WALMART
I listed the wrong site for that shows some of the bizarro people that shop at Wal-Mart. The site is http://www.peopleofwalmart.com. It’s a treat. Check it out. Make me feel better about the messy get-up I wear when I go shopping.
MORTGAGE RATES
Mortgage rates have reached new record lows. If your mortgage rate is above 6%, look into refinancing. The 30-year fixed rates have gone below 5%. Or go for a lower term like 10-, 15, or 20-years to shave years off your mortgage. The rate will be lower with a shorter term allowing you to save even more. Or instead of refinancing, if you can, put an extra payment towards your principal each year and it will shave years off your mortgage. Check out the rates at: http://www.bankrate.com.
Read story about the mortgage rates here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091203/bs_nm/us_usa_mortgages_rates
INSURANCE
When was the last time you checked your insurance rates? Car, home, wedding ring, boat, gold doubloons, whatever you have insured. We recently did after Nationwide decided to value my house to insure much more than I could ever sell it for. The price they estimated to replace the house was incredible. All of our insurance was with Nationwide, so we shopped it around and compared it to others apples to apples. We found another company that will save us tons. Get this…we are saving over $800 a year by going to another insurance company. Some things were even better with the new company. We went through someone we knew to give us more comfort in switching. Do yourself a favor and shop around for your insurance.
A CHRISTMAS STORY
This weekend we went out to get our Christmas tree. We usually cut our own. I prefer the smell of a live tree and experience of getting one. I have gotten some deals by waiting until the week of Christmas to get a tree when we didn’t have time to cut our own by going to Lowes or Home Depot when they practically give it away just before Christmas. I have used some coupons for it too. We went to a tree farm in Madison and got an 11 foot white pine for $25. Great deal for a tall tree.
When I got my first tree some years ago I was worried that our cats, Dummy & Dummy, would propel themselves up the tree as soon as I propped it up. I envisioned them up on the top of the tree scouting out the sight lines as if it was a ship’s crows nest. Then I can see it falling down, ornaments and all, onto the living room floor. I would then have to scold my cats, wagging my finger and talking in my stern human to cat voice. Instead, my cats took a couple sniffs of the tree and seemed mildly interested but then squired themselves back to their normal sleeping posts.
The same thing happened with the aquarium. I worried that I would find them scuba diving for my fish while I was away in another room. All they did was tap the glass a couple times as the fish swam by and that was enough excitement for them for their lifetime with tropical fish.
Anyway, back to the tree. One morning I woke up when my wife was screaming that something was in the house. She saw the cat chasing it. The cat was in the bathroom and going ’round and ’round. I didn’t have my glasses on since I got right up out of bed when I heard her screaming. So all I could see was the blur of the cat moving around in circles. There was something the cat was chasing.
My wife finally noticed that there wasn’t “something live” it was chasing. It was then I found out that you shouldn’t hang tinsel from a Christmas tree when you have cats. Apparently it goes through their system and doesn’t always make it way out cleanly. The “thing” it was chasing was it’s own caca…attached to the end of a tinsel string. I was relieved and disgusted at the same time.
The honors went to my wife to “detach” the tinsel from the cat. Oh, don’t worry. I had the honors a couple days later when I noticed another piece making an appearance from the cat’s behind just before I had to leave for work. There it was, a shimmering string of silver for all to see, well, it wasn’t shimmering all that much after the trip it took through the cat’s intestines. With a squirming cat in place I had to pull it out, but it snapped. Damn cat had to clench. Now I had to get closer to “get it”. It came out that time, but I can tell you that was the last time tinsel would ever go on our tree. And as I found out it can be dangerous to cats. Ahh, memories…
Speaking of a Christmas Story, the movie was filmed here in Cleveland. You can visit the house as it is a museum now on the near west side, fishnet stocking lamp and all.
LETS MEET HALFWAY
There will be a lot of get-togethers during the holidays. To make things fair, some people meet at a half-way point. But is it really a half-way point? Is Independence half way if one person is from Brecksville and the other in Kirtland? Turns out the half-way point is more like Beachwood. Check out the site at http://www.meetways.com.
RITE AID
There is a $25 prescription transfer coupon in the ad. Get $75 worth of coupons with it too.
$5 off a $25 purchase coupon:
http://img.ionmx.com/ionmxweb2/MXOrgs/6008/Content/images/dts/20091129/DTS-11-29-Coupons2.pdf
AIRPORT PARKING
Park Place – $5 per day – plus get a free carwash
PD
Classified sales ad – 3 lines – 7 days – only 99 cents – per item valued under $500. Call 1-216-999-5555 or place your ad through http://www.cleveland.com/placead
BOOKCLOSEOUTS
Get books 50% to 90% off.
Click here:
Bookcloseouts Deals
WELW
Listen for me on Monday mornings at 7:18 AM on WELW 1330 AM radio for a little segment of mine on the Wake Up Lake County Show with Mike P and Mike G on the radio. Check out old segments or listem live at http://www.welw.com.
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
Big Lots – Northfield Plaza – closing date 1/31/10 – up to 20% discount currently (thanks Karen P for the tip)
Get your bling for cheap this year. Apparently jewelry stores are suffering with this economy with some recent closings. I plan on stocking up on mood rings. I’ll give them out as gifts this year too. I’ll give them to people that are moody so that I will know when to avoid them.
Bailey Banks & Biddle (jewelers) – Beachwood Place – up to 70% off
Alvins Jewelers – all stores – up to 81% off
OPENINGS
Big Lots – Parma