Have you ever taken advantage of free resources only to discover that you are stuck with a bill or a major inconvenience?
Now, I am not one to knock getting free stuff. I love free stuff... to a certain degree.
But I also think you should be aware of what those free things will really cost you.
Times are tough these days. Many people are jumping at the chance to bring in a few extra bucks.
You've seen the cash for gold commercials on TV, right? They say that you can mail in your old damaged and out-of-date gold jewelry, and they'll send you cash. It looks like quick easy cash, that's for sure.
With promises of big checks and no risk on your part, they even go so far as to say if the offer isn't what you expected, they'll gladly return your jewelry!
With gold prices escalating toward the $1,000 per ounce mark (see Live Market Prices), it doesn't take a very large pile of scrap jewelry to amount to enough cash to mean something -- especially when you're having a hard time meeting your day-to-day living expenses.
The big question is:
Is it worth it to send away your gold in exchange for cash? Are the cash for gold companies you see online and in TV commercials likely to pay you what your gold is really worth?
There is a lot of talk in the news lately about credit card companies having unfair business practices.
Here's how to tell if your credit card company is unfair or not.
Now, consider this...
Can you imagine your children being overlooked for admission into a good college because other students who went to their high school did poorly at the school, even when your child's scores are superior to those other students?
Can you fathom a dentist drilling and filling teeth that don't need cavities just because your neighbors generally get cavities in the teeth they have targeted?
What if you were denied car insurance because you once visited a car wash that has a customer base of people who get into accidents.
Well, if these scenarios sound a bit odd and unfair, imagine how Kevin Johnson of Atlanta (who has a near excellent credit score) felt when his credit card limit was dropped nearly $7,000 based on nothing more than a store he shopped at!
Never mind that his credit score was impeccable. Never mind that he never carried a balance. Never mind that he owned his own home and was a successful business man.
One innocent stop at one store led to his account being flagged as a potential credit threat.
I had a friend who did mystery shopping for a living.
It seems every week she was visiting and "grading" a different place. She got to check out hotel rooms. She had free restaurant meals. She also got to purchase a few cool things and she was reimbursed for them.
Over the years, I have tried mystery shopping a few times. My hope was that I would have the kind of success with mystery shopping as it seemed my friend enjoyed.
Here's how mystery shopping went for me, plus some tips for making money as a mystery shopper...
No one who invests money expects to be caught in a Ponzi scheme. After all, Ponzi schemes are illegal!
Still, many investors are now finding themselves at a loss because they were duped by investments that appeared to be legitimate.
Here are some basic tips and warning signs, so you won't be taken advantage of or caught up in a Ponzi scheme...
Many people (myself included) buy used tires. After all, that's one way to save money, right?
It's also another way to practice a green lifestyle since you're reusing something.
However, this might be one time when reusing an item is not in your best interest. The fact is, old tires simply may not be as safe as new tires -- whether they've been used or not.
After a tire is older than 6 years, there is an increased risk that that tire is going to suffer a catastrophic tread separation:
Following are some of the dangers associated with buying used tires -- or even OLD, unused tires! Plus, how to make sense of the letters and numbers on your tire's sidewall and determine the true age of your tires.
At DirectBuy, you can make purchases on any number of electronics, home remodeling materials, and other items for the home.
Once you become a member, you are able to make purchases directly from the manufacturer (practically), paying the wholesale price plus a processing fee.
Direct Buy has a high-pressure membership recruitment process. They lure prospective members into the showroom and show them how much they can save on different services. At the end of the presentation, they extend you an offer to join the club. However, this offer is a one-time-only deal once they've shown you confidential pricing information. The recruitment process can best be compared to a timeshare purchase.
DirectBuy is in many ways well worth the membership fee which is somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000, depending upon location. In addition to the membership fee, there is also a yearly renewal fee. Even with all of the money that it costs to be a DirectBuy member, most members would agree that if you are planning to build, remodel, or furnish a home, you will quickly recoup your costs.
Of course, there are detractors as well. For one, the iVillage Gardenweb has a thread that discusses people's DirectBuy experiences. They are overwhelmingly negative.
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