BillShrink.com Gives Economic Advice to Baseball Fans : Baseball Reflections

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BillShrink.com Gives Economic Advice to Baseball Fans

Bill Jordan | Apr 25, 2009 | Comments 5

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Many fans out there are probably wondering how they are possibly going to be able to make it out to the normal amount of games this year with the current economic situation. If this is the case, then these fans might want to visit BillShrink.com because they claim to have the answers to this problem.

Peter Pham, a member of BillShrink and a money-saving expert, can help readers some how come up with a surprise budget just for baseball. Pham claims that this budget could reach up to $1,500 simply by trimming some costs in fans’ lives that already need to be cut. According to Pham, Americans overspend by an average of more than $1,500 simply because they are not shopping around for the lowest prices.

Some of BillShrin’s money saving tips are mentioned below and they are conveniently divided up into specific categories so fans can cut where they see the most potential.

More of these tips can be found at www.billshrink.com/blog/save-money-at-a-baseball-game.

Top credit card savings tips

1. Avoid paying only the minimum when the bill comes. If you go this route, you’ll end up paying 2-3 times the amount (or more) for the purchases in question.

2. Take advantage of 0% interest balance transfer offers to combat higher interest cards, but be savvy about it. Avoid offers with high transfer fees that have no maximum limit

3. Combating credit card debt? Always pay the highest interest rate card first. Every dollar you put toward a high interest rate credit card debt will be a major help in the long run.

4. Even if you’re the type to pay off a credit card every month – to create a good credit score, paying on time isn’t all you need to worry about. You have to keep old cards active to show your creditworthiness overtime while making sure you don’t charge to your limit each month either.

5. If you get those cards for 15% off at point of purchase and think not activating the card means it won’t count – you’re wrong. Failing to dial in for activation won’t keep it from showing up in your credit score.

Top Gas Savings Tips

In addition to using BillShrink to scout the best gas prices along your regular commute, here are some tips to stretch the gas in your tank:

Take it easy. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas, so slow down.
Cruise Control. When the engine keeps at a consistent speed, it is more efficient in its fuel usage.
Lighten Up. Take everything out of the car that you don’t need so your engine doesn’t have to work as hard.
Keep up with regular maintenance. Simple things such as changing the engine air filter on a needed basis can improve gas mileage as much by 10%.

Top cell phone savings tips

1. If you use over 700 minutes per month on your cell phone, consider canceling your landline so you can use the savings to get a more “unlimited” minutes plan for your cell phone.

2. Got trusted friends? Add them to your family plan account and split the cost. They wouldn’t necessarily have to be living in the same household too.

3. Never pay for the hardware. The latest free phones are feature packed enough.

While all of these tips do not seem to have the same merit as others, they are interesting to consider. Obviously deciding to purchase beer at a ballpark could more than double the cost of a night out depending on how many you and your friends decide to down.

Some teams are altering their options to provide a more affordable atmosphere due to the current economic conditions, but one has to wonder how MLB is going to keep up their increasing attendance rates with this economy.

Bill Jordan is a contributor to BaseballReflections.com. He can be reached by e-mail at BillJordaniv@yahoo.com.