My Opinion Counts

How many of you are dreading Christmas shopping? Is it because you don't like to shop or is it because you have not paid off the Christmas bills from last year? There is a new saving site on the Internet called savebuckets.co.uk. Savebuckets.co.uk knows that many are strapped and are trying to do something about it. They are searching over 700 retailers for the best prices on over one million products. When you use their site you will find what you need at the lowest prices possible. The following press release explains it:

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST HAUNTS INDEBTED BRITS

- New price saving site launches to save Brits up to 20% this Christmas -

As the nation approaches the final countdown to Christmas, new research rings alarm bells over the financial impact of Christmas in credit crunch Britain. The research from the new money saving website Savebuckets.com reveals that as Brits prepare for Christmas, many are still paying off last year’s festive spending.

With 41 per cent of Britons paying for Christmas on credit last year, almost one in five are still paying for last year’s festivities (17%), fewer than one in three having cleared their Christmas debts when their January credit card bill arrived (29%).

Following a year of consumer confidence in 2006, Christmas spending soared 52 per cent in two years (from an average £548 per adult in 2004* to £837 per adult in 2006), with over one in five Brits spending over £1,000 on Christmas last year (22%). This year, with spending power at its lowest level for 10 years**, consumers are feeling the financial hangover from a more confident Christmas enjoyed on the credit card and loans.

Alarmingly, it is cash strapped youngsters and low income earners who, having spent the most on last Christmas, are most likely to be feeling the repercussions of last year’s spending spree (see figures below).

The research into the financial impacts of last Christmas amongst a GB representative sample of 2,000 British adults was carried out by the new money savings website Savebuckets.com which launches this week to enable Brits to get more for their money this Christmas.

With these alarming figures in mind, Savebuckets.com will give shoppers the opportunity to save up to 20% on their Christmas shopping. Putting consumers back in control of their spending, the site searches over 700 retailers for the best price on around one million products. The site includes a unique price checker which allows consumers to set the price they want to pay for items, notifying them when the price of a product falls to within their budget.

I am so glad that I live in a small town. I just had my hair done and it cost $70.00. I think that is a lot of money and yet I have heard that it is a cheap price to pay. In larger cities, it costs a lot more for a color job and a trim. Yikes! I think I would have to go gray!

What do you pay to have your hair colored?

What is it about children moving out of our houses? It causes me to cry yet I like that they have their own place. Maybe, as moms, we are never satisfied.

My friend went to her son's apartment and it was all she could do to not tell him to please do his dishes. LOL I have been there! I was proud of her for not telling him. He must have noticed her discomfort because he mentioned that he was going to be off from work on the weekend and planned on doing his laundry. LOL It was as if he had to let her know.

I have been wondering what recourse customers have when they buy flooring online. Most places would want satisfied customers and would go out of their way to solve a problem. Of course, there are always the few retailers who take advantage of situations and are just in business for the money. What is really bad is that some of the manufacturer's of flooring are not wanting to stand behind their warranties if a product is purchased online. iFLOOR is concerned about that and is offering to warranty the product themselves. They want all of their customers to be happy and satisfied when they buy from them.


The following press release answers many questions for potential customers and existing customers who buy flooring online.


iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.

iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."

And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."

Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."

About iFLOOR, Inc.
Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.

I felt like I was walking into a casino last night. We visited a friend who was in the hospital. I was thinking about Caesar's Palace because the walkway has a voice telling you things as you ride along. When we walked up to the door of the hospital, this voice welcomed us! It struck me as being so funny. I guess, I didn't expect it.

The hospital entrance is beautiful. It has a fountain of water that flows over a granite statue. The roses that are planted around the fountain are absolutely gorgeous. It makes a beautiful place to sit while worrying about your loved one. It also makes a relaxing place for employees to go and unwind a bit during their hectic work day. I enjoyed it.

Make gift giving easy. If you have guys to buy for, check out the gifts for guys at CarGuyGarage. This website has solutions for storage as well as all those neat gadgets that guys like. If your honey hasn't already told you about CarGuyGarage, I will tell you now. It is the best place to buy gifts for guys that they will truly appreciate. No more ties, please.

Tonight is the night when all the little ghosts and goblins go from door to door to get their moms candy! You know it is true. I used to dig out a few pieces of chocolate for myself. Too much candy isn't good for the kiddos!

We live out in the country, so we don't get too many kids knocking on our door. The housing addition across the street is a busy place for trick-or-treaters. We took our kids over there to get their treats.

Happy Trick-and-Treating!