Given the sheer numbers of Windows-based PCs, along with the popularity of Symantec anti-virus products, I suspect that at least a few of Fiscal Zen’s readers might be interested hear about a class action lawsuit that was filed against Symantec.
The suit involves anyone who purchased a Symantec upgrade between December 5th, 2001 and April 11, 2008 in response to a prompt from an existing Symantec product that the user needed to upgrade in order to continue using the software. In the lawsuit, it is alleged that Symantec ended existing subscriptions upon renewal without providing a credit or refund for any remaining time on the subscription.
If you think this may apply to you, then you can read more:
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Google- Amazon: Logitech Harmony 550 Remote $49.99 With Free Shipping
- Costco: Nikon S52c Camera with Free 2GB SD Card for $199.99
- 6pm: Keds Striper Slip Ons are $14.95 (70% Off)
- Amazon: Vanity Fair Bras Up to 70% Off - Start At $8.99
- eCOST: OCZ 16GB ATV Flash Drive for $29.99 After Rebate
- Wink Toys: Get a Free bittywink with Registration
- HP: 30% Off Desktops Priced $999 or Higher
- Cabelas: Save Up to 70% During Their Hunting Sale
Amazon has the Logitech Harmony 550
Through September 14th, or while supplies last, Costco has the Nikon S52c Camera with a free 2GB SD Card priced at only $199.99. Features include 9 megapixel imager, optical image stabilization, 3x optical zoom, leather case, and wifi for wireless image transfer. See website for additional details.
For a limited time, 6pm.com has the extremely colorful Keds Champion Striper Slip Ons priced at only $14.95. In addition, take advantage of their Labor Day weekend sale where you can save 30-75% off brand name shoes. Shop early for the best selection.
Amazon.com has several styles of Vanity Fair Bras
eCOST.com has a limited quantity of OCZ 16GB ATV USB 2.0 Flash Drives for only $29.99 after $29 rebate. ATV drives feature a durable and colorful rubber tread housing, which provides 100% weatherproof storage to keep digital files save in any conditions, including fully submerged in water. Expires on Monday. See website for additional details.
For a limited time, receive a free bittywink plush clip-on toy when you register with Wink Toys. Upon registration, include the type of bittywink (see website) and color you would like when filling out the additional information section of the registration form. Expiration unknown.
For a limited time, Hewlett Packard is offering 30% Off of desktops priced $999 or higher when you use code DT9021. Coupon is valid for 1350 uses. See website for desktops and customizations options.
For a limited time, Cabela’s is offering savings of up to 70% on hunting and other sports and outdoor equipment. Save on backpacks, sleeping bags, vests, archery gear, and other merchandise. Shop early for the best selection. Expiration unknown.
- Ali Hale talks about tracking your money with a Spending Log.
- The Huffinging Post explains how the weak economy is speeding the demise of the newspaper.
- Yahoo! provides some tips on 5 Big Bills You Can Cut Fast.
- The Motley Fool explains Why It's A Good Time To Be Greedy.
- CBS Marketwatch mentions that “Out of almost 2,100 diversified retail US stock mutual funds…just 17 have positive returns for both the past 12 months and year-to-date”. Ouch.
- eCOST: Refurbed HP Pavilion F762NR Notebook for $439
- Kodak Gallery: 4x6in Prints Are Only 10 Cents Each
- Papa Johns: Two Large Pizzas with Two Toppings for $20
- Gamestop: 25% Off Any Used Xbox360 and Xbox Games
- Macys: 10%-50% off During Labor Day Sale
- Boars Head: Free Copy of Samanthas Silly-icious Sandwiches Book by Tina Powell
- Performance Bicycle: Labor Day Weekend Sale on Over 500 Items
- Wet Seal: Buy 1 Get 1 for a Penny Clearance In-Store Sale
- Cooking.com: Save up to 70% on Labor Day Markdowns
eCost.com has a limited quantity of refurbished HP Pavilion F762NR notebooks for $439. Features include: 1.90GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor, 1GB RAM, 120GB Hard Drive, Dual Layer DVD/RW, Wireless 802.11b/g, NVIDIA GeForce 7000M, 15.4in WXGA HD Display, Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1. Expires Sunday, August 31st.
Through September 5th, Kodak Gallery is offering 4x6 inch prints for only 10 cents each when you use coupon code LABORPRINTS. Take advantage of this offer to print all of those great pictures that you took over the summer. See website for additional details.
Through September 12th, Papa John’s is offering two large pizzas with up to two toppings on each for only $20 when you use promo code 82908A. Offer good at participating restaurants. Prices may vary in Alaska and Hawaii.
Through Thursday, September 4th, Gamestop is offering a coupon for 25% off any used Xbox360 and Xbox games, limit 3. One coupon per customer. No dealers, and no rainchecks.
Through Monday, September 1st, Macy's is offering 10%-50% off women's, men's, and kid's fashion and accessories as well as bed and bath items. On macys.com, you can get free shipping with $100 purchase. Refer to website for details and restrictions.
Boar's Head is offering up to two copies per household of Samantha's Silly-icious Sandwiches by Tina Powell. This offer also includes free shipping. Sign up at website. Expiration unknown.
Through Monday, September 1st, Performance Bicycle is offering a Labor Day Weekend Sale on over 500 items. For web and phone orders, get an additional 10% off on orders of $50 or more using coupon code 445. For more details and restrictions, refer to the website.
At Wet Seal stores only, buy 1 of select styles and get 1 for a penny. To find a Wet Seal store near you, refer to their website. Expiration unknown.
Through Monday, September 1st, Cooking.com is offering up to 70% off select items. Also, get free standard shipping on orders of $99 or more using code C98859. Refer to website for details and restrictions.
There’s little doubt that clipping a few coupons or baking your own bread can save you money. But is there a point at which the time and effort involved outweighs the potential cost savings? There certainly is.
In economics, there’s a concept known as “Opportunity Cost”, which refers to the value related to the decision to not make one product in favor of another; and is probably best illustrated with a simple example:
Let’s say that you’re handy around the house, and you have the choice of spending your time in one of two ways: On one hand, you can spend an hour to bake two loaves of bread that will save you $4 over the cost of buying bread at the supermarket, or you can spend the same amount of time to build a knick-knack that you can earn a $10 profit on when you sell it at the local craft fair. Which choice do you make? Well, if you look at it purely from the point of view of trying to maximize your economic gain, then you will spend your time building the knick-knack so you can pocket an extra $6 above and beyond what you would save by baking bread.
The same concept applies to the choices we make in our own lives. Time is a fixed commodity; and we can make choices about how we choose to spend it. On one hand, you can consider the value of your own time relative to how you spend it; and on the other, you can weigh the value of each potential task as a means of prioritizing your time.
Let me illustrate each approach…
The value of your own time: Let’s assume for a moment that you are a software engineer and that you make $60,000 a year. At that salary, the value of your time (as assigned by your employer) is about $30 per hour. Knowing what your time is worth, you could conceivably use that as a baseline to decide when to take a task on or when to outsource it. So, given the choice of whether or not to bake bread, you may decide that saving $4 per hour simply isn’t worth your time. But on the other hand, if you have the opportunity to spend 2 hours repairing your car, but will save $200 in the process, then it probably makes sense for you to do it, since your effective savings will be $100 per hour.
Prioritizing your time by value: if you are like me or a lot of other people, then you probably have a “To Do” with dozens of tasks on it that you plan to do at some point in time. One approach I use to help priortize my time is to assign a value to the task. By doing so, your task list might look something like this:
- Replace 10 light-bulbs with fluorescents (1 hr – potential savings $420)
- Call around for cheaper car insurance (2 hr – potential savings $250)
- Rebalance 401(k) (2hr – longer-term earnings in the thousands)
- Bake bread (1 hr – potential savings $4)
With this information, you can make better decisions about how to most effectively spend your time in order to maximize your economic gain and grow your wealth. In this example, I would probably prioritize the rebalancing of my 401(k) as the first task on my list, as the potential gain is quite large and then follow it with replacing the fluorescent bulbs.
Everyone’s situation is unique: Each person will value a task in a different way…Someone, for example, may place higher value on freshly baked bread because they love the flavor and want to avoid the preservatives found in store-bought bread. However, by understanding the concept of “opportunity cost” and how to apply it, you can make better decisions about how to use your time.
- OfficeMax: Gateway M-6847 Garnet Red Laptop for only $629.99
- Lands End: Save Up to 65% on Overstock Merchandise
- Borders: 30% Off Any One Item Labor Day Coupon
- Walgreens: $10 Off $40 or More In-Store Coupon
- Amazon: Free Downloadable Short Stories
- Campmor: Russell Athletic Gear as Low as $2.97
- AE.com: 6 Pair of Womens Undies as Low as $15
- Ann Taylor LOFT: 20% Off Everything Including Marked Down Sale Items
- Endless.com: Save Up to 45% on Shoes and Handbags
- Amazon: WD 250GB Passport External Drive for $89.99 with Free Shipping
- Disney Store: Up to 75% Off on Clearance Items
Through Saturday the 30th, OfficeMax is offering the Gateway M-6847 Garnet Red Laptop for only $629.99 after $150 savings. Features an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 processor, 320GB Hard Drive, 3072MB Memory, SuperMulti DVD Burner with Labelflash direct-disk labeling, and Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 WLAN. See website for additional details.
For a limited time, Lands’ End is offer up to 65% off on overstock items. Choose from swimwear, tops, pants, sleepwear, and other apparel for the entire family. Expiration unknown. Shop early for the best selection.