Penny College

Everyone at Penny College would like to take this moment to wish all of our readers of a wonderful holiday and happy new years. May the new years bring you much joy and saving!

And of course, if you have any questions you would like ask related to finances in this new years. We’re always open to all.

There is no such thing as a free lunch but Walgreens is trying to get in the holiday spirits by giving away one 8×10 print per customer. So if you have some digital prints that you always wanted in a physical format at 8×10 letter size, here is your chance.

Simply create a photo account and select 1 8×10 size print from any image you upload. Then enter the coupon code FREEGIFT in the coupon field. Bam, your free print will be waiting for you at the Walgreen you selected. Better hurry, the offer expires Dec. 20, 2008 or tomorrow.

T-Mobile may be the smallest of the top four mobile networks but it’s slowly working it’s way into our hearts as the most customer friendly mobile company in the fray.

They officially drop the upgrade fee ($18) for existing customers. Mobile companies typically charges this fee when an existing customer upgrade their phone after their contract expires. It’s simply another way for them to gouge you for a free phone that you’re entitled to.

The fee is on the same level as activation fee – Useless and greedy. Now if only T-Mobile would drop the activation fee for new customers then it would truly be on the top our nice list. Well, as nice as a wireless company can be.  So if you’re existing T-Mobile customer looking to upgrade to a new phone, now may be the perfect time to do so.

Connect by Hertz

ZipCar, the inventor of the car sharing service among the urban dwellers now has a competitor with a deep bank roll. Ever since ZipCar merged with FlexCar, the car sharing service market has been stagnant without much competition. However, now that Hertz, one of the largest car rentals operations in the world has jumped into the fray, the market is about to get much more interesting.

Initially, the service “Connect by Hertz” will be only available in New York, London, and Paris. As the time progresses, more cities and markets will be added. Rates are comparable to what ZipCar charges. Hopefully, the increased competition will drive down the cost for consumers in the car sharing market.

Check out the new website yourself  http://www.connectbyhertz.com

[Via Gizmodo]

Since we don’t watch that much TV here at Penny College, we tend to miss the best shows that aired. However, with our new infatuation with the Hulu website, we may never have to miss another great show again.

Hulu, which is sponsored by the major television networks is the legal way to view and watch online video. We were surprised we were able to find classics such as A-Team but even more delighted when we found hard to find Anime series like Death Note. If you haven’t seen it for yourself, head over to www.hulu.com and experience the on-demand nature of future TV.

Usually when auto-makers wants you to buy a car, they offer low financing and cash back bonuses. However, seeing how the three US automakers are rolling right off a hill recently, GM decided to take it a step further.

Now, when you purchase a GM vehicle, they will throw in 100 shares of GM stock for free. Considering that GM is on the brink of bankruptcy, this may not be the best deal in the world.

On the other hand, if you were going to purchase a GM vehicle anyhow. This may just be the icing on the cake. Who knows, those 100 shares may be worth more than the car someday. Not likely anytime soon but like all things – speculations run wild.

With the economy in the downward spiral, this holiday season will be one of the most difficult
for consumers and retailers alike. In our past articles, we’ve recommended the purchase of
store gift cards as gifts. The cards can be used after the holiday season to garner deals and
clearances. However, this season, we have to amend our recommendations due to the recent events
in the economy and retailing.
Read the rest of this entry »

Most people happily keep their money in the standard saving account at their local bank, but the smartest customers keep their money in online saving accounts with funky names such as Orange Saving Account, American Dream, and Etrade Money Market.

While their names may leave some consumers doubting the legitimacy of these accounts, their value more then justified the leap into the world of online savings. Traditional savings accounts pay an average of just 0.25% interest annually. Online saving accounts on the other hands, pays anywhere from 4-5% interest annually.
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Surviving the Lean Times

While the political sources may refuse to acknowledge it, we’re going into a recession
almost equal to the Great Depression. The only difference being that the social safety net
is better equipped this time to help those in need. This is also the best time to practice
frugality 101 and avoid the debt traps that got us into this dilemma in the first place.

Here are three key tips on how to survive the lean times and come out stronger on the other
side.

1. Budget – If you never develop a budget before, take a look at this article. Developing
a budget and sticking to it will not only keep you on the straight and narrow financially but
also provide you with a better view of what you can cut from your spending.

2. Cut out the non-essentials – In addition to the budget, the second important step to take is to reduce spending on non-essential items and services. Review your cell phone bill, do you use all your monthly minutes? If not, can you modified your plan to one with lower minutes? If you only use your cell phone on limited occassions, perhaps a pre-paid plan may be more economical. Review your cable subscription. Do you need really need both HBO and Showtime? If you only subscribe for a single show. Perhaps a DVD collection of the show would be a better way to watch the programming.

3. Negotiate – This is the best time to negotiate for better deals for products and services. If you usually carry a balance on your credit card. You can call your card provider to negotiate a better interest rate. The same applies for mortgages and personal loans, provided that you are on good terms with your bank. The recent FHA approved program for mortgage re-adjustment may help some homeowners who are currently stuck with adjustable rate mortgages.

While there may be no silver bullets to carry us through this tough economic times. The steps above will at least provide some of us with the right approach to survive this economic crisis.

While here at PennyCollege, we tend to lust over phones of the smart variety. However, we always have a soft spot for Sony Ericsson phones due to their excellent voice quality and design.

Their newest candybar form factor phone – W350a is now available from the AT&T website. The phone provide a good range of functionality for it’s class. It shares the Walkman name with other in the series such as W800. Which means it can play back MP3s and other music codecs from the Memory Stick storage. The 1.3 Megapixal camera is nothing to write home about but beats the VGA quality cams Sony has been slapping on the lower end walkman phones.

However, what really win us over is the price – FREE. Currently, AT&T online is offering the phone totally free of charge for new 2 year contracts. So if you’re in market for a decent music phone, the W350a may just fit the bill.

http://www.wireless.att.com