Swamped by errands? Consider foisting your chores onto a valet in India or Ireland. Concierge services based overseas do nearly all the tasks that can be done online or by phone, and it takes only a grand to buy an assistant's help for two or three months.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Invest in a Stellar Fund |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Buy Low-Price Stocks |
| Row 2 - Cell 0 | Save for College |
| Row 3 - Cell 0 | Defend Against Mother Nature |
| Row 4 - Cell 0 | Find a New Career |
| Row 5 - Cell 0 | Get a Tax Credit |
| Row 6 - Cell 0 | Make Money Doing Good |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | Travel to Hawaii |
| Row 8 - Cell 0 | Employ a Virtual Butler |
| Row 9 - Cell 0 | Savor Wines of the World |
| Row 10 - Cell 0 | Send Your Kids to Camp Cash |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | What Else $1,000 Can Do |
David Sowsy of Dracut, Mass., hired GetFriday, in Bangalore, India, to help him catch up on his to-do list last fall. GetFriday assigned Sowsy an assistant, who revised his reacute;sumeacute;, researched stock investments and comparison-shopped for wireless routers at online stores. Had Sowsy asked, the assistant would have bought the router using Sowsy's credit-card number. Overall, the cost for a month of requests was about $300.
Concierge firms charge from $560 to $1,000 for 80 hours of work, depending on the firm and the complexity of your tasks. GetFriday charges $15 an hour, plus $10 a month. Irish outfit Corporate Services Group provides similar services at $12 an hour, using Irish and Indian workers to handle requests.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Both firms offer volume discounts. If you subscribe to OnStar service for your car (www.onstar.com; $200 per year), an extra $600 a year can get you valet service to handle travel arrangements and doctor appointments.
-- Sean O'Neill
Beat the backup
GPS navigation systems are invaluable to male and map-phobic drivers, both of whom tend to wander off the beaten path. But how about a little help for the harried commuter caught in the daily Cone Zone? Enter the Garmin Nuuml;vi 350 ($857) and the Magellan RoadMate 3000T ($600). These GPS navigators can receive real-time traffic reports via FM radio.
By retrieving frequent traffic updates from subscription services, such as Clear Channel TMC and Navteq Traffic RDS (which cost $60 to $80 per year after a 15-month free trial), you'll be alerted to upcoming road snarls. And if you enter your destination, they'll check traffic reports and suggest alternate routes.
Each GPS device has a color touch screen that's easy to read in sunlight, comes preloaded with maps and includes a so-so MP3 player. The Nuuml;vi even announces street names.
-- Jeff Bertolucci
-
Small Businesses Are Racing to Use AIThe Kiplinger Letter Spurred on by competitive pressures, small businesses are racing to adopt AI. A recent snapshot shows the technology’s day-to-day uses.
-
The Me-First Rule of Retirement SpendingFollow the 'Me-First" rule and you won't have to worry about running out of money when the stock market goes south.
-
When Tech is Too MuchOur Kiplinger Retirement Report editor, David Crook, sounds off on the everyday annoyances of technology.
-
I Let AI Read Privacy Policies for Me. Here's What I LearnedA reporter uses AI to review privacy policies, in an effort to better protect herself from fraud and scams.
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
What Is AI? Artificial Intelligence 101Artificial intelligence has sparked huge excitement among investors and businesses, but what exactly does the term mean?
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to fund your retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2025 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnbreal estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute VacationTravel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
