Get Paid For Your Old Electronics

If you're like me, you probably have a decent collection of old cell phones, video game systems, MP3 players, etc. Every year or two I seem to upgrade my gadgets and am left wondering what to do with the old ones. In the past, I've simply given them to Goodwill (which is still a decent way to get rid of things). However, with the IRS cracking down on charity donations and the issues around disposal of electronics (putting them in landfills is not good for the environment), I started wondering if there were better ways to get rid of this stuff. Turns out there are ways that I can both help the environment and make some money!

Second Rotation is a site that buys back all kinds of electronics - cell phones, digital cameras, video game consoles, MP3 players, etc. - and extends their life by selling them in markets where the technology is still viable or in demand. You enter your device, give the details about it (what condition it's in, etc.), mail it to them, and get paid. If your device can't be resold, they'll recycle it in an environmentally friendly way.

TechForward works a little differently - but the concept is the same. This site allows you to lock in a future trade value for your unwanted devices. I have an 80GB IPod that I know I may not want in a year. I can go to the site, tell them that I will send the IPod in one year from now, and lock in a trade value for the IPod. Once I'm locked in, I am guaranteed to get the amount that they promise - AND if I decide I don't want to send it in a year from now, I'm free to walk away! Just like Second Rotation, these items are sold in other markets and, if they're unsellable, are recycled in environmentally friendly ways.

There are a number of sites popping up around the net that offer this type of service. So - next time you're thinking of getting rid of a piece of electronics, think again. You may be able to pocket some cash in the process!

I Just Made $100 in 5 Minutes

Here's a great way for you to put $100 (or more) in your pocket and it only takes about 5 minutes. Have you been getting the ads in your mail for all the cable/internet/phone packages on the market? I get at least one a week from both Time Warner and Windstream. Any time I see that kind of aggressive marketing, a bell goes off in my head. These two companies are in a war for customers and this is an opportunity for me to reap some benefit as a result.

What did I do to get the money? I called my current cable/internet provider, Time Warner, and asked for their cancellations department. When the cancellation department came online, I simply told them that I'm interested in cancelling my service with them because I got a better deal at Windstream. Immediately Time Warner offered me a deal that keeps my service exactly as it currently is but will cost more than $100 less over the next 6 months. If they had not offered a better price, I could have either gone through with the cancellation (which would have been a pain), told them that I needed to double check with my wife before placing the final order (which would have gotten me off the phone and I wouldn't have lost anything), or told them I had a bad connection and called back in hopes that I got a different person who may be willing to negotiate.

You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain when dealing with these companies. Cable/Internet/Phone service is rapidly becoming a commodity and these companies are facing shrinking margins. At this point, they are in the volume business and that means they need to keep customers at almost any cost (since keeping current customers is cheaper than acquiring new ones). Give it a try - it worked for me!

Oh yeah - don't think I won't be calling back in 6 months when my bill goes back up. This could be a $200 deal before it's all said and done!

Free Platinum Status at Hyatt

For the second day in a row I'm linking to an offer for free status. Hyatt has a promotion now for free platinum status (their 2nd highest level) just for registering for a new Gold Passport account. It's absolutely free and is good through March 31st. If you stay at a Hyatt between the time you register and 3/31, the status lasts until February 2009. The link for the offer is HERE.

Now - what if you don't plan to stay at a Hyatt and don't have any use for status with them? There's another good reason to register. Hyatt Platinum members get a one-year free membership in Clear. Clear is the fast-track program that's being implemented at airports across the country. Clear members register their information, Clear checks it with the government, and you, as a member, get to bypass those ultra long security lines in airports. A year's membership costs $128.00 - so it's worth getting for free!

Our New Little Girl

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, my friend Carlos Whittaker and a team of 15 bloggers are in Uganda this week as part of a Compassion International trip. The bloggers are posting videos, pictures, and stories of what they're seeing there. After watching and reading these stories, we made the decision to commit to sponsoring a child in Uganda. $32.00 per month can and will make a difference in her life and we are excited about getting to know our new little girl.

Her name is Phinah and she is 3 years old. She lives in the Budimo Village of Uganda with her parents and 3 other children. Neither of her parents have regular jobs. In this area of Uganda, adults that are employed full time average an income of $2 per month. Her village is in an area that is heavily affected by HIV/AIDS. Our sponsorship will get Phinah in a program that will provide her with health screenings, supplementary food, education (school fees, clothing & supplies), and communication and life skills training. We are excited about the opportunity to communicate with and get to know Phinah. Welcome to our family!

If you'd like to sponsor a child and make a difference in an area that desperately needs it, here is the link to do so.

Free Silver Status on Virgin Atlantic

American Express and Virgin Atlantic are currently running a promotion offering free silver status (their 2nd highest status) and 2,000 frequent flyer miles just for opening a frequent flyer account. The link to the promotion can be found HERE.

Now - you may be asking yourself why you would want to sign up for a frequent flyer account on a primarily British airline. There are a couple of reasons for doing so. One reason is that VA is a partner with a number of hotels, car rental companies, other airlines, etc. - so over time you may be able to transfer your miles into a more frequently used program. The second and perhaps better reason to sign up is because of status matching. Status matching is when you, as a newly minted Silver Elite flyer on VA, send a letter to another airline asking that they match your status on VA. I got free status on Delta several years ago and sent US Airways a letter and was immediately granted similar status. It doesn't always work but it's worth a shot and all it takes is a letter to customer service of your favorite airline. Make sure to include a screen print of your status on Virgin Atlantic as proof!

Happy flying!

Social Lending - Status Update

As I said in my post last week, my online savings accounts are rapidly dropping their rates in response to the Fed's interest rate cuts. My BEST rate is now all the way down to 4.1% over at ETrade. So - in search of higher rates, I decided to pursue the social lending angle. You can read more about what that is here.

Here's where things stand so far. I decided to go to Prosper.com (primarily because I was already a member and had the bank account money transfer already set up) and I deposited $500.00. My criteria for making a loan was that I would not go below an A credit rating (AA is the highest and it goes A-B-C-D-E from there), I would only lend to people that owned a home, and I would lend in $50.00 increments. That essentially means that I would fund 10 loans. All loans at Prosper are 3 year loans.

I've got to admit - I'm very pleased with the results thus far. Across the 10 loans I've bid on, my average interest rate for the whole suite of loans is 19.89%. I realize that this is a riskier investment - but my lending standards are pretty high (high credit rating, home ownership, no defaults in the past 7 years, etc.) so I feel like the odds of borrowers defaulting is pretty low. In fact, if two of the ten loans default (which would mean now I'm only earning 19.89% on $400), I would still come out ahead of any investment of $500 earning less than 11.3% interest and there's none of those out there right now!! If three loans default, I'm ahead of any $500 investment earning less than 6.5% interest - also almost impossible to find right now.

I'm feeling pretty good at this point. Not good enough to move more cash into play at this point - but I may be doing so in the near future if the payments all start pouring in on time!

Friday Night Lights - There's More You Can Do

The campaign to save Friday Night Lights looks like it's picking up some momentum around the internet. There are rumors out there that the show may be moved to one of NBC's affiliate networks (Bravo, USA, etc.) rather than completely cancelled. That's fine with me as long as the show isn't taken off the air.

SaveFridayNightLights.TV has another campaign going - one that proved effective last year when fans saved 'Jericho' from cancellation by CBS. Jericho fans contributed money and bombarded CBS headquarters with packages of peanuts (why peanuts? I really don't know). In similar fashion, this website is collecting PayPal donations and will be sending 6-inch plastic footballs to NBC with 'Save Friday Night Lights' printed on them. Take a look at the site and give a little money. So far, they've got enough to send nearly 2100 footballs!

FYI - you can make a PayPal donation via credit card even if you don't have a PayPal account!

Get 50 Free Pictures from SnapFish

Most of the deals I see for free prints from the online picture companies are for new customers. Here's an offer of 50 free prints AND free shipping for anyone - new customer or old. Here's what you do:

1. Go to this website: http://www1.snapfish.com/hpprintsjumpentercode/t_=8552477

2. Enter the following: model number c717nr and serial number 0000000000

3. Log in to your account (or create a new account if you don't have one)

4. Select or upload your 50 photos

5. Use coupon code PRINTFREE at checkout and you'll get free shipping!

This offer expires at the end of February, so don't miss out!

On the Ground in Uganda

As I mentioned yesterday, my friend Carlos Whittaker and a team of 15 bloggers are on the ground in Uganda as part of a Compassion International outreach trip. The trip is designed to let these 15 bloggers bring eyes and ears to the conditions that many people across the world face on a daily basis. You can find links to all 15 blogs HERE.

In this picture, Carlos is showing the Ugandan boys a picture of his adopted son Losiah. When he explains the meaning of the word 'adopt', the little boy in the basketball jersey asked Carlos if he would adopt him. That, to me, is heart breaking.

Please take some time to read these blogs over the next few days. The team will be in Uganda through the 18th of February. I'm also including a link below for Compassion International in the event that you decide that sponsoring a child is something you're interested in.

Stop Getting Phone Books

I remember, once upon a time, when you got a new phone book once per year and/or when you moved to a new residence. Those days are apparently gone. I swear I get a new phone book about once per month. I've got a giant stack of them under the island in my kitchen and I hardly, if ever, use them. These days, they even come in different sizes. I have a miniature version of the yellow pages that contains the exact same listings just in smaller print! Amazing. With the advent of the internet, who needs the print versions anymore. If you need a number, go to YellowPages.com or WhoWhere.com or 411.com.

If you want them to stop dropping new phone books off at your house every month (or however often you get one) and you live in an area served by AT&T (formerly BellSouth in my area), here's the number to call: 1-800-682-4000. Save a tree, some ink, some gas and some room under the island in your kitchen!