A to V: Switching from AT&T to Verizon

In January my wife and I switched over to Verizon. The main reason was because her family lives in Washington state, and most have Verizon. The second reason was because I just wanted to stop in and see if they could offer a better price per month, than what AT&T was charging us. We were paying 190 a month for AT&T without a data plan. When ever we used data we would get charged. When we talked to the Verizon store sales rep he gave us a price of 170 a month with 700 minutes and 2gb of data. Right there that was a savings of 240 dollars a year. So with it now being March how has the switch been? I have to say it has been a great choice. For January and February we barely spent 1gb of the 2gb data plan. The 700 minutes has proved more than enough since the most we have spent in one month so far is 500. Having a phone where I can check email while on the go at work is great. So for us, this has been a positive experience and I would recommend Verizon just from our own experience.

100 Blogs in March!

Ok that is my goal for March 2012! 100 Blogs! I'll be writing about anything and everything I can think of. Technology, TV shows, Cell phones, newest Netflix movies, friends, family - Anything to make the 100 post challenge less of a burden and more fun for me. Here are 5 things I will be blogging about at some point in March. 1) From A to V: Switching from AT&T to Verizon 2) Stock watch: A few stocks I'll be watching to see what they do 3) Virus problem? A quick way to know if you should pull your data and reload the OS. 4) Job searching tips 5) 1 Page resume: Can it be done? Should it be done?

Rich Dad Poor Dad: Good book Bad book

First thing I want to say is there is no rich dad. There is a poor dad, but in 2003 the author said, “Is Harry Potter real? Why don't you let rich dad be a myth like Harry Potter?” That being said, Yoda is also a fictional character, but that does not take away from his statement, “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

That can sum up the majority of the message from the book. My recommendation is to approach this with a Jeet Kune Do attitude. Take what is useful, discard what is useless, and keep what is essentially your own. Here are some useful things I took from Rich dad Poor dad.

Buy more assets than liabilities
Decrease what you owe, rather than increase what you earn
Increase your passive income till it exceeds your living expenses
Reconsider what is a liability and what is an asset
Promises of promotions and pay raises are equal to a carrot on a string for a donkey

In the book, the rich author, gives an example to a poor author, the difference between being a salesman and a writer. Stating that he is a best selling author, not a best writing author. You are reminded of this through out the book as he references a game that he sells for almost 200 bucks, called Cash Flow. At the end of the book it almost feels like very long advertisement for the game.

On the plus side, this book can be a great slap in the face for people wondering why they are having money problems. It will also get them thinking about what it is they can do about it. It is a great place to start learning about finance. You should finish Rich Dad Poor Dad, with one thought: “Ask not what your money can do for you, but what can you do for more money!” Don't take it as the final authority and read books that offer different views afterward. I personally recommend “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. It offers the same concept, with more technical detail and a safer point of view. Both of which I feel Rich Dad Poor Dad lacks.