,000 savings and a commitment to a $218.64 payment for 3 years.

So what happens if you buy the new car and get laid off? Let's assume that six months from now your job disappears. So Ford graciously pays your auto loan.

If it takes a year to find work Ford will have paid $4,267.92 (12 payments of $355.66 each) for you. That's the good news.

But the bad news is that you still owe another 42 months (3 1/2 years) at $355.66 per month ($14,937.72). And, your new job might not be paying as much as your old job. Plus you accumulated some other bills while you were laid off. That car payment could look pretty steep. Selling the car is probably not going to be an option. You'll still owe more than it's worth at this point. Basically you're stuck making the payments on a car you cannot afford.

On the other hand, you could have bought the 5 year old car. You get laid off in six months just like before. No one is offering to make your car payment, but your Mustang is worth just about what you've borrowed on it. So you have the option to sell it and walk away.

An even better option would be to keep the car you have now. Especially if it's dependable. Even if you have to put a few dollars into it. You'd have no car payment.

In fact, let's suppose that you spent $1,500 fixing up the old ride. Put the whole thing on your credit card. Didn't even use the $1,000 that was the down payment when you were car shopping. If you're paying the national average of 12.35% interest, and you paid off $218.64 (what you would have paid monthly for the used car), you'd have the credit card balance paid off in 8 months. So if you got laid off in six months you'd only have to face two payments.

But, let's look at a more extreme case. What happens if you don't find a job for two years. Well, Ford is still going to start looking for your monthly $355.66 payment after 12 months. And, by that time you're probably going to be squeezed financially. Selling the car still won't be an option. You'll be upside down in it. Let's face it, you'll be cornered.

So my advice to anyone considering GM or Ford's offer? Steer clear of it! This is an accident waiting to happen. And even airbags won't save you in this crash!

This is a guest post from Gary Foreman, the editor of The Dollar Stretcher.com and newsletters. Not only does the site host thousands of articles on various ways to save money, but you'll also find a vibrant forum where people share their dollar stretching ideas. You can comment on this entry here or follow Gary on Twitter.

The Fridge

In some ways, visiting my Grandma's house is like stepping back in time. She's lived in the same house for almost 50 years, and her house is full of great treasures. One of my favorite things about her house (for multiple reasons) is her old refrigerator. No one is exactly sure how old it is, but my mom recently assured me that my Grandma had the fridge before she married my dad, and that was 25 years ago. It looks quite a bit older, but is in great condition. 

The fridge is so old, in fact, it's cool because it's 'retro'. If you open the fridge, you can swing the shelves out, allowing easy access to whatever is stored in the back. The freezer is down below the fridge, and has plenty of room for ice cream and other treats. My Grandma has never felt the urge to upgrade, because she never needed to. She doesn't need water and ice in her fridge door or see-through shelfs or nifty little butter containers on the door, she's got a fridge.

Take Care of Your Possessions

This is the best way to ensure you'll get a good return on your investment. If you take care of the things you own, you might find that they last quite a while. If you can fight off the desire to upgrade, to "keep up with" whomever you want to keep up with, you can easily find different ways to spend or save your money.

Buy Things You'll Use

Obviously, you wouldn't buy a fridge if you didn't plan on using it. At least, I hope you wouldn't. Some people though, buy things they'll never use. Not only is it a waste of money, but it's a waste of space. If you're starting out on a new hobby or trying to learn a new skill, buy things used or see if someone will loan you the equipment you need. Nothing says wasted money like once-used golf clubs or a stack of old weights sitting in the garage collecting dust. If you borrow, rent, or purchase the equipment used, your initial investment is lower, and then you can save up for something really nice if you like your new found activity.

The Point: If you buy nice products and take care of the things you have, you can save money in maintenance and replacement costs. Learning to accept that the newest and the greatest isn't always necessary will help you cut down on unnecessary expenses and save for things you really want and need!

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This post is part of the "Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without" Series
Part 1 - Bible Money Matters - "Use It Up"
Part 2 - The Dough Roller - "Wear It Out"
Part 3 - Pecuniarities - "Make It Do"
Part 4 - StretchyDollar - "or Do Without"
Thank you for reading!
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While the smaller Kindle versions have enjoyed market success, the DX model may very well take the Amazon Kindle franchise to the next level. With the larger screen, we may start seeing the Kindle DX at work and at school. As a viable alternative to paper copy, Kindle has the potential to significantly reduce our demand for paper and the manufacturing process that goes into books, magazines and newspapers. In fact, it was the newspaper market that in part propelled the development of the Kindle DX in the first place.

Kindel DX Features

• Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
• Carry Your Library: Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents
• Beautiful Large Display: 9.7" diagonal e-ink screen reads like real paper; boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images
• Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages
• Built-In PDF Reader: Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go
• Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle DX, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, no annual contracts, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
• Books In Under 60 Seconds: You get free wireless delivery of books in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
• Long Battery Life: Read for days without recharging
• Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable
• Big Selection, Low Prices: Over 275,000 books; New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are only $9.99, unless marked otherwise
• More Than Books: U.S. and international newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, magazines including The New Yorker and Time, plus popular blogs, all auto-delivered wirelessly

Can the Kindle DX Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity?

For commercial applications, the real test for the Kindle DX is whether and to what extent it can reduce costs and increase productivity. The potential cost benefits are obvious. By reducing the demand on paper, printing and copying, companies can reduce operating costs.

The real test of the larger Kindle is whether it can increase productivity. The promise of computers reducing our demand for paper has proven false. Indeed, if anything, computers have increased our demand for paper. As much as we read online, when it comes to newspapers, magazines and many other publications, we still much prefer to read the old fashioned way. Can the Amazon Kindle DX change all of this?

Potentially, yes. The smaller Kindles have a screen that is remarkable unlike a computer screen. There's no back light, often leaving you wondering just how the characters are rendered on the screen. The result is a very easy to read display. Add to that the larger screen of the DX, and we just might find the new Kindle popping up in all kinds of places.

I had the Kindle 2 on the list for Father's Day. In fact, it was the only item on the list, a fact which I've made clear to my wife and children. Now it's the Kindle DX that's on the list. Here are some more pics: