R. D. Swartz Freelance Writer

Ten Reasons to use Mind Mapping Software

2009-10-17T20:49:00.001+07:00

Ten Reasons to use Mind Mapping Software

R.D. Swartz

Mind Mapping Software is the best way to increase your efficiency as well as create and document your business or writing projects. The software is light years ahead of the old fashion paper and pen style of doing things and is a new modern and very colorful way to get the job done quickly. Here are 10 reasons to use mind mapping Software.

1. Make yourself more valuable to your company. The software will enhance your ideas and help you be a more visually oriented manager of ideas and a problem solver to your boss. The time saved in taking projects from start to finish will be noticed by everyone.

2. It’s Flexible software. Mind mapping software is extremely flexible and it helps you manipulate ideas and create solutions quickly and as you further your ideas it gives you the power to assign the proper resources to get the job done faster.

3. It can help you find the gaps. One of the best aspects of the software is it help you see gaps in the idea process so you can visualize the problem and document a future solution.

4. It gives you powerful tools to work with. When you create a topic and move it around the interface you organize it and reevaluate it in a more abstract way so you can think about your idea from every angle and create solutions quickly.

5. Learn to develop marketing plans. Another great application for the software is to create comprehensive and effective marketing plans in a visual format so you can expand and contract ideas effortlessly.

6. Streamline your business. Once you have learned the basics of mind mapping software you can use it to appropriate the proper amount of action to every task. You can apply the right amount of man power and other resources to accomplish the task. You can control the speed with the built in time clock to make sure you keep up with your scheduling goals.

7. You can see the big picture and fine details instantly. The expanding and contracting nature of the programs interfaces allows you to go into great depth to micromanage the fine details or zoom out into the bigger concepts of what your goals are quickly.

8. It helps you track projects and tasks. Once you expand your ideas you can focus on getting the tasks completed and track the progress daily. As you progress you project to completion you can rearrange, expand or create new avenues to make your project go quicker or cut costs.

9. Clarity of ideas. One of the most talked about aspects of the software is its ability to absorb your brainstorming idea sessions and quickly arrange them logically or in time sequence to clarify the concept.

10. Color and pictures to enhance memory. Once you see your ideas in full color and pictures mapped out and organized with every possible scenario you will know you have increased your ability to formulate ideas and find solutions to accomplish your goals.

Five Types of Mind Mapping Software

2009-10-17T20:48:00.001+07:00

Five Types of Mind Mapping Software

R. D. Swartz

All Mind mapping Software is designed to help you take your ideas and further them in the most efficient and productive way using great colorful graphics that encourage you to be as creative and practical as possible. Once you brainstorm your main idea you can use the tools to manipulate it and appropriate resources to accomplish your goals light years ahead of the old fashion pen and paper style of doing things. There are many companies providing different software and each has its own features and ways of helping you accomplish your goals.

MindManager 8

MindManager 8 is a great product that has a good group brainstorming mode for fast documentation of ideas. It has timer feature to keep you on task and schedule while you map out your ideas and place them in their proper setting like floating maps, buckets of ideas in different groups, then you can interchange, connect or rearrange them according to any category you need to. You can also purchase the add on software theRealizer 2 that has a separate column of the right side of the display for you to do a step by step process for generating and prioritizing ideas as well as display cards that stimulate your ideas into new areas.

iMindmap

iMindMap, has a great brainstorming visual mapping interface that automatically assigns new ideas by color giving you a visual way to connect your ideas and solutions. One feature is to drag new branches from ideas to create solutions and expand concepts simultaneously. When you start a new session you can choose from or upload different icons to help visually categorize your ideas in the proper areas.

XMind

Xmind is great software that also has an online file sharing network for users to upload, enhance and share ideas or comment on production solutions. Their pro version includes special features like Audio notes, presentations, private sharing and task info. The colorful interface is easy to navigate and the tool bars are well placed and labeled.

ConceptDraw Mindmap 6

ConceptDraw MINDMAP 6 is a business formatted mind mapping software program that has a wonderful brainstorming interface. You can easily arrange your ideas in the free floating area where you insert your concepts. You can add sub-topics quickly and the system adds a timer to set limits on brainstorming and idea solutions.

ThinkDigits 2.0

ThinkDigits 2.0 is an iPhone application software that easily notes a numbers with a drop and drag feature. You can continually add notes and numbers in a long column format using color and shapes to add visually to enhance your brain storming. The software has over seventy icons to choose from and you can assign labels from you lists quickly. The software features over forty mathematical, statistical and financial functions that are easy to use with a drop and drag interface. You can also change background themes and send portable PDF copies of your work or publish directly to website pages.

Features of Mind Mapping Software

2009-10-17T20:47:00.001+07:00

Features of Mind Mapping Software

R. D. Swartz

Mind Mapping Software can increase your efficiency as you create and document your business or writing projects. It can help you be completely organized and find ways to accomplish your project goals on time and in budget. There are several software companies and products to choose from but they all have similar overall features but some have developed very cleaver methods that separate them from their competition.

The software has a colorful open interface with easy to navigate tool bars. You can think and create ideas and sub-topics instantly and organize them in any way you want. You can include priority, task completion time and URL links to any topic. As you create each new topic or sub-topic you can assign a new color, category or picture to help visualize the task.

Adding new topics is done quickly in the main interface, then you add notes and descriptions about each new topic. You can change the size of each topic to control the overall view of the project. Most of the actions are automatic when you move your mouse over topics where pop up boxes will display notes or possible options for you to perform next.

Most software gives you the option to choose from many types of maps like organizational charts, cause and effect, logical diagrams and the traditional balloon style mind map. All of them have drop and drag features to easily move things around into different categories or branches of the project.

Some software has the ability to add audio clips to further enhance a topic or give examples to employees with direct audio commands or use audio clips from outside sources to educate on ways to enhance that particular stage of the project. It is a great way to have (how to do) examples in audio form so there is less chance of confusion when the project is underway.

Most software uses drop and drag features for pictures to allow you to quickly download images to enhance the idea and creation part of your topic or later on to use as examples while the project is underway.

Some software providers have created online communities where you can download or upload projects, map formats and other important enchantments as well as comment or work on each other’s projects. This brings the online community to assist each other in all aspects of projects big and small as well as brings new concepts to the table beyond what the software makers have produced.

Mind mapping software is an important tool to help you not only create efficiently but to also promote and display projects. You can save to PDF files and email instantly your work or upload to a website. You can present you projects in almost any format and you can do far more than just describe a new concept, you can visually take your audience threw your idea in ways they could never imagine by just listening to you talk.

Basics of Mind Mapping Software

2009-10-17T20:46:00.002+07:00

Basics of Mind Mapping Software
By
R. D. Swartz

No matter if you are creating a writing project or perfecting business strategies Mind Mapping Software is a visual interface that enhances the entire process from conception to completion. Mind Mapping Software lets you manipulate ideas with the flexibility to expand and rearrange them effortlessly in a colorful visual way. The increase in productivity and accuracy is one of the benefits that saves you time and money on projects.

With this software your concepts are visually displayed and you can see possible gaps or solutions to your ideas that can be filled easily with new data. It is an incredible way to be creative and solve problems with great accuracy. As your brain produces solutions the software visually documents it so you can see it in its entirety.

You can quickly deposit your ideas into the software and then start rearranging them and expanding them to their fullest potential. This allows you to see conflicts or future potential problems and automatically gives you the tools to isolate and prepare to overcome them in your business plan or writing projects.

Many usurers of Mind Mapping Software use the term you can see the forest and the trees at the same time. The interface lets you zoom out to see the entire concept as well as lets you zoom in to the smallest details and makes it easy to further them. The software helps you see and envision new opportunities that otherwise may have not been noticed before.

Time scheduling is a big benefit of the software as it helps you delegate the proper resources for the tasks at hand. When you can observe the project and its stages effectively you can monitor the percentage completed and make changes to keep the project on time and budget. As a management tool it can keep you organized like never before and keep production going.

As you develop your ideas you can use not only text but visual information to help further the concept. Most software enables you to create many kinds of ways to place information and in many forms. You can use the information you create to develop projects and make better decisions about those ideas.

Becoming a great problem solver is whole idea around mind mapping software. As you expand and reorganize ideas to develop them to their most practical conclusion you can overcome information overload and document all your information in a way that can be manipulated and not lost. As an owner of a company or manager the tools imbedded in the software are designed to help you achieve maximum efficiency in your projects from start to finish.

Any new concept or idea can quickly be expanded using mind mapping software. Many software companies have trial versions or a free basic mind mapping software download available on their websites. Some offer more features than others but they have one thing in common and that is they will help you increase productivity and time management.

Buying a Car

2009-10-14T22:23:00.003+07:00

Buying a Car

R.D. Swartz

If you are in need of a car ask yourself will I keep this car for ten or more years? If so a new car is an option for you but is still a losing proposition. If I asked you to invest 25,000 dollars in an investment guaranteed to lose 30 percent on the first day and 90 percent over ten years you would never give me a dime of your money. That is exactly the situation in buying a new car you will get to drive a new car but the financial investment is pitiful.

Also you need to consider the much higher insurance on a new car than a used one as well as the interest rate of you loan. Altogether the investment for a new 25,000 car over buying a used 5,000 car is a no brainer you will lose massively on the new car financially compared to the used car with its much lower insurance costs and possibly no interest rate if it is paid for in cash.

It is so nice to have a new car that works great and is under warranty. It is much nicer to have financial security and money in the bank and those who buy used cars every five years compared to those who buy new cars every five years have lots more money in the bank. At the end of the day all cars are temporary until they cannot be driven then they are useless, so why invest more money into a financial losing battle then you need to?

Finding a good car mechanic to help keep your used car going and occasionally having to rent a car while you used car is in the shop is a small price to pay then compared to 500 to a 1000 dollars a month going out for that shinny new car and its insurance bill. If it gets me to where I need to go and the air-conditioning, heat and CD player works I’m happy. I will drive my used cars all the way to the bank to watch my savings grow.

The Perfect Baby Gift Basket

2009-10-01T19:51:00.002+07:00

The Perfect Baby Gift Basket

R. D. Swartz

If a baby shower is in your near future for a friend who has given birth to a new baby then it is the perfect opportunity to show your concern as well as your gift giving skills. The goal is to not only to provide what is needed for the new baby but to make your feelings of friendship show in your choice of a gift basket designed for the newborn.

Nobody likes to throw money away or buy gifts that are basically useless and go unused. A good designed baby gift basket will provide what is needed and will be a big help for the new parents as well as a money saving gift for them.

A fact finding mission before you go shop is always the best way to make sure you hit a homerun with your purchasing. Do not be shy you need to find out what the parents have and need. Also if possible what others guests to the baby shower have already or are planning to buy. This is the perfect time to zero in on the best choices of gifts and not to double purchase items.

There are so many items out there, colorful mobiles to keep babies occupied, CD’s of soft music or nursery rhymes and bigger items like changing mats, cribs and dressers. Usually it is best to let the parents deal with the big stuff but if it is needed and what you want to purchase you can do so and still incorporate it in your basket gift with pictures or a nice card telling the parents of the large ticket item you purchased.

Educational toys are always a great idea and the variety is endless. The basic necessities may be far more important especially if the parents are having difficult times financially and need a helping hand. If that is the case then you know the basics of clothes, formula, diapers and pacifiers are easy to find and you can also give the parents a card letting them know you are there to help them beyond the baby shower. Here are some more necessities feeding bottles, infant cups, teether, rattles and baby spoons.

Other great basket ideas are baby powder, bath gels, baby shampoo, bubble bath, and you can never have enough baby wipes. Go ahead and look into buying baby towels, cleaning brushed, small frames for pictures, announcement cards, baby bottle soap and bath tub toys. Another great addition to the basket is cookies, jelly beans, baby food and other snacks for the baby as well as the mom. You could also put in some more things for mom and dad like cheese, crackers, small wine bottle and other gourmet foods.

You can find the basket and the trimmings after you buy the items and put them all together yourself to not only save money but give it a special personal touch. Maybe you can put pictures on the basket or other handmade crafts to decorate it and make it special. The idea is to buy what is needed and be thoughtful at the same time.

Welcome to the Tropical Paradise of Puerto Rico

2009-09-28T21:33:00.002+07:00

Welcome to the Tropical Paradise of Puerto Rico

R. D. Swartz

When the cold winter wind hits your face as you go to work, do you have the thought, (why am I not on a beach somewhere?) We all want to escape from the cold and the Caribbean is always waiting for us. My wife and I go to Puerto Rico every year because it offers fantastic beach vacations. This Island paradise is a United States of America commonwealth so you only need a picture ID, no passport or visa is required and exchanging money isn’t necessary for Americans.

Puerto Rico is a tropical Island that offers everything, beach sand beaches, casino resorts, water sports and all the sunshine you want. The Casio resorts are like small cities and have every conceivable amenity you could want. You can find homes to rent on private beaches or choose from the many hotels, resorts and apartments for your stay. The big resort rooms are a little more expensive and they charge an 11% tax on top of your room cost. My wife and I stay in some of the apartments for rent with kitchens so we can cook in our room and save on food costs.

You can fly into Puerto Rico from Miami in about two and a half hours or take a cruise ship as part of a multi Island Caribbean Cruise. Once on the Island the warm air and sunshine will put you at ease and you will know you are in for some fun and sun. Most days are filled with activities like water skiing, scuba diving, museum tours, outdoor adventures or just lazy days of sunbathing. The nights are filled with long dinners, shows, gambling and dancing the night away.

The restaurant food is very good and you’ll love trying out the huge variety but it can be expensive like most tourist spots and they charge 15% gratuity. Fresh seafood is everywhere and you can find smaller mom and pop restaurants that are a good value. The cafes have free internet access as well as the hotels and you can get great muffins and coffee easily.

San Juan is the capitol city of Puerto Rico and the main spot for shopping, eating and late night partying. The island has great opportunities for family based vacations with waterslides, kids activates and amusement parks. Golfers of all ages will love the gorgeous golf courses throughout the Island and there are several miniature golf courses as well.

Puerto Rico has incredible natural beauty and the interior of the island has tropical forests, parks and mountains that you can go hiking and site seeing through. The bioluminescent bays are a must see and a spectacular part of your vacation. The Island has so much to offer and many people make it their yearly vacation spot.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) The Key to Internet Success

2009-09-28T21:32:00.002+07:00

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) The Key to Internet Success

R. D. Swartz

I know you want to have as many hits on your website as possible and being crafty with your (SEO) search engine optimization is the key to getting lots of hits on your site. SEO is a method to get your website ranked as high as possible in search engines for keyword phrases. When you choose a keyword phrase you must choose one that reflects what you sell and the number of searches and competition for that phrase.

First you need to go to www.googlekeywords.com or www.wordtracker.com and type in the words of the phrase you want to use. Then look at the rankings for each word of the phrase and see how many times it was searched. The higher the searches, the more competition so you need to play with the words and narrow down the phrase to a version that is not so competitive. If you wanted to sell a (Weight Loss E-Book) and the rankings for those words are very high you may end up with (Losing Weight Success Stories E-Book) instead.

You need to remember search engines factor web pages not entire websites so you will need to optimize each particular page. You will get less traffic to your site with a more targeted keyword phrase but the traffic you do get will be customers much more interested in your product. After you have picked your keyword phrase you need to build the content of your pages around it so the search engine algorithms can provide your site with a higher ranking in the search engine result pages (SERP.)

Save with low APR Credit Cards (Published by West Georgia Neighbor 09-29-09)

2009-09-28T21:29:00.002+07:00

Save with low APR Credit Cards

R. D. Swartz

Credit cards used properly are great tools for building credit, getting discounts, earning sky miles and convenience but as any tool they can also be used improperly and destroy your hard earned money with interest and extra fees. APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and the monthly interest is calculated as if the card balance will remain the same over a year and is divided by 12 to give the monthly interest.

The first step is to find out what is your current APR on your credit cards. No matter what your APR was when you opened a credit card account the APR can be increased without notice and can go as high as 29%, no matter if you have great credit and no balance, it is up to the credit card company to change the rate anytime they want after your first 6 month to a year of opening the account.

Start your search for a low APR card online at http://www.creditcards.com/ and look for cards that have balance transfers, protection Insurance, no or reduced annual fees and offer 0% interest for up to twelve months. Once you have picked a new low APR credit card company and switched your outstanding balances to it if possible then close your high interest rate credit card accounts to stop the annual fee and the temptation to put a balance on the old higher rate card.

Nothing is more destructive then paying a high interest rate it usually means whatever you buy and put on your card you pay for it 3 or more times over again because of the interest then if you just bought it with cash. If you have balances on high interest rate credit cards then call the companies and ask them to reduce the rate or you will take your business elsewhere. Even if they give you a lower rate that is great but still diligently look for a low APR card with a 0% percent first month or year rate and move your balance to it and close your higher rate credit card accounts.

http://www.westgeorgianeighbor.com/finances.php

5 ways to Save Money This Winter (Published by West Georgia Neighbor 09-29-09)

2009-09-28T21:25:00.004+07:00

5 ways to Save Money This Winter

R. D. Swartz

Sweater weather is just around the corner and throughout the winter holidays we all need to look for ways to save money. Some of the biggest expenses are your winter wardrobe and heat bills. Also as the end of the year comes it is the perfect time to reevaluate some of your monthly expenses to find ways to save.

1. Shop at Good Will Stores they offer fantastic savings, name brands and great quality. There are many locations all over West Georgia and the more time you shop there the more diamonds in the rough you will discover. I have bought brand new, never worn shirts for 5.00 that still had the original price tag of 75.00 from Macys. For smaller children the selection is wide and they grow so fast why invest in expensive clothes just to be outgrown and sit in the closet? Whenever you need clothes try the Good Will Stores first and you will absolutely save some money.

2. Lower your heating bill; it is just wasted money going out the window. Limit ventilation fan use in the bathrooms that send your heat right outside your home. Try to cut down heat to the rooms you do not use by simply shutting the vents off. Look for any heat escaping through cracks in door or window seals and buy caulking or weather stripping and stop those leaks. Purchase an oil filled radiator and use it in the rooms you frequent a lot and sleep in. Turn down the thermostat and put on extra clothes and keep the oil radiator near you and you will see the heat bill go down.

3. A yearly review on all your insurance is a great way to try and save some money. Look carefully at your insurance policies to see if you are double paying for medical coverage in your health and car insurance. Insurance companies never like to reduce your car insurance as your car gets older but sometimes if you change companies you can reduce the insurance bill on your car and maybe package your home, life and health together at a new company and save more than your current provider especially if you have had credible coverage for 18 months of health insurance any preexisting medical issues will not affect health coverage if you change to a new company. So price all your insurance needs with several companies and look for the best deal.

4. Stopping unnecessary bank fees is within everyone’s ability and a great way to save money. Look for a bank that has totally free checking and branches in the areas you frequently are at. Keep a reserve of money in the checking account and use cash and a credit card that gives you sky miles or cash back for your purchases so you do not get ATM or overdraft fees.

5. Buy after the New Year and save a ton of money. My wife and I love to shop for Christmas related items a week after the New Year and we rack up on goodies every year. Christmas wrapping paper, lights, candy canes, gifts, ornaments you name it we usually get Christmas stuff for 50 to 80 percent off and box it up for next year.

http://www.westgeorgianeighbor.com/saving-money-during-winter.php

Movie Review Fracture

2009-09-28T10:09:00.001+07:00

Movie Review

Fracture

R. D. Swartz

Who done it is back, well almost, we know who did it but will he walk away Scott free? This extremely well made catch me if you can film is defiantly worth your time and money. I was worried another murder mystery film starring Anthony Hopkins would be another Hannibal style, same old thing movie, but Fracture is a cunning mental battle played out in court with more than the usually stakes at hand.

Anthony Hopkins performance as Ted Crawford is good and gives the audience a sense of a cold unapproachable villain with no possible remorse for anyone in his way. But Ryan Goslings portrait of Willy Beachum absolutely stole the show in this movie. His brilliant performance and charisma makes you feel the passion this character has and his battle over doing the right thing for the right reason.

The cast also relies on David Strathairn as the devoted DA battling all sides to keep sanity and integrity in the prosecutor’s office while Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling battle legally and morally for the life of the brain dead victim played by Embeth Davidtz as the wife Jennifer Crawford.

The young crafty Willy Beachum does not see the train wreck coming his way and unwittingly is forced to put his new found love interest and new boss Nikki Gardner played by the astounding Rosamund Pike into the mix of this intriguing plot. To make things even more difficult Billy Burke plays as Lt. Robert Nunally the arresting officer and is far more involved in the case then he should be.

This movie is based on looking for the weak spot or fracture, but there is nothing weak about this move. It is well made, skillful writing, performed brilliantly, and suspenseful in every way.

Movie Review Recount

2009-09-28T10:02:00.001+07:00

Movie Review

Recount

R.D. Swartz

Why would anyone want to make a movie about America’s constitutional crises after the 2000 presidential election? With the cast, drama, suspense and writing this movie definitely needed to be made. This roller coaster ride of a drama will shock you at how well a story you thought you lived through actually happened. An absolutely exciting movie to watch as this enormously famous cast performs brilliantly to expose the political thrilling adventure we all took after the failed presidential election of Al Gore and George Bush.

Kevin Spacey plays “Ron Klain” one of Al Gore’s senior campaign advisers who stumbled into the lead role of fighting for the votes of Florida in our nation’s 5 week post election debacle. Denis Leary plays “Michael Whouley” a fellow Al Gore Campaign strategist who saves the day by barely stopping Al Gore from conceding the race on live TV as he learns “something was wrong in Florida.” This launches a battle with stakes as high as they can get for the presidency.

The cast is unstoppable with almost every face a well know actor. The gorgeous Laura Dern plays the republican savior and to the democrats, evil woman “Katherine Harris” who ultimately has final say so on Florida’s electoral delegate’s, that is if she has the time to sign the certification with daily protest, death threats, and constant court petitions including a final show down at the federal Supreme Court.

Other great performances by wonderful actors like Ed Baily JR, as “David Boies”, Tom Wilkinson as “James Baker”, Bruce Mcgill as lobbyist “Mac Stipanovich” and many more.

We all watched the events of this presidential fight every night on the news as it happened in November 2000 but with the incredible way this movie depicts the events it gives the story a whole new meaning.

Movie Review Snakes on a Plane

2009-09-28T09:19:00.002+07:00

Movie Review

Snakes on a Plane

R.D. Swartz

I have a new nightmare and it is not being trapped on a plane full of computer generated snakes attacking the passengers, but having to ever see this movie anywhere anytime again. It is absolutely an awful movie in every way; just like a poisonous snake avoid this movie at all costs.

I am a huge Samuel Jackson fan but not he or any other superstar actor could make this plot fly.

He did his best and he jumped over the seats and zapped the computer generated bad guy snakes with a stun gun and tried to be the hero, but the plot was unstoppable and drove this film to a crash landing.

Sorry to say nothing to report on the plus side on this flick. There were a few one liner jokes. Some vicious snake bites in sensitive areas, and some random flirting among the passengers. But no shortage of computer generated snakes winding all around and biting people some live some die then luckily the movie ends.

Samuel Jackson tries his best to play Neville Flynn a dedicated FBI agent protecting a key witness Sean Jones played by Nathan Philips as they fly first class from Hawaii to Los Angeles to testify against a ruthless mob boss. The Mob boss sends an assassination box full of 450 snakes onto the plane to kill everyone and bring the plane down so no one will testify against him.

With snakes coming out of everywhere and biting at everybody our hero Samuel Jackson uses his wits and skills to stop the reptile invasion best he can to save the day and as many lives as he can. This movie falls into the category of a story that did not need to be told.

Published by the West Georgia Neighbor 09-24-09

2009-09-24T22:03:00.000+07:00

This is the first installment of a series entitled: A Brief Moment in History

Carroll County, Georgia

By R. D. Swartz

Carroll County Georgia was created by the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1825. The county was named for Charles Carroll of Maryland who was one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Originally the county was very large and went from the Chattahoochee River to the Alabama State Line but over the years was divided up into what is now Carroll, Douglas, Heard, some parts of Haralson and Troup counties.

The county seat is Carrollton and it was chartered in 1826 and governed by five elected justices called The Carroll Inferior Court. The original intent was to name the county seat Troupville after George Troup the former governor but the Georgia General Assembly decided to incorporate the town as Carrollton in December 1829.

R.D.Swartz is a freelance writer formerly of Carrollton, GA. You can see more of his work at http://www.rdswartzfreelancewriter.blogspot.com

http://www.westgeorgianeighbor.com/fun-facts-about-west-georgia.php

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part Four (Save Money.)

2009-09-20T21:57:00.004+07:00

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part Four (Save Money.)

R.D. Swartz

Ok in front of you should be a piece of paper with lots of figures on what services you have and services you may switch too will cost. I think for most people that internet access is a must have and literally can save you far more money than it cost you for the monthly service fee of 20 to 60 dollars depending on where you are and the speed you purchase. If you do not want internet service in the home because you have it at work and or you are on a limited budget then you still need to decide if you need a home phone, mobile phone or TV service. Also if you have a computer at home not on the Internet you can get a thumb drive and download many types of information and entertainment from a public or work computer and use it on a home computer even without having it on the Internet. I often download many pages from Wikipedia or encyclopedias just to read when I am offline and traveling.

What did you decide on the home phone, mobile phone or internet phone? For some people they pay for a mobile phone only as well as use Skype. Is the prepaid phone a good option for you and do you realize the cost for using it to much? Many times the 3 in 1 home phone, cable TV and Internet is a cheaper way to go than if you only had cable and Internet with the same provider, if so you may as well have the home phone as well as look for the mobile phone discount that sometimes comes with 3 in 1 bundles. Many of the 3 in 1 packages have free nationwide calling on the home phone.

One important thing to remember is the cost to leave what you have now and how long of a contract the new services will be and the cost over that time in comparison to keeping what you have now. It is not saving money if there are penalties now and will be more if you change or move to a new location and break a contract for service in the near future. It is convincible that a 3 in 1 bundle with a mobile phone from one provider is the cheapest way to go for some people but you can save on a minimal channel package on the cable and watch more TV shows on the Internet. What is the cost for the TV antenna system and is it a better option for you to pay for once and use from now on especially if you are sure you will not be moving to a new home for many years. Some people choose an antenna system, Internet and a mobile phone services and do not have a home phone or cable TV.

Remember a DVR can enhance your TV watching experience as well as save you time and you should embrace this technology and use it because it will increase your entertainment value with a very low cost. It feels good to get your monies worth and more and more people have to stay home for entertainment because they cannot afford to go out as much as in the past. So once you streamline your phone, TV and internet services for the best value learn to keep pushing the envelope to explore new ways to get entertainment value out of those services.

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part Three (The Internet.)

2009-09-20T21:55:00.002+07:00

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part Three (The Internet.)

R.D. Swartz

The internet and computers have come a long way since the days of simple emailing, pictures and using word to write letters. The amount of information, entertainment, phone services, TV, news and college education is just overwhelming and growing day by day. At his point in time TV on the internet is growing leaps and bounds and every network has live feeds on their websites as well as back episodes of their shows to watch 24/7. If you have or want to have internet in your home and if you use it thoroughly you can save money on eliminating some unneeded costs each month.

It’s not what you can do with the internet at home but what cant you do. It is a tool like any other and if used properly you can benefit greatly by it. As I mentioned before if you do not watch TV a lot or most of what you watch you can find easily on the internet then why do you need cable or satellite TV especially if you need to cut money somewhere in your monthly budget.

My favorite site is Hulu it is just an incredible free TV watching website that has a lot of great TV shows to see. There are many more and here are some of them. Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, MTV Music, TNT, Nickelodeon, SciFi, Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TBS, Disney Channel, TLC / Discovery / Animal Planet, Comedy Central, TVLand. You can also find internet only networks and here are a few of them.

MicroGuide, CNET TV, Gametrailers, Gamevideos, FearNet, Reuters, MicroGuide, Veoh, TV.com, Fancast, YouTube, Blip.TV, First on Mars, There are also many pay per view internet sites that offer deals that are cheaper than your local cable or satellite providers here are a few. Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster, CinemaNow, MovieFlix, Bigstar, StarzPlay. And the list gets bigger every day and more and more entertainment is going online that can help you save money by having an internet connection.

Skype is an incredible free video phone service that you can call from computer to computer. It also lets you buy phone time to call from your computer to any home or mobile phone or you can purchase a local phone number and receive calls on your computer including texting, live computer games and more. There are others like Google Talk , Yahoo Voice and many more that you can look into to see if these services can save you money over a home phone and or mobile phone.

Take your list of your most watched TV shows from the part two article and search for the shows on the internet. What percentage of shows can you watch on the internet for free (besides the cost of internet service) and can you save money by cutting your cable or satellite service off? How many of the shows are also available on an antenna system that you can see on the internet? In the last article we will sum it all up and see how much money you can save.

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part Two (The TV.)

2009-09-20T12:32:00.005+07:00

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part Two (The TV.)

R.D. Swartz

Ok let’s see what we can do to save you money on your TV bill, you need to write down answer to these questions. Do you watch TV at your home on cable, satellite dish, over the internet or antenna? IF you have cable TV does your provider offer a bundle of services including internet and a home phone line? How much TV do you and your family truly watch and can you cut your cable TV package to the minimal amount of channels? If you purchase a TV antenna system how many channels can you pick up and how does this compare to the minimal package of channels that your cable and satellite provider offers you? Have you ever explored the amount of TV shows and movies you can see on the internet? Have you ever used a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or other recording device to record TV to watch later?

We will do a complete comparison in the last article and cover the phone, TV and internet bundles then but for now you need to find out if your local providers have the 3 in 1 bundle option and what the cost are for the different TV channel packages. Most of the time the three in one packages save you a lot of money and some providers even give you a discount on mobile phone service if you also use the same provider for a 3 in 1 bundle package for your home phone, TV and internet services.

There is no worse of a waste of money then to have a hundred and fifty dollar a month cable TV bill with hundreds of channels and sixty or more movie channel and you hardly ever are home to watch any of it. If you mostly watch the major networks on your local channels, can you pick those same channels up on an antenna system or the internet? Write down everything you regularly watch on TV and see how much of it you can watch on the internet, antenna or minimal channel package from your providers.

I like to save money but I also like to get my monies worth and I highly suggest if you have cable or satellite TV you get the DVR option and pay the extra five or so dollars a month and use it constantly. This wonderful device helps you to fully get your monies worth out of your cable or satellite expense. I never watch live TV and only watch the recorded versions so I can fast forward through the parts of the shows I do not like or find boring as well as the advertisements. My time is mine and I want to maximize my enjoyment by cutting down the wasted time. I record shows that come on late at night as well as when I am working and watch them when I can. I watch the nightly news in about 5 minutes as I forward through the advertisements and news stories that do not interest me. In the next article we look at what you can do on the internet and all the TV you can find on it.

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part One (The Phone.)

2009-09-19T17:20:00.005+07:00

Maximize Your Monthly Budget Part One (The Phone.)

R.D. Swartz

We are all hurting financially and need to make our money stretch as far as possible. The first place to reexamine is the home phone, mobile phone, TV and internet services. The choices you have if you are an internet user from home are multiplied and need to be explored to see where you can save money in other areas due to your 24/7 connection to the world wide web. If you are not a computer user then you may want to look at the advantages of having one and how it can save in your monthly expenses.

The overall goal here is to make sure if you have one or all of the four you are getting your monies worth and not overpaying or double paying for services. You and your family must be absolutely honest about your habits in using your home phone, mobile phone, TV and internet to make a determination on how to save money. So what questions need to be answered first?

Phones, do you need a home phone line, mobile phone or both and how much do you use them?

Write down the answer to the following questions honestly. What are the true monthly costs after adding in taxes and fees by the providers and any extra fees due to your phone calling habits? Is a mobile phone absolutely necessary or a luxury? Most people want an emergency mobile phone for car break downs and if you had one is that all you would use it for? Are you surrounded by phones all day at home or work that are all you really need as opposed to a mobile phone? What is the cost of the extra services such as texting, emailing and more that are common on mobile phones and if you have internet access can you use them on a computer instead of a mobile phone? On the daily route you drive is it necessary to have an emergency phone or if you had a car break down what would you do or where can you get help without a mobile phone?

So what was the result of yourself examination? Is a mobile phone necessary or can it replace a home phone and serve as the only phone you need? What services do you need on your mobile phone if you have intent at home and or work? We will look at the possibility of an internet phone number in one of the next maximize your monthly budget articles to see if it is a viable option as well.

An emergency only prepaid phone can cost around .25 a minute plus a daily activation fee of 1.00 and if this option is best for you than you need to make sure it is only used in an emergency and not used to make unimportant calls or the costs will eat you up in the long run. A mobile phone that is used a lot with an unlimited number of minutes is best for those who do use them frequently and or as a replacement for a home phone line. I know many people that made the choice to go mobile only because they use it all the time and never use their home phone line.

If you cannot live without your mobile phone than you probably already have an unlimited plan costing around one hundred dollars and includes texting, emailing, voicemail and other luxuries. This is usually the best way to go and of course covers you as an emergency phone for car break downs. So the question is do you unload the home phone line or do you need it as part of your internet service? Let’s wait to make that choice until after we look at the phone, cable TV and internet combo packages in the next article.

Welcome to the R. D. Swartz Freelance Writer Blog

2009-09-17T19:35:00.003+07:00

Welcome to my Blog I am R. D. Swartz an experienced Freelance Writer and I write on many subjects like Lifestyle, Eco, Entertainment, Fashion, Technical, Editorials, Sports, Politics, Ghost Writing, Books and much more. I am always looking for more work so please email me at rdswartz411@gmail.com