APPLIANCES
Remember,
as in all things, you have options, and everyone
is not charging the same price. Check for quality
and performance by referring to Consumer Reports.
Used
appliances
Americans often relocate to other cities for better
financial opportunities. It can be more expensive
to take major appliances on a long move than to
buy new ones. So people sell their current appliances
either to private individuals or an appliance
store. Buying from a person can be a less expensive
alternative, but it is a risk, like buying a used
car. The used section of an appliance store is
also an option to consider. First make sure the
store has a good reputation, and check with the
Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)
to see if there are any complaints against the
business.
WAREHOUSE
AND CLUB SHOPPING
Excellent
prices!
You
may want to try a wholesale store such as Costco
or Sam’s Club. The differences can be significant.
They sell everything from furniture to frozen
dinners. They count on you purchasing in very
large amounts, and operate on very low profit
margins. They normally require a small annual
membership. Because the prices are so low and
the selection is so good, it is impossible to
leave without far more than you intended. However,
for a large purchase such as a major appliance,
you may find yourself dealing directly with the
manufacturer (not the club) if you have problems
with the merchandise. Check out Costco or Sam’s
Club, the leading Warehouse Clubs.
TRAVEL
Jobs, businesses, and education spread Americans
to different parts of the country. Relative to
most other countries, Americans move a lot, and
therefore have ties, both professional and personal,
to cities thousands of miles apart. As a result
of all of these factors, domestic travel is a
giant industry in this country. To help you get
around in this country where many important places
are out of driving distance, here are some helpful
tips and web sites.
Internet
Ticket Buying
 The airline industry has not escaped the Internet revolution;
in fact, it is one of the most affected industries.
It is less expensive for an airline to sell tickets
over the Internet than to hire someone to take
the order over the phone. As a result, you can
often find better deals over the Internet.
Different
airlines charge different rates. It used to be
that potential fliers would have to sit on the
phone for hours calling several airlines to get
information on flight fares and times. Now, there
are many web sites that will search several airlines
to find the best rates.
Check out www.travelocity.com
and www.expedia.com.
There are several others. These sites are not
affiliated with any one airline, but the airlines
provide them with different tickets to sell.
For this reason, it is advisable to review several
of these sites. Some may have access to cheaper
fares than the others. Also, keep watching them.
Some fares tend to fluctuate. Many of these sites
will allow you to register with them so they can
notify you if fares drop.
Be Flexible
It
is much more difficult to find deals with the
airlines if you have rigid timeframes in which
you must travel. If you plan on traveling during
the holidays, you may save money if you can arrange
to leave earlier. The day before Thanksgiving
and Christmas Eve will have higher fares than
normal.
Flights
during off peak hours (10 pm to 7 am) may be less
expensive as well.
If
you are flexible on dates and times, you may want
to use www.priceline.com.
With Priceline, you name the price you want to
pay and when you want to travel. They will search
airlines to see if they will meet your price,
and buy it for you. This is still no guarantee.
Travel
Agents
Your
friends and neighbors may be able to suggest a
good travel agent for you. A travel agent will
help you plan your trip and find the best rates
on airfare, ground transportation, hotels, and
food.
Also,
good travel agents have a lot of connections and
may be able to find some good deals that you may
not be able to get on your own.
Train travel
It
is not as popular as it once was. This is mostly
because air travel is faster and more convenient,
and car travel is often cheaper. However, sometimes
it can be ideal, especially in traveling between
the big cities of the Northeast. Driving from
Philadelphia to New York, for example, can be
a traffic nightmare, and it does not make much
sense to fly such a short distance. Many find
train travel more relaxing. Visit www.amtrak.com for more information.
COMPUTERS:
YOUR CONNECTION TO THE WORLD
Why
are you buying a computer? Know exactly what
you need. Ask someone who understands computers
what you need. For many people, they simply need
the computer for word processing, e-mail and Internet
access.
Where
to buy: A lot of people considering
a computer purchase go to a computer or electronics
store. They offer convenience and a usually knowledgeable
staff. If you know what you want, consider buying
directly from the manufacturer. The manufacturer
may have a store or a warehouse near you, or you
can order the computer on-line. A good starting
point is with the largest manufacturers: Dell
Computers (www.dell.com),
Gateway (www.gateway.com)
or Compaq (www.compaq.com).
Service contracts on appliances are often unnecessary
but in the case of computers, you should give
this some consideration.
Technical
support doesn’t have to be a nightmare:
Once you purchase a computer, you may become
intimately familiar with the following message
when you call the technical support center for
guidance: “We appreciate your call. All
of our representatives are busy assisting other
callers. Your call will be answered in the order
it was received.” The ratio of needy customers
seeking information from trained representatives
often results in very long hold times. This should
be as significant a factor as any of your computer’s
features, because the quality of your computer’s
service is something you will be living with for
a long time. Consumer Reports also grade technical
support when grading computers. Check out what
they say about technical support.
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