Where To Find Post-Christmas Bargains...

It's the day after Christmas 2012, and if you're like me, you are looking for the post-Christmas Day bargains that you weren't able to find prior to the biggest spending occasion of the year. And being early morning as I write and post this piece, you are probably chomping at the bit to dash out the door to hit the ground running to look for bargains. According to retail industry experts, many retailers have already begun slashing the prices of in-stock merchandise in preparation to make room to seasonal inventory. That's a boon for customers looking for deep-cut bargains.
Taking some time to search the 'net will pay for itself insomuch as bargains. Sites like Afterchristmas2012.com are a good start.
In addition, I have taken the liberty to post whom has, and where to find the best after-Christmas Day bargains.
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Target is also offering great deals on Christmas day online along with their after Christmas sale. Target is giving away a $10 gift card when your purchase is $75 or more. This store has deals in all their departments with an emphasis on electronics with great deals on all the gadgets you might have wanted for Christmas, but didn’t get.
Target: Promo code for your $10 gift card is XMASGIFT (this is good for online only).

Best Buy is also making preparations to get in on the post-Christmas sales rush. The troubled electronics retailer is featuring several big deals, including a bargain on the Galaxy Note II, which is dropped in price to $249.99 when you sign-up for a two-year activation. Best Buy is rolling out all types of sales and deals for the day after Christmas both in the store and online. This sale starts on Dec. 26, and continues for four days. In addition to the bargains being offered by the major retailers, bargain-hunters can get even more possible savings by searching out coupons and/or promotional codes.

Kohl’s department store is offering Gold star clearance items at between 60-80% off.

Amazon.com is boasting 60% off select books (my personal favorite past time) titles.

Gordon’s Jewelers is hosting up to 70% off on clearance items – plus an extra 20 percent off if you buy online More than 1,000 pieces have been discounted for this sale, including engagement rings.

In addition, sites like Coupons.com tend to have a line on coupons which can be printed out and used in many online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
Naturally this isn't an exhaustive list of after-Christmas deals.  However, it does illustrate the point that taking a few moments to research where the best deals are can save both money and the wear-and-tear on the seat of your pants as you kick yourselves for spending more than you should.

Public Service Announcement - Beware of Red Light Traffic Cameras!

This is one of those experiences that I have had the displeasure of having to learn about, pretty much the hard way. It’s not so much an instruction in how to save money as it is a PSA in how to avoid having it siphoned out of your pockets.
Years ago, when I was helping my sister move to the South, I was trailing to her new digs in a rented moving truck. At one particular intersection, my sister had rolled through a light cycle in the process of going from green to red. She blow through the yellow light as it was preparing to change to red, followed closely by me. However, I failed to make the light, and came pretty close to running it. I actually had to back up to the light, after having made it a few feet into the intersection.
One day a couple of week later, after I had made it back home back up North, I went to my mailbox and opened up an official-looking letter from the government of a local municipality in Georgia; it was a computer-generated a traffic ticket time stamped with a date, time, and a picture of the license plate of the rental truck I had helped move my sister in. Needless to say, I was both surprised and livid. I remember thinking, If I had known that I would get a ticket for running a red light that I hadn’t actually ran, I would have just ran it and paid for my ignorance of traffic-enforcement practices in other regions of the country. Actually, “traffic enforcement” is more of an acknowledgment of red light traffic cameras being ostensibly used to “ensure safety at certain dangerous intersections;” in most cases, these devices are about revenue enhancement for local municipalities. And for those in denial of this, consider the findings of the National Motorist Association (NMA). According to the nonprofit motorist interest group, “cities are trimming the timing on yellow lights so they skip right to red” on red light cameras “to increase their camera revenues" (Shorter Yellow Lights Mean More Red-Light Revenue).
In fact, local municipalities have become so focused on the using these devices to obtain money from motorists that they have started using more creative schemes to leverage the effectiveness of the cameras. In Oakland, California, the noticeable 56% decrease in traffic violations (and resulting ticket revenues) after the yellow light on the city’s traffic cameras had been extended by a full second made “police department officials…irate.” After pressure from the city’s police department and officials from Redflex Traffic Systems—the Australian-based company which has contracts with most municipalities throughout the country using these devices—the yellow light on the traffic camera lights were subsequently to increase revenues back to previous levels.
Using Oakland as an example of how this system works, “the city's cut of each $480 ticket is about $160 after the state and county governments take their share.” Redflex, seeking to maximize profits from its exclusive contracts with the cities using these devices, exerts occasional pressure on local municipalities seeking to regulate the devices in ways which might limit revenues as they had done so in Oakland (“Oakland, California Raises, Then Shortens Yellow Time for Revenue”).
According to the  NMA, "Chicago’s yellow lights last three seconds -- even where traffic is going more than 40 miles an hour. Bowman says the city earns more than $70 million a year from red light cameras.
And even without the creative measures to increase the chances that motorists might have to shelve out money because of these devices, in many cases motorists are erroneously cited for engaging in innocent driving practices.
In Cary, North Carolina, police were forced to "review 17 red light cameras across town after citizens complained that they were being wrongfully fined" ("Cary Investigating Red Light Cameras After Drivers Wrongfully Fined")
And with revenues being so creatively maximized by the use of these devices, don't look forward to their going away anytime soon.
The best advice I can give those who might find themselves at risk of having to shelve our their hard-earned money encountering these devices is to be aware of cities and towns where they are in use.
If at all possible, try to avoid intersections where it's know these devices are known to be installed.
In most intersections where red-light cameras are in use, these areas as usually clearly marked as camera-enforcement zones...be aware and slow down as a way of preparing for short yellow lights.

Saving money means more than knowing when and how to look for a bargain...it also means being aware schemes in place to meant to separate you from your money!

Interview: A Military Boot Camp For Your Money

Service members are known for their discipline and their ability to stay cool under fire. Veteran and financial planner Steve Repak says those skills are crucial to managing everyday finances. Yesterday on National Public Radios's Tell Me More, he speoke with host Michel Martin about his book, "Dollars and Uncommon Sense: Basic Training for Your Money." Listen to the short program below (even I learned a thing or two).

Making Food Last Longer!

As a Generation Xer, my thoughts and outlooks on the way of doing most things would pretty much categorize me as Old School. That being the case, I can remember growing up in the 70’s and watching my mother actually can fruits, going through the process of boiling, making wax, and sealing the food up for later usage. Rarely today do I see or even hear of people going through such lengths to get the most out of the food we buy…not unless they belong to some fringe militia group or survivalist preparing for next month’s Mayan Apocalypse.
At any rate, I got the idea to post a little primer on storing perishable foods for the long-term while watching NBC’s The Today Show last Saturday morning (I’m not afraid to admit that even I learned something watching). I invite you to view the video of that topic below:

When A "Free" Credit Report Isn't Free!

A few years back, I had attempted to obtain a copy of my credit report. This was shortly after the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 had been signed into law. If you’re not familiar with this law, it requires the three major credit reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and Trans-Union—to provide you with 1 free copy of your credit report a year upon request.
But when I had tried to obtain a copy of my credit reports online during the early years of this then new law, I had found it was a case of if being easier-said-than-done. One of these agencies wanted me to provide them with a list of the creditors that I owed, which was a ridiculous requirement seeing as how my entire purpose for getting a copy of my report was that I was trying to find out everyone I owed money to. Another used a loophole in marketing and hard salesmanship to—although the credit report itself was “free”—force me to check a box as a requirement to obtaining a copy of my report; the checked box was a forced agreement to try a trial subscription to a credit monitoring service for a monthly fee if it’s not cancelled in short order.
The first thing I thought about in dealing with this insanity was the old French proverb, “The only free cheese is found in a mousetrap.”
Whether they intend to or not, many of us are actually paying to get a copy of our individual credit reports, which by law are supposed to be given once a year for free when you ask. According to the Federal Trade Commission's 2006 Identity Theft Survey Report, 78% of people surveyed paid to obtain a copy of their “free” credit reports. Given my own experiences, I can see how and why that's more possible than not.
So, how do you get the free kind of credit report? You can go to AnnualCreditReport.com, call 877-322-8228 or fill out the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to:

Annual Credit Report Request Service,
P.O. Box 105281,
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

These are the only official channels to make a request for a free annual credit report. But if you're looking to get a copy of your credit report, financial experts are warning you to avoid the numerous websites that look to offer free reports, but then invite you to buy other related services. A 2007 Consumer Reports analysis found that out of 24 such sites, 9 were owned by or closely connected to TransUnion; 8 were either owned by or connected to Experian. Among such sites—many with the word “free” in their site domain name are:

Free3bureaucreditreport.com 

Freebiecreditreport.com 

Free-credit-reports.com 

Freecreditreportsinstantly.com 

Freecreditreport.com 

Thefreecreditreportsource.com. 

Creditreport.com 

Creditreporting.com 

Nationalcreditreport.com. 

The best advice is to just simply do your homework, and avoid jumping on to the first website that appears to offer you the change to obtain your entitled free credit report. Don’t be the mouse in the trap.

Look Out for (Hidden) Credit Card Surcharges

As if things weren’t bad enough with the average consumer having to diligently watch where every penny goes during these lean economic times, some retailers have began engaging in a questionable practice resulting in a slow nickel-and-diming of consumer’s bank and credit card accounts. As a result of the antitrust settlement reached earlier this year between credit card issuing banks and major retailers (discussed on an earlier posting: “The Higher Cost of Banking…and How To Avoid It”),some retailers have already started to instituting “checkout fees,” surcharges of $1 or $2 on purchases made with either debit or credit cards.

Retailers use these fees as a means of attempting to recoup processing fees levied in turn on them by the card issuing banks. Before the settlement, major card issuing banks such as Visa and Mastercard prohibited retailers from charging such fees. The sad part of this policy is that we shouldn’t expect it to go anywhere, anytime soon. In fact, it’s probably a safe bet—barring a major consumer revolt—that more and more retailers will start charging these fees in order to offset the costs they incur processing credit and debit card payments.
Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com offers some times for beating these surcharges at the register:

* ASK ABOUT ANY CREDIT/DEBIT CARD SURCHARGES BEFORE THE TRANSACTION.

* RETAILERS MUST DISCLOSE ANY SURCHARGES BEFORE THE TRANSACTION.

* IF THERE IS A SURCHARGE, DECLINE IT AND REQUEST ANOTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT. If necessary, cancel the transaction and shop somewhere else.

* REVIEW YOUR RECEIPT. Even if you end up using cash, a check or your debit card, review the receipt to make sure the store didn't levy a surcharge. There should never be a surcharge on a cash purchase.

Click on the graphic to view how surcharges appear on sale receipts.

In addition, Consumer Report’s website has an online guide warning credit card hunters shopping around for the best credit card deals about what to look for in order to avoid being nickled-and-dimed by credit card issuing banks.
You should know that there are 10 states which by law prohibit retailers from charging checkout fees.  They are:

California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
New York
Oklahoma
Texas

If you find that you are either being charged in one of these states, or being charged excessively (relatively speaking), Visa offers an online reporting site where you can submit your complaints.  Additionally, consumers who are subjected to checkout fees in states where they are protected by law may report the retailer to their state attorney general's office.
When it comes to spending money, the first rule of thumb is to remember the advice our mothers gave us; always check your receipts!

Beware of Home Repair, Contractor, & Insurance Scams!

 When it comes to my own thoughts about home repair and contractor scams, I think of the time when my mother’s house burned, almost to the ground back in 1987; she lost everything. When it came time for the insurance company to pay out on the policy in order to find a contractor to rebuild it—she had to secure the necessary three bid minimum from local contractors—the insurance company naturally went with the lowest bidder. What I remembered in particular about her ordeal was that when the contractor (and related sub-contractors) had finished, her house looked like a dream home you’d find in a magazine…a least on a superficial level. It was not long before she’d encountered unusual wiring problems such a certain light fixtures constantly and inexplicably blowing light new light bulbs at an unusual rate. Other problems cropped up too, such as leaking pipes (we actually found one set of pipes that hadn’t even been joined together properly), insufficient insulation (almost lunacy during a cold Michigan winter), and a roof which eventually began to leak. Although the primary contractor was licensed, I cannot say with a level of assuredness that the subcontractors used were licensed.
It took my brother and a proverbial army of self-hires to repair the shotty work.
Thinking back to last week’s storm on the East Coast, I imagine that the owners of some of the hundreds of homes damaged and/or destroyed during the so-called “superstorm” Hurricane Sandy will be in jeopardy of a similar experience. Over the weekend, NBC’s The Today Show did a piece on unlicensed contractors are coming out of the woodwork, and passing themselves off as licensed and/or bonded contractors in order to make a fast buck from the victims of Sandy. The following video highlights how unlicensed, for example how unlicensed tree trimmers are passing themselves off as licensed contractors for people desperate to have debris cleared from their properties:

The “red flag” here is that most reputable contractors won’t come to you; the more unscrupulous individuals and outfits will usually show up on your doorstep unsolicited, inquiring about whether or not you need their services. Such an approach should be treated with skepticism. Resist the probable high-pressure selling tactics that will come from this approach!
With an estimated damage cost of $25 billion and dollars and rising, home-owners and insurance companies alike will be under pressure, mostly from the quickly changing seasons and the approach of inclimate weather to begin repairs so that displaced residents can have some shelter from the approaching winter. And it’s a sure bet that in addition to individuals claiming to be able to clean up properties, others claiming to be able to do actual labor and/or home repair “cheap” will also target not only Sandy survivors, but others who might find themselves in need of home repair at some point.

I would urge anyone in need of home repair or any other related services to observe the following caveats:

-Ask to see a license. If indeed you are truly dealing with a reputable company with an established presence, its representatives should have no problem showing you a copy of a license recognizing the right to perform the work they advertise. If any such outfit is only capable of producing nothing but excuses as opposed to an actual license, slam the door!

-Employ due-diligence. Be willing to research and chock out any prospective contractors as well as insurance company. In addition to asking to see their license, check out whether or not there are complaints filed against any business entity you are considering doing business with. The Better Business Bureau and Consumer-friendly sites like Angie’s List are great places to start to check the integrity of insurers and building contractors.

-Avoid paying up front. If a contractor requires money up-front (usually as a good-faith gesture of their sincerity and of your seriousness), limit any up-front payment to less than half the total cost; 1/3 of job cost is a good number.

-Avoid high pressure tactics. If someone “offers” to “do you a favor” by “starting right away,” especially if they “like you” or want to give your job priority—especially for more cash—be skeptical. A little healthy skepticism is a good thing when it comes to preventing being taken to the cleaners.

-Use your insurance company’s resources. Most have a preferred set of contractors they usually work with, or are willing to recommend for their customers. Most reputable insurers take the time to check out local contractors for mostly for this reason…to weed out the fly-by-nighters.

-Shop around. Don’t be afraid to go around to multiple contractors and insurers and obtain multiple quotes. If you must, check them against the going market rate for similar labor and contract work. Being able to compare reasonable prices for contractor labor is a good way for anyone willing to trust their instincts to weed out probably scammers themselves.

-Report any suspected scammers. Although this may be somewhat embarrassing, even the most intelligent people are capable of being taken in by astute and practiced scammers. At this point, it’s time to swallow your pride and report any attempted and/or actual scams you might have found yourself on the receiving end of. Contact your local police department, or head to one of the various consumer reporting sites such as Consumer Fraud Reporting.

As I have observed in my own life, taking the time to think with your head rather than with you wallet can pay off in terms of saving the misery, money and mortification that comes along with knowing that someone scammed you out of your hard-earned money...especially in troubling times such as these.