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July 2, 2009
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The hallmark of a person
Abe Novick: Up, up, and aliya
July 1, 2009
Rabbi Avi Shafran: The Road Taken
The Kosher Gourmet
by Marialisa Calta: Get into the holiday spirit with these Star-Spangled desserts
June 30, 2009
Rabbi Binyomin Ginsberg: What makes a great parent?
Caroline B. Glick: Ideologue-in-Chief
June 29, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Beware of 'Caveat Emptor'
Steven Emerson: ACLU pushing for more money for Hamas
June 26, 2009
Rabbi Yoni Posnick: Learn the secret to a healthy marriage from a scriptural villain
Caroline B. Glick: Barack Obama vs. International Law
June 25, 2009
Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf: The Absurd Power of Truth
Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip:
Everything's Relative
June 24, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Advancement of technology is a wake-up call for humanity
The Kosher Gourmet by Andrea Weigl: Summer on a stick: Making frozen treats can be easy, creative and fun
June 23, 2009
Martin M. Bodek: 'On Surnames': And so, We Begin
Caroline B. Glick: The Obama Effect
June 22, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Working for a corrupt firm
N. Richard Greenfield : Where are American Jews?
June 19, 2009
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Emotion v. intellect
Caroline B. Glick: Israel's rare opportunity
June 18, 2009
Jonathan Rosenblum: Sometimes it is more essential to define the nature of evil than good
Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkle's strip:
Everything's Relative
June 17, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Language of Confusion
The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Nothing pleases Dad more than a thick, juicy onion-smothered steak. Add home-Baked Potato Chips and …
June 16, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Career v. Careersism
Caroline B. Glick: Obama's losing streak and Israel
Richard Z. Chesnoff: Palestinians: Never Missing an Opportunity …
June 15, 2009
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: How Judea and Samaria can become 'Palestine'
Daniel Pipes: Where Netanyahu's speech failed
June 12, 2009
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Some big thoughts about not acting so big
Caroline B. Glick:
Obama's High Commissioner
June 11, 2009
Victor Davis Hanson: Our historically challenged President
Mitch Albom: Beware the True Believers
Lewis Grossberger: What we learn from the new Hitler photos
June 10, 2009
Mort Zuckerman: What Obama and his advisors won't -- or refuse to -- grasp about Israel and the Muslim world
The Kosher Gourmet
by Steve Petusevsky Lotsa pasta: Tips, techniques and (amazing) taste
June 9, 2009
Anne Bayefsky: Obama's stunning offense to Israel and the Jewish people
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: America's first Muslim president?
June 8, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Merchant must take responsibility for careless shopper?
Mark Steyn: A superpower that feeds on mediocrity cannot survive for long on leftovers from the past
Richard Z. Chesnoff: How do you say 'kumbaya' in Arabic?
June 5, 2009
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: In quest of spirituality
Caroline B. Glick: Obama's Arabian dreams
Charles Krauthammer: The Settlements Myth
June 4, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The War Comes to Little Rock
The Kosher Gourmet
by Judy Hevrdejs: Splash it on! Tap your inner jazz musician and improvise when stirring up a vinaigrette
June 3, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. Should terrible teacher be exposed?
Jonathan Rosenblum: The Israel Lobby: Missing in Action
June 2, 2009
Dennis Prager: The Speech President Obama Won't Dare Give in Egypt
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Pressure on Israel raises war risk
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)
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Jewish World Review
Consumers cut expenses for phone, TV, Internet
By
Etan Horowitz
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Armando Triana, 27, loves his gadgets. He's got an iPhone, an iMac, high-speed Internet and satellite TV service with a digital video recorder. But he's also got a mortgage and a newborn and has to deal with high gas prices and the economic crisis like everyone else. So he has scaled back on his technology spending to the tune of about $150 a month.
"You are spending less, but you have to work a little bit harder, which is fine," said Triana, who works at a marketing agency. "I wish we could say we were putting (the money saved) away in savings, but I'm using it for gas to get to work, formula for the baby, just our basic necessities."
With so much uncertainty about the economy, many are scrutinizing their monthly expenses for places to save money. And one of the first places people turn is the money they spend on technology. One bright spot is that unlike expenses such as gas, there are a lot of options for home entertainment, meaning some consumers have found ways to cut spending on TV without having to give up their favorite shows.
For instance, some are getting rid of cable altogether and instead using a combination of over-the-air TV, watching shows on the Internet and renting DVDs from the library.
Others are choosing to upgrade existing electronics instead of buying new ones or repair instead of replace other items.
Sara Brady, spokeswoman for Bright House Networks, Central Florida's largest cable provider, said more consumers are calling to try to save money by adjusting their services. She also said usage of Bright House's On-Demand movies is up significantly as people try to save money by not going out to the movies.
John Domino of Fruitland Park, Fla., has not only cut his tech expenses by $50 a month, he's also planning on repairing electronics instead of replacing them, if he takes any action at all. For instance, he's got a 25-inch tube TV in the bedroom that he had planned to replace with a flat-screen set if the set broke or if he saw a good deal in a store. Not anymore.
"It wasn't high on the list, but it was on the list," said Domino, 54, a furniture salesman. "Now, if it died, we'd just do without a TV in the bedroom. When you have money, you don't mind almost wasting it. But when you don't have it, you've got to cut back."
Domino said he's using the money he's saving to pay his bills. When the economy gets better, he doesn't think he'll add back the services he cut out.
But technology spending doesn't always have to take a hit in a bad economy. In fact, some people are willing to shell out more money for gadgets if it means they can save in other areas.
A recent study from comScore found that more lower-income people were buying iPhones. The reason might be that the phone "can replace other devices like an MP3 player, another computer or even a broadband connection," said Jaimee Steele, spokeswoman for comScore.
Mandy Kimmer of Winter Garden, Fla., doesn't have an iPhone, but she said spending more on technology has helped her cut costs in other areas. She had been planning a road trip to Atlanta to visit some friends, but because of high gas prices, she decided against it.
Instead, Kimmer recently bought a new laptop that makes it easier to share photos and connect with her friends.
"It probably would have cost $120 or $150 in gas to go up there," said Kimmer, 47, who works for Orange County (Fla.) Parks and Recreation. "As much as we would love to go see this couple in Atlanta, at least we know we can shoot some photos and plug in those JPEGS to an e-mail and send them off and say 'here's what we're doing, here's what's going on.'"
How Armando Triana saves $153 a month:
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Phone service. About six months ago, Triana got rid of Vonage as his home phone service and he and his wife are now using their cell phones for all calls. Savings: $30 a month.
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Computer: Triana's iMac is about 7 years old and he had planned on replacing it with a new Mac laptop for about $1,200. Instead, he'll spend about $200 adding more memory, a new keyboard and a new mouse to his iMac. Savings: $1,000 (about $83 a month).
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TV and Internet service: Triana switched from a bundle of high-speed Internet and basic cable service with a DVR from Bright House Networks to a combination of satellite TV service from DISH Network and slower Internet service from Bright House. Savings: $40 a month.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
Save on your cell phone plan
Switch e-ddresses without any hurt
Send mass e-mails addressed to each recipient
Calling options keep growing like magic
Make call directly to voice mail
Pick the perfect meeting spot
Create, use e-mail templates in Outlook
Check cell phone coverage
Use technology to clear inbox, get things done
Transfer voice mail to your computer
Turn PowerPoint presentations into videos and post them online
Only print the portions of a web page you want
Set up a home wireless network
Access instant messaging programs without downloading anything (Good for workers or public computer use)
Avoid Registering For Web Sites
Send snail mail from your computer for free
Turn your camera phone into a portable scanner
Take screenshots on your computer
Automatically sync your Outlook and Google calendars
How 2 ... Make your cell phone battery last longer
© 2008, The Orlando Sentinel Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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