Saturday, August 24, 2013

Win a free copy of my e-book

Win a free copy of my e-book! Just comment on this page and then share with your friends. Winner will be drawn randomly on September 20th. AND for the month of September, my e-book is half off to celebrate my Birthday! Available formats for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, and Kobo via  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/331454
Promotional price: $1.50
Coupon Code: GR27Q
Expires: September 30, 2013

Monday, August 12, 2013

That New Car Smell

Never underestimate the power of negotiating for a better deal. If you are trying to buy a car, take someone with you that is designated to be the “NO” person. Sales people know all the right buttons to push, so if you have someone who can be the bad guy, it forces them to up their game, by lowering the price and throwing in extras.

A trick my family taught me in negotiating a deal is to pick out two similar cars at two competing dealerships. Go to the first dealership and negotiate for their best price, ask them to put it in writing and then tell them you need to sleep on it. Take that offer to the second dealership and see if they will beat the first offer. Get it in writing. Take the second offer back to the first dealership – 9 times out of 10 they will lower the price to beat the 2nd dealership’s offer.

September and October are the best months to buy a new car, as the new model usually role out in August, and they want to get rid of the previous year’s inventory. If you really want to be smart with your money, buy a used car, since new cars lose the biggest chunk of their value when they are driven off the lot. You can get great deals on 1 or 2 year old leased vehicles that have been turned in.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Tax Free Holidays

Take advantage of tax free holidays! Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia all have tax free holidays in August (Mississippi has their tax free holiday in July). Each state varies, but most drop the sales tax on clothing, shoes and school supplies for a day or a weekend. Most retailers also have 20% to 40% off sales at the same time. There are limits to the amounts, so you will need to check with your state to see what you can purchase, tax free.