I'm Still Here

I'm still around but just not active on my blog.    I've just been on an extended unannounced hiatus.    

I don't know if I'll post again in the future or not.    

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Keep Alaska Air Miles from Expiring with FandangoNOW purchase

If you are inactive with your Alaska Miles account for a 2 year period then you can lose your account and your airline miles.    If you don't use the airline frequently then you can pile up some miles only to have them wiped out due to this.     I actually lost some miles not long ago,.   In my case Alaska was nice enough to reinstate the account for me but I doubt that they'd do it again.   

One way to keep your miles in an infrequently  used mileage plan is to find other cheap or trivial methods to generate miles for free or low cost and use that just frequently enough to remain active and delay the expiration.    On Alaska airlines you can get miles with their 'Mileage Plan Shopping' by making purchases with a variety of retailers. 

FandangoNow is one of the retailers in the Alaska shopping portal.    They have items you can purchase instantly for a couple dollars.   

Go to : mileageplanshopping.com and log in with your Alaska account.
Then search their portal to find the FandangoNow and follow its link there clicking the green 'Shop Now' button and you will be redirected to the FandangoNow site

Buy anything there worth >$1 and you're done.
Now just wait.   It doesn't credit to Alaska miles instantly and you'll have to give it maybe a couple weeks.   So don't wait until the last minute.

FandangoNow has various movies you can rent but the good stuff is usually $5 or $6.    If you want to see one of those movies anyway and need the miles credit then maybe thats not a bad deal.    There are also single episodes of TV shows for $2-3.    Or if you don't have any need for a movie rental or show you can always just find a $1.99 item to buy just to get the 2 miles credit and keep your Alaska miles active.

The Mileage Plan Shopping site says:

"While most transactions will appear within 5 business days, some transactions may take up to 15 
days in order to appear in the list above."

I made a $2.99 purchase on Sept. 24th.   I got my miles on the Alaska site on October 4th.

On the Mileage Plan site it posted the item there on October 1st. I got an email from Mileage Plan Shopping on October 3rd saying that I'd earned 3 miles by shopping.   Then October 4th  on the Alaska site it showed up with the 3 miles credited in my Mileage Plan account.

Altogether it took 10 calendar days from the purchase until it showed in my Alaska activity.

I'd recommend putting an item on your calendar to remind you that the miles are expiring 3-4 weeks in advance so you've go some time to go make a purchase and get the miles credited.

--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

How to Tell What Mobile Network Your Tracfone Phone Uses

I now have a cheap phone plan from Tracfone.     Tracfone has taken to using multiple mobile networks.   You could have Tracfone and be on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon depending on ... um, beats me, actually I don't know what or how they choose.     So anyway I don't know what phone network my was using and I wanted to check.   Took me a while of searching to get a good answer.

I found the answer I was looking for at HowardForums.com     Posted there by someone with username 'hpham'     I'm pasting their full answer here to save it for reference :



There are several ways to tell which network your Tracfone uses.

* Look at the SIM number. The first six numbers of the SIM ID determine the carrier: 

890126 = T-Mobile, 890141 = AT&T, 891480 = Verizon. 


* Use the phone model number. Model numbers ending with "C" or "VL" use Verizon. Numbers ending with "G" or "AL" use AT&T. Numbers ending with "BL" could be AT&T or T-mobile.


* Send a text message from your phone to your email address. Look at the sending address of the email. The carrier name is in it.


My phone has 891480... at the start of the SIM and if I text to my email from my phone it comes through with an address @vtext.com which is Verizons address.    My phone is on the Verizon network.

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Should You Delay College and Work To Save up Money Instead of Taking Loans?

The Simple Dollar today discusses the question Is a Gap Year Better Financially Than Going Straight to College?

Setting the other reasons for gap years aside, lets look at the finances.    Does it make sense to work a job before college in order to save up the money to pay for tuition so you can avoid taking out student loans?

My reply to that is below :

For the financial decision, it almost always makes more sense to finance college vs working to save up money.
Why? Because going to college gets you a good paying job and by delaying college you're just trading good job wages post college for low wages before college. If you're not banking on making good money after college then I'd ask why you're doing it at all considering that paying for it isn't trivial.

Look at the 5 years in question and the choice really boils down to :

Gap year : 1 gap year working unskilled job and 4 years in college 
vs 
no gap year : 4 years in college and 1 year working after college with a degree and some student loan debt

So you're really trading a year before college working unskilled wages versus a year after college with a degree and the debt.

The average new college graduate makes $50k /yr. Lets take Trents assumption that working pre college is making $20/yr. Really you're trading $50k of income for $20k of income. After tax and minimal expenses you ought to be taking home probably $30k vs $12k. If your first year after college nets you $30k you could pay off the $12k in loans your gap year might avoid and have $18k extra cash.

Now the choice is :

Gap year : work 1 year and net $12k then go to college for 4 years
no gap : go to college and take out $12k extra in loans then work a year and net $30k and pay off that $12k pocket $18k more

Of course the particular numbers will matter. Depends on how much money you can make in the gap year vs your planned post college career.

Gap years can make sense for other reasons. If you're really not ready for college, doubt it will work for you, don't know what you want to do with your life, etc, then those are potentially better reasons to do a gap year.

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15% back at Ebates (now Rakuten) on 400+ Stores

Ebates  is celebrating its 20th anniversary with 15% back at 400+ stores right now.   

Also note that Ebates  has now apparently changed its name to Rakuten so don't be surprised if the page redirects to that new site.

Smal sample of some major name stores with the deal :

Macy's
JCPenney
Walgreens
Shoes.com
Ann Taylor
Pier1
Shutterfly
Dell
Lenovo
Advance Auto Parts
Dicks Sporting Goods
Columbia Sportswear

Some may also give 20% back, I'm showing "exclusive" 20% rates on several stores.   I guess thats a YMMV deal but I'm not sure how it works.

Standard Ebates blurb: To get cash back from Ebates you need to be signed up with Ebates.  Then simply go to Ebates to get the referral to the store before you do your shopping.  I also get a referral bonus if you use my links to sign up with Ebates.  

-- This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

FREE - One Month Trials of Showtime, Starz and Epix at Roku Channel

The Roku Channel is offering a one month free trial for Showtime, Starz and Epix.


Link to the deal 


Its a free trial and auto subscribes at full price after the month expires.   
This free month offer ends on Sunday 3/31.   


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Computer RAM Memory Prices 2007-2018

The prices for memory used in desktop computers has been relatively high for the past couple years and is now starting to come down.   I was curious what the longer term trend has been. 

I made a chart showing the prices of computer memory over the period 2007 to 2018.   Prices are in $ / MB.

Chart :

Note that the specific memory technology and speed has changed over time so the memory is also faster.    e.g. back in 2007 you might be buying DDR2-800 and today it is probably DDR4-2666

Data source : https://jcmit.net/memoryprice.htm 
'copyright 2001, 2017, 2018 John C. McCallum 
You can use the material here. Please acknowledge the source.'


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Don't Move to Indiana To Become a Prosthodontist

I really shouldn't have to tell both of the Prosthodontists in the nation who are currently looking for a job but you probably won't find a job if you drop everything and move to Indiana.   Also I don't know what a Prosthodontist is so let me pause and go look that up.    Turns out that a prosthodontist is a specialization in dentistry that handles restoration of teeth or dentures.

Why am I talking about prosthodontists in Indiana?   

According to this article "The fastest-growing job in each U.S. state" from Yahoo Finance, the fastest growing job in Indiana is prosthodontist.     You can follow that link to see their nice pretty graphic showing the (alleged) fastest growing job per state.    Reading that raised a red alert in my BS radar.      I figured if I've never even heard of an occupation its probably unlikely that its a new boom job.    In fact  all I had to do was click on the source cited " projections from the government-backed Projections Managing Partnership (PMP)" to see that there are currently 0 prosthodontists in Indiana and the projection is for there to be 10.      I do see that going from nothing to 10 is pretty good growth but 10 jobs is nothing.        I don't know how the Yahoo finance articles authors decided that this +10 job growth ranked as the fastest growing job for the state.    There are numerous jobs for Indiana projected to have higher net job increases and high % increases.   The % increase for prosthodontists is actually listed as 0.    The job numbers go from 0 to 10 so theres no valid way to express % increase.   Yet for some reason the Yahoo folks decided this change from 0 to 10 was the biggest increase. 

Two ways of looking at the fastest growing jobs are to look at the % increase or the net increase.   A job that goes from 50 to 75 has a 50% increase and a 25 net increase.     

Pulling the data from the Projections Management website for the 2017 to 2019 projections for Indiana we get :

High % growth jobs for Indiana :

OccupationName	Base	Proj	Change	PercentChange
Artists and Related Workers, All Other	50	60	10	20
Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons	50	60	10	20
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	100	110	10	10
Set and Exhibit Designers	100	110	10	10
Archivists	120	130	10	8.3
Elevator Installers and Repairers	120	130	10	8.3

Jobs with high net job increases for Indiana: 

OccupationName	Base	Proj	Change	PercentChange
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food	83720	85620	1900	2.3
Registered Nurses	65480	67330	1850	2.8
Team Assemblers	82420	83850	1430	1.7
Personal Care Aides	29230	30530	1300	4.4
Waiters and Waitresses	51740	53030	1290	2.5

Clearly there are a LOT lot more jobs in food prep, nursing, personal care, than there are in the "boom" 20% growth jobs such as painters helpers.   But if you only look at the % increase then you're likely to chase a job with very few actual openings. 

Oh, also don't move to Idaho to be an 'exhibit designer'.   The Yahoo finance analysis did the exact same thing for that job in that state and decided that going from 0 exhibit designer jobs to 10 jobs is the fastest growing occupation for Idaho.

--

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40% off Showtime, Starz for 3 Months via Amazon

Amazon is running a promotion for 40% off of select channels right now.

You can get 40% off for 3 months on :
Starz, Showtime, PBS Masterpiece, Lifetime Movie Club

Its a limited time offer through January 17th.   Also looks like its only for new subscribers via Amazon.


--
This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

Amex Offers for $15 back on fubutv, $5 back Hulu & 30% back CBS Online, Showtime & Sling TV (YMMV)

American Express has a number of offers currently for cash back on several online steaming services.


The deals I've got from them are :

30% back up to $15 on  Sirius XM Radio Inc. (including both internet-based and satellite-based), Pandora, Spotify, Sling TV, CBS All Access and Showtime. (expires 3/6/19)

Spend $5 or more get $5 back on Hulu up to 4x (expires 3/28/19)

Spend $35 and get $15 back on fubutv up to 3x  (expires 7/1/19)

Amex deals are YMMV so check your offers to see if you've go them or not.



Also Ebates currently offers $5 cash back on Hulu (new users)


Standard Ebates blurb: To get cash back from Ebates you need to be signed up with Ebates.  Then simply go to Ebates to get the referral to the store before you do your shopping.  I also get a referral bonus if you use my links to sign up with Ebates.  

--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

Two Months of Free TV via Streaming Service Free Trials

If you haven't cut the cord yet then one of the steps you should take is to try out the various online TV streaming services.    The major services all offer free trials usually for a week.    With so many services competing and all of them offering trials you can actually string together about two full months of free television by doing free trials back to back.

Here are the services and the free trial lengths plus the potentially available addon channels.

Hulu  live TV 7 days
possible addons : HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz

Philo 7 days
possible addons : none ?

Youtube TV 14 days
(possible + Showtime, Starz

Playstation Vue 5 days
HBO, Showtime, Cinemax

DirectTV Now 7 days
HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz

Sling TV 7 days
possible addons : showtime, starz ?

fuboTV 7 days
possible addons : Showtime, NBA league pass


You can follow the links to find the details on what channels each service offers and what devices they support.

For the addon channels I believe you can get those in your free trial as well in all cases but I am not 100% certain.   I've already tested each service myself and I can't remember the details on all services so sorry I can't go back and check it.    So this can potentially give you two months of free movie channels too and thats a good deal in itself.

Of courses it should be clear that the different services all have different offerings and you won't be able to watch every show every day if you're jumping around from service to service.

Note that Hulu Live TV is different than the plain Hulu service.    Basic Hulu does not carry live cable networks.    This is the Hulu Live TV version with over 55 channels for ~$40/mo

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up to 62% cash back on Tracfone, Straight Talk and Simple Mobile

I just noticed that Ebates is offering "up to" 62% cash back on Straight talk.     And I checked and their related companies Tracfone and Simple Mobile also have "up to" 62% back today.

The terms on the 62% cash back vary and are limited.    See the Ebates page for each vendor for the specifics.     But generally the 62% cash back is not available on the more expensive phones.   

EDIT to add :   cash back does NOT apply to purchases of just airtime.

Even so if you pick a good phone and plan combo you can find a  good deal right now after cash back.

The examples below are theoretical and I have not tried them.   

An example with Tracfone would be :  a reconditioned Samsung Galaxy J3 Luna Pro for $24.99 and the 1 year plan for $125 totaling $149.99.   After the 62% cash back net cost would be $57 
Note that the Tracfone terms are not totally clear to me.    It says 62% cash back on phones under $100, accessors and airtime.   If you buy a $25 phone and $125 airtime plan then I'm not sure if that falls under the "less than $100" entirely or not.   So this example deal MIGHT not work, depending on the exact terms of the cashback. 

Another alternative with Tracfone would be : reconditioned ZTE Zfive 2 for $9.99 plus the $35 two month 1GB plan.   This has a $4 discount as well so cost at check out is $40.99.   After 62% cash back the net cost is $15.58.


An example for Simple Mobile  :   Samsung Galaxy On5 phone for $19.99 plus a 3GB one month plan for $25 would be $44.99.   After 62% cash back the net cost would be $17.07   



Specifics on the 62% cash back for Tracfone and Simple mobile copied off the Ebates  site :

Tracfone :

• 62.0% Cash Back on phones less than $100.00, accessories and airtime (when purchased in conjunction with a phone) 
• $30.00 Cash Back on phones $100.00 or more
• Cash Back will be automatically added to your Ebates account tomorrow.
• Exclusions: Cash Back is not available on airtime only purchases and a plan purchase that does not include a device.

Simple Mobile :
$30.00 Cash Back on the iPhone 6s 32GB, iPhone 6s Plus 32GB, iPhone SE 32GB, iPhone 7 32GB, iPhone 7 Plus 32GB, iPhone 8 64 GB in Space Grey, iPhone 8 Plus 64GB, iPhone X 64GB, Samsung Galaxy S8 in Black, Samsung Galaxy S8+ in Black, Samsung Galaxy S9, and Samsung Galaxy S9+ in Midnight Black
62.0% Cash Back on most other orders
Cash Back will be automatically added to your Ebates account today.
Exclusions: Cash Back is not available on orders including only airtime or service plans.
Special Terms: Use of coupon/promotional codes not listed on Ebates may void Cash Back.



Standard Ebates blurb: To get cash back from Ebates you need to be signed up with Ebates.  Then simply go to Ebates to get the referral to the store before you do your shopping.  I also get a referral bonus if you use my links to sign up with Ebates.  

--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

Hulu for 99c a month for 12 months + $5 for Showtime + maybe $10 Ebates cashback

Hulu is running a promotion for their limited commercials plan for just 99¢ per month for 12 months.   The deal is good for new subscribers.   Previous subscribers who have not had active accounts for a year can also qualify.

Hulu is also running a promotion to add Showtime for just $5 a month for the first 3 months. 

Showtime is usually $11 a month.   If you would be buying Showtime anyway you can actually save $4 by getting Hulu for a year ($12) and three months of showtime ($15). 

Ebates also offers $10 cash back for Hulu.    I'm not sure if this 99c deal qualifies but its certainly worth trying since you'd get $10 cash back and that covers the discount Hulu price for 10 months.   I don't think I can test the $10 cashback since I've already had Hulu myself and I can't get this deal.

Assuming the Ebates  deal qualifies then you'd get a total cost of $7 for 12 months of Hulu and 3 months of Showtime.   Or you could possibly even just do 1 month of Hulu and cancel after

Note I'm not 100% sure the $10 cash back from Ebates works on the 99c deal but I can't see why it won't.

Note that this is the 'limited commercials' version of Hulu which kind of a misnomer since there are several commercials.   Their 'commercial free' option is the more expensive version and you can NOT upgrade from the 99c deal to the commercial free without paying the full cost of commercial free.   Still for just 99c a month its a good deal for all the programming on Hulu but you do have to suffer through their commercial breaks.   Its usually a few minutes of commercials per hour or something like that if I remember right.   Its similar to the amount of commercials you see when watching video-on-demand on a cable network or streaming programs free online.


Standard Ebates blurb: To get cash back from Ebates you need to be signed up with Ebates.  Then simply go to Ebates to get the referral to the store before you do your shopping.  I also get a referral bonus if you use my links to sign up with Ebates.  

--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

8x11 Custom Photo Wall Calendar for $7 shipping at Shutterfly

Shutterfly has a promo deal for a free 8"x11" photo wall calendar with $6.99 shipping costs.   

Promo :  FREECAL

Or if you prefer you can get the 12" x 12" calendar for $6 plus $6.99 shipping.

This deal expires today.


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Switch to PureTalk for 3 months & Get $50 Amazon GC per line

PureTalk USA is offering Amazon gift cards of $50 per line (up to $200 for 4 lines) for switching to their service.

Link to the promotion

Plans start at $20/mo and you can get a SIM and BYOP (bring your own phone) if you have an unlocked phone.      You have to have an active plan for 3 months to get the Amazon gift card.

I've been using Puretalk myself for a while and I've been happy with it.   They use the AT&T network.   

I"m not getting a commission or kickback from Puretalk for promoting this.   (but if PureTalk wanted to send me money I wouldn't send it back)


promotion detail fine print :
Customers are eligible to receive a $50 e-gift card per line on their account (up to $200 per account). Gift cards are issued during the customer's third active month of service. Each line must be active and account must be in good standing for the consecutive three months following customer's initial activation to receive the gift card for each line. Gift cards will reside within our online customer portal under the "MY REWARDS" page as a digital redemption code. Once gift card is claimed within customer portal, it does not expire. Customers have 90 days from their third billing date to claim the gift card in the portal. If customer does not claim gift card within 90 days, the gift card is cancelled and no longer eligible for redemption. Lines are not eligible for gift card until line is activated. If line is not activated within 90 days of original order date, gift card is forfeited. Promotion is valid for new customers only. Only lines ordered during initial order are eligible for promotion. Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Restrictions apply, see amazon.com/gc-legal.

--This article doesn't contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

10% Cash Back at 200+ Stores

Today Ebates  has a promotion with 10% cash back rates at a variety of stores.   There are over 200 merchants in the list.      Its a 'one day only' promotion.

Some of the stores on the list are :

Macy's (20%)

Shoes.com

QVC
JCPenney
Overstock
Dicks Sporting Goods
Staples
Hotels.com
Travelocity
Ann Taylor
Dell 

And many more.



Standard Ebates blurb: To get cash back from Ebates you need to be signed up with Ebates.  Then simply go to Ebates to get the referral to the store before you do your shopping.  I also get a referral bonus if you use my links to sign up with Ebates.  


--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

FREE Photo Magnets at Shutterfly - pay S/H of $4 for 1st and $1.75 addn

Shutterfly has a promotion today only for free photo magnets. 

Offer is good for either 3"x 5" size or 4" x 5.5" size. 

Use promo code : GOODIES

You get the magnet for free but you have to pay for shipping/handling.    The  magnets are $3.99 shipping for the 1st and then $1.75 for each additional.     So for example you can get 4 magnets for $9.24 shipped. 

1 magnet = $3.99
2 magnets = $5.74
3 magnets = $7.49
etc.

I've bought magnets off Shutterfly a few times and there are a good product.   

--

This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

Ebates Travel Thursdays 10% cash back on Hotels

Ebates has a promotional deal called Travel Thursdays that offers 10% cash back on multiple hotel deals.

Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn Express and Ebates Hotels are just a few of the names that you can get 10% cash back on. 

If you're planning any travel then today is a good day to book and get an extra 10% off via cash back.



Standard Ebates blurb: To get cash back from Ebates you need to be signed up with Ebates.  Then simply go to Ebates to get the referral to the store before you do your shopping.  I also get a referral bonus if you use my links to sign up with Ebates.  



--This article contains referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

Current Discover Deals promotions

The Discover Deals promotions are one of the reasons that I keep my Discover card.   

Right now you can get 5% bonus cash back for purchases at Restaurants until the end of September.   On top of the quarterly 5% deal there are several other good discounts and promotions on Discover Deals.

Below are some of the more notable (to me) deals and discounts currently offered on Discover Deals:

Note all these deals are subject to expiration dates.   Many last to the end of 2018 but some expire at the end of July 2018.

Instant Discounts
Peapod = $40 off your 1st purchase of $100+
Target = $5 off online purchase of $50+
Budget auto rental = 25% off base rates
Avis auto rental = 25% off base rates
National auto rental = 20% off
Sames Club = $10 gift card when you join or renew
Carter's babies/ kids = 20% off of $40+
Big 5 sporting goods = 10% off
Wayfair.com = $15 off $100+
Shutterfly = get a FREE 8x8 photo book (shipping extra)
Aamco = 10% off any service
PODS storage = 10% off select services

5% cash back bonus : 
Microsoft
Sams club
Groupon
Macy's
QVC
Nike
Old Navy
Samsung JCPenney
Dell Home
Gap
Lego
LL Bean
Crate&Barrel

10% cash back bonus 
The North Face
Under Armour
Finish Line

--This article may contain referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.

$10 off and a Free Box of Honey Nut Cheerios with Prime Pantry promotion

Amazon is having its Prime Day annual promotion.   One of the deals is for $10 off of a $40+ order on Prime Pantry.   A second deal offers a free box of Honey Nut Cheerios for a qualifying $40+ order.    You can get both deals on a single order.     Prime Pantry is usually $4.99 a month addon but you can get a free 30 day trial.

--This article contains referral links which pay this site a commission for purchases made at the sites.