How to Get Your Music Fix on the Cheap

Does anyone still buy CDs? Of course they do. And records, too! But when it comes to convenience (if not technological necessity), streaming music is here to stay.

For starters, streaming music can go anywhere you go– at work, in your car, on your phone, you name it. You can also have access to a virtually unlimited number of artists, songs, and musical styles — all for about the cost of one CD per month. Interested? Here are a few popular options that might work for you:

Find New Music with Pandora

Pandora is a great way to find new music, but it has some side effects: first, you can only listen to a song from a particular band — not the particular song that you want to hear. If you’re in the mood to find music similar to your favorites, Pandora will hit the spot. You can also upgrade to Pandora for Business, or just take it along with you in your car or on your tablet or phone.

Listen to All Your Favorites with Spotify

Spotify has a free platform which requires you to listen to ads in between your favorite songs, or you can upgrade for about $14.99 per month to an ad-free version that can go on your tablet or mobile. Unlike Pandora, you can listen to full albums from any artist on Spotify — a very handy feature if you want to find new artists and listen to songs before you purchase a CD.

Get a “Radio Vibe” with Slacker Radio

Slacker Radio is a Pandora-type radio station that plays customized playlists. You can upgrade to get ad-free for $3.99USD, or upgrade to be able to listen to specific songs or artists, like Spotify, for $9.99USD. It’s best feature is probably it’s users playlists, with titles like “Facebook’s Most Embarassing Songs” and “Twitter Top 50.”

Be Surprised by Netflix

Before you roll your eyes, because yes, some of us “listen” to Futurama nonstop all day, Netflix is a great source for musicals and live music specials. You can search for your favorite artist by name, or, if you know the title of a recent performance, you can search for that. At just under $8USD per month, it’s the best deal of them all.

Streaming has a number of benefits over traditional music sources like tapes, CDs, and records. However, it can also be pricey because most services require a monthly subscription cost that doesn’t have an end date.

Do you have a music source online, or are you sticking with traditional CDs?

Popular Programs to Get Out of Debt

Debt is hard. And it lasts for a long time. But fortunately, you don’t have to fight it alone! Even if you’re relatively new to the desire to pay off all of your debt, it’s still possible with the help of financial professionals the world over.

Image via Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/hankinsphoto/

Need a little help from a professional? Check out these popular free or low cost programs to help educate people about personal finance and recover better spending habits.

Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University

Dave Ramsey is a famous personality in the business of helping people get out of debt. He runs the Financial Peace University, a program that churches and schools can organize to help local people get out of debt.

The course involves attending a weekly meeting and watching his talks, then discussing the points and learning about managing money in the course. When you “graduate,” you leave with a new budget and a new understanding of how you have been spending your money. FPU focuses most strongly on getting rid of debt, saving money for the future, and staying off of debt forever.

Suze Orman’s Tools

While they may not truly qualify as a program, Suze Orman is a money guru who has developed several tools to help people manage their money called Suze’s Tools. You can use the Compound Interest tool to check in on loans you are paying off, or track expenses using the Expense Tracker.

The Suze Orman website also includes lots of free resources such as video clips, pamphlets, and frequently asked questions. If you have specific questions on topics such as wills and trusts, it’s a great resource to check out.

Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Workshop

Working through debt while raising children? Attend a free workshop by Rich Dad Poor Dad’s Rob Kiyosaki, or sign up for the free newsletter and other freebies on the website.

There are tons of budgeting tools and helpful articles that will give you the opportunity to think about personal finance in a way that might make a difference for you: focusing on the effect your debt and money management habits will have on your children.

AARP’s Money Management Program

Looking for reduced cost assistance with your personal finance situation? The AARP has local Money Management Programs available to help you with daily money tips and specific solutions for your budget. Get help requesting a free credit report, creating a balanced budget, or organizing your bills.

The Money Management Program connects trained volunteers with low-income older adults and people with disabilities who have difficulty budgeting, paying routine bills and keeping track of financial matters. It’s like suddenly gaining a partner in the onslaught of debt that many people have to fight alone.

Are you currently paying off debt? Are you using any programs to help you make progress?

The “R” Word (Regifting)

No I mean REALLY, you shouldn’t have.

At least one point in our lives, we’ve received gifts that we don’t like (accompanied with the thought: “what the hell were they thinking?”). I like to think that the majority of us were taught to express gratitude and pretend to like the gift.

via contagiouscommentary.com

I can always appreciate the thought, but not necessarily the gift itself. Into the junk drawer/closet you go, never to be seen again. If there is a gift receipt that accompanies the gift, I will have no hesitation to go into the store and exchange it for something I like or get a store credit if I can’t find anything at the time. The gift receipt shows the giver was concerned whether or not you would like the gift and wanted to make sure you had the choice of getting something you liked, if need be.

So what about the dirty “R” word?

REGIFTING.

The dirty regifting word can be accompanied with other “R” words such as reduce (reducing the amount of time, effort and money to spend on a new gift), reuse (you’re saving the environment) and recycle (Not so sure this one counts though because you’re not really turning something old into something new. Well I guess you’re pretending, by giving something old and making it seem like it’s new).

There are several situations in which the possibility of regifting can creep into one’s mind. You’re stuck on what to get a certain person for a special occasion. You may be really strapped for cash. It can happen around the holidays where unexpected gift giving seems to run rampant. All of a sudden your gift giving list has gotten longer. Although you had no intention buying someone a gift, this person got you a gift and now you feel obligated to reciprocate the kind gesture. Regifting seems obvious.

Is Regifting Really Taboo?

Regifting is only taboo if it is really obvious. To me, a bad regift is just as bad as buying a present from the Dollar Store or giving those freebies you get when your purchase of Mary Kay/Avon stuff reaches a certain amount. I may be frugal and even cheap to a certain extent, but I go out of my way to get decent gifts whenever possible. I can be a generous person. I get real annoyed when there are people who clearly have a ton of money, yet give horrible gifts of such cheap quality and not even useful. However, if the gift is a really good gift, in practically mint condition and you think the recipient will enjoy or benefit from this gift, then why not?

Should You Disclose if You Are Regifting?

Should you tell them that their gift is a regift? I’m 50/50 on that one. I think it depends on what type of person they are. Some people look down on regifting and may be offended by it and see it as a sign of disrespect. For them, gifts need to be brand new – regifting is a slight.

I don’t see it that way. A father can give his teenage son a used car as a gift. The son would most likely see it as an awesome gift that meant independence and a way to get hot dates. A grandmother can give her granddaughter a handmade quilt that has been passed down from generation to generation. Someone could give their fiancé/fiancée an engagement watch or ring that is a family heirloom.

Another very important consideration: don’t regift the gift to the person who originally gave it to you. Remember who gave you the gift! Also, make sure to regift the gift to someone who wouldn’t see or doesn’t know the original gift giver. The last thing you would want is the original gift giver to find out you regifted their present away (unless they are okay with it).

While sometimes a dollar amount is put on gifts, in terms of gift exchange and budgeting for the holidays, the amount of quality shouldn’t be neglected either. It is obvious you can get cheap things for a cheap price and expensive things for an expensive price. At the same time, you can get items of a nice quality at an economical price and you can get items of garbage quality at an expensive price.

Have you ever regifted or been the recipient of a regift? Do you consider regifting bad etiquette?

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