Free Video Games

Why pay for video games when you can get them free? The following is a list of some genre's of video games that you can find on the internet for free:

• Action
• Fighting
• Pinball
• Shooting
• MMO RPG
• 1st/3rd person shooter
• Adventure
• Management Simulation
• Racing
• Role Playing
• Strategy
• Puzzle

My favorite games include Age of Mythology , World of Warcraft , Test Drive Unlimited , and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . Unfortunately those games cost money however you can get them really cheap used off of eBay or Craigslist. You can however get the 1st and 2nd GTA for free. They also have ad sponsered games that are a few years old that are free.

Good luck in your gaming search!

Traveling Green

So you want to book a vacation but don't have the dough?
Well sometimes, there are websites that provide great deals. For example, usually every year during the holiday's, you can take a cruise from Miami to the Bahamas for $89.00 per person! And that includes taxes!

If you want a great cruise ship, I highly recommend Carnival(www.carnival.com). They are cheap, good, and provide excellent service.

Some good websites that help find you the best rate:

1. www.orbitz.com
2. www.travelocity.com
3. www.priceline.com
4. www.hotwire.com

Last year, I booked a 7 day Carnival Cruise for $450.00 including taxes! Usually the 2nd or 3rd week in December is a good time to travel. You can also use those websites to book hotels and travel.

Keeping the Green without spending it!

So, are you like me and live paycheck to paycheck? Do you hate watching all of your friends go out to eat constanlty and go to movie theaters like its part of their 2nd house? Well I will give you some hints about living it up in style without actually spending much if not at all. The key word here is UPGRADE

What do you mean?
All the pack rats are going to hate reading this but if you want to have the best of everything, you need to remember two things:

• If you ain't using it, sell it
• Never pay retail, always buy used if possible, and buy low sell high

If you can remember that, you can have the latest greatest and still keep up with the Jones's on your measely salary. Let me give you a great example.

Laptops now can be purchased NEW for $399+tax. If you buy it, you can almost ALWAYS make your money back within the following year. Why? Because laptops don't depreciate much under $300. However if you spring for a $1200.00 laptop, you just lost 1/2 the value in a years time. The difference betweeen a $400.00 laptop and a $1200.00 laptop is marginal. Spyware and other software such as Windows will eventually eat both laptops up anyway if not taken care of properly so why bother.

I try never to keep my products for a lengthy period of time only because I don't want to be there when it breaks. So do you want to know where to go to get cheap stuff?

1. www.Craigslist.org -This is the NUMBER ONE website that I can recommend to you. Craigslist is fast, fun, easy to navigate, free, and it is great for locals to post just about anything. I have purchased over 200 items from craigslist and have made a killing. Be sure to check this frequently since the deals don't last very long.
2. www.eBay.com - A classic; It is a little harder to find deals since your competing with the whole world however Christmas morning, you can catch some killer bargains
3. www.SlickDeals.net -Don't like buying used? This website is devoted to finding glitches, price matches, pre-deals(deals before they are published/printed) and coupons. I have found some massive retail discounts on this website. Gotta love the free razers?
4. Garage Sales- Another classic- I sometimes spot them on craigslist however sometimes a good ol' fashioned drive is all that you need. I have found 19" widescreen lcd's for $20.00, LG Shine's for $5.00 and Portable DVD player's for $2.00. It is amazing what you can find in these garage sales. This is quite addictive.
5. Pawn Shops - I only shop at Cash America(www.CashAmericaPawn.com) because they provide a 30 day warranty with items. It is great to have that peace of mind. Another great target however remember, the managers now look up items on eBay so they know what they are worth before they put it out on the sales floor.

There you have it. If you follow my guidelines, you should never be short on cash again with respect to electronics. Just remember, buy low, sell high.

What car should I buy?

Car buying is a very difficult process and let me tell you, it can get quite cumbersome and frustrating at times. I will simplify some of the processes for you so you can walk into that dealership knowing what you want and what price you will be paying for it.

Functionality is a key component of new cars. Different individuals will want different amenities when purchasing. Families lean more towards safety and the younger crowds want sport. Regardless, there are several things to consider in a vehicle

• First and foremost: Safety crash test rating-I don't care if you are Mario Andretti, if your car gets hit head on, no amount of money can replace you. Buy a car that is safe!
• Amenities: Heated seats, Bose Radio, Moonroof, Alloy Wheels, Power Seats...The list goes on and on.
• Engine and Transmission: Was the transmission new or has it been researched or placed in previous models. What type of gasoline does your vehicle take? ULEV? Warranty? These are all good things to find out prior to entering a dealership. Believe me, a salesman will try any tactic to sell his car.

Personally, I look at base models only for newer cars. I do not see the point in paying for leather when it requires high maintenance and it is freezing in the winter. Remember the more stuff you buy, the more things can break. When buying used, loaded models are similar in price to base models due to depreciation. I will save used car buying tips for another time.

The PlayStation 3

Why is the PS3 a great console? For many reasons, here is the list:

1. First and Foremost, it is a next-gen console
2. Blu Ray Support
3. Cheapest Blu Ray player on the market
4. Regular DVD upconversion on par with the HD-DVD players
5. Media Center Functionality
6. Youtube Support
7. Multiple configurations depending on user needs-20gb,40gb,60gb,80gb,160gb
8. USB ports for thumb drives, wireless keyboards, mice support
9. Cell Processor which is way better than any silicone processor
10. Sony name and reliability
11. Glossy, elegant cabinet
12. HDMI, Optical, and Ethernet support
13. Only console with bluetooth controllers
14. Bluetooth stereo functionality
15. Folding @ home for helping out the community
16. Free multiplayer
17. Linux compatibility
18. Wireless printing
19. Wireless media sharing
20. Media reader on select models

Those are 20 reasons why you should buy a PS3. It is a great multifunction unit that can do an array of things. I personally have linux setup on mine and will be loading SNES emulators on it with time.

DIY: Fixing your PC, Saving the Green

So your computer is on the fritz and you need it up and running as soon as possible eh?

Well, have I got news for you, fixing your computer is quite easy compared to some of the skills of other trades. For example, changing your alternator can be quite difficult and does require specialized tools. But fixing your computer just requires an open mind and some freeware.

I have listed the most common problems along with their respective fixes:

1. I have way too many ads and my computer is too slow: This is the most common problem that I see. Stores charge $49.99+ to solve this and it comes right back. First things first install a spyware removal program such as Adaware(www.lavasoft.com). Install it, update it, and scan. Reboot if necessary. After it has said that you are free of adaware, then defragment it(Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Disk Defragmenter). After that, Install Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer 7(FireFox.com or Microsoft.com). That will prevent future spyware from entering
2. I have a virus, what do I do???: In this case, I would verify that you do not have a program such as Norton since these are very processor intensive and they have been known to miss viruses. The best antivirus utilties are free and update themselves automatically. My personal favorite are Avast(www.Avast.com) and AVG(www.AVG.com). These are very powerful and best of all they keep the Green in your wallet!
3. My computer is old and I need a new one!: When I work on a computer that is too old, sometimes it is better to just upgrade. A great place to get a fast computer at a cheap price is the Dell Outlet(www.outlet.us.dell.com). I always love their "Scratch and Dent" models since they sell them at a significant discount. Be sure to add it to your cart and pay because they have a high PC turnover rate due to demand.

So there you have it. These are words straight from an IT Guy's mouth. Hopefully after reading this, you can take this advice and have a little more Green in your life.

Opening the Big Box

1. As I open the retail "big box", I will introduce you to the reasons why you should and should not shop there. As with anything in life, they do have their advantages however they also have their fair share of disadvantages.

Lets start with the reasons why you SHOULD shop retail:

• Retail stores are convenient
• Retail stores are ideal for an impulse buyer
• Retail stores are great for heavier items or items that have a high return potential.

However the con's outweigh the pro's. Reason being, Overhead! Online marketplaces such as Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and Zipzoomfly.com have much lower overhead since they do not have a storefront so they pass the savings on to you. Here are some reasons not to shop retail:

• Expect to pay 30%-50% more for the same exact item
• Expect to know what you want because reviews are hard to come by.
• Along with lack of knowledge on the plethora of products a retailer sells, now you have to deal with not even knowing if the price is worth it or not.
• You have to pay sales tax
• The varieties are limited

I am going to throw you a great example of why not to shop at your local electronics store. Lets take an HDMI cable. BB will sell you that HDMI cable for $59.99 however they have under $5.00 into it. I do not believe that this is fair however it is the price to pay for convenience. You can easily go to Amazon or eBay and get that same cable, even monster cable for under $10.00 shipped.

Long story short: Retail does have its advantages however I would only go if it was something that isn't discounted much anywhere such as Video Games and Ipod's. However it is also feasible to buy items retail if it is very heavy such as big screen TV's, UPS's, and other items that have high problems or that are very difficult to return.

The Green Wallet

Welcome and thank you for checking out my Blog. To be short and sweet, this is why I started this:

1. To show you how to not get ripped off by big time retail industries
   
2. To provide you with the knowledge that you can use to fix your own computer and not have to rely on anyone to fix it for you. Believe me, IT guys make great money doing the simplest of tasks.


3. To introduce some methods on how some of the renewable energy sources of tomorrow work and function


4. To tell you the reasons why a PS3 is the best gaming console


5. To demonstrate what manufacturer makes the best car and why