Hidden charges have taken residence at many hotels around the country, and aren’t expected to check-out any time soon. Some examples of these charges include mini-bar restocking fees (in addition to the less-than-economical price for the drinks themselves), room service delivery fees (over and above the cost of the delivered items and the tip), parking fees (which depending on where you stay, are based on both the duration of your stay and the number of times you enter and exit the facility).

Want a complementary cup of coffee? Not so fast. Some hotels offer free use of the coffee-maker and cup but charge you for the package of grounds. More often, the “free coffee” is billed to you in the form of a “resort fee” which also covers the cost of the “free” gym, pool and/or golf course, whether or not you use these amenities or not.

 Here’s some free advice to help you avoid the charges: when you book the room, ask the attendant if there are any charges in addition to the room rates. In some states, hotels are required to inform guests of any surcharges in advance of their stay.

You may also want to try some other tactics to avoid the hidden hotel charges:

• Join the hotel’s frequent visitor program. In addition to earning points for free or upgraded rooms, some hotels waive their “resort fees” for their club members. Even if it doesn’t automatically wave the fees, you may be able to use your preferred member status as leverage to persuade them to waive the fees.
• Upgrade and save. While it may seem counter-intuitive to spend more money to save some, many of these extra charges are truly free in many club-level rooms. You might get free-internet service, breakfast and an afternoon snack, even as you stay in a nicer room. When you add the extras these rooms provide and discount the resort fees that you’d be paying otherwise, the club room could end up being a better value than the basic room.
• Economize. Conversely, many mid-priced hotel chains offer free internet access and breakfasts, often without charging a hidden surcharge.

By following these tips, you could save yourself a lot of dough. That’s good news for the weary traveler.

By David Plowman

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Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

Sunburn can not only ruin your day in the sun but the effects of sunburn can last days, putting a damper on your outdoor plans.The best way to avoid getting sunburn is to stay out of the sun completely, but of course that is almost impossible; so here are some basic tips to allow you a great day at the park or beach without the redness and pain of too much sun:

So how can you find the best mechanic for you? Just as you would with any other important business or service you select, do your homework and look for quality and value.

When you are shopping around, consider the following:

• Check with your friends and co-workers for recommendations. Good mechanics know that word of mouth can be their best advertisements.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints against the mechanic you are considering.
• Are the mechanics certified? Mechanics may receive certification from the American Automobile Association (AAA) or the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
• Will the work be under warranty? A good mechanic should stand behind her or her work, including both the parts and the labor. The longer the warranty the better.
• Get a complete estimate (preferably in writing) before any work is completed. Do not authorize any work until you have the estimate. If you don’t know understand what the mechanic is saying, ask questions until you do.
• Remember you are looking for the best value, a combination of quality and price. The cheapest repair shop could cost you a lot in the long run. Similarly, the most expensive mechanic doesn’t guarantee you will receive the best service.

Following these steps will help ensure that your next visit to a mechanic is a good one.

By David Plowman

The answer to these questions depend on two things, the credit card offer’s fine print and how discipline you are with money.

Be read the fine print very carefully and watch for the following:

• Does the offer say “zero percent financing” or as low as zero percent? If it is the later, understand that only a very few people will qualify for the lowest rate. If you have a few dings on your credit report, your actual rate may be higher.
• Does the offer zero percent offer apply to all purchases or just balance transfers? If your rate for more purchases is higher, make sure you know what that rate is.
• Is there a charge to transfer charges? Even though the new credit card offers zero percent financing, they may charge a fee to transfer the charges from your old card.
• How long will the introductorily rate be in effect? The low rate will probably go up after several months. Find out when, so you can plan to have most, if not all of your transferred balance paid off before then.
• What will the rate be after the teaser rate expires? If the rate is higher than your old credit card, especially if you don’t anticipate paying off your balance during the low rate.
• Are there circumstances that can exempt you from the low rate? Some clauses in the terms and conditions section of the credit card offer may say that the teaser rate is contingent on paying your credit card bill on time. Failure to do so will result in a much higher interest rate. Further, some offers may even stipulate that you have to be current on all of your bills. Fall behind on your utility bill, and you could see your credit card rate go up.
• Another strategy some credit card providers employ is specifying not only a date the payment needs to be received, but also a time, usually in the morning, before mail is received. For example, they may require payment be received on the 8^th of the month at 8:00 a.m. If your payment arrives in the mail that day at 1:00 p.m., it is “late.”

While the specific terms and conditions vary depending on your credit card provider, the message is clear: Many of these companies hope to entice you with low or no interest rates introductory, they are hoping that you won’t pay off your balance before the teaser rate expires or that you will violate one of the terms and conditions to void the rate.

However, if you are discipline with your payments and closely adhere to all of the stipulations, you can take advantage of the “too good to be true” credit card offers to pay down your debt without getting hit with high interest rates.

David Plowman
 

Without denying the importance of stashing away some green for a brighter tomorrow, for many of us it can be hard to read these headlines without our rolling our eyes. ”Absolutely, it is a good idea to save, but with what money?” say most of us who are struggling to live paycheck-to-paycheck. “If I had an ‘extra’ $500 a month, of course I’d put it in an IRA, but right now, I just don’t have the bucks. Saving money is just for the rich,” we say to ourselves bitterly.

You may have paid little money for your pet, but dogs and cats have health issues just like people. If you need to visit the veterinarian, those health issues can also be costly.

You can now purchase insurance for your dog or cat to cover veterinary treatments, ranging from broken bones to the ingestion of a foreign object.

Pets have hearts, lungs and other body parts requiring maintenance just as humans do. With pet insurance, you can schedule regular checkups to prevent or manage health care concerns for your pet.

Pet insurance is much cheaper than human health insurance. While a visit to the vet for a bee sting can hit your pockets hard, pet insurance averages roughly $10 per month.

Pet insurance is easily available for dogs and cats. Older pets may have higher monthly premiums, but can still be insured. Check with your carrier to determine whether coverage is available for other types of pets.

The insurance will cover routine treatments, vaccinations and examinations, as well as emergency treatments.

For example, a if your dog suffer a fractured leg, the bill could easily reach $2,000. But if you had pet insurance, you would likely be covered. Since the average pet insurance policy has a per incident of $2,000, with a $50 deductible.

Sadly, every year some pets are destroyed simply because their owners could not afford their four-legged companions vet bills. Pet insurance can help owners avoid making such a decision.

By Darryl James

These statistics have homebuilders taking notice and are now designing their homes to be appealing to women. Features like skylights, laundry rooms upstairs, upscale kitchens easy-clean floors and better security options are being included to attract this growing share of the home-buying market.

Homebuilders are so intent on reaching out to this venerable market force that one of the nation’s largest homebuilders recently partnered with domestic diva to Martha Stewart to create an entire housing community featuring homes with features that appealed to female buyers. The community, co-branded between KB Home and Martha Stewart Omnimedia in Cary, North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh was completed in March, 2006. The homes features some of the interior and exterior touches Stewart boasts in her homes, including large closets, spa-like bathrooms and shelving in the bathrooms.

Their initial offering of 650 homes, which ranged from $180,000 to more than $400,000, proved to be extremely popular, according to Bruce Karatz, chief executive of KB Home “Within a few weeks of offering the homes in Cary, we sold all the lots we could sell in the grand opening phase,” Karatz said. In fact, KB Home and Stewart are currently planning on building similar housing communities in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Las Vegas, Florida and California.

There may be many reasons for the upsurge in single females purchasing homes, including women staying single longer, their increased access to better paying jobs and a higher divorce rate.

But whatever the reasons, it seems certain that the trend will continue indefinitely, and homebuilders will continue to provide amenities that cater to them.

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