Use the ‘Net to Find Great Stuff

I am REALLY becoming quite the online shopper. I am just NUTS about it! I buy almost everything online now. I still get groceries and personal items at my local stores, but I am leaning more and more toward getting that stuff from the Internet, too. Take watches. All my kids have and use watches regularly. Which means I have to buy new watches for somebody, sometime!

The Internet is a magnificent choice for finding great deals. Take, for example, the Kenmar watches. website. This is a superb site for finding the perfect watch– they have a searchable database, and stock one of the largest varities of watches on the Internet. The site is extremely organized– search my search engine, by name brand, by style, by price, by popularity, and even by color! And if that doesn’t help you enough, there’s an easy Live Chat function available by the Kenmar Watches customer service reps. Kenmar Watches takes customer satisfaction very seriously- they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. It’s a nice site, with a huge selection, including the popular Orient watches and more. Local stores just don’t cut it anymore with stuff like this. We’re lucky if we find a salesperson, let alone a sale or being able to see the entire selection so easily.

So if you’re looking for something special- check the Internet. And if you’re looking for a huge selection of affordable watches with great service- check out Kenmar Watches.com.

Tracking the Flu’s Spread

Creeepy. As much as I like demographics, this still creeps me out: Google is using web searches to track the spread of the flu. In other words, spying. On people, who use Google, for web searches. And then making it into a huge spreadsheet, in a way.

Turns out a lot of ailing Americans enter phrases like “flu symptoms” into Google and other search engines before they call their doctors.

That simple act, multiplied across millions of keyboards in homes around the country, has given rise to a new early warning system for fast-spreading flu outbreaks, called Google Flu Trends.

Tests of the new Web tool from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic unit, suggest that it may be able to detect regional outbreaks of the flu a week to 10 days before they are reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In early February, for example, the C.D.C. reported that the flu cases had recently spiked in the mid-Atlantic states. But Google says its search data show a spike in queries about flu symptoms two weeks before that report was released. Its new service at google.org/flutrends analyzes those searches as they come in, creating graphs and maps of the country that, ideally, will show where the flu is spreading.

The C.D.C. reports are slower because they rely on data collected and compiled from thousands of health care providers, labs and other sources. Some public health experts say the Google data could help accelerate the response of doctors, hospitals and public health officials to a nasty flu season, reducing the spread of the disease and, potentially, saving lives.

But does this leave room for error? I mean, what if Americans watched a television show about the flu? And then they went on the Internet and searched for more information. It’s very easy to make an assumption that people have the flu. Who can tell?

I don’t like the unreliability of these things. There are too many variables and there’s too much to lose (like freedom, if there is a quarantine) if things go wrong, which they usually do.

Still, some public health officials note that many health departments already use other approaches, like gathering data from visits to emergency rooms, to keeping daily tabs on disease trends in their communities.

“We don’t have any evidence that this is more timely than our emergency room data,” said Dr. Farzad Mostashari, assistant commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in New York City.

Hmmm.

You Can Buy Anything Online

Wow. I am just amazed. Every day I am finding out about all the amazing things one can buy online! I have been having such a blast! I am now officially spoiled– I just hate to go out to store anymore. It’s sooo much easier and less hectic to just stay at home and shop for things online. It’s especially great at this time of year, when the stores are crammed with grouchy shoppers. No thanks!

Here’s a cool site to keep in your bookmarks for good prices on good rugs: SuperiorRugs.com. I’ve been checking out their selection for quite some time now, and am really liking their prices and the beautiful and cheap rugs they offer. They have a special rug of the day section, where you can get a tremendous discount on very nice rugs. I have not ordered from them yet, but I think I will next time we need an area rug. The prices are really great.

Superior Rugs manages to avoid the middle man and sell their rugs at very low prices. The rugs are usually of excellent quality (a few may have some unnoticeable blemishes due to unique craftsmanship). They import the rugs directly from other countries, and sell at warehouse prices to the consumer. Superior Rugs is based in New York City, so I feel that they are “local.”

Frugal Hacks, you really should take a look at the site. I guarantee you will never look at your local rug retailer again– these prices for rugs are really just stunning. Some 8 x 11 sized rugs are as low as under $100!! And there are some really classy rugs, too– silk, wool, and the durable synthetic area rugs. I recently bought an area rug at my local home improvement store, not knowing about Superior Rugs. UGH. We paid $150 for a piece of junk– the rug is ugly but it also sheds when we vacuum it. I am never getting another rug at my local retailer again. :-p

If you are looking for a beautiful and affordable area rug, you’ll want to look at SuperiorRugs.com. Why on earth pay more when you don’t have to?!

Help For the Uninsured

Well, I no longer have health insurance. Not unless I want to pay $500 a month for coverage. Holy cow! I don’t even spend that much on health care in a YEAR! I eat right, watch my diet, *try* to exercise, and I brush and floss every day. I do, however, wear eyeglasses. And the ones I have right now are several years old. I have to get a replacement, and since I’ll be paying out of pocket, guess what I’m going to do?

I’m going straight to ZenniOptical.com. I really like this site. It has everything. At the optician’s place, I could only choose one out of about a dozen styles (and the styles were pretty lame there). At ZenniOptical.com, I have loads and loads of choices! I am in control at last, not my HMO! It’s actually kind of liberating.

By now you might be wondering why on earth I sound so happy– these costs are coming out of pocket! Well, guess what– eyeglasses at ZenniOptical.com are costing me the same amount as my old co-pay for the cheesy-looking HMO glasses! Eyeglasses at ZenniOptical.com are as low as $8. It’s been making a sensation in the media. I’d heard about ZenniOptical.com on Clark Howard (love his show) and now they are mentioned in a book!

Frugal times call for frugal methods. Check out ZenniOptical.com. The selection is great, and there are quality lenses for every type of eye and prescription there. I love them!

Would You Do This?

I came across a VERY interesting ad campaign for www.airnewzealand.com. “Interesting” might just be the understatement for this campaign! I’m sure Air New Zealand will be getting tons of attention by this! This is from the site:

Air New Zealand is holding a casting call in late October to select 30 adults to be shaved and tattooed to serve as cranial billboards in Los Angeles as part of the airline’s marketing campaign promoting life-changing journeys to New Zealand.

Basically, Air New Zealand is asking for brave people to use their bald heads as a, uh, billboard. “Bald as a billiard ball billboard” might become a new proverb, eh? The illustrious airline is recruiting 70 people to stand in line at airports, advertising the airline with their bald heads. Have no fear! The tattoos are temporary; they are a two-week henna tattoo! Good thing! But you can’t wear a hat during the two-week tattoo time!

The lucky 70 persons selected from the casting call can get a cash prize or an economy round-trip ticket to New Zealand! The purpose of the campaign is to advertise for Air New Zealand, of course, but also to discuss “individuals’ needs for change and the transformation that a journey to New Zealand offers.” A journey to New Zealand would definitely transform my life! I’ve always wanted to see New Zealand.

Would you do this?

I have long, brown hair, and it would be very difficult to consider shaving it off! Although, at the rate my hair is thinning, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad, lol. Talk about a transformation, ugh! My hair was always my beauty… Anyway, men (or courageous ladies) who are already bald or have their heads shaved (which seems to be a trend right now) would really benefit from it. And Air New Zealand is a classy airline. So, hey! Maybe some folks would love this! Maybe someone like this, eh?

Using the Internet for Financial Help

The Internet is filled with advice on how to manage your money. Finding a reputable website can be quite the arduous task! However– it is not an impossible task. I’ll admit- my husband and I are in debt. Several years ago, he lost his job and couldn’t find another one (this has happened twice so far in the terrible New York State economy). The jobs he did find paid only half of what he was making previously. Ouch. Back then, we knew very little about debt and how to manage it. There were really no resources available to us (that we knew of). But now, thanks to websites like Bills.com, we can read about managing finances, paying off debt, and learning about how to wisely consolidate debt. Bills.com offers excellent articles, testimonials, and debt and mortgage calculators to use to manage debt and improve one’s finances.

At Bills.com, you can learn about:

the importance of credit counseling

debt negotiation

debt consolidation

the benefits of a debt management program

debt settlement

debt relief and how to get it

Certainly, the most important thing to do when working out of debt is to create a plan and stick to it! Consolidation can help, because it can reduce your interest rates, reduce payments yet pay off the amount quicker, and it also has the effect of giving you a solid plan for paying off the debt. I have recently consolidated my own debt and am no longer frittering away, throwing money at various accounts.

Before the Internet, we were at the mercy of the banks for advice and help with financial matters. But computers and the web has changed all that, and information is now at your fingertips. So if you are in need of some good information, take a look online at Bills.com. They even have a little “Boot Camp” to consolidate debt!

Free Radius Search By Zip Code

Are you a webmaster or web designer? Offer your visitors a free store and/or dealer locator for your site. It’s the ZipCodeWorld.com Store Locator, and it’s free. It basically allows your visitors to search for dealers and stores near them, by entering their own zip code. It’s ideal for businesses with fewer than 100 stores (if there are more, there’s a paid subscription available).

No dealing with messy or complicated codes, scripts, or other hassles. You just go to the site, sign up, customize your settings specifically for your business, and grab the data to upload. You don’t need any special services from your web host, either.

Interesting Facts:

a) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is supporting 1089 companies and total of 30692 unique stores and growing.
b) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is supporting 33 countries worldwide including United States and Canada.
c) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is free for business with less than 100 stores. The only thing we would like in return is to display a banner linking back to our Web site.
d) The ZIPCodeWorld Store Locator Live is also available in .NET and PHP. Programmers can install it in their local servers.
e) The company also provides comprehensive ZIP code and postal codes resources for United States, Canada and Mexico.

It’s free, and we know how that price tag does appeal to small businesses! See an online demo here.

Some ISPs Capping Usage

I have Verizon as my ISP. I’ve been pleased with the service, but for the past two months or so, I;ve noticed that I often get slight “disconnects.” I do not download videos or music (although my husband listens to music). The odd thing is that my connection is almost always interrupted, and constantly so, when I drop Entrecards. Weird.

Anyway, I saw news today that some ISPs are starting to cap usage. Remember those early days of Internet service, where you were charged by the hour? I can’t imagine some businesses would be dumb enough to return to those days, they were as annoying as nose blackheads, but there have been stupid CEOs before, and no doubt there are stupid CEOs now.

The phone company, Frontier Communications Corp., is one of several Internet service providers that are moving to curb the growth of traffic on their networks, or at least make the subscribers who download the most pay more.

This could have consequences not just for consumers - who would have to learn to watch how much data their Internet use entails - but also for companies that hope to make the Internet a conduit for movies and other content that comes in huge files.

As you can see, ISPs aren’t intending to cap time usage, but bandwidth usage. This is unwise. Bandwidth usage is not something you can really control. What if Aunt Bertha’s anniversary photos roll in unexpectedly, using up 10% of your bandwidth for the month? Too many uncontrollable variables. But unfortunately, I expect ISPs to start doing this.

If an ISP would offer “unlimited” usage (by changing nothing as it stands right now), they would make a ton of business. We’ll wait and see how this works out.

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