I'll have to chime in and give you my opinion on the best VALUE in a coffee maker. What many people don't know is that the correct temperature to brew coffee at is between 195 and 205 degrees. Typically, you will have to pay more (much more in many cases) than $100 to get a high end coffee maker that brews at that temperature. There is one exception, that is the GE 12 cup coffee maker. This unit appears to be made exclusively for Walmart and brews coffee at 195 degrees. At $39.92 it is a real value. The model number is 169209 and the Walmart number is 001593574. If you Google "Walmart 001593574" it will bring links to it up. It's currently back-ordered online but may be available at local stores.
This article does not apply to any legit, honest car dealer. Most big dealerships hire and train people that know nothing about the car business, therefore they are trained to make the most profit and not to educate and help the customer. Btw four square is for suckers (the movie). Any dealership using four square should not be in business. Please dont make all dealers look bad with one article.
I completely agree that your smartphone can be your most powerful weapon in negotiation. I remember buying a dishwasher and getting a discount because I pulled out my smartphone and found the appliance online for less. I think I saved $100 or $200.
It's because of postings like this that people get screwed every single day. Dealers don't get extra cash if they hit a certain number. I worked in Dealerships that sell 400 cars per month. Also you talk about doing your homework, why would a dealer pay to advertise a car $35000 but somehow you think that you should offer $30000. Trade values, if you go to KBB and price out your car 100 times it will come back with the exact same number 100 times however its safe to say that not every car is in the same condition. Also the market changes on some of these cars daily. Just last month is was buying cars off lease at $39000 now 30 days later I can buy the same car for $31000.
Yes there is many dealerships that play games and take advantage of people but that isn't the majority. I'm yet to come across any sites that actually understand the car business and give consumers the right advise.
Let me start by just being nice and if the people at the dealership are nice back to you just leave and take your business somewhere where they will value you and appreciate you.
But for starters stopping reading posts like this because this is just someone that has probably never worked in a dealership and he or she did they are the dirtbags that they are complaining about.
I recycle like crazy, plastics, glass, cans, paper, cardboard, etc., just for environmental reasons. I try to conserve water as much as possible, b/c it costs us twice as much where we live here than anywhere else we've ever lived. I shop at thrift stores for second hand items, to save money and not support unfair overseas pay and labor practices. I keep our thermostat high in summer and low in winter to save money and use less carbon producing energy. I try to do a lot of things for environmental, frugal and moral reasons, at least as much as possible.
Try Vicks VapoRub ointment as soon as you feel one coming on. Gob it on and let it sit there. Put it on overnight. It has stopped some before they started for me and has greatly reduced the severity of ones that popped out before I could catch them. It stinks, but it works. I read this tip in a forum where others were swearing by it.
I subscribe to various podcasts and listen to those and radio or books on my iPhone while I'm gardening and housecleaning, doing laundry, whatever.
I'm listening, learning and don't even notice the (sometimes) drudge work that I'm doing.
We recycle everything we can, use reusable bags, turn off our electronics when we're not using them, use reusable containers for lunches, not turn on the heat and open the blinds during the day to warm the apartment (it's still 35 degrees here, but that's what blankets are for!), and not turn on the a/c until we can't take it any longer (usually june when it hits 85/90--blech) and open the windows and use a fan to create a breeze.
We eat as much organic food as we can afford, we take the bus whenever possible, we buy as many recycled products as we can, we try to use as little gasoline as possible by finding things to do closer to home. We try to limit our use of plastic bags and other stuff that just clogs landfills.
I go on foot to run errands as much as possible. I also use stuff like toilet paper rollers and old magazines for my child's crafts, instead of running out to buy craft supplies.
In Oregon it is state law that if you as the customer can provide a salesman with physical proof of a set sales price, so an advertised price on say a website or newspaper. The salesman is required to sell at that set price and cannot heckle you for a higher rate.
Mortgage rates aren't tied to supply and demand at all. Banks can quibble with rates in the same way that gas stations can lower their prices $.10 cents just to mess with other stations, but they can't actually lower market rates any more than gas stations can lower gas prices. Mortgage rates are tied to treasury bonds, which are tied to Fed policies and other, much larger, market forces. The demand for refinances has been astronomical for the last two years. If demand forced rates lower, we'd be seeing 1% rates on mortgages by now. Refi demand is falling off sharply, and purchase demand increase slowing. If anything, the slowly rising rates we're seeing now are going to stifle the purchase market, especially when the Fed quits "easing" the market and lets things return to normal.
Despite your good credit, I'm guessing that there are some complicating factors within your mortgage. Call the bank that owns the loan (or your servicer-who you pay monthly) and ask for a copy of the note, mortgage, HUD-1 statement, and your last appraisal if you don't have any of those. Go to www.namb.org and find a local mortgage broker. Brokers are frequently more creative and flexible than banks, and may have a solution for your problem. Don't be afraid of a broker because of things you heard during the "bad times" before the crash. Brokers and their fees are now heavily regulated, especially in Maryland, and you'll receive several forms making the terms of your loan clear. Check the NMLS website for any regulatory history, just to be sure. Good luck!
It's a shame that you have to be middle-aged before you get to be an expert on buying cars. Salesmen don't mess with me anywhere near as much as they did 20-30 years ago, and I'm sure it has more to do with the lines on my face and general lack of hair on top of my head more than a general reform of automobile sales practices. Meanwhile, this should be required reading for anyone under, uh, 40 who is about to go through the ordeal of buying a new car.
In particular, I usually do #2 before setting forth. I found a really good deal on my current car that way and brought printouts just in case.
We have a special way of dealing with #3. Do all your conferencing in some language other than English. German works for us, and my German is sufficiently bad (and my wife's English sufficiently flawless) to give the salesman the clear impression that we're not doing it because we just came off the boat yesterday.
The best way to avoid situation #4 and #9 is to only bring in trades that are barely running. If the car is a jalopy to begin with, there isn't very much the salesman can do to knock you down from the $500 it's probably worth. In fact, you usually get offered more than that $500 in the hopes that it will make you so happy you'll not notice the other ways you're being hosed.
As for #5, #7, #14, imagine you're two years old. What's the easiest word that comes out of your mouth (other than "mine")? It's "no." Say it often, and with authority. I usually say, "I just want the car. That's it." Do that, and you'll never have to do #17. Note this also applies to tires and large appliances.
#16 is a given. The credit union is right next door to the car dealers. First I get my loan pre-approved, then I go shopping. That also takes care of #8, #11, and #12.
My green act is for the most part I buy things used or damaged cosmetically from ebay/craigslist. Less things to trash and keep the national/local economy.I hope that counts.
A few years ago, I began using small washcloths rather than paper towels. I use these for cleaning the house, dusting, mopping up messes, washing windows--everything! I now only use paper towels for super germy messes, such as when meat juice gets on the counter. At this point, I barely use one roll of paper towel in a year. Love it!
It is going to be interesting this coming spring and summer with the housing market starts to heat up again. Lenders will be competing for a smaller number of buyers and may start to lower interest rates. Low interest rates are a good thing if you are in the market to refinance your mortgage. You can take advantage of the saves. Even a 0.5% change rates will save people thousands of dollars. If you manage your debt well and have a good credit history, I would shop around and seriously consider the savings vs costs of refinancing.
Well we have what's called a belkin conserving adapter it tells us how many kilowatts were using on all electrical items in our home/how many trees were saving and how much money we'll pay on any particular electrical device! love it! we recently made the switch to tracfone prepaid service and ditched our contract, we don't buy paper towels, we use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning as well as borax, we use a steamer for cleaning floors, we also have led bulbs for all used lighting fixtures, we use a Brita water pitcher for filtering our households drinking water, we wash our cars at home(I run out right before it rains and soap my car down and let the rainwater rinse it!) lol! It works all the time! We use washable produce bags, reusable grocery bags as well, we Freecycle EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING THAT STILL HAS USE, I make all facial masks from fruits and veggies at home! I have 3 special recycling bags one for glass, one for plastic/ cardboard, and one for aluminum! Too many to list here!
I've been trying to reduce my carbon footprint for some time. We changed to CFLs to lower our consumption of electricity. We prepare most meals at home so that we aren't using the plastic packaging that comes from eating out at fast food places. We got rid of our second car, so we carpool together to work. We grow a sizeable amount of our fresh produce in summer months so that we aren't contributing to pollution caused by mass produced food. my husband changed jobs so he is only diving 15 miles vs 45 one way each day to work, the less the car runs the less is pollutes.
I'll have to chime in and give you my opinion on the best VALUE in a coffee maker. What many people don't know is that the correct temperature to brew coffee at is between 195 and 205 degrees. Typically, you will have to pay more (much more in many cases) than $100 to get a high end coffee maker that brews at that temperature. There is one exception, that is the GE 12 cup coffee maker. This unit appears to be made exclusively for Walmart and brews coffee at 195 degrees. At $39.92 it is a real value. The model number is 169209 and the Walmart number is 001593574. If you Google "Walmart 001593574" it will bring links to it up. It's currently back-ordered online but may be available at local stores.
I no longer buy bottled water. I drink tap in a reusable bottle. I also try to eat whole foods, which cuts down on packaging garbage.
This article does not apply to any legit, honest car dealer. Most big dealerships hire and train people that know nothing about the car business, therefore they are trained to make the most profit and not to educate and help the customer. Btw four square is for suckers (the movie). Any dealership using four square should not be in business. Please dont make all dealers look bad with one article.
Never been to Sin City so I can't comment on gambling. But your post still gives me lots to think about.!!
I completely agree that your smartphone can be your most powerful weapon in negotiation. I remember buying a dishwasher and getting a discount because I pulled out my smartphone and found the appliance online for less. I think I saved $100 or $200.
Important stuff to know! Thanks so much!
We recycle, compost, grow garden veggies, use canvas grocery bags, use CFLs, and buy energy star appliances.
It's because of postings like this that people get screwed every single day. Dealers don't get extra cash if they hit a certain number. I worked in Dealerships that sell 400 cars per month. Also you talk about doing your homework, why would a dealer pay to advertise a car $35000 but somehow you think that you should offer $30000. Trade values, if you go to KBB and price out your car 100 times it will come back with the exact same number 100 times however its safe to say that not every car is in the same condition. Also the market changes on some of these cars daily. Just last month is was buying cars off lease at $39000 now 30 days later I can buy the same car for $31000.
Yes there is many dealerships that play games and take advantage of people but that isn't the majority. I'm yet to come across any sites that actually understand the car business and give consumers the right advise.
Let me start by just being nice and if the people at the dealership are nice back to you just leave and take your business somewhere where they will value you and appreciate you.
But for starters stopping reading posts like this because this is just someone that has probably never worked in a dealership and he or she did they are the dirtbags that they are complaining about.
PC
I recycle plastic as much as possible.
I recycle like crazy, plastics, glass, cans, paper, cardboard, etc., just for environmental reasons. I try to conserve water as much as possible, b/c it costs us twice as much where we live here than anywhere else we've ever lived. I shop at thrift stores for second hand items, to save money and not support unfair overseas pay and labor practices. I keep our thermostat high in summer and low in winter to save money and use less carbon producing energy. I try to do a lot of things for environmental, frugal and moral reasons, at least as much as possible.
Try Vicks VapoRub ointment as soon as you feel one coming on. Gob it on and let it sit there. Put it on overnight. It has stopped some before they started for me and has greatly reduced the severity of ones that popped out before I could catch them. It stinks, but it works. I read this tip in a forum where others were swearing by it.
I subscribe to various podcasts and listen to those and radio or books on my iPhone while I'm gardening and housecleaning, doing laundry, whatever.
I'm listening, learning and don't even notice the (sometimes) drudge work that I'm doing.
We recycle everything we can, use reusable bags, turn off our electronics when we're not using them, use reusable containers for lunches, not turn on the heat and open the blinds during the day to warm the apartment (it's still 35 degrees here, but that's what blankets are for!), and not turn on the a/c until we can't take it any longer (usually june when it hits 85/90--blech) and open the windows and use a fan to create a breeze.
We eat as much organic food as we can afford, we take the bus whenever possible, we buy as many recycled products as we can, we try to use as little gasoline as possible by finding things to do closer to home. We try to limit our use of plastic bags and other stuff that just clogs landfills.
I go on foot to run errands as much as possible. I also use stuff like toilet paper rollers and old magazines for my child's crafts, instead of running out to buy craft supplies.
In Oregon it is state law that if you as the customer can provide a salesman with physical proof of a set sales price, so an advertised price on say a website or newspaper. The salesman is required to sell at that set price and cannot heckle you for a higher rate.
Pat,
Mortgage rates aren't tied to supply and demand at all. Banks can quibble with rates in the same way that gas stations can lower their prices $.10 cents just to mess with other stations, but they can't actually lower market rates any more than gas stations can lower gas prices. Mortgage rates are tied to treasury bonds, which are tied to Fed policies and other, much larger, market forces. The demand for refinances has been astronomical for the last two years. If demand forced rates lower, we'd be seeing 1% rates on mortgages by now. Refi demand is falling off sharply, and purchase demand increase slowing. If anything, the slowly rising rates we're seeing now are going to stifle the purchase market, especially when the Fed quits "easing" the market and lets things return to normal.
Hi Alan,
Despite your good credit, I'm guessing that there are some complicating factors within your mortgage. Call the bank that owns the loan (or your servicer-who you pay monthly) and ask for a copy of the note, mortgage, HUD-1 statement, and your last appraisal if you don't have any of those. Go to www.namb.org and find a local mortgage broker. Brokers are frequently more creative and flexible than banks, and may have a solution for your problem. Don't be afraid of a broker because of things you heard during the "bad times" before the crash. Brokers and their fees are now heavily regulated, especially in Maryland, and you'll receive several forms making the terms of your loan clear. Check the NMLS website for any regulatory history, just to be sure. Good luck!
It's a shame that you have to be middle-aged before you get to be an expert on buying cars. Salesmen don't mess with me anywhere near as much as they did 20-30 years ago, and I'm sure it has more to do with the lines on my face and general lack of hair on top of my head more than a general reform of automobile sales practices. Meanwhile, this should be required reading for anyone under, uh, 40 who is about to go through the ordeal of buying a new car.
In particular, I usually do #2 before setting forth. I found a really good deal on my current car that way and brought printouts just in case.
We have a special way of dealing with #3. Do all your conferencing in some language other than English. German works for us, and my German is sufficiently bad (and my wife's English sufficiently flawless) to give the salesman the clear impression that we're not doing it because we just came off the boat yesterday.
The best way to avoid situation #4 and #9 is to only bring in trades that are barely running. If the car is a jalopy to begin with, there isn't very much the salesman can do to knock you down from the $500 it's probably worth. In fact, you usually get offered more than that $500 in the hopes that it will make you so happy you'll not notice the other ways you're being hosed.
As for #5, #7, #14, imagine you're two years old. What's the easiest word that comes out of your mouth (other than "mine")? It's "no." Say it often, and with authority. I usually say, "I just want the car. That's it." Do that, and you'll never have to do #17. Note this also applies to tires and large appliances.
#16 is a given. The credit union is right next door to the car dealers. First I get my loan pre-approved, then I go shopping. That also takes care of #8, #11, and #12.
My green act is for the most part I buy things used or damaged cosmetically from ebay/craigslist. Less things to trash and keep the national/local economy.I hope that counts.
A few years ago, I began using small washcloths rather than paper towels. I use these for cleaning the house, dusting, mopping up messes, washing windows--everything! I now only use paper towels for super germy messes, such as when meat juice gets on the counter. At this point, I barely use one roll of paper towel in a year. Love it!
It is going to be interesting this coming spring and summer with the housing market starts to heat up again. Lenders will be competing for a smaller number of buyers and may start to lower interest rates. Low interest rates are a good thing if you are in the market to refinance your mortgage. You can take advantage of the saves. Even a 0.5% change rates will save people thousands of dollars. If you manage your debt well and have a good credit history, I would shop around and seriously consider the savings vs costs of refinancing.
Well we have what's called a belkin conserving adapter it tells us how many kilowatts were using on all electrical items in our home/how many trees were saving and how much money we'll pay on any particular electrical device! love it! we recently made the switch to tracfone prepaid service and ditched our contract, we don't buy paper towels, we use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning as well as borax, we use a steamer for cleaning floors, we also have led bulbs for all used lighting fixtures, we use a Brita water pitcher for filtering our households drinking water, we wash our cars at home(I run out right before it rains and soap my car down and let the rainwater rinse it!) lol! It works all the time! We use washable produce bags, reusable grocery bags as well, we Freecycle EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING THAT STILL HAS USE, I make all facial masks from fruits and veggies at home! I have 3 special recycling bags one for glass, one for plastic/ cardboard, and one for aluminum! Too many to list here!
Inspiring! Great resources. A truly creative approach. The house-sitting is something I am definitely going to try this summer.
I've been trying to reduce my carbon footprint for some time. We changed to CFLs to lower our consumption of electricity. We prepare most meals at home so that we aren't using the plastic packaging that comes from eating out at fast food places. We got rid of our second car, so we carpool together to work. We grow a sizeable amount of our fresh produce in summer months so that we aren't contributing to pollution caused by mass produced food. my husband changed jobs so he is only diving 15 miles vs 45 one way each day to work, the less the car runs the less is pollutes.
Not all of us in baked good and chocolates have stores. Some of us are bakers and pastry chefs practicing our skills and brining things to market