Daily News Astrologer Jennifer Angel Picks Celebrity Aquarian of the Month

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Jennifer Litwin, founder of The Shop Cop.

Jennifer Litwin, founder of The Shop Cop.

As an Innovative Aquarian, consumer reporter Jennifer Litwin has spent more than 15 years navigating and reporting on consumer scams. Jennifer developed her brand, the Shop Cop, www.theshopcop.com, which provides valuable insights into consumerism. Her Television segments, which have aired live on ABC in both Chicago and in Minneapolis, on Twin Cities Live, the Twin Cities #1-rated show, two books, and her popular Shop Cop Radio Show on VoiceAmerica.com have proven her to be an industry leader in consumerism.

Having an abundance of Aquarius in her chart makes Jennifer someone who is a forward thinker, someone who can come up with the next brilliant idea and know precisely what the market needs at any one time. On a business level, the Piscean influence in her chart makes her an intuitive shopper who wants the best for others; hence her quest to make sure that you, the shopper, gets the very best deal available.

Here is an example of how one enterprising Aquarian can help you get the best out of your shopping and saving experience. Read on to find out how to earn extra cash after the holidays.

Best Ways to Earn Some Fast Cash After The Holiday Season

EARNING SOME EXTRA CASH AFTER THE HOLIDAYS IS A MUST FOR MANY OF US, EITHER B/C OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION ISN’T LOOKING VERY GOOD OR B/C WE HAVE TO PAY OFF THE CREDITORS FOR THE GIFTS WE BOUGHT DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO EARN QUICK CASH RIGHT FROM YOUR OWN HOME!

1) SELL YOUR GOLD

We all have jewelry we don’t really wear anymore. Maybe you have thought about selling the gold. The price of gold, unlike other commodities, has gone up dramatically in the past few years. There are 2 ways to determine value when selling gold: 1) How much does the gold weigh? and 2) How intricate is the design, and how old/rare is the piece?

HOW TO SELL GOLD:

• TRY AN AUCTION HOUSE FIRST, AND SET A RESERVE SO YOU DON’T SELL BELOW MARKET VALUE. IF PIECE IS VALUABLE, TRY A LARGE NATIONAL AUCTION HOUSE (WWW.SOTHEBYS.COM) AND LET THEM WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SELLING…EASY TO DO.

• GET AN INDEPENDENT APPRAISAL FROM A REPUTABLE JEWELER SO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH GOLD YOU HAVE AND ANY OTHER QUALITIES THAT MIGHT MAKE IT SELLABLE.

WATCH OUT:

Don’t run to the nearest retailer or pawn shop to make a quick sale. You will be getting a wholesale price, at best. Beware of posting gold on eBay or other websites that sell a huge variety of things from sellers we don’t know, at random prices. Realize that most buyers today care more about weight than about age or intricacy of pattern. Most buyers of real gold want to see it or know that the seller is reputable. Best bet: a local auction house like Luther Auction House in St. Paul. (612-424-4654, 2556 7th Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55109). Local auction houses have traffic and buyers willing to buy.

The Best and Worst Return Policies For Holiday Gifts

twincitieslivelogotwincitieslivelogoOn January 6th, watch Twin Cities Live on ABC in Minneapolis (www.twincitieslive.com), at 3PM CST, where I will talk about the best and worst in holiday gift returns this year. Read the rest of this entry »

SAVE MONEY ON SHIPPING RECENT SEGMENT ON TWIN CITIES LIVE

I recently shared my tips for the best and cheapest way to ship anything in the week right before Christmas, on ABC’s Twin Cities Live, at 3 PM. Shipping prices are going up and comparison shopping shipping prices is getting more confusing. I will help you learn the tricks to last minute shipping and saving money throughout the year. Shipping prices are expected to go up by 5-10% in this next year.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING THIS SEASON: THE BEST DEALS AND WAYS TO PAY FOR THEM WITHOUT GOING BROKE

Retailers are preparing themselves for cautious spending this holiday season, and are stocking their stores with lower inventory this year.

Here’s what you need to know about 2009 Black Friday and remainder of the holiday season:

Hottest Trends this Year

  • Time-saving necessities like small ticket, $20 gadgets and accessories (Target kitchen accessories under $10)
  • Packaged, large quantity toys great value (Wal-Mart has 100 toys for $100, like Barbies and action toys)
  • Video games, Wii, Nintendo $20 off at K-Mart—this will hurt the big electronic store sales at places like Best Buy, who are not offering these discounts on such popular items; big box discount stores competing with electronic stores because people still spending on the electronic games for their children
  • Luring repeat shoppers, stores are offering gift cards (Toys R Us offering $10 gift cards if you spend $75 or more, Target: $10 off $100 on future purchases, JC Penney)
  • Clothing deals will be on necessities, rather than on luxuries (Old Navy discounting winter coats (as inexpensive as $15), jeans ($10 for kids), fleece sweatshirts ($5)

Layaway

  • Popular “habit” has returned
  • Time cut-off of 30-60 days, on average (Sears only through December 23rd)
  • Upfront charges: Average down-payment of 20% plus a $5-10 service charge
  • Some stores (Toys R Us) only offers layaway on big ticket items
  • For chain stores, only in some locations—check first
  • Beauty of layaway: cost is much less expensive than exorbitant interest on credit cards
  • Cancellation penalties: Typically $5-10, so be sure upfront
  • If an item is “popular” and in demand no layaway
  • No layaway on sale items

Gift Cards

  • Reuse the $6 billion not used from last year—expect $60 billion this year
  • Federal Reserve laws are changing in August involving service charges & rules: New minimum expiration dates are 1-year, and no monthly $2-4 dormancy fees for cards not being used—Amex is beginning this now, Visa and Mastercard to follow—but still upfront service charges of $5-10
  • Cash-strapped people will look for 70% off sales rather than buy gift cards
  • Late gift givers can get gift card face values on sale after the holidays at swapagift.com or certificateswap.com. Even now, 15-25% off retail price. Service charge upfront of $5 and up, more expensive with more expensive purchases
  • Be wary of relying on credit card “points” as a reason to use credit cards, especially if you are carrying a high balance. Nothing is worth lowering your credit rating, even if to save a few dollars.
  • Pitch-in Gift Cards: Popular trend, if you can’t spend as much as last year; where each family member contributes an amount towards a gift (can be an anonymous amount). Also popular at companies

Credit Cards

  • Only 50% of all people plan to pay with credit cards this season
  • 70% plan to pay with cash or debit cards
  • For those with high balances last year, credit limits have been dropped and late fees have gone up

The Economy: How to Plan Now for Retirement

Radio Show

Episode Title: Economy Update: Planning for Retirement
www.voiceamerica.com
Episode Description:

The economic events of past year have changed the way we think about our retirement money; how we plan to save it and what to do if we lose it.  What kinds of options are currently available for safe investing, 401Ks and for those in different age brackets.  Joining me to discuss these topics are David McPherson, financial planner and ABCNews.com personal finance columnist and Jean Chatzky, author of “The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper In Even The Toughest Times,” and the Today Show financial editor.  Please tune in.

WORK-AT-HOME MOMS: GET SCAM-FREE JOBS

WORK-AT-HOME MOMS: GET SCAM-FREE JOBS
APRIL 15, 2009

Just what you’ve always wanted: the chance to work at home and still be part of your children’s lives.  Millions of mothers are trying to get jobs from home, and the most likely place for them to look is on the internet.  Once again, the internet scams.  6 million moms have been scammed trying to work from home.  These scams used to appear more on billboards, but with the popularity of the internet rising, people are finding it easier to job search right from their own computer.

Types of Scams/usually fee-based:

1)    Administrative: Ex: stuffing envelopes, doing crafty things that everyone is qualified to do, where you are promised a good hourly wage, of say, $20/hour.  Another example is with medical transcripts—companies make you buy software that isn’t usable.  Don’t let the greed factor take over.  Watch for overuse of capitalized letters.

Scam:  After completing several hours of work you are told the work was not up to the employer’s standards

2)    Tracking UPS and FedEx packages: This is supposedly for companies that don’t have time to track packages.  They hire you, agreeing to pay you between $50-75/hr to track their packages.  If the promised delivery time is even off by 1-minute, those shipping companies are supposed to credit you the shipping charges.  Spam.  Make you believe you will be working with these “name brand companies”, which are usually not part of these scams.

Scam: You have to buy the software for around $100 to do this, but more importantly, FedEx and UPS are not affiliated with any of these programs.  This software does not work within those companies’ systems and is ILLEGAL to use.  Be careful when paying with PayPal.

If you have been scammed by these companies either approaching you directly or through advertisement, call the BBB and the Attorney General’s office.

Work at Home Businesses:
The key with Work at Home Businesses is “owning” your time and holding on to your money.  Don’t pay for any books or manuals.

1)    Tutor students online:  Parents don’t have a lot of homework time.  Help out by offering online tutoring, for $10-15/hour.  www.tutor.com.
2)    Teachers writing online courses in a variety of subjects.  There is a big demand for online teachers because the cost of going to college and graduate schools has increased and the economy is preventing many from going.  www.tompson.com.
3)    Virtual customer service: this is customer service that big companies, like JCrew, or1800 Flowers is using to save on benefits.  Earn $8-15/hour from home.  Very easy to get started.  Usually need to work a minimum of 15 hours/week.  Some companies pay more if you have a higher call volume.  Easier to get jobs around the holiday season.  Interviews are done online or on the phone.  Key is having good interpersonal skills.  Www.alpineaccess.com, www.workingsolutions.com and www.liveops.com.
4)    Writing about your expertise in an area—be a guide:  When we search for topics or answers to our questions we are often transferred to sites like www.about.com.  $675/month in the first 2 years and $500/month after that, plus bonuses for very successful pages with a lot of traffic.  Dozens of topics are available for writers with opinions.
5)    Freelance in computer-related areas: www.elance.com.
These are companies that post jobs and you can respond to the job opening for a freelance position.  Typically, computer-related jobs like programming.  You negotiate your own terms and pay.
6)    Sell your homemade art/objects from home. www.Etsy.com  charges just 20 cents to list an item and takes 3.5 percent of each sale. Sales are in the millions each month.

The Latest Real Estate Figures- What you Need to Know if You are Buying or Selling a Home This Spring

Refinancing your home: consider only if you can save 2 percentage points on what you are currently paying.  Consider closing costs and points you will have to pay.

Closing costs can be as high as 3% of the loan amount,  on fixed mortgages.

The longer you stay in your house the quicker you are to break even if you decide to refinance your mortgage.

According to the latest stats provided by the Mortgage Bankers Association:
Overall, the real estate market is stabilizing.
1.      This past month, existing home sales showed the biggest percentage increase since July, 2003.
2.      Consumer spending is on the rise, though still slow
3.      Condo sales in February jumped an impressive 11%
4.      Home prices in the West this past month dropped 30%, the highest drop in the country
5.      New home sales rose almost 5%.  The largest number of existing home sales was in the Northeast, a jump of about 15%
6.      Median price down 18% in the country from last February.

The Shop Cop Radio Program on VoiceAmerica Radio

The Shop Cop Radio Program to Premiere April 2 on the VoiceAmerica Variety Channel

Noted Consumer Advocate Jennifer Litwin to host weekly program Thursdays at Noon Central Time on the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) March 26, 2009 — Chicago author, consumer advocate and TV contributor, Jennifer Litwin, will begin hosting a weekly “Shop Cop” radio show at 12:00 PM CT every Thursday starting on April 2nd. The Shop Cop will be hosted on Voice America internet radio station (http://www.voiceamericavariety.com). The Shop Cop will feature guests from national groups and retail companies, along with authors of books on consumerism. With the downturn in the economy, shoppers are feeling abused and misinformed. The Shop Cop will take you through every aspect of consumerism today in America. The Shop Cop wants to hear your view. To learn more, visit the show page directly at http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1510 or visit Jennifer Litwin’s website at http://www.theshopcop.com.

The Shop Cop airs live on Thursdays at 10 AM Pacific / 12 Noon Central / 1 PM Eastern on The VoiceAmerica Variety Channel. To access the show, log on at http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica. All shows will be available in Jennifer Litwin’s Content Library on the VoiceAmerica Variety Channel for on-demand and podcast download.

The VoiceAmericaTM Network offers the latest conversations in a talk radio format, providing education, interaction, and advice on key issues live, on demand as well as through pod cast download. If interested in hosting a talk radio show on VoiceAmerica Network, contact Jeff Spenard, President of Internet Radio at 480-294-6417 or at jeff.spenard @ modavox.com.

Contact Executive Producer Brandy Jackson at 480-294-6411 for advertising / sponsorship information or other show details.

About VoiceAmerica / Modavox:
(OTC.BB MDVX), Modavox is the leading producer and distributor of online talk radio content, streaming approximately 250 hours of live programs and scheduled replays weekly on its Modavox VoiceAmerica™ Network (http://www.voiceamerica.com). Modavox, Inc. (http://www.modavox.com) is a pioneer in internet broadcasting, producing and syndicating online audio and video, and offering innovative, effective and comprehensive online tools for reaching targeted niche communities worldwide. Through its patented Modavox Central™ technology, Modavox “takes the search out of search,” delivering content straight to desktops and internet-enabled devices. Through its proprietary StreamSafe™, WebcastWizard™ and Stream Syndicate™ tools, Modavox provides managed access for live and on-demand internet broadcasting and syndication, content management, online meetings, event management, enterprise communications and distance learning.

Forward-Looking Statements:
This release contains “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “safe harbor” provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause Modavox’s actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated, including the risk factors identified in Modavox’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

THE FRUGAL FAMILY GETS FREEBIES NOW!

In this economy, we need to preserve our cash.  Not only is not buying bulk too expensive right now for an average-sized family, but we really need to hold onto every dollar we have.  Freebies are in demand.

1) FREEBIE HANDOUTS: WHAT’S REALLY FREE?
Average yearly savings: $60-100

Quality, in the feedback I’ve been getting, has gone down in lots of your favorite brands and products.  Companies are now paying up to a few hundred thousand dollars to get our feedback on thousands of items.  If you volunteer to test products, you will receive 5-6 free items, mostly food and cosmetics.  Your feedback can impact how products are made and by sharing your positive thoughts and getting some feedback from your friends.  Companies know we will spread the word if we like their products.  10,000 volunteers to test products generates 600,000 people learning about those products, according to Bzz Agent.

Bzz Agent: Products typically tested: food and cosmetics.  Saving you money on your favorite products, word of mouth marketers hope you and your friends, and their friends, etc., will buy products. www.bzzagent.com.  Most importantly for you, a chance to give your meaningful feedback and input into product-making.

How it works: (www.Bzzagent.com) does a word-of-mouth campaign whenever there is a need to address a group of people like yourself, young moms, recent grads, people living in large urban areas, etc.

The Catch: don’t get paid to be a volunteer, but get to keep the product samples

2) FREE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE
www.free411.com
Average yearly savings: $1,000

Many people spend $30-$50 a month on 411 calls — a service you can totally get for free!

By calling 1-800-FREE411, you get free directory assistance service for any business, residential, government or toll-free listing in the United States.

How it works: After navigating the voice prompts, you listen to a short advertisement (about 10 seconds long) and then you have the option to connect to the original business you requested, or to the sponsor.

Savings/year: A family of four can save up to $80-$100 a month, or about a $1,000 a year.

American’s spend $6 to $7 billion on directory assistance in 2007, which is more than the U.S. government spent on cancer research the same year.
Catch: It’s all automated (which is the reason they can give it to you for free!).

3) FREE BIRTHDAY TREATS
www.freebirthdaytreats.com
Average yearly savings for family of 4: $1,000
We’re spending anywhere from $500-$1,000 to throw our kids parties these days. It’s our version of keeping up with the Joneses.
But freebirthdaytreats.com offers hundreds of freebies from companies when it’s a kid’s birthday or adult’s.   Over 40 places in Minneapolis, alone, offer freebies, but freebies are offered in every major city across America.  Mostly popular chain places that everybody loves.
How it works: To get things like free gifts, which by the way, there are over 40 places in the Minneapolis area, alone that are giving away free meals, ice cream parlors, entertainment venues and gifts for kids and adults, you need to sign up on those establishments’ websites.
Savings/Year: The average family can save $1,000 dollars a year just shopping this site before they break on bank on birthdays!
Catch: You have to sign up online with these companies to get the freebies, but there is no charge and they don’t sell your financial information.

4) FREE 20% OFF UNUSED GIFT CARDS
www.giftcardsagain.com
The gift card industry is a $75 billion industry, yet 1/3 of all gift cards are never fully used.  We all need to shop, even during a recession, to buy our kids clothes, pay for entertainment and meals.  I found discount cards at Borders, Applebee’s, Bloomingdales, and AMC movies.  20% off beats most coupon values today.
How it works:  Just visit the site and search for stores or categories and you will see many choices.  Sell your own unused cards also on the site.
Savings/year: Save up to $2,000 a year on all of your everyday items.  Like most gift cards, shipping here is absolutely free!

Catch: Check the card’s expiration dates and know that some cardholders will offer less than 20% off.

SAVING MONEY ON EVERYTHING WE BUY

SAVING MONEY ON EVERYTHING WE BUY

Comparison shopping is hard in this economy, as retailers beef up their efforts to hide true savings.  You need to be smarter, take charge and respond quickly to the rapidly changing retail environment.

IMMEDIATE SAVINGS ON THE EVERYDAY THINGS WE LOVE: Don’t feel like you have to give up “getting” the things you love to get, especially for kids.

Clothes, Books, Video Games: We will always want to keep our wardrobes fresh and our kids occupied with the things they love.  And you can’t get everything at the libraries.
Some favorite sites:

1)    www.swaptree.com: simply borrow books, over 8,000 videos, music, video games (400+), and offer your own inventory to borrow.  Only cost is shipping and something to swap.  Great site for kids.
2)    www.swapstyle.com: over 30,000 members and 7,000 clothing items is easy when you trade clothes for free!  Only cost is shipping.  Keep your wardrobe fresh, but don’t count on getting exactly what you are looking for—hit or miss.

Eating Out:  Even though the economy is not good we still want and need to eat out.  Socialization and saving time is a big part of our lives, and an important way to relax and unwind.

1)    www.restaurant.com:  On this site, you buy a coupon for say $10 and then save $25 in the restaurant.  This incents you to actually go to the restaurant within a short period of time.  There are about 50 restaurants in the Minneapolis area, for example.  Promotions all the time for $0 coupons for say $25 off at your favorite restaurants.  Wide range of restaurant prices.  Site has saved restaurant-goers $75 million.

2)    www.momsview.com: Coupons for chain and fast food restaurants that you can print right off computer.  Many say chains are more expensive than local eateries, but with this site you can really save a bundle.  Coupons expire quickly, so check frequently.  Hundreds of choices in all major cities.

EATING IN: COUPONS ON GROCERIES:

1)    www.Frugalliving.about.com: For moms feeling the money crunch but still want to feed their kids healthy food and even baby food–I like this site because this is where all of the organic food companies either have links to their coupon pages or you can sign up for alerts to special sales.

2) www.thecouponmom.com:The savings are real.  $5 off        Huggies, $1.50 off any Dove body wash, etc…Must register and print coupons but easy to use and updated all the time.

Beware of buying in bulk:  At www.bulkfoods.com, the savings, when diving by the pound, isn’t great.  Same with wholesale clubs and membership fees.  Not worth it to give these companies your money, when you need to hold onto every nickel right now.  Studies have proven that more than 15% of the food we buy goes to WASTE.  Not worth it.  Local grocery stores offer better discounts, in general, than chain stores with “discount” cards, which serve more as a marketing tool for those stores.

BEWARE OF ONLINE “SAVINGS”

Don’t Entirely Trust Web Quotes:  Now, more than ever, watch out for selling your personal information, selling you monthly subscriptions or other things, and harassing you with constant emails.

Sites to be wary of—Not my favorites: Gamefly.com (like Netflix: once they charge you, they always charge you, cheapflights.com (flights are at the worst time of day and you invariably have a layover), Kidsmealdeals.com, where there are very few restaurants posted with discounts for kids.  Site not well set up yet.  Progressive (www.progressive.com) car insurance (wants to sell you progressive, or sell you payment plans which are more expensive).

FREEBIES: WORTH THE TROUBLE AND EFFORT?

Companies are spending more than $75,000 on projects to test consumer reactions to a variety of products.  We make an impact on our favorite kinds of products.  And our feedback matters in the success of their products.  Companies know we will spread the word if we like their products.  10,000 volunteers to test products generates 600,000 people learning about those products, according to Bzz Agent.

What you get as a volunteer: Typically, 5-6 items that you will be testing.  Could add up to around $20 in freebies.

Bzz Agent:  Products typically tested: food and cosmetics.  Saving you money on your favorite parties, word of mouth marketers hope you and your friends, and their friends, etc., will buy products.

How does it work? (www.Bzzagent.com) sends you products (like Max Factor, Cetaphyl, Sonic Care, Glad Press-N-Seal, etc, usually not big ticket items) whenever there is a need to address a group of people like yourself, young moms, recent grads, people living in large urban areas, etc.  Companies know we influence buying decisions and they want our feedback.  500,000 people have volunteered to try products and give their feedback.  In return, they get to keep a few of those products.  Campaigns typically 8-10 weeks.

3 Rules to know when word-of-mouth marketing:

1.    You won’t get paid for your opinion
2.    Everyone testing the product is informed about the test
3.    Disclose the good and bad feedback

She Speaks:  www.shespeaks.com:  This is an organization that sends you products, like food or cosmetics so that you will share them in a party-like setting.  This is also an excellent word-of-mouth campaign.  Not as effective results or as large a volunteer base as Bzz Agent.

Word-of-mouth ethics: www.womma.org.  Word-of-mouth Marketing Association (womma) will guide you about engaging in one of these campaigns.  Complaints should go to the Attorney General of your state if you feel you were misled in any way.