Tuesday, August 24, 2010
School: Back to school shopping ripoffs?
With the approaching end of summer comes the back to school shopping season and you may be thinking of ways to save money on back to school supplies. I have already seen the signs popping up at local retail shops announcing the upcoming sales, and I've begun some of my own bargain shopping. To get the most out of your shopping dollars here are some ways to save money on back to school supplies.
Save money on back to school supplies #1: Shop at different stores.
You can save money on back to school supplies by shopping at different stores, as they will feature different items at bargain prices. One store may have crayons on special while another may have the pocket file folders on discount. Many stores use an advertising strategy where they heavily discount one item in the hopes that you will purchase all your school supplies from them. This is similar to the "loss leader" strategies that grocery stores regularly use. Purchase each store's best sale and then move on to the next store. The exception to this would be if a store offered to "price match" a competitor's price.
Save money on back to school supplies #2: Re-use what you can from last year.
Another simple way to save money on back to school supplies is simply assessing what you can use from last year. There is no reason to purchase a new backpack or lunch box if the one from last year is still in good condition. This same concept applies to rulers, pencil boxes, compasses, calculators and other supplies. Before heading out to shop take an inventory of what you have so you can eliminate those items from the "needs" list.
Save money on back to school supplies #3: Check your local dollar store.
A great place to visit to help you save money on back to school supplies is your local dollar store. I've seen rulers, pencils, folders, and school paper with the same name brands found at regular retail stores but on sale for only $1. You might not find everything you need but it is worth a visit to see what inventory your store has.
Save money on back to school supplies #4: Look for coupons to combine with sales and discounts.
Be sure to check your Sunday newspaper for any manufacturer coupons and check lunch box and backpack purchases for coupons and special offers.
Save money on back to school supplies #5: Find out if your state offers tax free holidays.
You can really maximize your savings by shopping during tax free holidays and combining store sales and discounts.
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Buy what you need for the first day of school but don’t buy too much for the rest of the year. Some items, such as pencils and pens, might be useful to stock up on if there is a great sale. But since many stores overstock on items, you may actually be able to find some bargains by scanning for sales after the back to school rush is over.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Top Reasons The Middle Class Is Disappearing
In Brunswick County, N.C., a new development is underway. Compass Pointe developers report that they are "challenging the notion that amenity rich, gated golf course communities are only built for the high-end luxury market, by setting prices that the average working family can afford."
Work has started on a 27-hole championship golf course designed by architect Rick Robbins, who cut his teeth working on various Jack Nicklaus courses. Compass Pointe will also have an 18-hole putting course, world-class practice facilities, a fitness center, a tennis complex, an amphitheater, swimming pools, a canoe and kayak launch, a soccer field, walking trails and barbeque pits. There's even an audobon area filled with hardwoods, pines, lakes and creeks, with abundant wildlife.
All of these Compass Pointe amenities will serve a community of 4,500 homes on 2,200 acres, a healthy half-acre per family.
So, how about those "working class" prices at Compass Pointe? Well, the cost of a vacant homesite begins below $80,000. To really put something on that vacant homesite, prices for townhouses - or rather, townhomes - begin in the $160,000 range. A single-family home will cost anywhere from $200,000-plus to $500,000-plus.
Working class? According to the United States Bureau of the Census, the average family income is $46,000. But somehow, the definition of "middle class" continues to stretch upward.
Senator Hillary Clinton, during the Democratic presidential primary campaign, defined middle class or working class as any family with an income below $250,000. Barack Obama scoffed, noting that most folks such as teachers and police officers and firefighters still make far less than $100,000. Still, when the general election campaign got started, Senator Obama chose that $250,000 figure as a measuring point where he would either cut families' taxes, or at least not raise them. Then, when John McCain wanted to portray an average American, he showcased "Joe the Plumber," a small businessman with a purported "average" income of $280,000.
What ever happened to the millions of Americans who still work for close to the minimum wage? They stock shelves and run cash registers at big-box stores. They prepare and serve fast food. They work as nurse aides, earning $7 or $8 an hour to clean and feed patients who are shelling out $150 per day.
The phrases "working class" and "middle class" are taking on whole new meanings. In fact, they no longer describe what they would seem to describe.
SOURCES
compasspointenc.com
census.gov
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Did you know
If you're looking for a new high-end timepiece, or are just a fan of horology, here are some hot new watches from top brands that all stand out from the crowd.
Ulysse Nardin Freak
What do you call a watch that has no hands, no crown and no dial? The Freak! While this name doesn't suit a watch that costs in the six-figure range, you know with the name Ulysse Nardin in front of it you have to take it seriously. This unorthodox and truly freaky watch uses the movement itself to tell the time, with the crystal and bezel being integrated with it. It is lubrication-free with special type of silicone, it overcomes the inertia required to pivot the entire movement to tell the time. This 160 year-old company continues to stay at the forefront of style and technology, and breaks preconceived notions of how a luxury watch can be built.
Girard Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon
The Jackpot Tourbillon is a true juxtaposition of precision timekeeping and a game of chance; all held in a Art deco inspired vintage 1945 case. Girard Perregaux's iconic tourbillion with gold bridge appears on the bottom, with a slot machine at the top. A complex gambling mechanism small enough to insert in this watch displays the 125 possible combinations in the three slots. It is operated with by a small tug on the slot machine lever on the right side, complete with hammer & gong based chime sound effects to match. One bonus that is included with purchasing this watch is a elaborate "gambling trunk", which includes a full set of Vegas-style poker chips, playing cards, a little curtain to reveal the watch (like a magician show) and other small gambling themed toys.
Edward Piguet Tourbillon Agate Mousse
Audemars Piguet again unites artistry, technical sophistication and nature in an elegantly subtle masterpiece. Representing a new jewel in the Edward Piguet collection, this Tourbillon is the first watch in the world to be fitted with a manipulate in moss agate, a semi-translucent natural mineral distinguished by natural veins reminiscent of plant-like motifs. Audemars Piguet has combined the brilliance of mother nature with one of the horological mechanisms that best reflects human genius, the tourbillon.
Big Bang Tutti Frutti
The word 'Tutti Frutti' means 'all fruits' in Italian, and come in lemon, apple, puple, orange, blue and rose (shown here). These large watches by Hublot catch the growing trend for with women. While many bright colored watches look cheap and tacky, the Big Bang Tutti Frutti combines their color schemes with their form and steel or gold finish perfectly. The white mother-of-pearl dial and gold watch hands and hour markers are flawlessly animated by the baguette-cut pink sapphires set along the 18 K gold bezel. And the matching pink alligator strap just makes the watch even more feminine and eye-catching.
Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon
This Sky Moon Tourbillon a truly unique and special chronograph, for a number of reasons. First it's exceedingly rare and it is the most complex wrist watch ever made by Patek Phillipe. Look at the picture here and you'll see two faces, one on each side. The front side is opaline white with small embossed Calatrava crosses and gold hour indicators. Complications there include a perpetual calendar, retrograde date, equation of time, time with hours and minutes, and the moon phase. Flip it over to view a incredible celestial view. There you have the sidereal time, a sky-chart showing the placement of the stars, phase and orbit of the moon, as well as a 24 hour hand.
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