The Chronic Consumer

As someone who loves to shop a lot, I’ve learned how to stretch my dollars as far as they can go by taking advantage of sales, discounts, coupons, and other bargains. The key to being able to buy what I want is never to pay full price for anything if I can possibly help it.

Another important lesson I’ve learned over the years is that not all credit cards are created equally. In addition to varying interest rates and annual fees, credit cards differ in the types of rewards they offer to customers. For instance, some cards provide cash back, airline miles, or free gasoline, while others don’t come with any extra perks at all. I think it’s a complete waste to use a credit card that doesn’t pay you back in some way, so if you’re not getting any rewards from your current card, maybe it’s time to look for a different one.

That’s where Credit Cards Club can help. Credit Cards Club is a website where consumers can get tons of free information about some of the best credit card offers online. The Credit Cards Club site arranges offers by category, making it very easy to find the best cash back credit cards, business credit cards, instant approval credit cards, bad credit credit cards, and more.

The benefits of each featured card are highlighted for you, which makes comparison shopping a breeze. Moreover, you can even apply for any cards you like right there on the site so you don’t have to worry about losing track of great offers.

If you’re looking for a brand new credit card that provides benefits and features that fit your lifestyle, then check out CreditCardsClub.com today. They’ve done all the legwork and have gathered the best offers in one spot, so finding the right credit card is easier than ever before!

Like most people, IMDb.com is the first place I go whenever I need to find info related to movies, TV shows, or actors. The regular site is completely free, but there’s also a “Pro” site that requires a paid membership. IMDb Pro promises more in-depth information about productions, from business figures to contacts and analysis. The site is also promoted as a way to network with others in the industry to find jobs or perhaps even get funding for a project.

I thought the site sounded interesting, so I decided to sign up for the IMDb Pro free trial which grants two weeks of access in exchange for a credit card number. I didn’t get charged anything, but if I don’t cancel within the proper time frame, I’ll be out $12.95/mo until I do cancel.

I’ve spent the last few days browsing around the IMDb Pro site, and I honestly don’t think the information is any better than what’s available on the free site. From what I understand, the info on IMDb Pro is still user-contributed, meaning that it’s not any more reliable than on the free site. Moreover, the “job board” mostly consists of independent screenwriters and out-of-work actors hoping that someone will notice them. If you’re looking to break into the business, I don’t know how useful this type of information would be.

IMDb Pro also purports to list contact information for actors, directors, agents, producers, etc., so I had a look at what that was all about. Johnny Depp was listed at the top of the first page, and by clicking on his link, all I found was the phone number and address for his talent agency. I obviously wasn’t expecting to get aerial views of his French home, but still… agency stuff isn’t exactly top-secret info that would justify paying $12.95 per month or $99.95 per year.

The bottom line is that while IMDb Pro might sound like fun because of the feeling of being on the “inside”, the truth of the matter is you’ll be just as far away from Hollywood and celebrities as ever. I see absolutely no reason to spend $100 per year on the site, so my recommendation is that you save your money!

(Click all thumbnails to enlarge.)

After a bad experience with a CPA last year, I decided to go back to Turbo Tax for my federal tax returns for 2007. I used Turbo Tax once before (in 2005) and liked it, but had to go to a CPA for 2006 because of some complications that cropped up during the tax year. I wasn’t all that impressed with the service I received from the CPA (or with the $350+ price tag), so opting for Turbo Tax again was really a no-brainer.

This time around, I decided to use the online version at www.turbotax.intuit.com instead of purchasing and installing the software, and I’m happy to say that it performed beautifully.

Because I’m self-employed, I had to purchase the Home & Business edition, which is significantly more expensive than the Deluxe version that most people with straightforward returns can use. I paid $74.95 + Illinois state sales tax of $4.68 for a total of $79.63. The Deluxe version goes for a mere $29.95, but what can I do. I still made out a lot better than I would have with the same CPA.

Anyway, Turbo Tax Online works in much the same way as the traditional CD-ROM software would, except that you enter all your data online at the secure Turbo Tax site. I know a lot of people might be worried about putting that kind of sensitive information on a third-party website because of concerns about identity theft, but I’m not. Yes, identity theft is a major problem these days, but I feel confident about Turbo Tax being able to protect my info. After all, their business pretty much depends on this, don’t you think?

As I said, the online version is just as easy to use as the traditional version. Turbo Tax walks you step-by-step through whatever tax forms you need to fill out, points you to frequently asked questions if you get stuck, and of course does all the math for you so you know it’s completely accurate (as long as you’re entering correct info to begin with). I also love how the software keeps track of the amount of your rebate or tax bill in “real time”. In other words, with every applicable deduction you enter, the amount changes so you can see exactly how certain things impact your taxes.

You obviously don’t have to complete your taxes all in one sitting either. Turbo Tax Online saves your return and remembers where you were so you can pick up from the same spot the next time you sign in. When you do finish, you can file electronically or print everything right from the Turbo Tax site if you prefer to mail in your return. In addition, you can download and save a copy of your return in a pdf file or simply access it from the Turbo Tax site whenever you want to check it again.

All in all, I had a fantastic experience with Turbo Tax Online. This product is definitely deserving of its title as the best tax return software around, and I highly recommend it!

I would say that a majority of my everyday wardrobe is made up of T-shirts. I sleep in long-sleeve tees in the fall and winter, and wear short-sleeve shirts throughout the spring and summer. I pair them with jeans, shorts, and sweats, and wear them just about everywhere (where casual attire is appropriate, I mean).

So I’m always looking for new tees to wear, which is how I stumbled across the Shirt Woot website. Shirt Woot is run by the same people behind the very popular Woot.com, a site that sells one product — and one product only — on any given day.

The Shirt Woot concept is similar. They sell one t-shirt design in one color per day until the shirt is sold out or until the clock hits midnight. The designs are all original, and they even hold weekly contests where people can submit their own designs for consideration.

All shirts sold on Shirt Woot cost just $10, and standard shipping is free. Overnight shipping costs $5.

I haven’t actually bought anything from Shirt Woot yet, but I check in nearly every day. I’m surprised at how many of their designs actually sell out. I guess I’m not the only one that likes cheap tees!

As you can tell from several of the product reviews on this blog, I just love buying gadgets. Of course, these types of items usually run on the expensive side, making it all the more important for me to shop around and find good deals before shelling out any cash. That’s why I’m glad I recently added TechBargains.com to my feed reader.

TechBargains.com is the place to go for the latest coupon codes, rebates, and deals on things like discount computers, digital cameras, and other popular tech products. Different search functions and a clean layout make it very easy to find exactly what I’m looking for on the site. What’s more, I can even request deals on specific products, and the TechBargains team will do their best to come up with something for me.

I also like the way I can personalize alerts to fit the products I’m most interested in. For example, if I’m currently shopping around for a new phone, I can set my preferences so that I receive only notices of cell phone deals so I don’t have to waste time weeding through everything else. Pretty cool, huh?

And unlike other deal sites, TechBargains.com is updated 24/7 (including weekend and holidays), so I’ll never miss out on great sales. Plus, as I said, I’ve subscribed to the site’s RSS feed, which means I get the scoop the minute something new pops up.

If you’re as addicted to buying tech products as I am, then you just have to check out TechBargains.com today. I’m sure it will become one of your favorite sites!

A good friend of mine is an RN who recently decided to leave her hospital job to become a private caregiver. She just got tired of all the office politics that went on at the hospital, and wants to be her own boss for a change.

The biggest difference between working at a hospital and going into private practice is that she’s expected to have her own equipment now. Fortunately, she got to know a lot of equipment suppliers where she worked before, so getting the right equipment at good prices hasn’t been too much of a challenge. But now she’s got to get a van to haul around her healthcare cart and other supplies from client to client.

Anyway, her tip to other healthcare professionals setting off on their own is to utilize your contacts whenever possible so you can get the best deals on new and used equipment. And if you don’t have any contacts yet, trying buying online from a few discount websites to save as much as you can.