Cell Phone Plans for Existing Cell Phones

Can I get cheap cell phone service for my existing cell phone?

Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile Cell Phone Carriers offer Alternatives to the Major Carriers
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I have an existing Blackberry cell phone on AT&T.  My 2 year contract ends in June and I will be the proud owner of a Blackberry cell phone.  Can I take advantage of the fact that I will have an existing cell phone that is paid for to get a lower cell phone bill?

The payment for a new cell phone is included in the contract plan when you sign up for service when you buy a cell phone.  For example if you get a $300 phone, you’ll pay $300 over 24 months at $12.50 per month to pay for the cost of the phone.

Since my phone is paid for, it seems like I should be able to find a plan that is about $12 per month cheaper.
If I go with a smaller carrier, I would prefer to have a no-contract plan in case I am not satisfied with the service or coverage.

My current monthly usage:

• 100 minutes of voice calls
• 150 texts including some with pictures
• 100 Mb per month of data

I would be willing to give up data if I could save $20 per month or so.  I can use wi-fi instead of the cell network for data.  What options are available to get service for an existing cell phone?

Cell Phone Network Compatibility

One limitation of using your existing cell phone on a different network is compatibility.  GSM and CDMA are the major cell phone network types.  Your cell phone will be compatible with only one of these network types.

• AT&T  and T-Mobile uses GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
• Sprint, Verizon, and US Cellular use CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
• Sprint has a "closed" list of ESN's so Verizon or US Cellular CDMA phones cannot be activated on Sprint network.

So my best bets among major carriers for an AT&T Blackberry are AT&T and T-Mobile.  There are also smaller carriers that use cell towers from the major carriers to provide service.  Some of these may be options as well.

Major Cell Phone Carriers

Following are highlights of offers from major cell phone carriers:

AT&T

AT&T Store Display
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

• $39.99 for 450 minutes voice
• $20.00 for 300Mb data
• $20.00 for unlimited texts

Expensive, but definitely compatible with my AT&T Blackberry.

Verizon

Verizon Store Sign
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

• $50 prepaid plan: unlimited voice, text, data on basic devices
• Blackberry won’t qualify since it is a smart phone.  
• I was not able to check the price for a smart phone plan on the website

As mentioned above, Verizon is not compatible with AT&T phones.

Sprint

Sprint retail store
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Option 1:

• $39.95 450 minutes voice.
• $5.00 add 300 messages

Option 2:

• No-contract: $50/mo for unlimited voice, data and messages (on Sprint network)
• $70 for smart phone plans

However Sprint network is not compatible with AT&T phones.

T-Mobile

Bring your own phone plan: T-Mobile's website has links to help you unlock your phone if necessary.

• $70 for unlimited voice, text, data.  
• T-Mobile will sell you a SIM card to use in your existing phone
• Family plans for $60 per line.

T-Mobile uses GSM like AT&T, so my old Blackberry may be compatible.
This may be a good deal if you use a lot of voice minutes or data, but I don't really need much.  I would like to find a plan for under $40 per month.  iWireless is a T-Mobile affiliate in Iowa and offers T-Mobile cell phone service.

U. S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular retail store
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

• $50 for unlimited voice and text, 1GB data
• $65 for unlimited voice and text, 2GB data
• $35 for 400 minutes voice, 400 texts, 400 pics ($20 activation fee)

The U.S. Cellular website noted that pre-paid plans were not yet compatible with smart phones and indicated that must U.S. Cellular customer's phones would work with the pre-paid plans.  I didn't find information that indicated whether or not existing cell phones from other companies could be used.

Smaller Cell Phone Carriers

The smaller carriers use cell towers and infrastructure from the larger carriers to create their own plan offerings.

Boost Mobile

• $60 unlimited talk and messaging, 2.5GB data
• Payments shrink from $60 to $45 gradually as you make on-time payments
• Service on Sprint network.

Sprint network is not compatible with AT&T phones, so this won't work for my AT&T Blackberry.

MetroPCS

• $40 unlimited talk, text, and data.  
• First 500MB is at high speed 4G speed, then you get slower rate data for the rest of the month.  
• You can pay $10 more to get 2.5GB of 4G data before it slows down.  
• For $60 per month, you get unlimited 4G data.

It was not clear from the website whether I could use my 3G AT&T Blackberry on their service or not.

Cricket

• No contract plans, $50 for unlimited voice, messaging, and unlimited data, 1st 1GB at high speed
• $60 +2.5GB high speed data
• $70 5GB high speed data

The Cricket web site explains that existing phones can be flashed to Cricket service, but not all Cricket network features may work.

Page Plus Cellular

• $12 plan with 250 minutes, 250 texts,  10MB data
• $29.95 1200 min, 3000 texts, 250MB data

The Page Plus website says that only the small set of phones sold by Page Plus Cellular for use on their network is guaranteed to work.  So bringing an existing phone would be at your own risk.  The Page Plus Cellular phone prices range from $50 to $150.

The $12 plan sounds great…  I explored compatibility further and found that the following phones are compatible with Page Plus Cellular:

• Page Plus
• Alltel
• Verizon
• AMP’D

Unfortunately AT&T phones are not compatible on the Page Plus Cellular network,

Virgin Mobile

• $35: 300 minutes, unlimited messaging, 2.5GB 4G data
• $45: 1200 minutes, unlimited messaging, 2.5GB 4G data
• $55: unlimited talk, unlimited messaging, 2.5GB 4G data

Uses Sprint network, so not compatible with my AT&T phone.
Also, the website says that you cannot use a phone from another network.

Straight Talk

• Bring your own phone, keep your phone number
• $45 unlimited data, talk, and text
• $30 All you need plan:  1000 minutes, 1000 texts, 30Mb data
• Bring a T-Mobile 4G phone and keep 4G service

Straight Talk services uses cell towers from several major carriers, so can support many types of phones including GSM phones like AT&T and T-mobile.  Straight Talk is a promising option if you have an existing cell phone and are looking for a good deal on cell phone service.

Recently, Straight Talk sim cards for AT&T are no longer sold in Walmart stores- you need to order these on-line.  Also, the Straight Talk website no longer talks of compatibility with AT&T phones- instead the description talks about compatibility with GSM phones.  This makes me nervous about future support for AT&T phones from Straight Talk.  Perhaps AT&T is realizing that AT&T customers are leaving AT&T to use the AT&T cell network through Straight Talk for half the cost.

Republic Wireless

• Uses Sprint network and wi-fi to provide phone and data service
• $19 and $29 unlimited plans with phone purchase

Republic Wireless use specific phone models for wi-fi service- their web site suggests the Motorola DEFY XT, so my AT&T Blackberry is not compatible.

Net10 Wireless

Net10 Wireless uses GSM networks, so is compatible with T-Mobile or AT&T phones.  The Net10 website says you can bring a T-Mobile compatible GSM phone, or an unlocked GSM phone that operates on compatible frequencies (850 and 1900 MHz).  You can purchase a Net10 standard or micro SIM card to get your phone on Net10 Wireless service.  Net10 has a $45 per month unlimited talk, text, and data plan renewable 30 days at a time that sounds promising.

Penny Pinching Tips

• Cell phones and cell phone service are expensive- so choose wisely.  Pick the lowest cost phone and plan that meets your needs.
• Cell phone network compatibility limits your ability to take your existing cell phone and move it to a different network
• Some no-contract cell phone plans are likely compatible with your existing phone and may save you money
• The $12 plan from Page Plus Cellular sounds promising, but you'll need an Alltel or Verizon phone
• Straight Talk with a $45/month unlimited plan looks to be a good deal for my existing AT&T Blackberry phone and probably for existing phones from most other carriers as well
• Net10 Wireless with a $45/month unlimited plan looks promising for T-Mobile and AT&T phones

Recommended reading:

How to Sell your Old Cell Phone and Get Cash

Android Browser War: Which Android browser is best now? Which Android browser will dominate market share in the future? 

Penny Pincher Journal
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Fix the Xbox Ring of Death for $2.99

What is the Xbox Ring of Death?

There are several meanings of "ring of death" for Xbox 360.  One definition of ring of death is when the Xbox lights up all three red error lights on the console to indicate a general failure.  This forms a red circle which is known as the Xbox ring of death. Ouch.

The definition to be discussed in this article is the ring of death that occurs when the Xbox scratches a game disc and forms a ring of damage.  This will often render a game disc useless.  The picture below shows an Xbox game disc with a ring of death.  This game still played, but would crash due to the damage to the disc.

Xbox Ring of Death
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

How to Fix the Xbox Ring of Death

The surface of the disc is scratched, which blocks the laser light inside the disc reader from properly reflecting off of the back surface of the disc where its data is encoded.  The disc is made of plastic, and the scratched part of the plastic turns white and opaque.  This layer of the plastic can be polished to make it transparent again.

In the past I have taken a damaged disc to a nearby Family Video store for repair.  This cost about $3, but it took a couple days to get the disc back since it was sent out for repair.  This time, I wanted to find a shop that could repair the disc while I waited.  I went to Video Games ETC!  They had a machine that looked like a JFJ Easy Pro Disc Repair Machine or similar system.  These machines can be purchased on amazon.com for about $120.  They resurfaced the disc in about 30 seconds and it looked like new.  The bill was $2.99.  See picture of the repaired disc below.

Xbox Ring of Death Repaired
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

There are suggestions on the Internet to use toothpaste, banana peels, and household polishing compounds to repair scratches in discs.  This sounds feasible if it will remove the scratched plastic on the surface of the disc.  There may be some chance of making things worse if you use the wrong abrasive material to polish the disc and end up making more scratches and damaging the surface further.

There are also do-it-yourself scratch repair kits for sale starting at under $5.  Fortunately the Xbox ring of death has only happened twice in 2 years at our house, so paying $3 to have a professional repair makes sense for me.  Another option: get a cheap disc repair kit on eBay

How to Prevent the Xbox Ring of Death

The high rotation speed of the disc makes it very sensitive to any movement of the console while the disc is spinning, which is basically all the time while playing a game.  The damage in the picture above occurred while sliding the Xbox console very gently to plug in a headset with headphones and a microphone.  The best way to avoid getting the Xbox ring of death is:

• Don't touch your Xbox at all while it is running!  Any movement can cause ring of death...
• Turn off your Xbox or remove the game disc when your Xbox is not in use

Recommended reading:

Android Browser War: Which Android browser is best now? Which Android browser will dominate market share in the future? 

Use a Cheap USB Flash Memory Stick to Speed up Windows 7 

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

Best RV: Motorhome or Travel Trailer?

What Type of Recreational Vehicle (RV) is Best?

Recreational Vehicles (RVs) are mobile living spaces that include beds, a bathroom, a kitchen, and other amenities of home.  These vehicles can be used for camping or even for long-term residences.  They can also be used as handy guest accommodations when you need extra bedrooms at your house.  If you're traveling to visit friends or family, you can bring your own bedroom if you want.

The two main types of recreational vehicles are motorhomes and travel trailers.  Motorhomes include a built-in vehicle with an engine, while travel trailers are towed by a pick-up truck.  The pros and cons of both types of recreational vehicles are presented.

Motorhomes

The most common motorhome types are Class C and Class A.  Class C motorhomes are based on a van style body, while Class A motorhomes are based on a bus style body.  Class A motorhomes look like a tour bus from the outside.  One nice feature of Class C motorhomes is the over cab bed- the space above the driving compartment converts to a large bed with a nice view.

Class C Motorhome- 1986 Winnebago Minnie Winnie
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Cab of a Class C Motorhome with bed over cab
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Both types of motorhomes may have slideouts to increase living space.  A slideout is a part of the motorhome that expands- or slides out- when the motorhome is parked to provide more living space.  Slideouts make a big difference in increasing the amount of room available which is especially useful if you are traveling with a large group.

Pros of Motorhomes vs Travel Trailers

• You do not need to own a pickup truck which can cost $20K or more
• You do not need to hitch/unhitch your recreational vehicle
• Motorhomes are easier to drive and park than towing a travel trailer

Cons of Motorhomes vs Travel Trailers

• After you reach your camping destination, you still need to drive the large vehicle (can't unhitch the house part)
• Maintenance- you'll need to maintain both a vehicle and a house
• Motorhomes generally cost more to purchase than a travel trailer of similar age and size

Travel Trailers

Travel trailers are recreational vehicles that are designed to be towed with a pickup truck.  The two main types are conventional and fifth-wheel.  Conventional trailers hitch to a pickup truck below the bumper of the truck, while fifth-wheel trailers hitch to the truck bed using an adapter.  Fifth-wheel trailers have a smaller turning radius than conventional trailers.  However you need to install a fifth-wheel adapter in your truck bed, and you'll need to remove the hitch adapter if you want to use your truck bed for other jobs.  Conventional trailers often use "sway bars" to help stabilize the trailer and keep it in line behind the tow vehicle.

Like motorhomes, travel trailers have slideouts available to increase floor space when the trailer is parked.

Travel Trailer Hitch on 26 foot Zeppelin by Keystone
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Slideout on travel trailer- Zeppelin by Keystone
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Ball hitch for conventional travel on pickup truck
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Conventional trailer has tongue that hitches to ball hitch on a pickup truck
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5th wheel hitch on 5th wheel travel trailer hitches to mechanism installed in bed of pickup truck
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5th wheel trailer hitch receiver installs into the bed of a pickup truck
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Pros of Travel Trailers vs Motorhomes

• You can unhitch your travel trailer when you arrive at your camping destination and drive your truck
• Low maintenance- just torque the wheel nuts, grease, and winterize
• Travel Trailer purchase price is usually less than a motorhome for similar age and size

Cons of Travel Trailers vs Motorhomes

• You need to own a pickup truck to tow the trailer which can cost $20K or more
• You will need to hitch/unhitch your recreational vehicle
• Backing up a travel trailer is more difficult than backing up a motorhome

Truck Campers

Another option to consider is a truck camper.  This is a camper that slides into the bed of a pickup truck.  The amount of space inside a truck camper is limited since the camper is only about 14 feet long.  However this may be a convenient option for 1 or 2 people to use when traveling.  Truck campers can have bathrooms, showers, and kitchen facilities similar to travel trailers and motorhomes, but packed into a much smaller space.

With a truck camper, you get the advantages of a travel trailer over a motorhome.  You have a pickup truck to drive rather than driving a motorhome when you reach your destination.  Also, you do not need to deal with towing at all- the truck camper does not change the handling of the truck, and backing up with a truck camper is easy- backing up with a travel trailer takes some practice.  Some truck campers, like the shown below, have a bed over the cab of the pickup truck similar to a Class C motorhome.

Pickup truck with truck camper, side view
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Pickup truck with truck camper, view from back
Image source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Small RVs

Class B motorhomes are van campers that are typically the size of a full-size van in length and may have a higher roof. Class B's are similar in size to a truck camper.  The smaller size of a van camper means that it is easier to drive and park at your destination.

Pop-up campers are towed behind a vehicle in a compact form, and then are assembled into full size at the campsite.  Assembly involves folding out tent sections from the main part of the camper.  Pop-up campers are lightweight and may be towed by a car or truck.

How to Decide?

• If you already have a pickup truck, a travel trailer may be a better option than a motorhome
• If you don't already have a pickup truck, a motorhome would require only a single purchase vs. purchasing both a travel trailer and a pickup truck
• Get a book on motorhome and travel trailer repair and maintenance- this will let you know what to expect for each of these options so you can make the best choice
• Consider smaller RV options such as truck campers, Class B motorhomes, and pop-up campers.  If you don't need a lot of space, these may be less expensive and easier to drive.
• Look for deals on eBay:
• Travel Trailers on eBay
• Class A Motorhomes on eBay
• Class C Motorhomes on eBay

Recommended reading:

How to Buy a Used Pickup Truck

Selling a car: What to do?

Penny Pincher Journal
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ModCloth Return Experience

ModCloth: Vintage and Unique Style

ModCloth sells vintage and vintage-style clothing.  My wife ordered a few items from the ModCloth website for her birthday.  I don't know much about fashion, but I do know that my wife rarely buys clothes online and seemed excited about the unique and vintage styles she found at ModCloth.  Apparently these are not things you could pick up at your local shopping mall.

ModCloth Invoice
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Package Arrives

The package arrived promptly, but we intercepted the package and hid it away for a few days until my wife's birthday arrived.  We didn't want her to open it by mistake before her birthday.  It would be hard to mistake this package for any other- the box had a wood grain print and the distinctive ModCloth logo with mushrooms in light blue.

ModCloth Package Arrives
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

If the shoe fits...

Everything looked perfect, especially the nice light blue shoes.  They were a European size, and unfortunately happened to be a bit too small.  I would think shoes are hard to order online or via catalog since the fit of shoes varies.  She tried a couple times, but the shoes were simply too small.  Now what?

The Return Experience

It was up to me to try to return the shoes.  Just like it is up to me to take out garbage and go get milk if we run out.  I had never even heard of ModCloth.  I feared that shipping shoes wherever they came from (it turns out ModCloth is based in Pittsburgh) would be expensive.  Would I have to talk with a customer service agent, or even a call center employee, to arrange to return the shoes?  Some companies require a RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number in order to send something back.

ModCloth Return Policy
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The ModCloth return process turned out to be the best I have ever experienced.  You simply:

• Go to the ModCloth returns webpage.  This is listed on the invoice.
• Select your order from the list that is presented when you log in
• Select the item or items you want to return- just click on the picture of the item you are returning
• Select a reason for the return from a list
• Print a shipping label with FREE shipping.  

I noted the 6th bullet on the Return Policy- shoes must be packaged in a larger box so that postage stickers are not applied to the shoe box.  This was no problem- I just placed the shoe box inside the original ModCloth shipping box that was used to ship the shoes to my wife.

All that was left is to tape the shipping label to the box and drop it off at the Post Office or FedEx.  The total process took less than 10 minutes.  I was able to deal with a company I had never heard of to return a product that I was completely unfamiliar with.  All I had to do was look at pictures and click on the thing I wanted to return.  Did I mention that return shipping was also free?  Nice!

Recommended reading:

Super Shopping at Sears- Over 90% Off

GAP credit card: the benefits GAPCARD at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

Perfect Multi-gym: Pull-up bar and more

Wanted: Pull-up bar that doesn't damage door frame or trim

Yesterday, my son reminded me that he wanted me to install a pull-up bar so he could do pull-ups.  I want to encourage him to exercise, and I would like to do pull-ups as well, so I wanted to get something right away.  When we lived on the farm, I made a pull-up bar in the barn using construction materials including a 4 foot section of steel pipe, a couple pipe hangers, and some long lag bolts.  The materials for this project cost about $15.  The steel pipe worked fine, but it would rotate in the hangers and it was a bit hard on hands- wearing gloves when doing pull-ups on the steel pipe was a good idea.

This pull-up bar needs to be installed inside the house.  I decided to look at purpose-made exercise equipment this time.  I knew I might pay a bit more than the $15 I spent hanging the steel pipe, but I wanted something that would be easy to install without damaging the house, and that would make it as easy as possible to do pull-ups.

Internet searching revealed a number of options.  The mounting of the pull-up bar was a key issue for me, I did not want something that required a lot of drilling and putting screws into a doorway.  I also decided to mount the pull-up bar in an unfinished basement.  There are stud walls with doorways, but these measure 34 1/8  inches since there is no door or door frame installed.  Many of the pull-up bars requires a narrower opening.

Perfect Multi-gym pull-up bar

I checked the shelf at the local Walmart store and found one that would fit a doorway up to 35 inches wide. It was the Perfect Multi-gym for $29.77.  This was a bit more than I was hoping to pay, but looked like a nice piece of equipment.  This unit installs without any screws or drilling in the doorway.  You can adjust the pull-up bar to fit the dimensions of your doorway, and it uses the trim of the doorway to keep it in place. Most of the weight presses against the door frame, not pulling down on the trim.

Perfect Multi-gym for pull-ups and more
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Perfect Multi-gym has several places covered with foam that can be used for pull-ups to exercise different muscle groups.  The unit can also be easily removed from the doorway to use for push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises.

Since my door frame is unfinished, it does not have trim.  I used 6 nails to hang a piece of 1x2 to act as the trim until we install a door.  The pull-up bar also comes with a safety clip that provides a catch to keep the pull-up bar from coming down from the doorway, which was easily installed behind the 1x2 trim.

Perfect Multi-gym pull-up bar installed in door frame
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Perfect Multi-gym pull-up bar installed in door frame uses trim for support
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Perfect Pull-up Bar

The Perfect Multi-gym will make doing pull-ups easy.  The novelty factor is still high- I have done quite a few pull-ups already today, and I think my kids will use it a lot as well.  I installed it in a doorway so that the pull-up bar is a couple inches higher than the tallest person, so we can leave it in place all the time.  It is comfortable to use and seems well made.  The instructions were easy to follow, and I like that installing the unit does not require screwing or drilling into a door frame.

Recommended reading:

Pedometer Test Drive: How accurate can a pedometer measure walking distance? Is a pedometer worth the money?

Liquid Bandage: Effective for Protecting Cuts? Cheaper than Band-Aids?

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

United Credit Card: How I Avoided Paying the Annual Fee and Kept my Miles

United MileagePlus Explorer Card

United Airlines Explorer Credit Card
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Updated August 12, 2013

The United Mileage Plus Explorer Credit Card is a credit card that provides 30,000 bonus miles when you charge $1000 during the first 3 months.  Additional miles are awarded as you continue to make purchases with the United credit card.  


The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.  The credit card is a Visa credit card from Chase (JP Morgan Chase bank).  


When I got my card about a year ago, there was a special offer that allowed me to get 30,000 miles by making a single purchase after receiving the United credit card.  How far can you go for 30,000 miles?  This is about enough for a single domestic flight on United.

United MileagePlus Explorer Card: 30,000 Free Miles and an Annual Fee

I was easily able to obtain the 30,000 bonus miles as promised after getting my United Explorer credit card.  After reading the fine print, I realized that:

1. There is a $95 annual fee every year, except the first year
2. Upon closure of the cardmember’s MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card account, all benefits will be canceled.

One strategy to deal with the annual fee would be to use your miles in the first year, then cancel the credit card before the first $95 annual fee is applied to your account.

However, I did not need to fly during the first year and I want to have some miles available in case I wanted to fly somewhere.  Paying $95 per year to keep miles that I may or may not use did not make sense.  How can I keep my miles, but avoid paying the annual fee?

My initial understanding was that item 2 from the fine print above meant that if you cancel your card, you'll lose your miles.  After further review, I realized that the "benefits" are separate from the bonus miles.  So one way to avoid the annual fee is to simply cancel the card before you get billed for the 2nd year annual fee whether you have used your miles or not.  Apparently you get to keep your points even after you cancel the card!

How to Avoid the Paying the United MileagePlus Annual Fee

There are reasons you may not want to cancel the United credit card, though.  If you have a balance and do not want to move it, or if you want to keep the card to earn more miles in the future, it may be worth keeping.  Also, canceling a credit card with a big limit can reduce your credit score under some circumstances.  So how can you avoid paying the $95 annual fee and keep your United credit card?

I called Chase to request that the annual fee be waived this year.  I figured it was worth a try.  The response was that they do not waive annual fees on mileage credit cards.  However....

They informed me that I could apply some of my miles to pay the annual fee.  I had about 30,000 miles on the card.  It takes about 12,000 miles to cover the $95 annual fee.  This would allow me to keep 18,000 miles after paying the annual fee by redeeming miles.   I prefer this approach over canceling the card because:

1. I can keep most of my miles
2. I avoid the impact on my credit rating on canceling a credit card with a large credit limit

The person on the phone set me up with a PIN that I can use at united.com/chase to apply my mileage points to cover the annual fee.  Navigate to the points redemption page- there are standard options on the website for using miles to pay your annual fee.  You  can wait until the annual fee shows up on your billing statement and then go to the website to redeem miles to pay it.

Using points to cover the annual fee makes much more sense for me than paying the $95 annual fee with cash.  This will allow me to keep 18,000 miles I have remaining and perhaps even accumulate more miles if I keep using the MileagePlus credit card.

Penny Pinching Tips:

• You can essentially get a free flight using bonus miles from a United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card
• Watch out for the annual fee: Either cancel your card before the annual fee hits your account at the end of the second year, or use about 12,000 of your miles to pay the annual fee instead of paying cash if you want to keep your card
• It might be worth paying $95 in cash instead of miles if you want to keep your United Explorer Card and you are very likely to use your miles- 30,000 bonus miles gets you a free trip, 18,000 miles may not get you anywhere...

Recommended reading:

Sears Super Shopping: How I got 90% off at Sears 

GAP credit card: the benefits GAPCARD at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic 

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

Cheap Ethanol Gasoline vs Pure Gasoline: Which Is a Better Deal?

Ethanol Octane Rating is Higher than Gasoline
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol is grain alcohol.  This is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and spirits.  Ethanol is produced by fermentation of crops such as corn or sugar cane.  Most of the water is removed from ethanol through distillation.  Ethanol is flammable and contains a lot of energy which makes it useful as fuel for motor vehicles.

Ethanol as a Motor Vehicle Fuel

Ethanol is a biofuel that has been blended with gasoline as a motor vehicle fuel since the 1980's or earlier when it was known as "gasohol".  This was mainly a 90% gasoline / 10% ethanol mixture.  This formula is still common, although the name gasohol is no longer commonly used.

Ethanol Gasoline Blend is Cheaper than Pure Gasoline
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

If you look at the octane ratings at a fuel pump, you will find that the ethanol gasoline blend has a higher octane rating than pure gasoline.  Many people assume that this means that ethanol gasoline has higher energy content than pure gasoline, but this is not true.  The octane rating is an indication of controlled combustibility vs explosive combustibility of the fuel, not the energy content.  The higher octane rating of ethanol indicates that it can be compressed to higher pressure before combustion than gasoline.

Gasoline actually has about 50% more energy content than pure ethanol.  Another way to think about energy content: a gallon of pure ethanol has 66.7% of the energy content of a gallon of pure gasoline.

The commonly available ethanol blend fuel uses 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol.  Vehicles that are "flex fuel" capable can use E85 which is 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol.

Advantages of Ethanol Gasoline Fuel

• Ethanol blends are cheaper than pure gasoline
• Produce less air pollution from burning ethanol gasoline blend vs pure gasoline
• Smaller carbon footprint than gasoline
• Growing plants to produce ethanol absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere
• However, ethanol is not carbon neutral since fuel is burned to plant and harvest the crops and transport ethanol


• Ethanol is a renewable fuel, gasoline is not
• The market for ethanol proves demand for alternate fuels
• Ethanol fuel blends reduce gas line freezing since ethanol can absorb water and remain a combustable fuel

Cons of Ethanol Gasoline Fuel

• Ethanol has less energy per gallon than gasoline- this means less miles per gallon
• Hard on small engines not designed to run on ethanol blends
• Use of crops to produce ethanol fuel drives up food prices
• Risk that drought could cause both food and fuel shortage

Gasoline Octane Rating- Lower than Ethanol Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is the difference between ethanol and biodiesel?

Ethanol is an alcohol that is usually blended with gasoline to produce fuel for engines that use gasoline.  Biodiesel is fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat that is used to replace diesel fuel in diesel engines.
Both are renewable biofuels, but are used for different types of engines.

Is cheap ethanol gasoline a better deal than pure gasoline?

Most vehicles will get about 2% less miles per gallon using a 10% ethanol blend than with pure gasoline.  However, the price of ethanol blend gasoline is less than pure gasoline.  Is it a good deal?  A check of local prices shows that pure gasoline is selling for $3.59 per gallon vs $3.49 per gallon for the 10% ethanol blend. The price for the ethanol blend is about 2.8% less than for pure gasoline.  So at this price, the ethanol blend is a better deal than pure gasoline.  You will get 2% reduction in gas mileage, but you pay 2.8% less.

Penny Pinching Tips

• Ethanol fuel is a good deal- you will get slightly lower gas mileage with ethanol blend, but the lower cost more than offsets this difference
• Ethanol is a renewable biofuel and has a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline

Recommended reading:

How to Get Better Gas Mileage Without Getting a New Car

How Much Would I Save on Gas with a More Fuel Efficient Car?

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

Hypoallergenic Dogs / Dogs that Don’t Shed

What Causes Dog Allergies?

Allergens are the agents that cause allergic reactions.  The primary allergens produced by dogs that affect people are dander and saliva.  Dander is composed of skin cell that slough off as new skin cells are produced.  Saliva is produced by the tongue and is transferred to the dog’s fur by licking.  As fur sheds, dander and saliva from the dog are carried to come into contact with people.  Hypoallergenic dogs shed less and therefore are thought to produce less allergic reaction.  Since all dogs produce dander and saliva, all dogs have the potential to cause allergic reactions.

This dog is hypoallergenic!  What other choices are available?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Which Dog Breeds are Hypoallergenic? 

Some dog breeds are known as hypoallergenic.  These breeds shed less fur than others.  The lists below contain dog breeds that are known to shed less than most.

Hypoallergenic Small dogs:

• Maltese
• Poodles (Toy, Miniature)
• Schnauzers (Miniature)
• Bedlington Terrier
• Bichon Frise
• Chinese Crested
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Xoloitzcuintli

Hypoallergenic Large dogs:

• Standard Poodle
• Schnauzers (Standard, Giant)
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Portuguese Water Dog

Hypoallergenic Hybrids (Designer Dogs):

• Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever x Standard Poodle)
• Mal-Shi (Maltese x Shih-Tzu)

Labradoodle: A Hypoallergenic Hybrid of Labrador Retriever and Poodle
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Less is More

Small dogs have less surface area, and therefore produce less dander.  Another advantage of small dogs is that they are easier to groom and bathe frequently, which will reduce the amount of dander and saliva that they carry.

Dogs Bring Pollen From Outside

Dogs also can pick up pollen outdoors and carry it in their fur, causing allergy problems in addition allergies related to the dog itself.  Frequent bathing can reduce the amount of pollen that dogs carry in their fur as well and may reduce allergic reaction.

Dogs Have Individual Differences

Since there is variability in dander and saliva characteristics and amount of shedding among individual dogs, it seems like a good idea to spend time with the particular dog to gauge the amount of allergic reaction to expect.

Reducing Allergic Reaction to Dogs

• Choose a hypoallergenic breed that sheds less
• Choose a small dog that will produce less dander
• Frequently bathe your dog to remove pet dander and pollen from outdoors
• Frequent brushing can help remove loose fur and dog dander which will reduce exposure to allergens from your dog
• Sweep and vacuum frequently to remove as much dog fur and dander from your house as possible
• Keep your dog off of your bed to reduce exposure to allergens from your dog

Recommended reading:

Malshi: Cross of Maltese and Shih-Tzu Dog Breeds

Hypoallergenic Cats: Which cat breeds are least irritating?

Penny Pincher Journal
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GAP credit card: GAPCARD rewards at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

Gap Credit Card

When buying some clothes at the Gap store in the mall for my son, I was offered the chance to sign up for a Gap credit card and save 15% on my purchase.  Since this amounted to about $10 of instant savings, I was interested.  The GAPCARD is a savings program that includes other opportunities for discounts and rewards including:

• 15% off initial purchase
• 10% off Tuesdays
• Special Ads and coupons
• Extra 10% off for first 60 days
• Earn $10 Reward Card for every $200 spent at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

Save Money at the Gap Store with a GAPCARD
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Bonus offer- $30 Store Credit

When I received my Gap credit card in the mail a few days later, the envelope include an offer for $30 store credit if for using the card outside of Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic within 30 days.  The Gap credit card is a Visa card and can be used anywhere Visa is accepted.  I plan to use it to buy gas tomorrow and book the $30 in store credit.

Earn $10 Rewards Cards

You can earn rewards from shopping at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic.  For every $200 you spend at these stores, you'll earn a $10 Reward Card.  I sometimes shop at Old Navy, and my son seems to like Gap, so earning a $10 reward seems possible.

Tuesday Discount Deals

If you shop at Gap on Tuesdays, you’ll save 10% after you get a Gap credit card, plus 10% extra during the first 60 days.  Saving 20% would merit a special trip if you are planning to buy more than one item.



One hazard of getting a credit card is ending up with a balance on a credit card with a relatively high annual percentage rate (APR).  Most cards that provide rewards and benefits have a high APR.  I plan to pay the balance off every month to avoid paying interest and fees.

How do you sign up?

Instant credit card application is available in the store.  The cashier will ask questions, and you use a touch screen to enter information to apply for a credit account.  The credit check is done within a few seconds of applying.

Gap Credit Card
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What information is required to apply for a Gap credit card?

During the credit application, you will need to provide:

• Photo ID
• Other credit card
• Address
• Phone number
• Social Security Number
• e-mail address

Can you use account right away?

Yes, you can use the Gap credit card immediately if you are approved.  You will save 15% off of your purchase and the balance goes on your new Gap credit card account.

Penny Pinching Tips:

• You can maximize this 15% discount if you apply for the card when you are making a sizable purchase anyway, for example Easter clothes or back-to-school clothes.
• Avoid being motivated by special offers to buy more than you intend
• Pay off the balance on your Gap Card each month to avoid interest and fees

Recommended reading:

Old Navy Credit Card Tips

Kohl’s Credit Card: Get Kohl’s Cash and Kohl's Discounts

Sears Super Shopping: How I got 90% off at Sears

Penny Pincher Journal
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