savvystacy

2007-11-30T07:26:00.000-06:00

Dear SavvyStacy:

GPS units are becoming so unbelievably popular and many cars have them pre-installed. However, there are after-market versions for vehicles and personal units for those who walk, hike, golf, etc.

Two questions: my husband wants a version for his vehicle and it looks like there are some good prices out there right now – what are your thoughts on a good, fairly inexpensive automobile unit? Second question: if you had a grown son that did a lot of traveling for work, do you think he’d want a hand-held unit for when he’s doing a lot of moving around in unfamiliar cities, or do you think he already has something like that available to him via his Blackberry/cell phone service?

Thank you,

Technically-Challenged Christmas Shopper

Dear Challenged,

You're right. GPS units are all over ads. It's a hot Christmas item. When I'm looking for advice on a specific item, I first go to Amazon and do a search. In this case, I would do a search for GPS and then look for the "user ratings" in the results. I love this about Amazon. You can immediately read reviews from real people who actually have the product. It's great.

That's a good start, but then with something as popular as a GPS unit, I think you should expand your research a bit. With a quick Google search, I found a Consumer Reports article that actually rated GPS reviews given by companies. Isn't that crazy? A review that rates reviews? Here's the article. I did a quick look at the sources they recommend and my immediate favorite was this GPS Tracklog. It's in a blog style, so it's very user friendly. I think you would find this site very helpful. One of my favorite parts of this site is the first item on the left hand side. It's a link to Holiday GPS deals. Here, they keep on top of the deals going around.

Finally, if you want just a simple solution, just go to the GPS Bestsellers list here on Amazon. After all, if everyone else is buying one, they must be getting it for some reason, right? Actually, I did peek on there and most of the "bestsellers" listed had very good reviews. So I don't really think you can go wrong, but at least this should help you navigate through all the information.

Regarding your second question, if your grown son is up on technology and travels with things like a Blackberry, laptop, etc., then I don't think a GPS unit is necessary. I think he'll probably get his information elsewhere (or from cabs).

One last piece of advice. You could always just give your GPS unit to your husband and buy yourself a fancy new car with a GPS built in. I don't know that it saves money, but it would be savvy if you could pull it off.

Good deals on airfare

2007-11-29T21:47:00.000-06:00

Dear Savvy Stacy,

My family is planning a trip to AZ in March, and we are trying to find the best deals on airfare. We had a found a reasonable airfare last night, but when I went to purchase the tickets they wanted to charge me $11 for each seat that I wanted to reserve ahead of time and another $10 per person for luggage. Needless to say, I didn’t buy the tickets. Where can I find the best deals for airfare and for a rental car for our vacation?

-Looking for a good deal

Dear Looking,

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that between now and March, you're not likely to find a great deal on airfare. This is Spring Break time for a lot of people, so airlines aren't likely to offer a lot of discounts. I've tried waiting in the past for airfare around this time, and it never really got cheaper.

It's hard with traveling, especially when you're going with little kids, as I know you are. You want to get some conveniences, but when it comes down to it, you'll ultimately have to make some sacrifices. I hate this more than anyone because I'm a big planner. When I schedule flight information, I have a very specific idea of when I want to get there, when I want to leave, etc. Then just when you think you have everything perfect, something inevitably goes wrong.

Here's what I do when I'm searching for airfare. First I check Expedia and Travelocity. After that, I start checking individual airline sites. Sometimes, you'll get those smaller airlines like Southwest, Frontier, JetBlue that don't show up in the bigger results. While I'm on these sites, I look for coupon codes, specials, etc. that might not show up otherwise. After I've done this research, then I look for any coupons that I might be able to use. For example, in the Entertainment book, I'm pretty sure American Airlines has a 5% off coupon, which can really add up. Another great coupon supplier is Northwest. They are constantly sending out a couple of different coupons. One is for a certain amount of money off a fare. So $75 off a fare that's $300 or more. Their other coupon is a set fare when you travel between certain zones. (This comes in the mail.) I did a little checking, and the only coupon out for Northwest right now seems to be good through the end of January. I'm sure they'll issue more coupons, so if you're considering flying them, that's something to keep in mind. You can usually find them on Ebay or put a request out on your local Craigslist to get one. I've used the NW coupons, and they can be GREAT!

Sites are getting MUCH better these days with their search options. Most automatically show you travel dates around your specified dates. Or at least, you just have to check a box for them to do that. Travelocity is great because they have this "Flexible dates" box that shows you dates for a whole month, and it compares nearby airports.

Above all, don't drive yourself crazy. And if you see a good deal, just book it. After a while, all those airfare sites can really give you a headache. It's not worth the stress.

Finally, if you're not finding deals in the price range you want, start thinking about what you're willing to sacrifice. Make a list of what is most important to you. Maybe you drive three to five hours to leave from a place that is MUCH cheaper. That doesn't sound like fun, but it's probably better than driving the 26 hours (or whatever it is) to Arizona. Or think of it as something fun. Fly in to a place that's three to five hours out from your destination. And then have with it. Think of it as the chance to see more stuff.

I wish the best of luck to you. It's not fun doing the research for this stuff, but don't let it get the best of you. Once the tickets are bought, it's done and then you don't have to worry anymore. But my advice is to get going on it! You could probably wait until the first of the year, but I wouldn't wait much past that.

Oh, and with rental cars...I have a similar strategy. I start with Travelocity and Expedia to see which rental company is going to give me the cheapest base rate, and then I zero in on a company and research the heck out of it, looking for coupon codes. Most of them have the codes right there on their site. I would suggest that you go ahead and book your rental car now. The good thing about rental cars is that you can always update it when a better price comes along or just cancel it if you get a better deal with another company. Rental cars do tend to have shorter time periods on when their discounts are available, so I bet you'll start seeing coupon codes that are good through the end of March soon. Also, don't forget to look in the Entertainment book for coupon codes.

FINALLY, for a rental car, check this awesome Web site. This site is specifically for Disney travel, but she updates the rental car page constantly with codes that can be used anywhere. It's so nice to have everything all in one place. I love this site. Just click on each rental car company and you can see where the "latest deals" have been added in red.

Sorry for the long posting. Let me know if you want help searching for specific dates. If I had an idea of the price you've been seeing and what you'd like to get, I could help you research.

Is remodeling worth it?

2007-11-27T19:52:00.000-06:00

Dear Savvy Stacy,

My husband and I are planning on building a home within the next 2 years. I was wondering where I could get the most up-to-date information regarding home values to help decide whether or not to make those additional remodels or add-ons to our home before we sell it. I know you can get more for your house that way, but does it all just balance out in the end? For example, I don’t want to spend $10,000 on our kitchen if we will get only that or less out of it. Please help!!!!!

-Soon To Be Homebuilder in Oklahoma

Dear Homebuilder,

Wow! Now this is a loaded question. There are so many good things for me to talk about. First of all, you probably know that this is a terrible time to sell a home. The industry is crazy slow right now, though it has to turn sooner or later.

Home sales are public information. Here where I am, the home sales are listed each week in the Sunday paper. Now don't confuse this with the assessed value of a home. Assessed values are often less than the true value, though you can find that information for any home at your local assessor's office.

Another great resource is a simple site, www.realtor.com. Here, you can do a "map search" for homes. Enter your zip code, and you can immediately see where homes in your area are for sale and what they're going for. It's kind of a cool interactive map in general.

Now, when you're talking about remodeling and trying to figure out if the investment is work it, I found this great article. She makes some great points. One of the things she mentions is to not overestimate what your home could be worth. This sounds kind of bad, but it makes sense. If the homes in your neighborhood are valued at a certain limit, chances are, you're not going going to get double that for yours, even if you do a ton of work. So if you are thinking of renovating, you want to make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck! I found a great site to help you with that. Check out this Home Sale Maximizer. You'll see that a kitchen is lower in the return, but many realtors recommend it. If your kitchen is the big spot where you need a renovation, then it's probably worth it. But remember, you can do small changes like painting, tile, etc. without doing a full remodel.

I hope that helps you make some decisions. Good luck!

Cyber Monday

2007-11-26T12:18:00.001-06:00

Dear Savvy Stacy,

What is Cyber Monday?

-Clueless in Atlanta

Dear Clueless,

Cyber Monday is a follow-up to Black Friday. It's a day where retailers *should* offer great online deals. It's kind of hit or miss, but it might be worth checking out if you're planning to do some online shopping. The Web site where you can find all the Cyber Monday deals is www.cybermonday.com.

Have fun!

Shopping for Men...

2007-11-21T11:18:00.000-06:00

Dear Savvy Stacy,

I’m having a really tough time coming up with some good ideas for Christmas for my husband. My clever daughter-in-law came up with one good idea already and I was able to score xxx as well as xxxx. Those are my only ideas so far, though, and I’m hoping that you can help me think of some things that I could add to my list. It’s not like we buy a lot for each other, but it would be nice to have a couple of things for him. This is an annual problem since he rarely mentions things that he wants.

Can you help me?

BrainDead with only a month to go!

*This question has been modified from its original version to avoid ruining any Christmas surprises.

Dear BrainDead,

It does sound like you have a clever daughter-in-law! Good question, though. I also have a hard time shopping for the men in my life. Does your husband like sports? If so, you could always look for an autographed item, which is unique. I'm always lenient to check out such items on Ebay because you want them to be authentic. The good news is that if you're looking for baseball items, you get a lot of these through MLB.com, which has an authentication program. For example, here's a link to the Milwaukee Brewers site. Under memorabilia, you'll find autographed baseballs.

http://shop.mlb.com/sm-milwaukee-brewers--bs-1452356.html

You're going to pay $70 to $100 for these, but it's a cool gift that could increase in value over time. Another good site for this is Legends of the Field, a place that I trust because they go to the signings themselves. Here's their link...

http://www.legendsofthefield.com/bensheets.html

Here's another idea that I'm getting for some of the men in my life...

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2007/09/06/leatherman-skeletool.html

Here's another cool idea: a Life magazine from the year someone was born. They are available from the 1940s and up.

http://www.gifts.com/search/product/Personalized-Birthday-Gifts-LIFE-Magazine-Years-1940-Present?ideaID=3365&prodID=81422

And here's another idea that keeps on giving year-round. It's a monthly club where they get something shipped to them every month. Someone gave us a cookie club membership one time, and it was a lot of fun. You can do pretty much anything. And it's nice because they have it available in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months or seasonal...

http://www.amazingclubs.com/

It's always fun to look for gifts that are also experiences. Tickets to an event, a gift certificate to a nice golf club, etc. Those are good ideas that they'll really like.

Also, think about what they already have. This is a possible gift. Do they have some old something or other that's just sitting in the basement? They say they're going to fix it or have it fixed or whatever? Surprise them and get it fixed or polished up for them. Even something as simple as getting a display shelf. Or maybe they have an old collection you can help complete by shopping on Ebay. It's a great resource for old treasures.

Finally, don't forget the old standbys. They make DVD collections for just about ANY show now, new or old. And of course, electronics. Just remember, with electronics, they might appreciate the gift more if they already have a headstart on it. If you have someone that doesn't like to mess with technology, consider opening the gift, figuring out how it works and then wrapping it in that form. They'll appreciate getting a head start on it (unless of course, they like to figure that stuff out for themselves).

Electronic Discounts

2007-11-20T21:09:00.000-06:00

Dear Savvy Stacy,

A friend of mine wants to buy his wife a new Dell laptop computer for Christmas and obviously wants to find the best deal. How do you find the best coupon codes and determine what the best deal is?

Thanks,

Cuckoo for Coupon Codes

Dear Cuckoo,

First of all, I'm sorry for your friend. It's unfortunate that he's buying a Dell laptop instead of an Apple. It's not your fault, though. I'm sure it's what he grew up with and what he knows. So even though I disagree with his choice, I will still answer your question to the best of my ability.

Now is a great time to buy a laptop. There are all kinds of deals flying around out there, and it can be hard to sort through them. If you type in "coupon code" into Google, it's definitely overwhelming. Tons of sites have sprouted over the years, offering coupon code information. One of the best ones for electronics is Tech Bargains, http://www.techbargains.com/.

Look on the top of the screen on this main page. There's specifically a tab for Dell under "Recent Hot Deals." Currently, there are several deals that end on Nov. 21, but I'm sure that's just in preparation of even better deals for Black Friday.

Don't forget to check into other sources in case you can "stack" coupons. Many times, employers, students, etc. get a discount for computer purchases. If she's a student or your company offers some kind of discount, you might want to call Dell directly and ask if you can combine a coupon code discount with an educational discount (or whatever the case may be).

Good luck!

Black Friday

2007-11-20T12:31:00.000-06:00

Dear Savvy Stacy,

Do you go out on black Friday? Are the after-thanksgiving deals really worth it? How do you know which store to go to first?

Signed,

All-these-ads-are-driving-me-nuts!

Dear Nuts,

Do I go out on black Friday?!?! Is Shrek green? Is thanksgiving on Thursday?

Yes, yes, yes! How could I call myself Savvy Stacy if I didn’t go out on the biggest shopping day of the year? This year, my shopping starts at midnight after Thanksgiving. A couple of outlet malls in my area are having “Midnight Madness” sales, and I can’t wait to give it a try.

To answer you next question is a little difficult. Are the deals really worth it? Well, it’s all a matter of perspective. Are you one of the thousands of people clamoring to get one of the 10 super deals on the flat screen TV? If so, are you willing to wait outside at 1 a.m. or even earlier at a store that doesn’t open until 5? To me, those deals are not worth it. Electronics go on sale all the time around the holidays, and unless you’re trying to get your hands on a hard-to-find item like a Nintendo Wii, I don’t think it pays to sit out in the cold for hours.

But there are other deals on Black Friday that are definitely worth your while. Just remember, don’t buy just because it’s a good deal. You’ll end up spending more money doing that. Instead, do what Santa does. Make a list and check it twice. Then find good deals for the people on your list. Here are some of my favorite stores to check out on Black Friday:

Target: They really do have good deals, and they seem to stock a good supply. So if you’re looking for a DVD special or toy you saw in their ad, there’s a good chance they’ll have it.

Amazon: You don’t even have to leave you house! Amazon has this really cool promotion called Amazon Customer Vote. You vote on a set of items for each week, choosing the one that you want them to offer at a crazy low price. Then you check back each week to see if you were chosen to buy it. Right now, you can vote for the Nintendo Wii to purchase for only $79!

Kohls: It’s kind of crazy in the store, but this is another good place that offers some of their best deals online. I love shopping in my pajamas.

Do you have any questions for Savvy Stacy? Click on my profile at right and send me an e-mail. I’ll research your question and post it right here.

Here we go...

2007-11-20T07:23:00.001-06:00

Stay tuned. Savvy Stacy will return in a moment.