Cheap hotels should always provide good value at great prices.

cheap hotels

When selecting a hotel there are three things you need to focus on to ensure that you end up with the best value for your hotel stay.

1. 1. The hotel is clean
2. 2. The hotel is in a convenient location
   3. The hotel provides the amenities you need.

Here are a few things that can ensure that your hotel stay will be our only a good value on a great experience as well.

1. Using kayak.com search for hotels in this city that you wish to stay in.
2. Review the search results from each source to determine which hotels have the best guest reviews and prices.
3. First, determine which hotels provide the best prices where the hotel’s that you are considering staying in.
4. Next, from that list determine which hotels have the best guest ratings.
5. Once you have created a short list of the hotels with the best guest ratings and price is your last step will be to check the actual hotels web site to see if they offer a better price.  To locate the hotel’s web page, google the hotel’s name (e.g. ” holiday inn orlando airport”).

And finally, a word to the wise, always check for restrictions and extra fees and taxes that maybe not be clearly stated.  One gotcha that many folks end up paying for occurs when they book hotels on web sites that offer low prices but don’t allow for cancellations of any kind.

Could you be paying more than you figured?

Most people don’t take the time to check their cash register receipt before they leave the store.  Folks tend to trust the computer scanning equipment and don’t give it a second thought.

As more and more news reports have revealed, mistakes made at the cash register are not at all uncommon.  Some areas of particular concern involve ringing up

• Produce – Since many produce items don’t contain bar codes to scan, it is easy for the clerk to enter in the wrong price.
• Sale and Clearance Items – Items on the clearance rack may ring up at full price at even though a clearance price sign is displayed on the shelf.
• Multiples of the same item – Clerks tends to grab one of the multiples and drag it across the scanner the several times until they believe the number of scans matches the number of items in your card.

Here are a few tips that might help

• Write down the shelf price of the sale and clearance items that you’re buying and compare the cash register receipt against the prices that you wrote down.
• Watch the clerk as they scan your items (especially if you’re buying multiples of the same item)
• Take a couple of minutes to double check the entire receipt before you leave the store.  If you find mistakes, point them out to the clerk or the staff at the customer service desk.

Rent your college textbooks and save big!

College students now have a new option to help them escape the high cost of buying textbooks.   Students can now rent their textbooks for the semester or quarter that they need them for and pay a fraction of the price of buying them.  Remember to include shipping when comparing one book store to another.

Here are some of the better known textbook rental outfits:

• http://www.chegg.com/
• http://www.bookrenter.com/
• http://www.collegebookrenter.com
• http://www.campusbookrentals.com/
• www.bookswim.com/

Local textbook rental option

• Textbook rental options may (or will) be available at your local college bookstore.  While some book stores have been renting textbooks for awhile now, the options are getting better with the entry of Barnes and Noble.  Click here to read more

http://www.bncollege.com/

e-Book textbook option

• http://www.coursesmart.com/iphone – over 8500 electronic textbooks you can purchase for use on your iPhone and/or your PC (course smart states “Buy and access your eTextbook instantly. Save up to 50 %.”)

Afraid to Negotiate? Check out our step-by-step guide.

Most of us have been raised to look at what’s being offered and then either take it or leave it. Well, that is easiest route for sure.   But let’s say that you feel that you’re being treated unfairly by your insurance company or by someone that you’ve contracted services with.  Perhaps simple acceptance of the situation may not be the best way to go.

Step I.   Realize that the best resolutions are the ones where both parties win.  So,  whenever possible make this the focus of your negotiations.

Step II.  Do your homework ahead of time.   Research the organization that you are researching.  Understand their lingo and what your rights are.  If  you are planning to sign or have signed a contact, make sure to read over it at least three times carefully.

Step III. Be aware that most front line staff are NOT empowered to negotiate with you and if they are their decision making power will probably be really limited.

Step IV. Be prepared to receive at least one or more NO answers before you will reach that win-win sweet spot.  Don’t assume that they will give you the keys to the castle without some back and forth negotiation.  Structures  are put in place to make you work for better deal than their typical customers receive.

Step V. Remember, it all about the dollars when it comes to negotiating with for-profit businesses.  So, try to put yourself in their shoes and think about at what point holding out on the customer will cost more than just giving the customer a break.  Remember, an organization’s reputation is highly valued because of  it’s ability to attract future customers and income.

Step VI. Be polite, but persistent.   The calmer you are as you escalate your negotiations up the line, the more seriously you will be taken.  Remember, think about what the view looks like on the other side of the desk and figure a way to a win-win solution.

Taxing your brain may be worth it this year (your 2009 tax return)

Most people equate doing their annual income taxes to enduring a root canal.   We can’t say that we really blame them.  Even with some pretty cool tax preparation software out there, you still have to wrangle and organize all of those paper documents before you even get started.

OK, here are just some of the goodies that Uncle Sam setup for you for the 2009 tax year.

• First-Time Homebuyer Credit Expands. Homebuyers who purchased in 2009 can get a credit of up to $8,000 with no payback requirement. New legislation extends and expands this credit to homes purchased by April 30, 2010.

• Money Back for New Vehicle Purchases. Taxpayers who buy certain new vehicles in 2009 can deduct the state and local sales taxes they paid or other taxes and fees they paid in states with no sales tax.

• Education benefits. The new American opportunity credit and enhanced benefits for 529 college savings plans help families and students find ways to pay higher education expenses.

American Opportunity Credit

Audio file for podcast: Education Tax Breaks

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more parents and students will qualify over the next two years for a tax credit, the American Opportunity Credit, to pay for college expenses.

The new credit modifies the existing Hope Credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making the Hope Credit available to a broader range of taxpayers, including many with higher incomes and those who owe no tax. It also adds required course materials to the list of qualifying expenses and allows the credit to be claimed for four post-secondary education years instead of two. Many of those eligible will qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student.

The full credit is available to individuals whose modified adjusted gross income is $80,000 or less, or $160,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return. The credit is phased out for taxpayers with incomes above these levels. These income limits are higher than under the existing Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) also added computer technology to the list of college expenses (tuition, books, etc.) that can be paid for by a 529 plan. For 2009 and 2010, the law expands the definition of qualified higher education expenses to include expenses for computer technology and equipment or Internet access and related services to be used by the designated beneficiary of the 529 plan while enrolled at an eligible educational institution. Software designed for sports, games or hobbies does not qualify, unless it is predominantly educational in nature.

What “computer technology or equipment” refers to. This means any computer and related peripheral equipment. Related peripheral equipment is defined as any auxiliary machine (whether on-line or off-line) which is designed to be placed under the control of the central processing unit of a computer, such as a printer. This does not include equipment of a kind used primarily for amusement or entertainment. “Computer technology” also includes computer software used for educational purposes.

• Up to $2,400 in Unemployment Benefits Tax Free in 2009. Individuals should check their tax withholding.

Tax Exemption for Unemployment Benefits in 2009

Audio file for podcast: ARRA Tax Credits

Video: Unemployment Compensation

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits an individual receives in 2009 are tax free. This provision applies only to benefits received in 2009: Normally, unemployment benefits are taxable.

Individuals who receive unemployment benefits this year should check their withholding to ensure they are not having unnecessary tax withheld. IRS News Release 2009-29 has more detail on this provision.

For the full scoop from the IRS, visit this web site http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204335,00.html?portlet=6

College Textbooks – One of the most inflated costs out there.

Similar to the shocking cost of  your popcorn at your local movie theater,  the price tags on college text books also come as an unwelcome added expense to college students (and their parents).

OK, it may be more convenient to snag your text books from the on the college book store, but like the popcorn, you’ll end up paying dearly for it.  Instead check out these simple alternative options.

1. Cross the street – Closely located off-campus book stores stay in business by beating the prices being charged on campus.
2. Plan ahead and surf the savings – Try to obtain your upcoming course requirements and surf the web to find lower prices.  Check out Bestbookbuys.com .  It’s a great eMarketPlace site that allows people to do one stop shopping through tons of different stores. .  Note:  It is always easier if you have the ISBN number handy for searching. Make sure to pay attention to the price as well as the additional shipping charges and shop total price, not just list price.
3. Go digital and save – Look around for cheaper digital versions of text books (e.g.  ebooks, PDF’s, kindle books from amazon.com, etc)
4. Free is a good price – Check with the college and/or public libraries to see if you can check out the books you’ll need.
5. Previously owned – Check out the prices of used or earlier editions of the textbook.