Hey...Online Billpay is Handy and Cool

Hey...maybe I am still a dinasour, but I just used online Bill Pay for the first time tonight. I paid one bill.....my electric bill.

The thing I like about it is something that I never realized was a feature. I was able to schedule the payment for March 1st, and today is only February 15th!

I had already written the check, and I like to dispatch bills as soon as they come in...so I don't forget them. Well, the problem is that the check is cashed and out of my account perhaps 2 weeks earlier than it really needs to be!

But with online bill payments, I am able to schedule the actual payment, and still dispatch the bill when it comes in.

Ok....so maybe my overlooking this feature was a very basic oversight....but still something I a excited to discover.

The other big plus is that all my bank transactions are accounted for on the online register...with the name of the check payee. (unlike when I write them and keep track of things manually in my check register.)

Will wonders never cease!

Wow, what a great FREE Cell Phone Driven service for buyers! (www.FRUCALL.com)

Wow, I came across this Yahoo Finance article on a Comparison Shopping service that can be accessed by calling on a cell phone.

I've tried it...and it works great! (and best of all, it is totally FREE!)

You go to the web page:
http://www.frucall.com/ (BTW: The FRU in the name stands for "Frugal")

You create an account with your name, email address and cell phone number and then when you call the phone number 1-888-DO-FRUCALL (1-888-363-7822) and key in the 10 or 12 digit bar-code...a computer generated voice attendent gives you comparative prices right then and there! (including shipping costs, and the place they are referencing which seems to be online stores)

It works incredibly well....try it yourself!

Check out the Online Energy Audit Site

Hey, check out this site put up by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

It is an online energy audit tool.

Here is what the site says about itself:

"About The Home Energy Saver

The Home Energy Saver is designed to help consumers identify the best ways to save energy in their homes, and find the resources to make the savings happen. The Home Energy Saver was the first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as part of the national ENERGY STAR Program for improving energy efficiency in homes, with previous support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's PATH projgram, and the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program."

This is a very cool website, and I have started entering my own house in. You can get as detailed as you want in explaining your appliances, insulation, usage and house set-up. You also give them a pay-back period so that they recommend only improvements that make economic sense for your situation.

You get a reference number that you keep so that you can go back later and make adjustments to your situation.

In the end, it gives your projected costs foryour current house (which you can check against your current budget....you do have a budget?) Then it gives you a list of suggested improvements, their costs, and the calculated savings gotten from each!

It really is a well done site. Check it out!