News of the devastating earthquake in Italy prompted Consumer Reports to remind readers about the importance of having and safeguarding certain financial documents. It put together a helpful list
showing where to keep various documents.
Matt's View
A comprehensive, easily accessible list of emergency phone numbers should be part of every household's emergency preparedness plan as well. I learned that the hard way on a recent evening when we noticed that our kitchen faucet wasn't producing much in the way of hot water. A quick visit to the basement showed water spraying out of the top of our three-year-old water heater (a far cry from a disaster such as an earthquake, I realize). It took me way too long to locate an after-hours number for a nearby plumber. The good news is that once I reached someone, he calmly diagnosed the problem over the phone, was honest enough to tell me that the problem could wait until morning to fix (saving on the cost of a Sunday night visit), and walked me through a short-term solution. Now I have a list of emergency numbers stuck to our refrigerator and programmed into my cell phone. Do you have a list of emergency phone numbers handy?
I've written in the past about how to dispose of old cell phones
, TVs
, and other electronics. A recent post on ChristianPF.com
highlighted a program I hadn't heard of before called Flipswap
, which enables you to exchange an old cell phone or iPod for an Amazon.com gift card. Devices received by the company are either repaired and resold or recycled.
Matt's View
Thousands of cell phones end up in landfills every day. Far better to recycle them. Even better, since many discarded devices are still in working order, simply hang on to your electronic gear longer. It'll be better for the planet and your pocketbook.
A recent Time magazine article summarized the latest findings from the increasingly sophisticated science of retailing. Researchers have found that touching a product in a store increases a shopper's sense of ownership (the "endowment effect"), and that increases the likelihood that he or she will buy the product. One retailer that maximizes this approach to retailing is Apple, which makes plenty of display products available for hands-on use.
Matt's View
My main interest in research like this is using it to defend people against marketing. Want to spend less? Don't touch the merchandise! Of course, this applies primarily to impulse purchases. If it's in your budget, you'd be foolish not to try before you buy.
The Internet is littered with electronic coupon sites, so which ones are best? MainStreet recently listed its five favorites: RetailMeNot.com
(users submit coupon codes and feedback as to which ones work); CouponCabin.com
(monitors over 1,200 online stores for new coupons); FatWallet.com
(has over 800 merchant partners and a cash-back feature); CouponMom.com
(offers helpful free instructions on getting the most from grocery coupons); and BradsDeals.com
(organized by top deals, newest deals, etc.)
Matt's View
Another of my favorite money saving sites is Ebates.com
, which rebates a portion of what you spend at over 1,000 online stores. Before buying something, I usually check Ebates and RetailMeNot, comparing the value of a rebate vs. a discount. Just remember, a deal isn't a deal unless it's a discount on something you were going to buy anyway.
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