DOH! Defined

The Urban dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com) defines DOH! (Homer Simpson’s favorite expletive) as “this word is used to express frustration, or when you realize you've just done something incredibly stupid.” Example: busily working on stripping wallpaper and hearing the sound of something plunking into the bucket of water. This sound is usually associated with throwing stones into a babbling brook, or tossing a toy into the pool, or skipping a stone across a rippling pond, peaceful, beautiful sound experiences. Never before has the “plunk” elicited such an emotional response as when my relatively new cell phone hit the center of the water filled bucket! DOH! Quick retrieval, thorough drying, short fervent prayers to the cell phone deity failed. Now for the incredibly stupid part – no insurance on the phone.

Lessons Learned:

When you evaluate if you need insurance on your cell phone, the answer is yes! In this case the $90 deductible and $6 per month would have been pure joy versus outrageous off the shelf price.

Look at the replacement cost of the phone to buy it outright, not as part of the contract renewal when you evaluate the cost of insurance.

Keep your cell phone, iPad, iPod, laptop, cameras, Kindles, Nooks, away from water!

Finally, should something unfortunate like this happen to you – Don’t look at your spouse and shout “This is something I’d expect YOU to do!” DOH!

Today's tip came from the State Bar of Michigan - PMRC Tip of the Week.