Consumer Money Saving Tips

Ten Money Saving Tips For Holiday Travel

2009-01-11T06:36:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008-2009 Anson Werner

While it is sometimes difficult to find specific vacation specials that match your travel desires for the Christmas holiday, there are other considerations you can take into account that could help you save a lot of money. Here is a list of ten tips that might help you to save money on your next holiday vacation adventure:

1. Since most airlines are now charging for extra bags, taking your gifts on the airplane could very well end up costing you a lot of extra fees. In fact, most travelers will find that shipping gifts via UPS or the U.S. Postal Service will be much cheaper than trying to carry those gifts onto the airplane.

2. If you are going to carry Christmas gifts on the airplane with you to your destination, it is recommended that you do not wrap your gifts until you reach your destination. With the heightened security concerns at American airports, airport security will likely unwrap your gifts for you, just so that you can board the airplane. So don't wrap your gifts before you leave, and you will not have to wrap those gifts twice. Additionally, whenever possible, you should pack loose items in clear plastic bags for the same reasons. If security needs to dig through your small items, items may be lost.

3. If you need hotel rooms at your destination, hotel-flight packages are generally far less expensive than buying the two items separate, in some cases as much as 75% cheaper. Even connecting flights are generally cheaper than direct flights.

4. Before you order those airline tickets, take some time to check the alternative travel methods including: Amtrak train, bus, or rental car. You may even find packaged Christmas vacation deals offered by specific airlines, such as those offered by American Airlines (described on our website), which is offering flight and hotel Christmas package deals for as little as $139 per night per person.

5. When talking to a travel agent, don't give the agent a specific travel date, but instead, give a date range to the agent. Your flexibility on travel arrangements could literally save you as much as 50% on your travel arrangements.

6. If you are willing to catch an afternoon flight, as opposed to a morning flight, and travel on Tuesday instead of on Monday, once again, you could save a lot of money on airfare.

7. For holiday travel, if you are willing to travel on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, you will find the airports relatively empty and the flight ticket prices extraordinarily low.

8. Be willing to consider alternative airports. For example, you could fly into Dallas / Fort Worth airport (DFW) or you could fly into Dallas Love Field (DAL), which is located just to the northwest of downtown Dallas. If someone is picking you up at the airport, there may be little difference to them which airport they pick you up. And, if you are catching a cab or rental car from the airport, the extra drive time will not be that much, since there is only 20 miles between airports.

9. When you rent a car at your destination, be sure to refill the gas tank before you return the car to the rental car agency. If the car rental company has to refill the gas tank after you drop off the car, they will charge you their gallon price, which is typically much higher than the gas station across the street from the car rental agency.

10. If you plan to stay in a hotel while visiting family over the holidays, ask if the hotel offers courtesy shuttles to and from the airport. This could prevent you from needing to have someone waiting for you at the airport, and it could eliminate the cost of catching a taxi cab to your hotel, which could cost quite a bit of extra cash.

Vacation package deals are a nice method for getting great travel deals at great prices, but travel package deals only offer value to those who are more flexible in their travel plans. When it comes to holiday travel, flexibility is not usually a luxury most of us have, especially if we plan to spend our holiday at grandma's house.

It is my hope that these travel tips can actually help you to conserve the money you need to spend on your next holiday vacation.

Author's note: This article is derived from the one posted here: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/2008/12/12/christmas-travel-money-saving-tips/

About the Author:
Anson Werner is a travel hound. He spends his spare time shopping travel offers and learning tricks to help him save money and get more enjoyment from his limited travel dollars. Anson's friends had always asked him about the travel deals he finds, so he decided to share his knowledge and travel discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/

Payday Loans - Convenience and Danger

2009-01-01T02:18:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008-2009 Fred Vanhoosen

Every now and then a financial emergency arises that you just did not have planned in your budget. Maybe you had a fender bender with the car and you need cash to get it running, but the check from the insurance company will take a week or so to get here. Or the refrigerator or washer craps out and you don't have the cash to get it repaired, but you also can't afford to be without it. You have run out of money before you ran out of month. Or, you have a once in a lifetime chance to buy something you really, really want at a spectacularly low price, but don't have the cash.

One solution to your "one time only" dilemma could be a Pay Day Loan - this is where loan companies will give you a short-term loan, just until your next payday. If you qualify, many of the companies will lend $100, to as much as $1500, for a short period of time. Mostly what you need to qualify is a job that provides you with a regular paycheck and an active checking account. You will probably need to show them a recent paycheck stub and they will probably call to confirm that you haven't just been laid off and, therefore, have no next paycheck coming.

A loan for a car or a boat, or a mortgage to buy a house, are secured loans - the value of the asset serves as security for repayment of the loan. A Pay Day Loan is an unsecured loan - there is no property to serve as security, only a contractual promise to pay. It is a signature only loan. Usually this kind of loan is for a term of not more than two weeks.

Pay Day Loans may be convenient, if you have an occasional need. But this kind of loan is very expensive. Typically the fee to borrow $100 for two weeks is over $15, more than 15%. The annual percentage rate is staggering.

If you take a Pay Day Loan, the loan company will probably require that you give them a post dated check for the full amount due (including their fees). Come pay day you are expected to show up and pay the amount due in cash - and they will then give you back the post dated check.

If you are not able to pay off the principal amount on the due date, the terms of the loan agreement may allow you the option of renewing the loan by paying just the interest due, bringing your interest cost for borrowing $100 to a total of $30 for four weeks.

If you don't show up to pay off the loan, they deposit your check. If the check bounces, for insufficient funds (possibly why you didn't show up in person), you have even greater trouble - you owe them everything you originally did plus bank fees for a returned check plus their fees for collecting the money owed. And, generally speaking, it is against the law to write a check that is a "bad check". If you do it, legal action can be taken against you - further complications, problems and costs.

If you fail to pay off the loan, as agreed, the loan company can file a lawsuit and obtain a judgment against you. With that judgment they can obtain an order to garnish your wages to collect the debt owed. Generally the contract also makes you liable to reimburse the company for all its legal costs and costs of collection, adding further to the cost of you borrowing.

The most important thing about this kind of credit is to use it only when you need some money for a truly temporary situation and where you can fix the situation very quickly.

You may have heard stories of people who used one credit card to pay off another credit card, then a third to pay off the second, then a fourth to pay off the third, etc., with their debt spiraling totally out of control.

Well, the same kind of thing can happen with Pay Day Loans if you are not careful and responsible in how you handle your finances. This is not a long term, or even intermediate term, financing method. This is a one-time-only emergency funds technique and to use it any other way could be very risky and extremely expensive.

How big is the Pay Day Loan industry? The Center for Responsible Lending (http://www.responsiblelending.org/) reported in 2006 that there were about 25,000 outlets in the U.S. making Pay Day Loans.

If you were considering a Pay Day Loan it would be worthwhile to check it out thoroughly before applying and signing those papers. The Consumer Federation of America is one place where you can get a variety of information to help you evaluate the situation. The information there explains, in detail, the mechanics of a Pay Day Loan. According to the CFA (http://www.paydayloaninfo.org/), industry analysts estimates $40 billion in Pay Day Loans are made every year in the U.S.

No matter where you live, you can probably find a company locally that will make Pay Day Loans. There are also many companies on the Internet, which make these loans. As in any business, there are reliable firms and firms who will try to twist the laws and regulations as far as possible. Companies who operate on the Internet are harder to effectively regulate than companies with a physical office right there on Main Street in your hometown.

If every week in your life is an emergency, if every payday is a panic, then using Pay Day Loans will probably only make a bad situation much worse.

On the other hand,

If it is truly a one-time emergency, and

You have a clear plan which assures timely pay off of the loan, and

You have researched the potential problems, and

You have carefully selected a reputable loan company, and

You have researched and understand all the terms and conditions of the loan

then maybe - just maybe - a Pay Day Loan is the right thing for you to do.

About the Author:
Fred Vanhoosen writes about the payday loan / cash advance industry. To learn more about these loan products, we recommend visiting: http://www.fastcash4all.net/

Tips For Turning Your Backyard Into A Hummingbird Habitat

2008-12-26T19:45:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Steve Peek

Hummingbirds notoriously have a high wing-beat rate, and it is its fast wing-beat rate that generates the hum for which the hummingbird is named.

High Metabolism Rate

The largest of hummingbirds, the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), grow to be about 24g and have an average wing-beat rate of 8-10 beats per second. Mid-sized hummingbirds, the Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), grow to weigh about 3g and beat their wings at a rate of 20-25 beats per second. The smallest species of hummingbirds, the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), only grow to approximately 1.8g, and yet they beat their wings at about 70 beats per second.

One might wonder how a hummingbird could generate such an incredibly fast wing-beat rate, but this kind of metabolism is very similar to the energy derived by giving a three-year-old child a can of Mountain Dew to drink. The high sugar-intake taken by the child creates a situation where the child seems to bounce off the walls. Well, the same thing happens with the hummingbird too.

Each day, hummingbirds of all species consume more than the equivalent of their own body weight in nectar, which has an average sugar content of 25%. This high daily sugar-intake results in an extremely high metabolism rate for these tiny birds - the highest in all of the animal kingdom. According to a 2001 book, "The Birds of Ecuador volume 2 - Field Guide", written by Robert S. Ridgely and Paul G. Greenfield, a hummingbirds' heart beat has been measured as high as 1260 beats per minute!

Interestingly, other organisms that metabolize at a rate equal to the hummingbird typically have a very short-lifespan. But, hummingbirds have lived in captivity for up to 17 years.

Flower Pollination

It has been estimated that the average hummingbird will visit 100 flowers per day, pollinating many flowers as they go. But with most flower species, the hummingbird has to compete directly with bees and wasps for access to the nectar.

Interestingly, bees and hummingbirds tend to avoid flowers that have a sugar-ratio in the range of 15%, which is average for most flowers. Instead, bees and hummingbirds tend to only pollinate flowers that have the higher 25% sugar content in the nectar.

Most of the flowers that hummingbirds pollinate are red, bright pink and orange in color. An interesting twist in this story is that hummingbirds can view wavelengths into the near ultra-violet. Insect-pollinated flowers tend to reflect certain wavelengths, which tip off the insects that those flowers are inviting the insects to visit. But the flower species that hummingbirds typically pollinate do not reflect the same wavelengths as other flower species do, which in effects makes those flowers invisible to passing insects.

Of course, while the hummingbirds need to visit flowers to obtain the sugars they need to properly metabolize energy for flight, nectar does not provide enough nutrients to ensure good health. Hummingbirds meet their dietary needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when they are feeding young.

Range Of The Species

Until recently, it was believed that hummingbirds were strictly an American bird, ranging from Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. But in 2004, Dr. Gerald Mayr, a paleornithologist at the famed Senckenberg museum in Germany, found a 30-million year old hummingbird fossil that had been unearthed in a dig near Heidelberg, Germany.

The majority of the 325-340 species of hummingbirds reside in warm tropical areas of Central and South America. But those species that can be found on the southern tip of South America and those species that take up residence in North America are typically migratory birds.

While hummingbirds are typically at rest, except when feeding, hummingbirds are known to cross great bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico. That is the reason why many hummingbird species can also be found in many Caribbean islands.

Common North American Species

Although 17 hummingbird species have been known to nest in North America, only a few are considered common. Most frequently seen in North America are the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Black-chinned Hummingbird, the Rufous Hummingbird, the Anna's Hummingbird, the Broad-tailed hummingbird, and the Calliope hummingbird. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is most frequently found east of the Mississippi River. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is most often found in the western United States. The Rufous Hummingbird is found most often in the Northwest all the way to Alaska. The Anna's Hummingbird is common from southern California to southern Arizona and north to southwestern British Columbia. The Broad-tailed hummingbird is common in the spring and summer in higher elevations from Arizona north to the Canadian border. And the Calliope hummingbird is found through-out the west except for the Southwest and the Pacific Coast.

Attracting Hummingbirds To Your Garden

In order to attract hummingbirds to your garden you must provide them the nectar producing flowers that they desire. There are quite a variety of blooming plants and you will want ones specific to where you live so do a little research for "hummingbird flowers" in your area and most likely your local nursery will offer them. As a final touch add a couple of pretty hummingbird feeders and you are set.

Interestingly, the combination of people planting winter flower gardens and providing hummingbird feeders has encouraged more hummingbirds to make North America their year-around homes in the temperate areas along the Gulf and Pacific coasts.

You will want to be very selective when picking a hummingbird feeder as many models simply do not do this beautiful bird justice. The fact is that many hummingbird feeders force the hummingbirds to compete with bees, wasps, ants, orioles, woodpeckers, and other animals for access to the sugar water. Bees, wasps and ants can get trapped in some types of feeders and die inside which of course ruins the nectar.

Protecting The Health Of Your Hummingbirds

Studies have shown the best formula for sugar water to be one cup of "white granulated sugar only" to four cups of water, mixed and placed into the feeder. The feeder should be emptied and washed with dish soap and hot water at least once per week, to prevent harmful bacteria build-up or soured sugar water.

For the health of your neighborhood hummingbirds, you should never use any raw sugars, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, or any additives in your sugar water mix. All contain other elements that will be to the detriment of any hummingbirds consuming these products.

Commercial "hummingbird food" products have not been studied at length, but early studies with laboratory animals indicate that preservatives, artificial flavors, and food coloring cause disease and premature mortality, when it is consumed in large amounts. So, it is strongly recommended that you do not add red food coloring to your sugar water mix. Scientists also recommend that you do not need to buy any "hummingbird food" that has "additional nutrients" in it, because hummingbirds get all of the nutrients that they need in the insects that they eat.

Selecting A Good Hummingbird Feeder

There are a number of companies providing hummingbird feeders in the marketplace. But for the benefit of your neighborhood birds, you should try to keep an eye to finding a feeder that has certain features and benefits.

Remember, your local birds are competing with bees, wasps and ants for access to the food in your feeder. So, it is advantageous when you can find a feeder that is designed to restrict these insects from gaining access to the sugar water mix.

Most feeders have some red or orange colorations, because these colors attract hummingbirds. But, make sure that the feeders you buy do not have any yellow parts on the feeder itself, because bees are attracted to the color yellow. Even if you can block the bees from gaining access to the feeder, the yellow will attract the bees to the feeder, and the bees will frequently drive away the hummingbirds.

Make sure that any feeder you own does not leak sugar water onto the ground or the outside of the unit, because once again, you should desire to keep bees, wasps and other pests away from your feeders.

The point of a feeder is to attract the right kind of visitors, not the wrong kinds. If your hummingbird feeder attracts the wrong kind of visitor, the birds will have their feeding experience ruined, and you may be finding yourself wrestling with too many pests in your environment too.

About the Author:
Steve Peek is an ardent nature lover and a tinkerer. This combination has resulted in a unique, hand-crafted hummingbird feeder designed to ensure that bees and wasps do not ruin your hummingbird watching experience. Learn more about hummingbirds and our hummingbird feeder at our website: http://www.thehummingbirdstore.com

Available Loan Products During a Credit Crunch

2008-12-23T18:36:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Fred Vanhoosen

Businesses across the country are being forced to close their doors, due to the credit crunch that is preventing those companies from getting the credit lines that they require to maintain operating costs. Other businesses like the auto giants are suffering from lackluster sales, not because they produced a bad product, but because banks tightened the reigns on consumer auto loans, preventing consumers from buying those high-dollar products.

As we turn on the news each day or pick up our local newspaper, we are inundated with the bad news about the effects of the credit crunch on the larger economy. With so much bad news about the economy, it is easy to believe that the credit crunch is deep running and affecting every sector of the economy. But the truth of the matter is that the credit crunch is pretty much regional in nature and it is only affecting certain types of lending.

Strong Regional Economies

According to an April 2008 story by Forbes Magazine, "America's Recession-Proof Cities", some cities have shrinking unemployment, low foreclosure rates, and a growing economic base. The top ten cities were:

1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;

2. San Antonia, Texas;

3. Austin, Texas;

4. Houston, Texas;

5. Charlotte, N.C.;

6. Dallas, Texas;

7. San Jose, California;

8. Raleigh, N.C.;

9. Salt Lake City, Utah; and

10. Seattle, Washington.

In these strong regional economic centers, banks, savings and loans, and credit unions are still loaning money for cars and homes. I should know... I live near one of these top ten cities and we are able to go to our local credit union to get loans for anything we desire.

Strong Lenders

Banks are closing credit lines for some of America's largest corporations, and in many locations, banks are withholding money for car loans and home loans. In locations where home foreclosures and car repossessions are high, lending is light. Banks that need to shore up their finances are withholding loans, even to top-rated borrowers. Other banks in a local area might be strong financially, but that strength is offset by an overabundance of caution in a weak economy.

The lenders who have traditionally been large and strong are now weak, and the lenders who have traditionally been smaller and more conservative are tending to be much stronger financially.

The smaller finance companies that tend to loan smaller amounts of money are also strong. Since those companies typically do not loan money on the big-ticket items such as cars and homes, they have managed to retain a stronger financial position in the marketplace.

Even payday loan and cash advance loan companies remain strong in an economy where big loans are hard to find.

Finding The Right Loan Product

When you are looking for a loan, it is never recommended to figure out where you can get the money first. Instead, one should figure out exactly how much money is needed, for what purpose, and what terms are acceptable to acquire the money.

For example, if one needs money to buy a car, a payday loan company will very likely be unable to loan the amount of money needed to actually buy that car. If you are buying a used car for under $3000 or $1500, you might be able to find a payday loan company to give you the money, but you have to honestly ask yourself if you could definitely have the money available to pay that loan back within two weeks. Since payday loans are loan products for people who need emergency cash for two weeks, one should use a regular finance company, bank or credit union to acquire the loan that you need months to pay back.

You might think that the easier-to-get payday loan might be your solution for a used car loan, but once you roll that loan over a few times, the cost of that money starts to become very expensive. In states like Oklahoma, you would not even be permitted to roll that payday loan over, by state law.

When you are borrowing money for two weeks or one month, a payday loan is usually a pretty affordable option for getting that emergency cash, but once you start rolling that payday loan over several times, then the cost of the money becomes such that it will easily exceed the cost of money from a finance company or credit union.

As this example shows, more important than finding a loan is finding a loan that has payment terms that are acceptable and affordable for the borrower. Any loan that cannot be paid back on schedule is a loan that should not be taken.

Responsible Borrowing

You owe it to yourself and your family to be responsible with your personal finances. Even when you are looking to borrow money, you should take the extra effort to make sure that the decision you are getting ready to make is one that will not hurt your and your families' financial future.

This means that you should never borrow any amount of money you cannot afford to pay back on schedule. And while it might be nice to drive a new car, one of those used cars might make better financial sense to buy.

This is the reason so many families lost homes to foreclosure. People bought more house than they could afford to maintain, and they borrowed so much money that they could barely afford the monthly payments. Their homes suffered because they could not afford to keep up with repairs, and when an emergency expense came up, they found that they could not make all of their bills in that month. Once someone gets behind on payments, it is hard to get caught back up, so the homeowners' finances continued to get worse and worse.

Eventually, homeowners found themselves so far behind that the bank was threatening foreclosure, and the homeowner was so far behind that foreclosure seemed the best option to them.

Foreclosed homeowners lost all of the equity that they had managed to build up in their homes, and after struggling for years to keep their homes, they found themselves renting an apartment or a house once again, and their credit ruined.

Sadly, most foreclosed homeowners could have prevented the loss of their homes, had they only made better decisions when they bought the home. If only they had purchased smaller homes, with smaller monthly payments, they could have prevented the problem, before it became a problem.

Only borrow what you can afford to pay back, and when you are looking for a loan, make sure that you can live with the terms of that loan.

In Conclusion...

With this having been said, there are loans out there available to the consumer. So if you need money for a purchase, there is a chance that you will be able to find the money you need.

But, you should be careful to only borrow money you can afford to pay back in a timely manner, with terms you are comfortable accepting.

As the last several years have proven, the only person out there that is going to look out for your best interests is you. So don't let yourself down. Take the time to understand what you need, what you can afford, and the loan terms that are acceptable to you, and then make a responsible decision about what you can and cannot do.

Invest the effort to look out for your own best interests, and at the end of this current recession, you will find yourself in a better financial position than your neighbors who did not look out for their own best interests.

About the Author:
Fred Vanhoosen writes about the pay day loan / cash advance loan industry. To learn more about the cash advance loan products, we recommend reading the following overview of the cash advance loan concept. Learn more at: http://www.fastcash4all.net/

Travel Tip: Ask For a Better Deal

2008-12-22T13:54:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Anson Werner

When people go on vacation, they tend to believe they are getting their best deal, when they have shopped different hotels and different venues and found the best advertised price. If you think this way, let me tell you now - in no uncertain terms - you are spending more money than you should have to spend.

Three Questions Designed To Save You Money

1. What is the best price you can give me on this room, or whatever?

2. Is that the best you can do?

3. If the answer is No, repeat questions one and two.

Hotels Need To Fill Rooms

More so in a time of recession, like we are in right now, hotels are desperate to fill rooms. If you are at a hotel with a nearly-packed parking lot, the chances of getting a reduced rate on your hotel room is low. However, if the parking lot at the hotel is less than half full, hotel proprietors are more inclined to jump through hoops to get your business.

Be prepared for the hotel proprietor who is willing to call your bluff. If you tell the person behind the desk that you "will go elsewhere" if they do not cut the price, be prepared to walk out the door if the answer is "No." More often than not, if your request is met with a "No" at a hotel with few cars in the parking lot, and you start moving towards the door to leave, the hotel proprietor will call you back to the desk, before you reach the front door.

If the parking lot is full, chances are good that the hotel proprietor will not give you a better deal, even if you ask and threaten to leave.

The truth is that you don't even need to threaten to leave, in order to secure a better deal. All you need to do is to simply ask. What is the best price you can give me on that room? And, is that the best you can do?

Is that the best you can do, is a very important question. This is the question that determines what the lowest price really is. The worst that can happen is that you don't get a discount price... That is why you should never threaten to leave, unless you have every intention of carrying out that threat.

Better Deals Do Not Always Mean Lower Prices

Suppose your hotel proprietor is willing to give you a free breakfast, if you pay the full price on the room. Breakfast for five at McDonald's generally costs me $15-$20. So a free breakfast meal for staying at one particular hotel still adds up to money saved, so sometimes, full price for a hotel room will save me money.

One of the best lines in my book of tricks is to wait until the transaction is done, then ask for my "breakfast ticket". Almost universally, the hotel clerk will ask me "what breakfast ticket?" When I respond, I tell the clerk that I always get tickets for a free breakfast when I stay at other hotels. Nine times out of ten, the desk clerk will say "Oh, okay," and pull a breakfast ticket from under their desk. Free breakfast is good enough for me.

If you are on vacation, as opposed to a business trip, your hotel may have discount coupons available for local attractions. If you are looking to visit a specific attraction, don't be afraid to ask if your hotel has discount tickets available for that attraction. You might be surprised what you hotel might be able to offer to you.

God Gave You The Ability To Speak And Ask Questions - Don't Be Afraid To Ask

On March 4, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States was inaugurated into office. He entered the presidency during the midst of a banking panic. In his inaugural speech, he spoke the words he is most famous for today, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

FDR's words of wisdom are as relevant today, as they were when they were spoken in 1933. The only thing you have to fear from asking questions of hotel proprietors or other attraction venue operators is fear itself. So long as you don't make the mistake of trying to strengthen your question with a threat, you have nothing to fear and money to gain, simply by asking three really easy and simple questions.

I cannot reiterate this point enough... Don't be afraid to ask for a better price or a better deal. As Ben Franklin was so fond of saying, "A penny saved is a penny earned."

About the Author:

Anson Werner is a travel hound. In his desire to find incredible travel deals, he spends his spare time shopping travel offers and learning the rules of the road to help him save money on vacation. Recent finds include a 3-day/2-night hotel package deal in Las Vegas for $49, how to get a free cruise or a cheap cruise for his family. Anson's friends had always asked him about the deals he finds, so he decided to share his knowledge and discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/ His work also appears on: http://consumer-savings.blogspot.com/

Beginner's Guide: So You Want To Remodel Your Kitchen

2008-12-13T18:54:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Aaron J. Munk

Renovating your kitchen can seem daunting, but if you break this big project down into smaller steps, you can ensure that the vision you have for your new space will be achieved.

1. Find your style. Stimulate your creativity by checking out how the professionals do it. Look through magazines and keep photos of style elements that you like in a binder. With the many do-it-yourself websites, the Internet is always a good source for inspiration.

While you are browsing, think about how you want to use your new space. How many people plan to use the kitchen? Do you entertain? Do you need room for children to do homework at a computer? Do you prefer a formal space or do you have a more casual style? Is your kitchen just for cooking or is it the gathering place for your family and friends?

Also think about the style of the rest of your home and how the new kitchen will fit in. All of these style elements you collect will be helpful to show your vision to the contractor and keep you both on track.

2. Set a budget. We all wish we could have everything we want. However, for most of us, we need to choose where to spend our money to get the most value. Granite countertops might be a "must have" for some, while someone else might want to put their money into specialized appliances.

You may need to think about how long you'll be living in this home. If you're going to be there five years or less, the remodel could be viewed as improvements on your investment.

Whatever your budget, make sure you include labor costs and a 10% contingency for those unexpected expenses. And, have a plan to keep track of all the costs - maybe a spreadsheet - so you can compare your actual costs to your budgeted amounts.

3. Find and hire a Contractor. The best way to find a qualified professional is through referrals from family and friends. You can get first hand information on how the contractor worked and if there were any problems.

There are two types of contractors you can hire - General contractors and Subcontractors. General contractors will oversee every aspect of your remodeling project and he or she will usually hire the subcontractors. Subcontractors for a kitchen remodel can include Tile Contractors, Plumbers, Electricians, Painters, Cabinet installers, to name a few.

If your budget is tight, you may have to oversee all the subcontractors yourself. Always compare quotes from at least three different prospects and always work with licensed professionals who have insurance.

Interview all candidates, check their references and ask to see some completed projects. It's important that you are comfortable with the person and you are both able to communicate with each other.

After you've narrowed it down, take a look at their documents. Everything should be in writing and look professional - including a bid price and a payment schedule, the scope of work and a site plan. Decide in advance how you will handle disputes and get that in writing as well. Along the way, there may be design changes initiated by you or the contractor. Make sure these are in writing as well and understood by both parties.

4. Obtain your Kitchen Design Plans. There are different ways to do this important step. If your renovation is complex, you may need to hire an architect. If not, most home stores have computer aided design programs, which allow you to see how the store's kitchens would look in your home. Or, you could buy one of the many home design programs and see your remodel on your own computer.

Some of the free online programs can even give you a list of your choices and vendors in your area who sell the products you want. This could save many trips to the store and countless headaches.

Knowing your cooking style and the appliances you want is something to consider. Also, selecting the flooring, countertops, sinks, and faucets that fit your lifestyle and budget. Last, but certainly not least, select the lighting for your kitchen, keeping in mind that no single light source can light the entire kitchen.

There are many decisions to be made and having your favorite style elements handy in your binder will keep you on track and make some of the decisions easier.

5. Be proactive. Inspect what's going on regularly. During the work, make sure that both you and the contractor follow the written plans. Be clear and honest with any issues you have and try to meet once a day to discuss progress and budget and schedule concerns. Having this meeting might save work stoppages and panic phone calls along the way.

Your partnership with your contractor will be the key to the success or failure of your project, so maintain a productive work environment by keeping the lines of communication open.

These steps can help make your renovations a little easier, but realize that unexpected things happen. Relax, take a deep breath, be flexible and soon you'll be enjoying your beautiful new kitchen.

About the Author:
Aaron J. Munk is the founder of SeeItYourWay, a home-design technology company at the crossroads of technology and design. SeeItYourWay is a premier kitchen design website, providing users with the ability to view multiple home décor selections in a photo-realistic setting, bringing out the unique designer in each and every one of us. To learn more, visit http://www.seeityourway.com or call 800-733-0155.

Vacation Rentals - Undiscovered Travel Retreats

2008-12-12T02:18:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Jeb Maxwell

Vacation time may be several months away, and you may be starting to think about where and what might be the perfect vacation this year - the beach, golf resort, SCUBA diving, skiing, maybe just sight seeing? And you think about places you have been - and the problems you have had.

You cannot forget the time you went on vacation and discovered that the rooms that were really too small, or the room service was bad. There was also the time that the people in the next unit were loud and obnoxious, and the primary reason you had taken a vacation was to find peace and quiet. If only you could have the comforts of your home magically transported to your fantasy destination, then you could have had the perfect vacation.

Well, your dream arrangement is (almost) possible - you just have to look at vacation rental of a home, condo or cabin instead of hotels, motels and resorts. If you've never tried a vacation rental, there is a whole world of opportunities out there, just waiting for you to discover them.

Lots of people have vacation homes or condos that they use only part of the year. Many of these people rent out their places when they know they aren't going to be there to use it themselves. The process is a little different than pulling up in front of a Best Western or Holiday Inn, but the principle is the same - you get to use a room or set of rooms where you are able to reside, for the length of your vacation.

Normally hotel, motel or resort rooms are relatively small. So things can get a bit tight, particularly if the kids are along, or if are there or two, three or four couples who have a routine of vacationing together. By renting a vacation home or condo you will get more space, some privacy, and you may be able to get luxury features you haven't been able to install yet under your own roof. Another thing - you can find vacation rental units of practically all kinds, practically anywhere in the country - or, for that matter, in the world.

There are literally thousands of places available that are private homes, condos, cabins, etc., available for vacation rental. And, the facilities available in these rentals range from rustic to lavish, comfortable and spacious.

There are thousands of companies around the world acting as agents for owners. Many of these agents have listings in every state of the United States, plus Mexico and the Caribbean. They are really just booking agents, but they have information on a huge number of properties in a large number of locations. They have listings in Central America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the South Pacific. Unless you had your heart set on a vacation in Antarctica, it doesn't seem like there can be much of anywhere that you will not be able to find vacation rentals.

Most agents found online and offline have vacation rental homes in US destinations, and many also have access to international listings. On the Internet, you will be able to find listings provided by agents - and vacation rentals by owner. At most websites that cater to the vacation rental industry, listings will contain a full inventory of what a particular property has to offer the vacationer and most of those listings contain several photographs, including interior and exterior photos.

Many vacation home rentals can be found near the center of major tourist areas, such as Disney World in Florida, or near beaches - perhaps even on the beachfront - in many coastal states. Other vacation rental homes are located out in the boondocks, such as in the wooded and mountainous regions of Arkansas, Colorado or Tennessee.

For instance, there is the 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath, lakeside, log home at Presque Isle, Wisconsin, located on the shores of Presque Isle Lake, an hours' drive south of Lake Superior. The property is a rustic wilderness stone and log cabin on top of a ridge, with sleeping space for up to 14 people. Overlooking the 1500-acre, crystal clear waters of Presque Isle Lake in the North Woods, this log cabin receives guest's year-around. During the summer, many families enjoy the swimming off of the cabin's lakeside dock, and anglers enjoy an ample supply of trophy Muskie, Walleye and Bass from the dock and by boat.

Let's say you are thinking about taking the family to Breckenridge, Colorado for a week of skiing or snowboarding fun. A short search on the Internet will give you a sizable list of resorts or hotels to choose from. They have nice rooms, food service, probably a pool, and transit service to the slopes. But what is available in a vacation rental?

There are more than two-dozen vacation homes available in Breckenridge, Colorado. You can access descriptions and photographs of many of these homes. Facilities range from units that sleep 6 to exclusive townhouses that provide sleeping quarters for up to 22 people. Rates start at $70 per day to $20,000 per week. That would seem palatial to me. I wonder if the rates are negotiable?

Finding exactly the right-sized home, with the desired amenities, for the price you are willing to pay will take some searching. You should really take the time to decide what kind of a place you really want, the amenities, and how many people will be going with you, before you start going though lists. Of course, some people go to Breckenridge in the summer, rather than during the winter for the ski season, and rentals are available, even during the off-season.

With a vacation rental you get more space and special amenities compared with a conventional hotel, motel or resort. The cost per square foot is usually less, but the amount of space is usually more. You have more privacy, but you will probably have to do your own cooking and wash your own dishes. As with everything else, you have to decide how you want to spend you time and your money - what do you value and how much is it worth to you?

Picking and booking the right vacation home may require some time, but it is also time well spent with people you love. Compared to the hotel experience, a vacation home rental is an excellent option that you should consider for your next vacation. It might create that perfect memory you have been looking to achieve for your family.

Suppose, instead of Breckenridge and skiing, you are interested in a week at the beach, a weekend in the woods, or a week following your favorite NASCAR event. On January 20th, 2008, it is estimated that four million people will be in Washington D.C. for the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. Hotels were sold out weeks ago... but there are still plenty of vacation rentals in the greater D.C. metropolitan area, looking for renters. Some people are even renting their homes to visitors coming in for the inauguration and taking the opportunity to visit grandma, while someone else is renting their home.

About the Author:
Jeb Maxwell got involved in vacation rental homes by accident, when he bought a new house, but was unable to sell his old house. While facing two house payments, Jeb heard about the vacation rentals by owner and realized that vacationers would be happy to rent his home for a week or weekend. Locate vacation rentals or bed and breakfasts, organized by city and state at: http://www.findvacationrentals.com/ For more travel advice, visit: http://travel-the-world-online.blogspot.com/

Hopefully President Obama Will Break A Few Campaign Promises

2008-12-11T12:45:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Arlo Mooney

Although I did not vote for President Barack Obama, I wish him well and I hope that he is as successful as President Bill Clinton. If Obama governs as a centrist as Bill Clinton did, he should not have any problem getting a second term. But if he chooses to govern to the left, he will have a troublesome and short four years as Jimmy Carter once had.

Why John McCain Failed...

John McCain failed in his quest for the presidency for a number of reasons, but primarily because he could not or would not explain the underlying problems with Obama's economic policies.

Perhaps he could not explain the problems of Obama's campaign promises regarding the economy, because he did not understand them himself. Perhaps the problems simply could not be explained in a sound bite.

But I believe that John McCain failed in his quest for the White House, because he would not accept advice from the faithful who were not part of his internal campaign team. Perhaps his people shielded him from outside input.

My wife says that the McCain team probably thought of me as a stalker in the wild. I had sent explanations of the problems of Obama's economic plans several times, but it would seem that my help never escaped the email box. ;-)

Great presidents of years past were great because they surrounded themselves with really smart people. The measure of a great president - be it Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt and others - can be succinctly described by their ability to find and get people who best understood the needs of the nation and how to solve those problems faced by average Americans.

In the end, the American people were worried about the economy, and yet, John McCain could not show us why his approach to the economy would be better than Barack Obamas. That is why he lost his bid for the White House.

What Is In It For Me?

Barack Obama understood something else that John McCain seemingly could not. President-elect Obama understood that people vote on the premise of what is in the deal for them.

A tax cut for 95% of Americans and a tax increase for the richest Americans is something that resonated for many people.

So long as the tax payer thinks that they will gain more than they lose, they are frequently happy to hear promises of this type.

This is where the McCain campaign failed to understand the marketing of a politician. Jumping up and screaming about how the 42% who do not pay taxes now will receive a check from Obama, as if that were a bad thing, alienated the 42% who do not pay taxes. To argue that this was the equivalent of "welfare" was to stomp on the hopes and dreams of 42% of the electorate.

To have told the story to the American people in a way that could have swayed the electorate to McCain would have been to explain the underlying economy of Obama's plan. But John McCain could not or would not do so.

The rich voted on principles different than the economy, because the rich understand what I am getting ready to show you now.

Shifting The Tax Burden To Business

Under the basic structure of Obama's tax plan, he is going to eliminate most taxes paid by those who work for a living. On the surface, that seems like an awesome plan. Even I would benefit from lower taxes under Obama's plans.

But here is the problem...

The Republicans utterly failed to tell us this story, so that most of us could understand the fallacy of this plan.

Higher taxes for business will not eliminate jobs directly, as described by the Republican brand! As a business owner, I have a hand's on understanding of this scenario.

Businesses will do what is possible to bring the same amount of after-tax profits they have seen previously. Especially when the business is a sole proprietorship like mine, our profits become our incomes. So, if I need $70,000 per year to sustain my lifestyle, I will find ways to increase my business back to the level I need to be at to sustain my standard of living.

Taxing my profits only ensures that I must earn more money, so that I can maintain my standard of living. Laying off people is not an acceptable option, because fewer staff will ensure a shrinking ability to earn the money I need to keep my standard of living.

Since I am not willing to lower my standard of living and laying off people is not an option, I will have to find other ways to make the difference. The only way that I am going to be able to maintain my business is to increase my prices. And so long as the consumer feels that my products and services are necessities in their lives, my customers will pay the higher prices.

How This Affects You...

The bakery company will not cut its profits or lay off people; instead, it will increase the price of a loaf of bread.

The lumber store will not cut its profits or lay off people; instead, it will increase the cost of lumber.

The oil companies will not reduce its profits or lay off people; instead it will increase the cost of gasoline.

All in all, the prices of all products and services will increase to reflect the new tax environment.

As prices eventually increased to reflect higher fuel prices during the summer of 2008, so will all prices increase to reflect higher business taxes and the increasing prices of all raw materials, due to higher business taxes. Increasing prices for any reason will increase the rate of inflation for everything in the United States.

Amazingly, the 42% who did not pay taxes under George Bush will now be paying the new taxes on everything they buy. And you will pay those taxes, because you cannot stop eating or buying goods and services.

Whereas 42% of Americans do not pay taxes now, all Americans will soon be paying for Obama's "new taxes on the rich".

Maybe that check that Obama will send the 42% who do not pay taxes now will offset the increase in the cost of living - maybe it will not.

Will Obama's Economic Policies Reflect A Net-Gain Or A Net-Loss?

If the tax cut for the middle-income and the checks for the lower-income families are greater than the increased cost of goods and services, then this plan will be a net-gain for all middle- and lower-income families home finances.

If the tax cut fails to add enough money to the budgets of families to offset the increased cost of goods and services, then the American people's personal finances will experience a net-loss.

It is all about standard of living. Will you in four years have a better standard of living under Obama's tax cuts? Or, will you find that the increased cost of products and services have eaten away the benefit that you received from Obama under his tax cut for 95% of American taxpayers?

In Conclusion...

I am not very optimistic about middle- to lower-income families finding a net-gain under Obama's tax plans... But, I hope that I am wrong.

Many pundits suggest that Barack Obama will not be able to keep all of his campaign promises, and it is still my hope that in four years we will be able to look back to see that Obama's tax plan was one of the promises that Obama did not keep.

About the Author:
Arlo Mooney has dedicated himself to helping people properly manage their personal finances, by helping them to understand the gravity of their personal financial decisions. With his background in economics, he strives to help people understand complex economic principles, by explaining conditions in ways that few people have the patience or skill to do. Read more of Arlos' thoughts at: http://cash-advance-payday-loans.org/blog

Vacation Home Swaps - Are They Right For You?

2008-12-07T06:18:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Jeb Maxwell

Many people have discovered the option of the vacation rental of homes or condos as an interesting alternative to the conventional idea of renting a room or suite at a hotel, motel or resort. When you opt for a vacation rental, you frequently get more space than what you would by renting a room, more privacy, and to "make the space your own" for a brief time.

One variation on this theme was the basis of the recent movie, "The Holiday", staring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. Cameron is a "full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes" producer of blockbuster film trailers who just broke up with her boyfriend. Kate is a shy reporter living in Surrey County, England, who writes a society column about weddings and finds her boyfriend got engaged to another girl at the London newspaper where three worked. Cameron want to get out of LA, Kate wants to go anywhere at all, so long as it was far from London. The Internet brings them together and they exchange houses for two weeks.

As with regular vacation rental deals, there are many websites which list exactly this kind of opportunity. Of course, you have to have a home to exchange, and no one can promise you will meet the love of your life while living in the exchange housing, but it is an really interesting opportunity to do something really different on your next vacation. Sometimes people also exchange cars as part of the deal.

Depending on where you shop for home exchanges for your next vacation, you can find swaps available in most any location around the world - one home exchange website has homes listed from as many as 75 countries. Many homes are offered the U.S., plus Mexico and the Caribbean. These kinds of exchanges are a bit different from a vacation rental, because there are normally done on at "no cost to either party" basis - you get free use of someone's house in exchange for giving them free use of your own house. In order to view detailed information about available homes, you will need to become a member of the home exchange network and post your house for exchange.

Arranging this kind of vacation swap is a lot tricker than just renting, because both parties have to want to go to the other location, at the same time, and for the same duration. And, you also have to be convinced that you want to live in their house while they have to want to live in yours.

In the movie, the LA site was a big, lavish, high tech California home while the Suffolk site was a remote, quaint, old English cottage. But the situation fit the needs of both parties. So it must be with you to make an exchange work successfully.

Home exchange services have been available since at least the early 1950's, so this is not something brought to the world by the invention of the Internet. Home exchange programs typically only show potential homes to registered members, who have filled out the requisite information requested by the home exchange program. This is done in part to enable the home exchange service to collect your information and to share it with others, but frequently, the information is also gathered to protect both parties from potential damages, brought by irresponsible home swappers. Detailed home information and pictures also kept only behind a membership website, in order to prevent criminals from browsing the home information anonymously.

Some websites also allow the listing of campers, RV's or yachts. Do you have a yacht in the harbor at Miami, but where you really want to be is Bora-Bora? You might find a ship's captain anchored in Bora-Bora who desires to swap boats for a week or four.

Exchanges of his kind are usually for at least one week, but may be for longer - maybe a month, maybe a year, whatever both parties can agree to do. This kind of arrangement really is based on the principal that both parties are willing to trust the other with their home, and are willing to take good care of the other's house and property. There are some good people in this world, and that's the kind of people that the home exchange websites are hoping to bring together.

The process of such an arrangement first involves searching listings until you find a location you are interested in visiting, where there is another person who is interested in coming to where your house resides (That is unless you are working on that RV or yacht option). Next you establish a dialog with the owner about the exchange. Cameron Diaz was able to conclude her first home exchange arrangement via the Internet, in a matter of minutes the night before she boarded a plane for London. That kind of thing may happen in movies, but you should expect that it will take a lot longer to arrange your own home exchange vacation.

A homeowner may have restrictions regarding the use of their home. Perhaps they allow smoking, perhaps not. They may accept children or pets, they may not. These are all details that the parties have to work out with one another. You also need to think about information your house guest might need in the case of emergencies (plumber, electrician, etc.) or you might want to suggest the name of a babysitter if your guests include smaller size persons in their vacation party.

Other issues you need to consider are the terms of your homeowners insurance, automobile insurance, yacht insurance, etc., depending on the scope and nature of the arrangement. You don't want to find out your insurance became void because you let someone else live in your house. You should also ask appropriate questions about the same issues with you living in the other house, just in case something unforeseen happens.

A house exchange could be a very interesting adventure. You probably won't meet Cameron Diaz or Kate Winslet, but you might have a very good time.

Vacation home exchanges are an idea that many people will consider an excellent option to renting a hotel room in a distant city, but if the home exchange concept is a little risque for you, then consider visiting the website shown below, where we provide listings to vacation home "rentals" around the country and around the world.

About the Author:
Jeb Maxwell got involved in vacation rental homes by accident, when he bought a new house, but was unable to sell his old house. While facing two house payments, Jeb heard about the vacation homes for rent by owner and realized that vacationers would be happy to rent his home for a week or weekend. Locate vacation rentals, organized by city and state at: http://www.findvacationrentals.com/ Jeb's articles also appear at: http://kerrisfaves.blogspot.com/

Charlotte, North Carolina: Natural Beauty Nearly Year Around

2008-12-05T11:27:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Chuck Saddler

The largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte is the largest metropolitan city on the eastern seaboard between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jacksonville, Florida. Nicknamed the Queen City, Charlotte has a population of nearly 675,000 people. The greater Charlotte metropolitan area has an estimated population of 1,675,495 and its wider thirteen-county labor market region or "combined statistical area" has an estimated population of 2,491,650.

National Recognition As A Great Place To Live And Visit

In 2008, Charlotte, NC received recognition from three nationally recognized sources, based on factors including employment opportunities, crime rates, and housing affordability. First, the website Relocate-America.com named Charlotte as the "Best Place to Live in America". Second, CNNmoney.com ranked Charlotte as #8 of the 100 "Best Places to Live" in the United States. And third, Forbes named Charlotte as the third most undervalued real estate markets in the U.S. Simply put, according to the experts, Charlotte North Carolina is one of the most affordable and attractive places to live in the United States.

This kind of recognition also bodes well for the traveling public. Lower real estate prices always tend to ensure lower retail prices as well. Low crime is also a very attractive trait for any location looking to attract tourism dollars.

Prevention Magazine also named Charlotte as the best "Walking City" in North Carolina (4th in the nation in 2007), and Self Magazine named it one of its "Five Cities with Big Outdoor Appeal". The natural beauty of the Charlotte area is legendary, and its beauty adds to the quality of life value that the Queen City delivers residents and visitors.

Lower real estate prices, a lower cost of living, low crime rates, and the high quality of life were all contributing factors to the underlying economy of the Queen City. Both Bank of America and Wachovia have located their company headquarters in Charlotte. Other major brands, including Lowe's, are headquartered in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area.

Charlotte Has Escaped The Worst Of The Recession Pains

While the rest of the country struggles under the weight of the current recession, fueled by high foreclosure rates and hard-to-acquire bank financing, Charlotte is not feeling the same pain. There are four strong pockets around the country that seem to have escaped the credit crunch - Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and a few localities in California. These four areas have escaped the credit crunch it seems, because the lenders in those areas did not succumb to the temptation to offer the NINJA loans (No income, no job, no assets) that led to the high loan default rates felt in the rest of the country.

In fact, as the Big Three automakers have been hurt tremendously by the banking industry's inability or unwillingness to loan money for car loans. As I write this, the Big Three automakers - Ford, GM and Chrysler - are in Washington, D.C. with hats in hand, trying to get a taxpayer funded bailout from lawmakers.

Banks in other parts of the country have so many bad loans on their books that they are holding tight to their purse strings, but in these four pockets of prosperity, banks are still eager to loan money. Even in my Oklahoma hometown, local banks are advertising daily that they are STILL loaning money for new cars, encouraging people to come and borrow.

With undervalued real estate, a strong corporate employment base, and available credit, Charlotte's economy continues to expand, while the rest of the country is in recession. If you are looking to move to a city with lots of employers hiring, Charlotte is one of the strongest cities in the country right now in the employment sector.

For the traveler, the strong local economy means that tourist attractions may not be starving for money, in the same way attractions elsewhere might be, but that also means that the places you desire to visit will more likely be open for business, with adequate enough staff to treat you the way you want to be treated on vacation.

For those who like to shop, there are seven shopping malls in the Charlotte metro area.

The Sporting Life

While not a major metropolitan area with numerous professional ball clubs, Charlotte is not a slacker either.

Charlotte has a NFL football team - the Carolina Panthers, and a NBA basketball team - the Charlotte Bobcats.

Charlotte also has an indoor football league team - the Carolina Speed. The Eagles is the name of its mens and ladies soccer teams. Its ice hockey team is the Charlotte Checkers. Its International League baseball team is the Charlotte Knights. Charlotte even has a rugby team and a ladies flat track roller derby squad.

Golf is played nearly year-round in the area, due to the areas' mild autumn and spring seasons. With nearly 20 golf courses in the area, there is plenty of choice and diversity for the golfer to test his or her skills.

If you are a NASCAR fan, you may already realize that the Lowe's Motor Speedway is located just 21 miles to the northeast in Concord, NC. This race track features nearly non-stop events, including NASCAR's All-Star race and the Coca-Cola 600, concerts and other special events. Also featured at the speedway is the occasional opportunity to drive around the track or attend racing school.

Transportation On The Ground

The Queen City is rightfully proud of its transportation network, which includes the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). CATS operates light rail transit, historical trolleys, express shuttles, and bus service throughout Charlotte and its immediate suburbs.

The Interstate Highway system feeds into Charlotte through I-85 and I-77. I-485, which is slated to be Charlotte's external loop, remains under construction, but when it is completed, it will stretch for 67 miles around Charlotte, connecting its many suburbs. The I-277 loop freeway encircles Charlotte's downtown. Charlotte's mid-loop is Route 4, which links major roads in a loop between I-277 and I-485.

Charlotte/Douglas International Airport is the 30th busiest airport in the world, bringing visitors from around the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Even Amtrak brings visitors into the Charlotte area from distant U.S. cities. Be advised, if you arrive by Amtrak train, you will be safe as long as you are in the train station itself. But it is strongly recommended that you should arrange for transportation to your hotel. It is recommended that you not try to walk to your destination from the train station, as the neighborhood surrounding the train station is not very safe.

Museums

Numerous museums and historic sites can be found throughout Charlotte, especially in and near the Uptown district. In the works is a new "museum district", which will be found on the southern edge of the district. Also under development, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is being constructed near the Convention Center.

Currently operating museums include:

The Mint Museum of Art - Its permanent collection is short on real substance, but it regularly hosts high-quality traveling exhibits from around the world. Its primary objects are American art and ceramics, colonial/pre-colonial art, costumes and other decorative art from many countries.

Discovery Place is one of the nation's most acclaimed children's museums, featuring natural science and technology exhibits.

Levine Museum of the New South - Southern culture and history.

James K Polk Historic Site - Tours and information about the home of U.S. President James K. Polk.

Carolinas Aviation Museum (near the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport) - Offers historic and restored airplanes, air shows and a research library (by appointment only). It is recommended that if you should want to meet the people working on restoring the airplanes, one should visit on a Tuesday or Thursday. Since 9-11, it is hard to find an airport anywhere in the country where you can get close enough to the airport to view takeoffs and landings, but Charlotte remains one of the best airports in the country to see planes taking off and landing, with a good view.

Schiele Museum of Natural History - Includes a planetarium, an aviary, and many special events and exhibits. This museum is located 24 miles to the west in Gastonia.

Other Charlotte Area Attractions

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden - Located just 15 miles to the west in Belmont, the natural beauty and serenity of the gardens make it a favorite destination for romantic day trips and family outings. Guided tours are offered.

The Reed Gold Mine is located 25 miles to the northeast of Charlotte in the town of Cabarrus, NC, which is just five miles further than Lowe's Motor Speedway located in Concord, NC. The Reed Gold mine was the first gold mine built in the United States, and today, visitors can pan for gold at the mine. This attraction is very kid-friendly, educational, and lots of fun for children and adults. Depending on traffic, this location can be up to a 45-minute drive from Charlotte proper.

The Paramount Carowinds Theme Park is 13 miles south of Charlotte at the South Carolina state line. Carowinds is a large theme park with its focus on movies and the movie industry. The park features many roller coasters, including Top Gun, The Hurler, and the beloved Thunder Road. The park also features of large variety of other rides and entertainment. Locals generally recommend that you eat before going to the park - because the concessions are pretty expensive, and to bring plenty of sunscreen.

An hour to the northeast of Charlotte is Asheboro, NC, which is home to the North Carolina Zoo.

Located an hour to the west near Asheville, the Chimney Rock Park is recognized around the world as a prime tourism spot in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appalachian chain. Chimney Rock is one of the region's most visited parks, featuring a wealth of unusual rock formations and waterfalls.

A Great Place To Visit And Live

Charlotte, North Carolina is an ideal place to visit, even if you want to stay for a while.

The natural beauty of this region makes it a favorite destination for people looking for a nice family vacation. And as is so often the case, people who visit the area are drawn back to it again and again, sometimes to stay for good.

If you are looking to move into an area that has great natural beauty, a rich and diverse cultural experience, and holds great hope for a prosperous tomorrow, then you really should consider the Charlotte area for yourself.

Note: This article in its original format, with attraction links intact, can be found at the author's website: http://www.americantravelideas.com/blog/2008/12/charlotte-north-carolina/

About the Author:
As a writer for http://www.AmericanTravelIdeas.com/blog/ Chuck Saddler shares detailed travel information about American cities and attractions, providing links to important online resources. American Travel Ideas is also now accepting "city travel guide" submissions from the public: http://www.americantravelideas.com/blog/submit-your-citys-story/ If you are looking for Charlotte homes, let Charlotte's Exclusive Buyer Agents help you find a home in Charlotte, North Carolina.

American Travel Ideas: Amtrak Will Take You Most Anywhere

2008-11-30T22:09:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Chuck Saddler

When I was a child in the 1970's, my grandmother heard that Amtrak was coming to an end in our part of the country. So, she arranged with my parents to take us kids on a train ride one last time, before the end of an era. Fortunately, we were able to ride the train twice before the service ended in the Great Plains of the United States.

On our first trip, we rode the train an hour-and-a-half to Oklahoma City. On our second trip, we traveled much further, riding all the way to Fort Worth Texas. And then the Amtrak service ended its run from Chicago, Illinois to San Antonio, Texas. That was in the early 1970's, when I was about eight-years-old.

In the 1970's, Congress decided that in the era of air travel that the citizenry of the United States would not ride the train anymore. But in 1999, Amtrak brought its service back to Oklahoma. Now, if we are willing to change trains in our route, we can catch a train out of Oklahoma City and reach nearly every area of the nation in less than a day.

Traveling With Young Children

Given the challenges of arriving two hours early at the airport, toting young children through security, and keeping children calm during a long flight, a train ride may be much more attractive for most parents. With my children, we will not even consider flying with the kids, but we have taken the train to San Antonio to visit family.

With comfortable seating, great views of the Oklahoma and Texas countryside, and a dining car available to us, the twelve-hour ride to San Antonio and back again even beat putting the kids in the car for the long trip.

Don't get me wrong - if it were only my wife and myself, I would enjoy the long drive. But with three young children in tow, I would not consider making such a trip with the kids again. The last time we drove, we only had two kids, and that was very painful and frustrating, as the kids needed to get out and run about every hour. What is normally a 13-hour drive by car took two days and a hotel-overnight, when we took the kids with us for the trip.

Most Any Destination In The Country Is Served

When you visit the Amtrak.com website, you should click the tab at top labeled, "Routes". Once on that page, you should click the link for the "Interactive Route Atlas". Upon doing so, you will notice that Amtrak routes run through 47 of the 50 states in the United States. The only states not served by at least one stop are: Hawaii, Alaska and South Dakota.

No matter where you live or where you want to travel, you will find that the Amtrak service can get you pretty close to your intended destination. When we rode to San Antonio, we rented a car that helped us travel the last ten miles to our final destination.

The Amtrak website offers an interactive scheduling tool, to help you to find the right train to carry you to your target destination. It can also offer you an accurate tool to help you to determine the real costs of your journey.

Compared To Airfare

In the next couple months, I need to make a solo trip to Chicago, Illinois, so if I decide to Amtrak to Chicago, I can do a full round trip from Oklahoma City to Chicago for just about $263. The same trip will cost me anywhere from $271 to $490 by air, depending on which airline I get my tickets.

Cash-wise, Amtrak offers the better deal. Time-wise, I gain a little bit of time by using an airplane. The train ride will take 15 hours. The airplane ride will be five hours, but I need to buffer that by arriving at the airport at least two hours early, so my airplane commitment will be 7-8 hours.

If I were taking my kids with me to Chicago, Amtrak would be my only consideration. However, since my future travel plans are related to business, I might opt to fly, but I doubt it.

Fun For The Whole Family

Not only is a train ride less stressful than an airplane ride, on small children; it is also less stressful on parents who are tending to the children. But beyond the stress factor, a train ride can be fun for everyone in the family, since more than one of you will be able to see out the windows on the train.

I have to be honest. When I took my children on the Amtrak to San Antonio, not only did they have fun, but also I found the trip as exciting as I did when I was eight-years-old.

About the Author:
Chuck Saddler has traveled America most of his life. As a writer, he has decided to share with his audience another a different view of the places and attractions he has visited and might like to visit in the future. With three young children, Chuck's view of travel has changed to reflect how to enjoy his travels with three young children in tow. Read more of Chuck's American Travel Ideas on the website: http://www.americantravelideas.com/blog

Chuck's newest article can be read here.

Riverboat Cruises And Vacations For Families And Couples

2008-11-30T07:45:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Chuck Saddler

In the early 1800's, the Mississippi River was conquered through the use of steamboats, also called Sternwheelers. Before the steam-powered riverboat, flatboats were the transportation of choice for navigating the Mississippi River, but a journey from St. Louis, Missouri to New Orleans, Louisiana could take several months to complete. The greatest shortcoming of the flatboat was that it could only travel downstream, but not upstream.

With the introduction of steamboats to the Mississippi River, shippers were finally able to move cargo and people upstream, without the use of horses. Most flatboats - called "boats that never came back" - were used to transport cargo and people downstream, then the boats were disassembled and carried by wagon upstream for reassembly and another trip.

The first steamboat to be operated as a commercial success in North America started taking passengers in 1807, carrying its customers from New York City to Albany, New York. It was called the North River Steamboat, and it was able to make the 150-mile journey in 32 hours. Although it was not the first steamboat to ply the waters of North America, it was the first to carry passengers and to do so at a profit.

The North and the South used riverboats extensively during the U.S. Civil War. The dozens of steamboats that are known to have operated on the waterways of North America during the Civil War are detailed quite nicely on this website: http://www.riverboatdaves.com/riverboats/cwar.html

Riverboat Cruises Available Around The United States

The era of steamboats that most people think about is the paddle-wheel steamboats of the Mississippi in the 1800's, but the modern age offers a wide variety of riverboat cruises around the U.S. and around the world.

Just in the United States, one can find riverboat cruises available on the following waterways:

Charles River and Boston Harbor

Chena and Tanana rivers (Alaska)

Colorado River

Columbia River

Hudson River

Mississippi River

Missouri River

Ohio River

Potomac River

Sacramento River

Saguenay River

Savannah River

St. Lawrence Seaway

Tennessee River

The Great Lakes

Although this list is extensive, it is by far not complete. It has been suggested that many rivers that branch from the primary waterways, including the Mississippi River and the Ohio River, frequently offer steamboat cruises as well.

Steamboat Cruises For Adults

Riverboats bring an advantage to some localities in that they can help cruise operators bypass gambling regulations. For example, gambling is not legal in the state of Florida, but steamboat ships can carry passengers into international waters to let the gambling commence. Massachusetts is another state that allows riverboats to only permit gambling in international waters.

According to Riverboat Casinos (http://www.riverboatcasinos.com/), there are 12 states that currently permit riverboat casinos in the United States. For all intent purposes, some of these riverboat casinos are docked so close to state borders as to ensure they are in easy reach of other state residents. For example, for the boats that operate out of St. Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri, are within an hour's drive of the states of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. The same applies to riverboats docked in Biloxi, Mississippi, an hour's drive from Mobile, Alabama.

The laws governing riverboat casinos varies widely from state-to-state. For example:

Iowa was the first state in the nation to legalize gaming on the riverboats in 1991, so long as the boat was in the water.

Illinois was the second state in the Union to legalize riverboat gambling.

States that permit riverboats to cruise three miles into international waters to gamble include: Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and South Carolina.

Michigan's only gaming boat is docked in Ontario, Canada, but many locals consider the area to be part of Detroit.

Indiana, Louisiana and Texas offer riverboat gaming as well.

Mississippi and Missouri offer gambling dockside, but Missouri has rules in place to ensure that its players do not lose more than $500 every two hours.

The Riverboat Casinos website offers a directory of the riverboat gaming available around the country, if you are interested in such things.

Final Thoughts

I wish I could point you to one location on the Internet that documents all of the riverboat cruises available to couples and families, but I was not able to uncover such a beast.

There are plenty of directories for riverboat gaming, such as the one described in this article, and I was able to uncover several regional directories for regular cruises the family could take, but there is no one-stop shop that I was able to uncover to help you to find family-friendly cruises.

If you seek to find a family-friendly riverboat cruise, start by adding your state to the search query at your favorite search engine. You will find that it is fairly easy to find riverboat cruises available close to where you live or your vacation destination.

About the Author:
Chuck Saddler has traveled America most of his life. As a writer, he has decided to share with his audience another a different view of the places and attractions he has visited and might like to visit in the future. With three young children, Chuck's view of travel has changed to reflect how to enjoy his travels with three young children in tow. Read more of Chuck's American Travel Ideas on the website: http://www.americantravelideas.com/blog

The Effect of Hotel Vacancy/Occupancy Rates on Your Travel Dollar

2008-11-29T05:09:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Anson Werner

When times are tough, many people wonder how and if they will be able to take a family vacation. I know that because my wife and I had the same conversation just recently. But given my knack for uncovering travel deals, I was able to show my wife a way that we could take advantage of the hard times in the economy right now, to get a lot more fun for much less money.

How To Stretch Your Travel Dollars, By Paying Less For Hotel Rooms

In economic boom times, hotels typically have 95%-98% occupancy rates. When hotels are running at such capacity, the hotel's management is fat and happy with profits.

But in recessionary periods like we are experiencing right now, hotels find occupancy rates running at 60%-65%, making it hard for the hotel's management to make ends meet.

Hotels make money when they can fill their rooms, with paying customers. When running at 95%-98% occupancy rates, filling those final rooms are pure gravy on the hotel's bottom line. With high occupancy rates, hotels tend to hold empty rooms for people desperate for a room, enabling the hotel to maximize its profits.

But when occupancy rates are low, hotel managers are desperate for customers instead of customers being desperate for a room. Herein lies the secret to getting more bang for your travel dollars.

Full rooms are a sellers' market, and empty rooms create a buyers' market. When in a buyers' market, the buyer has a lot of control over the final price the customer will pay.

If you go to the front desk of the hotel and demonstrate to the satisfaction of the hotel proprietor that you may be willing to walk out the front door of the hotel and shop for another room, then you will have strengthened your hand for negotiating a better price for a room. My experience has been that many hotel proprietors believe that if you are standing in their lobby that you are more inclined to buy from them, rather than to go down the street, so the proprietor will hold more firm on his or her price. However, if you are willing to call the hotel on the phone - even from the hotel's parking lot - you will find that you have a lot more leverage to get a better deal.

The simple truth is that if hotels are struggling to fill rooms, hotel proprietors are more often willing to negotiate a better rate for their rooms, with any person willing to ask. So ask.

Not every hotel proprietor will be willing to reduce the price of a room, but frequently, proprietors who reject a lower price will offer extra amenities to sweeten the deal. So ask for the better price to see what you can get.

You have nothing to lose by asking, and you could very well negotiate a much better deal if you would only be willing to ask for a better deal. So speak up, and see if you can find a better deal than the advertised price for that room.

About the Author:
As a travel hound, Anson Werner searches for incredible travel deals and tricks to help him save money and stretch his limited travel dollars. Recent finds include a 3-day/2-night vacation for two in Las Vegas for $49, and a trick for getting a free cruise for his family. Friends and family are always asking about his new finds, so he has decided to share his knowledge and discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/ Anson's work also appears at: http://travel-and-destinations.blogspot.com

Recession Travel Opportunities: Part Two - Vacation Destinations By Airplane

2008-11-24T19:27:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Anson Werner

Difficult financial times force people to worry about family finances, often forcing individuals to decide against and forgo family vacations. The fear of tomorrow is understandable, but many of us have saved money for more than a year, in hopes of taking our next vacation. During a recession, many of your neighbors are thinking just as you are - hording money and saving for that rainy day that might come next week, next month, or never.

Now here is the key to why you might want to consider recession travel. Your neighbors are worried about the future, same as you are. Your friends are worried about the future. Your neighbors' friends are worried about the future. It is said that the average person knows 300 people, and that each of those people know 300 different people. 300 times 300 equals 90,000. Through the people you know and the people they know, there are 90,000 people worried about the future. So people are not traveling - instead, people are staying at home and sheltering their savings.

During good times, hotels enjoy 95%-98% occupancy rates. During the current recession, many hotels are struggling to stay afloat with 60%-65% occupancy rates. Airline companies face the same types of challenges. So long as hotels are struggling to keep renters in their rooms, travel bargains will be available to all comers who understand how to find those bargains.

In this article, we will show you how to acquire those bargain travel deals, when traveling requires an airplane ride to reach your vacation destination. In part one of this series, we examined how to find travel bargains, when your travel desires let you reach your desired destination by way of car. You can read part one of this series at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/2008/11/19/recession-travel-by-car/

Tis The Season

The calendar dictates prices at major tourist destinations. Just as we have always known that gasoline prices are higher at the pump during summer months, other prices are also dictated by consumer demand.

Most amusement parks remain open only during those summer months, defined as Memorial Day to Labor Day - dictated primarily by local school "summer breaks".

Ski resorts charge the highest rates, when they can be certain that there will be snow on the ground (December to mid-March).

During the off-season, most people only take short weekend vacations, which ensures that prices will always be higher between Friday evening and Sunday night, for air travel and hotel rooms at prime travel destinations.

Certain yearly events will dictate higher prices on event weeks or weekends, such as NASCAR races, baseball, basketball, and football playoffs and championships, and college rivalry games.

During high-demand dates, hotel and airfare can be quite expensive. What most people fail to realize is that by scheduling a trip even a single day out of season, then the prices can fall by as much as 50%. For example:

Those amusement parks who open early or stay late tend to offer lower prices during the pre- or post-summer season.

Let your kids miss a few days of school in the middle of September or in early May, and you can get a family vacation that will permit you to get the same value for half the money. One year, I pulled my kids out of school for a Thursday and Friday, so that we could take a four-day vacation, on a tight budget, during early March. South Texas two weeks before Spring Break offered a lot of value at much lower prices.

Pick a ski resort that has its own snow making machines, and schedule a ski trip before December or after the middle of March to save money.

Instead of taking a weekend to visit Las Vegas, schedule a stay to run from Monday to Thursday.

Arrive at a NASCAR race city, on the Tuesday following the race.

Going To Disney With The Kids?

Wal-Mart and other Main Street American stores sell Disney t-shirts and gifts, for much less money than Disney sells them at their parks. Buy the t-shirt before you go, and give it to your kids after you get to the park.

The largest amount of discretionary money spent on vacation will be the knick-knacks, collectibles and gifts purchased at your destination. It does not matter whether you are heading to Disney, Chicago, New York City or the mountains of New Mexico. If Wal-Mart does not have the gifts you are seeking, you can buy most anything on the Internet. You can save a lot of money by buying your gifts before you leave.

Travel Light And Travel Smart

In 2008, airlines started charging extra fees for extra bags. Even if traveling by car, less weight and fewer items will make your trip less expensive and more fun. My wife and I simply took too many bags on our honeymoon. We took a number of heavy books with us, to ensure we had something to read on our journeys, but we only cracked open two of those books the entire week.

Plan Ahead To Avoid Additional Transportation Costs

Wherever you land, one of the most costly expenses you may face will be a taxicab. But, you have to find a way from the airport to your hotel, don't you?

When you schedule your hotel, it is wise to ask whether the hotel offers transportation to and from the airport. Many do, and if they do, you can save a lot of money by avoiding the taxicab costs.

Even if your hotel does not offer transportation to and from the airport, there are frequently airport buses running between the airport and several nearby hotels. Buses tend to be a lot cheaper than cabs.

Even if you are spending time in Las Vegas, the city provides a bus service to carry patrons the full distance of the Las Vegas Strip. With buses running about every thirty minutes, if you can take the time to wait for the next bus, it is considerably cheaper than a taxi.

Get Out The Calculator And Compare Offers

Hotels, casinos, and airlines have lots of people who work in marketing, whose only job is to figure out how to get new customers. Towards that end, many specials are created to attract new customers to the business. But, you really need to put all special offers to the test. Get out your calculator to see how special that "special" really is.

Put the pen to paper and calculate exactly how much those "specials" are really going to cost. The difference between discount-offers and specials offered at various travel destinations, even different offers at the same destination and the same business, could cost as much as several hundred dollars different. Get the facts, and make a good shopping decision.

The Economy of Finances On Foreign Soil

As you may already know, different banks charge different fees to use Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). But what you may not know is that when you use your Debit Card overseas, ATM fees can be very high, since those debit cards are pulling information from foreign banks. However, few people actually realize that one can obtain no-fee ATM cards for overseas travel. When you travel overseas, it is usually those simple things that can save you the most money.

In previous years, travel to Europe was very attractive for Americans due to the strong dollar against the Euro. These days, the U.S. Dollar has been weakened against the Euro, making travel to Europe more expensive for Americans. While America is in the throws of a new recession, and the news constantly reminds us about the weakness of the dollar overseas, it is easy to assume that we don't have any real buying power in foreign countries. But there is good news on this front that few have shared.

The U.S. Dollar might be weak against the Euro, but there are several European countries that do not participate in the Euro monetary system. Of those countries, four of them have currency that is still weaker than the dollar: Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. As a result, these four countries still present Americans with real value for their money. Other countries where the dollar is still strong include: Argentina, Jamaica, Barbados and Jordan.

Emailed Special Offers

There are several companies that offer special travel deals to their subscribers, through an email alert system or an email newsletter. Some of the best deals in travel can be acquired through these mailing lists, if you are willing to keep your options open and to keep an eye for a great deal.

Many of the deals that the newsletters offer are limited time offers, available only to a few people. Once the offer is sold out, then it is gone, until the next travel offer comes along. Rather than to try to document all of the mailing lists here, I have provided links to the travel mailing lists here: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/email-travel-offers/

Getting The Best Prices On Air Travel

I could actually build an entire article on this subject alone, but I am going to summarize the top two tips here:

You should never buy air travel tickets directly from the airline company. They sell all tickets at full price and offer the same tickets at substantial discounts to travel companies. Take advantage of this loophole in the airline companies' standard operating procedure.

Travel agencies frequently recommend a two-leg airplane route, because it is frequently cheaper to fly into a specific city from only one or two cities. Sometimes a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah and then to Las Vegas, Nevada is cheaper than a direct flight to Las Vegas. Many trips can be arranged in this manner to chop hundreds of dollars off of the cost of reaching a particular destination.

In Conclusion...

For any traveler willing to spend some blood-sweat learning about what may be available and what to do to save money, there is a multitude of inexpensive ways to take advantage of the current economic market to get great travel deals. Visit our website to find more great advice and tips for travelers.

About the Author:
In Anson Werner's desire to find incredible travel deals - so he can get out of the house and on the road - he spends his spare time shopping travel offers and learning tricks to help him save money and get more enjoyment from his limited dollars. Recent finds include a 3-day/2-night vacation for two to Las Vegas for $49, and a trick for getting a free cruise for his family. Anson's friends had always asked him about the travel deals he finds, so he decided to share his knowledge and discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/

Buying Guide and Tips To Get More Life Out Of Your Clothes Dryer

2008-11-24T03:54:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2006-2008 Emerson Lockwood

Buying a clothes dryer for your home is a fairly simple decision process. Once you have read this report, your buying decision might even be a bit easier.

Four manufacturers produce the clothes dryers that account for 80% of dryer sales in America. Those four primary brands are: GE, Maytag, Kenmore (a Sears brand), and Whirlpool.

There are other generic brand names that are sold in the marketplace, and most of those are subsidiaries of the major manufacturing companies. Maytag makes Amana. Electrolux makes Frigidaire, Westinghouse, and White-Westinghouse appliances. GE makes Hotpoint. And, both KitchenAid and Roper are made by Whirlpool.

There are really only five choices to make when choosing your next clothes dryer:

1. Size of Tub

2. Gas or Electric

3. Thermostat or Moisture Sensor Shutoff

4. Quiet Dry

5. Other Gadgets

SIZE OF TUB

There are three basic size designations in washers and dryers. There is Extra Large Capacity, Super Capacity and Super Capacity Plus, or a variation thereof. The actual volume difference between each of these size designations is really quite small on the grand scheme of things. Usually, we are talking an extra pair or two of blue jeans for each size increase.

When selecting the size capacity of a machine, it might be all right (though not recommended) to mix up your machine purchases, but you do not want to have your dryer size smaller than your washer size. It would be a real pain to fill your washer, wash your clothes, and then not be able to get all of your clothes into the dryer!

If there are one or two people in your household, then the Extra Large Capacity could make sense. But, if you have a house full of children, you should go ahead and spend the extra money to get a larger-sized machine. If your wife has one of the smaller machines, she will certainly have to run more loads in order to wash everyone's laundry.

Generally, if you have four people in your home, you will have to do two extra loads of laundry using the Extra Large Capacity, instead of the Super Capacity Plus machine. More loads of laundry equates to more water usage, more heating fuel usage (electric or gas), and a grumpier wife, since she spends an extra two to three hours a week doing laundry. That $80-$120 you are saving now, may cost you well over that amount over the life of your washer and dryer.

GAS OR ELECTRIC

The person who built your house usually makes the gas or electric decision for you, whether you like it or not. Most homes have either a 240-volt plug or a gas connector in the laundry room. Few, if any, builders put in both options.

If your home is equipped with the 240-volt plug, I highly recommend that you look to see if your plug is a three- or four-prong plug, prior to going to the store. Appliance manufacturers sell the actual dryer cords separate from the dryer. So, the retailer will ask you which plug you need with your machine.

If you want to save the ten dollars or so, you can use the dryer cord that is on the clothes dryer you are replacing. If the dryer cord that is currently on your machine is flimsy or brittle, I would strongly suggest buying the new cord. To do otherwise leaves your home vulnerable to a fire hazard.

If you have the choice between gas and electricity for your clothes dryer, gas machines will generally run another $50 or so. If you have to change your laundry configuration from gas to electric, you may very well spend that much on the electrician alone. Additionally, it is a well-known fact that gas dryers use less energy than electric dryers. So, over the long haul, your gas dryer will be more economical than your electric dryer --- even Consumer Reports recommends that you buy the gas dryer for this very reason.

THERMOSTAT OR MOISTURE SENSOR SHUTOFF

Thermostat controlled dryers are the dryers that only give you an option for timed drying.

More expensive dryers give you the option for timed drying or Moisture Sensor Shutoffs. Each manufacturer describes the Moisture Sensor Shutoff in different ways. Whirlpool calls it AccuDry. Some manufacturers refer to it as Energy Saver. Whatever they call it, the concept is the same. It has a moisture-sensor in the tub, and when the humidity level drops below a certain level, the machine will decide that the clothes are dry, and the dryer will shut off on its own.

Consumer Reports deems this an essential feature on any dryer that you might buy. The reasons are many:

1. Overdrying can damage or shrink fabrics, and moisture sensors will minimize this risk.

2. By shutting itself off when the clothes are done drying, you are no longer forced to waste gas or electricity drying "already dry" fabrics.

3. By running the dryer for a shorter period of time, you can wash more clothes in less time. Your wife will thank you.

QUIET DRY

Some machines have an extra quiet motor. It made a big difference in my home, since our laundry room is less than twenty feet from our living room. With our old, cheap dryer, we would need to turn our television up, if we were running laundry while we were in the living room. Just the very experience of drying clothes was enough to give me a headache. With our new quiet dry machine, we are not even aware that the dryer is running, until the buzzer goes off telling us that it is done. Awesome.

OTHER GADGETS

Clothes dryers cannot really get that technical. The additional options that are available on some machines are: heat level and special fabric settings. Really, they are the same thing, but the fabric settings take a lot of the guesswork out of figuring out what temperature you can run for each your fabric types.

Some machines have a buzzer to let you know when the dryer is finished. This one is nice sometimes, especially if you are trying to do as much laundry as you can in a short time span.

Lights inside the drum are a nice addition, though not always necessary.

TIPS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR DRYER

Keeping good airflow in your machine is the one, essential step you can take to get the most life out of your clothes dryer. There are several factors that can affect airflow, and we will cover those factors here.

Any reduction in airflow creates several problems.

1. A clogged dryer is less efficient and uses more gas or electric to dry clothes.

2. It puts additional wear-and-tear on the machine's motor.

3. And, most importantly, it creates a fire hazard.

EXHAUST VENTILATION:

All of the manufacturers and Consumer Reports recommend using either rigid or flexible metal ducting for exhaust ventilation tubing. They strongly recommend against using the plastic or foil exhaust ventilation tubes. The reasons are many.

1. They are notorious collectors of lint, and can get clogged easily.

2. The can be stepped on and crushed, preventing good airflow.

3. They can sag, also preventing proper airflow.

4. They can easily be torn and damaged.

Anytime the ventilation tube gets clogged or blocked, it can force lint to back up into your dryer causing additional blockages.

Even with metal ducting, you should clean out your ventilation tube once a year.

LINT FILTER:

Some appliance manufacturers put the lint filter in the door, while others put it on top of the machine. For ease of cleaning, it is a matter of personal preference.

It is very important that you should clean your lint filter between each use. If you fail to clean it between each load, you run the risk of having the lint fall back into the internal components of the machine.

Any accumulations of lint are always a fire hazard.

Excess lint in your dryer can ignite and catch fire. This could easily destroy your dryer, and very possibly catch your house on fire.

In fact, the Wall Street Journal suggested that dryer lint is the perfect companion for camping or hiking trips, since it is light and easy-to-carry, and it makes excellent kindling for your campfire.

For more fire prevention and safety tips in connection with your clothes dryer, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5022.html

THE ODD AND UNKNOWN BYPRODUCT OF DRYER SHEETS:

If you use dryer sheets when you dry your clothes, then you need to pay special attention to this tip.

Dryer sheets can reduce static and add a nice scent to your laundry, because they have chemicals in them. What few people realize is that these chemicals are released from the dryer sheet when they are heated, and they fill the hot air inside of your dryer.

As the machine is running, and after the cycle is finished, these chemicals settle on the various components inside your dryer, including the lint filters. After a period of time, these chemicals can create a clear, unseen barrier to your dryer's airflow.

Test this idea. Pull your lint filter from your machine and run it under water. Where the water pools and does not flow through, those chemicals have created an impenetrable barrier to your dryer's airflow.

Every few months, you should wash out your lint filter using soap, water and a sponge, to keep airflow at its optimum.

IN CONCLUSION...

Finding the right clothes dryer, for your own needs, does not have to be a difficult process. With a little knowledge, you can make a good decision. I hope this report has given you the information that you will need to make your decision easier.

Using the additional tips provided in this report, you should be able to keep your utility bills lower and to extend the life of your clothes dryers by another several years. If you take good care of your clothes dryer, your clothes dryer will take really good care of you for many years to come.

About the Author:
Emerson Lockwood specializes in Home Technology, Home Improvement and Home Financing topics. See more of his work at the Super Home Ideas website: http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com .

You may co-brand and customize this report, and then print it out for your home appliance customers. The only requirement under the co-branding option is that you keep our URL in the advertisement at the end of this report:

This information is provided, courtesy of "Your Company" and http://www.SuperHomeIdeas.com . Written by: Emerson Lockwood.

The Fountains of Kansas City

2008-11-23T08:54:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Elizabeth Jean

Kansas City is thought to have more fountains than any city in the world except Rome, arguably the birthplace of the city fountain. At the last count, it was thought that there were over two hundred public fountains in Kansas City, with many more private fountains.

So what's behind Kansas City's love affair with water fountains?

Perhaps one of the reasons is that Kansas City owes its stature to water - it sits at the junction between the Missouri River and the Kansas River, and as a result was a trading and departure point for several of the great trading routes - the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails.

Fountains of Life

Perhaps as well it is a fortuitous coincidence - a number of underground springs run underneath the centre of Kansas City, and in the early 1800s, the Humane Society of Kansas started to build fountains on top of these springs, taking advantage of the natural water pressure to provide fresh, clean drinking water for people and animals to quench their thirsts.

While these fountains were functional and provided an important public amenity, the fountains of Kansas City today are more decorative, and came a little later in the city's development.

The Beautiful City

George Kessler had emigrated from Germany to America with his mother, as a child. He went on to become a leading city planner, and it was his plans for Kansas City's boulevard system, created in the 1890s, that are said to have spurred further interest in fountains amongst the people of Kansas City.

In the years that followed, a number of notable fountains were built as part of new developments in the city, and it became customary to include a fountain in the design of any major new commercial development - a tradition that continues today.

We've selected some of the most noteworthy Kansas City fountains for a closer look, and to show just why Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains.

J. C. Nichols - Country Club Plaza

J. C. Nichols was a prominent Kansas City developer in the 1920s, and was responsible for many large buildings of the time, perhaps most notably the Country Club Plaza development, which was strongly influenced by European design, particularly that of Seville, Spain.

The Country Club Plaza is a large (55 acre) shopping and residential area in Kansas City, and was the first shopping center to be designed to include integrated parking facilities. Rather than the sprawling and ugly parking lots common with many of today's developments, the Country Club Plaza included underground and rooftop parking, making for a pedestrian-friendly and attractive shopping environment.

Nichols used water fountains extensively in the planning of the plaza, and a walk around the area includes fountains depicting Bacchus, Neptune and Mermaids, as well as several others.

J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain

J.C. Nichols played a significant role in the development of modern Kansas City, in particular through the creation of the Country Club Plaza, and this contribution is marked with the J. C. Nichols Memorial fountain.

This large fountain contains four figures on horseback, each representing a major river of the world - the Mississippi River, the Volga, the Seine and the Rhine. Water rises up to 30 feet from the centre of the fountain, and the Memorial Fountain is one of the most recognized symbols of Kansas City.

Crown Center Fountains

The Crown Center complex is a combined office, retail and entertainment complex that includes the headquarters of the Hallmark Cards company. Its fountains provide an astonishing and exciting display for visitors and residents alike, and through the use of heated pipe work are able to stay open throughout the year!

The fountain itself is remarkable - it has no basin and no visible pipe work or nozzles. It occupies an area of around 2000 square feet, and beneath the cobbled surface are concealed 49 water jets and colored lights. These combine to form a wonderful spectacle, and special programmed water displays are regularly staged.

Firefighters' Fountain

The Firefighters' fountain is located in Penn Valley Park, and is dedicated to the city's firefighters, and to the memory of those who have given their lives in the course of duty.

The fountain has a large basin, with a statue of two firefighters in action rising from the middle of the basin. Instead of water issuing from the central statue, the edge of the basin houses a number of water jets which constantly stream water in an arc towards the center of the fountain.

Meyer Circle Fountain

Sometimes referred to as the Seahorse Fountain, the Meyer Circle fountain is one of the oldest in Kansas City. Located at the intersection of Ward Parkway and Meyer Boulevard, its centerpiece is a 17th century Venetian sculpture, bought by Kansas City developer J. C. Nichols in the 1920s.

The fountain has several tiers. The base is made up of three seahorses, all streaming water from their mouths. These creatures support the middle basin, from which a column rises, decorated with cherubs. You can browse many fountains for your own home or garden at http://www.garden-fountains.com.

This central column supports the topmost basin, which sports a child, playing with a dolphin as its centerpiece. Water flows from all three levels into a large ground level basin.

The fountain is sited in the middle of a traffic circle, and although it has been damaged by vandalism and traffic several times over the years, it has always been lovingly restored by the people of Kansas City, and is truly one of Kansas City's most remarkable fountains.

About the Author:
Written by Elizabeth Jean for http://www.garden-fountains.com For more information on the public fountains mentioned here, visit our section on the Fountains of Kansas City

Recession Travel Opportunities: Part One - Getting There By Car

2008-11-22T04:45:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Anson Werner

During this current recession, many people are postponing and canceling vacations, for fear of the future economic conditions. But many of us still need some time away from home - a break from the everyday. There is so much information that I need to share with you on this topic, so this article is being presented in two parts: "getting there by car" and "airplane travel".

Pick A Destination That Is A Comfortable Drive Away

Before we had children, my wife and I would travel every summer to visit her distant family members, 500 miles away. We would make that drive in a day, spending about ten hours on the road, with an hour layover for lunch at the midpoint of our journey. Since having the children, we have only made that drive twice, both times staying in a hotel overnight at the halfway point of our journey. It is just really tough to expect a child to endure a ten-hour road trip.

Since those earlier experiences with the children, we have opted to keep our road trips to no more than one-day's driving. If we want to make the trip to visit my wife's family, we opt for either a RV rental or an airplane ride. Given the hyper energy of our children, the RV rental provided the better option, since the two hours early requirement of air travel security forces us to try to tie down the kids for long periods of time anyway.

Given where we live, five hours drive time gives us the option of about seven major metropolitans we can visit by car. Interestingly, the need to find restrooms for the children, along the main thoroughfares in our travel routes, has permitted us to discover interesting destinations that we used to overlook in our earlier travels.

When I was young, my father was a master of this kind of travel. In his job, he was a route supervisor for a major food company. In his journeys around our state and neighboring states, he was able to locate interesting destinations during his work travels. He would then document these locations and build family vacations around these off-the-beaten-track tourism destinations.

On one such vacation, we visited a sod house in the Great Plains of North America. Ironically, I remember the destination more for his silly joke, than for the house itself. He told me of a man, who had built a sod house for his family. He said he built the house, and for the longest time, his wife complained that he was only able to build a house that was dark and dank. He said that finally a door-to-door salesman arrived to sell them a solution to their problem. Then my dad asked me what the couple bought. I did not know. My dad told me that the salesman had sold them windows for their home, and then my dad laughed hysterically.

Food On The Road

My wife and I ate out yesterday for lunch, and we dropped $25 plus tip on our meal. Even in today's higher food price environment, we can feed all three kids and ourselves for three days with the same $25, if we opt for lunch meat, cheese and bread from our ice chest.

Even if you are taking the kids to McDonald's for a quick meal, you are likely to be out $15 per meal, at this recession-friendly restaurant.

Given the fact that your kids need to eat three meals per day, plus snacks, any travel of any length could eventually cost you a lot of money, if you choose to take every meal in a restaurant.

If you plan to stay at a hotel while on the road, see if you can find hotels that offer continental breakfasts, as that can help you to reduce your food costs by one more meal per day. Many hotel restaurants and other restaurants are offering, "Kids eat free" to get customers into the door. Seek these businesses out, to save even more money, during your travels.

Take Advantage Of Tourism And Shopping Coupons

There are a number of sources available to help people get all the discount coupons they need to help their dollar go further. Are you familiar with the discount coupon books available in your hometown? If so, it helps to remember that these are available in most every city in the nation. Here is a list of such coupon sources:

Entertainment Coupons (http://www.entertainment.com/), searchable by city or zip code. Entertainment coupons can help you: save money on restaurant dining (with 50% off coupons and 2 for the price of one offers); hotel, car rental and airline discounts; discount tickets for movies, sporting events, concerts, and plays; shopping discounts and more.

Convention and Visitor Bureaus - CVB's play an important role in the tourism industry, helping local businesses to attract new customers. To help local providers, they offer information about local businesses and frequently discount packages and coupons for those businesses.

Join American Automotive Association - http://www.aaa.com (AAA). A standard Triple A membership costs only $59 per year. Major hotel chains, such as Hyatt, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn, and even Disney properties, frequently offer a 20% discount to AAA members. AAA membership also provides a 10% discount at many restaurant chains, including Hard Rock Café and Pizza Hut. If you have these restaurant chains in your neighborhood, you could use your AAA membership year-around. Travel transportation companies such as Amtrak, the Grand Canyon Railway, and Hertz rental cars also offer discounts to AAA members.

When you rent your hotel room, be sure to ask the hotel proprietor if they offer any package deals for discount tickets to amusement parks or other local attractions. You might be surprised how much extended value your hotel can provide you during your vacation.

Choosing The Best Hotel Value

As mentioned in the previous section, many hotels have package deals with amusement parks and other local tourism attractions. Be sure to ask what may be available.

Also mentioned previously, many hotels offer continental breakfasts and some offer, "kids eat free" to guests who choose to dine in their restaurant.

Hotels make money, helping heads find pillows. When hotels are doing well, they typically enjoy a 95%-98% occupancy rate. But during our current recession cycle, most hotels are struggling with occupancy rates in the range of 60%-65%. When hotels are struggling to fill beds, the hotel's management is more inclined to negotiate special deals to get rooms sold.

If you are willing to indicate a desire to shop around, most hotel proprietors may be willing to negotiate a better price for the rooms they have open. Some may not be willing to lower their price, but they may be willing to sweeten the deal, offering extra amenities to guests who ask, such as additional discounts for meals or other free extras that will make their rooms more attractive to potential guests. You will never know if you can get a better deal, unless you are willing to ask.

This information is also very useful for anyone traveling during off-peak seasons. Anytime a hotel is experiencing low-occupancy rates, the hotel's managers will be more inclined to negotiate to fill a room.

Sometimes the extra amenities offered by hotels will make the stay extremely worthwhile. For example, a hotel that offers an indoor heated swimming pool or hot tub may provide more enjoyment for your family, during its stay, than the hotel down the street that offers a room for a few dollars less.

When hitting the hotel at the beach, your hotel may charge an extra fee (as much as $25) for beach chairs and an umbrella, while the hotel down the road will only charge a few bucks more for the room and provide chairs and an umbrella at no additional cost. Always ask what kinds of free amenities and the cost of extra amenities a hotel may offer, when inquiring about the price. When you are able to compare apples-to-apples and oranges-to-oranges, you will be able to make better decisions about who offers the best bang for your limited vacation dollars.

Beyond Hotels

Many vacation deals are available to those people who are willing to shop outside the box. The Internet provides ample opportunity to seek out new ways to benefit from travel deals, during a recession and during boom times. Many travel related websites offer mailing lists, through which they offer special deals to members.

Many state parks offer cabin rentals, which we have taken advantage of in recent years.

Other vacation rentals may include Bed And Breakfast establishments, located in many small towns and large metros around the country. Many B&B's prefer renting to couples, but there are some out there that offer family vacation deals.

What To Expect In Part Two

In part two of this article, we will be discussing tips for saving money with travel, when you travel far enough from home to need to use an airplane to reach your destination. Read part two of this article here: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/2008/11/20/recession-travel-by-airplane/

About the Author:
In Anson Werner's desire to find incredible travel deals - so he can get out of the house and on the road - he spends his spare time shopping travel offers and learning tricks to help him save money and get more enjoyment from his limited dollars. Recent finds include a 3-day/2-night vacation for two to Las Vegas for $49, and a trick for getting a free family cruise. Anson's friends had always asked him about the travel deals he finds, so he decided to share his knowledge and discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/

Want to Know Where to Go in Boston?

2008-11-21T19:18:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Mark Anderson

Ever since the colonial days, Boston has been one of the most intriguing cities in the United States. Its rich history is rivaled only by the vast amount of things it has to offer. Whether you're a college student, child, or an adult, there is plenty to find in Boston Massachusetts. From sports and nightlife to culture and nature, there is truly something for everyone. Let's look at what Bean Town has to offer.

Boston offers some great shopping and markets for those looking for a bargain. One of the more popular places to shop is Newbury Street. While this isn't really the best place to find a bargain, it has a great atmosphere. It is more of a traditional shopping area that tries to remain true to its heritage. You can find silversmiths, jewelers and many original shops that date back several years. This is a great place to see the heritage of Boston and get involved in the culture.

You can also visit the oldest public park in the United States in Boston. Boston Common offers a lush green setting in the city that is great for families and nature-lovers. It can get a little crowded on certain days around the lake. However, it is hard to find such a beautiful place with a subway station under it.

In addition to having some beautiful natural sights, Boston also offers some of the best sporting venues in the world. What kind of an article about Boston would this be without mentioning the Red Sox? In fact, you'll probably only be in Boston for about 5 minutes before you hear someone talking about the Sox or how much they hate Manny Ramirez. Boston residents are definitely proud of their Red Sox and they're not afraid to let you know about it. They also have good reason to be as the Red Sox have won two World Series trophies in the last few years.

The Red Sox play in the world-famous Fenway Park. This baseball park is known for "The Green Monster" which is a huge green wall in the outfield. It is also one of the last remaining baseball stadium's that utilizes a manual scoreboard. Instead of hooking up some lights, they pay a guy to sit inside the scoreboard and put up big numbers every time something happens. The stadium has been around since 1912, which makes it one of the oldest stadiums in the country. In fact, the stadium offers tours every day that take you through the inner workings of Fenway.

In addition to having a great baseball team, the Boston area also has a football team that you may have heard of - The New England Patriots. The Patriots reside in Foxboro which is outside of Boston. Winners of three Super Bowls this decade, they are considered by many to be a dynasty. Last year, they became the first team to go 18-0 before losing in the Super Bowl.

While Boston residents are usually Red Sox fans first and foremost, they are very proud of their football team as well. Gillette Stadium is one of the nicer stadiums in the NFL. It now boasts the new CBS Scene at the stadium. This is a premier sports destination that features a one-of-a-kind experience for the sports fan.

If you like nightlife, Boston has a lot to offer. It has several hotspots that are great for the club-goer. Lansdowne Street is located adjacent to Fenway Park and is known as one of the hotspots for nightlife. Many people will hit the bars and clubs that it has to offer before and after a Red Sox game.

One of the more popular destinations is Bill's Bar and Lounge. It has been known to host some of the Red Sox players from time to time and has a great atmosphere. Some of the other popular destinations on Lansdowne include Jillian's, Karma Club, and Axis. Regardless of where you go on Lansdowne, you'll find something fun to do. Located right there together are several bars, night clubs and restaurants. Just go down Lansdowne and you can't miss it.

If the club scene isn't your cup of tea (sorry for the Boston pun) the city also has a rich cultural side. In the prestigious theater district, they have several theaters to offer including: The Colonial Theater, the Wang, and the Boston Opera House. These are sure to entertain you and give you a sense of the Boston culture.

The Boston area also has a lot to offer families. Regardless of what you like to do, you can find it nearby. If your kids like animals (and whose kids don't?) there are a number of zoos and aquariums in the area. The Franklin Park Zoo offers 72 acres of animals and open play space for kids. This is a great place to take kids of all ages. Another great place to take kids is the Mystic Aquarium. It is just outside of Boston and offers kids a glimpse at underwater life. Every sea creature you can imagine is here for your viewing pleasure.

Boston also offers the Science Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, which are great for inquisitive little minds to get some education on your vacation. Finally, your kids will love the Boston Aquarium on the waterfront as well.

In addition to culture, sports and nightlife, Boston also offers some of the best dining around. The top-ranked restaurant in the area L'Espalier is known for its atmosphere and its amazing French food. The restaurant is actually placed in a Back Bay townhouse and is one of the more upscale dining experiences you'll ever have.

Besides upscale choices like L'Espalier, Boston has every kind of cuisine imaginable. From steakhouses to Chinese, you really can't go wrong. Just bring your appetite and your wallet.

Overall, Boston truly does offer something for every type of person. Whether you like sports or a night on the town, you'll definitely find everything you're looking for. Regardless of what you decide to do, just make sure you set aside some time. It will take you awhile to get to everything in Boston.

Here are some more fantastic Boston destinations you shouldn't miss:

Top of the Hub

Dali Restaurant and Tapas Bar

Charles Street Inn

Fenway Park

Cantab Lounge

DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park

U.S.S. Constitution

Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage

Children's Museum

Esplanade

Boston Duck Tours

Boston Symphony Hall

Bunker Hill Monument

About the Author:
Mark Anderson writes for Boston Smarts where you can find all kinds of useful information on Boston, MA. Visit http://www.bostonsmarts.comfor more information.

How Parents Can Save Tons of Money

2008-11-20T11:09:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Kathy Winters

Times are tough right now especially for parents. It can be hard to know how to cover things like constantly increasing energy bills and the high cost of fuel. It can be easy to become discouraged and think there is no way I can save money right now, however there are a few changes you can make in your everyday life that will make a huge difference.

Ways To Save Money

One of the easiest things you can do to save money is to revise your grocery shopping. It has gotten more expensive than ever to buy everyday things so a person must be extra conscious of what things cost. To trim some fat off the grocery budget follow some of the tips below:

1) Make a 7-day menu before you go shopping. This will keep the weeks purchases on task for supplying your needs.

2) Use the competition matching offered by your local Wal-mart, they guarantee the lowest price and will honor any competitor ad within a specified mile range. Check with your local store for details.

3) Only use coupons on things you would by anyway, this may sound like a no brainer but the number of people who will buy a more expensive item than normal just because they have a coupon would surprise you.

4) Consolidate errands so that they can all be done on one or two days instead of three to five. This will save on fuel costs as well as streamline your schedule.

5) Cut back money spent at convenience stores and star bucks. It is much cheaper to make coffee at home and buy Coke and gum at the grocery store. You would be amazed how much money you actually spend on these items.

These are just a few tips that will save you big money on everyday items. The key is to put aside the money you have saved with these changes. Spending the savings on a new outfit is fine if that is what you were saving for, however the better idea would be to put the money into a savings account for emergencies.

Small Inexpensive Things To Do

We all want to spend time with our children doing fun things that make them smile. The problem is most activities geared toward children are not cheap. Even going to the movies can quickly shoot through fifty dollars for a family of four. Instead, take your kids back in time with a visit to a drive-in theater! This blast from the past is much cheaper than conventional theaters and the best part is you can bring your own food and drink! If you do not have a drive-in close by, make it a redbox movie night. Redboxes are cropping up all over the nation and allow you to rent a movie for one night for a $1. Where else can you get that kind of deal? As an added bonus, you can look up and reserve a movie from home then go to the location at your convenience, swipe your bankcard and receive your movie. Now take the other forty dollars you would have spent and you guessed it, put it in savings too.

Children

Children want all the latest gizmos and gadgets and as loving parents, we want to give them. Nevertheless, video games and toys have become so technologically advanced that they can be extremely expensive. So what is a parent to do? A lot depends on the age of your child, younger kids will be much more easily convinced that a trip to the library is just as good as buying the latest kids book, plus they will enjoy your time together. If you live in a rural area where fishing abounds this can be a relatively inexpensive activity you can do with your children. Many states have free days where licenses are not required while fishing with children. When you take the time to look around many activities you can do together are relatively inexpensive. Moreover, if they just have to have video games check out resell shops and eBay, the cost should be a fraction of the new price and have a short-term guarantee, and again put the difference in savings.

Discussing Things With Teens

Be honest with your kids without worrying them; with older children make this a time for teaching them about responsible spending. When they want, cell phones and gadgets show them the cost and perhaps allow them to work part time to pay for them. When my children started working and it was their money they had to spend on frivolous things attitudes changed quickly.

Teenagers will not admit to wanting to spend time with you but they do find activities you both enjoy that do not cost large amounts of money. Do you have a tent stuck in the attic? Break it out and spend some time camping, sites are generally inexpensive and lakes are a great place to have fun and get some exercise at the same time.

Young Children

Young children are much easier to please with cheaper alternatives. Instead of the latest Spiderman toy grab an inexpensive kite and got to the park. It can be wonderful fun showing a young child how a kite works and watching their eyes light up when theirs is flying high! The park is also a fun cheap activity to do with young children. Most cities and towns have free access parks with play equipment.

Conclusion

We can all find ways to save money even in tough times. It may be more of a struggle now than a few years ago but it is an achievable goal. Use your time wisely and be creative you can throw a super birthday party with items found at the dollar store, it is all going in the garbage anyway so why spend a fortune on Barbie plates? The most important aspect of all this is to approach it in a way that does not scare or worry your children. Make saving money a challenge or game with them, and who knows you could start a lifelong habit in them that will change their entire life.

About the Author:
Kathy Winters writes for ParentingFun411, a national directory of parenting-related providers such as nurseries, day care, pediatricians, colleges, summer camps, nannies and much more. ParentingFun411 also offers a wealth of information for parents including a parenting blog. If you're a parent, you ought to visit us at: http://www.ParentingFun411.com

Taking Care of Your Car's Braking System Can Prevent Accidents

2008-11-20T08:15:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2006-2008 Quinton Becker

A brake rotor is a vital part of the braking system on your vehicle. A brake rotor, in conjunction with brake pads, brings your car to come to a quick and complete stop. If you have a worn brake rotor, you should have it replaced as soon as possible for your own safety.

When you apply your car's brake pedal, brake pads press down against the brake rotor. The rotor is part of the front wheel hub, and it stops the wheels from turning. Brake rotors are commonly referred to as "discs," and people often refer to cars with brake rotors as being equipped with "disc brakes."

In recent decades, most cars have been equipped with a brake rotor at the front of the car. Some cars are also equipped with brake rotors on the rear wheels for added stopping power. The older alternative to a disc brake is the drum brake; some cars are still made with drum brakes on the back wheels. As with front-wheel disk brakes, rear-wheel disk brakes are added for a more acutely responsive braking system.

After a period of standard wear, your car's brake rotors may need to be replaced. However, some conditions may wear down the rotors more quickly, calling for quicker replacement. For instance, if you allow your brake pads to wear down too far before you replace them, the brake pad can dig grooves into the rotors. These grooves must be repaired in order for your brakes to operate correctly. If your brake rotors have grooves in them, you can have them "turned" or resurfaced by a machine shop. This will remove the grooves and make the rotor itself thinner.

Warped brake rotors will also require premature replacement. Brake parts grow extremely hot during normal operation. If you have been applying your brakes heavily and heating them more than usual, this rapid heating and cooling may cause them to warp. Heating of your brakes plus water, snow, or ice will also warp the rotor. There is an easy way to determine if your brake rotor is warped: you may feel a shuddering as you apply your brakes. This vibration usually indicates that your brake pad is pressing against an uneven rotor. When this happens, it is time to either have your rotor turned or replaced entirely.

Most vehicles manufactured in the past five years or so have been equipped with composite brake rotors. It is strongly recommended that with these vehicles, you do not have the rotors turned. Turning these composite rotors will take the heat tempering out of them. It is best to simply replace the entire rotor in these this case, rather than trying to have it resurfaced.

When replacing brake rotors, you face a variety of manufacturer options. You can choose to purchase Chevy parts if you own a Chevy, or you can go with aftermarket parts that often outperform the stock Chevy parts. The primary consideration is to make sure that all of your brake parts are compatible with one another.

Finally, it is critical that you either replace or turn both of your brake rotors at the same time. Replacing one brake rotor and not the other can result in different heat dissipation rates - this will cause one wheel to stop turning sooner than the other, which could be very dangerous under hard braking circumstances. Remember that when you are working on your brakes. Your own safety should always come first - prompt response to any warning signs or problems is essential to the safe operation of your braking systems.

When you are talking about your vehicle's braking systems, an ounce of prevention is certainly cheaper than a pound of cure.

About the Author:
Quinton Becker writes about cars, trucks and motorcycles. Quinton is one of many writers who contribute automotive information to: http://www.AutomotiveWebmasters.com - a website where you can uncover the lowest gasoline prices in your state, loads of automotive information, and a free better fuel mileage tips ebook. Also for auto parts, please consider: http://www.drivewire.com

Top 5 Gaming Laptops - Quick Roundup

2008-11-20T08:12:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Titus Hoskins

For a great gaming laptop you need high performance processors, dedicated graphics cards and a lot of system memory. These days top gaming laptops are using dual or even quad processors and hooking up two or more graphics GPUs thru SLI configurations to get the ultimate gaming performance.

Most gamers look for Nvidia and ATI as their choice of Graphics Cards which uses dedicated memory (RAM) and pulls additional system RAM when needed thru HyperMemory (ATI) or Turbocache (Nvidia). You need at least 2 Gigs of RAM, although most high end laptops now come with 4 or more Gigs of RAM. Note: 32-bit Operating Systems ONLY recognizes up to 3GB of RAM, while you need 64-bit systems to take full advantage of 4GB of RAM.

Sound and visuals are very important to gamers so you have to check for superior display qualities and top sound systems. So look for display technologies like CrystalBrite (Acer) or X-Black (Sony) for better viewing. Also look for high resolution (native 1,920 x 1,200) screens, 64 bit systems, DirectX 10 Graphics, Blu-ray or HD playback...

With all these considerations in mind, here's a short list of a few top gaming laptops you should consider if you're in the market. Keep in mind, although prices are coming down, be prepared to pay top dollar for all that high-end gaming hardware, especially if you're looking at the more popular well-known brands. Also please note stated prices are rough estimates at the time of writing; so check each manufacturer's online site for exact prices and configurations.

1. Alienware Area-51 m17x ($4,749)

Alienware has always been the established leader for superior gaming machines. Unfortunately, while they make some of the best gaming rigs, you will have to pay for all that performance and for all that style. Many believe Alienware is too overpriced for what you get. However, if money is no object, Alienware should be your first consideration for a gaming laptop.

Currently, one of their fastest machines is the Area-51 m17x which sports some impressive specs:

CPU: Intel® Core® 2 Extreme X9000 2.8GHz (6MB Cache 800MHz FSB)

Memory: 4GB+ Dual Channel DDR2 SO-DIMM at 667MHz - 2 x 2048MB

Hard Drive: 250GB (250GB x 2) 7,200RPM (8MB Cache) w/ Free Fall Protection

Graphics: 512MB NVIDIA® Quadro® FX 3600M

OS: Microsoft® Windows® Vista® Ultimate with Service Pack 1

Display: 17" WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 LCD (1200p) with Clearview Technology

Weight: 10.5 lbs

But don't expect long battery life as gaming laptops are usually power-hungry creatures that burn up your power source very quickly. While still mobile, this laptop serves more as a desktop replacement than a portable laptop, same said for most of the gaming laptops here. However, you won't look any cooler than when you're lugging this rig around, not that looks should count but they often do. Shallow world.

2. Rock Xtreme 780 X9100 (£2300 British Pounds or $4,210 USD)

Offering some serious competition to the Area-51 m15x is the Rock Xtreme 780 X9100. This is the follow-up to the very high ranked Xtreme 770 which you may also consider. The 780 sports the new Intel® Core2 Extreme processor and the latest gaming technologies.

CPU: Up to Intel® Core® 2 Extreme processor X9100 (2 x 3.06GHz) 6MB Level 2 Cache

Memory: Up to 4GB DDR3 1066Mhz RAM

Hard Drive: Up to 320Gb 7200rpm SATA Graphics: NVIDIA 9800M GTX 1GB GDR3

OS: Microsoft® Windows® Vista® Home Premium

Display: 17" WUXGA+ X-Glass TFT Screen (1920 x 1200)

Weight: 8.4 lbs

You should know Rock (Rockdirect) is a leading UK laptop manufacturer and was recently acquired by the Stone Group. It should be business as usual since the Stone Group is also a leading hardware specialist and laptop manufacturer. Rock has a solid reputation for bringing the latest innovative notebook technology to customers. Perhaps better suited for European buyers with its "3 Year pan-European Collect and Return Warranty" - although gamers this side of the pond shouldn't necessarily rule out getting a rock.

3. Gateway P-7811FX ($1,449)

The Gateway P-7811FX is an inexpensive alternative to all the pricey gaming laptops you might be considering. If you're looking for a good gaming machine, yet want to stay within a limited budget, this laptop may have your name on it.

CPU: 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400

Memory: 4GB, 667MHz DDR3

Hard Drive: 200GB 7200rpm

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS

OS: Microsoft® Windows® Vista® Premium (64-bit)

Display: 17.1 inches HD-friendly 1920x1200.

Weight: 9.0 lbs

This gaming laptop offers great value for your money and well worth your consideration, especially if you're on a tight budget.

4. Sager NP9262 ($5879)

In case you want to go in the other direction and break the bank, the Sager NP9262 maybe calling your name. Built on the Clevo D900C / D901C (Worlds 1st Quad Core Laptop) the NP9262 sports some very impressive gaming specs.

CPU: Intel® Core® 2 Quad Processor Q9650 / 12MB L2 Cache, 3.0GHz, 1333MHz FSB Memory: 8GB memory available on NP9262 with 64bit edition of Windows VISTA

Hard Drive: 320GB 7200rpm SATA 300 Hard Drive + other HD choices

Graphics: Dual Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTX Graphics with 1GB DDR3 Video Memory in SLI mode

OS: Windows® Vista® ULTIMATE 32/64-Bit Edition

Display: 17" Wide Viewing Angles WUXGA LCD with Super Glossy Surface (1920 x 1200)

Weight: 11.55 lb

5. Dell XPS M1730 ($4,000)

Some gamers wouldn't be caught dead mentioning Dell and gaming laptops in the same breath. There's no accounting for gaming snobbery or brand name bias. However, Dell which now owns Alienware and some of that style must be rubbing off since the XPS M1730 is one of the most striking gaming laptops you can buy; looks do count and this one leaves all takers in the dust. If you can get over the idea of having a Dell in the first place, the XPS M1730 also sports some very impressive gaming specs.

CPU: 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900

Memory: 2GB of 667MHz

Hard Drive: 400GB (2x200) at 7,200rpm

Graphics: Dual 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8700M GT in SLI (scalable link interface)

OS: Windows Vista® Home Premium

Display: 17 inches 1,920x1,200 resolution

Weight: 11.1 lbs

These are just some of the top gaming laptops on the market. Any one of these rigs will give you half decent gaming. There are probably a lot more cheaper gaming laptops out there and it does pay to shop around. And as you probably already noticed these gaming rigs are geared around Intel and Nvidia, but you shouldn't rule out AMD and/or ATI based systems. For Mac lovers, you should look at the Apple MacBook Pro - and remember you can also run Windows to play games!

Furthermore, one of the major drawbacks of going with any gaming laptop (rather than a PC) is that there is very little room for expansion... you need a system that can be easily upgraded mainly because by the time you buy it, your system will probably be out of date. That's a bit exaggerated, but it is always a good idea to go with a gaming system that you can easily upgrade when the need arises or as you can afford it.

Also some gamers dislike Vista as an Operating System for gaming and quickly switch back to Windows XP. This is simply done, however some current laptops/PCs won't accept XP so check this out BEFORE you buy your machine.

In addition, if some of these gaming rigs look very similar, you should know that Clevo is the ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) based in Taiwan that sells barebones and computer components to all these boutique brand OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) like Falcon, Sager, M-TECH, Rock... Clevo is considered by many gamers to produce the top laptops in regards to superior quality and build. A prudent gaming laptop buyer would always cross-reference these Clevo products in order to find the best deal.

About the Author:
The author runs a handy online Laptop Guide featuring the latest top gaming notebooks: Gaming Laptops. To learn how to do your own computer or laptop memory upgrade try here: Computer Memory Upgrade. http://www.bizwaremagic.com Copyright (c) 2008 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

What is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra?

2008-11-20T07:42:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Mark Anderson

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, often called TSO, is a rock orchestra founded in the mid-1990s. The band's style is very hard to describe, as it incorporates elements of classical musical, heavy metal, symphonic metal and progressive rock. While the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is based in New York City, it often tours around the world. That means that people in unusual and obscure locations may get the chance to experience this unique sound.

One of the things the orchestra is the most famous for is its renditions of traditional Christmas music. Some of the best known pieces include Wizards in Winter and their rendition of Carol of the Bells - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24. Originally founded in Florida, the group's name comes from Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway. This railway connects many cultures that would otherwise be isolated, in the same way the band hopes to connect them with music.

Initially, despite the fact that members of the orchestra had produced and managed other well-known rock acts, the idea of a band playing Christmas music and other material in rock opera style did not go over well with the music industry.

Fortunately, fans felt otherwise, and the TSO quickly proved to be a success with people of all ages. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra tours with a band including fourteen musicians, two narrators and fourteen vocalists, and uses a full choir and sixty piece orchestra in the recording studio. Band members change periodically, and musicians used on tour may be local to the area the TSO is touring.

The debut album from the orchestra: Christmas Eve and Other Stories, was released in 1996. It's still their best selling album, though they also released another themed Christmas concept album, The Christmas Attic, in 1998. This album contained one of the orchestra's most recognizable songs - their version of Pachelbel's famous Canon in D, called Christmas Canon.

Their first and so far only non Christmas album was released in 2000. Called Beethoven's Last Night, this concept album is about the last night on Earth of Ludvig van Beethoven. Over the course of the album, he meets the infamous Mephistopheles, as well as Fate and her son. They toured for several years, then went back to the studio in 2004 for the album Lost Christmas Eve, as well as an accompanying three CD set containing all their Christmas albums to that point.

A non-Christmas album has been in the works for some time, called Night Castle. Originally projected to be released in early 2008, the album has still not come out. It's expected to contain the TSO's rendition of Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana, which has been performed during tours in the past several years. Tours usually run during the winter each year, beginning in November and ending around the beginning of January. This matches up with the TSO's primarily Christmas themed discography.

The band's devotion to perfection has been blamed for the long delay in releasing the album, and previous albums have also been severely delayed, with Beethoven's Last Night's release delayed for two years and the Lost Christmas Eve delayed for a year. This tendency has caused the band to joke about whether or not Night Castle will ever come out - a joke usually followed up with a performance of O Fortuna.

Live shows by the TSO are known for use of extensive lasers, lights and pyrotechnics, all carefully synchronized with the band's performance. Shows usually are divided into two halves, with the first half containing Christmas Eve and Other stories, and the second being a mix of albums which may also include covers of work by other artists. Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts usually finish off with Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24, their most famous piece.

This unique musical group maintains a website and fansite devoted to their work, which includes information about album releases and the current tour, as well as general information about the current lineup and the music. Music, clothing and other merchandise can be purchased through the Trans-Siberian Orchestra site.

Anyone looking for an unusual and fascinating experience should take a few moments to listen to this amazing musical group. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra has a lot to offer, and mixes many different musical styles and backgrounds to create an experience like no other.

About the Author:
Mark Anderson writes for Click It Ticket, a sports and concert tickets website, where you purchase affordable Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets and much more. http://www.ClickitTicket.com

Low-Riders, Street Racers and Everyday Drivers Should Be Aware of the Camber in a Car's Suspension System

2008-11-20T07:27:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2006-2008 Quinton Becker

If you plan on customizing the suspension of your vehicle, a new camber kit may be just what you are looking for. Many people love lowering their cars, but forget that doing so may impact the overall suspension of their vehicles. A camber kit will re-enforce the suspension system to deal with such changes. Drivers who enjoy road racing can also reap the benefits of improved suspension that a camber kit has to offer. While street racers and low-rider buffs are the people who could use the camber kit most often, everyday drivers often consider it to be an economical safety improvement for their vehicles.

The camber kit in your car's suspension system adjusts the angle of your tires, and increases the size of your tire footprint - how much of each tire comes into contact with the pavement. If you lower your car without installing a camber kit, there are some major handling problems that will arise.

The easiest way to see if your camber is out of alignment is by inspecting the wear of your tires. If the inside of the tire is showing excess wear, then your camber is likely misaligned. If you remove the wheel and tire from your car, you will see that the part of the tire closest to the suspension will be more worn-down than the rest of the tire. This is a clear sign that you need to readjust your camber angle.

People lower their cars using a variety of methods; some of these methods are more likely to cause camber problems than others. By using a damper kit, a coil over kit, or lowering your springs, you risk causing problems in your car's suspension. The only real solution to these problems is using a camber kit to compensate for the suspension changes made.

Engineers spend years developing an automobile, and they consider every element of that vehicle in their designs. When drivers alter the factory-selected ride height, they alter what automotive engineers have worked hard to perfect. One must consider that a car's original ride height is established for good reason. If you own a Dodge and remove the stock Dodge parts in order to lower its suspension, you must make sure that you replace the original suspension parts with a camber kit as compensation.

When considering a vehicle's alignment, one must consider three important components: the toe, the caster, and the camber. The toe is the adjustment that keeps your wheel pointed straight ahead by default. If you look at the front of your car and see that the tire is pointing slightly outward or inward, your car's toe is likely out of alignment. A caster is the part that moves each wheel forward and backward. By adjusting a caster, you can move the corresponding wheel side-to-side or front-to-back. The camber also positions each wheel vertically. If the camber is at zero degrees, the tire should be at a perfect 90-degree angle to the ground. If the wheel leans inward, you have negative camber. If the tire leans outward, you have positive camber.

When you lower your car but fail to use a camber kit, you will have increased the degree of negative camber on your tires. For safety purposes, a camber kit should be a requirement when lowering your car. If you do not use one, you risk not only your tires, but your safety as well.

A driver may want to alter the camber on a car's wheels simply to increase the vehicle's tire footprints; this results in improved handling. The commentary on NASCAR often features discussion about how a car's cambers impact tire wear. Generally though, this kind of alteration is best left to professional racers. On most street cars, it is best to keep the camber within factory specifications.

The difficulty of camber kit installation varies depending on your particular vehicle. In most cases, it is best to leave the job to a tire alignment specialist. Such installations must be taken very seriously, because if they are done improperly, your suspension can come apart when the car is in motion.The last thing you want to see is your car's tire rolling down the road ahead of your vehicle, during rush hour traffic on a major thoroughfare or on a dark deserted highway in the middle of the night.

About the Author:
Quinton Becker writes about cars, trucks and motorcycles. Quinton is one of many writers who contribute automotive information to: http://www.AutomotiveWebmasters.com - a website where you can uncover the lowest gasoline prices in your state, loads of automotive information, and a free better gasoline mileage tips ebook. Also for auto parts, please consider: http://www.drivewire.com

How to Attend TV Show Tapings

2008-11-20T07:24:00.001-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Jordan McAuley

Celebrities are the most accessible, oddly enough, when they're at work. If you're a Jon Stewart fan and you show up at his favorite deli while he's eating, chances are you're probably going to disturb him. But if you get tickets to a taping of The Daily Show that he hosts in New York City, your chance of shaking his hand and getting him to sign something is much better.

The stars who work in live television depend on the audience to help them do their job. For sitcoms, the audience provides the laugh track. If the audience doesn't laugh at a joke, the writers will scramble to modify it or come up with a new one. So when you watch a television sitcom like "Friends," you're hearing the actual audience laugh that was at the taping that day and know that they had some input into the final version as well. For late night shows like Stewart's, the host needs you to laugh at his jokes or he'll be left high and dry on national TV. And on talk shows like "Ellen" and "Oprah," the host and producers need to be able to feel out the audience so they know what's working or not working.

Most TV shows that have a live audience also have a "warm-up guy" whose job is to tell a few jokes, lay out the ground rules, maybe do some audience participation and get everyone in the studio totally warmed up for the show. If there's a delay or a break in shooting, this guy has to keep things going so the audience doesn't get bored and leave. He's also your best bet to get to the on-screen talent and sometimes will even bring a star up to the audience section.

Some stars will hang around after and talk to the audience one on one. Some won't, but the warm-up guy will talk to anyone, and if you can make him feel important, he can quite often help you get to the people you really want to get to.

Don't ask the producer if you can go backstage--he'll say no. Don't ask an intern if he can get something signed--he'll say no. But that warm-up guy is usually working so hard (and is maybe even a little annoyed that he's not the star of the show) that you can sometimes get him to do you a favor if you play your cards right.

TV show taping tickets do not cost money, except for special circumstances like concerts, awards shows and sporting events. Sitcom tapings and game shows are free of charge. Often the audience will be much small than you expected ("The Daily Show" seats maybe 100 people) while half the audience noise in a "Wheel of Fortune" taping is from the crew itself.

The peak television production season is generally August through March for most of the major networks. These include ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, WB, TNN, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Situation comedies, reality specials and game shows are the ones most likely to require a live audience since dramas don't require audience interaction. Remember that a TV show taping is not a quick prospect. You're not there for just the half hour you see during the final product. You've got to be there early, you've got to sit around while things are getting set up, you've got to go through the "warm up" then the cast will likely do one rehearsal from start to finish. Then they'll film several takes for each scene so the editors have plenty of options. This can take a long time (often up to eight hours) and they're not going to serve lunch or dinner partway through (although of course the actors can eat all they want from the catering table backstage...and often come out on stage eating to rub in the fact that they're eating and you can't). But it's still fun. Just make sure to eat before you go in, make sure to use the restroom before you take your seat, and turn off your cell phone!

Often the funniest part of a live TV taping isn't the acting itself, it's what goes on behind the scenes. If an actor is making a joke, the actors off camera will often react to what he or she is saying in an unexpected way. People will crack up, others will adlib, shots will get messed up and have to be repeated. It's an interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes of television, even if you don't get to meet the star of the show.

To get a ticket, see the resources below. You normally have to make reservations for popular shows months in advance because they fill up quickly. If all else fails, you can sometimes find studio workers handing out tickets in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard (where the famous handprints are) and in front of the Hollywood and Highland shopping complex next door.

Once you have your ticket, the rules are simple--applaud when you're told to, laugh when you think something is funny, don't yell out at random times, don't curse, don't disrupt other people around you, stay seated until the end of the show (toilet breaks come before the show, not during) and don't take photographs.

Remember, if a scene has to be redone, you're going to have to laugh all over again. Know going in that this isn't so much about your entertainment as it is your assistance in putting together a good show. If you get bored easily by repetition or having to sit for a long period of time, attending a live TV taping probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you enjoy watching how television shows are created and don't mind following the rules, you'll have a lot of fun, learn a lot, and maybe even get to meet (or at least watch for a long time) your favorite star!

To Attend TV Show Tapings:

ABC Network Live Shows
212-456-7771
netaudr@abc.com

Audiences for most ABC shows are handled by an outside entity, but they can direct you to who you need to talk to via the information above.

CBS Network Live Shows
212-975-2476 (New York)
323-575-2458 (Los Angeles)

To get tickets for a CBS show by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

CBS Tickets
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
NBC Network Live Shows
212-664-3056 (New York)
818-954-6000 (Los Angeles)

Tickets for NBC shows with a live audience are normally not available through NBC. You can, however, find tickets for many of their shows at http://www.TVTickets.com which is run by Audiences Unlimited, Inc. and not affiliated with NBC.

To Attend TV Show Tapings in Los Angeles:

Audience Associates
323-653-4105 or 323-467-4697
tvtix@tvtix.com or groups@tvtix.com

Audience Associates regularly recruits for crowd scenes in movies. Web site reservations are given the highest priority.

Audiences Unlimited
100 Universal City Plaza
Building 153
Universal City, CA 91608
818-753-3470
tickets@audiencesunlimited.com

Audiences Unlimited Web site includes show schedules, previews, show changes, studio maps and more.

CBS Studio City Tickets
7800 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Free tickets to live tapings of CBS TV shows can be acquired at CBS' ticket window on the west side of CBS TV City facing Fairfax. The ticket window is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although it is sometimes open on the weekend if a show is being taped then. For tickets by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above.

HollywoodTickets.com
818-688-3974
tickets@hollywoodtickets.com

This Web site allows you to print your own TV taping tickets off on the Web site and also allows you to browse TV taping line-ups so you can find the best shows to fit your schedule.

Paramount Show Tickets
323-956-5000 (General)
323-956-5575 (Information)
323-956-1777 (Reservations)

To Attend TV Show Tapings in New York City:

Good Morning America

If you want to watch Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson do their thing, call 212-580-5176 or just turn up weekday mornings to Times Square at 44th Street and Broadway, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Saturday Night Live

Ticket requests are only handled in August and are given out in a lottery system. Send a postcard with your name, address and phone number, as well as the number of tickets to:

NBC Tickets
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Standby tickets are available from 9 a.m. every Saturday at the GE Building. These are given on a first-come, first-served basis and are strictly limited to one per person.

Today Show

Just show up between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza if you'd like to get on the "Today Show." It will probably help your chances if you dress like a chicken, have a cute child in your arms, or construct a twelve foot sign that says "Kansas Loves Al!"

TRL

Call one month before the show you want to attend by calling 212-398-8549. Alternatively, try going on a standby ticket by arriving at 2 p.m. or earlier at MTV Studios, 1515 Broadway at 43rd Street. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are preferred by the producers.

To Attend Talk Shows in the U.K.

BBC

The BBC is always looking for people to take an active part in their game shows, comedy audiences, and even documentaries. More information can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/beonashow. For free tickets to BBC TV and radio shows to http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets

TV Recordings

If it's shot in London, you can probably get tickets at this Web site. Registration is required.

BeOn Screen

Search BeOn's directory of TV programs and register for email updates. This site is also used as a resource for TV producers who often place ads for the projects on this site.

More TV Show Taping Resources:

Audience Associates

On Camera Audiences

Studio Audiences

This site brings together a whole bunch of other Web site's information together in one place. You can find the contact information for any show right here.

New York TV Show Tickets, Inc.

This site lists New York television shows as well as discount Broadway tickets, starving artist tickets, secret discount codes, TV locations and city tours.

About the Author:
Jordan McAuley is the author of The Celebrity Black Book and the Founder of http://www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com located in West Hollywood, California. His exclusive online database provides accurate celebrity contact information including the best mailing address, agent, manager, publicist, production company, and charitable cause for over 54,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide to fans, businesses, authors, nonprofits, and the media. Affiliate Program at http://www.contactanycelebrity.com/affiliates and earn 50% monthly recurring commissions!

British Rock - Bloc Party!

2008-11-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Bret Robson

Since their latest album, A Weekend In The City, was released in February, Essex indie-rock superstars, Bloc Party, have enjoyed a year of major highs. They have followed up their success with a wide-ranging tour, performing at high-profile gigs such as Live Aid, Glastonbury, Reading/Leeds, SXSW, and the Austin City Limits music festival.

For a band that's only been together for five years and released just two full-length albums, Bloc Party have managed to create a significant amount of fuss in the music press. Leveraging all the distribution and marketing tools available, the band made up of Kele Okereke (vocals/guitar), Russell Lissack (guitar), Gordon Moakes (bass), and Matt Tong (drums), have managed to place their songs in prominent video games, commercials, re-mix discs, movie, and television soundtracks. This exposure and viral marketing tactics appears to have paid off.

Silent Alarm, their 2005 debut CD, was met with considerable critical acclaim and was voted by NME as 2005's Album Of The Year. It went platinum in the UK, peaking at number 3 in the album charts. Bloc Party made inroads in the American market as well, with a 4-5 star rating in Rolling Stone Magazine and hitting a respectable (for a previously unknown indie rock outfit) number 114 on the Billboard album charts, ultimately pushing worldwide sales for Silent Alarm past the one million mark.

Music journalists initially tended to lump Bloc Party in with other British new-wave inspired dance rock outfits like Franz Ferdinand, but soon agrees there was something more to them. Spin magazine had this to say about front man Okereke: "there's something so engaging about the urgent songwriting of Kele Okereke, the band's irrepressible front man that hints at longevity beyond this particular British invasion. With his piercing emotional explorations and edgy political banter, Okereke possesses more charisma in one of his floppy dreadlocks than any number of feuding indie-rock singers put together."

There was a remix of Silent Alarm in 2005, as well as several EPs exclusive to Japan, but in February 2007 Bloc Party was back with a sophomore release that proved they weren't going to go down as one-hit wonders.

A Weekend In The City made it to number 2 in the UK album charts and in the first week of sales, 48,000 disc sales notched them the number 12 spot on the American Billboard album charts, a significant improvement from the peak of 114 on their first outing!

Taking the band in a new direction, the new CD makes it more difficult to draw direct comparisons to previous bands (Gang of Four, The Cure and Blur were frequently brought up after the release of their first album), and shows a band more comfortable with itself, growing into its potential.

There were concerns that early leaks of the new album might impact sales - a copy made its way onto file-sharing networks three months before its official release - and the band took the unusual step of posting samples of the entire album on their MySpace site.

Expect to hear more from Bloc Party, and if you get the opportunity to catch them in concert during this tour, don't miss it.

Discography (Original Releases Only)
2004: Bloc Party (EP)
2005: Silent Alarm (#3 UK)
2007: A Weekend In The City (#2 UK)

Forthcoming UK Dates
27/10 London Roundhouse
03/11 Dublin Big Top @ Phoenix Park
12/12 Glasgow SECC
13/12 Manchester G-MEX
14/12 London Alexandra Palace
15/12 London Alexandra Palace

About the Author:
This article was written by Bret Robson for Viagogo.co.uk, a leading European ticket hub. Viagogo connects buyers and sellers of tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets and more. Viagogo also guarantees all the transactions, so if you are looking for tickets online, Viagogo is the place to go!