Using Deal Sites for Holiday Shopping

by | Nov 11, 2011

The Dollar Stretcher
by Gary Foreman
gary @stretcher.com

According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans expect to spend about
$715 this year on holiday gifts. That amount is almost unchanged from
last year.
<http://www.marketingcharts.com/direct/holiday-spending-forecasts-chilly-19430/>

In the current economy it’s no surprise that families will be
watching their holiday spending closely. Consumers are expected to
use every tool at their disposal to get the best value for their
shopping dollar.

Among those tools are the daily deal type sites that offer a variety
of special deals, many targeted by city. I use one myself occasionally.

I wanted to get a feel for how consumers might use these sites during
this holiday shopping season. To help me answer that question I spoke
with Gary Lipovetsky, president of DealFind.com.

The first question I asked Gary was do you expect many shoppers to
take advantage of daily deals this holiday season?
“Absolutely  people love deals and daily deal sites are positioned to
help people stretch their money further than ever.”

According to his research, Mr. Lipovetsky expects customers to save
around $100 million just during November and December this year.

He also expects that certain product categories will be more popular
than others. “In our experience, the favorite deals for holidays are
stocking stuffers, spas or facials. Restaurants and getaways coming
in close second – they are great as gifts and a wonderful treat for
one-self as well. Magazine subscriptions did very well last year and
even useful presents like lost and found security tags for your
phone, keys, wallets, etc.”

I also wondered whether there was any way to tell when the best deals
would be available. In a tough economy I’d be tempted to wait until
desperate retailers were forced to offer above-average last minute
discounts. Would that apply to the deal sites?

So I asked Lipovetsky when would be the prime time for daily deals –
Black Friday? Nearer to Christmas? “It has already started, its
happening now and will continue through November with the last week
of December being most busy. There is always a huge influx of last
minute shoppers or people buying additional gifts.”

Finally I asked him what his favorite method for getting the best
deal? “We recommend the following tips: Buying deals early, buying
multiple deals if the price is great, buying as gifts – you can find
so many items that you would otherwise buy full-price or wait for
after-Holiday sales.”

Naturally, Lipovetsky is a big believer in deal sites. You’d expect
that. But, I agree that for the consumer who knows what they’re
looking for and what a good sale price is for that item, the deal
sites can give them another tool to use this holiday season.

My warning would be to be careful to avoid a rush decision that
hasn’t be researched. Deal sites can offer savings. But, if it’s not
something that you need or want or the price can be beat, you don’t
want to pull the trigger on the purchase. As always, think before you
pull out your credit or debit card!

Keep on Stretching those Dollars!

_____________
Gary Foreman is a former purchasing manager who currently edits The
Dollar Stretcher website <http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm?column>.
This article originally appeared at
<http://community.stretcher.com/blogs/stretcher/archive/2011/11/08/deal-sites-and-holiday-shopping.aspx>.
You can follow Gary on Twitter <http://twitter.com/#!/gary_foreman>.

(end Dollar Stretcher blog)

How To Keep Kids Safe From Sexual Predators

How To Keep Kids Safe From Sexual Predators

by | Nov 10, 2011

keepkidssafe

As a single mom it makes sense that we would want a mentor for our sons. But with the recent news about the assistant football coach at Penn State’s alleged sexual misconduct (or worse) with young boys, it’s a reason to give pause to the potential dangers of letting unrelated family members handle our children.

Get the Facts Before You Trust Someone with Your Child

I’m not an alarmist and I like hear all the facts, but this hits close to home for me. When my son was younger I trusted a man to mentor him and help him through life. I was distraught at the possibility that my son would turn out to be another statistic, growing up without a father and no direction.

This is What Happens When You Don’t Get the Facts

The thing is, many guys know this about single moms and prey on us when we are in this emotionally charged state of mind. I let my guard down and let a man into my life that would do years of damage to me and my family, especially my then 2-year old son.

I married that man and lived to regret it. He was an abuser of the worse kind. His abuse, though primarily pointed at me, was aimed directly at my son. I cannot go into the details of the abuse but I have a strong belief that he molested him.

The Damage A Child Sexual Predator Can Do Last For Years

My son could not verbalize what happened to him in that way, but I know by evidence of child porn on my computer and the reactions my son had each time I tried to change his diaper (potty training was delayed) and bath him that something was terribly wrong.

I was smart enough to end the marriage quickly and begin the healing process for myself and my children. It has taken years for my son to get through this experience. He suffered post traumatic stress disorder for years. He acted out, his development was delayed, and he has trouble learning in the “traditional” way. He had/has multiple phobias including fear of water, insects, heights and dogs.

It is Possible to Recover From Abuse

The up side is he is now a very happy, friendly young man. He is loyal, polite, and willing to go the extra mile. He is now teaching himself to swim, insects don’t bother him as much; neither do heights. He is still leery of dogs and will panic if one comes too near him.

We have close ties with family so he gets along well and trusts my dad, brother, and brother-in-law.

With much prayer he is a “normal” testosterone-driven boy with natural athletic ability.

I’m proud of him but I often wonder what our lives would have been like if I had not let my fears and emotions cloud my judgement. What would life have been like if I had never let that man into my life, my home, and around my children?

How to Protect Kids from Predators

I will never know, but what I do know is I always question any man who takes an extreme/odd interest in my son. He does not do sleepovers with any family other than my own. I make sure that every person involved in his life know that we are stable and happy so no need to interject your opinion or try to be a father-figure.

Living with Regret and Shame is Just as Damaging

I used to beat myself up about what happened in our family but now I know it is all a part of life. Rehashing it and living in shame over it is not the key to living a healthy life. It is also not good for my children to see me in a constant state of depression and guilt over past mistakes. We learn from them and we always move forward.

What happened with the Penn State assistant couch is horrible. I hope it will be a wake-up call for every single mom and every parent who entrusts their children to others. No matter how upstanding or polished a person seems, we have to trust our instincts and check them out.

How to Use PrePaid Debit Cards to Control Your Expenses

by | Nov 4, 2011

Use Prepaid Debit Card Control Expenses

How many times have you run out of money at the end of the month? How many times have you had a check bounce? How about the last time you swiped your card and it was denied?

That is pretty embarrassing. I lived like that for a while and it was not fun. Granted, more people than we know probably have this problem every now and then. Let’s face it, money is short for many people.

One of the ways to get around this issue of running out of money is to use a pre-paid debit card. Why? (more…)

Is this a Good Time to Playing the Stock Market?

by | Nov 1, 2011

Everyone is talking about the ecomomy and how bad things are. Politicians and big business men are playing ping-pong with our emotions and wallets.

Everywhere I turn I hear about the 1% versus the 99%. Occupy Wall Street and various other offshoot “Occupy” groups are springing up all over the country.

With all this noise I wonder if it’s a good time to play the stock market. So many people are distracted because of the news coverag and naysayers. Is this a good time to be playing the stock market?

The reality is, business goes on and as usual. The stock market is still moving forward. People are still buying goods and services and companies are still making money.

Even in a recession we still need food, clothing, gas, shelter, and numerous other things. As  idealistic as it is to want to boycott, sit down, and/or be an activist life still goes on. We can complain about what happening or we can do something about it.

I think there are opportunities in the stock market, but it requires education and innovative thought. For me I have to get input from an experienced person that I can trust. There are many online brokerage services and products like Scottrade that offer quick and inexpensive options to jump into the market.

For me, I need a bit more hand holding and guidance. A while ago I spoke to an investment adviser that seemed on the up and up. He seemed genuinely interested in helping me set up accounts, transfer my retirement fund, and start making money to fund my dreams.

Thankfully I have a little nest egg to turn over which will make getting started much simpler and less stressful. I won’t have to figure out how to get the money to put into the market and beginning playing with the big boys.

Someday soon, I’ll be sitting pretty with a diverse portfolio of my favorite companies. In the meantime, I’m back to the grindstone to make a dollar out of 15 cents like everyone else. 🙂

Jasmine Guy Says Change Your Mindset Too Many Women Are Living in a Different World

by | Oct 31, 2011

I had an amazing weekend! I went to visit my parents and see the young people in their church get in front of a large group of people to give a speech. These young men are only twelve years old, but they were courageous enough to stand in front of an audience and share a message of hope and the power the youth have to change the world.

Later I got to hang out with some really great people at a costume party and watch the kids have fun playing games. We had a bonfire (sorry no marshmallows this time), lots of laughs and good food.

I returned home early to attend the Annual Challenge to Change Brunch benefiting Chayil (pronounced Ky-ill). Chayil is an Atlanta Women’s Transformation Program that helps women who have experienced domestic violence and are now moving out of a shelter into the real world on their own.

Chayil bridges the gap through providing 24-hour counseling, financial education, and self-esteem coaching. Women who leave an abusive relationship often do not have a place to turn, no resources, and no one to really understand what they are going through.

The brunch was a celebration of the work Chayil does and recognition for community leaders who support the organization and makes a difference in other ways.

Among the recipients of the Challenge to Change award was Jasmine Guy. Yes, the Jasmine Guy, she played the socialite southern belle Whitney Gilbert and kept us in stitches laughing at her antics and southern drawl on A Different World.

For those of you who have never seen that show, it was a spinoff from The Cosby Show.

Ms. Guy has gone on to many other projects in music, dance, and theater productions.

She is an Atlanta native and advocate for change. She was gracious and spoke on the need for a change of mind.

Without a mindset change, a woman that lives in a world of abuse and violence can never hope to really be set free. How often do we hear about women who go back to their abusers? It’s mostly because they do not believe they can make it on their own or their abuser has wounded their mind so much they believe he (or she) actually loves her.

Jasmine Guy

A mental shift cannot happen in a toxic environment. Programs like Chayil makes a way for women to permanently change not just their location, but their minds as well. This powerful shift gives them hope.

Ms. Guy is so right about a need to change your mindset. Even if we are not in an violently abusive situation, it’s important to recognize when we are mentally bound by other types of abuse. It could be verbal, mental, sexual, or financial abuse. They are no better, and no less harmful than physical abuse.

Another thing to remember is abusive relationships are not just from a significant other. It can be from friends (you know, those frenemies you have), family members (that aunt who is always badgering you or just out right mean), a manager, and even a church leader.

The face of abuse comes in many shapes and sizes so we have to recognize when it’s happening to us.

Three sure signs you are being abused are:

  1. Put downs meant to demean you
  2. Name Calling
  3. Using manipulation, guilt, and shame to get you to do something you don’t want to do

If this is happening to you, it’s up to you to stop it. It may seem scary at first, but it is necessary to stay safe both physically and emotionally. No one has a right to abuse you. We teach our kids safety so it’s time we learned how to keep ourselves safe too. This is called learning boundaries.

Here are a few books I read to break the cycle of abuse in my own life:

Boundaries: When to Say YES, When to Say NO, To Take Control of Your Life
Codependent No More

How can you tell when you are being abused? What are the signs? Why do you let it happen? What can you do to stop it?