Good Morning Everyone.  I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy Holiday Season. Today is the next post in our “Home for the Holidays” series. It’s Monday December 26^th and that means that today is Boxing Day. It’s time for everyone to visit their favourite stores in hopes of finding the best deals and discounts on their favourite items.  I am not a huge fan of Boxing Day shopping because I don’t like waiting in line and I definitely don’t like to be pushed around in big crowds.  However, I do still visit my favourite stores during Boxing Day week because the deals and discounts are too great to miss.

The Cons of Shopping on Boxing Day

My Father always says that we should never shop on Boxing Day because the holidays are about spending time with family not about shopping. My Father always tells us that if no one shopped on Boxing Day then stores wouldn’t be open and the Sales Associates could spend another day with their families, after all isn’t that what the holidays are really all about?

If you work in an office then you probably have the luxury of having an extra day off during the holidays on Boxing Day.  Shouldn’t the Sales Associates in retail stores be afforded the same luxury?  I know that getting good discounts on our favourite items at our favourite stores is tempting but I am sure that we can all wait one more day.

The Pros of Shopping on Boxing Day

I am a sucker for a good deal as long as I need the item.  Spending money carelessly on items that I want but do not need was the old me.  After changing my money mentality to become a saver and not a spender the new me always thinks twice before I spend any money, even if the item is on sale.

I love the excitement and the idea of shopping on Boxing Day.  It is very fulfilling to know that I am receiving a discount of up to 70% off of my favourite items.  However even spending 30% of the cost on an item is still wasted money if we don’t need the item.

During Boxing Day week I like to purchase specialty items that only come out during the holidays and then go on sale on Boxing Day because the stores need to liquidate them.  Such items include holiday scented hand soaps, body wash, room sprays, and fragrant oils.  These are items that I can use all year round so it’s great to get them on a discount. I do not shop on the day of December 26^th, but I do shop during the week of Boxing Day.  I usually like to shop on December 29^th or December 30^th because most stores still have their annual Boxing Day sales but the crowds are a lot smaller.

Are you going out Boxing Day Shopping today?

If you like this post be sure to check out all of the previous posts in our “Home for the Holidays” series:

Don’t Let the Holidays be Costly

Don’t Be Tempted to Swipe Your Card

Travelling Home For The Holidays

Holiday Dinners on a Budget

Starting New Holiday Traditions

Last Minute Shoppers

Photo by Sideways Sarah

Good Morning Everyone and welcome to the next post in our “How Smart is Your Smartphone” series.  Today we are discussing a topic that comes up in my home very often.  Today we are discussing the generation gap, communication gap, and the technology between us and our parents.  Of course as years go by and we get older trends will change and technology will advance.  In 2011 I play Nintendo Wii instead of the 1980’s Atari and I have a tiny Smartphone instead of a 1990’s Cell Phone the size of a brick.

When I saw today’s topic of Parents and Smartphones I was excited because this has been a debate in my family for almost a year.  I keep trying to tell my parents that Smartphones are not just for young people, older people can have Smartphones too.  My Dad doesn’t even have a cell phone, so asking him to get a Smartphone is definitely out of the question.  However, my Mother is a little more up to date.  I have been talking to my Mother about my LG Shine Plus for 6 months, and I am happy to say that last month my Mother bought a Smartphone. Actually my Mother also bought the LG Shine Plus.

Cheap Smartphones

Whether our parents choose to accept it or not technology is advancing and Smartphones are the new Cell Phone.  Smartphones don’t have to be expensive, if our parents sign a term contract and they don’t sign up for a data plan Smartphones can actually be very cheap.

Cheap Smartphones can still be beneficial to users.  If we don’t need access to the Internet and various social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook then Smartphones can be cheap.  Since our parents probably won’t use all of the Smartphone functions, a basic talk plan should be good enough for their needs.  They can still use the Camera, Calendar, and other functions of a Smartphone while keeping their costs down.

Smartphone Definition

By definition a Smartphone can be used as a Cell Phone as well as a Personal Digital Assistant. However, I mostly use my Smartphone to keep in touch with my Mother and maintain my family relationships.

I love keeping in touch with my family by texting, emailing, and sending photos to my cousins, sister, niece, and Mother.  It is so easy to keep in touch and stay connected with my family and friends by using my Smartphone.

By definition a Smartphone can keep us connected with the world by email, internet, Twitter and Facebook as well as let us answer incoming calls at any time.  A Smartphone is so much more than a Cell Phone, and in my opinion everyone needs one.

Whether we are 25 or 65 a Smartphone has an advantage for everyone.  We may not use all the features and functions of our Smartphone, even if we only want to store our contacts and make phone calls a Smartphone has the capacity to store so much more information than a regular Cell Phone.

Check out the other posts in our “How Smart is Your Smartphone” series:

Which Smartphone is the Best for You

To Buy or Not To Buy a Smartphone

Should You Buy a Smartphone? Do You Need It?

Your Smartphone Can Help You Make Money

Photo by Mercredis

Good Morning Green Panda Friends.  Today we are continuing along with another post our “How Smart is Your Smartphone” series.  Today Green Panda decided to do some investigating work and compare new 2011 Smartphones.  We will review all the features of a few selected Smartphones to help you choose which Smartphone is best for you.

When you are shopping for a new Smartphone you must find a Smartphone that fits into your budget. I know that sometimes the purchase of a new Smartphone can be a big expense and the monthly bill can be a big reoccurring expense.  This is why it is best to shop around, compare prices, and read reviews about a few different Smartphones before you decide to purchase your own Smartphone.

Before buying my LG Shine Plus with Google I researched different Smartphones on my Cell Phone Carriers website.  Once I made the decision to buy the BlackBerry Curve (in pink) I walked over to my local Cell Phone store.  After some assistance from the Store Manager I discovered that the BlackBerry Curve didn’t have a very good camera.  The LG Shine Plus with Google had the best camera with 5.0 Megapixels.  I signed a new contract and I was on my way.

I chose to keep my existing monthly service plan because the data plan was way too expensive; it would have added another $50 per month onto my existing $25 per month plan.  In an effort to save money check with your Smartphone provider if you can bundle your services. If we can get our telephone, internet, television, and cell phone services all with the same provider we could save a bundle of money by bundling all of our monthly services together.

Check Out our Reviews of these New Smartphones:

Apple iPhone 4s – This was an obvious first choice for me to review since it is brand new and just recently released onto the market.  People buy Apple for the name brand, but also because of the convenience and user friendly systems.  The new Apple iPhone is available in 64 GB, 32 GB, and 16 GB.  The new iPhone 4s has an 8 megapixel camera and it can record, edit and share 1080p HD video.  There are currently over 500,000 Applications available in the Apple App Store.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 – This is an upgrade from the original BlackBerry model.  If we compare it with the BlackBerry Torch the screen is smaller but the keys are readily available for texting.  BlackBerry offers a Protection plan that offers security in case our BlackBerry is ever lost.  We also have access to BlackBerry App World which allows us to download thousands of Applications directly to our BlackBerry device.

HTC Amaze 4G – This is an Android phone and it is compatible with Skype.  This phone offers email, web browsing, and picture messaging.  It has a full 4.3” display screen with HD quality.  This HTC phone also offers a powerful dual core processor with speeds of up to 42 Mbps.  It allows us to create and share HD movies and photos. We can also download music and over 250,000 Apps from the Android Market with access directly from our phone.

Which Smartphone would you buy?

Check out the other posts in our “How Smart is Your Smartphone” series:

To Buy or Not To Buy a Smartphone

Should You Buy a Smartphone? Do You Need It?

Photo by MJTR

Good Morning Green Panda Readers and Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian Friends.  Today is the next post in our “How Smart is Your Smartphone” series.  Before we get started I would like to take a moment and pay tribute to the loss of a great personality in the world of technology.  Last week Steve Jobs the former CEO of Apple Corporation lost his battle with cancer at the age of 56.  Apple Corporation is the manufacturer of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac Book Computers.  I personally don’t think that the world of technology will ever be the same after the loss of Steve Jobs.

Last year I bought a new Smartphone and I am very pleased with my purchase.  By definition a Smartphone is a Cellular Phone that also acts as a PDA with internet access, a video and still shot camera, as well as an MP3 player.  I love my Smartphone for the potential convenience, but it is definitely not always all good.

The Pros of a Smartphone

The New Smartphone’s in 2011 can be very advantageous to users who take advantage of all of their functions.  Unfortunately due to my lack of technological pizzazz I only use my Smartphone for the basic functions such as to make calls, send text messages, my Calendar, the Camera, and my Mobile Banking Application.

As with everything in technology New Smartphones in 2011 can be brand new models or upgrades of previous models.  I have the LG Shine Plus with Google which is the new version of the LG Shine Cell Phone.

I love that my New Smartphone eliminates paper and helps the environment.  I can view my monthly Smartphone, my VISA, and my Bank Account statements all online through the various Applications on my Smartphone.

I love that the Android Market for Android Phones and the App Store for iPhones offer Applications for almost everything we need. We can download maps, games, and many other Applications for almost anything we need.  My boyfriend downloaded a Coleman Lantern App that turns his iPhone into a Night Light.  He also downloaded a Cow Bell Application which can be very annoying and very loud early in the morning.

The Cons of a Smartphone

By definition a New Smartphone should be able to connect us with the world at the tap of a button or the touch of a screen.  Unfortunately if you don’t have a monthly data plan this is not always true.

I personally feel that data plans for New Smartphone’s in 2011 (whether it is a Blackberry, an iPhone, or an Android phone) are very expensive.  I don’t have a data plan on my LG Shine Plus with Google and therefore I cannot always connect to the internet.  I like having the option to check my Gmail and update Twitter at any time throughout the day, but just because WiFi access is available doesn’t mean that we can always connect.

Smartphone’s can offer simplicity and convenience, but only if we have access to a WiFi connection; without it a Smartphone just becomes a regular Cell Phone.

Check out the previous post in our How Smart is Your Smart Phone series:

Should You Buy a Smart Phone? Do You Need It?

Photo by Ollie Crafoord

Good Morning Green Panda Readers. Today is the first post in our new readers series called “How Smart is Your New Smartphone.”  This series will discuss all of the benefits of having a Smartphone as well as all of the helpful functions of new Smartphones.  It is safe to say that technology has come a long way from the rotary dial up phone to the magical Smartphones of today.  It is very appropriate that we are writing about Smartphones today because today is the official release date of Apples (much anticipated) iPhone 5.

What is a Smartphone?

A Smartphone is a mini computer that acts as a cell phone, an mp3 player, and a camera (both video and pictures).  A Smartphone also allows us to access the Internet and our favourite Social Media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter through their unique Applications, otherwise known as Apps.  Remember the saying “There’s an App for That?”  This means that we can download an application to help us with any service that we need.  If you want to know the bus schedule you can download your local Transport Application.  If you want to check your bank account balance you can download your Financial Institutions Application and gain instant access to your bank account information and the closest bank branch or ATM.

The most common types of Smartphones are the iPhone, Blackberrys, and Android Phones.  Basically this just refers to the type of technology that the Smartphones use as well as the company that makes them such as Apple, Research in Motion (for Blackberry) or Samsung, HTC, and LG (for Android Phones).

Last year I upgraded my basic cell phone to a Smartphone and I totally love it.  I originally went in to my cell phone provider to buy a Blackberry, but I walked out with the LG Shine Plus with Google Android Phone.  I totally love it. I downloaded Applications for my basic social media needs such as Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter.  I also downloaded a Free Application from the Android Market which allows me to scan the barcode on products and get the price of each item, if they don’t have a price tag.  The Android Market is the equivilent of the App Store for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod.

New Smartphones

I also love my new Smartphone because I can download games to play while I am waiting for something such as the next bus or if I am waiting at my doctors office.  I downloaded Blackjack, Checkers, Euchre, and Badgammon.  The great thing about downloading Game Applications is that we only have to connect to the Internet to download, we don’t have to connect to the Internet to play the games.  I personally don’t have a Data Plan on my new Smartphone, so I can only connect to the internet where wi-fi access is available.

The cost of buying a new Smartphone is definitely worth the price because of the convenience, accessibility, and simplicity.  However, the cost of a Data Plan for a New Smartphone may not be within your budget, it was not within mine until I found out that I can Bundle the price of my monthly Smartphone Data Plan with my Home Phone, Internet, and Cable.  Now all of my services come on one monthly bill and the more services I bundle together the bigger discount I receive.  It is a win win situation; the Cell Phone provider gets more business and I get a monthly discount.

Having access to connect to the Internet through our new Smartphone and without having to access a computer is super convenient.  I can Google anything that I need with the tap of a button, I can Tweet my thoughts with a simple tap on my Smartphone screen.  The one thing that I don’t really like about my new Smartphone is the touch screen, it is really hard to see in the sunlight.  If you are looking for helpful online financial resources such as your favourite blog or an online financial calculator it is helpful to know that you can find them anywhere anytime with your new Smartphone.

No matter how unique you think you are, we all make the same major purchases in life.

What are these major purchases? Car, home, and wedding. Yes you’ll buy a car eventually (you can’t take the bus forever). Yes you’re likely to buy a home (your parents will kick you out when you’re 30 and bringing dates over). Yes you sexy stud, you’ll be getting married one day (you can’t be single forever, even the man behind Playboy got married).

If you want to save lots of money in your lifetime you need to take the major purchases seriously just by getting ready for them.

Let’s talk about how you can start planning for the major purchases in life so that you can save lots of money. What I’m going to do is break down every section for the three major purchases in life (wedding, car, and home).

Be realistic about the costs involved.

Wedding.

You’re wedding is not going to be a little one. We all want a little one. Very few of us actually do. You can plan an affordable wedding. However, you do need to be realistic that your wedding can easily cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Car.

Do you want your car to be new or used? This will drastically alter the price of your car purchase. Will you pay for the car upfront or will you finance it? This will also determine how much you spend on your car during its life span.

Home.

Will you live in a condo or in a house? Will you live alone or with someone else? How much will you put down for the mortgage payment? There’s actually much more to this and I really don’t want to crush you with analysis paralysis. I’ll just leave it at this– what ever you think a home will cost, add thousands to that.

Start saving up over time.

Wedding.

This one is iffy. If you have a serious partner or are engaged then you’re going to have to save much more money than the single person. If you’re single then yes you too should start saving up for you eventual wedding. You won’t have to save up as much, but it’ll help if you start planning ahead for your wedding.

Car.

Since you’re likely to buy a car first you should put the most of your income towards this. If you move to another town or find a job far away the odds are that a ride is the first thing you’re going to need to buy. This is why I would save most of my money for this.

Home.

You’re going to want start saving for a new home ASAP. It might take you much longer to buy a home because the cost of a down payment has gone up significantly. The sooner you start, the sooner that you can have a place of your own.

Set priorities.

Wedding.

What do you really need at your wedding? Do you need the most expensive hall in town? Can you get married down south? There are many ways to prioritize spending on your wedding. Some will want a modest wedding. Others will want a ceremony filled with bravado.

Car.

How important is brand name of a car to you? Do you really need to finance your car? When it comes to your first ride you need to prioritize by deciding what you really need. Some feel that since we only live once we should splurge on a car. Others just want something to get around town. What do you want from a car?

Home.

How quickly do you need to buy a home? Many young people feel that buying a home is a natural part of growing up. I’m not sure how this myth got started, but it’s not true. You DON’T have to buy a home if you’re not ready. You can rent until you’re totally comfortable with your career and savings.

By planning for these three major purchases as soon as you graduate from college, you’ll be ahead of your peers. You’ll put yourself in a position where you can save lots of money just because you’re going to be prepared. You won’t have to borrow any money last minute.

Check out the other article in the series:

The Power of Passive Savings.
You Need to Pay Yourself First.
Take Credit For Your Credit.
One Income Just Isn’t Enough to Save Lots of Cash.

(photo credit: chris doelle)