Here are some tips for keeping your family fed without breaking the bank:

Preplan Your Menu

If you can get into the habit of sitting down on a weekly or monthly basis to preplan your meals, you’ll likely find you can save a lot of cash starting right away. Your menu planning will not reduce the cost of groceries but will organize your grocery list so you can and do spend less. There is an unlimited amount of free recipes online and on television so you can keep meals from getting boring.

Plan for Sales

When you complete your family menu, use it to make a list of all the ingredients needed to go into each dish for the week. This list will become your shopping list at the store. Rather than run to the usual grocery store, take the time to review sales fliers to find out where the deals are. By utilizing the planned menu as a shopping list, you will be more effective at clipping and using coupons to save even more.

Buy Fresh Weekly

In order to avoid wasted food, shop for fresh ingredients once a week. Nonperishable foods and items like paper products can be purchased on a monthly basis or when sales are worthwhile. Remember that may fresh products can be safely frozen such as green peppers and onions and are handy to grab when you want to spice up your meal. Invest in reusable bags and containers to keep food safe from freezer burn.

Use Versatile Ingredients

As you continue planning meals, you’ll begin to build a nice supply of staples which you will only need to replenish once in a while. You should focus on using recipes with versatile ingredients like chicken breasts, ground beef or turkey, and other food items compatible with many different kinds of recipes.

Many families fail at meal time planning because they feel there is not enough time in their busy schedule. But if you can take an hour at night or a few hours on the weekend to prepare several meals in advance, families are more likely to spend time at the family table than in pricey restaurants or the unhealthy fast food drive-through.

Cheap Ways to Feed a Family of 4 was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

In this common scenario, there are typically two choices:

• You can cut some expenses out of your budget completely; or
• You can add additional sources of income to your financial situation.

If you can no longer cut anything else from your living expenses, it is time to add more money to the mix. Here are 4 ways you may be able to boost your income:

Ask for Overtime

If you work at a job that offers the opportunity for extra hours, sign on. You can earn extra cash without having to worry about starting a part time job somewhere new. If no overtime is available, perform a self-analysis about your work performance and approach your boss about a raise.

Go Part-Time

If you are not in a position to get a raise, consider applying for a part time job. Use the second paycheck strictly to reduce your debts. Once your debts have been eliminated, you can consider eliminating your part time gig.

Skills for Dollar Bills

Many people have a knack, a natural gift, for doing things. Home repair, sewing, crafts, childcare, individual lessons, or any number of hobbies and activities other people cannot do. You can earn supplemental income by promoting your skills among friends, your church, and your community and so on. A big hurdle in this option is people worrying about charging people they know for services rendered. However, move forward without guilt as many people likely feel more comfortable hiring you for jobs than they would a stranger. You may find you have a whole new career ahead of you.

De-Junk Your Life

They say one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Take the opportunity to declutter your home and your life by selling unwanted or unused items. There are many resources for you to unload items for cash including hosting a garage sale, working with a consignment shop, or eBay and other online websites.

Educate Yourself

If your current job is approaching dead-end status, consider the local and governmental resources which offer free or low-cost continuing education programs. These resources can open new doors of financial opportunity and freedom for you. There are many affordable online courses you can use to boost your skills, knowledge, and paycheck totals. It is never too late to learn something new.

5 Ways to Supplement Your Lacking Income was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Still in its infancy, the ‘beta’ test gave approved participants, who paid on eBay’s online payment service (PayPal), a bonus of 2 percent reward toward future purchases on eBay items. The participant’s PayPal accounts were topped up with the 2 percent rewards in quarterly gift certificates. The bonus amounts can then be used within 30 days of issue using PayPal for purchasing items on eBay.

For example, any user who purchased a $100 item from eBay would earn $2 eBay Bucks to use for future eBay purchases. Participants can earn up to a maximum of $200 for any one item and up to $500 maximum per quarter.

After the initial ‘beta’ test Marc Steffans, the eBay Bucks rewards program’s senior manager, was pleased with the results and hoped that it would be successful if implemented across the US. eBBay purchasers were tracked and it was found that many used their eBay Bucks soon after they were received to buy other items.

Most items are covered by the eBay Bucks program but some are not. eBay Bucks are not provided for classifieds, real estate, some eBay motors categories or for business & industrial capital equipment. It is also important to note that the eBay Bucks program is only valid through a valid PayPal account.

Redeeming eBay Bucks is easy.  When purchasing an item on eBay with PayPal, the eBay Bucks banked in the PayPal account will be automatically applied to future purchases.

Rewards Program Offers EBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) Bucks for Frequent Shoppers was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

This week at the Barclays Capital conference held in New York City, Verizon Wireless’s CEO Lowell McAdam stated that he hopes to ditch all unlimited plans on Verizon Wireless’s upcoming 4G LTE network. Instead of unlimited usage, the network is planning on charging for “buckets” of megabytes. He also mentioned that after the release of the first LTE-enabled device, Verizon Wireless anticipates using the 4G LTE network for voice starting in 2011. However, he did not mention if the unlimited plans will also be ended on unlimited voice calling plans.

Consumers lately have been hit with increases to their phone bills even before the release of 4G, and without changes in their calling plans. According to a survey released this week by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), one out of every six mobile phone users have seen an unanticipated increase in their monthly service fee. Fifty-two percent of these added $25 + to their monthly bill. Forty-three percent of those questioned say that a major reason they remain with their carriers is due to early termination fees.

Getting out of the wireless plans is also expensive. Verizon has already been charging $350 for early termination fee on Droids and other high end mobile devices. AT&T which is also getting ready for 4G has also increased their early termination fee from $175 to $325.

By Verizon focusing on their own bottom line with the 4G network, they may just be pricing their service out of reach for their current and potential customers by not offering the unlimited plans.

As Jacqueline Emigh stated in a recent article in PC World, “The timing of MacAdam’s remarks this week couldn’t have been more unfortunate, actually, if wireless carriers really want to sell 4G services. Many folks are still struggling to pay all kinds of existing bills. Right now, the still impending 4G stands to many as a glittering diversion, a shining beacon of hope for better times ahead.”

With many consumers paying more attention to where and on what they spend their money, it is possible this move might alienate those people working within a limited budget. Sprint plans on selling their 4G phone, the EVO 4G and offering unlimited 4G data for only $10 more than their current 3G network.

Verizon Wireless Hopes to Say Goodbye to Unlimited Plans (NYSE: VZ) was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Preventative Maintenance

Undoubtedly a vehicle that is properly maintained will require less repairs than a vehicle which does not receive preventative maintenance. Sometimes problems arise regardless of the care you put into your vehicle; when this occurs properly diagnosing and repairing the problem immediately can prevent additional damage to your vehicle. Consult your owner’s manual for more information on recommended preventative or scheduled maintenance to keep your car running in tip top shape.

Be On The Lookout

Do not ignore bumps, clunks, funny noises and warning lights. Wishing away problems with your vehicle will not make them go away so it is better to face the facts and get your car checked out before a little problem turns into a costly repair. In order to help your auto mechanic diagnose the problem correctly you should take notes when you notice these sounds. Is it worse when you accelerate, decelerate or turn left or right?  The more definitive information you have available when presenting your car for repairs will lessen the likelihood of the mechanic having to search for the problem.

Shop Around

Unless you are stranded along the side of the road you probably have some time to do some comparison shopping to find the best mechanic and rate in your area–this will help avoid busting your budget. For preventative or routine maintenance or standard repairs you can call or take your vehicle to several auto repair shops to see who offers the best quote for service. You will generally have three options for car repairs; large national chains, dealerships or your local mechanic. Unless your repair is covered by a warranty you should avoid dealerships which generally charge the highest rate. In most cases a good local mechanic will be the way to go to get the best price and personalized service. Remember local repair shops know they are competing with larger national chains and understand the importance of preserving their reputation. The best way to find a local mechanic is by simply asking around, your friends and neighbors are a great source for finding a reputable auto repair shop to work with or to avoid.

Avoid Paying Too Much on Auto Repairs was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

While online sales did reach record numbers on Black Friday, it is important to note that the web has seen the most online shopping growth during 2009 alone. One of the most recognizable reasons that consumers are turning to their PC’s for their shopping needs is because of convenience. People are starting to realize that there is no need to rush to the store when they see a store advertising a big sale. Stores have a limited number of the items on sale, and shoppers know this. So, to ensure they get the item they want, they just go to the store’s website and order it for the exact same price they would have paid for it at the store. It used to be that if you ordered a product online that you would have to pay a hefty shipping price, but now, if you order an item through a store’s website it is likely you will be offered free shipping, if you are willing to drive to the store and pick it up yourself. With benefits like this, why not shop online?

Many people are also beginning to search the web for bargains that can’t be found in stores. It is not uncommon for a person to price something at local retail store and then go online to see if they can find a better deal elsewhere. With sites such as Amazon.com, Overstock.com and Ebay, it is very likely that a consumer will find a better deal online than at the store. These sites also offer other incentives such as no tax and free shipping on select products. It’s no wonder that shoppers everywhere are completing their shopping online and not fighting the in-store crowds.

Consumers Shopping Online In Record Numbers was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Cyber Monday offers range far and wide and deals such as free shpping or half-priced deals will be just some of the offerings from online retailers.  While many will flock to the Web to finish up their lists, consumer Poridcut Safety Commission suggests you still remain skeptical of the deals that seem too good to be true.

Identity theft is still a big concern for officials and consumers. with the frenzy of bargain shopping, people often forget to keep accurate trck of their purchases when using a debit or credit card online. Thieves do not always take large chunks of money at one time but prefer to take smaller, more unnoticeable amounts over time, leaving many consumes not even aware they are being ripped off month after month.

Consumers are also cautioned not to jump into every deal headfirst without comparison shopping first. Since there is a lot of competition amongst reailers to make the sale, it can be easy to miss what bargains are really geniune. Be sure to read the fine print and double-check shipping charges on all items. It can be easily frustrating to go through the motions of purchasing an item only to find in the end that the shipping charges were astronomical. Sites like CyberMonday.com and Shopping.com can help consumers find what deals they are looking for without too much information overload.

It is also recommended that consumers tackle shopping online much like they do with shopping in brick and mortar institutions. Prepare and stick to a list of only what you need to buy. Resist impulse buys and search only what you are looking for, otherwise you can get caught up in the moment and spend too much to get too little of a deal.

Cyber Monday may wreak some havoc on the Web as people cruise around to find the biggest deals but it can be advantageous to those who have not had luck getting what they want elsewhere or for those who do not enjoy the crowds and long lines during traditional holiday shopping trips.

Consumers Prepping for Cyber Monday was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Manufacturers have cut back production to meet the decreased demand from retailers who are worried about buying more than consumers are willing to buy. This affects consumers who traditionally look toward outlet store to offer deeply discounted prices. Outlet stores rely on the excess inventory from the main store to stock their shelves, excess inventory that may not exist this holiday season. Retailers are discounting heavily this year making it just as lucrative to shop directly at the store versus the outlet location.

Other changes this holiday season may be noticed when a store sells out of a favorite product. In past years, that store would likely reorder items that sold quickly to satisfy consumer demands. With fewer products available from the manufacturer, many stores will have difficulty restocking certain equipment in time for the holiday. Consumers who count on last minute discounts on these products should consider buying items when they are available or risk going home empty handed.

Retailers who are already fighting for survival in a weak economy face an uncertain future after this holiday season. Large department stores have lost many customers who have decided to stretch their dollars even farther by shopping at discount stores. Consumer sales are expected to improve this year versus last year’s numbers, however no one expects to see the same carefree, credit fueled shopping that was common before the recession. If large retailers cannot turn their numbers around, many will be out of business in the near future. This will limit the options available to consumers when the economy recovers.

The best strategy for holiday shopping this season is simple and straight forward. Make your Christmas list early and buy products when you find them. Shopping around or waiting until Christmas Eve will leave many people leaving the store empty handed. Shopping online might improve your chances of finding a popular item quickly, however it does not change the fact that fewer items have been produced. Avoid limited inventory or bare shelves by getting out there early and securing your purchases while merchandise is available.

Shop Early Before Inventory Disappears was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

According to a report on Fox News Business on Oct. 19^th; retailers are apparently offering aggressive lay-away programs for the upcoming Christmas selling season. 

The following provisions should be considered before using the lay-away option:

• An additional charge and service fee is part of the agreement. (Toys-R-Us = $10)

• The state retail tax must be paid at the time of initiation of the lay-away.

• An initial down payment of 20% is generally required.

• Installments must be made on a timely and specified regular basis.

• A specified date of payment completion is required.

• Partial loss of monies already paid can be forfeited in the event of refund or cancellation.

All and all, these programs can in actuality have a downside if consumers fail to pay cash and opt to use credit cards to make lay-away payments. In that case, consumers could be looking at the possibility of paying a 20% – 30% premium on those items verses simply waiting for promotional discounts and sales.

Various retailers will be creative and attempting all sorts of inducements to encourage consumers to purchase presents right now. That is what retailing is about. Programs will be offered as time moves on and the possibility of negotiation does exist. Keep in mind, the retailer has a specified time limit to successfully achieve their goals as well. That is their motivator.

The love and the desire to express that love through a specific gift is a constant for every parent or relative. Choices are not easy when weighing that recognition and hope for the registered joy on a child’s face. Regrettably that is the psychology behind retailing efforts during Christmas.

As a consumer, we all must keep in mind the bigger picture in terms of finances. Before you begin your holiday shopping, consider what your family can comfortably afford this holiday season and shop accordingly. If you use a bit of planning and common sense it is possible to buy presents that your children will love without breaking your budget.

Lay-away Programs – Boone or Bane for Consumers was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

In August 2009 there were 49 product recalls announced by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Do you know what items have been recalled? Do you own any of these products? Do you know how to find this information?

Funds are tight and Christmas is approaching which means consumers are looking for the good deals, the bargains. This can mean buying products from lesser known retailers, selecting a lower cost brand or even buying second hand. There’s nothing wrong with any of these options, after all a savvy consumer knows how to save money.

Smart consumers also know how to keep their families safe.

Even when products are supplied by trustworthy sources, there is no guarantee that they will not be subject to recall.

Do you remember the healthy living lunch boxes issued for free by the Department of Public Health in California that were recalled because they contained elevated levels of lead?

Do you remember the ‘Thomas and Friends’ wooden toys, again recalled because they had unacceptably high lead levels in the paint covering?

Many manufacturers have closed local plants and factories electing to have their products made or assembled in other countries where wages are lower, perhaps health and safety requirements are not as stringent and their profit margins can be preserved through lower costs of production.

What these same manufacturers did not allow for was the possibility that inferior quality materials and finishes could be used to cut corners.

It is not just children’s toys that represent potential hazards in the home. In August 2009 Frigidaire recalled 200,000 electric ranges that had demonstrated problems with the on/off switch and thermostat control – all posing serious fire risks. There were also items, including clothing and window blinds, which incorporated a drawstring mechanism that failed safety guidelines and represented a strangulation risk.

As a consumer how do you keep up to date with the latest recalls? How do you keep your home and family safe? How can you take advantage of bargain shopping opportunities without compromising on safety?

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission makes the information you need available. In fact, they make it incredibly simple; you do not even have to regularly search the website for updates. All product recall information can be emailed directly to you, as it becomes available.

Keep yourself up to date and safe by visiting http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx and register your email address to receive updates. You can decide which updates are relevant to you and exclude those which are of no interest. Registering takes just a few minutes, is free of charge and will mean you never again miss a product recall warning.

Product Recalls– Stay Up to Date and Keep Your Family Safe was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The cold weather is coming, and in some places it’s already here. This is usually the time of year when many people realize they need to buy new supplies for the weather, especially clothing. This can be a problem for your budget, but there are a few ways to save money and stay warm.

Clearance – While it’s tempting to buy clothes off of the clearance racks, usually during this time of year there’s a reason that they’re on the rack to begin with: they’re summer clothes. Don’t waste your money buying clothing that you won’t be able to wear until next year. If you really feel the need because it’s a great find, only buy one or two pieces. If you spend all of your money on out of season clothing just because it’s on sale, you’ll deplete your funds for clothing you’ll actually need now. Save that money to invest in winter clothing, and you won’t regret it later.

Winter Wear – Instead of buying a bunch of different winter pieces, pick a couple of key pieces that you know you will wear over and over again. Buy a nice jacket, one that you can wear every time you go out. Also buy gloves and a hat, depending on how cold it gets in your area. Pick and choose pieces specifically based on where you live. Most places that get cold require a jacket, but the other accessories may not be necessary. Don’t buy more than you need. If you do, you’ll have a surplus of items that you don’t really need, instead of a couple of good items that you can use all the time.

High Quality – Buying low quality products because they’re cheap may not be the best idea for winter wear. Instead, it may be better to invest in a couple of high quality products. These are things that will last you for years, instead of just one year. Buying a nice, thick jacket is better than buying a thin jacket and having to wear more layers. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more for a better quality, because chances are it will be worth it in the future.

If you find yourself in need of winter gear, don’t be afraid to buy a few nice pieces. Keeping yourself and your family warm is very important during the cold season. It’s not just an investment in comfort, but an investment in your family’s health.

Getting Geared Up For Winter was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

In most parts of the country, autumn is when the temperature starts to lower. For this reason, a lot of people end up spending a lot of money trying to stay warm. There are a few different ways to cut these costs without making much of a change to your current routine.

Blankets – Instead of cranking up the heater, try bundling up under a lot of blankets. While it’s not necessarily an ideal way to stay warm, it will save you a lot in your energy bill. Most people have a surplus of blankets tucked away in closets or folded up in bedrooms, so use them to your advantage during the winter months. When the weather calls for you to turn on the heater, try turning it on a low setting. Keep in mind this advice may not work in the dead of winter, but during certain parts it may be better to practice this instead of turning the heater on full blast. Simple can save you money.

Fireplace – Depending on the type of fireplace you have, you may save money by sitting by it for part of your cold nights instead of turning on the heater. Other fireplaces are gas, which costs you money, but wood burning fireplaces could warm you up. Some people have made the argument that fireplaces actually make your house colder, but that may not necessarily be true. People have been keeping themselves warm by the heat of a fire for centuries, so why stop now? You should always have a backup heating source for when using a fireplace is not practical.

Check Your Seals – Check the seals on windows and doors. If they’re dry or loose, they are letting your warm air escape to the outside. They could also be letting cold air into your house, making your home colder and harder to keep warm. Replacing seals is usually a simple task, and inexpensive. The amount of money that you could save by replacing these seals is definitely worth the expense and effort.

Some places of the country may get too cold to really take advantage of these tips, but if you live somewhere where it gets chilly but not below freezing on a daily basis, these tips may be for you. Energy costs continue to rise, and finding ways to cut these costs can really save you money in the long run.

Simple Tips To Stave Off Old Man Winter was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Different warehouse stores have been popping up around the country for many years. These stores offer normal products, such as toilet paper and food products, but in bulk. If you shop with a good eye in these stores, you can get much more product for your money. Here are a few tips to shopping wisely in warehouse stores.

Perishables: Unless you have a large family, avoid buying perishable food. Things such as meat, cheese, and produce may be better left to grocery stores. Just because you can get a large amount of meat for a small price, doesn’t mean you should. If you aren’t careful, you could wind up using a little of the meat, and throwing out the rest of it because it has spoiled. If you are shopping for a barbecue or have a large family, buying food in bulk could save you a lot of money otherwise buy perishables on an as needed basis.

Non-Perishables: While buying perishable food may not be the best deal for you, buying things such as crackers or canned food in bulk could be very useful. But you also need to be careful about storage space. If you come home with twelve cans of tomato sauce, you need to have pantry or other space for storage. Buy the basics that you use on a regular basis in bulk, and keep them stored around the house. But other things should be left to the grocery stores. This way, you won’t become overloaded with food that you rarely use.

Other Items: Things like toilet paper and paper towels are great to buy in bulk. Usually the cost is much more reasonable than other stores, and you can get a lot more for your money. If you are considering buying clothing at a warehouse store, be advised that some stores accept items that would not pass inspection for retail sale. It is possible to find good deals however you must pay careful attention to the quality of the product to ensure you don’t end up with socks that are sewn together on the top and bottom or shirts that have different length sleeves. The same theory applies to electronics or other things that might be better left for regular retail stores.

If you don’t plan to buy much in bulk, don’t invest in the membership cost of these warehouse stores. If you believe you will save enough money in shopping to offset the cost of joining, the membership fee will probably be worth the cost. Be careful when you’re shopping and only buy what you need. If you do, you may find that you get a lot of bang for you buck.

Does Buying In Bulk Really Save Money? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

• Take advantage of technology- It is impossible to get the best deals if you don’t know all your options. Visit online discount sites to find out the best deals and consider buying things online if you can get a significantly lower price. Many discount websites offer free memberships where you could sign up to receive email updates on up-and-coming sales or discounts.

• Do your own research- Before shopping for big ticket items, take the time to learn more about the product or service. Read consumer reviews to find out if other people have experienced problems or difficulty, which may help you avoid buying something that has proven to be unsatisfactory for other consumers. If one person has a problem with the item it could very well be an isolated incident, however if you find repeated references to the same problem, you can bet you might also experience problems with the product.

• Don’t rely wholly on company representatives- Consider this, you are looking for a new laptop and lack the technological savvy to know exactly what it is you are looking for in your new computer. You speak to a representative trusting they will be able to guide you through the process and get you set up with the right laptop for your needs (gaming, graphics, etc.). In an ideal world you will get the correct information and receive a the laptop that meets your needs. In reality the sales representative may not know much more than you and in an attempt to make a sale, they will give you advice that is less than reliable. If you are uncertain what you need or what product meets those needs, consider speaking to a professional in the field for advice before making the purchase.

• Deal or no deal- In an effort to save money, many consumers are so focused sales or discounts that they fail to differentiate between a deal or no deal. A deal or good deal occurs when you save money on something that you would have purchased regardless. A “not so good deal” happens when you succumb to marketing or discounting to make a purchase that you otherwise would not have considered. The bottom line is-know what you want before you go shopping. If you didn’t have it on your list prior to hitting the store, you are likely not getting a deal regardless of the price or discount.

Smart shoppers are consumers who know what they want, what they need and how much they can afford to pay for each purchase. If you do your research, take advantage of discounts (on products you already plan on purchasing) and have the discipline to stick to a budget you will get the most value for your dollar.

Are You An Informed Shopper? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

• Make it your own. Like everything else in our society many people feel a push to keep up with the Jones’. Weddings are no exception and while it may feel a bit odd to break from the “norm” it is important to remember that this is your day. That means that whether or not you conform to “traditional” wedding planning is completely up to you and your partner. Keep this in mind when establishing your wedding budget.
• Plan the event in advance, including the budget. Of course you can’t wait until the last minute to plan a wedding. Certain aspects of the wedding will require months of preparation. Before you get started, make sure you sit down together and determine how much money is available for the big day. By knowing in advance how much money you have to work with, you will take a lot of guess work out of the wedding planning.
• Get creative. Many couples are saving a lot of money by switching out traditional components of their wedding with creative alternatives. Get better rates by changing the day or location of your wedding. Employ the help of your friends and family to help with decorations. There are lots of ways to lessen the cost of your wedding without making it look scaled back.

When establishing your budget and planning your wedding it is important to weigh which areas you are willing to save money on and where you want to spend more money. Most couples agree that having good food, drinks and entertainment for their guests is a priority. You also want to have great memories of your special day which means you want to have a good photographer and even professional hair and makeup if at all possible. Again the key is finding what is important to the couple and basing the decisions off of that information.

Planning A Wedding On A Budget was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Here are 8 great reasons to ditch the gym and get healthy at home:

You Likely Already Have Some Equipment
There are probably a lot of treadmills and exercise bikes that are being used more as a clothes rack than as a source of exercise. Dust off the expensive equipment you have already invested in and put it into use. Don’t forget the numerous workout DVD’s you already own. Check online  or at the library too for free workouts or tune into the exercise channel you likely get on your cable television.

You Don’t Have to Leave Home
After working a busy day and taking care of the family, who can really stay motivated enough to leave the house again and head to the gym. If you set aside a small area in your own home that you can use to workout, you may be more inclined to stick with the program.

There Are No Set Hours
Since many gyms are not open 24/7, you may be more motivated to keep exercising when you can do it at a time convenient for you.

There Are No Lines
In some gyms, there is likely a wait for some of the more popular workout machines. Hanging around the gym waiting is certainly a time-waster. You likely have better things you could be doing. Working out at home means no lines and maybe even some multitasking, such as running in place as you load the washing machine.

Make It a Family Affair
Instead of having to find a sitter, you can get your whole family involved in one of the best and completely free forms of exercise – walking.

There is No Intimidation
Going to a gym where tons of other people, who may or may not be in better shape than you, can be intimidating and keep you from sticking with your exercise goals. Exercising at home alone or with close friends and family can make it more fun and less intimidating.

You Can Grow Into Your Routines
Instead of having to commit to hour-long classes at a gym, you can build up and change your routine according to your daily activities. Whenever you can fit in a few minutes of exercise, go for it! A little exercise each day is much better than none at all.

More Money To Spend on Rewards
When you get into a workout groove, eventually you will begin to reap the rewards of weight loss and a new and improved body. You can then use the money you would have otherwise been wasting on a gym membership to get new clothing and updated equipment to continue your workout routines at home.

8 Reasons You Should Cancel That Costly Gym Membership was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Here are five ways to use a rewards credit card to help you save money and live a healthier life.

Get a good rewards card. The first step is to get a good rewards card which will pay you cash back on the things that you purchase under its terms.  Search for cards that give the best reward amount as is possible.

Buy at health food stores. Yes, the large grocery chain stores sell ‘healthy’ food items, but are they really?  Health food stores business depends on not only selling the best healthy food, but giving good advice to patrons on why an item they are selling is healthy and what to look for in food ingredients.  Your purchase with your rewards card gives you cash back on food good for you and that is a doubly-good bonus.

Join a health club. Look for a health club that has the size and staff necessary to help you with a customized program that will push you, but encourage you to keep going.  Paying for a long-term membership is frowned upon if you do not think that you will keep up with the program.  See if the club you are interested in will allow you to pay month-to-month in order to make sure that you are going to stay with the program.  Or, better yet, see if they have an introductory program so that you can try out the benefits and make sure it fits you and your lifestyle.

Buy a bicycle.  Outdoor exercise is important during good weather months.  A bicycle is a great way to get exercise.  Not only do you get a good cardio workout, but you also get the benefit of being out of doors and going places that can be good for you mind, too.  A ride to a park and back gives you time to exercise and think at the same time.

Get good walking shoes. If you are into walking, make sure you have the right shoes to give you maximum comfort and support.  Local shoe stores still offer help and advice in this area, but you are always wise to shop around.  Once you have an idea of what you want (even after visiting a few stores) avoid making a purchase and then go online to see if you can get a better price through an Internet merchant.

Join a weight management program. Many programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers are great as motivators and provide structure to help you lose weight if you need to or to just maintain where you are.  These programs provide a support system which keeps you interested and on-track with your goals.  Also, you will find lifestyle encouragement in all aspects of life, not just weight and eating.  You can also find locally established programs at some hospitals and other medical facilities in your area.  Check your local yellow pages for one near you.

Paying for these items above with your rewards credit card means that you are not only taking care of yourself, but providing cash back on the purchases that help keep you there.  That is a benefit that keeps on giving.  And, who does not need to do the things necessary to live a healthier life?  We all do and we all can begin today.

Five Ways to Use a Rewards Credit Card to Live a Healthier Life was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

1. How much is that doggie in the window? In 99.9% of cases the cost of a dog at a pet store is well over the value of the animal you are receiving. Pet stores are in business to make money just like any other business. In most cases the employees at the store have no real knowledge of specific dogs breeds or traits and even less information on the dogs they are selling. If you were to break down the purchase of a pet to a purely monetary level, pet stores do not offer you the best return on your investment.
2. Health concerns- It may be very difficult to resist the adoring eyes of a puppy just waiting to come home with you however you must be prepared for the fact the most pet store animals commonly have or develop health problems. Puppies that are produced for profit do not come from breeders who are interested in reducing that profit by investing in the health of the puppies or their parents. Many have not had all their shots, may be infested with parasites or have genetic diseases that will not present themselves until later in the puppy’s life.
3. AKC registration does not equate quality- Unless you are looking for a show quality animal AKC registration is not a requirement for a new puppy. Unfortunately many people confuse puppies that have “papers” with puppies that have a quality pedigree. This is not necessarily the case. The only requirement to have a puppy registered with the AKC is that the puppy be the product of two AKC registered parents (of the same breed).
4. Homeless dogs in need of homes- There are millions of dogs (including purebreds and puppies) in shelters, adoption agencies or rescues in this country. Each time you buy an animal from a pet store you may in fact be sentencing another puppy to death. In many cases it is possible that these organizations know more about the animals temperament and behaviors than the employees at a pet store.
5. Buying from a pet store supports puppy mills- Regardless of the tale the salesperson tries to sell you -reputable breeders do NOT sell their puppies to pet stores. In fact reputable breeders are interested in placing their puppies in loving homes and in many situations require buyers to sign a contract agreeing to return the pet should their be any issues down the road. The main source of all puppies in pet stores are puppy mills aka commercial breeders. Due to the increased awareness of puppy mills and how they operate this fact alone should discourage everyone from buying a pet from a pet store.

In conclusion there are many, many reasons why pet stores are not a good place to purchase your next puppy. It is an unwise investment financially but you have to consider the bigger picture. Most people can handle a poor financial decision. In this case you may not only lose money but also suffer the heartache of falling in love with a puppy who is very likely to have issues that socialization, training and love cannot fix.

5 Reasons You Should NEVER Buy A Puppy From A Pet Store was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

• Keep Things Simple- If this is your first attempt at gardening you will want to keep things simple for the first season. You don’t have to have acres of land, in many cases window boxes or a small section of your yard will be sufficient to get started. Seasoned gardeners recommend starting out with no larger than an 8′x10′ plot of land to ensure you don’t overdue it the first time around.
• Know What To Grow- For everything there’s a season- this is especially true when considering your first garden. You need to know what you want to grow so you know when your produce is in season. Knowing what you want to grow in advance will also prevent going overboard your first season and planting more than you can harvest or use.
• Know How Much To Grow- Not only is it important to know how much your family will eat (or preserve) you must also know how much each plant will yield. The last thing you want is a garden that grows beyond your control within a few months. 

Garden Maintenance

Before you begin your new gardening venture you should understand that gardens are not a “set it and forget it” type of project. You will have to invest time, energy and a small amount of funds to get things going and maintain your project throughout the growing season. You may want to check with experienced farmers or gardeners in your area about the best time of year to plant your first crop, especially if you live in areas where you may experience a late frost. Many first timers base their planting season on the weather only to have all of their hard work and efforts undone by a late frost destroying their plants. Other things to consider and plan for in advance include: protecting your garden from wildlife and insect infestation, proper fertilization and adequate water supplies to support your crop.

 There are many rewards that can be reaped from your gardening efforts. You will likely see savings in your grocery bill as time goes on as well as the health benefits from having total control over your produce. In many cases gardening can become a labor of love with the “process” becoming a much enjoyed hobby in addition to the harvest at the end of the season.

Cut Your Grocery Costs by Planting Your Own Garden was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

What Is A Consignment Store?

A “consignment store” is simply another term for a second-hand store that offers used goods at a lower cost than the same item purchased new. Consignment stores differ from thrift stores or rummage sales because they tend to offer items that are very gently used or in like new condition.

Where Do Items Originate?

Items for sale in a consignment store come from consignors who bring items into the store for review and resale. The store owner or consignee will select which items they will carry in their store for resale at a fraction of the cost as the same item purchased new. The consignor will then receive a portion of the profit when the item sells. In some cases items are bought “outright” in which case the store owner will review the product and offer the seller a lump sum payment for the items. By “selling-outright” the need for further contractual ties are eliminated. 

How Do You Save Money?

The best thing about consignment stores is the fact that items are carefully reviewed before they are placed for sale. While you should still carefully check clothing or toys for damage you will likely find a higher quality of merchandise from which to chose versus a yard sale or rummage sale. Some stores will stock only certain merchandise, for example you may find a store that specializes in children’s clothes, maternity clothes or professional wear.

You Can Make Money Too.

Now that you understand how consignment stores operate and the money that you can save by shopping at these locations, you should also consider making money by selling to consignment stores. Are you able to look in your closet and find items that you “just had to have” yet you have rarely if ever worn?   Also, if you have children you know how fast they grow out of clothing and in many cases clothes from last season may have only been worn one or two times before they are no longer useful. By selling these items you can make money and free up space in your closet for all the great deals you find while shopping at consignment stores.

Consignment Stores Are Gaining In Popularity was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

What is a recession?

A recession is when there is a decline in industrial production, employment, real income, and wholesale-retail trade that lasts for six months or more. It spells trouble for all of us. Sometimes it’s hard making ends meet in the best of times, but trying to raise a family in the midst of a recession is doubly hard to do. It helps to stay optimistic in this type of a situation. We can tighten our belts a little and still share some quality time together as a family. Tough economic times call for finding ways to cut down on spending, but not on activities, even when we’re on a budget. After doing a little bit of research I’ve come up with a few ideas that may help to weather this recessional storm.

Saving Money in the Kitchen

There are lots of ways to cut back including in the kitchen so let’s start there. First, get rid of all prepared meals. Aside from being too expensive, they are loaded with excessive fat, sugar, salt and all kinds of preservatives. These are things that your family doesn’t need. Plan wisely and schedule specific meals for each day of the week. Do your grocery shopping once a week and get exactly what you need for each meal. Try going meatless twice a week. Do a little research and find recipes for low cost meals that you can make like pasta and vegetables or a home made veggie pizza. These are nutritious meals and won’t cost a lot of money.

Saving Money When Traveling

Even when arranging for a vacation or just family time together, put a schedule in place so that you don’t miss a minute of fun. Check with the local visitor’s bureau in your city and see what attractions they offer. Some cities sponsor summer festivities for a minimal fee or no cost at all. Spend the day at a local park; take along Frisbees, a baseball and bat and maybe even a set of horseshoes. Stop by your local public swimming pool one day for an afternoon of aquatic games. Even pack a lunch to serve up after the swim, picnic style, at a nearby park. Everyone develops an appetite after a day of sun and fun. This is an ideal way for a family to spend a day together. The next day, spend the afternoon watching a movie in your local theatre. If you get there early, you can get the matinée price. It’s another great way to spend the day, and see a great movie in the process.

Saving Money on Pampering

After this much activity, you deserve to pamper yourself a little. If you like to read, don’t go out and spend money on a new best seller, join your local library and read all of the books you want for free. Also, stock up on some inexpensive candles and some aromatherapy bath beads (you can get them at the dollar store) and treat yourself to a relaxing soak in the tub. If you close your eyes, you can pretend you’re at a fancy spa. You’ll feel any stress that you may have acquired from the long day begin to melt away.

You can find ways to cut back on spending and not on activities, it just takes a little bit of strategy and imagination. So plan to cut back, have fun and make some great memories to treasure for years to come.

Living In A Recession was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Here are 7 tips for creating a more efficient environment at home when you rent:

Start with the Lights

Changing the lightbulbs in your home is certainly one thing you can do to increase your energy efficiency and save you some cash. You want to start with the lights that are the most often used. Replace the bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs that use less energy and will last 6-10 times longer than a regular light bulb. As you can afford to buy more CFL’s, you should work toward placing all the lights in your home. Also remember it is important to teach the kids about turning off unused lights when they leave the room. You may only be saving a little at a time but the savings will certainly add up.

Check the Outlets

There is a good chance if you went around your home and checked out the electrical outlets, you will find that there are several plugs throughout the house that can be unplugged because you are not using the item. Even when items are turned off but remain plugged in, there is still energy being used. This includes battery chargers, game systems and the like. You should also get into the habit of switching off any power strips when not in use.

Conserve in the Shower

Many landlords will permit small changes to be made in your living space. One thing you can invest in to help save money and conserve water is a new low-flow shower head. Once the shower head is in place, work on limiting your shower time to ten minutes or less.

Move The Furniture

If your home has radiators or central heat, you need to make sure that your furniture is arranged in such a way that does not interfere with the circulation of air. If you use radiators for heat, put a piece of reflective material between the wall and the radiator so the heat is reflected around the room and not sink directly into the wall.

Do the Work to Heat and Cool

In the summer months, keep your window shades and curtains drawn to keep cool air in and heat out. Then do the opposite in the winter months – keep the drapes open during the day to absorb the heat from the sun and closed at night to keep out the cold air.

Wash In Cold

Save energy and money by washing your laundry in cold water and using the correct water level for each load you wash. You also want to wash as full a load as possible each time instead of smaller ones. You can save thousands of gallons of water just waiting a few days for laundry to pile up.

Hang Your Laundry

If your home has a washer and dryer, don’t use the machines to do all of the work. Make a space to hang wet clothing or but them on the radiators to put moisture back in the air during the winter months. When you do use the dryer, make sure to clean out the lint regularly to prevent fires and to aid in drying.

7 Tips for Saving Money As a Renter was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Demystifying Flexible Spending Plans.

Also called a flex plan or reimbursement account, a FSA is an employer-sponsored benefit that allows you to pay for eligible expenses on a pre-tax basis. Eligible expenses include medical expenses not covered by your current health insurance such as deductibles, office visits, etc; as well as child or dependent care expenses. If you employer offers this plan and you anticipate incurring any of these expenses you should be taking advantage of this valuable benefit.

How does a Flexible Spending Plan benefit me?

Contributions made to your FSA are deducted from your pay before your Federal, State, and Social Security Taxes are deducted which means they are not reported to the IRS. This results in your taxable income decreasing while your spendable income is increased. You could potentially save hundreds or thousands of dollars by participating in the plan.

How does an FSA Work?

If you are planning on taking advantage of this valuable benefit from your employer, they will ask you at the beginning of the plan year (usually January 1^st) how much you would like to contribute for the year. There are limits for both medical and dependent care plans so you will have a guideline regarding how much you are allowed to contribute. Once you determine how much you are contributing you can expect to see equal deductions taken from your paycheck each pay period for the plan year. That money is set aside in an account by your employer for reimbursement throughout the year as you pay for medical or dependent costs not covered elsewhere.

When determining how much you would like to contribute for the year you should take a close look at your previous medical or dependent care needs. Some people think by contributing the maximum amount they are safe, however this benefit is a use-it-or-lose-it type of benefit. If at the end of the plan year you have not used all the money that you have had deducted you will have to forfeit the remaining amount. Individual companies set the limit for medical care accounts, while dependent care accounts have a strict Federal limit of $5,000 per family. That means if each parent participates in a FSA plan the limit for BOTH persons cannot exceed $5,000 combined.

In a time where many families are struggling to get by, it is imperative to understand benefits available to you at your workplace. If you have any questions about what type of benefits are available to you or how they work, make the effort to contact your human resources department to get a better understanding how these benefits can help you and your family.

Are You Getting The Most From Your Employee Benefits? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

• Empowering Mom: Wow, apparently being a work-at-home entrepreneur can induce a great deal of envy! Don’t let envious people get you down.
• The Frugal Duchess: Here are some great personal lessons that we can take from the Obama campaign and presidential election process.
• No Credit Needed: Today is your day. Don’t wait until January 1st to make your resolutions and get your finances in order!
• I’m In Debt: Here’s a great set of resources that should help you save money on your Christmas shopping expeditions.
• Discover Debt Freedom: What are some ways to avoid incurring credit card late fees?

The Digerati Life Presents: Carnival of Personal Finance #178 was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Don’t Take Money Out of Your 401K Account Early!  A large number of people are taking money from their 401K accounts because they’re “losing” money in them.  While you may be watching the numbers go down, the market will recover eventually.  Taking money out early results in high penalty fees as well as having to pay income tax on that money at tax time.  If you really don’t trust your 401K account will recover before it’s time for you to retire – you should at least be considering moving the money into another approved investment that won’t cost you the early withdrawal penalty – just keep in mind, if your employer matches your contributions, you will miss out on that “free money”.

Save Money the Old Fashioned Way.  Even though things are tight, you want to continue to save money.  Banks are insured by the government up to a certain amount (typically $100,000).  If you aren’t confident in the stock market or other investments at this time, take the safe route and save money in a traditional bank or even in a jar at home (but you give up even the small percentage you could be earning in a traditional bank; or the 3-4% you could earn on your money with an online bank).  Just be sure to be setting money aside.

Reduce Your Living Expenses.  Use less water, turn the heat down, buy groceries on sale, cut back on your entertainment expenses.  Skip things you don’t really need and apply that money to paying off debt or savings.  Now is the time to reduce expenses so the money you’re earning can be put to better use and go further.  Avoid using credit cards at all costs, and concentrate on learning to live within your means.

Work Hard to Eliminate Debt. Whether you are concerned you may lose your job or have faith in your job security, it’s a good time to establish a plan to getting out of debt – once and for all!  Try the Pyramid or snowball method to get out of debt.  If your credit is good, consolidating with a loan may be a good option for you.

It’s never in anyone’s best interest to panic, but with all that’s happening in the financial world it’s a good idea to take some action and put yourself in the best possible financial position.

Never a Better Time to Become Frugal was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Here is a list of 5 money lessons to remember about your personal finances.

1. Automobiles

Buy a used automobile and plan to drive it for ten years to save yourself thousands of dollars, compared to what you would spend buying new. If you must buy new, make sure you are prepared to put down at least 20% down on the vehicle you want and only agree to a monthly payment that is less than 10% of your income. Never finance your new car for longer than four years in order to keep your spending under control.

2. Student Loans

Students may not always know what they will be after graduation but many of them will at least have an idea of what field they would like to enter once out of school. A good rule of thumb for student loan borrowing is to borrow only around the amount you can expect to earn during your first year of work. Planning for college should include planning to prevent debt. Lenders will be happy to let you borrow a lot of money but you need to see the reality of how much and how long it will take to pay back a student loan.

3. Home Mortgages

If you plan to buy a home, you need to figure out if you can afford to purchase the home at a 30 year fixed interest rate. If you can not, you simply can not afford the house. Especially now, in light of the multitude of foreclosures around the country, it is much more financial sound to use the 30 year fixed term than to deal with alternative types of mortgages such as interest-only loans.

4. Emergency Funds

Your ideal number for an emergency fund should equal about three month’s worth of your total living expenses. This emergency fund money can be used in the event of a lost job or other crisis. Until you are able to sock away that amount of cash to have on hand, you should keep room on a credit card or other line of credit in the event something unexpected should happen until you are able to save up the amount of money equal to your three month’s income.

5. Positioning Your Money

Everyone always wants to know how to divide their financial priorities. It seems the order of importance is retirement funds, paying off credit cards, followed by emergency savings fund. Planning for your future should be your top financial priority and the earlier you begin saving the better off you will be. Repaying your credit card debt should be the second most important priority, especially when interest rates are so high and your debt is affecting the rest of your finances. Lastly, your emergency fund should continue to grow in the event something happens without warning, such as health problems, job loss, or even home repairs.

Serious debt can be overwhelming, that’s why you need to seek professional debt advice to get yourself back on your feet as soon as possible. There are various debt solutions available, like an IVA, debt consolidation, bankruptcy or debt management. Get debt help now to find out which one is right for you and start getting out of debt now!

5 Quick Money Lessons to Learn Now was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

 Avoid Bad-Quality Items No Matter the Cost

While it can be so tempting to buy merchandise that you can find cheaper, it is not always the best idea. Items that are made from poor quality, cheap materials may not be as durable as a more expensive counterpart. In an effort to save money, it is totally illogical to end up spending more money to replace the low quality item you purchased but can not use. Buying merchandise of quality for a higher price will result in less instances of having to replace the item down the road. Plus the total cost of the investment for replacement is most likely going to exceed the price of the original, higher quality item.

 Purchase Only What You Need

It may seem like a good idea to by food and other household items in bulk as a way of saving money. The problem lies when the amount of the items you buy can not possibly be used by just your family. Perishable items will go bad before you can use them. In the event you purchase a new item in bulk that you have never tried before and you end up hating it, you will either be out the cash you spent on the purchase or faced with the task of trying to sell it yourself if it can not be returned. Save bulk purchases for items with a long shelf life or that never spoils such as toilet paper or cleaning products.

 Stay Away From Items You’ll Never Really Use

Many consumers are guilty of spotting an incredible, one-in-a-lifetime deal that they just can not refuse to take advantage of. However, after the excitement of the best discount ever, they soon discover they have absolutely no use for a 12 slot toaster oven with radio/alarm clock. Despite the many good deals stores are offering, it is a must that you control your urge to make purchases you really don’t need in order to remain true to your frugal self.

 Do Not Always Let Prices Always Affect Your Decision

From a personal perspective, this rule of thumb has always been part of my firm frugal beliefs. My mom always said “if you’re going to eat, get it” whenever I held up something pleadingly in the grocery store. I still feel the same way. As a shopper of dollar and thrift stores, I admit there are some substitutions I will not make. While my spouse will often put back an item in favor of a cheaper version that I know will not taste the same or work as well, I always end up making the statement “if you’re going to eat it, get it”. My family knows that I will get angry should I discover something wasted. I don’t mind spending the extra cents to get a better quality product, but I will also be sure my money is well spent.

Being Frugal Doesn’t Mean Overlooking Quality was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Another area where big savings can be found is with insurance policies. People often have the same coverage and policies for years on their home and vehicles. Take some time to see what you are paying for during a time you don’t feel pressured to get insurance. See if there are any areas of the policy that should be updated or removed. Information changes all of the time. Schedule a brief meeting with your insurance agent and make sure you are not paying money for something that doesn’t even apply to you.

Smaller reviews can help save in big ways too. Are you still getting a TV Guide in the mail every month? In the age of digital and satellite cable services, the TV Guide may not even be relevant to your technology. Take inventory of what magazines you actually read and how many are piling up in a corner of your house. Cancel anything you don’t use and donate the magazines to a local library, elementary school, or nursing home.

As you begin to see what little things can make a difference, keep a list of the items you should review periodically. Also, it is important to remember that you are spending your hard-earned money on these extraneous services so don’t be shy when it comes to contacting the companies to cancel their services. Don’t let them talk you into staying no matter what kind of deal they offer. If you are not using it, get rid of it!

You don’t even have to cancel your services to save money. You can look at new packages and bundles from other companies, such as the att bundles offered. I recently dropped my Midcontinent package and picked up one of the ATT Satellite TV Deals then saved even more money with one of the new ATT Phone Deals.

CANCEL UNUSED SERVICES – GET BIG SAVINGS IN THE BANK was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

• Your Finish Rich Plan talks about the OverDraft Fee Ripoff.  I avoid overdrafts all together by using the checking account through IngDirect.
• Debt Free gives us the Top 10 Part Time Evening Jobs.
• Happy Rock is giving away a $50 SmartyPig card… I want it for my SmartyPig account!
• Single Guy Money and his Vacation Savings Account.

The Carnival of Personal Finance #156 has been published was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Camping is a great way to get away from it all, turn off the television, and have fun. It does not cost much money to rent a campsite and even if you have never gone before, supplies are quite reasonable. A family-sized tent can cost as low as $30. There is a large selection of tent sizes and styles available to suit any family’s budget. Sleeping bags are good to have but are not required. You can designate some old bed sheets and blankets to use in the tent instead. Bring enough to keep everyone warm. Roll them up and tie them with a piece of string or twine to aid in packing.

Food can be taken right from your pantry. Coolers are relatively inexpensive. You may want to have two coolers. A smaller one will be easier to cart on a hike or if you take a walk to the lake. To make things easier, cook some dishes beforehand and pack them in the cooler in airtight containers. Consider that you will have to reheat the food over an open fire unless you have a camp stove so only bring simple dishes that will reheat easily. Snack foods and drinks are especially important, especially if the weather is hot or you plan to do a lot of outdoor activities. Remember to bring plenty of extra storage bags that seal well to store the leftovers in the cooler. You may also want to bring an extra storage container to store any non-cooler foods otherwise the raccoons and chipmunks will be dining well at your expense. This is also very important if there are even larger animals in the area who have been known to raid campsites (ie:bears!)

Depending on the age of your children, consider what activities are available at each campground. A swimming pool, park, or schedule activities may be a good option to keep the kids entertained. More rustics campgrounds may offer fishing, boating, nature trails, or biking trails as the only activities. Bring along some things to keep kids amused but encourage everyone to try something new and have fun in the great outdoors.

Make a checklist before you leave and list them by categories such as health and beauty, food, clothing, eating utensils, and so on so you don’t forget anything. Camp stores prices will be comparable to convenience stores so it’s more cost-effective to bring what you need. Designate jobs to each family member. Even the littlest kids can help hunt firewood and everyone will feel they have participated. Enjoy a rare few days tuning in to the world around you and those you love. Whatever you do, don’t forget the most important thing – Marshmallows!

Pitch A Great Family Vacation was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

1. Wasted Memberships

After the New Year’s resolutions have died down, the average consumer who does not use the gym membership they signed on for will cost them on average, about $480 throughout the year. There may also be additional costs or penalties for cancelling memberships too early.

2. Lunch Hour Dine-Outs

You could typically save yourself close to $2,500 a year by brown-bagging it tow work everyday. You can double that figure if both you and your spouse eat lunch outside of the office. Then tally up the school lunches for kids. Imagine instead putting that money into a high-interest savings account.

3. Vending Machine Cravings

By making a single purchase from a vending machine every work day, leaves you shelling out more than $260 a year. Keep a stash of snacks in your desk for the afternoon munchies and buy the items in bulk to save even more money, including bottled water and other drinks.

4. Morning Coffee

If you don’t make your joe at home, you can expect to pay out close to $400 a year on convenient cups of coffee instead of making it at home every day.

5. Pack of Smokes

The cost of cigarettes has been rising astronomically in recent months. A pack a day smoker can easily spend over $1600 a year for their habit. Spouse who smoke can double that figure.

6. Buying Alcohol

Stopping by the local happy hour each day can cost you close to $4000 and that’s just for beer. Doubt the amount if you splurge on mixed drinks.

7. Professional Manicures

Weekly manicures can add up to over $1,000 a year. Try to keep professional nail maintenance to once a month and just do it yourself the rest of the time.

8. Professional Car Detailing

Paying for professional car washes every month can add up to over $600 a year. Instead of procuring the services of a professional car cleaning service, do it all yourself. Washing and vacuuming at home can save you a lot of money. If you do not have the resources to clean up your vehicle in your driveway, drive over to the local do-it-yourself power wash garage where you can clean up for a couple of bucks.

8 Ways You Blow the Most Money was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

• Consider the ingredients in a Lunchable and similar items. Buy some of the same ingredients such as pepperoni, cheese, pretzel sticks and create your own. Buy some separated lunch containers with a lid that you can reuse over and over. Make sure they are not so expensive that you can’t afford to lose a few over the summer.

• Instead of plain old PB&J, use cookie cutters to create fun-shaped finger sandwiches. Choose a new flavor of jelly and try crunchy instead of smooth peanut butter as an alternative.

• Use the cookie cutter technique to get kids to eat tuna or egg salad sandwiches for variation.

• Keep a supply of sliced melons, oranges, carrot and celery sticks easily accessible to encourage healthy snacking.

• Keep other snacks like crackers and pretzels in sandwich bags. It makes it easy to grab on the go.

• Save containers from pudding, applesauce, and fruit cups and refill them instead of buying new items.

• Save microwave dinner containers and use them to freeze leftover dinners for lunches in the future.

• Buy kid-friendly frozen items like chicken nuggets and French fries that can be heated up fast and keep your family out of the fast-food joints.

• Have a make your own pizza contest using English muffins, sauce and toppings.

• In hot weather, appetites can get lighter. Keep a rotating supply of lunch meat or salad fixings to make a lunch that’s not too heavy.

• Make homemade popsicles using ice or pop trays with real juice for a refreshing treat

• Have a change of scenery. Take a picnic lunch to the park, lake, or even the backyard.

While it is important that kids eat the right foods, it’s also good to have fun with food. Gather your family and invent other fun ways to make lunch at home. Staying creative during the summer months will not only save you extra money, the whole family will have a blast as well.

Lunchtime Lessons: Cheap Fixin’s and Good Ideas was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

1. Replace your doors with weatherproof, insulated versions.  These doors offer 1.5 inch thick insulation and have been proven to keep in five times the amount of heat or cooling that a traditional wood door does.  The styles can match your home, whether you have a traditional style home or a contemporary home.  The prices range between $200 and $400 – but over the lifetime of the door you would see much more savings in your heating and cooling costs. 
2. Recycle rain water for gardening and outside water tasks.  There are specifically designed collection containers for doing this- that cost under $130 and are even outfitted with hose fittings, hand pumps and filters.  You can direct your home’s roof downspouts directly into the collection containers to harvest as much of this water as possible.  The water is better for your gardening than tap water, and it reduces your water bill as well as wasted water.
3. Create an all-natural windbreaker.    Planting rows of evergreen trees around your property border will help reduce the effect of wind blowing through and around your home- and therefore reduce the amount of your precious heating that gets carried away with it!  You’ll start experiencing savings within three to five years of planting the trees.
4. Install heavy draperies correctly.  In the winter, many families cover their windows with heavy drapes.  Not only does it help to keep the heat in and the drafts out; but it prevents people from peaking in, as well!  Along with the draperies, you’ll want to install window cornices on the top to prevent warm air from being sucked up like a vaccuum from the bottom of the draperies, cooled as it moves past the windows, and then spit out like air conditioning from the top!  The cornices will reduce the airflow that is pulled up from the back of the draperies, as will draperies that hang so that the bottoms just touch the floor.  Draperies hung correctly can save 25% of your heating and cooling bills.
5. If your home seems either freezing cold or scorching hot at various intervals of the day, it may be time to replace your thermostat.  Many older thermostats have trouble registering the actual temperature after the air conditioning system or heat has run for awhile and so the system runs longer than necessary.  An inexpensive thermostat replacement offers an easy way to conserve on  utility bills.

You Can Live More Green and Save More Green at the Same Time was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

1)  Get a Bank of America “Keep the Change” account.  Whenever you use your check card to make a purchase, the change is rounded up to the nearest dollar and debited from your checking/savings account.  The difference is deposited into a savings account for you.  So if you’re purchase comes to $11.50, the debit will be $12.00 and the extra .50 cents is placed into your savings account automatically.  When you’ve saved a substantial amount, you can move it to a higher interest savings option of your choice.

If you don’t want to use Bank of America, you could actually do this manually, but you will “realize” you’re saving a little more than if you use the automatic Keep the Change account of Bank of America.  Everytime you make a purchase, transfer the change to your savings account online.

 2) Use Upromise and connect it to all of your bank cards and credit cards.  Whenever you use your cards to make a purchase, you could be putting aside some savings offered through the Upromise network which can then be used towards a child’s education or placed in a 529 account.

3) Replace your lightbulbs with the energy saving ones.  They cost a bit more initially, but they last 5 to 10 times longer than a regular lightbulb and consume less electricity when turned on.  Turn off the lights, television and other electronics when they’re not being used, and replace appliances with the energy-saver versions whenever it’s time to buy new ones.  The money you save on your electric bill will be considerable; not to mention you’re helping the environment.

5) Let your car save you money.  If you properly inflate your tires you can increase your car’s fuel efficiency.  Changing your air filter and driving under 60 miles per hour all help your gas go further too, as does having a gas cap that fits properly (reduces the amount of gas that evaporates before it’s used).  None of these things require a ton of effort on your part; but will go a long way in saving you money.

How to Save Money Without Realizing You’re Saving It was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

1. Select a credit card that offers rewards that you’ll really use.  If you travel frequently, choose from reward credit cards that give you discounted flights, free hotel nights or discounted rental cars.  If you don’t travel, select one that offers cash back, gasoline rewards, or some other program that will give you something you’ll actually make use of in exchange for using the card. 
2. Figure out how much you earn on a monthly basis, and how much your expenses are.  In other words- figure out where your money goes and decide which of those monthly purchases could be made using the credit card.  Make as many of your monthly purchases using the same credit card as you can, and eliminate the need to write checks for each of your transactions.
3. Pay your credit card balance off in full at the end of every month to avoid finance fees and interest charges.  You’ll still accumulate the rewards based on the purchases for that month.
4. Using a credit card for the majority of your monthly expenses can reduce the number of checks you write, and reduce the number of transactions you keep track of in your check register- therefore, reducing the possibility of making a costly mistake in your check register (You’ll write one large check at the end of the month to cover your monthly expenses instead of multiple, smaller checks for each individual account).
5. A credit card statement offers a detailed transaction report to show you where your money is spent each month, making it easier to see where you can cut back on unnecessary expenses.

 Using this technique will not only build up the rewards you earn from your credit card fairly quickly and simplify your financial record keeping, but it can also allow you to earn some interest on your income before you write out the check to pay your expenses off at the end of each month.  Simply deposit all of your income into an interest earning checking or savings account until the day you write the check to pay off your credit card account, and you’ll be able to benefit from additional interest due to having the money in your account for a longer period of time.

Simplify Your Financial Record Keeping With a Credit Card was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

There’s no instant overnight cure for the common cold or flu. Before I continue, you should know that I am not a doctor these are just the things that I have found to be true and make use of in my life to get over the cold. Some people will suggest to you all sorts of tips and tricks about how they eliminate their cold and flu symptoms, but the only way to get over these infections is to let your body to the hard work. You just have to give your body the tools it needs so that it can get rid of the virus in your body. With plenty of fluids, a healthy diet, vitamin C and a good amount of rest you’ll get over a cold or the flu and a fraction of the time that you would otherwise.

If you have a cold, make sure to get at least 8 solid hours of sleep a night. Give your body the rest that it needs. Go to bed at least an hour earlier than usual and rest as much as possible. To get the vitamin C your body needs, there’s nothing better than a tall glass of good old fashioned orange juice. Make sure to drink a large glass of orange juice every day until you’re well again. You can get a gallon for just a couple of dollars at your nearest grocery store. You should also drink several glasses of water daily to give your body the fluid it needs.

For your diet while you’re sick, you should probably skip over fast food, candy bars and other junk for the time being. Simply eat balanced meals and make sure to hit all of the major food groups every day. Good nutrition will go a long way in making you healthy once again. I have found that the best way to ease my symptoms have been through simple plain-old-fashioned Tylenol (or anything else with acetaminophen in it). It goes a long way in helping ease the symptoms that are associated with a common cold.

The total cost of the American Consumer News cold treatment plan will end up being less than $5.00. No trips to the doctor or expensive medications, just good old fashioned Tylonel and orange juice in addition to having a balanced diet and sleeping a good amount. It’s that simple.

A Frugal Cure to the Common Cold was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

In order to reduce the amount of pennies you carry around with you or stash in a jar to roll later, just keep four pennies in your wallet at all times. That way, you can give the pennies when you make purchases and you’ll always get silver coins back. (Then you can roll the silver and make bigger deposits!) If your coffee and danish comes to $2.86 at the local convenient store, hand over a five dollar bill and a penny, and you’ll get $2 and instead of pennies, a nickle and a dime. At the end of the day, put all of your silver into a jar for your “rainy day” fund, and add four more pennies!

Bargain shopping online! Many people shop online- and especially during the holiday season. Don’t take the first total you get during your online checkout as the final word! Check around the net for coupon codes that will let you save shipping and/or 10% off your order. You’d be surprised how easy it is to find these codes (if you don’t do it already that is!) Using bargain shopping sites like fatwallet.com, bondrewards.com, Froogle, MyBargainbuddy.com and dealnews.com will help you stretch your online shopping dollars a little further.

Use the credit card company’s grace period. As long as you pay your credit card off in full each month, you can take advantage of the interest-free grace period and get yourself an interest free loan for a month. If your statement closes on the 22^nd of the month, you would buy your item on the 23^rd. The item won’t show up on the statement until the following month, and you usually have 10-20 days of “grace” period which means you get about 45 days of interest-free borrowing. Just be sure you know when the closing date is if you use this method.

All the non-monthly expenses need to be dealt with. Figure out how much you spend on the big, non-monthly expenses in a year’s time- things like holiday shopping, birthdays, property and school taxes, home owners insurance, auto insurance, vacation, car and home maintenance, etc. Take the total number and divide by the number of paychecks you get a year, and transfer that amount automatically (before your greedy mitts have a chance to use it!) to a high interest account, like ING Direct, with no minimums or fees. When it comes time to pay one of these non-monthly expenses, you should have the money available! If you don’t have enough money to pay your monthly expenses and these non-monthly expenses, you need to rework your budget!

Money Tricks and Tips You Should Be Using was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Almost everyone makes New Year’s resolutions, and almost everyone who does breaks them. If you could follow through on just a couple of these tips, you’ll absolutely start off the New Year more financially fit than you ended the previous year.

1. Be selfish- and pay yourself first. Is the money you earn spoken for before you get it usually? If you’re paying for expenses with every last cent of your money, you really need to think hard about your savings. If it helps, consider it a must-pay expense every month, and no matter what, make sure you pay yourself that $50 or $100 a month just like it was a creditor.

2. Decide what type of savings you need. Since you’re absolutely going to make sure you set aside a certain amount of money every single month, no matter what, you need to figure out where you will “set” that money. Consider online savings accounts with high interest, or automatic contributions into a mutual fund.

3. Cut back on junk. You know exactly what “junk” is. The gym membership you keep for the day you might go back to the gym to work out. That’s $19.99 a month you’re just throwing out the window if you don’t use it! Do you buy lottery tickets every week? Set that money aside and you’ll have better odds at winning.

4. Send extra money to your mortgage. If you’ve got a mortgage that doesn’t penalize for pre-payments, try to send an extra $50 to $100 with your payment each month towards the principal. You can easily save $50,000 or more. Even sending an extra $20 each month will make a huge difference on the amount you owe.

5. Refuse to pay late. If you fall behind on your bills and pay late fees more because you forget to send the payments before they’re due rather than not having enough money to send- set up automatic payments so you never have to worry about forgetting.

6. Throw away the credit cards. Stop using credit cards all together. You don’t need them. They’re robbing you with interest and finance fees and that money is better spent in a savings account that will eventually let you pay cash for the things you want rather than paying two to five times the original price after you make payments and get charged interest.

A Resolution You Must Keep: 6 Ways To Start Out the New Year Financially Fit was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

I’m not talking about the handful of change you might find under the couch cushions, either (although if you look and find money in there you may as well put it in your piggy bank!)  First, consider where your money is going.

Make a list of all the things you pay for each month: your car loan, insurance, house payments or rent, utility bills, gasoline, phones, etc.  At this point, you should see that you have money left over from your income after you pay each of these expenses- and you’re probably thinking that you definitely don’t have all of that money every month!

That’s normal.  You forgot to write down the “extras”.  Do you get a cup of coffee on your way to work every morning?  Do you grab lunch every afternoon someplace?  How often do you order take-out as a family or go out to dinner?  While you may think your coffee is only $1.50; if you get one cup a day, five days a week, you’re looking at  $7.50 a week, or $30 per month. (What about those of you who grab two cups of coffee out every day?!)  As a coffee adict myself, I would never recommend anyone skip their morning coffee- but it certainly makes financial sense to make the coffee at home and put it in a travel mug on your way to work!

Getting take out once or twice a week is common in many families.  If the average take-out dinner is $35 for the family and you did this just once a week- you’ve spent about $140!  Cut back the take-out to just once a month and save the rest and you’ll see a considerable difference in the amount of money you have available for saving each month.

The point of this exercise is to show you that there are places you spend money that you probably don’t think about, and could easily be altered to save that money.  What do you do with all of your loose change? Most people would find at the end of the week they’ve accumulated an extra $5 or so in change- or $20 a month.  Small change adds up when it’s saved, and if you’re looking to build a savings now for when you retire, getting into good habits will help you grow your savings faster.

You Do To Have $100 – $200 a Month That Could Be Saved was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Honda is selling their 2008 Honda Civic Sedan for $15,010 MSRP. The hybrid version of that vehicle, the ’08 Civic Hybrid Sedan retails for $22,600. For that extra $7,600 dollars, you’ll get an extra 11 miles per gallon of fuel economy. You might think that going from 34 MPG to 45 MPG would make a big difference, but the reality is that you would only use 72 more gallons of gasoline per year in the non-hybrid. If you were to drive an average of 10,000 miles per year and gasoline was at a fixed price of $3.00 a gallon, you would have to drive your new civic hybrid for a whopping 35 years before the cost would break even!

Out of all of the oil that the United States uses, it imports 58% of it from foreign countries. That’s a whopping 12 million barrels of oil imported each day. You can get around 18 useable gallons of gasoline from each barrel. The rest of that oil is used to create heating oil and other oil based products. That means we’re importing 78.8 billion gallons of gasoline each year. The 72 gallons that you would save a year are a drop in a very large bucket. Even if 1 million Americans chose a hybrid for their next vehicle, it would only decrease foreign oil dependency by less than 1%.

Switching to hybrid cars is not going to do anything particularly amazing to help the environment and won’t even be a drop in the bucket when it comes to reducing foreign oil dependence. Buying one won’t do your pocketbook any favors either. Until the technology develops to a point where the price between a hybrid model and a traditional gasoline engine becomes much lower, purchasing a hybrid vehicle just isn’t worth it.

Hybrid Cars are a Rip-Off and the People Who Buy Them Can’t Do Math. was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

When I was younger, I was a huge fan of the NBA. Whenever a new superstar came along, it would be inevitable that they sign on with some athletic company to market a pair of fancy sneakers to their fans. First with was Michael Jordan with Air Jordan’s, then it was Shaquille O’Neal, Grant Hill, and the list goes on. These shoes can often cost upward of $100 for a pair, but if you buy a pair of athletic shoes for that price, you’re wasting your money. There are plenty of shoes for far less money that are better for you as an athlete, and some of them are even endorsed by popular sports stars.

The British Journal of Sports medicine recently did a study as to whether or not it made sense to purchase these expensive branded shoes, and they found almost categorically that it made no difference whether you bought the $15.00 pair of Converse shoes or a $100.00 pair endorsed by some major celebrity. In some cases they found that the inexpensive shoes provide much better support for the sole, heel, forefoot and big toe!

If you’re looking for a high quality pair of sneakers endorsed by a superstar, Stephon Marbury endorses a pair of NBA quality speakers which cost just $15.00. The reason Marbury endorsed a pair of shoes at such a low price is because he believed that many urban African-American children wanted to get high-quality basketball shoes, but just didn’t have the money to get them, thus the “Starbury” line of shoes were born.

There are four different models of the Starbury. The Starbury One is the pair of shoes that Stephon Marbury wears on the court and retail for $14.98. He also markets a pair of cross-trainers for $9.98, a retro pair of shoes called the Cyclone for $9.98, and a pair of high-tops called Starbury SXM for just $9.98. Those prices sound a lot nicer on the wallet than $70 or $80 for a pair of shoes endorsed by some other celebrity!

Don’t Waste Your Money. Get NBA Quality Sneakers for $15.00. was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The weather that the United States has been having this fall has been ironic if nothing else. Some parts of the country have more water than they know what to do with mean while others are droughts and record low amounts of rain. If you’re in part of the country that just doesn’t have enough water to go around, there are some things that you can do to significantly lower your individual water usage in and around your home.

Get a Low Flow Showerhead – Nobody enjoys a shower with a traditional low flow shower head and without a good shower chair, they just don’t do good enough job at rinsing us off, however a new low flow technology has been invented which feels like a full shower with a good shower chair but uses substantially less water than a traditional shower. The way it works is that the head injects air bubbles inside of the water that flows down upon you, and these new shower heads are cheap! You can get them for less than $50 and the return on investment is just a matter of months.

Get Energy Smart Appliances – Don’t go out and throw away your old appliances, but the next time you are going to purchase a washer, dryer, dishwasher, or any other appliance that uses water, look for one that’s energy star compliant and uses a lower amount of water than other appliances of the same class.

Optimize Your Toilet – There are a number of European toilet designs which use a significantly less amount of water than the traditional toilets we have in the United States. Consider one of those as an option, or if you don’t want to replace your toilet, just throw a brick into the tank to displace some of the water for each flush.

Get a Desert Lawn – In the south western part of the United States, especially in desert places such as Las Vegas, some individuals try to keep up a full lawn of green grass, but this just isn’t feasible. It simply places too high of a demand on the water supply that the city has. The Las Vegas strip only uses 3% of the city’s water demand, the vast majority of it is from home-owners with green lawns. If you’re in this situation, consider moving to a more arid-friendly landscape.

Lobby at City Council – There are a lot of things that cities as a whole can do to reduce their water usage. There are grey water systems that they can make use of which partially treated waste water to water lawns and provide other irrigation and can reduce a city’s water consumption by 30% or 40%. City’s can also implement urinals which do not use water in public facilities that will decrease water usage.

How to Cut Back Substantially On Your Water Bill was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

There are no state or federal laws which require the leasing company to tell you the effective interest rate you are paying on your vehicle, and often times you are paying much more than you need to. With a traditional loan you could simply refinance it if you were stuck in a bad loan. It turns out that you can do the same thing with car leases if you have reasonably good credit. You will likely be able to refinance your lease, end up paying less on a monthly basis and even get out of the lease earlier. If you have a credit score of 720 or above and have a car lease, checking into refinancing your lease is definitely worthwhile.

There’s a website specifically designed to help people out in this situation. LowerMyLease.com will help you figure out whether or not it makes sense for you to refinance your lease and help you get the loan to make that happen.

They have a guide on their website which discusses the process:

1. Call your current lender and ask them for your current payoff without sales tax.
2. Check the current odometer reading on the vehicle, and pull out your original window sticker for the vehicle. It’s most probably in the glove box or with your orginal lease contract.
3. To find out your new payment options, select your vehicle and enter the current payoff amount and mileage.
4. If you find a new payment or term you like, then submit your credit application and get pre-approved. Here are some things to consider when re-leasing:
o A lower payment for any selected term
o The same payment for a shorter term
o A lower residual value which gives you more options during and at the end of the lease
5. We’ll re-write your lease with the new lease program you selected. The leases offered on LowerMyLease.com are from national financial institutions that you may already be doing business with.
6. New lease contracts are printed and sent to you for review.
7. Upon your approval, sign and overnight them back to us in the envelope provided.
8. We pay off your current lease and your new re-lease begins!

LowerMyLease.com has come up with a great service to help you get a better deal on the lease that you’re stuck in. It won’t always be a better deal, but it’s definitely worth checking into if you drive a leased vehicle.

Stuck in a Car Lease? Refinance and Save Big. was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

It turns out that razor blades do not get dull because we use them to shave! So why do razor blades get dull? It’s actually because of the moisture in the shaving cream and the water that we make use of that makes them dull. We shave with a razor, rinse it off, put it back in its case, and go on with life. Each time we use it more water collects on the razor blade, causing oxidation and thus a microscopic form of rusting which causes the blade to become dull.

It only makes sense that if we make a point to dry off our razor blades after making use of them that they will last much longer. Simply dry off your razor blade with a towel after making use of it or better yet a blow-dryer to be sure to remove all moisture. Your razor blades will go from being dull after just a few days to staying sharp for several months.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that I can usually get a razor blade to last for our five months ago while remaining reasonably usable. Consumer advocate Clark Howard once discussed how he blots his 17 cent razor blades with a towel to try them and that a single blade has lasted him for almost a year!

Don’t let Gillette and Schick keep ripping you off. By drying your razor blades after each use with a towel or a razor you can easily reduce the amount of money you pay in razor blades to $5.00 a year!

Gillette and Schick are Ripping You Off. Never Pay for another Razor Again. was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

What Protection Do You Have? – Before putting an item up for auction or bidding on any auction item on any auction site, make sure you understand how the auction works, and what the obligations and rights you have as a buyer and a seller. Make yourself familiar with the fraud protection that the auction sites offer. eBay offers a buyer protection service for $25.00 which will pay you up to $200 for items that you win and never receive, or that you do receive and have been misrepresented. Unfortunately, this doesn’t cover high-ticket items.

Research What You’re Bidding On – When you bid on an auction site, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting the best deal. Always make sure you know exactly what you’re bidding on, and make sure that you can’t get the same item at Wal-Mart or an online retailer for less money.

Bid Cautiously – Before bidding on an item, ask any questions that you have about the item that you don’t know the answer to. Make sure the item has some good photos, and that there’s a solid description of what you’re getting. If the item is being sold “as is”, it’s likely to be broken when it arrives. Make sure the seller has had a very positive feedback rating (at least 98% positive). Get the contact information of the seller and their physical address, and verify them by calling and seeing if they gave you their real information. It’s probably best to bid on items only from people in your country so that you have a better chance to go after them if there’s a problem with the auction.

When You’re Selling Items – It might be best to accept money by PayPal only. Often times cashier’s checks, personal checks, and money orders that you receive are fraudulent. The bank may even cash them and say they’re good, even when they are fake! You might not know it’s a bad check until months later. If you do receive money by PayPal, login to your account and make sure the money’s actually there. Sometimes fraudsters will send a fake email that looks like it’s from PayPal purporting that a payment has been sent. It’s probably also a good idea only to allow bidders from your country of origin so that the item isn’t half-way around the world and you have no recourse if a problem arises.

When Paying with a Credit Card – If you have the option to, use PayPal to pay if you’re going to use your credit cards. If you deal directly with the merchant and give them you’re number, they’ve got it as long as your card is good. You certainly don’t want them to have your credit card number if you have no idea who the seller is. The down-side of using PayPal is that you waive your rights to issue a chargeback, which also puts you out of luck if the seller fails to send the merchandise.

Consider an Escrow Service – If you’re bidding on a rather large item, say more than $1000, use an escrow service. An Escrow Service is an intermediary which will hold your payment until you have received the item, and then after you are satisfied with it, release those funds to the seller. Don’t let the other party suggest an escrow service that you’ve never heard of before, likely it’s a scam for them to take your money. Instead use a reputable escrow service such as Escrow.com and SafeFunds.com that are well established. You can look at Escrow-Fraud.com for a list of fraudulent escrow services. You’ll pay a small fee to use the escrow service, but it’s well worth it.

If a Problem Arises – First, try resolving the issue with the seller (or buyer). If you can’t resolve the dispute, then contact the auction site and your credit card company. Finally, if those two avenues don’t work, make a report to the FTC and the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

How to Protect Yourself from eBay Fraud was created by and is property of American Consumer News.