So the cell phone service is suppose to be upgrading here soon and as a result of this change many of the current phones out there will be rendered useless. Basically, that means you have to buy a different cell phone if you plan on using the service. While I am expecting some kind of rebate to help offset the costs of switching over, the thing for myself is that I don’t usually have something like an emergency funds account as I simply save as much as possible in general.

So to prevent myself from just spending widely in a carefree justified purchase kind of way I am actually trying to research and prepare for it right now. Some people would ask how can I do that when there is no information about the type of phones that are going to be available and the costs for them? Basically, at times like these it is good to explore all of your options including trying a new service provider as well I’d say.

In my mind a big reason why I normally stay with a provider in general is to avoid the hassle of switching everything over. But if like in these cases it’s kind of like starting over then it only makes sense to make sure that you are getting the best deal as possible in every category.

Another way I am doing my research is by reading reviews and opinions from people in areas that already have this new system in place. Basically, finding out which phones seem to be the best, the type of services that make life a lot easier, etc. In my opinion, this is a lot better than going in blindly into a store and relying on a salesperson to tell you everything that you think you need to know to make the upgrade.

This also helps to prevent that scenario where people complain their budgets are all screwed up now too because of a sudden unexpected purchase. My as well try to do as much research on your own way before the actual day where you are forced to take action.

While this is not the first time I heard of this, a person was telling me today that he wanted to keep himself occupied for a few months to prevent himself from spending more money from doing things such as going out at late nights. So, what he did is that he purchased a box set of a specific TV series and after work he is going to watch through all of the seasons. Yes, it is pretty lengthy.

I guess this is a relaxing way to do it but at the same time it is kind of counter productive. Speaking for myself, if I wanted to save money with that kind of a concept I would prefer to just do some kind of work that will eat up all of my time where the life will revolve around mostly sleeping and going back to work.

Either way, finding ways to kill time just to prevent yourself from spending impulsively isn’t the ideal solution in the long term I’d say. Most people that get older say time is the most precious commodity too and so it’s better to find ways to use it actively as oppose to treating it like a burden that must be contained.

I know some people that work in some kind of job or business where they do so much that they can’t really spend the money and so they accumulate an enormous amount of savings. Afterwards, to get out of the cycle they use that enormous savings and invest it into something that will hopefully generate a return and will allow them to change their lifestyle. That is a better route to go with I think.

It looks like virtually every news source that I saw today has something in reference to the DTV (Digital Television) transition where the old analog signals will be no more in the US. For some this means buying new equipment.

I just read another piece of news today as well where the transit system here will be getting rid of its paper bus schedules at various stops. This means people now must have a cell phone to get the schedule by texting a number. That just made me think how almost everyone is going to have to upgrade to digital devices sooner or later for everyday items.

This seems to be the worst time for some to start shopping too as all they hear is “you need to upgrade” and so they just walk into a store with a “I was told I needed this” state of mind. I would be inclined to say too that most often someone will try to sell you an item that is most profitable store wise too which you may not necessarily need.

One example I distinctively remembered before was that in one store there was this lady that apparently was asked to go to the store to buy a cable to hook up a DVD player to an average TV. Result? The salesmen definitely gave her the right type of cable, but they were one of those high end ones that literally cost like $70 to $100.

With examples like that, it’s always better to get someone in the know to help you buy any upgrades if people are saying that you “have” to have it now due to various circumstances. I know for myself if I started reading things like “You have to start eating foods with vitamin X” on the news I would definitely rather get a friend or acquaintance that is in the know of these things rather than going blindly into a store and buying things.

Just today I got an e-mail about a person who was coming to town. At first I thought the individual was going to hold a workshop of some sort which I thought would be interesting to learn from. After reading the e-mail today, it mentioned how it was going to be a seminar based on the book she has written.

This made me a little iffy about attending it now as it sounded more like it was going to be a session where you get generic information in hopes to encourage you to buy books and product. Therefore, it would be more like an infomercial than a workshop.

I remember when I went to that Learning Annex event to get the free Trump book it definitely did feel like an infomercial. With that in mind you should always be more alert whenever you attend these types of events. The mob mentality can be really persuasive to a lot of people to drain their wallets I’d say if that is the intent.

I was looking for a very basic seed grinder today at a store and was told that they can be bought for less than $10 usually. I was also told that a coffee bean grinder can pretty much do the same thing and so I looked at the varieties. There was one for about $9 and another one for about $16.

You know what the silly thing was? The $16 definitely looked better from the outside which initially made me inclined to buy that one. However, then that value logic in me kicked in and after looking at the two products they seemed virtually identical spec and feature wise. Was almost like a bar of soap where the main difference was the color of it.

As a result, I bought the cheaper one and it seems to work as intended. It’s so enticing to spend the extra money in these situations right at the moment. Like in this case it might not seem like a lot, but you add up a habit like this over time and you may be surprised at how much extra this habit can cost.

I think the only time I would be that picky to spend the extra money for just the appearance of it is if the item was an incredibly expensive and was a career or profession related purchase for the long term.