GET HELP WHEN YOU MOVE

You can save some big money by packing and loading yourself. Then let the professionals do the driving. Get an estimate on how much you can save.

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Before joining my first warehouse club about a decade ago, I had heard that these massive factory-like “stores” were good places to go to save money on purchases. But, I also knew that whenever you bought something from a club, you'd get much more than you probably could use including 6 pound tubs of margarine, 144 snack packs of potato chips, and other exorbitant sized packaging.

Clearly, I didn't want to be stuck with more stuff than what I needed.

But, my fears were proven to be somewhat unfounded as I eventually discovered that warehouse clubs offer all that and more. True, there are gargantuan sized products being sold, but most clubs also offer smaller, more manageable sized packing, just perfect for the small family.

In the US, there are three warehouse clubs in operation, with Costco and Sam's Club having a national presence, while BJ's is mostly located up and down the east coast. Each club has a membership requirement, meaning in order for you to realize full savings you'll have to pony up the annual membership fee. That fee is typically $40-50 for families which entitles members to buy anything in the store.

All three warehouse clubs are different, but what they do offer is value, with potential savings on groceries ranging from 10-50%. This means that most members recoup their membership fee within the first two visits, realizing tremendous savings throughout the year. Larger families love warehouse clubs which can trim $50-$100 or more off of the weekly grocery bill for annual savings of over $5000 possible.

If you are considering joining a warehouse club and you have access to two or three in your area, joining more than one probably won't yield the benefits you want simply because you'll spend an excess amount of time at each club trying to find the best bargains. My advice to you is to compare all three clubs, then decide which one is right for you.

The following are some things to keep in mind when choosing your warehouse club:

Membership – What exactly is the benefit of membership? If you're looking for savings on groceries then all three offer that and more. Some clubs also offer discounts on gas, tires, travel, cell phones, insurance, optical, etc. Join the club that best matches what you need.

Coupons – Of the three warehouse clubs, only BJ's accepts manufacturer coupons. This means on top of already low warehouse club prices, you can save more money.

Payment – Most clubs offer a variety of payment options, but Costco accepts only American Express cards while the other two clubs accept a variety of charge and debit cards.

Return Policies – Return policies vary with each club, but are generally liberal particularly if packaging hasn't been opened. Electronics return policies are tighter, but each warehouse club offers some of the most generous return policies of all.

Warehouse clubs offer far fewer products than the average grocery store, but what they do offer is value on mostly everything that they sell. Instead of having more than twenty choices of ketchup brands and sizes, you may only find two or three choices, but what you get is uncompromising value with each product.

One further note: Clubs will sometimes offer an incentive for first time sign ups, including up to ten dollars off of your first purchase, two months extra free, and coupons toward free items in the club.

(2008/11/05) CONSUMER TIPS

We all need access to transportation, whether through owning our own car or being able to take a bus, train, or taxi as needed. No longer are we confined to our communities; modern transportation allows us to go most anywhere.

Personal transportation costs, however, can put a crunch on any budget – siphoning funds from other areas of your life and draining your savings. High gas prices, insurance, car payments, maintenance, and more can crimp your style, doing a number on your finances like nothing else.

There is no need for you to drive yourself to the poor house because you cannot afford to keep up with spiraling transportation costs. The following tips can help you not only contain your costs, but leave a little extra in your wallet each week:

Save on Gas – If your car “requires” that you fuel up with premium gas, consider using regular gas instead. You'll lose some power, but you'll save at least twenty cents per gallon. Don't worry about your car not having a “taste” for regular fuel as your engine will automatically compensate for the reduction in octane. Potential Annual Savings: $200.

Save on Insurance – Older cars often still have collision coverage on them, even though the replacement value is negligible, therefore considering dropping this coverage. In addition, review your policy for additional savings and consider having one insurer cover both your homeowners and car insurance policies. Potential Annual Savings: $250.

Save on Car Payments – Lots of consumers think that the company financing their car is the one that they'll have to stay with until their wheels are paid off. Like housing, there are hundreds of companies clamoring for your business who might be interested in taking over your loan. The lower your credit score, the lower your interest rates should be. Potential Net Savings: $500.

Save on Maintenance and Repairs – Your dealer may say that he knows your vehicle best, but plenty of independent mechanics are skilled in servicing a variety of modern vehicles. If your car is under warranty, then go to your dealer. Once it is off warranty, line up a trusted local mechanic who knows your brand of vehicle and can provide a competitive service rate. Potential Savings: The sky's the limit!

Save on Warranty Costs – If you plan on keeping your car for many years, then consider purchasing an extended warranty. However, select vehicles – Kia and Hyundai, for example – have comprehensive warranties for the first three years of ownership and have a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty included. If you want a warranty, tailor that plan to cover what is NOT covered, allowing the manufacturer to pay for your other costs. Potential Savings: $300-$1500.

Save on a New Car – Sooner or later you'll decide that your current car is too old, doesn't meet your current needs, or you've tired of driving it. Right now can be an excellent time to buy a car, not just because it is the end of the model year or that the calendar year is fast coming to an end, rather car sales are way down and manufacturers are in the bargaining mood. Arrange financing on your own and walk into your dealership to take advantage of cash back savings and whatever other deals you can negotiate. Potential Savings: $1000-$15,000.

Save on Public Transport – If you don't own a car or you take public transportation part of the time, you can save money by hopping on a bus, hailing a taxi, or catching the train. However, mass transit costs can be exorbitant, even when some of the costs are defrayed through taxes and grants. Fortunately, many of the publicly run mass transit authorities reward frequent users with weekly or monthly passes which can shave dollars off of your ride. Potential Savings: 10-50%.

(2008/10/28) CONSUMER TIPS

It must have been our local fire department which held a seminar at our children's school about escape plans. You know, how to establish a safe way for your children to leave your home by themselves in the event of an emergency (fire, tornado, earthquake, etc.) and meet up with you at a specified location. For the very youngest children, parental assistance is still needed, but even a responsible four or five year old can shine in the midst of a crisis.

Your Family Fire Escape Plan

How about you and your family? Do your children know their escape route? If you don't have a plan in place, I urge you to create one now. Let's take a look at what you need to do in order to ensure your family's safety.

Smoke Alarms, Carbon Monoxide Detector -- Every home should have smoke alarms and they should be tested twice per year, usually when the time changes. Alarms should be strategically placed on each floor, including the basement, and be in the vicinity of sleeping areas as well as in the kitchen and living room. A carbon monoxide detector can save lives too, so consider installing one in a bedroom hallway and placing a second one on a separate floor.

Check Your Home -- Walk through your home and check windows and doors to make sure that they are easy to open. You may be able to lift a window, but small hands and weak arms could find this to be a difficult task. Show your children how to exit a window; oil the window tracks if they get stuck. If bedrooms are on the second floor, consider having a fold up ladder in the room that can be used in an emergency situation. Place a "child find" sticker on the exterior of every window to help firefighters find your children.

Practice Your Escape -- Besides a main way of exiting a home, your children should know about a secondary way of leaving. If their primary exit is blocked, your children should know of another way out. Making up a map of the home and discussing exit strategy is a good way to show your children what to do, but actually helping them to practice their escape can give them the confidence they need to take action in the event of an emergency.

Meet Up -- Once everyone safely leaves the house, you'll want to have a special meet up place. This could include a large tree in the front yard, a neighbor's home, or some other easily defined and accessible spot. If you have pets, designate one person to make certain that they can get out, preferably an adult as children may not understand the danger that they are in when looking for a frightened cat or dog.

Call For Help -- If you have access to a phone, calling 911 can be done at anytime, but it is more important for you to make sure that your family is safe before summoning assistance. Time is of the essence when an emergency strikes, mere seconds can make a difference between a safe exit or trouble.

Lastly, reward your family members with a special prize each time that they follow your instructions when practicing an emergency drill. You want everyone to take their roles seriously, but rewarding everyone for a job well done will give your family the confidence to do what they need to do in the event of a home emergency.

(2008/08/22) CONSUMER TIPS

Although homeownership rates peaked at nearly 70% of U.S. households recently, quite a few Americans are renting. Many are doing so by choice too.

Homeownership isn't always out the reach of people who rent. Instead, some prefer to have a landlord take care of their property and make the needed repairs and upgrades that come with apartment living.

Unfortunately, renters oftentimes forget one important thing: they need rental insurance.

Yes, if your unit is damaged and your goods destroyed, you could lose everything that you own. With a rental insurance policy in place, you could recoup your losses and move on with your life. Without rental insurance, you may have to hope that the assistance of others will help bring you through and/or find yourself relying on your own savings to replenish your possessions.

What you need to know about rental insurance:

Rental insurance doesn't cover your dwelling -- your apartment complex, townhouse unit or other rental property will be insured by your landlord or management company.

Policies can cover a variety of things -- make sure that all of your goods are covered. If you have expensive jewelry, antiques, a coin collection, or anything else of high value, you may need to get a separate policy to cover these items. Check with your insurance agent to find out what is and what isn't covered.

There are two different pay outs for insurance -- some policies will give to you the actual cash value (ACV) of your goods while others offer a replacement cost coverage (RCC) amount. With the latter, you'll pay more but if your five year old sofa is destroyed, you'll be given enough money to buy a new one, minus your deduction.

The cost of your policy will vary depending on what you own, where you live, the type of insurance desired, etc. Check with a reputable insurance agent to find out what coverage you need to protect what you own. Don't go without rental insurance -- you could be one disaster away from misery if you are not sufficiently covered.

(2009/05/01) HOME TIPS

A water heater is the one appliance that gets no respect -- until it quits working. Silently, almost effortlessly doing its job behind scenes, your home's water heater faithfully provides the hot water you need for showering, running the dishwasher, and for cleaning your clothes. Only when hot water is absent do many homeowners remember this important device.

Yet, like so many major appliances, a hot water heater needs to be maintained or failure is certain to occur. You can extend the life of your hot water heater by following a regular maintenance schedule, a fifteen minutes (or less) process that should be done one to three times each year.

How To Maintain Your Hot Water Heater

Sediment build up is one of the biggest contributors to hot water heater failure. In areas where hard water is prevalent, mineral build up can reduce its efficiency, hastening the break down process.

You can reduce sentiment build up by lowering the temperature of the hot water heater to a more manageable 120 degrees. True, your dishwasher requires hotter water, but modern units contain their own heaters to bring the water temperature up to the required level.

Step By Step Instructions

Before you drain the sediment out of your hot water heater, you'll need to turn off the water supplying the heater at the cold air intake. Or, you can shut off the home's main valve. Gas-fired heaters require that you turn the temperature control to off while cutting off the supply of gas to the unit via the gas line. Electric heaters can be turned off right at your electrical panel.

Next, place a bucket under the drain and fill it up with water. Or, if you have a garden hose handy, attach the hose to the heater and drain it that way. With a bucket you'll have to make several trips to dump out the water but with a hose you can drain the heater all the way at once. When the water turns clear, then you can close the valve, but you may need to turn on the supply valve for the cold water in order to clear out whatever sediment remains.

Once you are done, go ahead and close the drain valve and turn off the hot water faucet. Reopen the cold water supply valve and fill up the tank. Turn on the power only after the tank has been replenished by flicking on the power at the electrical box or reigniting the pilot light.

Extend The Life Of Your Water Heater, Save Money

Regular care of your hot water heater will ensure that you receive regular service for many years. Neglecting the device and you could shorten its lifespan and experience failure at the most inopportune time -- like in the middle of your shower!

(2009/01/07) HOME TIPS