Magazine- Consumer reports
Article-Early fixes save cash
Author- unknown

This article talked about cars, and what problems come along with them. When Cars get a problem, it can usually be a big price tag. This article is telling you that the longer you wait, the more money it will cost. If you keep your car in tip-top shape, you may not have as many problems with it. Some way to do that are..

• Check the maintenance scheduale for your car, follow it as long as you own it.
• Mark your calendars for dates for services.
• Any new noises arent normal, have them checked as soon as possible.
• Check the tire pressure once a month.

If you follow these easy tips, your probably going to spend less time and money at a mechanic, and more time on the road.

Magazine: Consumer reports
Article: Save energy, save money
Author: Unknown

The average household spends $6,400 in utility bills a year.That's about $1,700 more than two years ago. But, you can do something to help those high costs. Now, there are many new and improved utilities that can save you money and help the fight to save energy. Products like:

• A top load washer instead of a front loader.
• a refrigerator with a bottom- freezer instead of the standard one.
• A programmable thermostat instead of a manual one.
• A CFL light bulb instead of and incandescent one.
• A Hybrid engine car compared to a gasoline engine car.

Some of those may seem like a small thing to change, but the change can make a huge difference. For instance: just to change your light bulbs, can save you $51 on your next lighting bill. Another example would be the new hybrid cars. Yes, they can be expensive to buy, but they are worth the money. Hybrid cars get about twice the gas mileage that normal cars do, which means you can save less on gas money. Your savings from this change could end up to be about $900. Who wouldn't want that extra money around?

As you can see, there are many changes that everyone can make. Whether they are big or small, Any change can help you save money and help save our energy.

Magazine: Consumer Reports
Article: Air To Spare
Author: Unknown

Have you ever went to open a bag of chips, and found the bag half empty before you even opened it? This problem has been striking consumers lately. People have been noticing that the boxes may be bigger, but the amount in the box is still the same.

This article gave many reasons why this is happening. They give reasons such as..

• Manufactures can't fill up the bag too close to the top, because if it gets stuck near the seal it could result in an improper seal.
• If they fill up a chip bag to the top, the chips will break more than if there is air in the bag to protect it.
• If a product such as eye drops is in a container, they need the extra card board to keep it from sliding around.

These are some of the excuses that consumers have been given for not getting as much of a product as they would have liked. Because the law gives manufacturers a little wiggle room, they intend to take as much as they can.

Magazine:Consumer Reports
Article: Planning a trip?
Author: Unknown

During this econonmy, going on vacations can be very expensive. This article gave 10  useful ways to save on your next trip.

1. Change your itenerary and save- by taking a flight at night or early in the morning, you may save money compared to afternoon flights.
2. Check airlines own web sites-instead of going through a travel agent, try to buy directly from the airline. This saves the transaction fees charged by a third party.
3. Fly early to arrive on time- a flight between 6 am- 9am are most likely to arrive on time.
4. Dont over pack- make sure that your bag doesn't go over the weight limit so you don't have to pay and extra fee.
5. Negotiate with hotels- call directly to the hotel, you might be able to bargain better.
6. Use a travel agent for your cruise- they are very difficult to handle yourself.
7. Skip the shore-to-shore call-use an email to comunicate if necassary.
8. Question car rental insurance- you might be able to use your car insurance for your rental.
9. Always pay by credit card- it will help you dispute any discrepancies.
10. Take advantage of discounts- many discounts are offered for children, seniors, students and military members, ask about them.

These tips can help you save money on your next trip. Make sure you ask for any discounts you can from travel agencies. It will sure help you plan easier!

Magazine: Consumer reports
Article: Should You 'Buy This Now!'?
Author: unknown

This article was written to warn people about the luring intrests from t.v. infomercals. They gave a few tips to either avoid or shop smarter with these interesting adds.

• Pause 10 minutes before buying- the impulse might wear off in time.
• Listen for true value clues- they might have a two for one deal, that shows the product can be cheaper somewhere else.
• Calculate the real price- most of the time, informercals make their money off of shipping an handling costs.
• Avoid shipping and handling fees- you might be abke to buy the product cheaper at Walmart or CVS.

These tips can help your impulse to buy from these infomercals. They can be catchy, but beware, most of the items may not work in the first place. So save your money, and buy it from the store!

Magazine: Consumer Reports
Article: 8 ways to cut costs on you cell-phone bill
Author:unknown

This article gives you advise on how to save money on your cell-phone bills. Some information in this article were things people wouldnt even think about doing.

• Don't overbuy minutes
• Maximize family-plan calling
• Use freebies to the max
• Consider texting bundles
• Huge bill? Call the carrier
• Get data in a plan
• Shop around
• Avoid big termination fees

A really good tip is to call the carrier. If one month someone in your family accidently goes over their minutes, call the carrier. Most of them will be very forgiving and take off the extra charge, as long is this isnt a reacuring problem. If this does happen often however, you might want to consider a texting plan that gives you unlimited minutes for you overboard texter.

Magazine:Consumer Reports
Article: 13 Ways to Save
Author: Unknown

The article "13 ways to save" talks about saving money while going food shopping. It talks about multiple things you can do to help you.

• Look high and low
• Eye end caps
• Compare unit prices
• Consider organics
• Weigh the cost of convenience
• Buy bagged produce
• Check the receipt
• Buy at the bakery
• Look at the location
• Watch for sneaky signs
• Read flyers carefully
• Go deep
• Avoid checkout temptations

One point I do agree with is to watch for sneaky signs. A lot of stores now put out signs saying "10/ $10" when with out the sale, its a dollar anyway. Retailers are just trying to get you to buy more of the product.

I found this acrticle to be very helpful and I plan to use some of these tips next time I go shopping.