FREE EMERGENCY CELL PHONE CALLS
FCC Rules mandate that 911 calls
must be accepted at no cost

Frugal Living Tips
-- SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com Archive --
August 15, 2002 Issue


discount prepaid telephone long distance
Signup Now -- Get Free Minutes -- Go Online Or Phone 800-330-6897, Promo Code 728815



discount prepaid telephone long distance
Signup Now -- Get Free Minutes -- Go Online Or Phone 800-330-6897, Promo Code 728815



Previous | Next | Archive Contents
-- SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com Home Page --

Sign up now for this free newsletter delivered to your e-mail address


SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com
Save Money * Save Time * Take Control * Help the Environment


#1 web site for money-saving ideas
We're growing fast -- over 55,000 subscribers
Tell your friends -- It's Free
Published 1st & 3rd Thursday Of Each Month
Vol. 8, August 15, 2002

Hi
Here is the latest issue. Enjoy!
Editor, Rick Doble

    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  1. INEXPENSIVE EMERGENCY CELL PHONE
    Make free emergency calls
  2. SAVINGS CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER
    A great month for sales
  3. LETTER TO THE EDITOR
    A thoughtful reader disagrees with our advice
  4. DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS
  5. SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com RESPONDS
    TO THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR

    We respond in detail to questions the reader raised
  6. About our advertisers
    We looked for good values from reputable merchants. Read our pledge to our readers if you encounter a problem.
  7. About SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The MOM Team
Looking for SERIOUS women to work from home.
No sales, No parties, No hassles!
We provide extensive training and your own personal website.
We are a group of women who are helping each other SUCCEED!
Let us help YOU! For more information, apply online today.
http://natasha.themomteam.com
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



#1. NEED AN INEXPENSIVE EMERGENCY CELL PHONE?
HERE'S HOW TO GET ONE.


Since 1997 FCC rules require that cellular phone companies respond to a 911 call, even when it is from an inactivated cell phone. This means that if you need a cell phone just for highway or other emergencies, you can call 911 using a cell phone even though you do not have a monthly service contract with a cell phone provider.

Non-profits, schools and community organizations should ask for donations of old cell phones so that these groups can use them just for emergency calls. People who donate may be able to get a tax deduction (ask the charity involved).



Check out the free cell phones
and different calling plans.


An Internet company called "emergencycellphones" that sells used cell phones without any calling plan has the following to say:

"The best thing about our emergency phone is that if you plan to use the phone just for 911 only, you get entirely free service from the cellular carrier in the area you are driving in. The cost for having the emergency phone after the initial purchase is nothing! The greatest reason people want a cell phone is for emergencies. You get these calls for free with the emergency phone. A great benefit with our phone is that you can also place non-911 calls. These calls are not free but it's nice to know that you could call someone collect or place a call with your credit card if you needed to."

www.emergencycellphones.com


#2. SAVINGS CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER

Labor Day sales and sales following Labor Day are clearance days. Stores need to sell warm weather stuff and restock their shelves with Christmas and cold weather goods.

Clothing sales: major clearance after Labor Day. Look for sales on summer and spring clothing.

Look for also sales in these areas: air conditioners , camping, cook ware, dishes, fans , patio and pool, recreation, tires .



Discount Hotel Reservations
Check out the specials!
Such as:
New York from $69
Chicago from $68
San Francisco from $79
Washington DC from $69

NOTE: With some produce now available all during the year, many people have forgotten when fruits and vegetables are really in season. Buying in season means that these items are often cheaper, fresher, and that money may be going to local farmers.

Fruits and vegetables in season: apples, cantaloupe, celery, chard, corn, cucumbers, grapes, green peppers, lima beans, nectarines, pears, tomatoes.



REMEMBER:

NEW: Search all past newsletters and articles
www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com/search.html

The home page and lots more information is at:
www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com

The most recent issue is always online at:
www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com/currentissue.html

All past online issues are available at:
www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com/archive.htm

*MEMBERS ONLY*
- FREE TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS -

www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com/members


#3. LETTER TO THE EDITOR
(Edited for space)

Hi SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com :
I writing to you because I disagree with the advice you gave to one of your readers in the "Letters to the Editor" section of your latest SAVVY - DISCOUNTS.com Newsletter (Vol. 8, August 1, 2002)
http://www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com/V8-020801.htm

I was very disappointed when a reader asked about dental insurance and you said "we do not believe that dental insurance is a good idea". Your dentist pointed out to you that "dental work is fairly predictable". I wouldn't rely on that advice at all!!

First of all....have you shopped around and price compared dentists lately? Dentists do not have any regulations as to what prices to charge for dental work. They have a guideline that they can opt to follow, but in the end they can charge anything the want to!! I found that out real quick and by changing dentists I saved myself over $600 just to have my wisdom teeth removed. A difference of $600 between two dentists is a pretty big one wouldn't you say?


Click to get a free lifetime
drug discount card now
Save up to 65%
Good for everyone in your family
Good at over 45,000 pharmacies nationwide
Such as: Costco, Eckerd, Duane Reade, Longs,
Safeway, Walgreens, Wal-Mart


Secondly, maybe it is predictable for some people such as yourself, but for many, many others it is certainly not! No one should be lumped into a mass of "predictability" like that.

I have been going to a dentist my whole life and never once did any of my dentists predict that my teeth would break and chip off between two teeth....it happened, not once but twice. No one predicted that my nephew would not have an enamel coating on his teeth by the age of 8 (a rare but natural occurrence) which would result in much pain as well as expensive dentistry. No one predicted my husband would need extensive dental procedures that would span the course of a year and a half (and that's just so far). For many other people a wisdom tooth is the culprit, and can sneak up on you and surprise you!

Everyone is different. Maybe that person who asked for your advice had some "unpredictable problems". Just by reading the word "Orthodontics " in her letter I am fairly certain that she already knows that she is looking at a hefty dental bill coming up that she is going to need help with. She probably isn't looking at a yearly check up and cleaning as being a main reason for looking for insurance.

Thirdly, even if some people are lucky enough to be "predictable" in their dental needs, that doesn't mean that they can just "save up" for it. There is no way in heck that we would be able to "save up" for dental work the way it stands right now. We are too busy putting every penny into the bills we owe, that we have no financial cushion built up to support such emergencies. We are lucky to have two pennies to rub together at the end of any given paycheck! We are only one family of the thousands and thousands out there in the exact same position. And we are better off than so many people I know. (The average family owes well over $40,000 ...nation wide) Without the dental insurance my husband receives from his work we would have been sunk.....and in a whole lot of pain! So many people don't get dental coverage with their jobs and need (not want but really need) to have a dental insurance policy with someone.

In case you need to hand out a name for a good dental insurance company....my dentist tells me to tell my friends that "Clarica" is the best coverage they have seen so far. (And there is nothing in it for them by telling people this......my dentist is just interested in the well being of the client).

Sorry to go on a little rant here, I just felt it was important to point out my difference in opinion.

Yours Truly, Dana W.



5 cents 24/7 long distance
IDT Long Distance is the best
regular long distance carrier
5¢/minute 24/7


#4. DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS

In the letter above the reader mentioned Clarica. Here is a description of dental plans from the company that she mentioned:
http://www.clarica.com/e/ProdServ/GroupBenefits/grpDental.asp

Here is another example of plans:
http://www.dentalplans.com




DEBT INTO WEALTH
A comprehensive, sensible plan
to get you out of debt quickly.
Read a description on our site.


#5. SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com RESPONDS
TO THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Thank you Dana for your honest and thoughtful "rant." We welcome differing views in this newsletter.

You were very smart to comparison shop for dental services and we highly recommend that for all medical services. But comparison shopping is a different question than that of insurance.

We believe that people use insurance to manage their money rather than managing it themselves. If you feel you should save money, then please save it -- don't use an expensive policy as a way to force yourself into saving. You can have money automatically deducted from your paycheck and deposited into an account, for example.

We still think that you will come out better putting money that you would have put into a dental insurance program into a savings account and then paying for dental expenses as they come up. Do this with a number of insurance policies and you have saved a significant amount of money. For example we believe that most people should have car insurance , home owners, and health insurance with the highest deductible and inexpensive term life insurance (not whole life). We feel you will come out better in the long run not paying for other kinds of insurance such as extended warranties (which are really insurance), dental insurance, credit card insurance, death insurance that pays for funeral expenses, life insurance on young people and most policies that are advertised to large groups such as those you see on TV.

Remember someone always wins in Las Vegas and quite a few people may even win on a given day. This does not mean than gambling is a good way to spend your money.

Insurance is a gamble. It can also be a sensible way to manage risk. We feel that it should be used to cover major catastrophic expenses such as a house fire or a cancer operation. Even if I never recover all the money spent on my homeowners insurance, it would still have been worthwhile because it protected a major asset from becoming worthless.

In general it is not worthwhile to have an insurance policy that covers less than catastrophic needs.

For most people, dental work is "fairly" predictable (please note the word "fairly") while for a few others there may be unusual problems. My dentist has seen hundreds if not thousands of patients over the years and based his judgment on that experience while you are basing your assessment of what is unpredictable on a few cases. And, of course, in your case what happened was not predictable.



Click to get a free lifetime
drug discount card now
Save up to 65%
Good for everyone in your family
Good at over 45,000 pharmacies nationwide
Such as: Costco, Eckerd, Duane Reade, Longs,
Safeway, Walgreens, Wal-Mart

Specifically you point out that your family needed a number of dental procedures that were unusual, yet you also say that you have been going to a dentist regularly over the years. Have you calculated all the money you have spent on dental insurance, not just when these recent problems arose?

As I am sure you are aware, most medical insurance will not cover preexisting conditions. So if the person who wrote the initial letter asking about insurance has a serious condition, she probably will not be able to get a policy.

You were indeed lucky to have a dental insurance plan from your husband's employer. And if your employer does offer a low cost policy as part of its employee benefits , I agree that it could be a very good deal. However, many companies do not offer this option and buying a separate policy can be quite expensive.

Insurance companies make money. Believe me. Most people will not get back what they put into the policy while a few will get a large pay out.

So my advice is this: For most people (people who must get their own policy not offered by their employer) dental insurance is not going to pay for itself in the long run.




You can use the BigZoo
like a calling card for 3.5¢/minute on the road.
Or give one to your children to call home for 3.5¢/minute.




APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Lose Weight... Feel Great... GUARANTEED!
Apple Cider Vinegar has been successful for so many,
see why it will work for YOU!
Give yourself the gift of SLIM for ONLY $9.99



#6. PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS.

Your purchases help support this free newsletter and web site. We have carefully selected these merchants for value and reliability.

OUR PLEDGE TO YOU:
In the event of any problem with a merchant that we list, we will try to help resolve your dispute. Your purchase must have been processed though a link on our newsletter or web site.
As a consumer publication for 8 years, we at SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com have considerable experience in consumer and complaint matters. Further if we experience a large number of complaints from any merchant, we will no longer list that merchant with our newsletter.
If you have a problem, please e-mail us at this special e-mail address:
this email address




Do you have a great product/service at a bargain price
backed by excellent customer service?
Click here to find out more
about how our advertising can work for you.


    #7. INFORMATION FROM
    SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com

    is used by the national media, such as:
  • MSNBC (National Cable TV)
    Interview -- July 2002
    Cut Clothing Costs
  • ABC-TV's TheView - Supermarket Secrets
  • Woman's Day (3 articles)
  • Woman's World (6 articles)
  • Mademoiselle
  • Bottom Line/Personal (12 articles)
  • SweepsFeed - a TV syndicated news service for national distribution (2 interviews)
  • Editor, Rick Doble interviewed by WTVJ (NBC) Miami, FL, May 2002
  • Editor, Rick Doble is under contract with Penguin Books to write a book tentatively entitled Breaking the Price Barrier



Click here to
tell up to 5 friends
about this free newsletter.



SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com WEB SERVICES

Do you, your company or organization need:
  1. A web site?
  2. More web traffic at your existing site?
  3. An e-mail newsletter or e-zine like this one?
  4. E-book production?
  5. Digital photography or graphics?
  6. Articles or research?
  7. Talks or workshops?
For a reasonable price we can create fast eye catching web sites that attract a lot of traffic plus a variety of services for e-zines, e-mail newsletters and e-books.

Please visit this address at our web site for a detailed description.
www.SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com/web-services


SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com
---- Newsletter ----
Save Money * Save Time * Take Control
* Help the Environment *



BORDER=0
Do you have a great product/service at a bargain price backed by excellent customer service? Click here to find out more about how our advertising can work for you.




FREE CD SOFTWARE
YOU PAY ONLY SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
Only $7.50 per item
Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP
Hundreds of closeout CDs
Special MacIntosh CDs also.
Order 4 products and get free shipping on the fifth item. 100% money-back guarantee.
Hurry - limited quantities on many CDs.
Home Page
Educational CDs
Game CDs
Home and Garden CDs
Lifestyle CDs
Productivity CDs
Inexpensive Ink refills
MacIntosh CDs

SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com
Home Page




Read these popular articles at our site:

17 Supermarket Secrets
We helped ABC-TV's TheView research these tips

Impulse Buying
Are you being manipulated into buying more than you need or can pay for?

How to save up to 70% on prescriptions
14 tips reviewed by a licensed pharmacist plus many more tips.

Buy milk, bread, fruit, cereal and meat at your local supermarket for 50% off.


Important Links at Our Site:

Current Issue Online

Archive of Past Issues

Money Saving Reports

200 Consumer Links

*MEMBERS ONLY*
All subscribers get free access to the members area where you will find lots of useful calculators to make a loan, paint a room, find your best body weight and links to over 50 FREE e-card and joke sites. If you have forgotten your password, send us an e-mail.



Send us your comments and questions:
E-mail Now

SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com
Home Page











SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com
TOTALLY FREE e-mail newsletter
All subcribers
get instant access to free
*MEMBERS ONLY* Section

Please enter your
e-mail address below.
Then click on Subscribe.



We do not share our mailing list with anyone.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

After subscribing please
check your e-mail for the
*MEMBERS ONLY* password and address.

© Copyright SAVVY-DISCOUNTS.com 2003
All Rights Reserved




Search the Savvy-Discounts.com Web Site
search Savvy-Discounts.com web site

Main Links: Home | Blog | Articles | All Topics Index | Calculators | Annual Sales Calendar | Consumer Links | Newsletter Signup | Current Newsletter | Newsletter Archive | Personal Finance Section
Discount Products: Discount Telephone Services | Free Discount Drug Prescription Card | List Of Discount Products
More About Us: Media Info | Ad Info | About Us | Contact | Sitemap |


eXTReMe Tracker