Fighting the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Monsters

As we all know, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, meaning that we get to eat absurd amounts of food while watching football or talking to relatives. Or at least, that's what it will be for me.

However, it's the weekend after Thanksgiving that many savings-savvy-shoppers look forward to. Black Friday is the day when all of the stores are dropping prices, and Cyber Monday is when the online retailers follow suit.

Both of these days are looming in the not-so-distant future, and they are ready for you to enter them with impulse and reckless abandon. To combat that, you could always eat an absurd amount of food, which apparently increases the production of an amino acid that makes you less impulsive. See? Eat more and save money. Science proves it, and you can't argue with science.

However, the best strategy for tackling the big shopping days is to go in prepared. If you're looking for the best deals for each one, there are some online resources that can help you out. For the shop-a-holics that prefer Black Friday, Black-Friday.net is an excellent catalog of all the deals you can find and where. And for those that wish to avoid the rabid swarming masses and do your shopping online, CyberMonday.net is a similar grouping of all the online deals and where you can save the most money.

So, which of these two days do you use to get most of your shopping done? Have you ever found any great deals? Tell us in the comments!

How Fast is Your High Speed Internet?

If there's one thing that can be confusing when it comes to shopping for home services, it's high speed Internet. With the increasing packages that providers are offering via fiber optic, cable and DSL connections, it's getting harder and harder to figure out which speed is the right one for you. On top of that, there's no real standard across the industry for broadband speeds, so there are lots of options out there that can be difficult to sift through.

It really all boils down to what your needs are. If you are simply a fan of browsing the Web casually and checking e-mail, then you don't need anything more than the basic 768 kbps (kilobytes per second) package that most providers offer. However, if you are into downloading music and watching the occasional YouTube or other small streaming video, you might need to kick it up another notch.

For the more serious Web fiends, the options continue. If you are into higher quality video streaming, like the services found on Netflix, 6 Mbps (Megabits per second) is probably necessary to yield better results. In addition, online gamers will need a faster connection, but download speed isn't quite as important as upload speed there. Online gaming relies on how fast your connection is uploading your information back to the server you're playing on.  Many providers try to sell higher download speeds (like 12 Mbit/s) as the "gaming" package, but if it doesn't have a higher upload speed, you might not be getting what you need. 

Right now, I'm sporting a 6 Mbps connection at home, and so far it's proven great for video streaming and even online gaming. What about you guys? What do you have at home? Vote and tell us in the comments!

HDTV: Batteries Not Included

One of the worst feelings as a kid was opening up my Christmas presents and seeing the phrase "batteries not included". To my young and fragile mind, this was a travesty for which there was no equal. Requiring me to wait before I played with my new loot? It was unthinkable! Interestingly enough, many are experiencing the same thing when it comes to HDTVs. Same problem, different packaging.

Last month, we posted on the blog about the fact that over 50 percent of households have HDTVs. The more curious part of that article is the notion that of the millions that now have a high definition television set of some sort, 69 percent of HDTV owners do not have HD service of any kind.

Perhaps people are fine with just having a bigger — though not necessarily better — picture? Maybe it's a money issue, though often times adding an HD package onto your existing TV service isn't much more than a few extra dollars a month. I think the largest contributing factor, though, is that most people don't realize that for HDTVs, the "batteries" are not included, and there's no information to let them know about this in the retail stores. After all, they just want you to get the TV. Why would they bother to educate people about what else is needed to enjoy it and fully utilize your entertainment investment?

So, I've decided to put together a few pieces of information that might prove helpful. Tips on where to find the "batteries" for your HDTV, so to speak. Listed below is what you need in order to start watching high definition programming. Hit the jump to read on!

Four Ways to Help Your Car Last

The current state of the economy seems to be benefiting those in the market for a new car in a major way. Dealerships are opening their doors to all shoppers even mildly interested in a new vehicle, and are doing their best to move cars off of their over-stuffed lots. It almost makes me wish I was looking to buy right now, because there are some great deals.

Consumer Reports has recently posted a helpful list on How to Keep Your Car in Top Condition. So, whether you just bought a new car or you're trying to keep your current one driving, some of these might help add some extra miles.

• Browse the owner's manual for some kind of maintenance schedule. Make a calendar for things like tire rotations, fluids and oil changes.
• If you hear a new noise when turning, braking or accelerating, don't write it off. Find out what's causing it.
• Check your car's fluid levels once a month.
• Once a month check the air pressure in each tire, as well as the spare.

To read more about keeping your car in better condition, check out ConsumerReports.

How Your Freezer Can Save You Money

For some, the home freezer is a frozen wasteland of TV dinners, freezer-burned leftovers and chunks of ice stuck in the ice maker. If you're like me, there is an unnecessary amount of food each month that ends up getting spoiled in the refrigerator or the pantry, only to be needless tossed in the waste basket. However, the freezer can help. We use it to chill our desserts and get ice to make our drinks cold, but did you know that your freezer can save you money on food, as well as reduce waste?

The New York Times has a great article up about how the normal home freezer can extend the life of your food. Rather than throw food away, you can store it and squeeze the most out of the items that you buy at the grocery store. There are several tips that range for all kinds of food, including strips of chicken, grain, egg whites and more, and how you can use leftovers to make new meals.

To read more about using the freezer to save money on food, be sure to visit the New York Times.

Save Money by Improving Your Credit Score

The beginning of the month is usually when we all take a deep breath and pay our dreaded bills. It’s an unpleasant yet necessary ritual that without we would get swamped by collection agencies. So, as we sit with pen and paper, or computer and keyboard, this month, I thought we could all re-evaluate our payment plans and be reminded of methods to improve our credit scores.

The biggest culprit in bad credit is out-of-control credit card debt with the average American carrying around approximately $8,000 worth of it. First things first, stop using plastic! Then, starting with the highest interest rate card, pay off monthly as much as you can while you continue to pay the minimum payments on the rest. When determining your FICO credit score, debt balances in comparison to credit lines are heavily factored, so strive towards maintaining low balances. An obvious, yet easily overlooked tip is to always pay your bills on time. Just one slip and it can detrimentally affect your credit score.

As you’re taking steps to improve your credit, remember that it’s like losing weight – it won’t happen overnight. Keep in mind the long-term benefits to maintain motivation. Those with higher credit scores are offered the best rates on all major types of loans which will save you money. For more credit-improving tips, visit CNNMoney and check out this interactive online debt planner if you want to visualize your monthly payments and goals.

Saving Money at the Grocery Store

As many of us know, there are plenty of ways for people to save money in their day-to-day spending. Whether it's through car pooling or the way we use water and electricity, we can find all kinds of opportunities to pinch a few pennies.

However, one place that we could always use more money saving tips for is the grocery store. CBS News has put together a list of tricks to turn regular shoppers into savvy shoppers when it comes to the food we buy.

• Check the bottom shelf. Since eye-level is where most shoppers do their spending in the grocery store, many companies pay to have their items stocked there. Check the bottom of the shelf for more cost-effective items.
• Mind the end-cap. Just because certain products are on display at the end of the aisle doesn't mean they are on sale. In addition, check the expiration date on these products. There's a chance the retailer has put less fresh items there in hopes of selling them before they go bad.
• Convenience costs money. Sure, you can buy pre-cut chicken or shredded cheese, but it's always cheaper just to buy the full product yourself and then cut it or separate it out later.

To see these tips and others, be sure to visit CBS News to find out more about how you can save money at the grocery store.

Final Earth Day Tip: Green Fitness

Happy Earth Day, folks. Our countdown to Earth Day finally comes to a close with one final tip that's sure to get your green motor running.

We all know the obvious ways to go green. There are plenty of guides and tips available online that can help us reduce our electricity, find better appliances, or buy products that are more eco-friendly and recyclable. However, have you ever thought about how you can go green and be fit all at the same time?

There are many ways to incorporate green fitness into your daily work-out routine. From the kinds of shoes and clothes you buy, to planting trees for a more earthy and natural workout, there's something available for everyone. Here are some handy guides to get you started on the path to green exercise:

• Green Living Ideas has a comprehensive list on all kinds of things you can do to green up your work out, including commuting and even "green gyms".
• SparkPeople compiles a run down of the earth friendly work out gear you can purchase, including links where you can find what you need.
• Runner's World tackles the question of "how is a running shoe produced"? It's a fascinating look the behind the process of making the shoes we wear.
• Suite101 lists useful tips for anyone just getting started into the world of green, and takes a gander at some easy things we can all do to help the planet and get in better shape.

Enjoy Earth Day, and let's all do our part to be environmentally conscious. If you enjoyed this tip, please be sure to see some of our other Earth Day tips.

An Extra Step for a Smaller Footprint: Earth 911 and Recycling

With spring cleaning come piles of things you want to remove from your home. Many of these items can be put out to the curb for regular recycling. Before you throw the rest away, check to see if it can be recycled elsewhere. This extra step can make a big difference!

If you are not sure where to start, check out Earth911.com. Just enter the items you are looking to recycle and your location and they'll give you the scoop on where to go. Make sure to check the site before you throw anything out. They have resources for recycling just about everything, including magazines, plastic bags, batteries, tires, mattresses, eye glasses, and even household cleaning items. For those going green at work, the site has also created a section for businesses looking to recycle Business.Earth911.com.

What's the strangest thing you've been able to recycle?

Tip 7: Green Appliances

There are several ways to make your home and life more green and energy efficient. This ranges from the kinds of materials you use for house cleaning to the items you throw away or recycle. However, the biggest sources of energy consumption in our day-to-day routines comes from the appliances we use around the house. Here are a few tips about electrical appliances, whether you're on the market for new ones or looking to make your current items more energy efficient.

Water Heaters

Water heaters account for about 1/5 of your total monthly energy consumption, so anyway that you can lower the amount of energy it uses is helpful. Less hot water is the key. A few ways you can do this are by simply conserving the amount of hot water you use by doing things like taking shorter showers, or you can install new shower heads that limit the amount of water that comes through. Another useful home remedy is to turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater down to 120-130 degrees, lowering the overall temperature.

Refrigerator/Freezer

Your refrigeration and freezer units are two big culprits in the energy consumption game. Why is that? Well, mostly because they're always on. After the AC and the water heater, the refrigerator is the largest energy hog in your house.

With that in mind, make sure to get an ENERGY STAR product, to know that what you have ranks well for energy efficiency. In addition, a top-and-bottom refrigerator/freezer combo is much more tame with energy use than a side-by-side unit. On average, side-by-side units consume a good bit more electricity.

Washer and Dryer

Once again, an ENERGY STAR washer is definitely the way to go. Beyond that, though, front loading washers and dryers can cut your energy use for those machines by as much as half. Washing with cold water can further cut down on what it takes to clean your clothes.

When it comes to drying, however, finding a machine with moisture sensors can really cut down on your unnecessary drying time, as the machine will shut off when it senses that the clothes are already dry. In the end, though, the most energy efficient way to dry your clothes is a good old fashioned clothesline in the backyard.

Air Conditioning

This is the number one energy consumer in the household. The best way to conserve energy when dealing with an air conditioner is to use ceiling fans regularly, as well as regularly replacing air filters.

Many times, it's the amount of off/on usage that the air conditioner unit has that drives up the dollars. Turning the AC off when you're not at home can do wonders on the monthly bill. In addition, during the winter, switching ceiling fans to reverse so they pull up cold air can save some money. 

Hopefully these tips can help any of you out there looking for new appliances for your household, or just looking to shave some cash off of each bill. For more detailed information about home appliances and their energy consumption, be sure to check out Green Living Ideas and Mother Earth News.