1. Clean air conditioner coils. If your house has A/C, there’s a box outdoors that draws outdoor air into it through a zillion little metal slots, dumps the heat from your house into it and blows the hot air out.  If the airflow through those little slots is blocked, less heat is transferred, and the A/C runs longer (and longer).

Use a vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment and GENTLY clean the dust and dirt off the outside of the slots/fins at least once each year.  Also, cover it up each winter and the entire unit will last more years, saving you big bucks.

You’ve probably seen advice to do the same to the coils on the back of your refrigerator, but it’s difficult to move.  If you pull it out to clean underneath it, clean off the coils at the same time.  Refrigerators cost more to run dirty, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to cost of the A/C cooling your entire house.  In the meantime, you can easily slide out the flat bowl you’ll find under the refrigerator (behind that pop-off grille at the bottom in the front) and clean the layer of smelly crud that really doesn’t belong in your kitchen.  It’s there from all the things that have ever spilled inside the fridge and dripped down to the bottom.

If your A/C is blowing warm air into the house, it probably needs a freon recharge.  A pro will have to do that for you, probably under $100.  Don’t call the first hot day of the year, or you’ll wait at the end of a long, long line.  Always check the system a few days BEFORE the hot days begin.  Never run the A/C when the outdoor temp is below 60 degrees F unless you like expensive repairs, no matter how hot it is in the house from that big party.

If the air coming out of the register is cool, but barely moving (not blowing) you’ve likely frozen up the heat exchanger inside the house (inside the furnace).  This happens when you turn the temp setting too low (so the A/C runs constantly) or if the house was really hot and damp and you turned on the A/C.  If it’s a combination furnace/AC unit, switch to Heat and run the furnace about 15 minutes to melt all the ice (you’ll hear a small water pump run as the ice melts and the water is pumped out).

2.  Pace traffic signals. You can save a lot of money by just paying attention while you drive.  Traffic signal systems are a joke in most areas.  They’re often paced to STOP traffic flow, not encourage it, in a lame outdated attempt to slow speeders.  When you sit at a light, you get the same mileage as every other car, truck, semi and bus;  Zero MPG.  (Actually, since you’re burning fuel but not moving, you’re all getting negative MPG.)  When you start moving, your mileage starts at 1 MPG, then 2 MPG, then 3 . . .  You get the picture.

If you can slow long before the intersection (don’t block traffic — use your head) and coast through the light on the green, you can get better mileage in the city (at a steady 40 MPH) than you do on the highway (at 70 MPH) — yes, you read that right.  You’ll also save money on brake jobs, tire replacement, collisions, etc.  Look further ahead of you than the next guy’s trunk.

3.  Brake pads last longer with gradual, gentle braking than they do with hard, panic stops.  See #2 above.  One caveat. When coming down a long, steep hill, riding the brakes can make them overheat and actually fail.  In those cases, start slowing earlier, then brake 5 seconds on, 5 seconds off to slow your descent.  Some people are taught to ‘shift to a lower gear’ but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll find that new brakes are cheaper than rebuilt transmissions.

4.  Tire pressure is critical for safety and mileage (read, ‘money’).  Low tires can be damaged or even destroyed by a bad pothole.  Low tires wear unevenly and require premature replacement.  The extra heat caused by extra flexing at freeway speeds can cause a blow-out.  They’re harder to roll down the road, so they use more fuel to go the same distance (substantially more fuel).

Get a digital tire pressure gauge at any auto parts store ($5 – $10) and use it.  Some cars have a dashboard warning lamp — resetting some of them can be clumsy — check with your car dealer, but it shouldn’t cost you anything.  If they want to charge you, use Google to find an answer.  Tire stores usually offer free air and valve caps (use them to keep dirt out of the valve).

You’re supposed to check pressure when the tires are cold (undriven for 4 hours) but that’s really not necessary.  Check them when they’re cold one time, then check again after you’ve driven a while and you’ll see there’s not much difference unless they were really low.  Just check them and air them up when they need it.  You’ll find a tag on the driver’s door or the glovebox door telling you what pressure to use.  Press the gauge and the air hose firmly on the tire valve or you’ll only let air out of the tire.  Don’t even get me started on all the SUV’s that have rolled over and killed people just because a tire was low and blew out on the freeway.  Low tires overheat from excessive flexing and blow out without warning.

5.  Spark plugs last a long time in modern cars — usually 50 to 100 thousand miles.  Having a garage change them can be expensive, depending on the model.  If you feel your engine is missing (has uneven acceleration, runs rough, poor acceleration), call the dealer and ask how long the plugs should last.  If you’ve still got quite a ways to go to meet the standard, try switching to Shell gasoline for a few tankfuls.  Shell has extra chemistry that cleans the fuel system and important parts of the engine.  If that’s what it needs, changing the plugs won’t help, anyway.  If that makes a change, but it’s still not right, you might have a clogged fuel filter.  Some cars are cheap and easy to replace, some are multiple, difficult, complicated and expensive (inside the fuel tank, for example).  Make sure a lowball estimate includes all the filters, or have the easy ones done first.  If you’re feeling ambitious and want to work on your car yourself, get a Haynes manual — Chilton’s manuals are great for changing light bulbs, but not for serious repairs.

6.  If you have high-speed internet service from your cable TV company, using Vonage for your phone calls can save you a bundle and still get you a full suite of features.  Your cable company may also offer an identical service, but Vonage has unlimited calls to the U.S. and 60 countries, and is usually cheaper.  Basically, instead of having your phones connected to the wire that runs to the telephone pole and goes to the phone company, you’ll connect one of your phone jacks into a small box that plugs into your cable internet connection, and all your phones are connected.  It’s very easy to do.  At around $35 a month including taxes, it’s probably much less than you’re paying now for phone service.  Vonage can even be your answering machine, so you can get your messages from your phone or any computer connected to the internet.  They’ll even turn your messages into text and email them to you.

Two caveats. If you use a FAX machine, depending on the model, it might have some trouble and require multiple sends.  Test a few inbound and outbound FAX’es right away and switch to your cable company (or back altogether) if it’s too much trouble, or set your FAX machine to 4800 or 9600 baud (send/receive speed).  Also, if your cable internet goes out, your phone goes out, too.  Since most folks also have a cellphone, that may not be a big issue.  If a phone pole or wire gets knocked down and takes out your cable, it may have taken out the phone line, too.

7.  That annoying dryer filter.  How often should you clean it?  Every load of clothes.  A clothes dryer is a total energy hog, and cleaning the lint out of the filter lets it move hot, moist air outdoors.  Any blockage just makes it run longer.  Block it enough and you might even start a fire.

8.  Fixing your water heater temperature is a gradual change.  Any water over 120 degrees F is too hot for you to stand.  If you heat water higher than that, you just have to mix it with cold water to make it tolerable.  What a waste!  And you’re overheating it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, forever.

On the front of a gas water heater (gas heaters have a tube on the top that goes to a chimney and black pipe that carries gas) you’ll see a big dial near the bottom marked something like Off, Warm, Hot.  Move it down a little bit.  Wait a day or two for things to settle down and see if you can stand pure hot water on your hands.  If not, move it down a little bit more.  It’s much easier to move just a tiny bit at a time than it is to yo-yo back and forth, so just take it easy.

Electric water heaters (no chimney, but large circuit breakers and a fat electric cable) have their thermostat under a cover  on the side.  Many need a screwdriver to make adjustments.  Just be careful not to touch any wires.  Switch off the breakers in the fusebox if you’re nervous.  Always return the cover immediately.

Eventually, you’ll find the setting that gives you water that’s as hot as you like without mixing in cold water.  It will waver within about 10 degrees, so ‘close’ is ‘good enough.’

9.  Drafty old windows waste your money in winter (heating season) and in summer (when the A/C is running).  Storm windows are now replaced with double-pane windows.  Many styles pop out for easy cleaning on both sides.

I’d like to see utility companies finance your window replacements, then get repaid by charging the same bill until the windows are paid off.  That way, you’d get immediate comfort, the same old bill for a few years, then a permanently lower bill.  Sadly, that’s an idea way ahead of its time.

10.  Shop around for credit card rates every year and transfer funds.  This one can save you a lot.  Each year (perhaps while you’re gathering your income tax paperwork) call each of your credit card companies and ask about balance transfers and tell them you want a lower rate on your current card.  Write everything down and you’ll see who is hungriest for your business.  When you’ve gotten all the answers, call them all back again.  I know this sounds redundant, but you may be very surprised — once they learn you’re a serious shopper and they’re likely to lose your business, perhaps forever, they may suddenly come up with better plans than those they told you about during the first round of calls.

If you don’t get very good transfer rates, there are other companies that want your business.  Google credit card interest and you’ll find websites that specialize in showing you cards with low transfer rates.

Always read the fine print.  There are often fees (not always) for a transfer, and they should be considered.

Two caveats. When you transfer money to a card at a low rate, they apply all your payments to the low rate transfer and not to any high-rate balances until the low-rate transfer is paid off.  That means you could get charged high interest on part of the non-shrinking balance for years.  Make sure you understand clearly what they’ll do with your payments.  Also, if you move money to a new card and then make any ordinary purchase with it, that purchase (at a high rate) may not get any payments applied to it until the transfer is paid off.  A casual $10 lunch could turn into an astronomical amount after years of interest.  If you transfer to a new card, cut it up and don’t use it.  When they send you a new card later, activate it, then cut it up.  You can’t add purchases to that card.  I always get a kick out of phone calls from card companies that want me to know about using that card or some special offer.  I explain, “Don’t you understand that I don’t dare use that card for any purchases?”  ”Oh, yeah, I suppose you’re right.  Thanks.  Bye.”

11.  Dispute all credit report black marks.  Get a free set of three credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com (other websites charge fees for other services).  Basically, dispute any black marks on your report and call the bureau 30 days later! If you wait longer, they may wait longer, too.  Hold their feet to the fire by returning your corrected statements along with a “Return Receipt Requested” form from the Post Office.  It’s not expensive, and gives you the date they received your paperwork.  Call them exactly 3o days later and insist they retract anything that hasn’t been countermanded by the vendor.  Some of them may come off and you can have lower interest rates for car loans, home loans, auto insurance, etc.  This can amount to thousands of dollars in your pocket for less than an hour of your time.  If you have a rational explanation for a black mark, you can add a brief explanation to your credit report for a small fee.

12.  Shop around online, then compare and haggle with a local store manager (clerks have little authority).  You don’t have to buy online to save money.  Just having the price and description on a printout from a website may be enough to convince local vendors to give you a discount on the same item.  Maybe not.  But it only takes a few minutes to look up items on eBay, Amazon and Froogle.  Even if they don’t match the price, they may offer a discount, free delivery or other service or benefit.  If they’re stuck on bad-mouthing internet sales, you’re probably wasting your time.  When all else fails, ask if they’ll give you a discount for cash (since they pay a few per cent fee to use your credit card).  Say something like, “I’d really like to buy it here, from a local merchant, but the (spouse or partner) insists we save money by buying it online.  Can you do anything at all?”

13.  Buy filet mignon at Costco instead of expensive steaks at local markets.  At $10 a pound, it’s cheaper than any steak in any other market, and they’re delicious.  Check online at costco.com to find a local store.  They have an annual membership fee, but you can recoup it even if you only buy steaks!  Filet mignon is tender and has almost no fat, so it’s perfect for any weight-loss plan.  We cut them in half (they’re very thick), cut ‘em up for stir-fry, or even as topping for a salad.  I take along a small cooler to keep everything cold and fresh.

14.  Restaurant meals can be cheaper if you split a meal with a friend, or take some of it home for later.  If you split a meal, remember to tip your server as though you had two meals, since that’s what they served.  Waitstaff is often paid less than $3 and hour, since they’re expected to make the rest of their income in tips.

15.  Women find second-hand clothing shops to be loaded with bargains.  Many shops are duds.  Go to the wealthy towns nearby — they have second-hand shops, but the clothing will be far more valuable, and not much more expensive.  They don’t sell clothes that haven’t been laundered or need repairs.  Mens’ clothes are less common.  Take them back when you’re done with them and sell them to someone else.

16.  Your bank wants you to pay your bills through  their website using automatic or manual debit.  Since you can set up regular monthly or even weekly payments, you’ll never have another fee, never need stamps, and won’t ever have a payment lost in the mail or forgotten.  Ask your bank or just go to their website (use Google to find it quickly).

17.  When you buy checks from your bank you pay far above top-dollar.  It’s a revenue source for them.  All checks work the same, no matter who prints them.  Go to Walmart, or Google discount checks and save about 80% of the price of your next check order.  Once you’ve ordered, they often keep track for your next order.  Remember to include all the fees and shipping to compare.

18.  Check online vendors for auto insurance, then use that info to haggle with your current agent.  He’ll know you’re on track to do that when you call and ask for a printout of your current coverage, since you’ll need that to compare apples to apples.  It’s easier to just stay with the same agent if you’re satisfied with them.  Insurance companies have a series of rates, and the highest rates pay the agent the highest commission.  He wants to get the fattest paycheck he can, but he’ll be willing to get you a lower rate rather than lose your business altogether.

All insurance agents have access to lower rates if they know you’re savvy enough to understand how the system works.

19.  Combine your auto, home, and other insurance policies into one agent.  They can get lower rates, again because the company pays lower commissions to the agent on a larger piece of business.

20.  If you drink bottled water, consider getting a filter for your kitchen tap.  Refill the old bottles and refrigerate them.  You’d do that with an expensive (plastic) ‘sports’ bottle and never think twice.  One caveat. The refills will end up costing far more than the original appliance.  When you shop for filters, compare the prices on the refills.  They’re all over the map.  You can also get inexpensive filters (or if local stores don’t carry them any more) on eBay.  Just search by the name of your filter.

21.  Log every purchase you make for one week. I have a friend who has an application for his phone to make it easier.  $4 each workday for coffee?  That’s over $1,000 a year after taxes, he takes a $1,500 pay cut to enjoy coffee.  If you log everything you buy for one week on a piece of paper you carry around, you may be surprised and make some new choices.  To find out an annual cost, just multiply a week’s cost by 50 (52 weeks in a year).

22.  Before you head to the movie theater or video store check Metacritic.com or RottenTomatoes.com for reviews that are the compilation of critics all over the country.  Since critics are professionals, they tend to rely on quality over entertainment value, but you’ll get far better info than from that 30-second TV trailer.  If you’re about to be disappointed by a movie, this tactic could save you some cash.  And you get to see something you enjoy, instead.

23.  Buying prescriptions online or by mail instead of locally can save money, time, and more money.  Your health insurance company usually has an online vendor they prefer, so your co-pay can be far less or free.  Also, your local drugstore wants you to come back each month (more co-pays) but the online vendor might give you a 90-day supply, saving you two co-pays (or perhaps no charge at all).  Auto-refills just pop up in your mailbox.  You may also find that the local pharmacy doesn’t even give you what your doctor ordered.  If he says 10 pills, but the insurance only covers 5, they won’t even ask you to pay for the rest, they’ll just fill it for 5 and tell you to come back when those are gone to pay cash for the rest.  Dumb.

One caveat. If you need your prescription pronto, obviously this won’t work.  But for regular stuff, you can save a lot of money, time and hassle.

If your scheduled refills are a nightmare because they all expire at different times, try to work with your doctor to get them all to expire at the same time.  You’ll finagle the quantities a bit for a few weeks or months, but you’ll be glad you did.

24.  Tired of paying for books, movie rentals, or magazines?  Get them from your local library.  What, they don’t have something that you want?  Tell them to get it.  No library can possibly own everything, so they share resources.  It may take a few days to get the book you want, but they can get it.  They have the authority to go all the way to the Library of Congress if you insist.  The Librarian is your resource manager for information.  If you can’t find what you want, pester them.  They’ll figure out a way to get it as long as they know you really want it and you’re not just wasting their time.

25.  Never get any life insurance policy that includes a savings account of any kind. They’re all an incredible rip-off, no matter what the “agent” says.  I put ‘agent’ in quotes because he’s not your agent.  He’s a commissioned salesman who gets paid the biggest fee by selling you the product that makes the most profit for the company, not for you.  He may seem really nice and friendly (they always are).  If he’s recommending a policy that includes any savings component, he’s a scoundrel, and he knows it.  Smart people know to shop around and find a good, 20 or 30-year (long enough to get the kids out of the house) term policy that won’t go up in price and put their savings elsewhere.  If you save properly, you’ll have enough money when the policy runs out that you won’t need life insurance.  Here’s why . . .

The purpose of a life insurance policy is to protect the family from the loss of income in case the breadwinner dies prematurely.  Period.  Once the kids are grown up and have their own jobs, the spouse has far fewer needs than when the kids were growing up.  If you’ve been saving properly, she would probably be just fine by spending the accumulated savings.  If the kids are grown and there’s still not enough savings, you’ll need a small life policy.  Kids and non-working spouses get a $5,000 ‘burial’ policy, unless that expense wouldn’t hurt the family.  In those cases, the family is already self-insured.

The typical ‘benefits’ of a life insurance policy that includes a savings plan are completely flawed, but look valuable.

A.  If you need a loan, you can get one at a very low interest rate, typically 1% or 2%. (If this is my savings account, why should I have to borrow anything, and why am I paying interest on my own savings?)  To add insult to injury, if you borrow $10,o00 from your ‘savings’ to pay for kids’ college, and then you die, they reduce the death benefit by (wait for it) $10,000.

B.  If you want money in retirement, you can cancel the policy and get your savings account. (Uhh, why should I have to cancel my life insurance to get my savings?)

C.  If you die, your spouse gets the death benefit. (Who gets my savings?  Oh, the insurance company keeps my savings.  How convenient.  So that means that the longer I live, the more money I lose, and the more I have at risk.  I become more of an insurance company than the insurance company!)

D.  This is perfectly normal.  After all, don’t your homeowner’s policy, and your health insurance, and car insurance, and business insurance all have savings accounts locked inside them?  They don’t?  Hmmm . . .

This all started about 100 years ago, when life insurance companies found they could make far more money by swindling people out of their life savings than by simply selling insurance.  It worked.  Today, life insurance companies hold all the money and property, not wall street or the banks, but most people don’t know that.  When a life insurance company brags about how many billions of dollars they have in assets, that just tells you how much they took from their customers.

The worst one I ever saw was a John Hancock (I thought he was one of the good guys!?!?!?) policy that included a ‘mutual fund’ (using the term very loosely) that paid 18% each year.  The fine print on page 62 showed that the company owned the fund, not the policyholder.  Once they received the premium, it was John Hancock’s money, not yours.  The fund got 18%, so John Hancock got 18%, but the policyholder got 6%.  All perfectly legal.  Right there on page 62.  Why doesn’t the government protect you?  Because insurance company lobbyists make sure that each state controls them, not Washington.  No state has the strength to stand up to them, so they continue to behave this way.  It’s all legal, right down to the misleading claims your agent told you.  I don’t care how nice he seems to be.  Your verbal agreement isn’t worth the paper it’s not printed on.

26.  When you make the last payment on your car loan, just keep making the same payments into a Vacation Club account (or similar) at your bank or credit union.  When it’s time to buy another car, pay cash.  Keep making the payments.

27.  Don’t lease a car unless its leased to your business.  Leasing cars has become very popular, but it’s a real loser for individuals.  The one advantage for an individual is that you can drive a much nicer car than you can actually afford.  That should be a red flag right off the bat.

Businesses have two reasons to lease;  first, they get tax benefits (you don’t).  Second, they can predict their budget needs months and years in advance (individuals are more flexible and have more authority over their money than any business).

Leasing a car means you don’t have to sell it when you’re done with it.  For a business that suddenly had to get rid of 100 or 1,000 cars, that would be a problem.  But you don’t have that problem.  Leasing also means you pay what the dealer tells you to pay.  Essentially, that means they’re using the sticker price, not a lower, negotiated price.  If you take good care of the car, it’s worth more when you turn it in.  But the dealer gets that benefit, while you get nothing.  If you break or dent something, they’ll charge you to fix it, even if you would have been fine leaving those things as-is.

Many people who lease a car find they run out of miles before they run out of time.  They end up paying for a car they don’t dare drive.  If they do drive it over the agreement, they pay exorbitant fees to simply drive their car.  If they drive fewer miles than agreed, again, the dealer gets all the benefit, the driver gets nothing.  Small wonder the dealer wants you to lease instead of buy.

It also means you’ll be shopping for a car at the end of the lease, rather than when you want to do so.  That might not be a convenient time for you, but there’s nothing you can do.  If you choose to buy the car at the end of the lease because you took such good care of it, you’ll spend far more money than if you had just bought it on Day 1.

28.  Consider dropping collision coverage on your vehicle when you’ve paid off the loan.  Check Kelley Blue Book’s website or just call your bank, auto insurance agent, or any car dealer to learn what your car is now worth.  If it’s now worth $5,000, and you’re spending $1,000 each year for collision coverage, you will never get more than $5,000 no matter what.  Maybe that’s not a good use of that $1,000.  Drop the collision coverage and put the money saved into that Vacation Club account toward your next car.

29.  When you consider any savings you get you’re not looking at the real number.  It takes you about $1,500 in earnings to bring home $1,000 because of taxes.  If you save $1,000 that you would have spent, it’s like getting a $1,500 raise.  That makes any effort much more interesting and palatable.

30.  This last one isn’t so much about savings as it is about comfort.  It may actually cost you a few bucks for electricity, but can make your home much more comfortable, especially a 2-story house, a house with a hot sunny area or a cold area, or a house with a damp basement.

The furnace and air conditioner in homes don’t work the way they do in commercial buildings.  In a commercial building, a fan runs all the time to circulate a mixed combination of fresh and indoor air throughout the building, and the heat or cooling is controlled in each room to supply just what’s needed.  If they didn’t run the fan all the time, the huge spaces involved would get stale, or damp, or too hot or cold.

A home furnace has a similar fan, but it shuts off when the furnace or A/C turns off, so the air stays where it is until the thermostat is triggered again.  That means hot, dry air rises to the upstairs or in a sunny room, and damp, cool air ends up on the first floor and in the basement.  If you could turn the fan on all the time, all the air throughout the home would be the same temperature and humidity, and be constantly circulated all the time.  No hot spots, no cold spots, no damp spots.

You can do this, if you wish, if you have an ordinary gas forced-air furnace and/or central A/C.

On your thermostat, you’ll find two switches.  One is marked Heat – Off – Cool, and you use that as the seasons change.

The other is marked Off – On – Auto.  It’s now set to Auto (trust me) and it controls the fan.  When the furnace or A/C turns on and off, the fan automatically turns on and off, too (although it lags by a minute or two for efficiency).  If you switch it to On, the fan runs all the time, constantly circulating the air throughout your home.  This will dry out that damp basement, so you can get rid of the dehumidifier (saving you some money) and make the basement much more livable.  If you set the thermostat at 70, the entire home will be 70, not just the room where the thermostat sits.  No more hot spots or cold spots, just comfort in every room.  Remember to change the furnace filter more often, since it will capture more dust from the air.  If you have a permanent filter (plastic mesh with a metal frame) just rinse it off in the bathroom shower.  Don’t damage a permanent filter — they’re usually used because replaceable filters are not available in that size.

One caveat. A furnace, like most appliances, is designed to last a little over 20 years.  They fill enough oil in a pair of long tubes to lubricate the fan motor bearings for over 20 years.  If you run the fan constantly, it will use up the oil sooner.  This is not a problem, it just means you’ll have to oil it (or have a serviceman do it) every 5 years or so.  Just because you’ve never done it before doesn’t mean it’s difficult.  Turn off the electric switch or circuit breaker for the furnace, pull the pop-out panel at the bottom and a big slide out tray. You’ll find a big squirrel-cage fan on an electric motor and the pair of tubes, one tube goes to each end of the fan motor. Just fill them up with oil.  Don’t touch the odd little clips on the fins — they’re the balancing weights.  Press them gently into place if they’re not tight.

If you do decide to do it yourself, I’d recommend going to the auto parts store and buying two items; a Zoom Spout oil bottle (it has a long, slender tube to put oil in odd spots, about $3 — dump the oil into the recycle bin at the store) and a quart of synthetic motor oil, like Mobil 1 or similar (about $8) and put some in the Zoom Spout bottle.   Synthetics are vastly superior lubricants and will last much longer than ordinary oil.  Almost any weight (5W-10, 5W-30) will work, since there’s far less “work” being done by a fan motor, compared to a car engine.

Fill up the two tubes with oil, put the cover on the Zoom Spout and push the spout back into the bottle (put the cap on first or you’ll make a mess), slide the fan back in, pop on the furnace cover, and switch on the electricity.  Write the date on a piece of masking tape and place it on the furnace to remind you in 5 or 6 (very comfortable) years to oil it again.

.

Charlie Gosh

eBay’s range of goods for sale is beyond comprehension.  Anything from top-of-the-line cosmetics to heirloom hot pepper seeds to a ’63 Chevy to a battery for a laptop computer to an antique pay phone (they have hundreds of vintage three-slot payphones).  Some items are new, some are used, and they always specify which.

For cellphone accessories, a $30 item you find in the phone store can cost you $3 or $4 on eBay (with free shipping) and the variety is far greater than you’ll find in any store.  There are a few things they won’t list, like firearms, porn, fake watches, counterfeits, etc.  eBay is where you’ll find items you’ll never find anywhere else.

You don’t need an ID to search and check out the merchandise; all you need is a little curiosity.  Try it — just click this link to go to eBay.com put an item name in the Search Box and noodle around to see what’s there.  You’ll find two ways to buy; some sellers sell to the highest bidder (Auctions) with a firm end time, some just tell you straight out how much the item costs (Buy It Now), and some combine both features.  You can sort the auctions by how soon they end, by price, or distance from your ZIP code (useful if you’re buying a refrigerator, or even a car).

Selling new and used cars is very popular on eBay, since many sellers set up delivery through professional auto transport services to carry your car right to your door.  I know a fellow who lives near Detroit, and bought two (his & hers) used Mercedes-Benz automobiles from a dealer in Vancouver this way; he saved about $5,000 on each one compared to buying them locally.  Florida cars are popular, too.

When you’re ready to join in, sign up for a free eBay ID.  This ID also gives you access to some terrific tools.  For example, if you’re looking for something that’s very difficult to find, and you ask them to do so, eBay will automatically send you an email whenever somebody puts that item up for auction.  They’ll alert you if you’ve been outbid via email or even a text message to your cellphone, if you wish.  And much more — there’s good reason eBay is so popular.

Be aware that just like a live auction, bidding can get fast and furious as the end of the auction draws near.  If you don’t want to wait around until the last possible moment, you can just enter the “maximum bid” that you’re willing to pay.  If no one else bids that high, you get the item, and eBay only uses as much of your bid as is absolutely necessary to just beat the next-highest bidder.  So, if the current bid is $50 on an auction that ends tomorrow morning, and you bid $100 right now, and someone bids $55 later tonight, you’ll automatically win and pay just $56 (even if you’re still asleep when the auction ends).  This is an easy way to make sure you never go over your budget.  If you miss out on this one, just bid on the next one.  Popular items have plenty of auctions.  You usually have 3 to 5 days to get your payment to the seller, but you’re better off handling it right away.  Obviously, they won’t ship your item until you’ve paid for it.

You can check the seller’s history (Feedback) to see what other buyers have to say about this seller.  If a seller has a near-100% Positive Feedback score, and they’ve sold thousands of items, it’s a pretty safe bet you won’t have any problems.  You will also get the chance to file a simple Feedback report on your experience (doing this is quick and easy, and benefits all eBay users).  You can use eBay to send the seller a question so no one knows your email address, and eBay will send a copy of the conversation to your email inbox, if you wish.  All in all, eBay is a very popular, safe way to buy almost anything online.

You may find that the highest bid prices are around 5 PM Eastern time (as folks want to do whatever it takes to win before they leave work) or around 1:30 PM (as they bid on auctions after lunch).  Auctions ending at 3 AM Pacific Time, eBay’s official time (6AM Eastern, 5AM Central) can be lower.  Dinner time, championship sporting events, and holidays also tend to have fewer bids since there’s less competition.

eBay is aligned closely with PayPal.com and many sellers insist you pay them through PayPal. Signing up for a PayPal account is free, too.  eBay details the auction, bidding, communications, shipping, etc., and PayPal is the tool you use to safely transfer your payment to the seller.  You give your payment information (credit card, debit card, or bank account number) to PayPal’s secure site and they handle the money for both parties.  Essentially, you transfer money from your card (or bank) to PayPal, and they transfer the funds to the seller.  The transaction is free for the buyer, the seller pays a small fee.  This way the seller never sees any of your account info, but they still get paid about 98% of the winning bid.  PayPal also offers a guarantee for most auctions — if you get hoodwinked by the seller, PayPal refunds your money.  Check eBay or PayPal for details.

You should never tell anyone your PayPal password.  Period.  There’s not much reason for someone placing fake eBay bids for you, but PayPal handles money.  If they send you a message, they’ll use your actual name, not “deere custumur.”

Be sure and read all the details in an auction before you bid.  For example, sometimes the buyer pays the shipping costs, sometimes the seller pays — it’s all spelled out clearly in the auction.  Some sellers won’t ship to other countries, and some are actually in other countries (Britain, Hong Kong and Australia sellers can be found on eBay, as shown on their “Location” info).  If you have any questions, just send the seller a message, and the Q & A will often get posted right in the auction.  You can see what other people have bid, but not who they are.

If you have something you wish to sell on eBay, they have a simple, detailed training sequence that tells you everything you need to know.  It costs very little to post an item for auction (a few dollars or less).  The chain of UPS Stores around the country is set up to handle shipping your item for you, or even take photos and sell it for you for a portion of the price.  Before you sell something, buy a few items to learn your way around.  This will also give you some Feedback — if you have no Feedback and zero transactions, many people are less willing to bid on your auction, so your bids will tend to be lower (after all, there are other sellers with 100% Positive Feedback and thousands of transactions).  You may consider this when you’re bidding, too.

Enjoy, and Happy Bidding!

If you lose weight and inches, your clothes will be too big.  You may be tempted to go out and buy a new wardrobe to celebrate.

Not so fast!  If you continue to lose weight, those new clothes won’t fit for long.  Consider eBay.com for an incredible variety of clothing that’s probably priced lower than you’d pay locally.  If you get something and decide you don’t like it, you can sell it on eBay.

You can find designer-grade used clothing stores in upscale neighborhoods, where you’ll see expensive clothing at a fraction of its original price.  Check the Yellow Pages under Resale Shops. Or, check local thrift shops for used clothing, or ask your friends. Look for Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul (SVDP) and similar stores if you’re on a limited budget. In my neighborhood, the National Council of Jewish Women runs clothing thrift shops, too.

Humiliated?  Hey, what were you going to do with your clothes, now that they don’t fit you any more (and maybe never will again)?  You have clothes that have nothing wrong with them, right?

Would you borrow a freshly-washed sweatshirt from a friend?  Of course.  That Valentino sweater you spotted for $40 could have cost 20 times that when it was new, and it looks really sharp.  (Always inspect expensive used items very carefully for flaws.)  Wealthy people can afford plenty of expensive designer clothing, and some sell it once they’re bored with it, or if it’s just the wrong season or fashion. The recent financial crash means that a lot of ordinary folks who bought very nice clothes with a credit card may be willing to sell them for a song.

At the budget thrift shops, paying a dollar for a pair of slacks or two dollars for a top is easy on your wallet while you’re dropping sizes.

People won’t drive far to drop off their old stuff, so check upscale neighborhoods for the nicest resale shops.  When you find one, ask them where to find others nearby.  You’ll be surprised what you’ll find there — true designer-brand clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, handbags . . .   Mens’ clothing is less common in upscale resale shops, but plentiful at some Salvation Army and SVDP thrift stores.  Every store is different, and tries to cater to their local neighborhood, since that’s where their stock comes from.  And, if the price is right, you can pick something nice that might be just a little too small for you right now and encourages you to keep losing weight.

Used clothing is popular because it’s a fraction of the price of new clothes. If the shop finds anything substantially wrong with it, they usually won’t want it.  No customer wants to buy something that needs repair, no matter how low the price.

When you’ve “outgrown” your new collection of designer duds, take them back again and have them sold for you, typically on consignment.  That means you won’t get any money until another customer buys it.  Rotating their stock through your closet and back to their store will save you a bundle of cash compared to buying new clothes, but your money could get tied up for a while.  You’ll typically get less when you sell it, since the difference is the store’s profit.

Turn it into a regular routine as you lose weight.  Try out different, wild, snazzy, temporary outfits.  Hey, this could be fun!

I’d go with ‘brand new’ for socks and underwear, though.  

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Charlie Gosh

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Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97

You can legally be called by any political group, survey company, or non-profit outfit that cares to pester you, but they can’t call you at unreasonable hours.  Politely ask them to stop calling you and they usually will.

If they won’t get off the line, ask who they like in the playoffs this year, or if they know how to tell if you need new tires.  Tell them what you like to eat at picnics in the Poconos in August.  Don’t let up.

Some for-profit companies will have a fake non-profit arm call and line up appointments for them.  Just tell those callers you don’t do business with dishonest people, ask them to stop calling you, and hang up.

The techniques here are for those creeps who are out to steal your identity or your money and you’re about to hand it over to them on a silver platter.  They know they’re robbing people, but they make really good money doing it.

Don’t be surprised if a scammer is rude to you when you trick them.  You’re dealing with lowlife white-collar criminals and you’re not doing what they want.

I get calls for overpriced diabetic supplies, work-from-home scams, medical insurance, lower credit card rates, and more.  (If you were a legitimate credit card company, you would already know my credit card number and my balances.  Duh.)

These calls are all total scams, fishing for your personal info so they can cheat and rob you, or sell you junk products at super-inflated prices.  Many are placed from another country so they legally don’t have to stop if you ask them.

Besides, if a total stranger called you on the phone and asked how much you owe on your credit cards and then wants all the numbers from those cards, what would your banker tell you to do?

How about, “Wow! That sounds really interesting.  Uhhh, hang on just a minute, somebody’s at the door. I’ll be right back.”

If they ask for someone by name, “Yeah, that sounds pretty important. He just went next door. I’ll go get him. I’ll be right back.”

If they ask about your credit cards or your gas bills, just say, “I’m not really sure.  I’ll go get my last bill.  I’ll be right back.”

Set the phone down. Hang it up when it beeps really loud.

While they’re waiting, Google the phone number from your Caller ID and get some background about them (no dashes or spaces, just put 6467340567 in the Search box).

Time is the one thing they hate to lose since they only get paid for pulling valuable info from suckers.  Works even better if they can hear ordinary family noises, like the TV or people talking.  Play some crappy music for them.  Or talk out loud while you Google their info.  They’ll stop calling.

If they do call again, make them wait five or ten minutes while you “get the door,” then pick up the phone and plainly tell them you’re going to do the same thing every time they call, and hang up.

Or, you could have some fun.  “What’s your name?  Are you married? What do you do for fun? I don’t have any friends, would you like to be my friend?” Stay totally off-topic and completely ignore any questions.  ”I just LOVE red basketball shoes.  Do you like red basketball shoes?  I just LOVE Lady Gaga . . . ”

Maybe you’d prefer, “Which video games do you like?  I’m really good at Pac-Man.” Act mentally challenged.  Let them go through their entire canned speech but answer all their questions in a way that totally disqualifies you from anything sold anywhere.  “I think my credit card company owes me about a million dollars.  I’m not sure.  Uhh, what was the question again?” Tell them you have to go now, your Mom is calling you for dinner and you have to do your chores right after that.  Make them promise to call you back tomorrow and hang up.

Stutter and stammer. Then keep changing your mind and your answers while correcting yourself non-stop.

Put him on speaker phone and clearly say to a non-existent accomplice, “Hey, Joey. I’m prankin’ some scammer. Go get the video camera and we’ll have some fun with him.”

Or just flat out ask if you can record your conversation and post it on YouTube.  ”Why not?  Besides, you wouldn’t know if I did it anyway.  How do you spell the name of your company?”

Or, “Hey, where are you right now?” Demand their full company name and spell it back to them, very slowly.  Get their street address, both for the call center and the corporate headquarters.  Tell them to hang on just a minute while you Google all of it.  Take your time and tell them about everything you find, and what you think of it, and ask what they think of it.  Be friendly, you want to keep them on the phone as long as possible (it won’t be long).

If they won’t answer your questions, obviously you’re not going to answer theirs.  “I’d have to be a complete idiot to do business with anyone who doesn’t even know the name of their company and their own address, or is forbidden to tell me.  Why would I tell you anything?”

Act drunk. Demand they meet you for a drink.  Repeatedly.  Even after they agree to do it.  Talk about nothing else.

Since Sept. 2009, all automated sales robo-calls must now be authorized by you, in writing, in advance. Anything else is illegal and carries a federal fine of $16,000 per phone call.  Anyone willing to commit multiple crimes on that scale is definitely not worried about robbing you or giving you good service.  There are exceptions for purely informational calls — your next dental appointment, your flight’s been cancelled, emergency messages, and a few others.

There’s another fun, easy way to make the rest stop calling you.

This one’s great for political calls from the wrong party, “firemen’s league volunteers” that turn most of the money into their own salaries, or anyone else that annoys you.

Wait until they have a question and pause, then announce in a happy voice . . .

“Thank you for calling our Consumer Information and Marketing Hotline Service with your important consumer question.  The fee for using this service is $100 for the first minute and $10 for each additional minute.  In order to continue, I’ll need your credit card number, or a company purchase order number, or we can arrange financing for you.  How would you like to pay today?”

You can add some variety.  Maybe they “still haven’t paid the bill from the last time they called,” or you could ask for the employee’s full name and business address so you can send them the bill personally to make sure it doesn’t end up on the wrong desk, etc.  They bothered you.  Have some fun!

Smart folks will just hang up and take you off their list.

Dummies will apologize and say they made a mistake, that they didn’t know about your “service.”

Either way, they know they’re not going to make any headway today or any time in the future.

Continue your ruse and tell them, “That’s OK. It happens.  I just need an email from your manager, stating that you didn’t know about the fees for our service, and I’ll tear up your bill just as soon as I get that email.”

Drop one of the letters from your email address (or just make up a silly one) so their message will bounce and they’ll waste their time, knowing they don’t dare call you back for the correct address.

If they ever call again for any reason, they can’t claim ignorance, so demand your payment from their last call!

For legitimate calls, you can just politely ask them to take your name off their list.  There’s no reason to be rude.

Finally, there’s one you can try if a particular outfit just keeps calling back.  Use Google to find a copy of “number disconnected mp3″ and download the file.  I can’t personally vouch for this one, but some folks claim that modern auto-dialers are designed to respond to that old “dah-dah-dah — The number you have called is not in service at this time” recording.  The story is that if you can play that series of tones from your PC into your phone, they may automatically pull your number.  It sounds like a lot of work to me, so I’m just going with, “Do you have a cat?  I just love cats.  I have a Persian named Muffin.  He’s about 5 years old, and we got him from my friend, Alice.  Alice loves cats, too.  She lives in New Hampshire . . . ”

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See Credit Card Do’s and Don’ts

How to Heal An Earache Quickly

Clean Up Your Credit Report — for free!

See all of Charlie’s Blog Entries here.

Be very wary of any company that offers to improve your credit for a fee.  You can do all the same things they can.  Give them money and you’ll likely get cheated.

Basically, you’ll get a free report from each of the three credit reporting agencies, look them over carefully for any errors, then dispute those errors.  Will it remove everything you’d like?  If the entry is correct, your mileage may vary.  But it’s worth a shot, and you may be very pleasantly surprised.  There’s no harm in trying.  There’s nothing to gain by repeated requests to remove correct entries.

Start by going to AnnualCreditReport.com.  There are many other websites that will get the reports, but they’ll charge for this or other services.

Answer a few questions to prove who you are and you can print all three reports.  (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion agencies can all have slightly different info.)  Everything’s free.  You can do this once each year.  Next year, you might stagger them so you get a different agency’s report every four months.

Go over each detail carefully and mark every error.  These can lower your credit score.  It’s not uncommon to find incorrect old street addresses, other people’s addresses, etc.  Have all errors removed or corrected.  Read the instructions and contact each agency to dispute the items you’ve marked.

Dispute every item you’ve marked.  ”I dispute that the July, 2008 payment was late” even if it was actually late in June; it might come off altogether.  Do this in writing and mail it to the agency.  Use the US Postal Service’s “return receipt requested” card to receive notification when each one is delivered.  It’s not expensive.

The most important thing is to document everything you do, including dates and names so you can follow up on the phone one month later.  A piece of paper, a Word document on your PC, sticky notes, an email to yourself, a calendar entry — doesn’t matter.  Just do it somewhere so you can follow up in exactly one month.

The agency contacts each creditor about your denials.  The creditor must respond within 30 days, or the item automatically comes off your report.  (Some sources state 45 days for free reports.  Call at 30 days.)

Even if they manage to keep something on your report, you can include a statement about the entry for a small fee.  Your intent is to influence future loan decisions, so be sensible and be very brief.

Remember to contact the agency by phone exactly 30 days after they receive your denial (evidenced by your “return receipt requested” card) to follow up and make sure the item is removed.  If you don’t call them, they’ll often wait longer than 30 days for the creditor’s reply, so hold their feet to the fire.

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You’re better off never getting those black marks in the first place.  Here’s a method that works very well for me to pay all my monthly bills on time.

Most banks and credit unions have a program to automatically pay your bills for you by sending a check or doing a money transfer for you (ACH Debit stands for Automated Clearing House).  This is NOT the same as having a vendor pull money from your account, which I strongly suggest you do NOT do (except perhaps for car insurance payments, which will always be the same amount).  Vendors make mistakes.  That $100.02 you owe for an electric bill could become a request for $1,000.20 and get pulled from your account (and bounce all your other checks and payments).  They’ll fix it later (after you find the error and complain) but you’ll have a lot of headaches before it’s over.  Just say “no” to letting a vendor pull funds in any amount whenever they see fit.

Instead, your bank will give you a web-based tool to set up automated (single, weekly, or monthly) payments that you SEND TO the vendor.  You choose the date and amount, and the bank sends the money electronically, or they’ll print and mail a check for you.  Many banks don’t charge anything for this service, since they save money on check-handling costs.  Some charge a few dollars, but ask them if they have a plan to waive the fee.  (Your auto-deposited paycheck or a minimum balance may qualify you.)

Large monthly payments can be split in two to match your bi-weekly paycheck.  If you’re paid weekly, you could even pay 1/4 each week, so long as they get all their payments before the due date.

Leave plenty of time for the payment to reach the vendor before the due date.  Many credit card companies don’t use the same calendar as the rest of the world (slimy!).  They often have “floating months” that will change your due date as it suits them.  Don’t get chumped when they change your due date without warning.  Everyone should study every statement every month to look for errors and other information, including bill and bank statements.  Most systems give you only 60 days to report errors or you’re stuck with them.  If you’re not watching your money, no one else is, either.

Using the bank’s ACH payment service also means your check won’t get lost in the mail (it happens — a lot).  It’s easy to track payments since they’re itemized on your monthly bank statement and online.  If there’s ever a question or dispute, you have a solid trail and records to straighten everything out, and the service will usually go to bat for you.  If you mail checks, you’re on your own.  Using this method, it may take a year for you to go through a single book of checks because you just won’t use them.

You can choose to make the payments end on a certain date (e.g., car payments), or run indefinitely (your gas bill budget plan).  You can change the amounts or dates any time you wish, or send some extra money on demand.  Once you get your accounts set up (the bank will need to know the account number and address for each vendor) it’s really easy to maintain them.

Do nothing more, and all your bills get paid, on time, every month, without fail.  All you have to do is open your vendors’ bill each month and look it over to make sure everything’s on track.

They may not handle government payments, child support, or insurance payments.  In case there’s a question, they don’t want to be in the middle.  Many car insurance companies will pull premium payments from your account each month instead of a huge bill every six months.

If you wish to raise your credit score, you have good reason.  That number determines the interest rate you get on any loan (or if you even get a loan).  Keeping your credit score as high as possible just saves you a lot of money.

There are a few more things you can do.

Be sensible.  Opening new credit cards, then closing them soon after may be a way to get a free airline ticket or a prize, but looks bad on your report.  Max’ing out a card is bad.  Closing your oldest accounts is bad.  Anything that looks like you’re handling credit in an irresponsible manner is bad.  Every vendor wants customers that use credit responsibly, pay their bills on time, and behave the same as their other good customers.

If you do close an account, call on the phone and insist that your account read, “Closed at customer’s request.”  Otherwise, it can look like the vendor closed it instead of you — bad.

If you are late with a payment, you’ll be charged a late fee.  Call the vendor on the phone and ask if they can waive the fee.  If you’ve been responsible and haven’t made a similar request lately, they may just remove it and that’s the end of it.  If you’re over 30 days late, they’ll report you to the agencies as a missed payment/more than 30 days late.

Until a few years ago, utility companies didn’t report payments over 30 days late, but now they can.  Make all your payments on time.

In many states, a poor credit score will raise your car and other insurance premiums.  Insurance companies figure if you’re careless with your monthly payments, you’re probably a careless driver or a bad risk, and the numbers hold up.  You’ll also pay more for the interest rate on home and auto loans and credit cards.  It can even keep you from getting hired.  Many hiring managers figure if you’re sloppy with your payments, you’re more likely to be sloppy with your job.

There are many benefits to removing black marks from your credit reports.  The cost is next to nothing, the time involved is brief.  The most important part is your follow-up at the 30-day mark.

Good luck,

Charlie Gosh

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Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97

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You might be able to get a free repair or replacement.  Not on everything that breaks, but you may be surprised.

There are a few methods I’ll tell you about.  First is lifetime guarantees that go unused.  The second is selectively using a Platinum or Gold credit card for purchases.  Cellphone contracts usually offer an insurance program. Everyone is offered an extended warranty on appliances and major consumer electronics purchases (but don’t buy the warranty — there’s a better way).  Don’t overlook your Homeowner’s Insurance Policy because it covers many things you don’t know about — but don’t call your agent to find out if you have a claim!  Last, but not least, are local ‘tech’ schools, where students may do repairs at no or low cost.

Many consumer goods have lifetime guarantees, but very few people exercise their right. When you buy something, check the tags and labels to see if it has a lifetime warranty. When you find one, make a mental note or start a list in a document on your computer.  Some are easy (go to the manufacturer’s website, fill out a form, then mail the item to them) and some are more difficult (they want the original receipt).  Some let you just return the item to the store. Tools, some electronics, household goods, some clothing — all kinds of things come with a lifetime warranty, but most people don’t pay any attention.  From now on, you will.

For example, all Targus brand laptop carrying cases will be replaced when they wear out — zippers fail, handles break, stuff happens. They can afford to do this because most people don’t take them up on it.

Sears Craftsman brand tools are not as super-strong as expensive professional tools, but they’re replaced at the store if they fail (don’t admit that you abused it, or they may balk).

Lots of other items work the same way.  If someone is throwing out something valuable, check the manufacturer’s website to see if it has a lifetime warranty.  Take the broken item off their hands and you can get a brand-new one.

A Platinum credit card could come in really handy.  Gold and Platinum level cards have “extras” in their agreement to encourage you to use them. As long as you use the right card for a purchase, you may get free travel insurance coverage, baggage insurance, rental car insurance, concierge services, airline points, or maybe they’ll replace lost, stolen, broken or defective items, etc. Some cards pay money back to you.  Call the phone number on your card and they’ll be glad to tell you about the free features you already have.  Any time you’d ordinarily write a check for a big-ticket item (vacations, furniture, college tuition, appliances) consider getting something for nothing; use the card, then write the check to pay off the card.  If you started that document I mentioned above to track your lifetime warranties, update it with the extras for each of your credit cards to keep track of which one to use for each kind of purchase.

Some cards extend the warranty (typically double it) up to an extra year.  Sometimes they’re far more gracious than the actual manufacturer.  Which brings me to a story . . .

My accountant bought a new laptop with his Platinum VISA.  Since he promptly paid it off, his total cost was the price of the laptop, nothing more.  But he got a warranty program that didn’t cost him a cent.  A few months later, he accidentally spilled water on his new laptop and it fried.  It was clearly his fault, and the manufacturer knew it, so they demanded $800 to replace the motherboard.  He contacted his credit card company.  They had him pay for the repair and send them the bill, and their insurance company sent him a check for $800.

Most cellphone contracts have an insurance program available, usually for $5 or $6 a month (that’s $60 to $72 a year) that covers ANYTHING that happens to your phone.  Do the math.  If your new phone costs $150 – $300, it may make sense for you.  If you only paid $40 or $50 for your phone, and could do that again, it’s hard to justify the insurance.  Don’t forget; maybe you got a big discount or rebates on an expensive phone, but you won’t get the same break if you need another phone before your contract expires.  If you’re hard on phones, tend to lose them (or drop them in the lake) or your dog likes to chew things, this could be a real money-saver for you.  I’ve met a few folks who have deliberately “lost” their slightly-malfunctioning, out-of-warranty phone just so they can get a new one rather than pay a repair bill, but, for ethical reasons, I cannot recommend that plan.

Most of these cellphone insurance plans must begin within 30 days of your purchase.  Also, if your phone is gone, you’ve probably lost your photos, contacts, phone numbers and addresses.  Some new (expensive) phones automatically back up your data to a server, then drop it into your new phone.  Some systems enable you to remotely delete the data on your old phone in case someone finds it or stole it.

Next are the extended warranty programs offered with appliance and electronics purchases.  This one is easy.

Truth be told, most things that are going to fail usually do so pretty soon after you buy them.  Items that wear out after the warranty, but sooner than you expected because of poor engineering or materials should be a tip that you’re buying the wrong brand.  For expensive purchases (like a car, appliances, tires, computer, etc.) do a little digging around on the internet to see if other people have an opinion about reliability on that model.

Manufacturers often issue a ‘silent recall’ that is announced only to their dealers.  If they can get you to pay for the repair, they’re OK with that.  If you let the dealer know that you’ve learned there’s a widespread problem with your item, you may get it fixed free, or at a dramatically reduced price.  I saved over $500 on an auto repair this way with about ten minutes research using Google.

Consumer electronics are widely available, and people shop around for the best price.  There’s not much opportunity for a seller to make much profit because there’s so much competition.  But their extended warranty plans are high-profit.  If your sales associate seems to press a little too hard to buy the warranty, it’s because his manager may have made it clear that if he doesn’t sell enough of them this week, he’ll miss his quota and be reprimanded or even fired.  So, what can you do?

First, politely decline the extended warranty.  Politely, since it wasn’t the salesman’s idea anyway, though he may or may not get a small commission for selling it.  If you wish, you can get under his skin a bit by asking, “Do you think this model really needs the extended warranty?  Maybe I should be looking at another brand, or check the brands at a different store.”  Sometimes a lower price is caused by superior efficiency, sometimes by cheaper components.  Again, a little Google research can give you some insight about other peoples’ experience with this model or brand.

Next, take the money you would have spent on the extended warranty (or 10% of the item’s price — your choice) and put that money in your bank account’s Vacation Club, or your sock drawer, or any other place you won’t filch it.  You now have your own extended warranty insurance program, and you get to keep all the profits.  If you do that each time you buy anything that offers an extended warranty, you’ll build up quite a war chest.  Use that money for repairs or replacements.

Nearly everyone has a Homeowner’s Insurance Policy or a Renter’s Policy.  Price varies widely, and so does coverage.  Most people think it only protects you if your house burns down.  But if you read your policy, or just ask your agent, you may discover that it covers thousands of items you never dreamed of.  The time to ask about coverage is before you buy. You may learn that for just a few dollars more, it can cover items in your car, a dinged car fender, and things that don’t even belong to you.  Excessive small claims are not a good idea, but big-ticket items may be covered.  Your policy might fix your laptop after you spill coffee on it, or pay the medical bills for a neighbor who hurts himself while working in your yard.  Call your agent to ask about existing coverage, but never discuss a specific issue unless you will file a claim — they keep a record of your inquiry that can cause you problems even if you don’t file a claim.

If you have accumulated some wealth, ask a few insurance agents about an Umbrella Policy — these are inexpensive policies that take over after your ordinary insurance program runs out of money, and cost far less than raising the limits on those other policies.  Wealthy people always have an umbrella policy, sold in 1 million-dollar increments.  For example, your auto coverage should take care of the medical bills if you hit a pedestrian.  But what if you accidentally cause many people to be injured?  Your auto policy can’t possibly cover all those medical bills, and they’ll just take your money if you have a lot of it.  You couldn’t afford to buy 2 million-dollars of coverage in an auto policy, but you can afford a 2 million-dollar umbrella policy that wouldn’t even be involved if your auto coverage took care of the entire claim.  Ditto for covering your valuable collection, art, or clumsy neighbor on your homeowner’s policy.  Or if a toddler drowns in your swimming pool.

Always remember that the fine print in most insurance policies (of any kind) won’t have any coverage for negligence. If you’re crazy enough to be driving along on an icy road and you have a collision, say you “hit an icy spot.”  If you do something stupid, don’t expect them to pony up lots of cash to take care of your dumb move, because they won’t if they don’t have to.  The whole bill could turn out to be on your shoulders.

There is one important caveat for Homeowner’s policies.  Many insurance companies now share their databases of claims and payoffs to limit fraudulent claims, and even a phone call to your agent to inquire about a potential claim.  But there’s one area where some people can really get hurt.  If you have water damage and place a claim, they’ll likely pay for the repairs.  But water damage sometimes causes mold. Mold damage can be extensive, and expensive to repair.  Mold may return over and over again, necessitating additional repairs.  Some insurance companies may raise your premium or even refuse to renew your policy after the initial repair, fearing additional expense later on.  You may be able to get another company to sell you a policy, but they’ll see you had a claim and charge high premiums.

The big problem may occur years later when you sell your home.

Your buyer will request a mortgage from a lender to buy your home.  The lender always insists that the buyer obtain a homeowner’s policy to protect against fire loss.  But the insurance company may access the databases and discover that you’ve had water damage, and decline to sell a policy to the new buyer.

No policy, no mortgage.

You might be forced to sell on a land contract or similar instead of getting cash at the sale.  This will prevent you from using that cash toward your next home.  Instead of weeks, it could take decades to get your money out, and that’s if all goes well.  This scenario doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.  If you’ve got a small claim for water damage, you may be better off not involving your homeowner’s insurance company, or even calling your agent.

As a last resort, local technical schools might be able to help you.  Technical schools and colleges can tell you on the phone if they’re interested in repairing your stuff.  Also, many local K-12 school districts cooperate to pool resources for technical training.  For example, one high school might have a well-equipped metal shop, another nearby district will have a high school with a substantial auto repair facility, and a third may have a full-blown electronics repair lab. The districts realize that it makes more sense to share their students than to build lesser versions themselves, so they shuttle tech students to the next district for part of the day for specialized training. Sometimes a rural county will house multiple technical disciplines in a single building and all the local school districts send their tech students to that building. A quick phone call to any local high-school counselor will uncover what facilities are near you. If you have a non-working item, you may be able to get it repaired at low or no cost, and help a student get some real-world training at the same time. For example, a computer repair lab can add a new hard drive to your desktop (or perhaps fix your old one) and take a look at your broken microwave oven at the same time. That non-working CD player you were going to throw out is a valuable resource to a student.

While students will do the work, they’ll be under the supervision of a qualified instructor. They usually have a vast array of tools and reference sources. If they tell you your repair is out of their league, you’re no worse off than you were before. Need a muffler for your car, or some dents removed? Kitchen appliance on the fritz? Printer that just doesn’t work right? Call that counselor and find out what you have waiting for you. You’ve already paid for the facility with your tax dollars, and students benefit from the variety you can bring to them. Getting your repair for a song is just icing on the cake.

Tell your friends.

Charlie Gosh

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Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97

You don’t have to pay taxes on it. You don’t even know the money exists.  It’s not collecting interest, and no one will come looking for you.  (Sometimes people will try to match you up with your money for a fee, but you can do it yourself for free.)

I got over $1,200 this way, and I’ve helped others retrieve thousands of dollars they didn’t even know was waiting for them.

First, if you’ve ever had an FHA-backed home mortgage loan (or you recall the word ‘HUD’), and the loan has been paid off for any reason, you likely have some cash that’s just waiting for you to claim it.  More about that in just a minute.

Or, go to your state’s Treasury Department website and check their Unclaimed Property list to see if anyone has turned in money in your name. I know that sounds really unlikely, but it happens a lot (more than 1.5 million times every year in New York, for example).  An old bank account, summer job paycheck, insurance payout or tax refund check you never cashed must, by law, be turned over to your state treasury (in your name) 5 years later.  There are lots of reasons your money can end up here.

Basically, you check online to see if they have anything for you, mail the state capitol a notarized form with your name and address, and they send you a check.  You should never have to pay anybody a dime for any of this money (except a few bucks for notary service, or usually free at your bank or municipal offices).

Just go online to your state’s homepage (your state’s two letter name plus .gov as in NY.gov for example) then type  Unclaimed Property in the Search box.  Or, drill down through the menus Govt. Agencies, Treasury or State Comptroller, Unclaimed Property . . . Read a few FAQ answers, see if they have money for you, fill out a short form, get a check in a few weeks.  Typically, any taxes owed were taken out years ago, so you just cash the check and keep the money. Check with your tax preparer to get advice about how to treat this ‘found’ money on your tax return.

Also check http://www.missingmoney.com to cover (some of) the other 49 states (not all states are plugged into the database yet — keep checking back).  Or check Google for more leads.

Even if you don’t find anything for yourself, you may discover money owed to a relative with the same last name.

The FHA refund plan applies to anyone who ever got an FHA -backed home mortgage loan issued by HUD’s Federal Housing Authority, and then paid it off.  An ordinary, “conventional” loan might be quoted as 6%, but FHA loan rates, typically lower, are quoted like this:  5 per cent, plus a 1/2.  The ”plus a 1/2″ per cent pays an insurance premium to protect a pool of similar loans that were all placed around the same time as yours. Anyone who pays off their loan by selling the house, refinancing the mortgage, or just plain paying it off, owns a portion of that exclusive, self-liquidating, self-insurance fund.  If you don’t ask for it, Uncle Sam will patiently hold it for you until you do ask, with no charges, no fees, and no interest.  They’ll be happy to wait forever, until you ask for your money.

Your money. Often a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on how long you made payments on the loan, how many other homeowners in your pool defaulted on their loans, etc.  It just takes a few minutes to find out how much money might be waiting for you.

For FHA refunds, go to http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/comp/refunds/ and find if there’s money for you. All you need is a last name to get you started.

Tell your friends.

Charlie Gosh

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Tobacco has a big secret that will astonish you . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=48

Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97

You may want to do three things before you leave; turn off your main water valve, use a checklist, and leave a lamp on.

I have a checklist we use, I’ve posted it below for you.

If you’ll be gone more than a day or two, and the outdoor temperature could get below freezing, you can protect your home from burst pipes.  If the power fails while you’re away, or the furnace stops, or the ice maker springs a leak, or the hot water heater tank leaks or bursts (all of these things happen), you could suffer dramatic damage from water leaking, which could freeze if there’s no heat, making a real mess.  Even if it doesn’t freeze, that’s no way to return from a relaxing vacation.

Your homeowner’s insurance policy will probably fix the mess (eventually), but you’re better off not needing it.  Some water damage cannot be fixed.  Returning home late at night to find six inches of ice on the floor, or ice pulling down a ceiling or wall is nasty.  Especially if the ice is blocking the front door shut.

Easy way out?  Turn off the main water valve just before you leave. Any adult can do this.

If your home is heated with a boiler (you have steam or water-filled radiators or baseboards for heat), it needs to top off its water supply occasionally; if you turn off the main water valve, leave it open a little bit so the boiler can get make-up water.  Or, just leave it alone (main supply valve is open).

If you pump water from your own well, you should have a circuit breaker dedicated to the water pump; just switch it off.

While you’re gone, there won’t be any water available for bathing, toilets, watering the plants or pets, etc. if you have a housekeeper or plant/pet-sitter come by.

Find your main water shutoff. It’s good to know where it is, anyway, just in case you spring a leak while you’re at home. You should test it long in advance — no surprises.  Look for your water meter and find the pipe that leads to the earth or the house from the meter.  The main shutoff valve will be found very nearby. There may be one on each side of the meter — use whichever one is easiest.  In a condo or apartment, it may be near the hot water heater.  Try it now to make sure it actually works — if you can’t shut the valve off, you no longer have a shut-off valve and won’t be able to turn off the water in an emergency.  The handle may turn only a quarter-turn, or it may spin around many times.  Test your results by opening a faucet.

Just before you walk out the door to catch that plane, turn off the main water valve.

DO NOT DRAIN THE HOT WATER TANK at the tap at its bottom or its burner will fry it, but you could turn the water heater thermostat to the “Vacation” setting to save a few bucks.  If you’re really fastidious, also turn on a faucet in the lowest sink you have and gravity will drain most of the pipes.  A pipe with water in it can still burst if it freezes, but no water will flow if you’ve turned it off.  It’s still expensive and clumsy to tear open walls and floors to fix a broken pipe.

If you leave town during cold weather and the power or furnace fails, etc.,  at least you won’t have water damage.

Next, before you walk out the door, find a light to turn on (a bathroom is best, but any room that blocks prying eyes is good).  Thieves casing your home may see that you’re not shoveling walks or moving cars, but they can’t be sure there isn’t someone still awake with a lamp on who can call the police if they break in.  It’s easier to rob a darkened house down the block.  Some people leave a radio or TV playing — same idea.

Phone cards. We found that phone rates in Mexico, for example, using the phone in the hotel room to call home are $10 a minute.  A 5-minute call home to tell everybody you’re OK will cost $50.  The advice was to buy a phone card and use it at a pay phone for a much more reasonable rate.  Many hotels have a toll-free number so you can ask about similar fees, or just send an email.

See the travel checklist below.

Charlie Gosh

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Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97

If you’d like to copy, paste, edit and save your own copy of this list, follow the steps below.

Basically, you’ll highlight the list, copy the list, then find a place to paste, edit, and store your customized version. This method works almost everywhere on any PC, so it’s a handy tool to practice and learn.

1. Highlight the list (left-click-and-drag your mouse over the entire list).  If you have trouble with that, try the keyboard combination CTRL-A instead to highlight All, but you’ll get my entire blog entry. Just delete later what you don’t want using the highlight to cover many, many lines, then hit the delete button one time.

2. Right-click the highlighted area. You’ll get a small menu. Left-click on Copy.

3. Click your Windows Start button, then click Run, type the word   notepad in the box and click the OK button.

(If you can’t find the Run choice on your Start Menu, press the Windows-R key combination.  The Windows key has a 4-piece flag on it, usually near the bottom left of your keyboard; press Windows and the R key both at the same time and release them.  If both of these methods seem too difficult, just launch Microsoft Word or your favorite word processor, or even compose a blank email to yourself.)

4. Notepad will open. Right-click inside the blank writing area to get a small menu, then left-click on Paste.

5. The list should now be in Notepad (or Word, or in an email you’ll send to yourself).  Edit it as you like.

6. Click File, Save As, choose a folder you will remember (your Desktop is handy) and choose a filename (TravelList, for example) then click the Save button.

7. Your new version should be an icon on your Desktop (or send it to your email Inbox).  Double-click that icon to open, click File, Print to print a copy or two.  Edit as you see fit, then save your new version.  Email a copy to yourself and you can get to it from anywhere.

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I use this list by first crossing off each item I know I won’t need, then cross off each item as it’s completed.  Once an entire line is crossed off, I draw a vertical bar at the beginning of that line, then connect the bars as each line is finished.  I can see in a flash if a line does not have every item crossed off by looking at the growing vertical bar in the left margin.

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NO carry-on liquids over 100 ml / 3 oz., and put them in one quart-size baggie.

Liquids or sprays in luggage in sealed baggie to handle leaks.

Take a bottle of water, empty prior to security, fill before getting on the plane.

No sharp objects at airport security, or they keep them.

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airline tickets/choose seats, hotel confirmation, car rental, limo/shuttle reservations

luggage, luggage locks, business cards, carry-on bags, check dry cleaners, empty car trunk

binoculars, contact lenses & solution, eye drops, glasses, medication, vitamins, gels, sprays

cameras (empty the old photos), tripod, memory cards, batteries, battery charger, cables

headphones, CD player, MP3 player, DVD player, cables, power supplies

magazines, books, CD’s, notebook, DVD’s, toys, keys

foreign AC power adapters, tell neighbor we’ll be away

tour books, maps, directions, check TripAdvisor.com for advice

air tickets, cruise tickets, hotel confirmations, car rental/limo, passports/pens/carrying case

cash, call banks for international ATM/credit card use & rates, phone card

gas in car, oil change, return/get library books, airport limo, parking coupon

check weather reports, check cellphone coverages, porch/bathroom lamp, nightlights

mow lawn, move potted plants to get watered, stop newspaper delivery

dress socks, white socks, underwear, t-shirts, dress shirts/ties, slacks, jacket/blazer/coat

jeans, shorts, jewelry, sandals, flip-flops, bathrobe, sunglasses

shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, cologne, antiperspirant, makeup, shavers

bathing suits, beach towels, swim float, snorkel, swim mask, ear plugs, hats

suntan lotion, hand lotion, band aids, aloe gel

tennis shoes, dress shoes/clothes, rainwear/umbrella, sweater, parka

cellphones, chargers, spare batteries, shaver, spare watch, (leave valuables home)

pay bills, renew license plates, check eBay to see if something needs to be paid

chewy bars/nuts/snacks, cooler/food, laundry detergent, bar soap, sheets, towels

do laundry, empty washer & dryer, clean out perishable foods from refrigerator

laptop, Kensington lock, power supply, ethernet cable, hand/headset, jump drive

toothbrushes, chargers, cases, oral irrigator, spare batteries, floss

leave a note for postman, no sharp objects in pockets (aircraft)

housekeeping, pet care, pillows for car trips, clothes iron, hair dryer

trash to curb, bottled water, change answering machine/voicemail message

turn down thermostat, pack gifts, cards, check in for airline

water plants, turn off water supply, lock doors & windows

create email “out of town” reply notice, shut down PC’s

during thunderstorm season unplug audio/video equipment, PC, printer, microwave oven

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Always check your seat before leaving anywhere.  Airlines are notorious for making absolutely no attempt whatsoever to return lost items, even if your name and phone number are clearly on it.  Their attitude is that you were foolish enough to lose it, so it’s not their fault.  Putting a business card in your belongings may sound like a good idea (and you should do so in case someone else finds it) but don’t sit by the phone waiting for an airline to call you.  If you leave something on a plane or in an airport, you might get lucky if you try hard enough, but don’t expect them to make any effort to call you, or even tell you which city your stuff ended up in (since your plane could have gone anywhere after you got off, and even somewhere else before your stuff was found).

Everything they don’t return is held for 30 days, then given away to a giant store in Scottsboro, Alabama that brags that they get 7,000 new items each day.  Translated, that means airlines give away 7,000 items belonging to their customers every day.

You may benefit from drawing your last name with a bar of soap on the top of your luggage to make it easier to find (both for you and the lost luggage staff).  If the airline lost your luggage, it might simply show up on the next flight from your town.  If they find it, they’ll usually deliver it to you at their expense (though it’s a polite gesture to give the delivery guy a few bucks for a tip — he’s just a working stiff whose only role is getting it back to you).

If they say they can’t find your checked luggage, they’ll offer to give you $200 to pay you off.  Tell them you know the law (even if you don’t) and that you had expensive clothes and a camera in that bag and you’ll see to it that you get $2,000 for it.  I have personally seen this work — a fellow traveler went three days without his luggage and then used this method.  Ten minutes later, the airline called back and had miraculously found a bag they’d given up on.

If you’re out of town and your luggage was lost, ask around — all cruise ships and some hotels have a selection of new clothing they’ll give you at no charge to tide you over until your bag arrives.

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Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97

Your tires will last much longer if you:

Increase their inflation pressure.  The higher the pressure (within reason!) the better your mileage and tire life, but the ride gets slightly stiffer (you may not even notice).  All tires have tiny leaks, and you should check their pressure at least twice a year.  If you lose a valve cap, replace it – they cost next to nothing; any tire store should give you a few just for asking.  Lower pressure causes the tire to flex more as it rolls, and that increases friction and heat.  A really low tire is MUCH harder to roll down the road — do a test on a bicycle if you doubt it.  You’ll find maximum inflation ratings on the tire.  Don’t go to the maximum – 5 or 10 pounds below max is fine.  Measure tire pressure with a gauge when the vehicle has been parked for a few hours.  Inflate tires to nearly the same pressure, but some cars do best at 42 psi in the front tires with 40 psi rears.

Truck tires and handling are very different from cars.  Get advice about your truck or SUV from a tire store.

There’s a trick to using the air hose to sucessfully mate it with the valve on your tire.  You have to press them together very solidly.  The first ‘give’ you’ll feel is your tire’s valve opening (and letting air escape from your tire).  Press harder, and the valve in the air hose opens up, too, so air pumps into your tire.  You can test the air valves with your fingertip — you’ll see that the tire valve is soft, but it takes quite a bit of force to open the valve on the air hose.  Press them together too lightly, and you’ll just let air out of your tire.

Don’t fill a bicycle tire at a service station that has a big indoor compressor.  If you must pump up a bike tire, don’t hold the air chuck on the tire valve — just press it quickly and release, repeat as needed.  It will fill very fast.  If you hold the air chuck to the valve, the tire will blow out (very loudly) almost instantly. Keep squeezing the tire until it feels very firm, but not solid. Use a tire pressure gauge.  Cheap gas station tire pumps inside a little box (that often charge 25 cents and make a lot of noise) are safer for bicycle tires because they’re so slow you have time to stop pumping.

A leak can be caused by a nail or hole that’s hard to find, or a leaking valve or valve seat.  A plug is a quick, $10 fix at a gas station, but it stresses the tire badly.  A patch at a tire dealer costs a little more, takes longer to install, but is much better for the life of the tire and your safety.  Many tire stores give you any patch repairs you’ll ever need, but some tire stores charge a fee.  A hole in the sidewall of a tire is usually unrepairable.  Tires over 5 or 6 years old, regardless of their mileage or tread wear, tend to dry, crack and fail, and should be replaced.

Avoid the contractors’ parking area at the building supply store.  The pro’s can drop nails when they’re loading their truck.  Drive and park somewhere else.

For the same reasons, avoid alleys, construction areas, industrial areas, homes being built, etc.  On the street, stay in the worn area of your lane — trimming the inside edge around a long curve may seem exciting, but no one else drives there.  If there’s a piece of junk waiting, you could be the one to find it in your tire.

Turn through corners slowly.  If you can hear your tires squeal at any time, you’re causing extraordinary wear.

Don’t bump into curbs.  Instead,  slow down, wait until later to turn the steering wheel, then turn it more aggressively than you usually do.  The result will be a short, sharp turn far from the curb, instead of a long, wide turn that runs into the curb.  You don’t have to be extreme, just work more in that direction.

When shopping for tires, some have physically harder rubber than others.  Harder tires usually last longer, have longer mileage warranties, and may cost more.  If the tire costs an extra $30, but lasts nearly twice as long, do the math and decide if you’ll own the car that long.  Harder tires also take a little longer to wear in after a tire rotation, so they ‘growl’ for a while.  That noise is excess wear until they get broken into their new positions, so you may want to stretch rotations a little further with harder tires.

Whenever you walk by a tire, look at it for stones stuck in the tread.  Use a key or similar tool to pry it out.  Stones cause the tread to squirm and heat up.  You don’t need to spend a lot of time on inspection, just find whatever you can.  Check harder after driving on a gravel road.

Many tire stores offer their customers a free tire rotation every 5,000 miles.  Car dealers often charge $30 to $80 for the same service.  You can do it yourself, but it’s not much fun, because you have two tires off the car at any given moment.  The tech can also show you if wheel balance or alignment work needs to be done, evidenced by odd wear patterns.  If an alignment cost is extraordinary, inspect the severity of  wear on the tire tread; if it’s very minor, it may be difficult to justify the expense (usually a few hundred dollars).  Front or rear wheels might need alignment.  Don’t run into curbs and big potholes and you’ll likely never need an alignment.

If you’re inclined to compare tire brands, take a walk through any parking lot alongside the cars. You’ll see that the metal weights installed on tires to balance them are sometimes huge, sometimes tiny, sometimes not even needed (or might have fallen off).  The fatter the weight, the ‘less round’ the tire is, so overall quality is suspect.  Avoid brands that have large balance weights.  If you do this, you’ll probably find Michelins have the smallest (or no) weights, no matter which tire model.  Pirellis are often even rounder, but they’re for performance cars and can be quite expensive.

Charlie Gosh

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Tobacco has a big secret that will astonish you . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=48

Learn a simple trick to take advantage of the next recession . . .  http://www.charliegosh.com/?p=97