Rebates, ahh yes, rebates. They have to be the greatest “catch” of them all when it comes to buying products at a discounted price. I’ll say it: rebates are a sham! How many times have you really wanted something and written a check for a rebate thinking you’d see your money back soon but don’t? Then you get the sinking feeling. You realize that your money is now gone forever. It really is a terrible feeling. Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar for a lot of people out there. [Read more…] about Rebates are a Sham and I Hate Them
Shopping
Netflix Price Hike: Your Netflix Alternatives
A little while back, Internet subscription service Netflix, known for providing movies and television shows by DVD or streaming option, informed their 25 million users that they would be increasing the prices of their plans. Netflix was a popular option for movie buffs, as they had affordable options to watch movies, first by sending DVD rentals to the subscriber’s mailbox. They then offered virtual streaming of movies and television shows through the Internet and other media devices and game consoles. Fans of Netflix were furious to know that popular plans would now be more expensive. What Netflix alternatives are out there now that they raised their prices? [Read more…] about Netflix Price Hike: Your Netflix Alternatives
How to Avoid Buying a Used Car Lemon
It was the summer of 2010. I had just graduated college and had saved up a down payment for my dream car, a 2004 Acura TL. I had researched the heck out of that car and it came out on top whenever I compared it to other vehicles. I was on a mission to get my used car and no one was stopping me!
At first, I tried the used car dealerships. A found a couple that I loved but my excitement about the cars overtook my common sense. I narrowed it down to two cars and brought my Dad to help me look and check for warning signs. At each of the cars we looked at, it took my Dad literally less than five seconds to tell me the car was a lemon. I was in denial! How could these cars be lemons! As it turns out, my Dad spotted spray paint near the bottom of the doors. Also, when we asked the dealers about maintenance records, they didn’t exist. According to my Dad, these were signs that we were looking at a lemon.
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The Lure of the Infomercial
Have you ever been up at night, flipping through channels, and been bombarded by the infomercials? The Magic Bullet, for example, is a little mini blender. Yet if you invest the time to watch the full infomercial, you will discover that the Magic Bullet is perfect for all of your kitchen tasks. It can blend up ingredients for a personal sized smoothie, an omelet, and muffins (never mind that the blueberry muffins actually come out blue after making their way through the Magic Bullet). You can also use the Magic Bullet for grinding coffee, chopping onions and garlic, the list goes on.
The advertisement features a pleasant man and woman surrounded by their friends. The group could easily be away for a weekend at a lakeside cottage. Everyone is relaxed and delighted to watch all the tasks that can be completed with the Magic Bullet. If you, the viewer, are not careful, you may begin to subconsciously marvel at the Magic Bullet until you decide you need one too.
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OneShare.com Review | Stocks as a Gift
Ever get stuck looking for the perfect gift? You know the person doesn’t need another “thing” and a gift-card seems too impersonal. How about giving a stock certificate? OneShare.com enables you to give the gift of a stock certificate for that special someone. What’s cooler than buying someone a piece of a company they love?
OneShare.com is a privately-owned company that sells stocks one at a time. Lance Lee, a stock broker, came up with the idea in 1996 after years of being asked by parents how to go about buying stocks as presents for their children. Based in San Francisco, OneShare has sold hundreds of thousands of stocks to satisfied customers all over the world. [Read more…] about OneShare.com Review | Stocks as a Gift
