What Was Your First Online Purchase?

Does anyone else feel like they're living in some kind of science fiction future where they can buy things instantly and have them sent to them within a day or so? If I don't curb my impulsive shopping habits, I tend to rack up quite a bit of spending. I'm sure there are others out there like me, too. As the avenue for e-commerce has turned into a gazillion lane highway, this has certainly changed the way we view shopping and purchasing things that we need.

I was browsing for some Blu-rays the other day (to satisfy my HD addiction) and I started thinking about how readily I buy things online these days, because of how easy it is. And then I started wondering about what my first online purchase was.The crazy thing is that while I was thinking about it, I realized this couldn't have been that long ago, given how far it's come so fast.

As it turns out, my first online purchase was on Ebay.com. I was trying to get a Halloween costume together and ended up getting a Ghostbusters patch I never used because I couldn't find a matching jumpsuit at a local Goodwill. I remember being hesitant to spend the two dollars that I ultimately spent on it since this was an Internet transaction. Funny how things change, huh?

So, what was your first online purchase, and when did this take place? How often do you purchase things online?

Why Electricity Deregulation Matters

Here in Houston, like most parts of Texas, we have the power to choose our electricity provider. Despite having the option to switch providers in our area, most people I talk to around here either don’t know we are deregulated or don’t think switching providers is worth their time. Deregulation is actually a great opportunity for consumers, so I thought I’d help spread the word and take a minute here to explain why it’s worth knowing about and taking advantage of.

First, what is electricity deregulation? In a nutshell, deregulation takes a market served by one provider and opens it up for competition from multiple providers. Electricity delivery is still handled by the same ‘poles and wires’ company, but you buy electricity from a Retail Electricity Provider (REP) that handles customer service and billing. It’s as simple as that.

So why bother switching? Here are the top reasons electricity deregulation is good for you:

• Pay less for electricity – This is obviously the biggest benefit to energy deregulation. When providers compete for your business, you end up paying less for electricity service.

• Find renewable energy options – If being green is important to you, you have a much better chance of finding a green energy plan in a deregulated market.

Testing the Solar Plane

Something people close to me know about me is that I am terrified of flying. Not so terrified that I won't go on planes at all, but I will sit there nervously clutching the seat for every bump of a flight. I will do this in a hilarious fashion from all of takeoff to touchdown. Yes, I understand that it is slightly irrational, but I can never seem to shake the nerves. Complicate that with the fact of my height, and it makes plane rides unpleasant at best, "somebody save me" at the worst.

I'm nervous enough about regular engines, so the idea of a solar-powered plane taking flight would probably make me run away in terror. However, it seems that a recent test in Switzerland has gone over extremely well, with a small and lightweight solar plane flying at over 1200 meters in altitude for almost 90 minutes. The plane was first tested several months back at only a few feet off the ground, so taking it this high was most certainly an astounding accomplishment.

The plane itself is adorned with 12,000 solar panels that collect energy to charge batteries that power the plane's motors. These batteries can hold charges for up to 36 hours at a time. While the plane worked well in the day, there is still a day/night test that is going to be conducted later this year, to fly the plane completely on battery power.

While the thought of riding in one of these is definitely nerve-wracking, I appreciate that there are people out there always coming up with alternative energy sources for things like this. I'll be curious to see where this technology goes. Really, the thing I'm actually waiting for is teleportation, though I won't hold my breath for very long on that one.

Source- CNET

Poll: Do You Have Home Security?

Recently, there have been a few occurrences near my neighborhood that have started to make me wonder about home security. I have never lived in a home with that service, though my house does still have the old sticker on it from the previous homeowner. For some reason, my brain tells me that's just as good of a deterrent to would-be wrongdoers, when in reality, it probably isn't.

Really, when I think about it, my only memorable experience with home security is when I was living with a family in Austin during a Summer internship. My first day on the job, I got off work early and returned to the house. While the family had given me a key, they forgot to tell me what the security code was. I came in and tripped the alarm, hoping that I could get the alarm turned off before the cops showed up and found a young vagrant like myself standing in a stranger's home. Luckily, the owner of the house showed up within moments and saved the day.

I'm sure that's not how most people experience home security, but that's the only encounter I've had with it. Lately, my wife and I have been considering it for our relatively new home, just to ensure that we and our belongings are safe.

What about all of you? Do any of you have home security? Do you see a need for it? Tell us in the comments.

What Do You Do to Make Your Home Green?

Staying green is a big priority for my wife and I, and we saw moving in to our first house as a great opportunity to expand our eco-friendly efforts. We chose a house that we thought was pretty eco-friendly; it had double-paned windows, low VOC-paint and Energy Star rated appliances. That was just the start though.

When we moved in, the first thing we did was switch to renewable energy to reduce our carbon footprint. Not only do we feel better every time we switch on a light, but we actually got such a good rate that we’re paying less than we would have with a traditional plan. Score!

Another thing we were excited to do was start recycling on a large scale. Our neighborhood provides curbside recycling, making it easy to recycle everything. In fact, as I put my trash out this morning, I noticed we were actually recycling more than we were throwing away—that feels great.

Don't get Fooled on Your Next Bill

Whether it is April Fool’s Day or not, no one like to get fooled when they open their monthly bills. Nothing can ruin my day more than when I open up a statement to find hidden fees, extra charges or that the interest rate on my credit card has gone up.

Here are a few things you can do to keep your monthly bills right on track:

• Read Your Mail – It is very important that you read all correspondence from your credit card companies, utility company, phone provider, Internet service provider, etc. I normally ignore that mail because I think they are trying to up sell me on services. Not so when I missed my electric company’s note that my contract had expired and they were changing me to a new plan that had a higher rate. That cost me a pretty penny until I changed plans. So very important to read your mail.


• Make a Call – Don’t be afraid to call your credit card company or service provider and talk to them about your higher interest rate or that extra service charge you see has popped up on your bill. My credit card company upped my interest rate one day and I simply called, explained I had been a loyal client for a few years and if they could lower it back to what it was. We reached a middle ground and they met me half way.


• Don’t be Late – This is so important I can’t stress it enough. Never pay your bills late! Doing so can get all kinds of late fees added to your account. Credit cards sometimes have clauses that if you’re late then they can raise your interest rate. So do what you can to pay early: mail it early, pay online or even in person.


• Keep Track of Automatic Debits – If you have something automatically charging to a credit card, then keep all those in mind. I had forgotten that I had my gym membership directly charged to my VISA. Well I closed that VISA card out and that caused my gym membership payment to not go through. Next thing I know I got a late balance on my gym and late fees. Also make sure that your card is not getting close to the limit and the automatic payments might push you over. You don’t want to get slapped with an over the limit fee. Been there, done that and OMG the money it cost me was insane.

WhiteFence Provider Highlight: AT&T;

Recently, we started a new series of articles on this blog that highlight different providers on our site, to help you find out more information that you might not have known before. As consumers, it's always in our best interest to be more informed about our choices because you never know, you might come across something that tips the scales.

For the newest edition of our provider highlights, we're going to be focusing on AT&T.; Here are some cool features you may or may not know about the communications provider, particularly its U-verse offerings.

• U-verse remote DVR access - While many people may have heard of U-verse, AT&T;'s great TV service, they may not know about the way you can interface with the DVR in places other than the home. Not only can you look at your DVR selections through your Web browser, you can also view it on the go with your iPhone. Anybody else that is a TV nut knows the pain of being out and suddenly realizing that a favorite show is about to come on. With the U-verse app, you no longer have that worry.


• Total Home DVR - The great thing about this feature is that it allows you to watch a DVR recording from any other connected TV in your home. That way, different people in your household can all watch what they want, when they want. Hopefully it doesn't end up in an old west showdown.


• NFL Redzone - What's better than going to a sports bar to see all the football games you want at once? Being able to do it from your own home. NFL Redzone is a great channel for football fans, because it lets you see the best parts of any game as it's happening. The channel switches between games that are in their most exciting field positions, so you can see the touchdowns as they happen. I'm going to be honest, I kind of fell in love with this one during the season.

These promotions are running as of the date of this blog, but could be removed at any time. To find out more about AT&T; in your area, be sure to visit WhiteFence. More provider highlights are coming in the future. If you've got any you would like to know more about, let us know!

Conserving Water with Faucet Aerators

One of the things that I might be the worst in the world at is saving water. I am pretty conscious of how I deal with trash and recycling, and even more so when it comes to trying to save energy with electricity. But for some reason, I turn into a complete imbecile when in contact with running water. I'm the classic case of "guy who leaves water running while brushing teeth" and "guy who browses the Internet while the shower is warming up". OK, that second one isn't actually a typical person, but that's how I roll.

If you're looking for a way to cut water usage by as much as 50%, a cheap and easy way to do so is through the use of faucet or shower aerators. An aerator adds air to the water flow from these devices, rather than just using a full stream. This cuts down drastically on your water use, and can even save you money on your monthly bill.

To tell if you need one, you should check your faucet. The aerator is located on the tip of the faucet, and can be unscrewed easily. The flow of the water should be written on the side. If it is labeled as 2.2 gallons per minute or more, you might want to consider pulling a switch. If you need some help with how to go about doing this, the guys at Microsoft Hohm have released another entry in their video series with a helpful guide. Check it out!

Have any of you tried switching aerators to save money? Tell us in the comments!

Additional Source- Titusville

Money Saving Stories

We’re a few years into this whole ‘global recession’ thing, and just about everyone I know still seems to be feeling the pinch. With that in mind, I thought maybe we could all help each other out by sharing some stories and tips about saving money. I’ll get us started.

My wife and have been doing all the small things like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and keeping our thermostat a few degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter for a while now. While we knew these things were saving us money, they didn’t really have an obvious effect on our monthly expenses. They lacked the payoff of seeing more money in our pockets. However, when it came time to renew our television, Internet and home phone plans we decided to see if anyone was bundling in our area yet (they weren’t when we initially signed up) and found what we were looking for.

AT&T; had started to offer their U-verse bundles in our neighborhood and we made the switch. We not only ended up saving about $35 a month, but we actually came out with more channels, unlimited calling and faster Internet! While it might not be a huge sum of money, I really can see the effect of an extra $35 each month, and the upgraded services are just an awesome bonus.

So what have you done that saved you a lot of money recently? Let us know in the comments!

WhiteFence Provider Highlight: TXU Energy

As consumers, the best thing we can do to help ourselves save money at home is to be informed. By knowing more about the utilities or services we can order and who is providing them to us, we can make better choices that add up to long term savings. That's why we've decided to start highlighting our providers more regularly, to bring you cool facts or interesting things you might not have known about them before.

Since we're edging closer to Summer, we're about to hit that time of year where electricity rates start climbing again. I know that for me, my recent low rate contract expired, so I'm currently on the lookout for a new electricity provider. I thought it would be fitting that for our first provider highlight, we took a look at one of the great electricity options you can find through WhiteFence.

This week's provider highlight? TXU Energy! If you are a Texas resident on the hunt for electricity, then you have no doubt heard of TXU Energy. Here are some features that might have gone overlooked in your most recent search for great electricity rates...

• TXU Energy iThermostat - This Web-enabled tool allows you to manage your air conditioner while you are not at home. Since the AC unit is typically the biggest energy hog in the entire house, this can really help you keep the costs of cooling your home much more affordable. The best part of all is that you can access this tool online and adjust it when you are at work or even on the road.


• TXU Energy Resident's Choice^SM - A current TXU Energy special, this plan is an online-only deal with auto recurring payment, making your monthly billing easier and stress-free.

In addition to these two bonuses that TXU Energy offers, you can get up to a $50 prepaid card when you order. Stay tuned, because more provider highlights will be coming in the near future.