This afternoon my wife and I did a little Christmas shopping at the local Target.  We picked up some coloring books and a Blue’s Clues dvd for my son, some pajamas for the girls, and a few other odds and ends.

Shopping trips like this tend to be a little stressful because my wife’s shopping style could not be more different than my own.

I absolutely hate shopping (outside of Amazon that is).  I can’t stand the crowds, the lines, or the traffic.  My idea of shopping is to run into the store, grab what you need, and get the hell out as fast as possible.  On more than one shopping trip, I’ve been told that I looked as if I was waiting to go to the electric chair.

My wife on the other hand seems to savor the shopping experience.  She likes to take her time and walk up and down each aisle just in case there’s something there that she needs.  So while I’m trying to rush to a specific section of the store to grab the handful of items on our list, she’s barely in the door and just beginning to browse.

In the end we compromise as much as possible.  I try to keep my “electric chair expressions” to a minimum and she tries to speed things along so I don’t go too crazy.  It’s not a perfect solution, but it does keep agitation to a minimum.

Obviously it could be a lot worse.  Although my wife enjoys shopping, she never goes overboard and spends more than we can afford.  I think it’s more the experience she enjoys as opposed to the act of swiping her credit card.

Do you and your spouse have different shopping styles?  How do you deal with it?

The Internet has changed the way consumers research and buy services of both local and national companies. New markets have opened for online business and fostered growth in commerce and information technology. This has also given consumers the added benefit of learning cost saving tactics. You can save on pretty much anything… from CD’s, to investments, or even great deals for insurance quotes online, by comparative shopping over many websites. Cell phone providers have taken notice of the changing market, and have coupled the average consumer’s use of the Internet with advancing phone technology.

Less and less people uses landlines now, and cell phone plans can be expensive, especially if you want a smart phone or other specialized technology. Here are three money saving tips for finding the best cell phone plans.

Consolidate Your Services

If you already have a cell phone plan, check your usage of the Internet, applications, text, and minutes. This will give you a better idea where you can save and where you may need to spend more in a plan. If you have unlimited texting and data plans that you’re not using, consider cutting back on the services to more basic packages. It may be tempting to plan for to increased usage, but it’s better to need to increase the plan in the future then to pay for more than needed. Pairing down your phone plan can save you a small fortune.

Negotiate Your Contract

At the end of your plan, consider your other options before just automatically renewing. If you don’t like your current plan, tell your provider. You’ll find they’re more open to negotiating your contract if they think you may drop their services. To encourage customers to resign, they often offer attractive discounts on new phones, but don’t be distracted by this. Chances are you can get a better deal by focusing on the parts of the plan you dislike, even if that means trying another provider.

Shop Around

Don’t stay with one provider out of loyalty. This is a word of the past in today’s business. The cell phone companies are only interested in their bottom line. If you’re unhappy with your current provider, shop around for comparable rate plans. If you’re still under contract, change your plan to the lowest possible cost and search for another provider while you wait out your current plan.

Carefully evaluate your plans and usage. Figure out the minutes, texting, and data you actually need. There are many companies out there who offer comparable services, which means you don’t have to settle for high plan rates that break your monthly budget.

My car has been paid off for a few years now and my wife’s minivan has only 2 payments left, so I’m really looking forward to having no more car payments (and I plan on keeping it that way as long as possible!)

But if you’re in the market for a new car you might be happy to learn that now is a pretty good time to do so.  Interest rates have are still low so as long as your credit is in decent shape you should be able to get a loan under pretty favorable terms.  Of course, if you can pay cash for your next car that’s even better, but I understand not everyone can afford to do that.

Unfortunately, if your credit is less than stellar, you might have trouble securing competitive rates.  But it pays to shop around and look for the best possible deal.  Try your local bank and credit union before you even set foot in the dealership.  If you can secure financing before you actually go shopping for the new car you can take that element out of the equation when negotiating with the dealership.  Of course, they might be willing to give you a better financing deal anyway, but it is good to have a backup plan in place so you can negotiate from a position of strength.

Some more car buying tips…

You should research the cars you are considering online at sites like Cars.com and ConsumerReports.org before you go to the dealer.  Make sure you know exactly which model and which accessories you want and how much you’re willing to pay for them.

And don’t forget about car insurance.  You need to factor in insurance costs too because it will usually cost a lot more to insure a new car than your old one.  Many people don’t take this into account when buying a new car and are surprised at how much more they have to cough each month.

Wondering if the Costco Membership Fee is Worth the Cost?

This morning I was standing in the cafeteria waiting for my pancakes to cook when two rather cranky women walked by complaining about the weather, their husbands, their jobs, and just about everything else you could imagine.

After a minute or two the conversation turned to Costco.   One woman mentioned she had to run to Costco at lunch and the other verbally attacked her and claimed the Costco membership fee is a scam and only idiots shop there.

As I walked to the cash register with my pancakes in hand, I realized two things.

First, life is too short to walk around being as miserable as these two women.

Second, I have an idea for a new blog post!

Let’s look at some of the common complaints people have about Costco and then I’ll offer my take…

1. The standard Costco membership fee is $50 a year, double that if you want to be an Executive member.
2. Not a lot of employees on the floor.  Good luck finding help if you need it.
3. Lines can be long and scary.
4. Prices are not always better than the supermarket.
5. If you’re not careful you can overspend.
6. Buying in bulk doesn’t help you save money if you end up throwing half away.

Now my take…

1. Yea, I wish I didn’t have to pay the Costco membership fee but when I add up my annual savings I still come out ahead.  Plus, if you use a Costco American Express credit card, you can earn cash back rewards.
2. True.  Employees can be hard to find but that’s one way they keep prices down.  I don’t like being bugged while I’m shopping so this one doesn’t bother me.
3. Yes if you go shopping on a Saturday afternoon you’re screwed and the lines will be ridiculously long.  But I avoid all that madness by either going as soon as they open on the weekend and beating everyone else to the registers, or by stopping in directly after work and again beating the crowds.
4. It all comes down to the per unit price.  Bring a calculator to verify if you are really getting the best deal possible.
5. You can overspend anywhere.
6. Don’t buy in bulk unless you are sure you will use it all.  If you’re not, go in with a roommate or neighbor so you each pay half price and then split the product up when you get home.

I guess I’m a bit biased because I’ve been a happy Costco customer for about 9 years now.  There are certain items where Costco can’t be beat (paper plates and cups for parties, Premio sausage links, grated cheese, Christmas cards, Costco eyeglasses) and that includes some high-priced items.  When I was shopping for a TV last year I compared prices and the Vizio HDTV we ended up with was $100 cheaper at Costco than anywhere else.  That savings pays for 2 whole years of Costco membership fees!

Perhaps the reason I like Costco so much is that it fits my shopping style.  I don’t want to spend hours walking up and down every aisle and I don’t want to be bugged every 12 seconds by someone asking if I need help.  I just want to get in, grab what I need, and get the hell out as fast as possible.

But what’s your opinion?  Are you a Costco member?  Do you think the Costco Membership fee is worth it?

Yahoo Finance had an interesting article that listed 7 things items that are worth waiting until after the holidays to purchase.

Here’s the list…

1. Champagne and Fine Wine (I wonder if that includes Manischewitz wine)
2. Baking Ingredients
3. Electronics
4. Winter Clothes
5. Refurbished Goods
6. Holiday Cards, Wrapping Paper, etc.
7. Calendars

The idea is that these items will all go on sale right after Christmas so if you can hold out a little bit you might just be able to walk away with a heck of a deal.  Can’t argue with that logic!

Prices on any holiday themed items will definitely be slashed dramatically but it won’t last long.  You’d better act fast or you’ll be left out in the cold.

I always used to wait until after New Year’s to pick up my new Far Side calendar and I would usually get it for 75% off or more.

What other items can you get better deals on by waiting until after the holidays?

The other day I was logged into my Amazon account to request a return for an item that had arrived damaged.  It was the first time I ever had to return anything to Amazon which is a testament to their service.

Anyway, while I was browsing to the specific order number to request the return I realized I could go back in time and view my entire order history.  Here’s a few things I found interesting:

My first Amazon order was placed way back on August 23, 2000.  I had purchased a software package with a bunch of games for my PC.  I remember most of the games were a disappointment (Beast Wars) but Worms 2 was really fun!

The total amount I’ve spent on Amazon is $2703.59!  Damn!  They must love me.

I’ve placed a total of 63 orders.

The average order size was $42.91.

The smallest order was $16.97 for a cd collection I bought for my girlfriend (now wife).

The largest order was $229.99 for a digital camera.

I buy a lot of books through Amazon, and some hard to find dvds and cds.  I find it cheaper to order from amazon with free shipping than to go to the mall or Barnes and Noble and pay full price.  Plus some items you can get gently used for a huge discount.

A lot of my orders are in November and December…I dread going anywhere near a store during holiday season.

A few of the orders were for things I could have lived without or disappointed me.  But most of them were for books or other items that I really enjoyed or learned from.

How closely do you pay attention to the cashier at your local supermarket? Do you check your receipt to make sure you’re not being overcharged?

Sunday evening I ran to Shoprite to pick up a couple of things. While I was trying to explain to my daughter that no she can’t have the giant, overpriced Blue’s Clues balloon I was overcharged for 2 bags of cheesy popcorn.

They were supposed to be on sale for 2 for $3, which would be $1.50 each. But when I got home I scanned the receipt and they had rung up at the full price of $2.99 a bag. Because I was distracted with my daughter I was overcharged $2.98.

Now…what to do?

My wife said I should go back and complain and get my money back. But is it really worth it? Let’s let some basic math decide for us.

The Shoprite I went to is about 6 miles from my house. My wife’s minivan gets about 18 miles per gallon in city driving, so the 12 mile trip to Shoprite and back would burn about 2/3 of a gallon of fuel. At $2.58 per gallon (which is what I paid to fuel up this morning) that little trip would cost me $1.72 in fuel costs.

It would cost me $1.72 to get back my $2.98 so in reality I’d only be ahead $1.26.

If you want to get technical you could factor in wear and tear on the car too. Twelve miles is pretty insignificant in the long run but for laughs let’s work in the cost of an oil change.

If I get the oil changed every 3000 miles and it costs me $26 at the local garage, each mile driven costs $0.0086.

26 / 3000 = 0.0086

Multiply that number by 12 miles driven and it adds a little over 10 cents to the trip. Now it’s actually costing me $1.82 to get my $2.98 refund. I’d end up ahead a measly $1.16.

Is it worth it?

What about the time I’d waste trying to get my refund? I figure it would take me about 30 minutes to drive to Shoprite, park, walk inside, stand on line, explain what happened, get my refund and drive home. Thirty minutes for $1.16.

That’s an hourly rate of just $2.32. If someone offered you a job for $2.32 an hour you’d probably laugh in their face yet you’ll gladly give up your time for the same amount?

My time is valuable to me. I’d rather take that half an hour and write a post for this blog, or work on another site that can earn me far more than $1.16. Or I can take those 30 minutes and spend it doing something fun with my family. Or reading and learning something new. Or pretty much anything other than stand on line in Shoprite.

Yes, I know if I had been paying closer attention in the first place I would have spotted the mistake and had it corrected immediately. But I’ll accept the small loss in exchange for teaching my daughter a small lesson about the difference between “wants” and “needs.” Plus it gave me material for this post…so it wasn’t all bad.

PS – I do realize I could ask for my refund on my next trip to Shoprite but we don’t usually shop there. It’s an inconvenient location and I only stopped there because it was on the way home that evening.

If you’ve got a high definition TV in your home or you’re thinking of upgrading then you know you need some HDMI video cables to take advantage of the high-def signal.  But take a walk down the aisles of retailers like Best Buy or Radio Shack and you’ll see sticker prices of $50 to $100+.

Are they kidding?  You can buy hdmi cables cheap online through Amazon.  In fact when we purchased our new tv I went to Amazon and got these hdmi video cables for about $6 each.  I use one to connect the TV to my FIOS box and the other when I want to connect my laptop to the big screen so my kids can watch their favorite music videos like Single Ladies.

The truth is there is no significant difference between a $6 cable and a $50 cable.  Both CNET and Popular Mechanics agree that premium hdmi cables are just not worth the cost.

Why are hdmi video cables so expensive??

Because electronics stores think we’re all a bunch of suckers, that’s why.

Retailers mark up hdmi video cables ridiculously high because they know most people won’t know any better.  Particularly when the salesman who just sold you the 52 inch flat screen goes on and on about how much better the picture will be if you get the premium cables.

They’re counting on your ignorance to help them make the sale.  And hdmi video cables have a huge profit margin which helps the retailer pad their bottom line.

Plus they know you’re dying to go home and check out the picture on your new HDTV and you probably don’t want to wait until cables arrive in the mail.

But you can outsmart shady salesman by ordering you hdmi video cables from Amazon.  Isn’t it worth waiting a couple days to save $40 or more?

Well my wife and I have agreed that it’s time to replace the TV in our living room.  The old one was breaking down for awhile and finally died about a month ago.  We’ve been getting by with a small 22 inch TV but in a room that size it’s just too small.   My wife was having difficulty reading the menu on the smaller screen and even I found it hard at times too.

I’m more than a little annoyed that our old television died after only 8 years, but I guess they don’t make them like they used to.  And we did look into getting it fixed but realized it just wasn’t worth the trouble.

We had to call half a dozen places just to find someone who could fix it (most wanted to charge $45 – $60 just to look at it…no thanks).  And the guy who did come to check it out basically said it isn’t worth fixing.   Even though it’s only 8 years old it is one of those old style tube tvs that you don’t even see in stores anymore.

The repairman said it would cost about $200 to fix and it would probably break again in a year or so.  I appreciate his honesty as he could have easily taken us for $200 if he said it would last for 5 years.

But $200 to fix an old tv is like dropping $2000 into a 1993 Chevy Lumina.  Just doesn’t make sense.   So I shopped around for the best tv prices and found a Vizio 32 inch LCD TV for just $358 at Costco.  That’s the one we’ll go with since we already have a Costco membership.  It’s just about the same size as our old model and with this one we’ll be able to access the HDTV channels that we already receive through Verizon Fios.

Again, I’m not thrilled with spending the money on a new TV but it is something we’ll get use out of.  We don’t go out to the movies very often…instead we rent movies ondemand or borrow dvds from the library.  So I figure instead of spending the money most people would at the movie theater we’ll have a new TV for years to come (hopefully!).