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Sunday, October 31, 2010

How to Buy Late Model Cars At Deep Discounts


Take your time when buying a car if at all possible. The bigger the hurry, the more you'll end up getting fleeced. The tactics and strategies we are about to suggest are far more effective if you control the purchase time-clock rather than the dealer. Here's what to do:

Once a dealership purchases a car, it anticipates holding that piece of inventory for 60 days or less. The goal of the dealership is to earn a 10% profit on every car it sells, so cars are typically priced about 20% above their initial purchase price. As you determine the next car you would like to purchase, do some research before you make your purchase.

Begin by comparing general prices through online sites such as http://www.autotrader.com/ , http://www.edmunds.com/ and http://www.kellybluebook.com/  about 3 to 4 months  before you are ready to buy your new vehicle.

Discover This Dealer Trick and Save Big Money

Dropping ads on trading websites is one dealer tactic to gain attention for their inventory and to determine what the consumer feels is a reasonable price to pay. For example, if the car is listed on the dealership’s own website at $23,900, the dealership likely owns the car for $20,000, and it may list a ‘Buy it Now’ price of $22,900 on Ebay while offering a list price of $24,900 on Autotrader.

This type of stealth marketing can be effective for the dealership for when the consumer does not do sufficient research, he or she may simply purchase the car on Ebay for $22,900 even though the car could have been bought through a salesperson for less.
 
 Timing Is Everything



Since the car industry operates on a 60-day inventory cycle time, dealerships begin reducing prices of their automobiles after the first 30 days if these assets have not sold. This is mainly due to applicable holding costs (and depreciation) as the dealership is paying interest on all of the cars that they have remaining for sale. Therefore, if you start monitoring the make and model that you want to purchase about 120 days in advance of your buying time frame, you will notice how the prices may drop by about 10% over a 60-day period.

If one of the cars that you have been monitoring appears to have been sold, then call the dealership and ask if that unit is still available. The dealership may advise that the vehicle has recently been sold and you can nonchalantly ask for its selling price.

When To Low-Ball A Car Dealer

What you will notice is that the original advertisement price was probably reduced after 30 days and after speaking with the dealership, it will probably be apparent that the final selling price was less than the lowest advertised price. It is also important to note that dealerships will, at times, take a loss on their inventory depending on the situation, so don’t be afraid to offer 20% less than the list price. The worst they can say is ‘no,’ but you could end up receiving the car for 15% less than their asking price.

In the event that the car has been on the lot for 60 days or more, dealership manages essentially have three options; they can further reduce the price, move the automobile to another dealership for new advertising, or sell the car at one of the national auto auctions (where they likely originally purchased the vehicle). In any event, selling the car to a consumer at a lower price than they own it for is sometimes the best-case scenario, as the added cost of transportation or auction fees could cause greater losses for dealerships than a reduced price. And they miss the opportunity to gain a happy customer.

How Your Timing Gets You The Best Price

Since the car business is based on commissions and monthly sales quotas, complete your research ahead of time and then go to the dealership on the last day of the month, just a few hours before closing time to make your offer. You will be amazed how quickly a salesman may be willing to make a deal and even give up some of his commission to make sure the deal is finalized.

Since salesmen typically earn much of their income from bonuses based on sales volume, they have little problem giving up part of their commission if selling one more car will qualify them for their monthly incentive bonus.

Don't Buy A New Car


Buying a late model pre-owned (used) car from a reputable dealer is the best way to save money. Here’s why:

* Today's cars are engineered to last much longer than they used to. Most dealers only sell pre-owned cars that meet far more rigorous standards than in years past.

* New car buyers take a huge depreciation hit for essentially driving the vehicle off the lot – 20% or more. You never get this money back.

* Lower insurance costs, particularly on collision coverage.

Avoid Trade-Ins


Another issue worthy of consideration is whether to trade in your current car. If you have the time and the means, avoid trade-ins at all costs. Better to sell your existing car individually and avoid giving the dealership more leverage/wiggle room in the overall exchange.

A clean purchase without the distraction of haggling over the "value" of your trade-in is far preferable. Sell your vehicle on Craigslist or other car trading post and walk into the dealer on your date of purchase free and clear. The salesman will have less opportunity to wear you down, and he will enjoy less maneuvering room. It reduces the angles he has to deflect your pressure tactics, which involve superior research and impeccable timing as suggested above.

Never Rush

Above all, remember to never be in a rush when buying a car. That's how car dealers get away with high mark-ups. All the blustering and negotiating in going toe-to-toe with a car salesmen can be an exercise in frustration if you haven't properly prepared.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

How To Find The Jobs Of The Future

http://www.ama-assn.org/ lists 80 careers in health care and provides a directory of 8,600 accredited institutions in those fields. Nurses, techs and docs are in high demand. To become a home health care aide requires only short term training and that filed will grow by 50% by 2018.

www.Nrdc.Org/Energy/Greenjobs provides a primer on clean-energy companies that are the biggest players in the field. Between January and March 2010, 83,000 clean energy jobs were created.

http://www.jobnob.com/ showcases jobs with startup companies. Many of these new companies will be looking for staff.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Best East Coast Salvage Shop Where You Can Furnish Your Home On The Cheap And Protect The Environment

If you want to spruce up your home but are short on funds, then head over to Build It Green! NYC in Astoria , NY. This 18,000 square foot warehouse is stocked from everything from movie props to antique lighting to wooden doors. In fact, its all  materials that would have ended up in a landfill if it weren't for the staff at this nonprofit. Recent finds included a pool table for $50, church pews for $200, and antique and designer appliances. for more info see http://www.bignyc.org/  or call 718-777-0132. Its located at 3-17 26th Ave, Queens, Astoria, NY .

How To Get A Great Face Lift Without Losing Face

The American Society For Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that over 94,000 people got face lifts in 2009. 89% were gals and 11% were guys. But the journey between thinking about getting a lift and can be fraught with concerns. That's because there is no way to judge how it will turn out and you can't  re-return if you don't like it. Plus the problem is compounded because women won't tell you where they had it done. You can opt for less invasive treatments like botox but they can only do so much. But if you're beginning to look like a shar-pei, then you need to see a plastic surgeon.

There are many variations of  a face lift but it is just  a resection of sagging skin and muscle from the neck to the mid face. That's one operation. A brow lift and  eye surgery are different procedures at additional cost.
A skilled doc will only do one face lift a day which takes about 5 hours. None of it is covered by insurance  and there is a two week downtime before you can return to work.  In some cases it may take 3 weeks for the swelling to go down.

Keep in mind a plastic surgeon trains as much as a heart surgeon. He or she must go through one or more years of specialized surgical training on top of the general residency requirements. Yet, anyone with an MD after their name can call themselves a cosmetic surgeon.  That's why credentials are so important. What you want is a doc that's either board certified in plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery-meaning that the doc is an ear, nose and throat surgeon with specialized cosmetic training. Its a plus if they have aesthetic surgery fellowships.
 That's why only a handful of master surgeons do the majority of lifts in either L.A. or NYC.  Usually,  a skilled doc will only do one face lift a day which takes about 5 hours. Also, make sure you ask your prospective surgeon how many face lifts he or she does a month. You want to hear at least 15 or more. Not one or two.

 Next, visit the waiting room. A busy surgeon will have a least several post-operations waiting to see him. Also, check the docs before and after photos. The reason you do this is that you want to get an sense of what the docs  idea of beauty is. That's because you can end up with a great surgeon and be disappointed if your idea of beauty is different than his or hers.

 Plus a great number of surgeons do a lift that tightens the skin only. You want a surgeon who tells you that he is doing a lift on both the skin and the underlying muscle. This takes extra skill and training. But it generally lasts longer and avoids the bad face lift look.

To find a qualified plastic surgeon you can start by going to your nearest library or bookstore and looking at Americas Top Doctors published by Castle Connolly-9th edition. Also, you can check out these links:

http://www.castleconnolly.com/doctors/results.cfm?source=nymetro&mag=28&speccode=073   or see  

http://www.phillymag.com/health/top_docs/listings/202482/results?content=Keyword&category=49&property_value=2&x=17&y=9&my_form_idx_148=148

Insider Method For Getting An Unfair Discount At NYC Department Stores

At the Tourist Center counters at Bloomingdale's and Macy's, just show an out-of-state ID for an instant  store wide discount of 10% off. That might be 10% off on top of any sales that may be in progress.  Since no record is kept of these coupons, you can get them anytime you visit NYC.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

How To Land Cheap Flights For The Holiday Season

Go To The Source: Airlines try to bypass online travel sites by posting discount promo codes on their home pages. So start your search for deals at the carriers'  sites.  Google It: If you can't find codes on an airline's site, then do a web search with the airlines name and the term "promo codes". You'll be surprized by what you find.  Leave It To The Pros: www.AirFareWatchDog.Com scans countless sites for "promo codes" and posts unpublished  discount codes.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Get A Solar System On The Cheap

Instead of buying a solar energy system, lease one. In some places, you can get a $30,000 solar energy system  for about $141 a month on a 15 year lease with no upfront cost. Plus you'll typically see a 10% to 15% drop  in your electric bill every month.  But make sure your lease allows you to sell excess energy back to the grid and that your rate is locked in over the life of the lease.  Also, make sure the provider passes along the federal residential energy credits and local incentives back to you in the form of a lower monthly lease rate.  And if you can afford it, make sure you have the option to prepay the lease. Prepaying even a portion of your lease can double or even triple your net savings. To get more info and ideas visit
www.SolarCity.Com ,  www.Sungevity.Com and www.SunRunHome.Com .  

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Secret To Roasting Carrots

Most of the time when you roast carrots, they come out dry and shriveled.  That's because they contain more  pectin than any other vegetable or even some fruits.  So it takes a long time for this complex carbohydrate to break down. The solution is to precook the carrots covered in foil. This creates a heat stable form so the carrots will stay moist even after you turn up the heat and give them a tasty carmelization. This process works well even when parsnips, fennel, and shallots share the pan. Here's a great recipe you might enjoy:

Roasted Carrots And Shallots With Lemon And Thyme

Ingredients:  1lb carrots, peeled and halved crosswise, and cut lengthwise to create even pieces- 6 medium shallots- 1tsp chopped  thyme leaves-2 tbsp butter, melted, salt & ground black pepper- 1 tsp lemon juice

Adjust oven rack to  middle position and heat oven to 425  degrees.  In a large  bowl, combine carrots, shallots, thyme , butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and toss to coat.  Transfer carrots  to foil or  parchment lined  rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook stirring twice,  until carrots are well  browned  and tender, about 30 to 35  minutes.  Toss with  lemon juice  , transfer to platter . Then salt and  pepper  to taste.  Serves 4 to 6.


 

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Save Big Time On Cruising Alaska

One of the greatest secrets of  Northwest travel is seeing Alaska by ferry. Nine state run ferries, known as the Blue Canoe cruise the  same 950 mile Alaska Marine Highway System that the luxury ships do. Plus they venture into many unspoiled places they don't.  One way fares begin at just $375 and you can hitch a ferry ride starting in Bellingham, WA. Unlike a cruise ship, the ferry system allows travelers to stop off at harbor towns whenever and for as long as they like.  For more info see http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml
for ferry and cabin fare rates or call 800-642-0066.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Hate To Be Put On Hold? Lucy Phone Can Help You For FREE

Lucy Phone promises that you'll never wait on hold again. Here's how the free service works: You type in  the toll-free customer service number you want to call at http://www.lucyphone.com/ , on Facebook or through your iPhone app. You enter your phone number and click "Start". In a moment, your phone rings. It's Lucy, who asks you to press 1 to connect with the company you want. Once connected, you navigate the customer service menu. When you get to where you want to go, if you're put on hold, you press "**" and hang up. You then go about your business while Lucy Phone keeps your place in the customer service line. When an agent becomes available, he or she is asked to press 1 to reach you. Your phone rings and then you're connected. Lucy Phone is great for calling the IRS, Social Security, Motor Vehicles and other bureaucratic  state and federal government lines that put you on hold forever.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Reverse The Tide Of Government Waste In NJ

www.JoinTheCampaign.Com is a non-partisan public service initiative to get 5,000 citizens to participate in the leadership of their communities to reverse the tide of government waste. The Citizens' Campaign, launched in 2004, works to cultivate a culture of service and develop a new generation of leaders - leaders who put service over personal gain. They recruit, educate and mentor new leaders. Through live events and online classes, the Citizens' Campaign has educated thousands of New Jerseyans in how to navigate the power structure of government and to exercise leadership beginning with their own hometowns.

The Citizens Campaign educates citizens how to enter four powerful non elected leadership positions, including appointed office service, political party service, citizen legislator service and citizen journalist service.

The Citizens' Campaign also devises innovative government solutions that support good government and open the doors for citizen service. They have led the successful fight for the adoption of pay-to play protections at the state level. New Jersey now has the strongest state pay-to-play reform law in the nation.

For more information, click on the link above.