Thrifty and Thriving

Beginning next week, if you own a smartphone and want to switch before your contract is up, the penalty will be $350 — up from the $175 it used to be. In addition, consumers with Verizon smartphone contracts are complaining about erroneous data charges. Read more from the New York Times.

I’m definitely not a smartphone enthusiast. In fact, I barely remember at times to charge the cell phone I have, so I will need your help with this. Who has the best smartphone package for your money?

Sears is advertising now through July 25th an online-only electronics sale. This might be good if you need to make some big purchases. Save $50 on orders between $500 and $999, $100 on orders between $1000 and $1499, and $200 on orders of $1500 or more. Learn more about the sale.