Did you know that when you turn on a traditional incandescent bulb, you have actually turned on a heat source? It’s true, because 90% of the electricity used to power the bulb generates heat and only 10% produces light. That lost energy is money we’re throwing away.
Recognizing this inefficiency, the US Congress in 2007 passed legislation which went into effect January 1 of this year, mandating a change that regular light bulbs must use less energy. The requirement to achieve new standards has spurred innovation in lighting and given consumers three new choices.
New light bulbs
Each of the new products has unique characteristics that will affect your buying decision, based on application and price. Buying light bulbs is not an easy task anymore, shoppers in the lighting aisle now have to make a lot more decisions before making a purchase.
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January 23rd, 2012
Did you know that over $100 billion worth of gift cards were purchased in 2011, a new industry high? But what about those people who received gift cards they can’t use or merchant credit cards for returned merchandise? There’s good news: the resale demand for those gift cards has grown even more since we last reviewed gift card exchange sites last year.
There are several options: you can sell the cards to one of these sites for cash, swap the cards for different ones, sell the cards locally or to friends and family, or give them away either as gifts or to charity. To make your job easier, we reviewed many popular gift card exchange sites and selected the most reputable among them. Look here to find phone numbers and Internet links to verify the balance on the gift cards you want to sell.
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January 16th, 2012
Did you change your mind about recent purchases or get some holiday gifts that don’t fit or don’t suit you? Do you know what the policies are for the stores where you need to make returns or exchanges? With 13% of retailers tightening their return policies from previous years, shoppers should become aware of those new terms. You can’t afford to carry things around in the trunk of your car for an extended period before attempting to return them. Otherwise, you’ll miss the window of opportunity and find yourself stuck with unwanted items!
While most retailers have kept basically the same return policy as previous years, rule changes are making returns a lot more difficult this year at many stores. Some years ago major retailers began requesting identification with returns so they can track customers who make frequent returns. These days, retailers are refusing returns from shoppers who have no receipt, are past the specified return period, or have made too many returns within a given time period. But help is available, and customers who are denied a return or exchange can request a copy of their Return Activity Report from The Retail Equation by sending an email at this address. Then they have the option of disputing the report, with TRE acting as an advocate for them with retailers to resolve return issues, usually within 30 days.
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January 9th, 2012
The month of December is over and it is time for our usual monthly wrap-up when we look back at what happened during the past month, announce our contest winners, and also give you a heads up at what is coming.
Monthly Contest Results
TheBest is the winner of this month’s contest breaking CouponNut’s long winning streak. bemicmom and CouponNut follow in the second and third place. Congratulations guys! Here is the complete list of this month’s winners and prizes:
1. TheBest (1452 Points): $100
2. bemicmom (1422 Points): $75
3. CouponNut (1405 Points): $75
4. DebsFreebies (1321 Points): $50
5. psplove (1315 Points): $50
6. siggy38 (1292 Points): $50
7. anand (1177 Points): $50
8. arzkar (1116 Points): $50
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9. rajachanda5 (1066 Points): $50
10. sandyshore (1041 Points): $25
11. laaya (1005 Points): $25
12. jack69darin (924 Points): $25
13. 2kidsnuts (904 Points): $25
14. josetring (855 Points): $25
15. lootango (844 Points): $25
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January 2nd, 2012
If you’re in the market for a tablet reader this year, you can’t go wrong with one of the 2 hottest new devices on the market. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, tablets are the most desirable technology gifts this holiday — more popular than laptops, TVs, e-readers, and even video game consoles. The 7″ Nook Tablet from Barnes and Noble and the Amazon Kindle Fire are tablet-like color touchscreen devices that can also browse the Web, access e-mail and social networks, stream video programming, and load popular games.
Once you make a choice, though, you’re locked into a platform for ebooks unique to each device. The screen resolution for both are identical and equally good for reading. While Amazon has a larger number of books available, the Nook has an edge with interactive children’s books and the ability to record narration with the built-in microphone. Both devices support Wi-Fi connectivity and lack Bluetooth or GPS. The Nook only allows 1 GB of the 16 GB storage for user content, but expandable MicroSD storage up to 32 GB offers additional space for content that can be accessed offline. As long as you have Wi-Fi connectivity, you can access all of your Amazon content from the free Cloud Drive without loading it directly onto the Fire.
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December 26th, 2011
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