Slide Show | July 2012
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Thinkstock
From travel and tech to credit cards and stocks, our annual guide shows you how to save big. 2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: Laptops
Thinkstock
Among laptops equipped with Intel’s previous-generation processor, Sandy Bridge—which should do the job for most buyers—Asus, HP and Lenovo have some of the best prices. If you desire Intel’s new Ivy Bridge processor, deals on HP Pavilion laptops have been excellent. Home Tech Deals: Laptops
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: Music
Pieter M. van Hattem/Contour by Getty Images
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: Discount Electronics
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: Apple
Hodacon Studios
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: E-books
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: Blu-Ray
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: TVs
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Home Tech Deals: Wireless Phone Plans
Thinkstock
Pay as you go. For light cell-phone users who don’t want data service, prepaying for a bucket of minutes can save money. Allan Keiter, president of MyRatePlan.com, suggests using the T-Mobile Prepaid Pay As You Go plan and choosing the option of 1,000 minutes for $100. Your minutes won’t expire for a year.
Monthly no-contract. Get unlimited voice minutes, text messaging and data service from Straight Talk for $45 per month. The carrier offers a variety of Android devices starting at $130.
Standard contract. With a T-Mobile Value Plan, you either insert a T-Mobile SIM card (free with the Value Plan) into any compatible, unlocked GSM phone or purchase a full-price phone from T-Mobile (rather than a subsidized phone) and the carrier will reduce the monthly rate on a two-year contract. An individual plan with unlimited calling, text messaging and data (up to 2 gigabytes at full speed) runs $60 a month with the Value Plan, compared with $80 for a Classic Plan. Calculate whether your monthly savings over two years outweigh the extra cost of a phone (phones start at $110). Home Tech Deals: Wireless Phone Plans
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Shopping Deals: Apps for the Mall
Thinkstock
Scan barcodes with Amazon Price Check (Android, iPhone), Google Shopper (Android, iPad, iPhone) or RedLaser (Android, iPhone, Windows Phone) to compare the store’s price with online offerings.
If you don’t want to order online and wait for shipping, check out Goodzer (iPhone), a “search engine” for local goods. Plug in the item you’re looking for and the app will show you nearby stores that carry that product.
At Scoutmob (Android, Blackberry, iPhone), unlike at Groupon and Living Social, you don’t have to purchase a voucher in advance. Find a coupon, show up at the venue, show the cashier your phone, and claim the deal at the register. Shopping Deals: Apps for the Mall
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Shopping Deals: Save Big Online
Thinkstock
Gilt.com, ShopItToMe and RueLaLa sell designer clothes for men, women and children at 40% to 70% off, depending on the site. For home furnishings, check out Onekingslane.com, which outfits your house with fashionable accents. Sales last three days.
Jetsetter.com sells luxury vacations for up to 50% off the retail price. Admission to the site is by invitation only, but you can request an invite on the home page. Sales last seven to ten days.
Some sites offer the amenities and prices of flash-sale sites without the lightning-quick promotions. Revolveclothing.com offers free shipping on men’s and women’s clothing. Shopping Deals: Save Big Online
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Shopping Deals: Swap to Save
Thinkstock
Swap.com lets you connect with 500,000 other swappers to trade items such as electronics, jewelry and books. There are currently 1.5 million items to choose from. If you want movies, try Swapadvd.com. You’ll get credits for DVDs you post and mail out. Then use the credits for movies you want. If you’re looking to rent or borrow something like a drill or a tennis racket, try Neighborrow.com or SnapGoods.com. Both sites connect you to people nearby.
If your kids are outgrowing their clothes, Thredup.com lets you get rid of old duds and find used ones that fit. And if you’re taking a trip, try Zimride.com for arranging rides from one city to another. Shopping Deals: Swap to Save
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Shopping Deals: Social Media
Thinkstock
Friending or following companies can unlock coupons, earn you freebies and alert you to time-sensitive deals the moment they surface. Getting deals may require you to tweet “at” the company or “like” a page, so make sure you don’t mind having your profile co-opted for advertising purposes.
Follow Amazon’s suite of deal alerts (@AmazonDeals) on Twitter and Facebook for “Gold Box” discounts—the site’s daily flash deals—and other bargains. Pinpoint your favorite Amazon section with dedicated feeds, including @AmazonMP3 (recent offering: Of Monsters and Men’s debut album, My Head Is An Animal, for $2.99); @Amazon_grocery (recent offering: 35% off Kashi cereal); and @Amazontechdeals (recent offering: 20% off all Rosetta Stone language-learning software).
Couponers can follow Retailmenot and CouponSherpa for a selection of the best coupons that day (having the offerings curated by Twitter helps narrow down the choices). For travel, follow your favorite airline on Twitter or Facebook—JetBlue Cheeps and Virgin America are two favorites—or use a travel site such as Airfare watchdog or Farecompare for flash sales and price-drop alerts. Shopping Deals: Social Media
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Banking Deals: Free Checking at Online Banks
Thinkstock
A number of online banks offer FDIC-insured accounts with no monthly maintenance fees and free ATM withdrawals. Open an account with $1 at Fidelity and Schwab, which refund all ATM surcharges in the U.S. and abroad (you must have a brokerage account for both). ING Direct and Ally Bank also refund all ATM fees. Scottrade requires you have a brokerage account with them to open a bank account. A $100 deposit is needed to open the bank account, and Scottrade refunds all U.S. ATM fees. USAA Bank refunds up to $15 a month in ATM fees. At Schwab and State Farm Bank, you can also deposit checks or pay someone with your smart phone. Banking Deals: Free Checking at Online Banks
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Credit Deals: No-Fee Balance Transfers
Thinkstock
Get Cash Back: Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent on bonus categories, such as gas stations and restaurants, that change each quarter and 1% on all other spending with the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Visa card. If you max out your purchases on the bonus categories and spend a total of $18,000 a year, your rebate will be $420. Chase is offering a 0% rate on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the interest rate will range from 12.99% to 22.99%, depending on your credit score. Credit Deals: No-Fee Balance Transfers
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Money Off for Good Behavior: Safe Driving
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Money Off for Good Behavior: Healthy Living
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Money Off for Good Behavior: Regular Exercise
Thinkstock
You’ll pay less at this time of year to sculpt your six-pack abs by nabbing a deal on a gym membership. Look for cut-rate promotions during the summer lull in business, especially in June. Try haggling for an even steeper discount. Money Off for Good Behavior: Regular Exercise
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Money Off for Good Behavior: Smart Use of Credit
Thinkstock
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Appliances: Buy Used
Thinkstock
Save up to 80% on the cost of small appliances, electronics and tools by buying them “certified factory refurbished” through manufacturers or their authorized dealers. Returned or overstock items are inspected and serviced, tested and repackaged, and typically carry warranties of 90 days to two years. Recent examples: One-third off a KitchenAid stand mixer ($230 at www.shopkitchenaid.com) and a Dell Outlet Inspiron laptop ($333 versus $475 new at www.dell.com).
Time That Buy: New appliances hit stores in September and October. Shop Labor Day weekend for deep discounts on older models. Deals on Appliances: Buy Used
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals When Eating Out
Thinkstock
Mini-size the movie snack. A small drink and small popcorn at the Regal Majestic movie theaters recently cost $9. The kid-size Zap Pack—which includes a drink, popcorn and candy—runs $5.75. You don’t need to bring a kid (or an ID) to get this deal.
Give yourself a gift card. Web sites including PlasticJungle.com, GiftCardGranny.com and ABCGiftCards.com let you buy gift cards at up to 50% off the face value for use at Starbucks, Maggiano’s, Smith & Wollensky and other popular restaurants.
Deals When Eating Out
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Cars: Buy New
Thinkstock
Ford Fusion. As dealers make room for the redesigned 2013 Fusion, the 2012 midsize (starting at $21,500) is selling for 19% off the sticker price, on average, according to TrueCar.com. The base model gets 23 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.
Nissan Quest. Whether you’re carrying kids or cargo, the Quest minivan (starting at $26,815) gets the job done with fold-flat second- and third-row seats and safety features such as available blind-spot warning. It gets 21 mpg overall. Recent discount: 11% off sticker price.
Jeep Liberty. A redesigned Liberty will debut early next year, but the 2012 model (starting at $24,320) has been selling for 11% off sticker price. Popular with off-roaders, it gets you where you’re going with 210 horsepower and fuel economy of 18 mpg overall.
Deals on Cars: Buy New
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Cars: Save at the Pump
Thinkstock
Use the right card. Branded gas cards, such as the BP Visa or ExxonMobil MasterCard, have made it harder to redeem rewards, so stick to cash-back cards. The PenFed Visa Platinum Rewards card offers five points per dollar spent on gas purchases (plus three points on groceries and one point on all other purchases); you can redeem 5,000 points for a $50 prepaid Visa card. The TrueEarnings card from Costco and American Express offers 3% cash back on gas purchases, plus 2% at restaurants and 1% everywhere else.
Use an app for that. Download the free GasBuddy app on your smart phone (available for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Phone) to find gas prices near your location. Sort the resulting list by distance or price for any gas grade, or view the results on a map. You can also search by city, state or zip code.
Earn bonus rewards. Earn two points on every dollar spent on gas, groceries and utility payments, and one point on all other spending with the Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard. This no-fee card offers a 0% interest rate on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then charges 14.99% to 24.99%. Another good choice with a lower interest rate is the PenFed Visa Platinum Rewards card. Deals on Cars: Save at the Pump
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on College Degrees
Thinkstock
Journalism. Northwestern University: $56,560. University of Florida: $15,526 in-state, $37,803 out-of-state.
Theater. New York University: $60,907. Purchase College SUNY: $21,405 in-state, $29,815 out-of-state.
Architecture. Cornell University: $55,501. Iowa State University: $16,151 in-state, $28,023 out-of-state.
Business. University of Pennsylvania: $55,136. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: $17,628 in-state, $37,454 out-of-state.
Or, take individual classes for free online. Saylor.org and University of the People offer dozens of free, high-quality classes. Or go straight to top-notch schools. Harvard, MIT and Stanford, to name a few, offer free online courses. Many others provide free course material online. It’s not for credit, but you take the same classes that enrolled students take. Visit the schools’ Web sites for more information. Deals on College Degrees
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals for Investors: Euro Stocks
Thinkstock
Sanofi (SNY, $33). From vaccines to animal health care, the French drug maker boasts a well-diversified product line. Earnings will take a hit this year in the wake of expiring patents for several key drugs. But growth should pick up in 2013 if products now in the late stage of testing, including one to treat diabetes and another for colon cancer, win approval. The acquisition of biotech firm Genzyme last year should also contribute to profits. Meanwhile, the stock, which is 17% off its 52-week high, yields a generous 5.0%.
Total (TOT, $42). The French energy giant’s shares have tumbled 26% since March 1, with investors concerned not only about falling oil prices but also about a leak in one of Total’s natural gas wells in the North Sea. The leak should be plugged soon, and damage is not likely to be great. The company is also investing in a slew of new projects that will boost oil and gas production and, therefore, earnings. The stock yields a hefty 6.2%.
Velti (VELT, $7). This Irish company manages mobile-ad campaigns for such companies as Intel and Johnson & Johnson. After we recommended the shares at $6.36 in our March issue (see “6 Winning Stocks for $10 or Less”), the stock popped to nearly $15 before retreating recently. Velti is well positioned to benefit from exploding sales in the mobile-ad market. Analysts see earnings soaring 46% in 2012. Deals for Investors: Euro Stocks
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals for Investors: Bargain ETFs
Thinkstock
Vanguard Total Stock Market (symbol VTI) charges a rock-bottom 0.06% in annual expenses. That means for each $10,000 you invest, you’ll pay $6 a year for operating expenses. This $20 billion fund also offers broad exposure to U.S. companies of all sizes and holds about 3,300 stocks.
The average bond ETF carries a 0.3% annual expense ratio. Vanguard Short-Term Bond (BSV) has $7.9 billion in assets and charges just 0.11% in expenses a year. And it has a short average duration (a measure of interest rate sensitivity) of just 2.7 years.
Vanguard MSCI EAFE (VEA), a $7.5 billion fund that tracks stocks of large foreign companies in developed markets, charges 0.12% per year. Deals for Investors: Bargain ETFs
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Travel: European Escapes
Thinkstock
Bonjour, bargains. Expedia.com offers a discounted autumn stay in Paris, with five nights in the four-star Courtyard by Marriott Paris Defense West-Colombes. The package includes two round-trip tickets from Chicago by way of Dublin. If booked separately, the visit would cost $2,919; booking flight and hotel together costs $2,190, for a savings of $729.
Time That Buy:Farecompare.com found that Tuesday at 3 p.m. is the cheapest time to buy a ticket. The cheapest day to fly? Wednesday. Deals on Travel: European Escapes
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Travel: Island Getaways
Thinkstock
Head to Aruba in April or September to get away from it all for less. The threat of hurricanes blows visiting crowds far from the Caribbean in late summer and early fall. But Aruba and the southernmost islands are a safe distance from most storms. Deals on Travel: Island Getaways
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Travel: Hawaiian Vacations
Thinkstock
Cruise from Alaska to Hawaii in September, when ships need to relocate for the season. You can hop aboard such "repositioning" cruises at deeply discounted rates. You'll have to pay for the one-way flights to your departure port and from the arrival port.
Time That Buy: The best time to book a cruise is January through March, known as “wave season.” That’s when cruise lines unleash summer cruise deals to compete for customers. Deals on Travel: Hawaiian Vacations
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Travel: Trip to Tokyo
Thinkstock
Get the Best Price:
After buying airfare, enter your itinerary and the amount you paid for the tickets into Yapta. The site will let you know if the price drops enough in the following weeks to qualify you for a refund, voucher or flight credit. For airlines that charge a fee to change or cancel tickets (often $75 to $150), the drop must be sufficient to overcome the expense. Deals on Travel: Trip to Tokyo
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Travel: Colorado's Calling
Thinkstock
Get the Best Flight + Hotel: Plug your itinerary into the Bing Price Predictor for advice on whether to buy plane tickets or wait until fares drop further. The tool saves customers about $50 per round-trip transaction, according to Bing. When you reserve one of Tingo.com’s thousands of “Money Back” hotel rooms, you’re automatically rebooked at a cheaper rate if the price drops. Options range from the Wynn in Las Vegas and Waldorf-Astoria in New York City to various Hiltons, Marriotts and other chain hotels. Deals on Travel: Colorado's Calling
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Real Estate: Second Homes
Thinkstock
Northeast Michigan. Michiganders look for bargains on the “sunrise” shore of Lake Huron.
Average price: $87,125
One-year change: +10.3%
Change since 2006: –25%
Pocono Mountains. The northeastern Pennsylvania vacation area is a big draw for New Yorkers and Philadelphians.
Median price: $106,500
One-year change: –16.8%
Change since 2006: –33%
Big Bear City, Cal. Southern Californians come for the lake and skiing.
Median price (1,500-square-foot home): $160,500
One-year change: –5.3%
Change since 2007: –60%
Panama City, Fla. The panhandle features white-sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
Median price: $216,850 single-family; $185,000 condo
One-year change: +17%; +9%
Change since peak: –38% (2006); –51% (2005) Deals on Real Estate: Second Homes
Slide Show
2012 Guide to Scoring the Best Deals
Deals on Real Estate: Big Box Mortgage
Thinkstock
Ten participating lenders have agreed to cap their fees to process, approve and complete mortgage loans for Costco customers. Costco Executive members pay $600 or less and GoldStar members pay $750 or less for a mortgage, compared with the marketplace norm of 1% or more of the loan amount. (You’ll still have to pay closing costs.) The lenders consistently undercut market leaders on the annual percentage rate (interest rate plus fees) by 0.125% to 0.250% for conforming loans and 0.250% to 0.375% for jumbos, says John Alexander, director of Costco Mortgage Services with First Choice Bank. The mortgage services website offers examples of lender fees and savings for its members. Deals on Real Estate: Big Box Mortgage






