20 Ways To Get Healthier for Free

Freebies are always good. Your health is always important. Free health tips are AWESOME.

Take a look:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34864844/ns/today-today_health/

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HOW TO NEGOTIATE THE CAR TRADE IN

In past postings we've talked to your about How to Buy a Car (http://cheapiosity.blogspot.com/2008/05/buying-car.html). 'Nough said.....everything you need to know is there.

However, there's another part of the car buying process that deserves your (and our) attention: How to Negotiate the Car Trade-In. This is another opportunity for a car dealership to rip you off. You negotiate a great deal and now it's time to talk about the trade-in. They take the car away for their used car people to look at. Then they come back with an amount that is so far below its value, for reasons that are usually cosmetic. They tell you how much it's going to cost them to be able to "just get their money back!" Baloney! Phooey! Feh! Feh! Feh! Car dealerships are not in the business of losing money.....they just want to rip you off and make more money. Don't fall for it.

Here are things to keep in mind:

1. Research the value. There are numerous Web sites where solid information is available, including Edmunds.com, says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com in Santa Monica, California. You also can visit Kelley Blue Book, AutoTrader, and the National Automobile Dealers Association, or check for similar cars being auctioned on eBay. If you have a CarMax store nearby, take your car there for a free appraisal.

2. Make sure the time is right. Convertibles don't sell well in the North during winter months, but four-wheel drive vehicles do. Likewise, if you owe more on your car trade-in than you think you'll get from a dealer, you're in a very weak bargaining position. Follow the news and trends; when gas prices go up, demand for fuel-efficient cars goes up, and values of SUV's and trucks go down.

3. Spruce up the car. Give the car the equivalent of "curb appeal" so the potential buyer's initial reaction is positive. Go to the car wash, clean up the inside, etc. Sometimes you have to spend money to save money. (What a concept. We're feeling a little faint.)

4. Show your records. If you've kept all the maintenance records on your car, take them with you, and ask the dealer if you can get more for your car because of your full disclosure and vigilance.

5. Negotiate the new purchase and car trade-in separately. Many make the mistake of making the new car deal first, then figuring out what their trade-in is worth and trusting the new car dealership to "be fair." However, consumer wisdom dictates that each transaction should be treated separately. Rather than negotiating the new car price first, research your trade-in first, especially if you have a fairly sought-after car. One way to find out is to put up an ad on Craigslist.org and see what kind of offers you get.

6. What should you say? Start your negotiation by letting the salesperson know you've done some research. "Say something along the lines of: "I was researching cars online to see what I can get for this car." Don't open up with an overconfident arrogance: "It's worth $4,000 and not a penny less."

7. Avoid game-playing. Some unscrupulous car dealers have been known to throw your car keys on the roof so you can't leave until you drive off in a new car. Make a phone call before you go, ask the used-car manager what the value of your trade-in is. If you get a negative feeling on the phone, you'll want to scratch that dealership off your list and save yourself a trip. Salespeople may also try to hold on to your driver's license and registration. Carry a copy of your driver's license to give them and don't part with the registration until you're in the finance office.

8. Explore the tax advantage. All but eight states allow you to pay sales tax on the purchase price of the new vehicle minus what the dealer is giving you for your car trade-in. The reduction in sales tax in states with rates of 9 percent to 11 percent can add up to substantial savings. You may be able to save $1,000 or more, so check your state's tax advantage.

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AIRLINE SAVINGS IN 2010

The airline industry is in a bind, and it’s putting the squeeze on you. But the squeeze isn’t coming from higher ticket prices -- lower demand caused by the recession has actually prompted airlines to cut fares 13% over the past year. To boost bottom lines, airlines are levying extra fees, cutting routes and getting downright stingy with trips granted in their frequent-flyer programs.

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Expect airlines to get even more creative in the coming year, charging for such “perks” as contact with a human being. U.S. airlines could take a page from the playbook of Ireland’s Ryan-air, which until recently charged passengers extra to check in with a live person at the airport, instead of online at home, at a hotel or at an airport kiosk. (In November, Ryanair stopped offering airport check-in altogether.) Also being considered: fees for flying with an infant -- currently, children under 2 fly free on domestic flights if they share your seat -- and fees for making reservations using a credit card other than the airline’s own.

The latest galling add-on is the holiday surcharge. Such fees first appeared in September, when some major airlines applied an extra $10 charge each way to fares on three of the busiest travel days for the 2009 winter holidays. A couple of weeks later, the charge bumped up to $20 each way and spread to another ten popular travel dates between the 2009 winter holidays and Memorial Day 2010.

But that’s not all. The surcharge now applies to nearly 100 dates from December 18, 2009, through October 17, 2010. The highest fee will be $50 for flights from three Florida cities -- Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach -- on February 8, the day after the Super Bowl in Miami.

Perfect Timing

Avoiding those peak travel days will save you more than just a surcharge. Less-traveled days, times and routes will also get you a lower fare. For example, the cheapest flights of the week are typically on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons. Early-morning flights will save you money, and they’re also less likely to be delayed. And flying into smaller airports -- for instance, heading to Manchester, N.H., or Providence, R.I., instead of Boston’s Logan Airport -- can cut your costs, too.

The timing of your purchase can be just as important when it comes to saving. Some fares fluctuate rapidly, so use the Web to help you catch them when they’re low. Alerts from Airfarewatchdog.com will notify you of low fares for your selected route, but not for specific dates. Alerts from Bing Travel (http://www.blogger.com/www.bing.com/travel) work well if you’re looking for flights on certain dates. At Kayak.com, you can set up alerts using either method. Neither Bing nor Kayak tracks Southwest Airlines; download its deal alerts at www.southwest.com/ding.

Where the Wild Deals Are

If you’re looking for a low-cost vacation, here’s a tip: Check regions of the world where local competition makes air travel particularly inexpensive. Latin America (especially Central America) and Southeast Asia have been identified as the top two low-cost areas.

In Latin America first it’s less expensive to get to hub cities, and you won’t face any major problems with jet lag. To fly there on the cheap, try using lesser-known airlines.

Spirit Air, for example, flies out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to 14 destinations in Central and South America. If you join the airline’s Fare Club for $40 a year, you’ll get offers for round-trip fares as low as $18, excluding taxes and fees. Little-known Copa Airlines flies from several U.S. cities to a number of South American countries through Panama City, a regional hub.

Airfare to Southeast Asia costs more, but once there you can fly throughout the region at bargain prices. Plus, prices for food, lodging and entertainment are also low. Try starting in Thailand. From the U.S., flying to Bangkok is usually more affordable than to other Asian destinations; Bangkok offers a good base from which to hopscotch through the region aboard budget airlines.

The same strategy applies when you’re traveling in Europe. For instance, Hamburg is an affordable hub from which you can fly inexpensively to other cities. Dublin, home of Ryan-air, also works well as a European hub. But watch out for extra fees that are even more outrageous than what you may be charged at home. For example, instead of charging a single fee for an overweight bag, some airlines impose a fee for each kilo (2.2 pounds) over the limit.

For help finding a budget airline, go to http://www.whichbudget.com/. Select your overseas starting point, end point or both, and the site will list airlines you’ve probably never heard of that service each route.

Frequent-Flyer Programs

What’s Changed. Loyalty has never been less rewarding. Airlines are modifying their programs to require many more miles in trade for a ticket. Plus, many programs charge extra fees for issuing or changing tickets, or for booking -- then canceling -- a flight. And using your miles for an upgrade could mean some crazy fees -- up to a whopping $1,000 for the cushy seats on international flights on Continental and United airlines, for example.

Best Deals. Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program currently offers a simple system: Fly eight round-trips within two years and you get a free round-trip ticket -- with just one possible extra fee ($50 to reactivate expired miles). The program is slated for a makeover in mid 2010, and details of Rapid Rewards 2.0 are as yet unknown. Check out, Alaska Airlines’ program, even if you never plan to set foot on an Alaska Airlines plane. The program allows you to earn elite status, which lands you advantages such as bonus miles and preferred seating, by flying any of more than a dozen air carriers that partner with Alaska, including American and Delta, which are members of the OneWorld and SkyTeam global alliances, respectively. And you can redeem your miles for flights on any of those partners.

What to Skip. Leaving your accounts inactive. An estimated ten trillion unused miles are currently in circulation, worth about $165 billion in tickets. A good portion of those will expire unused because airlines often close inactive accounts with little warning. You can keep your accounts active by earning and redeeming miles in several ways: flying on the appropriate airlines, using your rewards credit card or shopping at participating retailers.

Last-Minute Travel

What’s Changed. We had become accustomed to holding out for the big 11th-hour sales airlines would often offer to fill flights. But because many airlines are eliminating less-profitable flights, fewer tickets are available for discounts.

Best Deals. Airlines are keeping their best last-minute fares from the aggregators and online travel agencies and offering them on their own sites. Get those bargains by signing up for airlines’ free rewards programs to receive e-mails with promotional codes and special offers.

What to Skip. LastMinute.com. Over the past year, as airlines have increasingly highlighted last-minute deals on their own sites, LastMinute.com has often come up empty.

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WHAT NOT TO BUY IN 2010

Even though they tell us the economy is getting better, we urge you to be a prudent spender.
The best bargain is not buying anything you don't really need. Think cheap. It'll pay off big.

Here are some things to avoid:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/01/15/save-your-money-12-things-you-shouldnt-buy-in-2010/

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TAX DEDUCTIONS NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED

We all have to pay our fair share of taxes, but let's not pay too much. Here are some tips:

1. Overlooked mileage deductions

There are two great mileage deductions that many people overlook. First, the IRS allows you to deduct mileage if the drive is "primarily for, and essential to,” medical care. This one’s tremendously helpful if you need frequent medical treatments outside the home, such as physical therapy, regular blood work, or even chemotherapy. For 2009, the medical mileage deduction is 24 cents per mile.

Also, if you work with a charity, be sure you take a deduction for the miles you drive related to your charity work. For 2009, the mileage rate remains unchanged at 14 cents per mile. If this little-used tax break applies to you, take advantage of it!

2. Tax deductions even if you DON’T itemize

If you don’t itemize deductions on your income tax return, you’ll want to pay attention to the following goody.

It used to be that if you wanted to deduct your home’s property taxes from your income, you had to itemize (using Schedule A). But a new law passed in 2008 lets you increase your standard deduction by the amount of real property tax you could have claimed if you did itemize -- up to $500 ($1,000 on a joint return).

3. Overlooked deduction on new vehicles

If you bought a new vehicle between February 17 and December 31, 2009, you can deduct the sales and excise taxes that you paid up to a maximum purchase price of $49,500. Even better, you can take this deduction whether you itemize or take the standard deduction. If you take the standard deduction, use Schedule L to claim your deduction.

4. Overlooked state tax deduction

If you paid any state income taxes in the Spring because you owed taxes when you filed your returns, remember to count it towards your 2009 state income tax deduction.

5. Tax deductions for “going green”

If you made an effort to “go green” in 2009, Uncle Sam wants to reward you by putting a few extra dollars in your pocket. Unlike deductions against your income, these are actual tax credits ... and tax credits are directly subtracted from the tax you owe!

First, you can get a tax credit of up to 30% of your cost for energy efficient heating and cooling products such as HVAC systems, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps.

Plus, you can get a tax credit in 2009 and 2010 of 30% on up to $1,500 dollars of energy-saving home improvements. If you made any improvements to make your home more energy efficient, such as replacing windows, insulating your attic, adding storm doors, etc., don’t overlook this tax credit.

6. Overlooked tax deductions when you sell your home

If you were lucky enough to sell your home last year, you have some tax deductions coming to you. You can deduct the costs associated with selling your home, including the commission you paid your real estate agent, any legal fees, and closing costs.

7. Overlooked tax deduction for homeowners

If you took out a first mortgage or refinanced after January 1, 2007 and are paying private mortgage insurance (PMI), that expense is now deductible. Simply use Line 13 on Schedule A -- the same form that you use to deduct mortgage interest and property taxes.

Your lender should make this easy by telling you the amount of your PMI premium in Box 4 of your Form 1098.

This deduction is scheduled to disappear after 2010, so make the most of it while it lasts!

8. Overlooked tax deductions for investors

Funny how so many investors can be SO careful with how they invest their money, yet careless when it comes to deducting investment-related expenses on their taxes. Be sure to write off any and all investment publications to which you subscribe. And don’t forget other expenses, such as your financial advisor’s annual fees, mileage for visits to your broker or financial advisor, safety deposit boxes and other investment fees that you may pay directly.

9. Deductions for those out of work

If you were unemployed in 2009, don’t overlook valuable tax deductions that can lower your tax bill. For starters, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (better known as the “stimulus package”) made the first $2,400 you receive in unemployment benefits tax free.

In addition, if you looked for a job in 2009 in the same field as the one that you lost, you might be able to deduct your job search expenses. Even if you didn’t get the job, your expenses may still be deductible. Possible deductions include employment agency fees, resume preparation, advertising, postage, long-distance phone calls, and travel. You can claim these job-seeking expenses as long as the amount of all miscellaneous itemized tax deductions is more than 2% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

10. Tax credit for working parents

Don’t skip this one ... it’s really a tax credit and not a deduction. If you pay for childcare, including daycare or nanny services, you can reduce your taxes up to $3,000 for a single child or up to $6,000 for two or more children under the age of 13.

The amount of the credit ranges from 20 to 35% of your child care costs, depending on your gross income. For example, if your income is $43,000 or more, you can claim a 20% credit on your childcare costs. So if you have one child and you spend $8,000 a year in childcare costs, you can save 20% off the first $3,000 -- or $600.

As always, certain “rules” apply, so be sure to check with your tax advisor.

One last thing: Overlooked deduction for tax prep

Don’t forget to deduct ANY costs pertaining to tax planning. These are easy to forget because they really fall under the category of “miscellaneous” itemized expenses.

You can write off your tax preparation fees, plus portions of any legal or accounting fees related to your taxes. Meaning if you sat down with an attorney to review your estate, and you spent a part of that time reviewing the tax implications, that time would be tax deductible.

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NEW CREDIT CARD LAW, BANKS and HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Unless you live under a rock, you've seen some mention of the New Credit Card Law on your local and national news. In case you missed all the blah, blah, blah, here it is in print to make you even more confused:

http://www.defendyourdollars.org/CC%20summary_1.25.2010.pdf

Okay, so now that you've read it.....are you still awake?

What we did not know is that the company can still raise interest rates, charge fees, and even cancel your card without warning. What did you expect? The world isn't stacked in our favor. Banks aren't about to treat us consumers nicely. But don't despair. Team CHEAPIOSITY is on your side. We're here to help. Here are some tips to help you out in your time of credit card confusion.

Cambridgecredit.org for nonprofit credit counseling. These people will help you get a lower APR and they'll give you advice on how to lower your credit card debt.

Creditcardperks.com for a list of credit card deals. This site will tell you the best deals, with the best perks, to get you more bang for your credit card bucks. There's also lots of good info about credit cards and debt, so take time and look at the site thoroughly.

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HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON ENERGY COSTS THIS WINTER #2

Here are some tips on energy costs this winter. We wrote about it in 2008: http://cheapiosity.blogspot.com/2008/09/energy-savingcheap-tricks.html.

So we thought it was time for an update:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2010/01/heating-oil-natural-gas-prices-rise-how-to-save-on-energy-costs-this-winter.html

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