Cheapism

[RonBoyd]

Why have I never heard of these people? They have been around since 2009.

Reviews of Cheap Products | Cheapism.com

CHEAPISM: Cheap-i-sm, Spelled Pronunciation [chē-piz-uh-m]

-noun. An economic system in which individuals (consumers) acquire goods and/or services at a relatively low cost or price (inexpensively or comparatively inexpensively).

Those who advocate and support cheapism are "cheapists". As a result of practicing cheapism regularly, cheapists manage to save money and live within their means, or to utilize their finances for other purposes.

Origin: 2009; cheap + ism

What do we do?

We find the best cheap products out there and tell you what they are.

We scour the internet for news stories and resources that are informative and fun and can help you save money.

How do we do this?

We identify all the cheap products in each category.

We research the 'must have' features for products in that category.

We select the products that have those features.

We eliminate products with pricey, unneeded features.

We read reviews about the products' performance.

We tell you which products are best and where you can buy them.

 

[powerplay]

Sounds like a great resource for us LBOM and ER's on here. I've never heard of it either so thanks for the post and link.

 

[David1961]

To me, LBYM sounds better than cheapism.

 

[RonBoyd]

To me, LBYM sounds better than cheapism.

I would guess. in the website planning stage, that name was determined to already be over-used... and/or already taken.

 

[ls99]

Good idea, so long as they don't confuse cheap with cost effective.

 

[RonBoyd]

Good idea, so long as they don't confuse cheap with cost effective.

You tell me.

Comparing Cell Phone Charges | Cheapism.com

As many consumers know full well, interpreting a mobile phone bill is often an exercise in frustration. And comparing the fees and fine print for the four major carriers when it's time to choose among them is downright exasperating.

To shed some light on these matters we researched the various fees for smartphone use that appear on monthly statements sent out by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile, which together claim more than 90 percent of U.S. subscribers, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

Bottom line: When it comes to cell phone fees, it pays to be an informed consumer.

 

[RonBoyd]

Okay, let me give a better example:

Weekly update

New Blog Posts:

10 Things You May Not Realize Car Insurance Covers.

Do you know what's embedded in your auto insurance policy? We drill down into the fine print to reveal coverage you many not even know you have.

10 Ways to Waste Less Food (and Money!)

Spoiled food means money down the drain. Cut the waste in your household with these 10 tips.

11 Things You Should Be Renting Instead of Buying.

ou may have considered renting a tux, but what about a designer bag or children's toys? See what else is better to rent than buy.

Save $600 a Year With These Energy-Efficient Appliances.

Switching to energy-efficient appliances can save you hundreds on utilities. Investing in an upgrade may be worth the initial cost.

Don't Fall for These 10 Weight-Loss Gimmicks.

Not only do many weight-loss plans not work, they are also quite costly. Know which ones to avoid in favor of a balanced diet and exercise.

Airbnb vs. HomeAway: Which Is Right for You?

For homeowners looking to list and travelers looking to rent, we take a close look at the two most popular online vacation rental services, Airbnb and HomeAway.

10 Cheap Drinks for Super Bowl 2015.

With the matchup set and the Super Bowl looming, it's time to start planning a party. Try some of these cheap drinks, both alcoholic and non.

10 Tips for Sewing Your Way to Savings.

Sewing your own clothing and linens can save you a bundle, although that's not always the case. We highlight 10 ways to make sure you're coming out ahead by sewing instead of buying.

 

[ERD50]

Thanks, I bookmarked it. I'm also surprised it hasn't been brought up before (perhaps I missed it?).

At a quick look, they do seem to take quality/value into consideration - not just 'cheap'.

-ERD50

 

[Cobra9777]

You tell me.

Comparing Cell Phone Charges | Cheapism.com

A true "cheapist" would not care about cell phone "fees" charged by the Big 4 because they'd be using an MVNO.

 

[FUEGO]

Wait, people still pay for cell phone service?? Freedompop and a sub-$100 phone off ebay (like Samsung Galaxy S3).

 

[RonBoyd]

A true "cheapist" would not care about cell phone "fees" charged by the Big 4 because they'd be using an MVNO.

This is the first I have heard of this (A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), or mobile other licensed operator (MOLO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which the MVNO provides services to its customers. )

I am surprised at how many there are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators
I will have to research this further. Do you use one?

In any event, this one might be interesting: 420 Wireless Legalizing Marijuana In The US

420 Wireless™ is the Nation's first marijuana-friendly phone service and cellphones with the mission of legalizing marijuana in the U.S.

20% of the proceeds are donated to NORML to help legalize marijuana.

 

[W2R]

10 Cheap Drinks for Superbowl 2015

Oh really? Cheap? Wow. I think it would be cheaper to drink tap water and skip watching the Superbowl entirely.

Some people are not even trying to save money by doing that, but just find that it seems more natural to not blow a wad on football and booze in a sort of knee-jerk way on that day. YMMV and for many, I'm absolutely positive that it does.

 

[aja8888]

Wait, people still pay for cell phone service?? Freedompop and a sub-$100 phone off ebay (like Samsung Galaxy S3).

Hmmm...I checked their site and the first thing they do besides requiring your e-mail address, zip code and street, is shove a new phone in front of you to buy. Then the service is free for the first month only and a fee applies after that. Not so free, I guess.

I'll stick with PagePlus for $12/month.

 

[rodi]

This is the first I have heard of this (A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), or mobile other licensed operator (MOLO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which the MVNO provides services to its customers. )

I am surprised at how many there are.
List of United States mobile virtual network operators - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I will have to research this further. Do you use one?

In any event, this one might be interesting: 420 Wireless Legalizing Marijuana In The US

I do. Someone mentioned "Ting" on this forum a few years ago... I did some research and switched to them. 3 smart phones (bought off ebay)- average bill is less than $80/month for all 3. With Verizon we had a smart phone and a feature phone (dumb phone) - both out of contract... I had an employee discount of 20%... but even still - the two phones cost over $90/month. I'll be adding a 4th phone to our plan by next fall (younger son will be taking public bus from middle school and older son will be at high school) I expect it to be under $100/month for 4 phones.

 

[NW-Bound]

I do not think this is either Cheapism or LBYM. It's simply about making sure you are getting your money's worth, avoiding being gouged, not paying more yet getting less.

 

[Cobra9777]

This is the first I have heard of this (A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), or mobile other licensed operator (MOLO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which the MVNO provides services to its customers. )

I am surprised at how many there are.
List of United States mobile virtual network operators - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I will have to research this further. Do you use one?

Yes, DW and I spend about $35/mo for two smartphones on Ting.com, which is a highly-ranked MVNO using the Sprint network for CDMA devices and T-Mobile for GSM. We had been paying $175/mo for two lines on a Sprint Family Plan.

We're fairly light users, so Ting works well for us. For heavy users or unlimited-type plans, the going rate for MVNOs is still only around $25-30 per month per phone.

 

[FUEGO]

Hmmm...I checked their site and the first thing they do besides requiring your e-mail address, zip code and street, is shove a new phone in front of you to buy. Then the service is free for the first month only and a fee applies after that. Not so free, I guess.

I'll stick with PagePlus for $12/month.

Yeah, you have to click a few buttons to get it for free. As soon as you sign up, you can opt out of any pay services. I get 200 talk minutes, 500 texts IIRC, and 500 MB data for free. And I have the "auto top up" feature disabled so they won't charge me if I hit the data cap (never been close, but I assume the data simply stops flowing).

As for buying a phone, you can buy one from them or use a wide variety of Sprint phones. That's why I mentioned under $100 from ebay - probably cheaper than buying from freedompop. And they do have sprint phones that are under $50 at ebay but just a little too slow for my tastes.

So still pretty much free other than buying a phone initially. So maybe $100 every few years if you want to constantly have a relatively new phone.

$12/mo for pageplus or similar per phone on Ting isn't bad. If I used my phone more and cared about good quality voice everywhere, I might pay up. As it is, I use 0-5 minutes of voice per month and it works out just fine.

 

[Amethyst]

As a sewist (looks much better than "sewer") I can state unequivocably that unless you are constructing your own couture clothing, it is cheaper, nowadays, to buy clothes than make them. I can buy a decent silk shirt on sale for less than the cost of good silk yardage..let alone a pattern, matching thread, seam binding, interfacing, buttons, and most importantly, my time.

In my Mother's day, the reverse was true, and she not only made most of her own clothes, but her daughters' clothing too. That is why I know the craft; I was raised with it.

Edit: I have saved money by sewing lined curtains for odd-sized windows, where standard panels wouldn't fit and it was not worth the high cost of custom draperies. It's still hours and hours of measuring, pinning, basting, pressing, etc.

Amethyst

 

[Midpack]

I am usually looking for the best value, cheapest life cycle cost, not cheapest (initial cost). I am often more than willing to pay high purchase prices if that provides the lowest life cycle cost. My experience with cheapest has usually been not the best value. I'd associate value with LBYM before cheap.

And like several others above, not buying things you really don't need, or substituting with some other product/service/activity is even more key to LBYM IMO. I usually seriously ask myself do I really need this, often giving it days, before I decide to buy anything significant. Better than cheapest or best value!

My 1 cents...

 

[imoldernu]

Why have I never heard of these people? They have been around since 2009.

Reviews of Cheap Products | Cheapism.com

A nice try, too limited... 2 or 3 Bests, 1 or 2 Goods and a few don't bothers. Not much of a review, when there may be 20 different models, items or services.

Just an example... Tires- With 20 major manufactures, 6 tires selected, with Bests and Don't Bothers... And with Pizza Restaurants just 5 or 6.

It's a good try, and maybe some day it will be a place to go to, but maybe, not yet. One of the funny ratings I checked was for Pizza Parlors... Just so happens I had read a similar survey yesterday. In that one, Little Ceasars came out on top... In Cheapism, it was a "Don't Bother". I don't go to either, so

BTW... At the top of the page, is a dedicated Google search, that will bring up many more articles and ratings... all from cheapism.

Consumer Reports is probably the best place to research, but that costs. From what I can see, the Cheapism site relies on reviews from individuals. Pretty hard for a free website to compete with laboratories, and hundreds of experts.

For electronics, looking at three or four "recommended" computers, doesn't narrow the search, when there are hundreds of models out there.

If the selections were really made on the basis of "cheapest price", then the kitchen/Laundry appliance reviews missed the boat, by skipping all of the lower priced models.

Amazon ratings, where there are dozens or hundreds of customer reviews, is my own first choice when Im planning to spend more than $10 or $20.

A fun place to look at the reviews, but IMHO... not to be taken too seriously.

 

[mickeyd]

During the last 70 or so years I have been called "cheap" and "thrifty" along with other similar adjectives. Many of the folks who called me those names now call me wealthy. Though I am not that either.

 

[RonBoyd]

During the last 70 or so years I have been called "cheap" and "thrifty" along with other similar adjectives. Many of the folks who called me those names now call me wealthy. Though I am not that either.

+1

 

[Cobra9777]

Hmmm...I checked their site and the first thing they do besides requiring your e-mail address, zip code and street, is shove a new phone in front of you to buy. Then the service is free for the first month only and a fee applies after that. Not so free, I guess.

I'll stick with PagePlus for $12/month.

Yeah, you have to click a few buttons to get it for free. As soon as you sign up, you can opt out of any pay services. I get 200 talk minutes, 500 texts IIRC, and 500 MB data for free. And I have the "auto top up" feature disabled so they won't charge me if I hit the data cap (never been close, but I assume the data simply stops flowing).

As for buying a phone, you can buy one from them or use a wide variety of Sprint phones. That's why I mentioned under $100 from ebay - probably cheaper than buying from freedompop. And they do have sprint phones that are under $50 at ebay but just a little too slow for my tastes.

So still pretty much free other than buying a phone initially. So maybe $100 every few years if you want to constantly have a relatively new phone.

$12/mo for pageplus or similar per phone on Ting isn't bad. If I used my phone more and cared about good quality voice everywhere, I might pay up. As it is, I use 0-5 minutes of voice per month and it works out just fine.

I checked into FreedomPop several months ago. They do have a totally free tier that includes 200 minutes, 500 text, and 500MB data. Like aja8888, I went to their website and was immediately turned off by the sketchy tactics and lack of transparency regarding additional charges and plan options.

Also, my understanding is that FreedomPop is data only, meaning they use the data network for voice and text (VoIP). You have to use their proprietary app rather than your phone’s native dialer and messaging app. This will work fine for text, and for voice calls on your home or work broadband network (WiFi). But my own experience with this setup on a mobile network was pretty bad. 4G (or LTE) is "passable" but occasional dropped calls or garbled voice. 3G was completely unreliable. Some people report that FreedomPop is better than other mobile VoIP because they are using Skype proprietary technology that others don’t have access to. But still, most independent reviews of mobile call quality, especially on 3G, are not good.

Republic Wireless is another very popular MVNO, which offers $25/mo unlimited everything. But they also use VoIP for voice and text on WiFi, and the phone always defaults to WiFi when available. But they use the traditional cell tower network on 3G and LTE. So call quality reviews are much better than FreedomPop. The downside to Republic is you have to buy and use one of their Moto X phones. No other handset option.

Ting does not use any form of VoIP, so the call quality and reliability is same as you'd get with the regular network operator. I don't use a lot of voice minutes, but when I do, I need it to work reliably. And you can bring virtually any device, CDMA or GSM. For us, this is a better mix of value and quality.