SmartMoney recently put together a list of ten things not to buy in 2010. Most of the stuff in this list seems to make sense.
- DVDs : Netflix and Cable Video-On-Demand services are taking hold.
- Home Phone Service : Go cell-phone only. Consider Skype.
- External Hard Drives : Switch to online backup services.
- Unpopular Smartphones : Fewer developers are likely to create applications and other products that cater to those phones.
- Compact Digital Cameras : These cameras produce pictures that more accurately represent what’s in their viewfinders, but they cost a lot.
- Newspaper Subscriptions : Replaced by a growing online media presence – much of which is accessible for free
- CDs : Uh, hello. This is a no-brainer.
- New College Textbooks : Shop for used textbooks to save up to 90%.
- Gas Guzzling Cars : Gas prices are going back up.
- Energy-Inefficient Home Appliances : The government is offering a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 on energy-efficient home upgrades through Dec. 31, 2016
I agree with all of them except numbers 2 & 3.
Home Phone Service : For us, it’s still not cost effective to drop the land line. We use it too much, especially when Tina works from home. And, we’re getting such a good deal with BellSouth right now that it wouldn’t make sense to switch to a VoIP service which would, probably, end up costing more. So, we’re keeping the Home Phone Service for 2010, and probably beyond.
External Hard Drives : I don’t trust online back services. I mean, I trust them to back up with music and even my pictures, to an extent. But, images of old bank statements and tax returns? Please. Those need to stay in my control, not someone else’s.
What do you think?
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