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Take Stock of Your In-Home Media Memberships

SavvySugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:00:55 -0800

There's no greater time than the beginning of the year to check in with your in-home entertainment memberships and make sure you are getting the biggest bang for your buck and relishing the packages you have signed up for. The upkeep will not only help you maintain your resolve to live below your means, but it will allow you take stock of whether or not your services or habits are sustainable. Check in with the following before the end of the month in an effort to get organized.

Video Store vs. Netflix: Ask yourself if you are an infrequent movie renter and would rather spend the $5 Netflix fee (for one rental per month) for the convenience, or have the option of popping into the quaint rental shop on the way home. If you are a real movie nut explore the Netflix three-at-a-time plan (unlimited rentals per month and unlimited movies downloaded to your PC), which is $17. If you research the right plan you can save on gas and time, and kill late fees. Similarly, if you don't watch the movies that show up in the little red envelope opt to put your Netflix account on hold for three months at no cost until you want it again. Remember the cost looks small, but even the $5-per-month plan adds up to $60 a year (the $17 plan is $204 for a year!). You can always rent DVDs for free - or a tiny fee - at your local library.
Cable and Satellite TV: Do you get your money out of your HBO, Showtime, and an expanded sports package? If so, more power to you. If not, ditch them or call your service provider and let them know you are spending too much each month and would like a better plan for your lifestyle. Your provider wants to keep you as a customer so they will work with you, even if it's just cutting a couple of dollars.
DVR Service and TiVo: Is your TV provider charging you extra for a DVR service you aren't using? Are you paying $13 monthly for TiVo when your cable provider offers a less expensive DVR service? Call them up and check. If you only record a couple shows a month cruise websites like Hulu or network websites to see if the shows stream online or if you can purchase the shows from iTunes for less than the DVR price. Single episode downloads from iTunes are generally $1.99 each.

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Cost of Cable Continues to Rise: Are We Wasting Our Money?

SavvySugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:43:53 -0700

There was a time when cable was one bill I didn't pay because I simply chose to go without it. I was living in an apartment that didn't have a comfy living room, and I wasn't home very much, so it seemed silly to pay for something that would go unused. My living arrangements have since changed, and my couch is so comfortable that it really does call my name at the end of a long day. And cable? Well, let's just say I'm hardly stranger to LC and Audrina, Serena and Blair, Tom and Padma, Heidi and Tim, or Vinnie and E.

Cable is hardly cheap, especially if you're paying for Internet on top of your cable bill, and there's no sign of these bills going down anytime soon. In fact, it seems the opposite is happening. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that cable prices have gone up 77 percent since 1996, and The New York Times points out that cable customers pay an average $60 bill and watch only a fraction of the channels they pay for.

The Times article wonders why more people aren't just watching their favorite shows for free online, and while it certainly seems like a feasible alternative, I enjoy the ability to watch my favorite shows with a group of friends. Are we wasting our money on cable when we have Internet at our fingertips, or is it a justified expense?

Cable Company Goes For Commercial Gold

GiggleSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:30:00 -0800

A rapping salesman is always a telltale sign of a low-budget commercial, but there's no way in paradise this ad kept the costs down. Any company that books the Pirates of the Caribbean for their commercial, along with a singing sea monster and a bunch of beached mermaids, ain't safeguarding the piggy bank. It all paid off in the end cuz this is the best low-budget-looking-but-high-budget-costing ad that arrrr've ever seen. (Thanks, Jezebel!)

Internet-Based Personal Trainer

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0800

When I go to the gym and see weird new machines, I never really know how to use them. It's helpful if some gym meathead can give me tips for proper technique, but they aren't always around.

Check out this Interactive Personal Trainer System from Hammacher. It's the only cable motion exercise machine that connects to the Internet. You can download exercise routines from virtual fitness professionals who will show you correct form on a conveniently placed 17 inch LCD monitor.

It's a touch screen, so you can easily select an exercise from its library of 120 movements. The monitor shows the previous weight amount lifted for each exercise, ensuring a gradual increase in workout resistance. The personal trainer shows you what to do so you can mimic the correct movements, just like "Simon Says."

It keeps track of your workout progress and fitness goals and sells for about $16,000. Wow - you had me for a while there.

Fit's Tips: Sounds like it'd be cheaper to hire a personal trainer. Then she could show you in person what the proper techniques and exercises are for what muscles you want to work. They're human, so they can actually tell you if you're doing something wrong so you can correct it. You can't get that from the Internet.

Ikea's Affordable Cable Storing and Gadget Charging Solutions

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:43:17 -0800

In a world of expensive charging stations, it's a relief that a geek on a budget can head to Ikea to pick up a simple $3 charging dock that will do the job it was meant to preform: hold your gadgets while they're juicing up. Additionally, for all you cable-hiding freaks out there (yours truly, included) Ikea also offers simple and cheap solutions for any cable management nightmare. All of these products are $10 or less, so I know you can scrounge up the scrilla to get organized. Check them out here!

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Cool Idea: Conquer Cable Cords With Beads

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:37 -0800

While there are many ways to hide your cable cords, this is perhaps the cutest one I've happened upon so far. It's also a really cheap option for adding a little decorating power to something that's most definitely an eyesore.
To try this at home, simply buy large wooden beads and string them over any exposed cords. An added bonus? It'll be a lot harder to trip over the cords, since it'll be easier to see them!

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If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em: CableDrop Cable Organizers

GeekSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:08:47 -0700

If all of your desktop cords refuse to magically become invisible as you secretly wish they would, then you can at least put them in their place with these cable holders from Bluelounge. The adhesive Cabledrop organizers ($10) are just the thing to keep your power, Ethernet, firewire, and usb cords all in one place - and not fall behind your desk - while you stay mobile on your laptop, or keep your desk neat while you work on your trusty desktop.

Coming in a pack of six, the CableDrops aren't just limited to your peripherals - you can use them to wrangle your electric cords, pens, and even secure your headphones to your monitor so you don't lose them to the depths of your desk drawer.

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The Latest in Cord and Cable Organizers

GeekSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:46:26 -0700

Unless you're extremely high tech and all your gadgets are wireless, you're probably plagued like the rest of us tech toy lovers with cords and cables galore.

I've already exposed you to some clever and creative ways to manage cord clutter if you don't want to take the traditional organization route, but what basics are available for diminishing those unsightly cables?

I've found some simple little accessories that will clean up the messiest of cords!

Cable Ties $3.99	XL Cable Organizer $14.99
Cord Control Kit $3.99 - $14.99	Wire Stay	Cordclip $5.99

Handmade Cable Identifiers Are Fun and Functional

GeekSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:30:09 -0700

In the ongoing battle of human versus cord, there are many ways to manage cables.

I have possibly just found the cutest: Etsy seller bearduck has crafted these Cable Identifiers (8 bucks for a set of six) to keep each of your gadgets' cords separate.

The multicolored identifiers are made of a polymer clay, and sport little icons of what they belong to, so if you need to do anything with the plugs, your confusion is totally zapped.

Gym Equipment Explained: Cable Pulley Machine

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:00:00 -0800

That huge - and slightly daunting - object sitting smack dab in the middle of the gym could be one of the most versatile machines because its flexible cables work your muscles in every direction. You also hit your core by fighting the momentum that pulls you back toward the machine.

What: Cable Pulley Machine (or Cable Machine)
Area of Body It Works: The cable machine can be used to work almost any part of the body, but especially the core.
Why: The cable machine's flexible cables can work your muscles in every direction - you're also almost always working your core as your body fights the momentum that pulls you back toward the machine.
How: There are numerous exercises you can do using the cable machine, far too many to name. I like to focus on doing movements that use major muscle groups and multiple joints, like your legs, back, chest, shoulders and glutes. Your best bet is to ask a staff member at your gym to show you a few exercises.

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