The Weekend of January 18, 2008
Today's Tip: Take Advantage of "WiFi"
Do you live next to a library? Have you ever heard of Panera Bread or Paradise Bakery
Cafe? Have you ever walked into a coffee shop that has an advertisement on the window
that says "Free WiFi?" If so, you might be able to take advantage of it to help you save
money.
When you see a business that offers "free WiFi," in other words, you can access the
Internet for free at this establishment. If you have a laptop computer, and this
establishment is close to home, you can shave a lot off of your budget. In most parts of
the country, high speed Internet access can cost between $49 - $59 per month. If you are
like most Americans and don't have much of a need for the Internet above checking email,
do you really need to be paying this much money for the service? Granted, most cable
companies are now "bundling" Internet access into other cable services such as television
and phone, but when all told, the bill is still exceeding $100. If you have a cell phone and a
library close by, these could be two quick expenses that you can shave from your budget.
As with any cut back, there will be some sacrifices. But there are positives to look at as
well. Consider if you have children. Parents are constantly worrying about children having
access to everything out there on the Internet. Sure, you can set parental access privileges
on your computer, blocking sites that are not kid-friendly. But inevitably, your child will
learn more about the computer than you, find ways around your good intentions, and
stumble across a site with questionable content.
With free WiFi, you can probably cut some wasted time out of your schedule. Do you find
yourself surfing the Internet out of boredom? If nothing is better to do, will you find a new
game to play? Again, losing the Internet access at home, in addition to saving a budget
expense, might lead to a more productive you.
Have you downloaded the free budget yet? Our free budget spreadsheet is updated for
2008 and features a monthly account tracker and budget form!
Do you live next to a library? Have you ever heard of Panera Bread or Paradise Bakery
Cafe? Have you ever walked into a coffee shop that has an advertisement on the window
that says "Free WiFi?" If so, you might be able to take advantage of it to help you save
money.
When you see a business that offers "free WiFi," in other words, you can access the
Internet for free at this establishment. If you have a laptop computer, and this
establishment is close to home, you can shave a lot off of your budget. In most parts of
the country, high speed Internet access can cost between $49 - $59 per month. If you are
like most Americans and don't have much of a need for the Internet above checking email,
do you really need to be paying this much money for the service? Granted, most cable
companies are now "bundling" Internet access into other cable services such as television
and phone, but when all told, the bill is still exceeding $100. If you have a cell phone and a
library close by, these could be two quick expenses that you can shave from your budget.
As with any cut back, there will be some sacrifices. But there are positives to look at as
well. Consider if you have children. Parents are constantly worrying about children having
access to everything out there on the Internet. Sure, you can set parental access privileges
on your computer, blocking sites that are not kid-friendly. But inevitably, your child will
learn more about the computer than you, find ways around your good intentions, and
stumble across a site with questionable content.
With free WiFi, you can probably cut some wasted time out of your schedule. Do you find
yourself surfing the Internet out of boredom? If nothing is better to do, will you find a new
game to play? Again, losing the Internet access at home, in addition to saving a budget
expense, might lead to a more productive you.
Have you downloaded the free budget yet? Our free budget spreadsheet is updated for
2008 and features a monthly account tracker and budget form!
My Financial Profile - MyFinPro.com
 |  |  |  |  |  |
-------The Budget Tip Archive------- |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Budget Tip of the Day
Free Budget Spreadsheet
Get It Here