Online Fax Service: MyFax.com, eFax.com and more

Cost Coach on online fax services.

There are a number of online fax services you can use for your home or business. I have used eFax for years.

Typical features of an online fax service:
You have your own unique fax number
Access your faxes from anywhere online
You receive faxes by email
You can send faxes by email
Your fax number can be a local or toll-free number
24/7 customer support

eFax used to have a free and a paid option. Now they have eFax Plus and eFax Pro which run $16.95 and $19.95 respectively.

Gawd, I can hear you moaning and complaining about those monthly costs. Read a little further and you will find a FREE ONLINE FAX SERVICE and learn why even paying for a fax service is a deal.

Here is a little secret, you don't have to pay for a phone line, and you don't have to buy a fax machine. When you factor that in, it becomes pretty reasonable, ESPECIALLY if you are a business, as business lines cost a lot more than an extra residential line. Wait, there is more, you also eliminate all the associated fax expenses such as fax paper, ink cartridges and too many people reading your private fax at the fax machine before you pick it up.

And another cost saving secret: in some cases you can transfer your existing fax number to an online fax service and save those high recurring telephone fees that you currently receive from your telephone company.

I still have the free version, although that is not offered any more. Cost Coachette uses the eFax pro version as she receives a lot of faxes from those are still living in the 90's and haven't learned either HTML yet, or even how to attach a document. Most of her faxes come from attorneys, you think they would be experts at document management - go figure...

Here is info on the eFax online fax service:

eFax is an online Internet fax service that uses email to send and receive faxes from anywhere.
The need for a fax machine is eliminated.

You have your own private fax number that's forwards the fax to your email and send and receive faxes as email attachments.

Here is how eFax works: Sign up for eFax, you’ll select either a local or toll-free fax number.

Someone faxes you, you receive the fax in your email inbox as a file attachment.

To send a fax, you can either attach a file a scanned hard copy to an email. Then type the recipient's fax number and hit send.

You can save a fax just like you would any email attachment and you’ll always have access to them.

eFax also gives you access to your faxes online by logging in at http://www.efax.com/ for up to two years with eFax Plus or eFax Pro.




There is also MyFax, which like Efax, has a free and paid account. Here are the FAQ's for the online fax service.

Too use MyFax you just need Internet access, an email account, and a MyFax account. That means you don't need a fax machine, and you don't even have to install any fax software.

To send an online fax from your email, just type the recipient's fax number and attach your document to fax. You can also log into MyFax and use their control panel to do so.

The good news is that you don't even need to have your computer on to receive a fax. It just goes to your email provider and waits until you review your inbox.

To receive a MyFax, just look in your email inbox. eFax is the same way - faxes come via email.

You can send up to eight documents in one fax as attachments.

You can set up a fax distribution system to send online faxes to up to 5 designated email accounts.

If you already have a current fax number, you can keep that. Just call-forward your existing fax number. In some cases, you can actually transfer your fax number to MyFax and let them do the work.

MyFax does not require a long-term contract and does not have a minimum registration period.

Look Down For Savings -- In Grocery And Liquor Stores

Cost Coachette

While it's enjoyable and satisfying to look up at the moon, stars, trees, and clouds, when shopping for food and spirits, the opposite is true.

Look at the Lower Shelves for Upper-Level Savings!

Typically, grocery and liquor stores have the best-priced and/or generic products on their lower to lowest shelves. This is true about 95% of the time. Why? Because most people will only examine the products on the shelving that is mid to upper eye-level. They won't take the time, or make the effort to bend down, squat or otherwise examine the treasures that lie down below. It's inconvenient, awkward, and for some, uncomfortable. Especially if you have tired, cranky children along. But that's where the best priced products are --along with the satisfaction of saving money.

Marketing departments are well aware of this, which is why their product placement is strategic. In much the same way that candy and other child-coveted products are placed on shelves easily reached by kids, more expensive food and wine products are located on the mid to upper shelving, (easier to see, easier to reach, not awkward, etc.). Less expensive and/or generic brands are placed on the bottom of the shelf. Stores are in the market (pun intended) to make money. They want consumers to purchase name brands and otherwise more expensive merchandise.

Try It For Yourself!

The next time you visit your grocery or liquor store, make a visual sweep of what lies on the mid to upper eye-level shelves versus the lower ones. If these establishments are at all like the ones I frequent, you will find everything from tomato sauce to chardonnay on the lower shelves priced significantly less than those on the mid to upper eye-level shelves.

So make a childless journey to your local food or wine outlet and see for yourself what savings lie in wait on the bottom shelves. Knee pads are, of course, optional.

Contact

Click here to send email to Cost Coach.

Stretch Your Food Dollars - Make This Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Cost Coachette

It never ceases to amaze me when I observe people in a grocery store buying expensive, fancy spaghetti and marinara sauces. Have you checked the prices lately? Oy Vey, as my dear departed grandmother would have said. May God rest her beautiful soul.

Easy, Delicious, Quick Spaghetti Sauce

Seriously, this is it:

1) Depending upon how much you want to make (and freeze) buy two large cans of diced tomatoes. I buy them at my nearest "dollar store". Pour them, juice and all, into a pot.

2) Saute diced celery and onion (one bunch each) in olive oil. Add some garlic and sliced mushrooms , if you like them. [The Coach happens to intensely dislike garlic and mushrooms, so I omit these ... when I'm cooking for him, which is almost always]. So I substitute some sliced red, yellow and/or green peppers. [He likes these]. Add to pot.

3) If you want some meat in the dish, saute it first, then add to pot. Add, in no particular order, some fresh or dried rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, sugar (one tablespoon), salt and pepper. A couple of bay leaves are also nice. Ooops -- a cup of burgundy or other (inexpensive!) red wine really deepens the taste.

4) Bring to almost a boil and then simmer for, well, forever, if you like! The flavors will meld, the aroma will grace your kitchen and make you a veritable hero with your friends and family.

5) If you need to thicken the sauce, add some tomato paste (also purchased from a dollar store -- 3 cans for 99 cents!). Someone I know swears that adding a tablespoon or so of cream cheese was his grandmother's closely guarded super secret. Alas, poor Yorik, you couldn't prove it by me. (Sorry, Steve).

Freeze, Freeze, Freeze!

Serve over pasta (also purchased from a dollar store -- whole wheat is best) and freeze whatever you don't use. Pull it out later for another lunch or dinner.

Huge Savings

If you multiply the cost of these fancy sauces -- some are $5 - $7 for only a a 12 ounce jar, over the amount you use in a year's time, it really, really adds up. Whereas, you can make the same 64+ ounce sauce in 25 minutes time (I've timed it many times) for less then half the price. And you can freeze it for up to 6 months if you use decent freezer bags.

Huge Appeal

Looks great, smells great, tastes great, family thinks you're Mr., Ms. or Mrs. Emeril, you apply for an executive chef's job at the nearest restaurant, you get the job, you make big bucks -- it's all good!

Bon appetit!

Save Money Using Shampoo, I Repeat, Save Money Using Shampoo

Cost Coachette on repeating the rinse and repeat cycle, I repeat, Cost Coachette on repeating the rinse and repeat cycle.

We all shampoo our hair, right? At least every Saturday night (like in the olden days) or, more likely, every couple of days or so. When is the last time you read the directions on a bottle of shampoo? You never have? Well, now's your chance!

Don't Shampoo Twice

Virtually every type of shampoo I've ever purchased in my lifetime has had the same directions:

1) Shampoo and rinse;

2) Rinse and repeat, umm that means shampoo a second time and rinse. Please don't lose count, you don' want to over rinse and repeat...

Are they serious?

Unless you are a mud wrestler, sewer engineer, coal miner, or perhaps a composter, there is never a need to shampoo twice! Then why, you posit, do the directions say that?

More Shampoo Used is More Shampoo Sold

Because the manufacturers want you to use more so that you need to purchase again more quickly! Seriously, Einstein, never shampoo more than once. (Unless you've tried a mayonnaise mask on your hair, which I do not recommend, having tried it exactly once, and in that case, you may have to shampoo literally for days or months -- as I did). After that, my hair was somewhat shinier, though. Much drier, but somewhat shinier.

So shop for the best shampoo for your type of hair, at the best possible price -- dollar stores are great for this -- and only shampoo once!

Please note that this advice is for human beings, not dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs and other lovable critters.

Need Your Credit Report? - Here's Where It's Truly Free!

Cost Coachette

If you're ready to inquire about the status of your credit, it's important to take a look at your credit report and credit score. Here's how to do it ... for free! That's right, no money need exit your pocket!

Three Credit Reporting Agencies

The "Big Three" credit reporting agencies are (in no particular order) Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. You may have seen several television commercials over the past several years, where various companies tout a means of obtaining your credit reports from the Big 3 "for free". The problem is that their definition of "free" is certainly NOT mine.

The "Catch"

Here's the thing: with many of these outfits, I mean, ah, organizations, you also have to enroll in some sort of credit monitoring system that costs money. The imperative is on YOU to opt out of their system and they don't give you much time in which to do so. Some of their set-ups, I mean, ah, systems cost a minimum of $15.00 per month. For some inattentive persons who fail to opt out in time, that money adds up quickly! I'd rather have that $15/month in my pocket than in someone else's. Especially when I can obtain the same information for nada. (That's Spanish for nothing).

Here's a Credit Report That's Really Free!

Gotta love the federal government once in awhile, right? [Perhaps that's a discussion for another time]. Under the Free Credit Reporting Act, all you need do is request a copy of your credit report once a year from each of the Big 3. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. You can receive a credit report every four months (once for each of the Big 3) and monitor your credit every year.

So, now that you know, there's NO EXCUSE for you to be unfamiliar with your credit score. It's important -- so now go out and really get it for free!

Working Out With NetFlix: Low Cost Gym Alternative

Cost Coach on using Netflix as a low cost gym alternative to health clubs.

The Wall Street Journal had an article on how people are signing up for the lowest cost plan at the video rental giant Netflix in order to receive unlimited download streaming workout videos. Under the lowest cost video rental plan, it is as cheap as $8.99/month.

An added advantage is that the viewer can mix up the workouts between aerobics, yoga, Pilates and more to have a varied training session. More importantly, the Netflix subscribers get to workout on their schedule - whether it is 5 a.m. or midnight.

Users say spending $30 - $100/month on a health club gym membership just doesn't make sense anymore, when you can get it for $8.99/month.

There can be a hidden cost to this NetFlix streaming video option and that is having the electronic equipment to view the workout videos. It will stream to your computer and if you have a TIVO you can stream directly to your TV.

Of course, if you go outside, talk a walk, a jog or a run, well, umm, that is free.