10 things you can do with your old phone

Car insurance is as important as the car itself
The other day, I was just checking the exchange value of a two year old HTC phone, perfectly functional, never went for a repair, all functionalities intact. To my surprise, Nokia offered me Rs. 1450 for that phone. I must say I checked online. So, there were nobody checked my phone and its condition, a random price popped up, yet as I was searching the deal on internet with the phone, AI ensured that the deal was for the same phone and model number I was checking for. I was impressed by the technology Nokia used to confirm my handset detail. However, disliked the fact that my careful handling of the device didn't fetch me a fair price. I took it upon myself to find out how well I can use this phone as a spare handset, and if it would be value for money deal for me. And here are my findings, many of the functions don't even need internet connection.

After re-checking the functionalities, I have noted down the things I will be able to do which will not only be beneficial, also will save me good money.

1. Calculator - In a daily mundane work, you need calculation every now and then. Be it calculating for grocery buying to checking the compounding effect of your long term investments. This function come handy all the time.

2. Digital Note book - if you have a habit of forgetting or you suddenly remember some important work, you just scribbled it down in the digital note. It may not be an exact function, you may use gmail, Microsoft word etc. as an option. The point is you have a handy digital note book. 

3. Calendar and Organiser - From an alarm to health tracker, it can do a lot for you. The phones are unanimously voted as the most important material object in one's life. With the functionality of the smart phones, its even more. If you have an android phone, google pull all the data from gmail and other apps make a note in your calendar, if you have not noticed that yet, check it out. Additionally you can put reminders for meetings, alarm to wake up etc. It works like your personal assistant without a visible reccurring cost.

4. Extra files and folders - for saving photographs, important scanned documents. After data, storage is next more important thing in life. The phones more than functionalities priced on the amount of space it provides. So, if you have a smart phone, it will come with some memory. So the memory itself is the value for money option for saving your important data files, photographs etc. 

5. Browser - A smart phone is equal to mini laptop/ work station. If your old phone doesn't have any technical issue, you can use it for your daily browsing needs. Research says, on an average millennial spends a significant waking hours in web surfing. So put your old phone to task, give some rest to your new phone.

6. Camera - Data, storage and camera are top priority while buying a phone. If your old blessed with twin camera, with over 5 - 8 mega pixel configuration, please dont sell your phone. It can be used for taking selfie and other photography.

7. Radio and musical device - are you a music buff? Most of the phone comes with an inbuilt radio. Just put o  the headphone, it will work like an antenna. Additionally if still have a spare sim, you can definitely diwnload the music app of your choice and listen to as many hours as you want.

8. Personal theater - with Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube need I say more that it is your personal theatre. You can also save movies in video formats and watch online. The best part is you dont have to fight for the remote, adjust with family members or roommates for keeping TV on for longer hours etc. Infact, many are opting phones over Television set for binge watching. 

You can also watch recreational and educational videos among others.

9. Shopping assistant - The days are gone when people used to plan for grocery and  home shopping for weekends. You just can keep bunch of apps on your phone like Grofers, BigBasket, FlipKart, Amazon, FreshMenu and Myntra. Then shopping out is just a choice or option not a neccesity.

10. Spare phone - Last but not the least. It is your fall back option if your phone faces some technical issue or lost etc. To sum it up an old phone still holds a lot of value, think before you opt to exchange it for a small money to buy a new phone.

There are many cool way of saving money, it need not be boring and stressful. Saving money is fun and makes one responsible. For the journey of Financial freedom, saving money is a first step. 

Did you know "Addiction" costs one half a million rupee in 10 years on an average!

You can cusomize your car insurance
Saving money is not attractive to many of us. For a few, it is old school. Being spend thrift and a shopoholic is a in-thing, it is a difficult challenge I am urging my millenial friends to try. Its cool to spend on recreation, food, travel and shopping etc. But if somebody maintains a minimum discipline in the way they manage their money. For starters, let us look at few things we consume can be expensive for our pocket

Cigarettes - A life-threatening addiction is quite common. A stick with an average cost of Rs. 15 per piece, 10 cigarette a day costs Rs. 150. A month supply costs about Rs. 4500. And year supply? A whopping Rs. 54,000. Without calculating interest loss or inflation on cigeratte prices, a 10 year supply would cost about Rs. 5,40,000, more than half a million rupee!

Alcohol - Another unhealthy habit, some term it as a social "thing" comes expensive on pocket. Even one is a weekend drinker, ends up spending 1000 per week per person, the hangover led laziness costs extra on ordering fast food. If one is a regular on it, even in moderation, costs nothing less than Rs. 4000 per month, makes it Rs. 48000 a year. 

So, now the point I am trying to make here is the reducing and ending these addiction and channelizing these addiction to something constructive. Let us look at 5 good things we can do with a sum of  money 48-54 thousand Rs.

Gold - with saving money, one can buy about 14 gm of Gold,  Rs. 32 Thousand for 10 gm, .

A trip to GOA for 2 - mind you a good one with return air tickets from Mumbai and 4/5 star accommodation for 4 days and sight seeing.

Buy LED TV / Furniture - often these products come within Rs. 50000. And many ends up taking a EMI option or Credit card deffered payment route. It costs a high interest rate. It can be easily paid by cash and ease burden by just maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping addiction away.

You can buy grocery for 4 with this moneey for 3 months, and the list can go on. The point here is putting money to a constructive use, may make your life happier.

Take up a challenge of Cigarette fasting for a month, every time you get the urge of smoking, put that Rs. 15 in a piggy bank, and lets see saving that money have what kind of effect on you.

Keep Saving. Have a good life

What a dollar can buy you in India? Wish I had Dollar shop!

Well Folks! 'Dollar' is the "New Gold", skyrocketing at 72-73, Dollar -rupee relation is strained at an all-time high, the imports are under watch, RBI is stressed, price of diesel and petrol giving the citizens nightmare. But, my post, as usual, will focus on the positive side of the story. India is witnessing a high remittance, means, the NRIs are sending money home! If we have an NRI relative or, for some reason you have accumulated some 'dollars' in your pocket, let us see the things you will be able to buy with a 'Dollar' in India. Just making lists under various heads which are part of our daily lives. 

I divided it in ten heads focused on the daily living habits - 

1. Reading

Amazon e-Books - You get host of them from different genres and different authors! you can get physical versions as well. Top best seller e-books - Bahubali - Rise of Shivgami, Chetan Bhagat's collection of 7 books, Speed Reading, all these come well below 1 dollar. Isn't that cool! you can read all  of them on your phone or a Kindle Reader. Saves space and keeps your books with you all-time! 

2. Hygiene -Hygiene is the most important part of our day to DAY living, we need to buy many things to keep ourselves neat and clean. Items like tooth brush, tooth paste, coconut hair oil, hand sanitizer. Detergents, Toilet cleaners all from renowned brands etc within a dollar. 

3. Groceries and snacks - The daily pantry supply we need at home can run into a big list.Cow/ Buffalo Milk come for less than a dollar, Dozen of eggs, raw veggies like - Potato, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato etc all come in a decent quantity. 

In the ready to eat segment, our ow Indian Bhelpuri, Maggi, Egg Roll, Pani Puri for 2, Veg Patties, Mc. Donald breakfast burgers, and lot many options.

4. Recreation and Entertainment - You can get a Ludo board game, Cards, UNO Set, Mini Chess boards from neighborhood stores within a dollar. You can also play online video games and watch premium Video content in a dollar.

5. Transport

Pubic Transport in India is affordable. You can take the luxury rides in a dollar here. Ola/Uber/AC Taxi ride - For about 4 kms you can ride within dollar. Ride in an AC Bus - Well in Mumbai You can travel a good distance within a dollar. Ride in AC Train - Churchgate to Mumbai central costs you less than that. Even, you zoom past between from Ghatkopar to Varsova (Mumbai, India) in AC Metro train in less than a dollar. Isn't that dearth cheap in one of the largest and expensive cities in the world!

6. Health and wellness - Health and wellness doesnt have to be expensive, Band-aid, Borolonene, basic OTC medicines and nutrient supplements, 

7. Beauty and grooming - Beauty and grooming - Amazon has lot to offer within dollar 1. from make-up blender sponge, glue for artificial eye-brows, Himalaya Kajal pencil and lot more

8. Jewellery and Accessories - If you are getting crazy with my post, let me tell you I have curated this list after browsing throw Amazon shopping, neighborhood shops, D-mart Supermart, Train hawkers. And feel proud to say that India has lot to offer you in 1 dollar.

In a mood for a long bike ride, get  this @Rs. 62 at Amzon India

You get many items in the handy accessories, Amazon really surprised me with the list it offered, I still feel its overpriced at Amazon, but, the point is - even Amazon have products below Dollar 1.  

9. Gardening and home decor

Are you a garden enthusiast? You can buy various seeds of your choice from Amazon store. You can also get fertilizers and sprinklers below dollar 1. 

Besides, you can buy a mini rose bouquet for a Dollar, you can buy some small show-piece from roadside hawkers. And You can try some DIY decor ideas within this budget and using some re-cycled items. 

10. Office stationary

Last but not the least. Hey! I am not boring, the office is almost my second home. Spending 9 productive hours of the day, Office desk/ Work station is important part of our life. So let me tell you the list of things I found we can buy for a dollar. Guess what, plenty of office stationary we can purchase in a dollar, in-fact we can buy many items together in a dollar. A Stapler, Parker Pen, A5 - 150 page note book, A box of pencil, a pair of scissors and the list goes on.