Thursday, April 29, 2010
Magic Jack
What is Magic Jack? it is a PORTABLE gadget th at you plug in to your computer through the USB port so you can have a telephone service. You can plug any telephone on the Magic Jack and use the phone just the way you use it or just use your computers audio out and microphone to make a call. It is better than any phone service provider here in the US when it comes to price, nobody can beat the 19.95 dollars PER YEAR that magic jacks offer. The thing with magic jack is your are going to be given a new US telephone number so therefore wherever you bring it the number goes with it. So if you have a laptop you can take you phone with you when you travel (but off course there should be an internet connection from where you’re going ) that you cannot normally do with any phone service.
If you always make international call to any country why not just send them a Magic Jack (But then again if they have internet connection) so that you can call them using your Magic Jack or any regular US phone line, could be your cell phone or the phone line at your office or they can call back on your cell phone or at your office or just any telephone as if they are here in the US. This is also what makes it better than Skype, Yahoo messenger or any Voice chatting software there is.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Reverse Late Charges
This is the story how I have learned it. This month we just received a bill that stating we have been charge with a late fee of $5. Normally we would just pay it since that what is stated in the contract. When I reviewed the bill we just owed them $8.20, regularly we are billed around $40-$80 but this time we haven’t used the service quit often. But the thought of we owing them $8.2 only and will pay them $5 for the late charge has kept me thinking because it somehow feels like that we’re paying 60% interest. So, I pick up the phone and call them and ask them nicely if the late charges can be reversed, they asked me why and I just honestly told them that I was not able to pay in time due to my negligence and then ask them again politely that if still if they can reverse the late charges since I have been a loyal customer for more than a year. The conversation went well and they reversed the late charges. The funny thing is I didn’t know that the bill was already paid by my spouse so when the agent is reversing my late charges it shows that it was already paid. But anyway they say that the reversal will just reflect the next bill which means I have a $5 credit.
It is only $5 dollars, but now I know that late charges or other charges similar can be reversed. It could be more than $5 dollars next time or maybe more in your case. You have nothing to lose but your time talking to the agent so if seems it’s not worth of your time just let it go. I just put this in my blog because this is the Filipino style, $5 means a lot in the Philippines, It could be a whole day meal of a family of 5.
This may not be applicable to all companies that bill for late charges but most of them just wont tell if not asked, so just ask so they would tell.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Cook Adobo and save money
So I'll start this blog rolling with the famous recipe of the Adobo. Why Adobo? It's simple to cook, has a long storage life and the ingredients are not expensive. Since Adobe is full of flavor it is always serve with white rice but white bread will also do as a substitute.
The money saving part is when you cook extra serving and take advantage of the storage life so you would cook once and have a supply that would last for couple of weeks in the fridge or the freezer and the best thing about it is taste even better after storage.
Adobo Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork cut in cubes + 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces or
1 head garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup vinegar
1 cup of water
3 laurel leaves (bay leaves)
4 tablespoons of cooking oil of your choice
1 table spoon whole corn pepper
Optional:
4 Boiled eggs
Sauté the minced garlic and onions on a sauce pan with 2 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Add the pork and chicken to the pan.
Add 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of vinegar 1 table spoon pepper and laurel.
Cover and bring to a boil, simmer for until meat is tender (20 min to 30 min).
Remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan and fry with 2 table spoon of cooking oil for about 5 minutes then put it back to the sauce pan. Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add the un-shell the boiled eggs and add them.
Serve hot with white rice.