Archive for November, 2008
Locked In and Knocked Out
A few months ago, oil prices were skyrocketing and there seemed little hope that the prices would go anywhere else but up in the near future. Because of that belief, many individual customers and business chose to lock into the current oil price to protect their finances during the cold winter months. However, over the [...]
Reconsider That For Sale Sign On Your SUV
This Thanksgiving holiday gave most of us something else to be thankful for – lower gas prices. When gas prices hit over $4 a gallon a few months back, consumers freaked and went crazy trying to sell the large model vehicles that consumed just too much gas to be worth keeping. However, as gas prices [...]
How to Eat at a Restaurant On a Budget
Just because you are trying to keep close tabs on your spending doesn’t mean you can’t ever treat yourself by eating at a restaurant instead of cooking at home. Here are some tips for keeping on the budget and still going out to eat: Go Earlier in the Day: Breakfast and Lunch are almost always [...]
Better Than Barbie: Saving for Your Child’s Future Education
Despite a weakened economy, the roadways near the shopping malls were absolutely packed on Black Friday 2008. Children should have a few gifts to open this holiday season, but I’ve discovered a new way to give gifts that is way better than giving the latest Barbie, Elmo or Monster Truck toy… it’s the gift of [...]
Health Insurance To-Do’s When You Lose Your Job
As it is said, “you don’t know what you got till it’s gone” is very true in the case of job loss and benefits. For many, the convenience of knowing that medical coverage is there is good enough. But when you retire or unexpectedly lose your job, what was once a convenience can now be [...]
Black Friday Shopping: Games Make Great Travel Take-Alongs
Black Friday is symbolic for a traveling adventure for many…that is a shopping adventure. However, shopping is not limited to just this day. In fact, shopping ranks as a top activity for all travelers on their journeys. TripAdvisor® recently announced that 22 percent of travelers plan to travel on Black Friday to go shopping in [...]
Tips for Holiday Shopping on Black Friday
It is almost hard to believe Thanksgiving is almost upon us and Christmas is right around the corner. While both holidays bring immediate images of families and friends gathering together to celebrate, they can also bring serious concerns about finances, especially when it comes to holiday shopping bills. Black Friday occurs the day after Thanksgiving [...]
Beware of Liquidation Sales
As many more stores go out of business, it is becoming more common to see the promotional signs announcing “liquidation sales” and “low, low prices” as the stores attempt to reduce the amount of stock remaining in the store. However, caveat emptor – let the buyer beware. When a store goes out of business, often [...]
It’s the Carnival Roundup!
We at American Consumer News have been hitting the carnival circuit – we’ve been mentioned all over the ‘net and to show our appreciation to the hard work the carnival hosts put in to get each edition published, here’s a round-up of carnivals. They’re just full of entertaining and informative posts on a variety of [...]
Family Travel Lanes Take Off in Time for Holiday Travel
If you have ever traveled during the holidays, you have possibly experienced more stress due to increased volume at airports and on the road. Or, if you have traveled with infants and young children, you can appreciate that it just takes more time to juggle the stroller, baby, diaper bag and other kid necessities, especially [...]
How to Find Affordable Vacation Rentals Online
If you’re planning on visiting a vacation destination in the next few months, there are a number of great deals available that you won’t find by booking through a travel agent or looking for packages online. The number of family vacations are falling through the floor due to our current economic circumstances and the traditional [...]
Talking Marriage and Money
The financial status of married couples is all too often the reason for divorce. In many cases, couples just do not properly communicate about their financial situation and only one half of the couple ends up being financially responsible for the money in the household. This leads to many problems, many of which become seemingly [...]
5 Tips For Making Some Cash Selling Stuff on eBay
Selling things you no longer need or want on eBay is a good way to drum up some extra cash. Depending on what you have to sell, November and early December could prove to be good months for attracting buyers who are doing their holiday shopping! Here are some tips for successfully selling the items [...]
Diamonds Are Forever – Well, So Is Debt
People many times end up in debt but start out with the best intentions. Their heart is often in the right place but their wallet is in another dimension. Take diamonds for example – everyone knows diamonds are said to be a girl’s best friend. This is one of the reasons many guys end up [...]
Thanksgiving Travel: Americans Preparing for Busy Holiday Trips
In less than one week, travelers will be packing up the cars, turkeys and suitcases on the way to “grandma’s house” for a Thanksgiving holiday. Or perhaps a travel destination this holiday might be to the beach or a shopping mall. TripAdvisor® and AAA have announced the results of its Thanksgiving travel survey and forecasts and [...]
Carnival of Personal Finance #179 – The Smile Edition
Money Ning wants more happiness in the world, and reveals this week’s carnival of personal finance as the “Smile Edition”. Thanks for including our article 7 million in 7 years presents Finding Your Lifestyle Break Even Point. Destroy Debt presents How to Save Money on Christmas Shopping. Small Business Blog presents The Debt Destruction Technique: [...]
School Pictures Cost A Lot – Ever Consider Wal-Mart?
Last year my oldest son started Kindergarten. I was excited for picture day, and made sure he was looking especially cute when I sent him off to school, since the most inexpensive package of photographs was $35 (plain slate background, an 8×10 and some smaller ones to give friends and family). You can’t just buy [...]
Need To Save? Get Set to Automate
For many living paycheck to paycheck, it often feels like there is never anything left over to tuck into a savings account. Saving money may not be a priority and therefore will always end up feeling more and more like a struggle. There are a number of ways to start saving, whether it be to [...]
How to Plan for a Job Change – Unexpected or Otherwise
As the economy continues to struggle, many employers are faced with the toughest of decisions – how to let go of a trusted group of employees. Many employees are faced with the difficult decision to depart for a better financial opportunity. Whatever the reason behind a job change, the fact remains that without proper preparation, [...]
Holiday Travel: Luxury Dream Trips Still Available
While last-minute travelers can score some good deals, this is not the case for the pending 2008 holiday travel season. Those who procrastinate might just have the Grinch steal their Christmas travel dreams. According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), nearly 60 million airline seats will be eliminated in the 4th quarter of 2008, compared [...]
Economic Woes Cause Consumers to Rethink Credit Choices
Most of the economic hardship that the United States isn’t effective consumers by in large on an individual level. Grocery prices are certainly going up, but it’s being offset by the significant savings in fuel prices. Consumers with decent credit can still get all sorts of loan products, it’s only the people who shouldn’t have [...]
The Resurgence of Layaway May Save Your Holiday
As a kid, my favorite time of year would be the day we went shopping for our “layaway order”. My mom would take my brother and I to the Hills Department store twice a year and let us pick out a bunch of clothes we needed for the upcoming season, usually winter and summer. I [...]
Holiday Travel Tips: Thanksgiving Kicks Off Travel Traditions
Holiday traditions? Every Thanksgiving, a tradition for many travelers is making the trek to New York City to experience the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (airs live on November 27th, 2008 at 9am EST on NBC). For those who do not make the trip, they can still witness this amazing event from the comfort of their [...]
Traveling to Florida’s Space Coast
Today marks another possible NASA launch at 7:55pm EST of the Shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, which is located just 45-minutes east of Orlando. An anticipated launch just heightens the visit for travelers and actually even is a destination activity in itself. However, one has to caution that there is no [...]
Should You Rely on That Safety Deposit Box?
For many people, a safe deposit box at the bank is the place to put all of your most important papers, cash, and other things you simply can not afford to lose. However, have you ever really contemplated the safety aspect of the safe deposit box? It may not be that safe at all. Think [...]
Real Car Deals for Those Ready to Buy Now
If you are in a position to afford or be able to finance a new car now, you may soon have the pick of the litter. As the auto industry is still trying to recover from the several big blows, namely the cost of gas and the struggling economy, there seems to be a shaft [...]
5 Ways to Keep Even More of Your Cash and Get More Food
The rising prices at the grocery stores are one of the chief complaints of consumers struggling to survive in a tough economy. There are a record number of tips and tricks out there that aim to help families save their dough on food items. Here are 5 even better ideas for saving your hard-earned cash [...]
I agree. If a local business is the one offering the sale price I will buy it from them. ...
We are retired and live on a grocery budget of $200 a month for 2 people in the Midwest. That ...