Sears Supports Military Families

When I was a little fellow, there was no internet in our house, or any house as far as that goes. TV was black and white, no color. Our entertainment came from books, bible stories, comic books, and using our imagination while playing with friends. There was always the Christmas parade and the excitement that surrounded this part of the year both in church and school.

 There was one book that always came in the mail at this time of the year. When it arrived, I would quickly search through it for the toy section. There were colorful pictures of all types of toys. Everything from Lincoln Logs, to bicycles, to vibrating football games.

This book was the Sears catalog, which was also known as the "Wishbook". This was mainly because many wishes were made while viewing its pages. I always envisioned playing with the different toys, knowing that I would most likely not see any of them. However, the entertainment was the imagination that the pictures invoked. It seemed that Sears had many pages of toys available for our little minds to play with. 

 We bought a lot of things from Sears, it was the trusted store. If you bought it from Sears, it would work and last a long time. 

 As I got older and the world expanded, more electronic stores and super stores came about, I strayed away from Sears. In fact, I have not been in a Sears store in probably four years. Well, after tonight that will change.

 I just saw a story on NBC news that spoke about how Sears has always supported its veterans. We hear many stories of families enduring hardship while they have had to go off to serve their country. Some have come back to find they have lost their job and maybe even their home.

 Not at Sears. In fact according to the story, Sears actually pays the difference in what the employee would have been making while working at Sears, and what they are making while in the Service, while also maintaining their health insurance for their family. One fellow said he even got his bonus just as though he had been working for Sears. My friends, this illustrates that Sears seems to be a company that really cares about its employees and supports good values. Values seems to be something that seems to be in short supply in corporations and government this season.

That story about Sears really touched me. Sears has just regained a former customer. 

So I looked around and found that Sears gave out over 30,000 $100 gift cards to famlies through its "Heros at Home" program to support our military families. This is just a good corporation!

And let me go one step further to encourage you to shop at Sears! www.sears.com

Or even better drive over and walk around the store, pick up that last item you need for Christmas. The exercise will do us all some good. 

Here is the link to the story on NBC, you have to watch a 30 second commercial first, but the story is worth waiting for: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#28285258

PS: I did manage to get some of those toys from Sears. Thanks Mom and Dad!!

Shopping Frenzy

Well, in a few hours Black Friday begins and along with it the start of the Christmas shopping season. I saw at one Best Buy people were already in line when the 6 PM news came on and Best buy doesn't open until 5 AM! I hope they get what they came for.

Not me, I'm shopping from home this year. I spent the morning going through the ads and granted, I didn't look so much at the ladies items, but tended to look more at the electronics. There are some good buys to be had on large screen TV's (if you are already in line), but other than that, I didn't see a lot to get excited about.

However, in the world of the internet, things can change quickly. Plus, there are other savings to consider, your gas, and in most cases taxes. 

So here are a few links for you to go straight to the deals pages of some sites, and maybe, just maybe they might give you some gift ideas, help you finish some of your shopping early, and save you a bit of that hard earned cash!

Walmart Specials

Amazon Black Friday deals

Spa Gift Certificates

Buy.Com

Perfume - Use code CJD2008 to save 10% off your entire order

Dell Computer Black Friday Deals! 

Online Exclusives - Find the Perfect Cruise

Magazines make great gifts. I love the Handyman subscription and PC World magazines. And my PC World magazine subscription will run out this year (hint, hint).

Beauty Products $10 off $60!

Save up to 60% at Overstock.com!

Black Friday is Almost Here

Well, it is Thanksgiving Eve, the pies are baking, the turkey will soon be prepped, and we will be sound asleep with drumsticks dancing in our heads! For the vegan's, that might be carrots dancing in your head, LOL!!.

The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, because that is the day that most retailers hope to go into the black (become profitable). All kinds of specials are out there, if, you are willing to be up at the wee hours of the morning, and stand in line.

A few years ago, I thought this would be fun. There were a couple of items at the local electronics store that we were interested in, so we thought we would give it a try. We knew the store opened at 6 AM, so I thought that if we got there about 4:30, we would be first or close to first.

I learned a couple of things from that experience. First of all, when we arrived, we were probably about #200 or more in line. Second, people had been there since midnight. Third, for the really big specials (you know those that say a minimum of 6 per store), they gave coupons to the first ones through that wanted those items. So if you wanted one of those, you probably had to have been there at midnight.

Luckily, we did not need those items, and were able to get what we wanted plus a couple of things we did not plan on. Since that time, we have only ventured out once, but we didn't get up quite so early.

This year some of the stores are going to open at midnight. I must admit, I can stay up until midnight much easier than getting up at 4 AM (I think). However, this year, I am going to telecommute with my shopping. I'm going to attend Amazon's Black Friday sale that starts at 3 AM on Friday morning. But I don't think that I will be at the PC at 3 AM. I'll probably be moaning about the amount of turkey I ate. If you want to join me, here is the link: Amazon's Black Friday Sale.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you counted your blessings, and had a successful Black Friday shopping experience.

Kitchen Fires Happen Most Often on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year. Friends, family, food, great conversation and lots of catching up to do.

I just read an interesting article that said that more kitchen fires happen on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Things happen. Your guests are arriving, someone spills something, the doorbell rings, the phone rings, the dog needs to be let out. Anything can happen to take you away from the kitchen.

There are several products available to help you extinguish a kitchen fire, the Kitchen Fire Blanket is one. It can be thrown over the top of a blazing pot or pan, however, if the fire has spread beyond the pot or pan, you will need a kitchen fire extinguisher.  We keep one of these in our pantry, just in case.

If the fire has spread to the cabinets, obviously you need to call 911. Don't endanger yourself or the lives of others over "stuff". "Stuff" can be replaced, your friends and family cannot.

Here is the link to the article that had some tips in them. This Old House. 

Have a blessed, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Rebate Processor files for Bankruptcy

While shopping for someone one the web, I just ran across the following important information. If you are doing your shopping and plan on getting a rebate, or have recently filed for a rebate, or have just gotten a rebate check, here is something you need to know about. 

Continental Promotion Group (CPG) has filed for bankruptcy and this could potentially result in not only you not getting your rebate, but if you deposit a rebate check from them, you may get hit with a fee from your bank if the check is returned for insufficient funds.

To determine if you are affected you may be able to tell if you look at the address where you mailed your rebate form. If it is: 

P.O. Box 52900 (or P.O. Box 52911)

Phoenix, AZ 85072-2900

Or if you see a website for checking your rebate status is www.rebatestatus.com, you may be affected.

Some notable stores that may have sold products with rebates being processed by this company, along with additional details, may be found at the following link: Rebate Bankruptcy.

So while shopping for great deals that include rebates, remain aware and 

Happy Shopping!!!!

Let me help you with Christmas Shopping

OK, Christmas is just around the corner. Black Friday (big crazy shopping day for crazy bargain hunters) is less than two weeks away.

So I have a deal for you. I'm not working, and spend most of my time on the computer anyway, so why not let me help you find a bargain for what you are shopping for. (The secret way to get this information to me is at the bottom of this blog).

Here is the deal. Send me your list, be as specific as you can, and I will start hunting for you and send you the deals that I find. Don't worry, after Christmas shopping, I won't bug you, unless you ask me for help with birthdays, anniversary, special days like Valentines day.

This won't cost you anything or obligate you to purchase anything. Now everything I find for you will probably be something to be ordered online. So, if you have a phobia about ordering online, this probably is not for you.

Here are my qualifications: I love to hunt for bargains and try to get the best deal possible. It is just like trying to solve a puzzle to me. Two years ago, when we had bought a big screen TV, I wanted to get a new home theater system to go with it. I found the one I wanted at Best Buy, but it was $500+. I found the same system on Amazon for $325.00. Same exact model, free shipping and no taxes. Within 30 days Amazon put that model on sale for $249. Guess what, I got in touch with Amazon and got a refund for the difference. Now that was a bargain!!!

Further, I monitor ads from Best Buy, Circuit City, Frys, and many special places on the internet that provide deals that include Walmart, Target, Macy's, Toys R Us, and even places that stock perfume (that I use frequently, well I don't use perfume, but I do buy it for my wife), etc.

Even better for all of us, this year, companies are running scared and will be offering bargains like never before. So this is your chance to get some free help from a computer geek, that might be of value to you.

I can find gifts for kids, wives, husbands, children, teens, or yourself (don't forget to treat yourself).

Send your list to me. Be as specific as you can, or you can just say I want to know the hot toys for boys (or men), and I will see if I can help you out.

I have set up a special email account just for this purpose. You will not be spammed, once I have done what I can for you, I won't keep even your email address, nor share it with anyone. This new email address that I have set up just for this service to you may be a bit goofy, but by posting it here, I may get spammed, so I ask you to do the following. I am typing it in a special way that hopefully it won't be picked up.

The email address you should use to send me your list is similar to abc@gmail.com. However, in order to make this work, substitute "YourHotSale" for the characters "abc".

So the email address will be YourHotSale followed by the @ sign, then gmail.com, all in the usual format for an email address. And yes, this is my email address, it does not belong to anyone else.

If you don't understand this, or don't feel comfortable, then just send an email to my personal email address (which means that you must be a friend, or you would not know my email address).

Is this a great deal or what!!!!

Start Planning Now for Christmas

Can you believe that it is the third week of October? How many of you have started your Christmas shopping? With the economy down, it may be a bit more difficult to part with hard earned cash.

However, don't jump into using credit cards to provide gifts that you can't afford. First you need to make a list of those you plan to buy for. Next, begin thinking of ideas of what you might buy for them. If you need a list or a few ideas of places to start, go over to my new website, www.YourHotSale.com. It is still in the early stages, but if you click on the Gift Ideas button near the top, you will get some ideas and suggestions for him, her, Mom, Dad, Teens and pre-Teens.

My intention with this new website is to provide the best deals that I can find on the web each day. Thus helping you through the Christmas season, then as my website expands, for additional gift giving days (birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.) or just shopping in general. So check it out.

Now, due to the economy being so far down in the dumps, you can expect early sales before Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving), as well as after Thanksgiving.

So, here are the tips for you.

1. Make out your list of names
2. List potential Gift Ideas
3. Estimate how much each will cost and plan your budget
4. Begin searching for deals online now and make notes about prices
5. When you find the price you are willing to pay, buy it, don't wait, popular items may sell out especially if it is a good price. You won't be the only one hunting for a bargain.

If you follow these tips, you will be a frugal, smart shopper, and will avoid the post Christmas surprises when the credit card bills come in.

And don't forget to check out my new website, www.YourHotSale.com. Oh I almost forgot to tell you, I also have some Travel Journals that I have posted to share with you. These are from our personal trips to Hawaii and Italy. I plan to add others including trips to Ireland, London, France, Prague, Switzerland, Munich, Greece and others from the Carribean. I am adding slowly to them but typing is slow. Any volunteers? LOL!!

Happy Shopping!!!

Finding a gas station with gas

For those of you in Nashville, Atlanta, North Carolina, here are my tips for finding gas stations with gas.

As I have written before, I use AtlantaGasPrices.com. This site also has sister sites such as http://www.nashvillegasprices.com or http://www.northcarolinagasprices.com. If you scroll down and look on the left side, you will see a heading 'Search For Gas Prices'. In this section, you can search for gas in specific communities within that site. Or just below that section, you can select a different state.

By default the site searches for gas reported in the last 24 - 48 hours. Which is too late in many cases. So I locate the dropdown with the 'Price in the Last xx hours', and select 4 hours. This is located in the 'Search For Gas Prices' section on the left hand side. Selecting 4 hours gives me the best chance to find gas.

If your morning commute is passing through several communities on your way to work, you can scroll through the list of areas and hold down your control key (CTRL) and click on those communities where it is convenient for you to get gas. Then click go and you get your list. Print it out and take it with you, in case your first choice has run out by the time you get there.

You may also find it best to do this really early in the morning, (about 5 AM) to try to get to the station before the lines are too long, or they run out of gas.

Happy Gas Hunting and may the lines be short!!!!!

Run Your Car on HHO???

Recently someone asked me if I had heard about cars running on HHO. I had no idea of what HHO might be, so they explained. This is supposed to be an inexpensive system where your car burns water along with gasoline and when added to your car improves your gas mileage by 40% or so. Now I'm thinking HHO sounds suspiciously like H2O. So I began Googling HHO.

This is all about running your car on Hydrogen and gas mixture to improve efficiency.

I saw one video from WYFF in Greenville, SC of someone who is supposed to be the Chief of Police of a small town Honea Path, SC. He was saying that it had improved the gas mileage by 6 to 8 miles per gallon on their vehicles!!

I saw another from a TV station in Miami that supposedly tried it on their truck and it went from 9 miles per gallon to 24 miles per gallon!!!

This is kind of how it works. You have a container with water inside your engine compartment that has wires running to is. The wires carry electricity from the battery (thru the switch, so it won't run your battery down). The wires, one positive and one negative, create "charged water" Also coming out of this container is a hose that supplies the resulting gas to your carburetor and manifold. I assume what is coming out is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gas. The claim is that your engine does not presently burn all of the gasoline, but by adding this gas, you burn all of it and gain more efficiency.

I saw where these kits range from $49 to $200 to install them yourself, or up to $1200 if you have a mechanic install it for you. You can either google to read some of this, or probably click on some of the ads on the right and you will get to see some of the videos and information I am talking about.

All of this brings up questions in my mind. If this is so good, why haven't we heard about this from the various environmentalist groups, or Congress, or especially GM, Ford, and Chrysler? Will it damage your car, causing your engine to rust inside, damage the catalytic converter, will the water freeze in the winter OR is this a scam to take your hard earned $ away from you?

So I pose this question to each of you, have you tried this and can say it improves gas mileage and can you say how much the improvement was? Or do you know someone that has tried this?

Some of the advertisements for this fix remind me of a used car salesman or the ginzu knife deal on late night TV. But there are some interesting things being reported by some TV stations, but the end result is they seem to go hmmm, then never say whether they absolutely believe it or not.

At this time of high gas prices, we definitely need solutions, but at the same time we need the media, the Federal Trade Commission, and others to protect us from a potential scam, or let us know that it really works.

What are your thoughts or experiences with this?

Have a wonderful day!!

Be Responsible With Your Credit Card Use

While reading some other blogs on credit card use, I wanted to agree with many of the comments that I read. Some said don't use credit cards, they are evil. While I won't go that far, you do need to be fiscally responsible. Others related stories of people in serious credit card debt.

Let me be clear about the use of credit cards. If you cannot pay off the balance in full each month, do not attempt to get credit cards that provide you a discount. The finance charges alone will eat up any savings you might get.

I would suggest that if you find you cannot pay the credit card in full each and every month, you need to cut that card up. Get rid of it. Start trying to pay off those balances with a vengeance.

20% or more interest a month is highway robbery. If someone said they were cutting your pay by 20%, you would be really upset. This is the same thing, they are just pulling the money out of your pocket in a different manner.

If you pay off your credit card bills each month, good for you!! You probably don't need to read the rest of this. However, if you do not pay off your credit card bills each month, you absolutely need to read this.

Let's talk about the checks that come with your credit card statement. Shred them. Don't even be tempted to use one. I was looking at some that I got today, and they advertise 0% interest (for 5 months), for the first check, and 3.99% interest for an additional check, all in big bold type. In the fine type is where they put all of the gotcha's. There is an immediate transaction fee of 3% when you use any one of the checks.

They use such advertising slogans as "Save by transferring balances from higher APR accounts", "Write a check to yourself", "Go on a well deserved vacation", ....

So let's say you are going to Florida for vacation, and need $2,000 for the hotel, gas and meals. But you don't have the money. Is it a good idea to use one of these checks. You write the check, immediately the credit card company assess you 3%, or $60. You and your family enjoy yourself, then come back. The bill shows up, you don't have $2060, so you pay $50, with the intention of paying off the card before the 5 months are up.

The 5th month rolls around, and you don't have the $1860 to pay the bill, because you didn't set aside money to pay it off. Now they start hitting you with interest. You continue to pay the $50 a month. Guess when the balance is paid off? Assuming 20% interest rate, it is 5 years later!!! And that is also assuming you don't get the silly urge to do the same thing again next year! Plus, during that time you paid in $1,047 in interest. That vacation cost you right at $3,050.

NO, NO, NO. These are not good ideas, nor are they financially responsible. If you need to borrow money (which I don't recommend), go to your local credit union for a loan. If they won't give you one at a decent rate, then most likely they are trying to tell you something.

Even though I have written about discounts on air travel and hotels, vacations are no excuse to borrow money. If you cannot afford a vacation, then plan a "staycation", where you search on the internet for fun things to do near your home.

Go to some public park and have a picnic. Or find a nearby lake. Sit back, relax, and you will be rewarded by avoiding that $2,060 or much worse bill at the end of the month.

Use your money wisely, don't give it to the credit card companies.

How we are saving more than 10% a month on gas for the car

OK, I have to confess. I don’t have an economical car. I drive a Ford Explorer, which is paid for, and I don’t really want to plunk down more money for a car, while this one is still in good running condition. Although, with gas prices being what they are, it is becoming more and more tempting. And no, that is not my Explorer in the picture. Wonder how many miles they get to a bale of hay?

Before gas got so high, I was a bit of an aggressive driver. I drove too fast, and took off too quick at red lights.

My Explorer does have a nice feature on it that will show me the Miles Per Gallon. I can reset it at anytime and it starts over immediately telling me how my gas mileage is. So I tried out several driving habits each time resetting the electronic gizmo to see what I would learn.

Action	Miles Per Gallon
Accelerating quickly from a stop	5
Accelerating moderately from Stop	12
Accelerating while going uphill	12
Holding my speed going uphill	18
Accelerating going down hill	22
Not accelerating going down hill	28 – 35 depending how steep the hill
Driving at 75 MPH	19
Driving at 65 MPH	21
Driving at 60 MPH	22
Using Cruise at 60 MPH	21.5
Idling at the ATM or Fast-Food Drive thru	0
Turning off engine at ATM or Fast-Food drive thru	---not burning gas, save it for later

So these are the things that I learned.

1) Accelerating quickly anytime is not good, unless you are trying to get out of the way of a train. Using a more calm method of starting is much better.

2) Riding your brakes going down hill hurts your efficiency, unless you are speeding or about to rear end someone.

3) Driving along about 60 seemed to give me the best over all gas mileage. If you have a lead foot, try the cruise control if you have it.

4) Ever been in a slow drive thru? You know the person in front seems to have ordered food for all 18 of their relatives. If you have to wait more than a minute, turn off the engine (put it in park). When you are not moving, your MPG is 0. But with the engine off, you have that gas to use after you leave the drive thru.

Out of all of these, the biggest lesson to learn is when you accelerate like you are trying to win the Indy 500, you are not spending your gas wisely. For me, gaining 2 miles per gallon is like getting 10% off at the pump. Since we spend about $400 a month on gas, for us, that comes out to about $40 a month.

Granted, this was not a scientific study, but I can tell the difference when and how often I fill up.

Other lessons we have learned, is to group our trips. Instead of going out multiple times to the grocery store, or the post office, we try to combine a trip with any other errands that we have to do. For us, saving 2 trips a week, will save us 2 gallons of gas. That’s 104 gallons a year, or about $400 a year. However, I don't keep count of these and didn't include them in the $40 in the title of this blog.

The next tip is to use the websites like AtlantaGasPrices.com, or GeorgiaGasPrices.com. You can enter them in the Google search window at the bottom of this blog and find the site easily. Once there, then scroll down and look for “Tell a Friend” on the left hand side. Just above that, you can select your state or metro area for gas prices in your area.

Here is how I use this. When I am getting low on gas, and know that I am going to have to run an errand, I check this website to see who has the cheapest gas near my route. I don’t drive 5 miles out of my way to get gas. I might drive 1 if it is a really good deal and cost effective for me.

This website depends on drivers like you and me to report gas prices. The prices are usually retained on the website for about 36 hours. Also, if you live in a large metro area, it is interesting to see that some areas always seem to have less expensive gas, while others seem to always have the highest prices. Some times one right around the corner will have much cheaper gas, but if you didn't drive by, or know about this website, you would never know.

Using this technique alone usually saves me $.10 to $.20 per gallon. I have it book marked so it only takes me a minute. Also, I have no allegiance to any gas brand, neither does my car. On top of that I use a credit card that will give me either 3% or 5% back on my gas purchase. On the Chase BP card that I have, we let it build up and for a recent trip, I requested the $125 check and got it in two weeks and we used it to help buy gas for our long trip. See my blog “How We Saved Gas Money on our Vacation.”

Let me know if you have any favorite tips that will save gas dollars, just post your comment below.

There is some information at this site, Save Gas Articles, so check it out.

Happy Motoring!!

Discounts on Travel - Part 2 - Hotels

Finding the right hotel for your vacation or business travel can be tricky. Many times we want all of the features for the best price we can get.

Here is a tip from my "Lessons Learned". Don't call the 800 number if you have specific requests such as a beach front room. Look up their local number and call the hotel direct to see if they can meet your specific request. We had an experience where we called the 800 number, was promised a beach front room, but they didn't have any available when we checked in. Better to call direct and note the name of the person you spoke with.

Now for hotel bargains. There are many websites such as hotel.com and others that can give you room rates for about any hotel in any location. And that is a good place to start. Usually you can choose what amenities you want, price range, and even see some photos of the hotel. Also, tripadvisor.com will give you the opinions of others about particular hotels. I suggest you read those as well before you book.

Both AARP (if you are over 50) or AAA (if you are a member), can get you discounts at a hotel. When calling for a reservation, ask them " What is your best rate?" After they have given you this quote, you then ask about AARP or AAA rates to see if you can save a little be more. If you are a member of the Military or work for the government, those rates are usually even better.

If you travel a lot, such as on business, you should join the membership of the hotels you tend to stay. Marriott has a good program, as does Hilton, Holiday Inn, Best Western, etc. If you don't belong, ask them for a form to sign up. Unlike airline frequent flyer miles, hotel miles seem to work much better. The rewards are not as good as they used to be, but still they are worth it and can add up over time. You can use their points for free nights, or room upgrades.

You can also search the internet with the name of the hotel and the words "promotion" or "discount". Sometimes you will find they have a summer special that does not show up else where. Try this in the black Google Search box at the bottom of this blog, just above the video. The search results will at the bottom of the blog. For example try this one in the search box(include the quotes):

discount "Legacy By The Sea" Panama City Beach, Fl


Now if you don't have children and there are only one or two of you traveling, then PriceLine is one to try. Priceline will quote you a price, but you can bid on hotel rooms and get them even lower. You have to remember this is an auction, and once you bid, if it is accepted you have bought the room.

There are some drawbacks with PriceLine. They only work with hotels. All rooms are only for 1 or two people. The drawback is you don't choose the hotel, you choose the area, and the * ranking. So always ask for a 4 or 5 star hotel to be assured of a nice one.

If you want to try PriceLine, I strongly suggest that you go to Bidding For Travel first.

Bidding For Travel will let you see how much other people have gotten rooms for at various hotels. However, they have a technique that you need to follow, and are most helpful getting you started. But you must follow the rules in order to be successful.

I just looked on Bidding for Travel and saw where one bidder got a room at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City for $150. Or the Hyatt Regency in Boston for $100. For these hotels, those are great prices.

Similarly, Hotwire allows you to purchase rooms. But they show the prices, you don't bid. However you still don't know the name of the hotel until you agree to accept it. However, this site does use maps and shows smaller neighborhoods, so you can get right in the location you wish.

If you are not into bidding and taking your chances, then try Kayak. This site searches a ton of sites looking for your hotel room, including the hotel's own website, for any internet specials they may have.

For any of the sites, simply type the name listed below in the black Google Search box below just above the video. The search results will appear underneath that black box.

Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Bidding For Travel, PriceLine, Hotwire, Kayak

Where ever you go, may you have a pleasant stay and get a great deal!!

Discounts on Travel - Part 1 - Air Travel

Ahhh!! Vacation, travel, time to get away. Exploring new places, enjoying time with your loved ones. Disney for the kids or grandkids; New York for shopping and Broadway shows; Washington DC for learning about our history; Colorado for skiing; Florida for some beach time. Do these stir memories for you, or inspire some wistful thinking?

I don't know about you, but we love to travel. Better yet, we love to travel when we can get a bargain.

There are usually two types of travelers. I call them the prince/princesses and the wolves. Those who want everything handled for them are the prince/princesses. Wolves are those who search and hunt for the best prices with the skill and passion of a wolf hunting for his next meal.

There is nothing wrong with being either type. And at times we all have a need to be treated like a prince or princess. For these moments, my advice is short and simple. Have a good trust worthy travel agent. One who has been places, and can not only get you a fair price for your travel, but at the same time can tell you things to do there that you absolutely do not want to miss. One who knows not only destinations, but passport rules, visa rules, latest baggage charges, etc. Also, if you have problems, the agent is willing to go to bat for you to get the situation rectified. To me, that is the real value of a good travel agent. My wife is a very good travel agent and does all of these things for her clients.

Now for the wolves, here are your tips. I can hear your lips smacking now.

There are a multitude of websites offering the best prices on air travel, hotels, cruises, and packages (includes air, hotel, transfers or rental cars). You also see advertisements in newspapers. You want to make sure that when you compare prices, you compare apples to apples. Most advertisements show only the base price. They don't include the taxes, passenger facility charges, fuel surcharges, baggage charges, etc. These fees can add 20% - 30% to the cost of your ticket. So be careful when you compare prices, and don't get lured in with the appearance of a low price in an ad, these are usually starting prices and without the fees.

If you truly just want to go somewhere, anywhere, and want the best deal you can get, then you have to be very flexible. Mainly, you see who has airfare sales going on, choose a place, then figure out what you will do when you get there. This is spur of the moment travel and can provide you with many travel experiences. However, it does require you to do your research on your chosen destination. Otherwise, you may come back with the opinion "That was just another boring, dirty, major city". You might miss that museum, or nearby national park, nice restaurant, or wonderful store with great bargains. So do your homework. www.tripadvisor.com is a great place to search for information opinions posted by fellow travelers.

Speaking of spur of the moment bargains, Clark Howard is a local radio celebrity (WSB 750) here in Atlanta. His show is syndicated and may be on one of your local stations or on the internet. On Friday afternoons at 3:00 PM, his show is spent entirely on travel bargains, great deals. We have made many spur of the moment purchases of airfare based on information on his show, then figured out what we would do when we got there. A friend of mine once got a $188 round trip airfare to Hawaii that he heard about on Clark's show!!! Now that is a bargain and a whale of a discount!!!

However, if you have specific plans involving particular dates, then you need to begin checking airfares early and check them often to understand what the price ranges are. You monitor the prices, or have websites monitor the prices for you and notify you by email when the price drops. Just remember that these prices won't reflect all of the additional fees, just expect the final price to be about 20% or so higher.

When buying airfare, it is always a guessing game, and you are not always sure when to pull the trigger and make the purchase. Next week the airfare could go lower, but it could also go higher. If for example, you are planning a trip to London in early spring, and you see airfares are currently running $1000 each, then you know it is a good deal if you see airfare for $300. Beware, some destinations have seasonal variances. Europe is usually cheaper in the winter than in the summer. Las Vegas is higher on the weekends than on weekdays.

For the best prices on airfares, I use a couple of sources. I check Travelocity.com just to see what the price range is going to be. I like this site, because I can choose a flight, then I can see which days have seats available. I will take it up to the point of booking, then cancel out. I do this so I can see which days that bargain airfares are available, and what it will actually cost me. Also, if you have favorite cities to go to, you can set up an alert to send you an email if the price fells below a certain $ amount.

There are some downsides to using Travelocity. We used them once, and had to make a change to a ticket. Travelocity made the change, but charged us more than if we had booked it through the airline. Plus we had to go to the airport to get the new ticket. Plus, I spent about 40 minutes on the phone with them, it was a hassle. Now I just use them for information.

For domestic travel, another site is www.kayak.com. This site will check 140 different sites for you, including internet only specials. It searches places that Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbis do not pull from. Best of all this site is free, and you can click to make your purchase directly from the airline or agency.

For international travel, a good site to use is www.mobissimo.com, which is similar to Kayak.

There are also sites such as Hotwire and PriceLine, however, I have only used them for hotel purchases and have not tried them out for airfare purchases. More about these two sites in my next blog on hotel discounts.

For my last tip, the best airfares are usually midweek, not on weekends. Everyone wants to travel on Friday and come home on Sunday to get a long weekend. However, they are competing with business travelers who want to get home of Fridays, and need to leave for work on Sundays. Tuesdays seems to be the best day to get the cheapest airfare. Around holidays, you need to book early. Although, you may find some bargains on the morning of the holiday such as the actual day of Thanksgiving or Christmas. However, most airfares are going to be at a peak at these times.

Beware of spring break, especially if you are going near a beach. Discount seats sell out early. So plan ahead, don't wait until the week or even the month before.

I hope you have found this helpful. Let me know what you think about what I have posted above, or share your suggestions. We all learn from each other.

My next blog will be about finding really good deals at hotels.

Also, if you enjoy this blog, feel free to share the link with your friends and family. Here is the link for you to copy and paste into your email: mrterrycreditcardhelp.blogspot.com

May you find the deal of the day and have a wonderful vacation!!

Mr Terry

Buying Books at a Discount

Do you enjoy reading? It can be for pleasure, learning, research, or just something that catches your eye.

Do you buy your books at the local bookstore and pay the full retail price? That's good to support the local merchants, but there are times that I like to keep some of that money in my pocket. Well, let's say not just sometime, but for me that is all the time...

As for local book stores, I enjoy going to Barnes and Noble or Borders. They have everything under the sun and I wish I had the knowledge packed in all of those books.

If you frequent Barnes and Noble, you probably know that you can buy a membership card for $25 which gives you 40% off their best sellers, 20% off other hardcover books and 10% off most everything else. Now combine that with a coupon and you can save some money on books.

Where do I get coupons? If you take their membership, they will send you coupons from time to time. Sometimes for an additional 15% or 20% off one item. Another source is to google "Barnes and Noble Coupon Code". I have used codes from CouponAlbum.com when I am ordering online. You enter the coupon code near the end of finishing your order for an additional discount. If one code doesn't work, try another from their list.

Let's use an example and do some shopping. The number one book on the NY Times Fiction bestseller list is Nora Robert's "Tribute". List price is $26.95, not including taxes. If I were to order this book at the list price, it would be about $28.57 including taxes.

On Abebooks.com, it is $19.04 including shipping. On Barnes and Noble it is about $23.98 including shipping and taxes for members, or $25.36 for non-members including shipping and taxes. Shipping is about $3.99 to my house, and taxes are 6%, your situation may be different. I find a coupon for 15% off and apply it and my book total is now $18.79 for a member or $20.98 for a non member. So Barnes and Noble is the best deal if you are a member, or Abebooks.com is the best one if you are not. Not a great deal, but better than paying full price plus taxes!

There is one more place that I would like to mention for used books and new as well. The website used.addall.com searches many book dealer sites including Abebooks.com. Many times I see a book that I am interested in which is selling for the full retail price and I find it on this site at more than 50% off. For example, I saw a technical book that I was interested in and it was $26.95 plus tax. But using used.addall.com, I found a used copy for $10 which included shipping. I didn't mind that someone else had read it, or made notes in it. I might find them helpful.

I was pleased with my purchase!

For text books, there are many sources. Such as ecampus.com, campusbooks.com, half.ebay.com and many others. Just google "used textbooks", and you will get a whole list.

In fact, if you would like me to help you find the best price on a book, post a comment and I'll see what I can do. If I get a lot of suggestions, I will pick a few and go through the techniques that I used to find the lowest price.

Plus, do you have favorite sites for books that you visit? Or do you have certain bookstores that you enjoy visiting? Let us know, we would love to hear from you.

Happy Book Hunting!!!

Buying a new car

My wife absolutely hates going to car dealers. She feels like they assume you are an idiot that will pay the sticker price, and every discount you try to bargain for, is like trying to move a mountain.

The ones that I totally avoid are the "no hassle", "pay the price you see" dealerships. These are dealerships that count on the large group of people that feel negotiating is too intimidating or trying to get a bargain is below their dignity.

Well, I am for getting a bargain, and I have my own no hassle method of getting the best deal.

Here is the approach that I used on my last purchase of a new vehicle. First I determined how much I was able to spend for a new car. Second, I made sure that I had either cash or a reasonable pre-approved loan from my local credit union (low interest, not too many years).

Then I began checking on the internet to see which cars would fit within my budget. Kellys Blue Book is a good place to do this. You can check out both new and used car prices. You can see invoice prices, any incentives/rebates available, EPA Milage estimates, technical specs, etc. And you can get a price quote, but I have never tried that feature. Also, Consumer Reports magazine is a good source to find ratings on cars.

If you want to just look at some cars and not be bothered, go on Sunday mornings when they typically are not open, and wander around the lot. Or tell the sales person you are just looking. Next you will need to visit some dealers to test drive the cars you are interested in. Then you need to narrow your choice down to one car, know what options you want, color, etc.

Now you are ready to bargain. Choose three to five dealers in your area, and include any you may have scouted and took a test drive. Call each dealer's sales department and ask for two things. The Manager's name and their fax number.

Then you type up a letter saying that you are going to purchase a new car within the next three business days. You are interested in the 2009 Mustang V6 Premium Convertible, Black exterior, red interior, with AM/FM Stereo w/CDx6, 8 Speakers & MP3, Touch Screen DVD Based Navigation System, etc....In other words, you have to know exactly what you want and which options and list everything you want.

You tell them you would like their very best offer, showing drive out price including all taxes, registration, add ons, destination charges and rebates. You also tell them you are submitting this proposal to four other dealers and they must provide their very best price, because this will be their only chance to sell you a car. They must show the Vehicle Identification Number, the options on that car (for verification), and the drive out price. They are to reply by fax (give them your fax number) and it must be signed.

If you don't receive their fax offer by Noon on August 1st (use your own date), then you will assume they are not participating. Further, the one with the lowest price will win your business. You will let them know by 3 PM who is the winner.

So when you get to the dealership, take your fax and ask to test drive the car to make sure it is OK and it is exactly as described, drives good, and is new.

Dealers are hurting right now and are looking for business. So as long as it is not a popular model, you might be in for a steal of a deal!!!

Happy Bargain Hunting!!!!

Discounts, discounts, and more discounts!!

Ah discounts!!! They always put a smile on my face, if they are for something that I knew that I would use anyway.

There are multiple sources of discounts. For groceries, I previously wrote about “Couponing for Groceries”. One source I didn’t mention was the Valu Paks and other coupons sent via snail mail. Just flip through them when you receive them. Sometimes there are nice surprises. They also usually have restaurant discount coupons, they are a good thing. Save those as well. I put them in a baggy and carry in the car's console or glove box, so when you stop to eat out or plan to eat out, you check to see if you have a coupon for some of your favorite places. There are some restaurant coupons that maybe only you would use with a girlfriend(s), keep those in your handbag or car, not the family car. Then when you are out or with a friend you have some discount options for dining.

We have a favorite pancake house that we visit for breakfast and they frequently put coupons in those Valu Paks. They are usually buy one breakfast and get the lesser meal for a $1. It usually saves us about 30% to 40% on our breakfast meal.

If you are 50 or more find out what the rules are at your favorite store(s) for Senior citizen discounts. Usually there is a certain age requirement and the discounts are on a specific day of the week. Then you can use your coupons, store card and senior discount at checkout. It adds up! Speaking of discount cards, sign up for them if they are free. I have found them at some grocery and drug stores. I keep them in a small zip lock bag in my glove compartment. So they are always handy.

Don't forget to shop store brands. Many people mistakenly think that store brands are not as good as the name brands you buy, are seconds, or there is something wrong with them. This is not true. If you take your brand product and compare its label to the label on the store brand, nine times out of ten, the ingredients will be identical. Also, most of the time you will find that whoever makes your brand also makes the store brand. It is just different labeling for a much less price. What a deal!

When browsing the Sunday paper look at the ads for Drug stores and discount stores. They may not have coupons, but for either a specific number of days or for the upcoming week they may have items on sale cheaper than can be purchased at your regular grocery store. Plus you can use any coupons you have for the product(s). Here again, sometimes these discounted prices are only good if you have one of their discount cards.

Big box shopping store's like Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Warehouse are good if you have a large family and will use 24-36 of an item within the time you will go shopping again or if you have the space to store them. Otherwise, not a great deal. You can buy in bulk many staple items at your regular grocery store or Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. Paper towels, toilet tissue, cleaning supplies, detergent (laundry and dish) soap, napkins, Kleenex, etc. do not go bad. If you have a laundry room, large pantry or storage area buying these items in bulk with a coupon or at a sale can save a bunch! So stock up when you have the opportunity.

Always check your receipts from your purchases when you get home. Some stores now offer a survey you can do online or via phone that takes from 1 - 5 minutes. For participating you are entered to win a Shopping spree at the store, what do you have to lose?! Or at the bottom of the receipt may be a coupon good for your next purchase. If you shop there regularly, that's a deal!

If you are surfing the web late at night or early in the morning Google some of your favorite stores with the words promotion or coupons or discounts. I have found promotion codes good for free shipping and even 30% off. You will be surprised to see what you will find. Not all offer discounts or coupons, but many will have them out there just for the looking and the printing!

Also, check Ebay. Sometimes there are coupons that can be purchased for a minimal fee of .99 cents and that includes shipping sometimes. If you don't look you don't know!

What are some of your tips for finding discounts, or favorite websites for finding discounts? You will be my hero if you can tell me about some new websites or ideas.

Don't forget to Shop 'n Save!!!

Couponing for groceries

People say they don't have the time to clip coupons. Oh contraire! If you don't subscribe to the Sunday paper, pick one up at the quick stop or grocery store. Pull the coupon books out. Set them next to your seat while watching your favorite TV program, or set them at the table while you eat your breakfast. It only takes a few minutes. You don't need scissors; you can fold those dotted lines and tear them out just as fast and neatly. Only select those items that you usually buy. Don't take the coupon just because it is a coupon.

When browsing the Sunday paper, take time to thumb through the ads for drug stores and discount stores. They may not have coupons, but for either a specific number of days or for the upcoming week they may have items on sale cheaper than can be purchased at your regular grocery store. For instance we found a 39 oz. container of the coffee that we use which was $2 less than it sells for at the discount stores. Plus the store was on the way, so there was no extra driving.

Check your store's ads, many offer double coupon days. That means whatever the value on the coupon it is doubled when you purchase the item on that day. Usually up to $1.00 face value of coupon.

When you are on the web go out to your favorite store's websites, many times you can sign up to receive additional or special coupons on line via your email. And don't forget if your store has a discount card to attach to your key ring and/or carry in your wallet sign up for it. Many of their specials are only good if you have their discount card to be swiped at the register, and they are free!

There are several websites out there that offer additional coupons and you can make them specific to your zip code. Couponmom.com is one of many. Sign up and get their emails weekly, select the coupons you want and print. Just search for the word Coupons to find other sites.

Now that you have all of these coupons, how are you going to keep up with them? Go to a Dollar Tree or Wal-Mart and pick up a coupon organizer. A $1 is all it costs. It is made of heavy duty plastic coated paper with labeled pockets. If the labels are not exactly how you would classify your shopping items, white them out or use a blank mailing label to cover it up and write in your own label. This is something light enough and small enough to carry in your handbag so it is will you every time you shop! If you do not want it in your bag put in your car console or glove box, or somewhere that would be easy to get to and accessible when you shop.

One last tip, when shopping, you should always use a list! This keeps you from forgetting those things you absolutely need and keeps you on track while shopping. We keep a magnetic list pad on the refrigerator, when we run out of an item or are down to the last of the item, I add it to the list. This keeps you from having to reconstruct what you need or have used during a week, 2 weeks or month, however often you shop.

What are some of your tips on shopping for groceries? Do you have some websites you could share?

My next blog will be talking about finding discounts.

Happy Couponing!!!!

Free Audio Books for your MP3 Player

I enjoy books and there are many that I have not read. I first discovered audio books when a friend told me that you could go to Cracker Barrel restaurants and "rent" audio books on CD for a week. I think they cost you about$3 or $5, much cheaper than buying one. Of course what they do is charge the full amount to your credit card, then when you return it, you get a credit back that for that amount less the weeks' rental amount.

That really worked out great for long road trips, because we usually found a Cracker Barrel restaurant somewhere along the way where we could drop off that one and pick up another one.

The next place I found was my local library also not only carried audio books, but they also subscribed to an audio book library, where you could have online access from your home PC, download the book to your MP3 and listen to it for free. This library had a good source of fiction, language tapes, etc. All are DRM protected and the license expires after 3 weeks. But when you finished you could check the book back in and get another one.

The cool part about MP3 books are that I listen when I am exercising, or working around the house outside, or inside. However, when exercising, I still like good music with a good beat to keep me moving.

Now my latest source is a site called Librivox. This site offers audio books that are in the public domain. Books such as "Sense and Sensibility", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "David Copperfield".

In addition, there are old radio programs such as "Dragnet", "The Shadow", "An Evening with Groucho Marx" and many others. I even found one that was World War II news broadcasts. Imagine stepping back in time to see what entertainment was before TV and the Internet.

I'm not going to tell everything that is out there, it is too big of a site. So you need to go take a peek and look around to see if there are things that you might be interested in.

Then download them to your MP3 or IPod, and enjoy.

If you have other MP3 or Audio book favorite websites, let us know!!!

Happy Listening!!!

How we saved gas money on our vacation

For a recent vacation, we recently took a trip to Chicateague Island, Virginia. So the first thing I did was to use MapQuest to determine the route. Then I opened up www.atlantagasprices.com and chose the feature of mapping gas prices. Then I zoomed out until I could see the whole southeast. Once you get out past a certain point, the map is color coded to show you where gas prices are the highest and lowest.

So I selected areas that looked like they were at least 100 - 200 miles apart, and I knew that I could probably use a stop to stretch my legs anyway.

I determined that gas prices were lowest in Spartanburg, SC, then Thomasville, NC, then a suburb of Norfolk. While the cheapest gas in my local area was $3.97 for regular, in Spartanburg it was $3.72 right off I-85, in Thomasville, it was $3.82 and in Norfolk it was $3.82. In most of these locations, the prices were $.10 a gallon higher at stations just one exit away!

So I got the address of each station, added it as a stop to Mapquest and had my travel plan all printed out. I added the stops to my Garmin GPS, but that is another story for another time.

It turns out that two of the stations I chose were BP stations, so I earned a 5% additional discount on the gas I purchased. All, in all, I saved just over $55 on gas expenses. Not too shabby.

Ok, here are a set of websites that will help you save gas money even on a daily basis. I use www.AtlantaGasPrices.com every time I know that I need to buy gas. This website shows me the lowest gas prices that members have reported over the last 36 hours in my area.

I can even narrow it down to a suburb of Atlanta. I can choose a type of station such as BP, Kroger, RaceTrac, Exxon, etc.

I don't drive out of my way to save a few pennies, but if I am going to work, running some errands, or just going to be out and I know I am going to need gas, I check this website.

Here are some others:
www.newyorkstategasprices.com
www.californiagasprices.com

Go to any of the above mentioned websites, and you can scroll down and look on the left hand side of the webpage where it says "Metro Areas OR States/Provinces", and click on the drop down arrow, select your state or metro area, then click on the go button just to the right and bam, you are there!!


I hope this helps you out during this high gas price time.

Let me know if any of this works for you, or if you have any other suggestions on gas prices.

One other website I just found has a contest going on for a $25 gas card. Just subscribe to their blog. Here is the link. Gas Card Giveaway.

Happy bargain hunting!!!

Credit Cards That I use

Personal credit card choices certainly depend on the individual's credit card habits. For instance, I don't care about what interest rate my credit cards choose because I pay off my credit cards each month. None of the credit cards that I use charge an annual fee either.

If I could not pay off my credit cards each month, then I would certainly be looking for the low interest credit cards.

My credit cards consist of three Chase credit cards. They happen to all be from Chase, because Chase bought up the companies that originally issued my cards.

I have a Chase PerfectRewards credit card. This card pays 3% discount on gasoline, and 1% on all other purchases. Right now when you first sign up you get 6% discount on gasoline for the first 90 days. Now here is the catch, you don't immediately get the credit, it shows up on your bill and will apply to your next months credit card balance.

So, for example, if I charge $500 in gas in May, I get a credit of $15 that will apply to my bill next month. So if in June, I also charge $500, I will then benefit from the $15 credit, so I will pay $485 for my May charges. Plus I have earned another $15 credit based on my $500 purchase during June. Using this as an example, it represents $180 savings over the period of one year.

However, the key is to pay off the full balance each month, otherwise the finance charges will eat away at your savings.

The other two cards I have are Chase BP, and Chase Marriott. The Chase BP offers 5% discount on gas at BP stations and 1% at other stations or other charges. However, I only buy gas at the BP stations when their price is within a few cents of another station.

The Marriott card provides reward points of 1 point for each $1 spent. These add up over time and can give you discounts or free rooms at Marriotts. These are good if you do a lot of business travel, especially if you stay at Marriott Hotels and are a member of their Marriott Rewards program.

So the bottom line is, credit cards can be used to gain small discounts that will add up over time. However, you have to be very careful. You do not want to get to the point of spending more than you could pay for with cash. Make sure you read my post on the lessons I learned about credit cards.

I do this by keeping a 3x5 note card in my glove compartment. I have a budget amount for gas and I write that at the top. When I buy gas, or other purchases, I note the amount and subtract it from my budgeted amount, and that way I know how much I have left to spend. This technique can apply to all of your credit card purchases. Just put down your budget amount on the index card and subtract each of your purchases as you are shopping.

Here is another tip to find the cheapest gas in your area. Just search on Google for gas prices and include the name of your state. For example, there are sites named www.SouthCarolinaGasPrices.com and www.VirginiaGasPrices.com. These also help you out with your budget for gas prices. More about that in a later post.

Have a great day!

Life Lessons With Credit Cards

I got my first credit card in 1967. I was a freshman in college and had never used a credit card before. I barely had enough money to pay for my first quarter, but that was OK with the bank.

That simple act started my frequent and sometimes abusive use of credit cards for the next 30 years. Only last year did I realize that I was not managing my credit cards. But the credit cards were like the little devil on my shoulder saying, "Oh go ahead and get it, it's not real money." So I felt good until the day the bill arrived.

Through my 20's, I used my credit cards anytime I "needed" anything. I built up what was then considered a large amount of debt and was living from paycheck to paycheck.

In the mid 80's, I was about 35 and went to see my first financial adviser. He told us that we needed to reduce our debt and start saving for retirement, and our son's college.

We sold the house, moved into an apartment and used what we had made to pay off all of our debt and begin saving. We used our credit cards, but now at least we paid them off when they came in.

Better, but not ideal. I still had this little devil on my shoulder that would tell me to buy what I "needed". Even if the price were a bit more than I really wanted to pay, or I might buy the next one up in price with a few more features. All on impulse, and on the advice of my little devil on my shoulder. So even though we were paying the cards off, we still had lessons to learn.

We continued in this same mode of operation, until late 2007, when we took Dave Ramsey's course. Dave does not believe in credit cards. He says there is a reason the banks have all those nice big beautiful buildings, it is because they are building it with mine and your money.

Dave's class is something that I wish they had taught me in college. His class teaches the real life lessons about more than just credit cards, he teaches you about proper use of your money, all the way from getting out of debt to being able to give generously.

His class was so good, we gave it to our 35 year old son and his wife as part of their Christmas present.

He has good books and advice and is carried on quite a few radio stations. To learn more about his program, go to his website, www.daveramsey.com. I highly recommend his Financial Peace University course, you can usually find where it is being taught locally and it is not expensive. It will be one of the best investments you will ever make.

Have a wonderful day!!!