Friends, here's a way to use your holiday shopping to support your favorite cause --- and maybe save a little money!

When you're hunting for gifts online, start your search at GoodShop.com, which partners with national merchants and retailers such as the Gap, Amazon.com, Dell and Target to donate a portion of sales to charities.

Here's how it works: search for your favorite nonprofit on the site, or add it to the database.

Then, look for your retailers. Be sure to check for any restrictions, as well as additional coupon codes. Some retailers offer free shipping or other offers to GoodShop customers, which they post on the individual store page.

Finally, click through to the merchant and make your purchase. Don't forget to hunt around for other coupons that might apply to this sale. 

Goodshop is brought to you by the people behind GoodSearch, which we have written about before. It allows Internet users to designate charities to receive a portion of the advertising dollars generated through web searches.

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Holiday shopping, Shopping
        

Folks, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and as usual, I am excited. Turkey Day is one of my favorite holidays, because I'm thankful for food.

Last year we sent you to Butterball's "Plan Perfect Portions" turkey calculator to determine how much turkey you'll need for the perfect dinner-to-leftover ratio to satisfy you and your guests ... without wasting money, time and energy cooking extra food that will just get wasted.

Once you know how much turkey to buy, plug the weight of said turkey into the other calculator on the page to find out how long said turkey (if it's frozen) will need to thaw. 

This Thanksgiving dinner calculator will accommodate both turkey, stuffing and gravy calculations with a number of variables, including children and adult guests, desire for leftovers and appetite (small, large or animal). 

Posted by Liz Kay at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Food, Holiday shopping
        

Sometimes you just can't get too much information, particularly when you're shopping online.

I've been researching some kitchen purchases lately, and I've spent a lot of time cross-referencing equipment recommendations from Alton Brown with tests by Consumer Reports and reviews by Cook's Illustrated.

There were some roadblocks, however, when AB recommended some product that CR had not tested or if the Cook's Illustrated best bet was no longer in stores.

If you are confronted by just such a conundrum, here's another site to add to the list: Cheapism.com, our Consumer Web Site of the Week.

Continue reading "Cheapism: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Ahoy there, readers! We here at Consuming Interests know you like coupons and discounts --- that's why those $1 Boston Market chicken meal coupons have been so popular.

So, for this Consumer Web Site of the Week, here's a site that delivers a little bit of potential savings into your inbox each day.

It's called Groupon, and here's how it works: 

Each day, Groupon advertises a deal for a local business. The inaugural special on Monday was a $30 worth of food and drink for $15 at John Steven Ltd. Five Points Tavern in Fells Point. Yesterday, they were pitching a $60 Jaccuzi massage for $25 at Sasa's Spa in Bolton Hill. 

Each day they set a limit for the the number of Groupons that need to be sold before the deal becomes valid. So today, 20 people need to sign up to purchase $25 gift certificates for $60 worth of purchases at Blu Vintage Boutique in Mount Vernon.

But then, when that minimum is reached ...

Continue reading "Groupon Baltimore: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Here's a humorous site that supports the notion that brown-bagging it will save you money.

Rod Cockerham measured the amounts of each sandwich component he enjoys --- mayo, deli meats, veggies --- and determined that a homemade PBJ or roast-beef-and-cheese will cost far less than whatever Subway, Quiznos or Panera will charge you.

To prove it to his loyal readers at Cockeyed.com, he developed a sandwich price calculator with drop-down menus for different ingredients of his choosing. Check out his analysis of how much is inside a sandwich.

Although he does factor in the spoilage factor on his fresh lettuce and tomatoes, there is one important cost element Cockerham has neglected:

Continue reading "How much will that sandwich cost you: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

You've probably gotten the familar Valpak coupon bundles in the mail, and hopefully at least a few of them have been useful.

Now enjoy the savings from these promotions without the hassle of recycling junk mail with the Valpak app for the iPhone and iPhone Touch.

Use the app to search for savings in certain categories, like "Dining" or "Beauty", or use the Map function to hunt for deals near you.

Some reviewers found few deals in their neighborhoods, but I entered The Sun's zip code and discovered discounts for oil changes, framing services and numerous pizza offers within 6 miles. And if anyone feels this blog has a Baltimore city bias, there seem to be quite a few offers in the county, folks!

But you don't need an iPhone to get Valpak savings ... 

Continue reading "Valpak coupons on your iPhone: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

At least one reader told us he would never have found out about Walmart's recall of 1.5 million DVD players if he hadn't read it here at Consuming Interests. We're happy to provide this kind of information, and glad that Peter appreciated it.

But have you ever wondered how the Consumer Product Safety Commission finds out about dangerous products in the first place, whether they be bassinets that strangle babies or shoes with heels that fall off, posing a tripping hazard?

They find out about them from you! 

Consumers can report injury or death caused by products to the CPSC by filling out a report online. Physicians and emergency responders can also fill out a report.

Here's what's important to understand: sometimes other agencies regulate other products. For example, the Food and Drug Administration catalogs problems with food, medicines, medical devices and cosmetics. Check the CPSC's reporting Web site for more details.

Want to hear about the latest recalls? Sign up for the CPSC's recall e-mails. 

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Consumer safety
        

Coupons on a smart phone? Consuming Interests has got you covered.

Last week, Andrea Walker blogged about how some local grocery stores have adopted e-coupons, making coupons more convenient by eliminating the "clip'n'save" steps in the process. Instead, you can go on Safeway's or Giant's or SuperFresh's Web sites, select the coupons for the products you want, and load them on your store loyalty card. 

Loyal reader Evan, who tested the e-coupons at SuperFresh, said:

Wonderful idea, wonderful timing what with print advertising and the green movement and all. Now if these folks could just figure out a way to have coupons that could be used on a smart phone ...

Funny he should mention this ... 

Continue reading "Coupons on your smart phone: Consumer Web Site of the Week " »

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Looking for some cheap eats or drinks? 600block, which compiles data on happy hours and dinner specials at bars and restaurants around Baltimore, has a new feature: SOTW, or special of the week. 

Every Tuesday, the SOTW site will feature one particularly good deal. This week, it's the tea-infused sangria at Teavolve. Try it for $5 a glass, along with other wines and $5 appetizers, which change daily.

Not interested in that particular deal? Check elsewhere on the site for deals and specials organized by type (dinner or happy hour) and by neighborhood.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Food
        

This Consumer Web Site of the Week comes via ShopSmart magazine, published by the Consumers Union, which offered tips for shopping at the online police auction site PropertyRoom.com.

We have told you about PropertyRoom.com, which allows police departments across the country to sell items seized from criminals.

It seems they now offer a new service: an opportunity to "steal back" your stolen stuff!

Here's how it works: 

Continue reading "Recover your belongings after theft: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Consumer protection
        

When buying a car, you want to go in armed with the right information. Is your dealer offering you as good a price as some other customer?

Consumer Reports suggested this option to get a feel for what other customers are paying. TrueCar, which catalogs prices by zip code, aims to tell you the prices charged in your area, in addition to rebates and other factors.

The site offers a gauge of what it considers a "good" price as well as a "great" price -- typically close to or under invoice price.

Unfortunately, TrueCar does not reveal the source of its data, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt. According to CR:

Continue reading "New car prices: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Here at Consuming Interests we're always encouraging readers to try to bargain down recurring expenses such as a cable or cell phone bill, or to complain about unwarranted fees.

But sometimes the most difficult part of the battle is simply navigating through the menus of the telephone tree to reach a customer service representative with the power to effect the change you seek.

Next time you're dreading the "Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed" recording, try Fonolo instead.

Continue reading "Navigate customer service lines more easily: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

I'm wearing my Watchdog hat while sharing this Consumer Web Site of the Week: Baltimore Housing's list of active code violations.

On this site, you can search for code violations at specific city addresses, or find code violations within a specific neighborhood. Addresses with stepped-up code enforcement and court orders are listed there too.

From the Code Enforcement Legal section page, choose "case tracking" to see court orders and outcomes. 

Continue reading "Search Baltimore Housing violations & code enforcement" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Watchdog
        

"Knowing is half the battle" was a lesson instilled in me after every episode of G.I.Joe that I watched as a small child.

Now that I'm somewhat older, I can see how knowledge can innoculate us against a variety of ills, including the fraud perpetrated by the nefarious types who send out fake checks for sweepstakes prizes, work-at-home schemes or Craigslist purchases.

That's the message imparted by this terribly sad Wall Street Journal story about a man who repeatedly fell prey to con artists ...

Continue reading "Protect yourself from scams: Consumer Web site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Scams
        

But the Electronic Frontier Foundation has made them a little easier to track with its new TOSBack site (discovered via Consumerist). The site compiles insertions and deletions to terms-of-service agreements for 58 Web site policies, including Facebook, MySpace, Netflix, Comcast, YouTube and other companies.

You can even subscribe to an RSS feed of terms-of-service changes to get the changes sent to you in whatever reader you prefer. 

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Consumer protection, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

Bing is Microsoft's new search engine, challenging the Google behemoth.

Bing 411 (1-800-246-4411) is another free directory assistance service like some of the ones we told you about last year.

LifeHacker took Bing 411 on a test drive and found it offered two key benefits over 1-800-Goog-411:

Continue reading "Bing 411: another option for directions, weather" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Save money on insurance premiums with some nifty resources from the Maryland Insurance Administration.

With everyone trying to reduce their cash flow, it might be a good time to review and renegotiate fixed costs, such as insurance premiums.

At Maryland Insurance Administration Web site, which we feature today as our Consumer Web Site of the Week, you'll find ...

Continue reading "Cut insurance premium costs: CWSotW" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

We spent a ton of time answering your tax questions here at Consuming Interests, and we're happy to do it. Eileen shared last-minute filing tips and ways to avoid tax problems and I compiled lists of free or cheap Tax Day treats to help relieve the pressure. But some tax scofflaws haven't paid millions in taxes in years (although there might be ... other reasons why they haven't written their checks).

Doesn't it make you wonder whether filing a tax return has to be so stressful in the first place?  

Well, it turns out even Ordinary Citizens can make a difference.

Continue reading "You can change the tax system" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Taxes
        

If you rely on over-the-air signals to watch television, Congress gave you a little more time last month to figure out how you're going to continue to follow your favorite shows after the digital television transition takes place on June 12.

Remember, if you have cable or satellite TV, you don't need a converter. And if you bought your television in 2004 or more recently, you *probably* don't need a converter (here's instructions for confirming whether you have a digital tuner).

Here's some information to help you decide what kind of converter you need to buy.

Consumer Reports offered this link to an FCC Web site that will help you determine how powerful a digital antenna you will need to continue to watch your favorite channels.

Then ...

Continue reading "Digital television transition: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Digital television, Technology
        

Lots of people are trying to save money on home heating bills and lower energy costs, so for this Consumer Web Site of the Week, let's reprise an oldie but a goodie: Energystar.gov's Home Energy Yardstick, which we told you about last year along with energy-saving tips for renters. 

The site asks you to enter information about your home and your utility bills to find ways to make it more energy efficient. And with $1,500 worth of tax credits for energy-efficiency improvements in the stimulus package, this may be the year to take advantage. 

Posted by Liz Kay at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Energy/Utilities, Greenies
        

Maryland residents can review their credit reports from each of the three credit reporting bureaus twice a year. But what about the other organizations keeping tabs on your habits, including your insurance claims, your employment record and your rental history?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you're entitled to not only the credit reports but also other specialty reports, about your check-cashing history, your personal medical history if you have private insurance and other information. Details from these reports can affect whether you're approved for an insurance policy, the premium you're charged, your chances for getting a job or even a new lease on a home or apartment.

To check for errors ... 

Continue reading "Save money on insurance: Consumer Web Site of the Week" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Credit reports, How To, Identity theft, Insurance
        

Ever open some prepared food, like a TV dinner, and compare it with the picture on the box?

Hopefully the contents bear some similarity to the image on the packaging, but often it does not. 

In this week's amusing Consumer Web Site of the Week, we bring you a German site discovered via Consumerist that places images of food packages side-by-side with the contents inside. (Here's an English version with all the food packaging and contents photos on one page.)

Then, continue on ...

Continue reading "Food photography lies and reality: CWSotW" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Food
        

We shared some ways to cut your cell phone bill in an earlier Consumer Web Site of the Week, and reprised some of those ideas on The Sun's Riding Out the Recession page.

Here's another option for folks who are stuck in a contract and don't want to pay an early termination fee of up to $250: give your plan to someone else who agrees to take over the monthly commitment.

It's easier than you might imagine. Each cell service provider has a method of transferring responsibility for a monthly contract to a new user. And several Web sites, including Cellswapper, cellularswap.com and CellTrade USA can facilitate your foisting a plan --- and commitment --- onto other people.

You might even be able to keep your number by porting it over to a new service before switching the contract!

Why would anyone be interested in being on the receiving end of such a deal? 

Continue reading "Beat early termination fees on your cell phone contract" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Technology
        

Looks like Crowdsprout.com is open for business -- and it is a Web 2.0 social business, indeed. For bringing the idea of group-buying to the Web, we're calling Crowdsprout.com our consumer website of the week. Let's watch it to see how well it works.

I profiled the Web start-up group-buying site last month, after interviewing one of the co-founders. The site is based on the principle of using collective buying power -- via the Web -- to lower prices for all who buy a particular product.

Check out their site and let us know what you think. Do the group deals entice you? For the moment, the site is heavily geared toward offering baby-related products, such as strollers (like the one in the picture), furniture and accessories.

So if you're a parent (and perchance a regular over at Charm City Moms), let us know what you think of the site.

We're waiting for a similar online group-buying site, called Salescoop.com, to open its virtual doors. This could be the year consumers use the power of the Web and social media to finagle deals for themselves. Hey, in a recession, you gotta do what you can to save.

Posted by Gus Sentementes at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

This Consumer Web Site of the Week will help you, your friends and neighbors avoid falling victim to fake check scams ... situations where crooks convince unsuspecting people to cash a bad check and wire the money somewhere.

The take-home message from fakechecks.org? When you cash a check, *you* are on the hook for covering the cash if it turns out it's fake. 

Check out the site for some excellent fake check scam fraud tests and video interviews with victims --- intelligent people like you who have been duped. 

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Consumer protection, Scams
        

For this Consumer Web Site of the Week, we want to know: how are you going to stick to your financial New Year's Resolutions this year?

Sometimes it's good to tell other people about your goals, so that they can help keep you honest by asking about them --- or helping you avoid temptation.

For example, if you want to spend less money eating out, your friends might help you by suggesting other activities than meeting for dinner.

Or you might consider a wider audience: some people start personal finance blogs to post their progress toward reducing debt, saving for something important or just changing their personal habits.

If you're too shy to tell your compatriots how much you owe, you could blog or participate in an online community anonymously or with a handle and get some support from strangers. One option is NetWorthIQ, where you can see where you stand and publicly --- but anonymously --- post your net worth.

You could also ...

Continue reading "CWSotW: help to keep your financial New Year's resolutions" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 7:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Banks, Budgeting, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

This year the day after Christmas in 2008 mirrors Black Friday in two ways:

a. Dec. 26 falls on a Friday

b. some stores are offering "doorbuster" specials.

JC Penney will open at 5:30 a.m., for example. Sign up for a JC Penney wake-up call, if you're that kind of shopper, and take advantage of more than 100 specials.

Walmart will be open at 6 a.m. and Target opens from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Mondawmin and Towson (call to confirm the hours of your closest Target location).

Crate and Barrel also sent out a circular advertising Dec. 26 sales, according to SlickDeals.

And just like Black Friday, online retailers are trying to clear out their warehouses, particularly seasonal merchandise. Check out ...

Continue reading "Take advantage of after-Christmas sales, discounts and deals in stores and online" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Budgeting, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Holiday shopping, Shopping
        

Last week, regulators approved a far-reaching reform of the credit card industry.

The drawback: the changes don’t take effect until July 2010.

Some cards, though, already comply with certain reforms. And you can find them at BillShrink.com, a free online service that makes card recommendations based on how you use plastic.

BillShrink says it monitors more than 200 of the most popular cards.

There are 15 Citi cards, for instance, that will give you 45 days notice of a change in terms - one of the new reforms. Usually, card issuers give you 15 days notice, not much time to look for a new card or change the way you use the plastic.

Also, according to BillShrink, 14 Capital One cards comply with a new requirement that card issuers will have to send out statements at least 21 days before the due date to give you time to make a payment.

And none so far meet the requirement that interest rates can't be raised arbitrarily, BillShrink says.

Come 2010, an interest rate will only be raised if it was set to expire after a specific period; the rate was variable; or if your payment was more than 30 days late. There's one other way: after the first year, the rate on the card can go up for new purchases only  but only after you’re given 45 days notice of the rate hike.

If you are shopping for cards, a couple of other good free sites for information include Credit.com and CardRatings.com.

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Peruse the full text of current issues of magazines such as Women's Health, Popular Science, Jet magazine and more using Google Book Search.

Just announced yesterday on the Official Google Blog (via LifeHacker), the feature expands the free previews of books already available through Google Book Search. 

You can also access the magazine's archives, in full color, with advertising and everything, from the comfort of your computer. No trip to the library necessary.  

What's the downside? 

Continue reading "CWSotW: read magazines for free with Google Book Search" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Shopping
        

With less money to spare this year, people are going to want to make sure that any charitable donations and gifts are going, well, to a good cause.

So don't blindly write a check or drop your change in a basket! Research the proposed recipient of your donation with Charity Navigator (discovered via Consumerist) and find out what percentage of its money the organization spends on organizational and fundraising costs versus actual service.

The site allows you to sort charities by state, to find Maryland charities, as well as by category (i.e. animals, the environment, human services or education) and by rating, if you're still looking for a worthy cause with which to share your cash.

If your wallet can't support a lot of charitable giving this year ...

Continue reading "CWSotW: research before donating to charity " »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Before you embark on your Black Friday reconnaissance mission, armed with the Black Friday shopping tips we've been feeding you all week, take a look at your surroundings.

I'm sitting in my living room and I can see things that I've:

a. bought and never opened (books, games);

b. purchased and don't like (a chair);

c. acquired and can't use (disintegrating yarn unsuitable for the baby hat it was intended to become).

And trust me, I've got a small place!

Ever wonder how much money you could have saved if you had kept the cash in your wallet instead of dropping it on some item that proved itself useless far sooner than you ever imagined?

Indulge your voyeuristic urges in the spirit of Buy Nothing Day by checking out the videos folks have uploaded over at Spendster.org ...

Continue reading "Confess your spending sins on Spendster.org" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Holiday shopping
        

Depending on the item, you can pay a premium of 10 percent or even more for the convenience of shopping online in your pajamas and having things delivered to your home.

To combat that problem, bookmark this Consumer Web Site of the Week for acquisitions all year 'round, not just holiday shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday: freeshipping.org catalogs codes for free transport for your precious purchases from online retailers so you don't have to pay those pesky costs.

And when it comes to coupons or promotions, why stop at one?

Continue reading "Save on online purchases with freeshipping.org" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

With food and energy prices as high as they are, no one* wants to buy too much turkey and spend too long baking it.

To help, Butterball has created several turkey cooking calculators to help cooks plan how much turkey to buy, based on the number of adults and children eating, and whether you want leftovers, as well as how long to let the bird defrost safely (in the fridge) and how long to bake it in the oven.

There's also Thanksgiving turkey food-safety tips to help newbies, or anyone, avoid the hospital during the holiday season.

If you would like a more detailed planning estimate for meals including side dishes, check out this Thanksgiving Calculator on Instructables.com, although your own mileage may vary based on your family recipes.

Continue reading "CWSotW: how much turkey do you need? " »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Food, Holiday shopping
        

Are you drowning in junk mail? Do you come home to a mailbox brimming with credit card offers, catalogs, donation requests and sales circulars?

There's a few options out there to keep the clutter from entering your home, but the newest --- the Direct Marketing Association's revamped DMAchoice.org --- might not be the only stop you need to make to shut down the flow.

The organization used to charge $1 for something similar, but now the site allows consumers to decline mail from individual sources they don't want for free, and to request mail from companies they do. You can also request to stop all mail within certain categories --- catalogs, magazines,  and other offers, including those addressed to "current resident".

That is, unless you've patronized one of those businesses before. Then you'll have to contact them directly.

You can use the site to track your company requests (stop sending notices, start sending notices, etc.) so you can follow up later.

Personally ...

Continue reading "CWSotW: stop junk mail" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

I'm going to be honest --- I procrastinate.

I only have holiday cards ready to address and mail for this Christmas season because I never got around to sending them last year. Frankly, I don't even know where I'll be at Thanksgiving, much less what tokens of affection I'll be sharing with loved ones about a month later.

But the prices from different shipping options posted at ShipGooder.com might be enough to encourage me to get a move on.

Essentially, this Web site just emphasizes that it's always going to be cheaper to send something earlier than later.

As Consumer World explains: 

Continue reading "CWSotW: compare shipping prices" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

We've told you before that you can save money on prescription drugs by comparing prices, because different pharmacies can charge wildly different prices.

Now the Maryland attorney general office Web site has a prescription drug price finder, a great tool to compare prescription drug prices among local pharmacies that I discovered on a list of health care savings tips from Consumer Reports.

Here's how it works: 

Continue reading "Save more money on prescription drugs by comparing prices" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Consumer protection
        

OK. So have I mentioned to you how absent-minded I am? I forget my cell phone all the time. I forget birthdays. I pour a cup of coffee to bring to work and forget it on the counter at home. I forget a lot of things. So when the writer's strike put all my TV shows on hiatus last season, I forgot to watch TV... or, at least follow the TV shows I used to like to watch.

So I'm finding that now that the new season has started, I've completely forgotten when Monk was on, or when to watch Battlestar Galatica, or when to catch The Closer on TV. Or sometimes I do remember and I'm stuck trying to decide between a TV show and something on Maryland Public Television (yes, I'm low-tech. I don't have a digital recorder). I almost always pick MPT.

Given my dilemma, I gotta say, I'm digging Fancast.com, Comcast's next generation entertainment site which is free for anyone to use.

Continue reading "Miss Wonder Woman and The Love Boat? Missed Heroes? Find it on Fancast" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Computers, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Technology
        

Get the latest news from The Federal Citizen Information Center at its blog, GovGab.

The site is celebrating its first birthday and is chock full of links and tips about saving energy and money, travel and more.

If you've got a specific question, don't forget to check out the information center's list of publications on topics such as housing, health and cars. Read, comment and ask questions on a variety of helpful posts such as unemployment compensation,  how to find out if the government owes you money, how good is your hospital and more.

Continue reading "CWSotW: GovGab" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

1st Mariner Bank debuted its new Web site recently.

We're not choosing this as our Consumer Web Site of the Week just because it's a local bank and we're not picking it just because it's got all those cheezy commercials showing local people saying nice things about the bank. (We sorta like those ads, by the way, for the cheese factor.)

We're picking 1st Mariner's site because it features a live online chat with a customer service rep seven days a week. How cool is that? Instead of waiting for Monday to roll around, you can talk to a live rep over the weekends, too. While 1st Mariner is at the head of this banking trend to make reps available for instant messaging and chats, they've also started reaching out by marketing and connecting to customers through Facebook, too.

Continue reading "Talk to 1st Mariner Bank service reps online, on Sundays, too!" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Banks, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

You know how we're always trying to give you one Consumer Web Site of the Week that you might find useful or just interesting? Well, ShopSmart (the sister mag of Consumer Reports) showed us a thing or two and released SEVEN Web site in its November issue.

Those smarty-pants show-offs.

Take a gander at the list of seven:

For User Reviews: Buzzillions.com

This up-and-comer has user reviews on everything from cars and electronics to lower-ticket items like cosmetics, clothing and shoes to help you find the best products and avoid the worst. Unlike rival Epinions.com, this site offers a broad and ever-changing list of keywords to click on, based on user reviews, for searching.

Tip: Sort by lowest ratings first to get the scoop on products to avoid, or Google the name of the product and “complaints” to weed out poor products.

Continue reading "Seven Web Sites That Can Save You Thousands" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Consuming Interests' Consumer Web site of the Week is here to assist you with future car costs.

Last week we gave you options to compare the selling prices of new cars online.

This week, we're helping you compare the prices of auto repairs for said cars, through RepairPal.com, discovered via Consumerist.

Enter your year. make and model (and sometimes other info) and the Web site spits out a range of prices you'd expect at either a dealership or independent shop.

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cars, Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Today's Consumer Web Site of the Week helps you with a major purchase: new cars.

As you might expect, Information is key for transactions such as these. What's the lowest price a customer has been able to negotiate, below the MSRP? What's the highest?

Before you start negotiating with auto finance manager, check out these sites recommended by Consumerist.com to compare prices on new cars --- what consumers have actually negotiated with dealers.

At RealCarTips.com, readers submit the MSRP of the vehicle of their choosing and the price they actually paid, for the trim line they choose, as well as other details.

OpenCarPrices.com does something similar, but it's a little more cumbersome to use.

Of course,

Continue reading "Find out what people are paying for their cars" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 7:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Shopping
        

Folks, I'm wearing my Watchdog hat as I tell you about today's Consumer Web site of the Week.

If you're reading this blog post, you probably have access to the Internet.

And if you can access the Internet, you can use it to report the non-emergency problems you see in your neighborhood to Baltimore city and Baltimore County government. 

You may have tried calling the city's 311 service request system, but did you know you can also go to baltimore.customerservicerequest.org to report potholes and broken street lights, or request animal control or inspections of abandoned property? 

The service --- also reached by going to www.baltimorecity.gov and clicking "311 online" in the left menu bar --- has been available since 2003, according to a Baltimore Sun story.

The best part, in my opinion, is that if you enter an e-mail address, the system mails you the confirmation number. You can use it on the same page to check the status of your request in the future.  

Folks who live in Baltimore County, you've got some options too.

Continue reading "Report your municipal complaints online" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Watchdog
        

Following yesterday's posts on reforming credit card rules, we thought it would be appropriate to choose LowCards.com, which helps you compare credit card offers, as our Consumer Web Site of the Week.

With all the tricks and traps, rates, and reward programs out there, you need all the help you can get to make sure you're getting the best deal. LowCards.com can help you shop for the best offers.

The Web site offers two great resources: a list of the top cards in each of the credit card categories along with an unbiased opinion on every card; and the Complete Credit Card Index where you will find the current rates of all 1300-plus credit cards available in the United States.

Best yet, both are free.

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Credit cards
        

This week's CWSotW was discovered in the pages of ShopSmart magazine's back-to-school shopping guide.

One customer-friendly store policy I've never taken advantage of is "price protection" --- that is, getting a refund if you buy an item and it goes on sale at that store within some limited time period, usually about 30 days. Although I am no stranger to unshopping (only unused goods, of course), I'm too disorganized and busy to revisit stores multiple times in the hopes that the sticker prices has decreased. 

Now PriceProtectr.com wants to help you keep tabs on any price drops at one of more than 120 retailers --- whether you bought something online or in a store. You could also use the service to track a future purchase for potential sales and discounts.

Here's how it works: 

Continue reading "Protect your purchase prices with PriceProtectr.com" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Shopping
        

Do you have an old computer lying around? An old phone? The older version of the iPhone? Don't know what to do with all those gadgets?

Here's where Gazelle comes in. Gazelle, which launched Monday, will give you cash for your gadgets.

Here's how PC Magazine says Gazelle works:

Visitors to the site will be asked to type in their product's specs, answer a few questions about its condition and whether you have accessories like chargers, adapters or earpieces. Gazelle will then give you in instant quote. If you accept, the company will send you a pre-paid envelope or box, which you use to ship them your item.

Continue reading "CWSotW: Gazelle gives you cash for electronics" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Greenies, Technology
        

I mentioned this group the other day when I was telling you this is Auto Theft Awareness Month. What is the National Insurance Crime Bureau? It's a nonprofit organization that receives support from approximately 1,000 property/casualty insurance companies and works with law enforcement agencies to help identify, detect and prosecute insurance criminals (sounds sexy, doesn't it? like CSI for insurancegeeks).

The cool thing about this Web site is that you can tap into its database for vehicles that were stolen, but not recovered, or declared totaled by cooperating NICB members. Unlike other companies that charge you for this service, NICB offers it to you for free. We love free stuff here.

Continue reading "How to find out if the car you want was stolen" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Consumer protection, Consumer safety, Insurance
        

Ever wonder how much it costs for you to cool a room? How about how much electricity it takes to dry a load of laundry?

Mr. Electricity (discovered via Get Rich Slowly) offers an online electricity cost calculator for you to compute how much it would cost to run certain appliances. You can use this info to compare incandescent to fluorescent light bulbs or even decide whether to employ a solar clothes dryer instead.

The calculator lets you plug in some data for simple calculations, and the page below lists instructions for doing the computations yourself based on the usage info printed on the appliances' tags.

It's the kind of thing that might make you swear off that hair dryer (natural is more beautiful, anyway) and ditch that ancient refrigerator.

The bottom line, according to Mr. Electricity:  

Continue reading "Calculate how much electricity your appliances use" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Greenies
        

The Consumer Web Site of the Week comes from Jim Ludwick, a financial planner with MainStreet Financial Planning in Odenton.

It’s called “What’s the Cost?” and the feature on the site that Ludwick recommends is  “Snowballing.”

By snowballing, you’re repaying debts in the order that minimizes the amount of interest you’ll owe over time. That means paying off the debt charging you the highest interest rate.

Use the site's snowball calculator to figure out which of your debts you should pay off first and how much you should pay each month. Start by plugging in your debts and their interest rates into the snowball calculator. You also must put in the total amount you can afford to pay toward these debts each month. (The Web site is based in England, so you will have to click on the American flag to switch from pounds to dollars.)

The calculator will display how much you should apply toward each debt each month to save the most on interest. The whole process takes a few minutes. Ludwick says he used to spend an hour doing similar calculations on spreadsheets for clients.

Ludwick says he’s used the calculator for a couple who had $290,000 in student loan and credit card debt. They could afford $2,000 a month to put toward their debt, about $400 than the minimum payments required. The calculator figured it would take them until 2026 to pay off that huge amount. But by paying off the most expensive debt first as recommended by the calculator, the couple willl save about $60,000 in interest over those years, Ludwick says.

What's the Cost? suggests using the snowball method almost always is cheaper than a consolidation loan.

Of course, there are those who argue that you should pay off the debt with the lowest balance first. That way, you pay off a debt quicker, feel good about yourself and are more likely to continue paying off debt.

But math-wise that doesn’t make sense. You could end up paying more iin interest over time.

“Do you want to feel happier or make somebody else richer?” Ludwick says. “It’s a false send of happiness.”

Check out the site and calculator and let us know what you think.  

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

What's not to like about a place that has the word "FREE" in its name?

For this week's Consumer Web Site of the Week, we're directing you to our very own local star, the Enoch Pratt Free Library's Web site.

Seriously, not only can you search the catalog on-line to find a book, but you can also find job and career resources there if you've suddenly found yourself without a job... er... not that we're worried about that. OK, I'm lying. We are worried about that.

The cool thing on this site is its Recession Busters page, which gives you tips ranging from how to save your home to 66 ways to save money.

Continue reading "Enoch Pratt Free Library's Recession Busters" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

Eileen left us with one final tip from her discussion with Mary Hunt, founder of the Debt-Proof Living newsletter and Web site: a link to MommySavesBig.com, our Consumer Web site of the Week.

Hunt said she uses the site as a great source of printable coupons.  

I was convinced by the complex online shopping deals that site users shared with each other and rated. Act fast, because supplies --- and valid coupon codes --- expire quickly.

Also, there were an impressive collection of free magazine subscription offers, including Saveur, Ebony and Woman's Day.

And they had a long list of sweepstakes and contest links, as well as free sample offers, although I'm not sure how enthusiastic I can be about these ...

Continue reading "Find free magazines, deals at MommySavesBig.com" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

One of the more confusing money issues is college financial aid.

 Even if you're a parent who has even gone through college, the way aid works today can be difficult to understand. And it's worse for high school and college students with little life experience but who must make major financial decisions that can haunt them for a decade or more.

A site that cuts through some of the confusion, and our Consumer Web Site of the Week, is FinAid. It's the site that financial aid officers go to when they don't know the answer to some intricacy of financial aid. That's not to say that it's too technical. The information is easy to understand.

FinAid explains the basic of loans and how the whole aid process works. It also offers dozens of calculators. So you can figure out, say, how much your family will be expected to contribute to college under aid formulas, how much you need to earn to comfortably handle the debt you've accrued and how much college will cost in the future, whether you're a high school freshman now or an infant.

The site is published by Mark Kantrowitz. He's the guy that reporters go to if they want to know the impact of new aid legislation or some obscure aid detail from years ago.  

Kantrowitz has an amazing store of knowledge. He once told me that he doesn't have a

Continue reading "Help in understanding financial aid" »

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week
        

When I'm shopping for something and I'm worried about plopping down a chunk of change on something that might not last, or something I'm not familiar with or something I'm not entirely sure about, I try to do a lot of legwork beforehand to reassure myself.

And when I say legwork, sometimes it literally means legwork and lots of time invested. For instance, when I purchased a laptop last year, I drove from store to store to check out quality, prices and features. I talked to friends about what they recommended. I scoured the Web to find different reviews of the laptops I was leaning toward. I searched for complaints about each model.

It took me almost a year to research and compare data to make a decision. In the time it took me to do all that, I bet several of the models I was looking at became obsolete. OK. I exaggerate, but you know what I mean. It took a lot of time.

That's why I was so jazzed when my good friend Gus turned me on to consumersearch.com, which is our Consumer Web Site of the Week pick.

Continue reading "Comparison shopping made easy" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week, Shopping
        

Yesterday, we introduced you to the new weekly feature, Naughty Business of the Week (NBotW). Today, we're making every Wednesday the CWSotW, the Consumer Web Site of the Week.

In our day-to-day jobs writing for the print paper, Eileen, Liz and I use an awful lot of different Web sites to do research for our columns, stories and blogging adventures. Some aren't just useful to us media types, but are also very useful to you, our fabulous readers. This idea occurred to us recently after I wrote two columns on a Consumer Resource Checklist of Web sites and agencies to help you avoid hiring blunders before you sign any contract with any business, ranging from plumbers to financial brokers.

Those columns went over awfully well, so every week, barring natural disasters or a pressing case of retailitis, we'll share one consumer Web site with you. It could be useful, informative or just plain fun, but either way, we'll open up our magic bag of tricks and tell you what we use to get the job done.

Continue reading "Consumer Web Site of the Week (CWSotW)" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Consumer Web Site of the Week