Where To Find Real Deals In A Bad Economy

March 31, 2009 · Filed Under , , · 2 Comments 

~Travel Deals - Airlines are really hurting. Hotels are really hurting. If you are looking to book a summer family vacation this may a great time to do it. Here is a list of resources you may find helpful.

airplane

  • Cruise Deals - Cruises are at record low prices. They aren’t for every one, but if you were always curious this may be a good time to try one.
  • Las Vegas – Sin City always has great deals, but never this good. Hotels from only $18 a night and Vacation packages from $181.
  • Hawaii – Airfare to Hawaii is really low right now. Tickets that cost $700-1000 last year now can be bought for $450 to $700.
  • Orlando, Florida – I have been getting some great coupons for travel packages to Orlando and Disney World. They must be hurting as well. Worth a look.

~Automobiles - You can find some great deals on both new and used cars right now. Gas prices have plummeted and those who bought small cars last summer when gas was $4 a gallon are now selling and coming to the realization that they are not ‘small car’ owners. They missed their living room on wheels! This means great deals on used Toyota hybrids, Honda hybrids, and other very fuel efficient vehicles. Gas is going to go back up, history will show that. So this is a great time to get ready, at a big discount of course!

prius

As for new cars, many automakers have over 100 days inventory. Which means if they closed all manufacturing, it would take over 3 months to sell off their inventory. Honda is the newest victim of BIG time over-supply. The deals are great right now as Honda car lots are totally packed. The end of summer will be your best bet to score a great deal as dealers want to get rid of cars to make room for the new 2010 models. Check out CarsDirect.com to find the real value of these cars so you have a starting point for negotiating your deal.

~Real Estate – We have a long way to go before demand catches up with supply in the housing market. This means that it is a great buyer’s market. Both for first time home owners and those seeking to buy an investment/rental property. Throw in the kicker of first time home buyer programs, low mortgage rates, and tax incentives and this could be the best time to buy. Ever.

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~Stock Market - EXTRA. EXTRA. The stock market is on sale! Microsoft stock is literally 50% off. If you are under 40, still have your job, and are not putting money into a Roth IRA, or company matching 401k, you are crazy. Now is the time to buy, you may never see prices likes these again. Don’t be kicking yourself in 10 years if you pass on this buying opportunity. As far as how much stock you should own, I like the idea of taking your age and subtracting if from 100 to get your percentage of stock vs. bonds. I am 35, so I have approximately 65% off my portfolio in mutual funds that invest in company stock. The rest is in more conservative bond funds.

stock

Where are you finding great deals in your life? Looking forward to your comments!

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American Idol: A Guilty Pleasure!

March 25, 2009 · Filed Under · Comment 

OK, I will officially come out of the closet, I actually look forward to American Idol every week. Please don’t hold it against me! I am a huge music fan and it often gets me through my day here in the boring office. Some of the performers are really talented, some are just plain awful (but entertaining), and the judges are quite cruel at times. Add in the producer’s manipulation of the show and you have a delicious brew of brain candy and entertainment.

So this past January, a good friend of mine and I started a blog to chronicle the season. The blog is appropriately called Guilty Idol Pleasures, and we attempt to review each weeks performances and quip about the show. It has been a lot of fun and we are starting to actually get some readers. So if you are a fan of the show, feel free to come on over to our American Idol blog and leave a comment or 2 about your favorite singers, or least favorite. Below is a quick screenshot. Oh, by the way, I will let you try and figure out if I am JR or Maverick!

I also thought I would go ahead and throw in some music coupons in case the mood for a new CD strikes:

 
(AKA Maverick)

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Deals on Electronics and Shiny Gadgets

March 17, 2009 · Filed Under , · 3 Comments 

Due to the struggling economy and horrible retail sales, I knew that good bargains abound on electronics, gadgets, and other shiny things that I just can’t resist. I just really didn’t know what specifically was such a great bargain. So when I found an article from Business Week that broke down the best current deals on electronics, plus all the products came with high praise from Consumer Reports, I thought I would share it on my blog. I added a little of my own commentary to spruce things up a bit…

1. Philips DVD Player – DVP5992/37
Price: $50

Dang, a good DVD player for only $50, that’s pretty cheap. The player offers “very good overall performance and a good choice for use with an HDTV; but there are better choices for use with a standard-definition TV,” according to Consumer Reports, which praises the device’s ease of use. I think I am waiting until Blu-Ray players get under $100 before I ever buy a new media player…

2. Canon PowerShot Digital Camera – A590 IS
Price: $109 – $180 (PriceGrabber.com)

I actually just bought this camera and love it so far. With kids, you have to have a small camera in your pocket whenever you go anywhere and this one fit the bill. This point-and-shoot camera “is one of the most versatile compacts you can get for the money,” according to Consumer Reports. “It offers many shooting options, such as manual and exposure controls, plus practical features, such as an optical viewfinder, which can be helpful in composing in bright light situations. Produces images with very good sharpness, although we did notice visible noise.”

3. SanDisk Music Player – Sansa Fuze (8GB)
Price: $120

Looking for a digital music player that’s not an iPod? This one from SanDisk (SNDK) is “a smart, no-nonsense player that can grow with your library,” Consumer Reports says. “Rotating the Fuze’s control wheel provides a quick and amusing way to access the player’s menu icons…Good quality sound and recording from FM radio. Good quality recording from built-in microphone. Easier to handle than other players while walking or jogging.” Seems kind of pricey to me for only 8GB.

4. Canon Printer – Pixma MP520
Price: $150

My wife and I need a need printer for our home office and I have added this Canon unit to my want list. Anybody reading this own it and would recommend it? This all-in-one printer is “a very good all-around choice, with reasonable printing costs,” according to Consumer Reports, which notes the device offers high photo and text quality.

5. HP Digital Photo Frame – df800
Price: $150

A great gift for grandparents! Although I bought one for my Mom a few years ago and I think it is still in the box. So I should re-phrase, great gift for grandparents who are somewhat tech-savvy. Total oxymoron there. This digital photo frame from Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) “performed well in our tests and is recommended in its category,” Consumer Reports says.

6. TomTom GPS – One 130
Price: $150

This entry-level navigation device “might be appealing to shoppers looking for a good device at a great price,” according to Consumer Reports. I am an entry level map reader so this may be perfect for me!

7. Canon Camcorder – Vixia HV30
Price: $587 – $890.19 (PriceGrabber.com)


 

This camcorder “is a fine choice,” according to Consumer Reports. “It has excellent video picture quality and an excellent image-stabilizer.” Seems to be a decent price for a Canon.

8. Samsung LCD TV – LN40A550
Price: $899.99 – $1,399.99 (PriceGrabber.com)

I swear these are getting cheaper by the day. I remember not too long ago this TV would have cost over $2000. This 40-in. LCD TV scores high marks for “excellent picture quality across the board and a very easy to use menu system. Images have excellent detail, great color, and some of the deeper black levels we’ve seen on LCDs, though the viewing angle is only average,” according to Consumer Reports.

9. Apple White MacBook
Price: $1,000

Apple’s (AAPL) “entry-level laptop is very good, with exceptional battery life,” according to Consumer Reports. “Display was bright. Battery life was exceptionally long. Thin and lightweight. Speakers were good.” I suppose if you are an Apple die-hard this is a decent deal, but I know for a fact that you can get a good Dell laptop for half the price.

10. Canon EOS Camera – 40D Digital
Price: $1,029.95 – $1,339.99 (PriceGrabber.com)

Obviously, this is for the hardcore photographer, which I am not! This camera “has one of the fastest burst modes, being able to fire off 6.5 frames per second for as many as 75 JPEGs or up to 17 RAW files,” according to Consumer Reports. “It has excellent image quality, a large live-view LCD, and excellent battery life.”

Do you have any of these products? If so, have you been happy with your purchase? Please feel free to leave your review so we can all benefit. Thanks!

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Zappos.com Will One Day Rule The World!

March 9, 2009 · Filed Under · 4 Comments 

I was channel surfing last night, much to my wife’s annoyance, and felt like Zappos Shoes was taking over the world.  First, they were featured on Celebrity Apprentice as the client that all the B-grade stars had to impress with a comic strip. At least I think that was the plot. I only watched for a few minutes. But their logo was all over the show. Then, I went to check out my Alma Mater, Saint Mary’s College, who was playing in the WCC basketball tournament in Las Vegas. Guess who was sponsoring the tourney? Yep, Zappos.com had their logo all over the court.

Very impressive, they must be doing well. Even in hard economic times. I personally have never ordered anything from them. I have a friend who ordered some shoes from them and was quite impressed with their customer service. Plus, they offer free shipping and free returns which is very convenient as shoes probably won’t fit comfortably 50% of the time. Have you had any experience buying from Zappos? Good or bad, let’s hear it! I look forward to knowing more about this company. Thanks!

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Milton Friedman is My Hero

March 5, 2009 · Filed Under · Comment 

I can remember being a wet behind the ears college freshmen, sitting in my Economics class, glancing at my watch every 10 minutes, while my professor was going on and on about the brilliance of an old white guy named Milton Friedman, who won some prize called Nobel. Yawn. I was too young, dumb, and naive, to really grasp the concepts of Friedman. But now as an entrepreneur, small business owner, taxpayer, and father of 3 young kids, I find his words really hit home with me.

Unfortunately, he died a few years ago. I often wonder what he would say about our current economic crisis and government bailout programs. Although, as this interview with Phil Donahue depicts, I think we all know what he would say. He was a true champion of freedom and one of most influential people to ever walk the face of the earth. Enjoy.

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