First of all, I would like to mention these are the experiences my wife and I had and could have been different across the state. However, this seemed to be very widespread where I was voting after hearing and seeing a lot for the same questions and responses in the room.

I went to vote today for the primary in the democratic race in Texas. I have voted a few times before and it has always been at the same place. However, I went there and there was nobody around, no signs or any information in the area. I assumed that I missed a message or something else was going on. I even thought for a minute that I wasn’t able to vote today. I went to my local library after that to seek help. I didn’t have any luck there. So, I decided to go home. On my way home I stopped by the local store and asked in line if anybody knew where voting was taking place this year (my wife thought I was crazy). A voter there was kind enough to tell me where she voted. I was so happy!

We went to the polls and was amazed at the amount of people voting. This was a great sign to me and I was pleased to see the turn out. My wife and I went in and she realized she left her license at home. They told us that she would need to come back in order to vote (very understandable). There was two tables one democrat, one republican. I showed my license, checked in and wanted to ask for information about the caucus. I knew the caucus was going on but I had no idea what it was or meant. I have never voted like this or in one of these before.

I wanted to know what time it was being held and what I needed to do if anything. The worker at the table had no idea on when the caucus started or what it really was. In fact, she said I could vote just in the primary if I wanted (which is true) but, I wanted to vote in both and learn the process and help my candidate. Trying to get help was like pulling teeth. I really felt as the worker just wanted to escape the question and move me on in line. This worker didn’t care to find out the answer to my questions or ask anyone else for help and didn’t tell me a thing about the caucus. Frustrated, I decided to vote in the primary and come back before polls closing with my wife so she could vote and I could learn more about the caucus.

We went back at 6:45. This was 15 minutes until the polls was closing for the primary according to the employee. As we arrived, I led my wife in to vote and found out the polls had been closed for the primary and tables was being set up. I assume for the caucus. Once again, I faced major issues with finding out information. Nobody could tell me why the polls shut off the or at what time and I couldn’t find out anything about the caucus. The entire line seemed to be as frustrated and confused as I was. Nobody there seemed to know what was going on. Everybody was talking and becoming quite annoyed with the process. I left in total frustration.

I will do everything possible to make voting easier in the future here in Texas. I am an educated person and couldn’t figure out the process and why I should vote twice. It bothers me to think that a candidate could earn as many or more delegates cause they had more voters vote twice for them in the same day. They earned more or as much and had a lot less people voting for them in the state. What is this?

It also bothered me to find out some people who are Republican can vote in the Democratic election. What party would want this and how fair is it? It is no wander why so many people choose not to exercise their most powerful right in the USA, the right to vote and elect the country’s top leaders. On this night it seemed as if a voter had to be a rocket scientist to figure out the process. I hope we can change it in time for the next election. However, i am sure people in Florida was thinking the same thin back in 2000. Let’s work together and fix our election problems before complaining about another country.

Lowering energy usage will save money. I put it to the test last month and saved over $150 on my electric bill. The best part about the entire situation is the little effort I had to do to save energy in my home.

I went out and purchased these spiral energy saving light bulbs from a home improvement store. The cost was $3.79 each since I purchased in bulk. I changed every single light possible, in every room, inside and out. The bulbs screw in just like a regular bulb and are easy to use.

I don’t know exactly how these bulbs save so much energy. I have come to the conclusion that a fluorescent light bulb doesn’t need to use as much watts as a regular bulb.

In the long run, these bulbs are projected to save me over $1,000 in energy cost this year alone. Even better is the fact that I am lowering energy use and helping the environment. I am not going to stop trying to conserve energy here. Next, I am planning to put in new, more energy efficient windows and appliances. I will keep you up to date on when and how much these will save and reduce energy cost. If everyone in America would start thinking green, we can add thousands of years to our most wonderful planet. Everyone should do their part.

A driver can save money on auto insurance by following a few simple steps. Keep in mind, there are NO Shortcuts! If you miss a step, you probably will over pay for auto insurance.

Comparison Shopping! I can’t speak enough regarding the importance of this. A driver must shop at least 5 companies to get the lowest rate. Failing to skip this step will cost you the most money.

Comparing coverages! The state minimum or purchasing the highest possible coverage doesn’t always make since. The state minimum will barely pay for most cars these days. Most drivers will not cause as much damage as the highest coverage allows. Selecting coverages that benefit your driving needs only makes since.

That’s It! Well not everything. Don’t forget to mention any discounts you may qualify for and keep a good driving record. If you do comparison shop, you might be surprised at the savings you get.

Check out the article on how to buy a new car to save money on your next vehicle purchase. This article contains tips and secrets no dealership wants a customer to know. However, for whatever reason, most consumers get cold feet or are intimidated by their car salesperson. The know they are not doing the right thing and they know how to get a better deal. Knowing this, a lot of consumers are still getting robbed by car dealers. How does one know if the deal is good?

This is the easy part. A customer should ask is they would recommend a friend to the dealership, buy another vehicle and enjoy their new vehicle. If a customer can answer all three of these questions, then they most likely got a great deal. Don’t get caught up in the hype and play games. Pick out a vehicle and then go buy it. Do some research and shop at a few places. Try to seek financing at an alternate place, unless the dealer is offering a special finance rate and buy the vehicle.

Don’t worry about what others say or think. As long as the customer is happy, then the deal was good. Keep in mind that a car dealership has a lot of expenses and can’t always offer the absolute lowest prices. They have many expenses such as paint, body work, repair shop, parts and many employees. Ripping a car dealership off is almost unthinkable and just don’t make a lot of sense. However, getting a fair price, great service and possible repairs should account for something.

There is almost nothing more enjoyable for me than to read the newspaper each day. I like to view the headlines, sports, comics and classifieds on a daily basis. This is a way for me to sit down and relax before starting out my day. The paper also keeps me informed of upcoming events and activities going on in the area. I can’t help but to look for once in a lifetime values in the classifieds. A person can never know what they might find.

There is no better day to subscribe to the newspaper than Sunday. Sunday seems to always carry the most jobs, sales, automobiles and coupons. The coupons are what will keep me a subscriber forever. A smart consumer can save up to $200 or more from the Sunday Paper alone. Clipping coupons shouldn’t be a hassle or embarrassing, it is just plain smart and can save money.

Some stores will even double or triple these coupons resulting in more savings. There are so many different food coupons and options, it would be hard to believe that any shopper couldn’t find something they use on a normal basis. A consumer should go through the coupons and clip any that they use or may consider using in the future and put them in a bag or a safe place until they can be used. Almost all grocers will honor these coupons.

Once a consumer establishes a habit of clipping and using coupons, they can learn to have fun with it and look forward to saving more each week. One thing a consumer should try and avoid is to buy products or services they don’t use just to save money. This can end up wiping out some of the savings a consumer will get from the products they do use. A coupon will only be valuable if it is on something the consumer uses or has been wanting to try out. The savings from the coupons can make products more affordable and a better value.

A newspaper can be purchased at almost any gas station or food mart. A consumer can subscribe to the paper for a daily, weekend or Sunday basis. If a consumer buys a paper on a regular basis, they should probably become a subscriber. Most newspaper offer discounts to their subscriber and often times the subscriber can have the paper delivered to their door. Subscribers can sometimes see discounts anywhere from 5-45% off the regular news stand price. This makes the paper even more attractive and a much better value.

Scams are more sophisticated and advanced than ever before. Some experts can even have troubles differing from some of the best scammers. However, there are ways a consumer can protect their investments and make sure their online shopping is much more safer. Online shopping should be done in a similar way as to traditional store and retail shopping. A consumer will want to look for security while shopping online.

The trust and reliability factor is more important for online retailers. Websites like BBB Online, Cybertrust, Truste and valid Verisign can prove to be valuable asset for consumers to review and find information about a reliable website. Top websites who use safe, secure and protect privacy will display trusted and respected websites like these on their website. These seals and certificates stand for credibility.

Consumers can also read what other people have wrote and reviewed about a business from informative websites like Epinions. Testimonials and credible reviews from other consumers can be very valuable. The past experiences from prior customers can help a shopper make a great buying decision. A consumer can also learn what to expect from the online retailer they are buying from.

Popular buying and selling auction websites can also have scammers preying on victims. These scam artist are eager to get a customers private information. The scammers would like to have access to bank accounts and credit card numbers. They can also try to set up a bogus scam. They prey on people willing to pay for products or services that sometimes don’t even exist. Big ticket or large items are favorites for scammers.

A consumer can do almost any search for items such as boats, autos, tractors and etc. and find an item involved in some type of scam. These rip off artist try and get the consumer to pay for the item before receiving it. Then the consumer may set up a time to get the item or wait for it to be shipped and then realize the item doesn’t even exist. The problem is that these cam artist look like a real seller, they steal somone’s identity and use that person’s trust and feedback they have built up to complete the con. Most of the bigger auction sites offer some excellent tips to prevent scams. Here are a few common ways to avoid scams from online auction sites.

• Have a third party take the money and insure the goods.
• Put the money in an escrow account until the merchandise is received if possible. (Most scammers will not accept this.)
• Bring someone along to pick up an item from a buyer or seller’s home.
• Meet at a safe and secure public place.
• Make sure all required documents, such as titles, certificates and warranties are presented at the time the item is received.

This article isn’t trying to inform consumers to stay away from auction sites. These sites have some of the best deals on the Internet and are great for finding hard to get items. As a consumer it is just smart to learn the practices of all websites. It is just so easy for people to set up fake accounts, emails, addresses, names and websites. Con artist can have a website up and running in minutes. The online tools they have can make the website look and feel very legit. Just be very careful before posting private information online. Once any information is online it most likely can’t be deleted or removed.

If a consumer falls into a scam they should report the crime promptly. Inform the BBB Online, government at sites like http://www.ic3.gov/, http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/reporting.htm. Reporting these crimes will also help future consumers avoid being ripped off.

New technology advancements have made it easy for most carriers to now offer some type of prepaid phone service. Even though a prepaid plan doesn’t offer all of the same kicks as standard service it does have some really cool features that regular service can’t offer. Here are some of the advantages to having a prepaid cellular phone.

Prepaid Cellular Phone Service Benefits:

1. Easier to budget. Pay as you want when you want.
2. You can decide how many minutes you need and avoid paying for minutes you can’t use or don’t want.
3. No Credit Checks!
4. Freedom to pick your plan, minutes, carrier and phone.
5. No obligation and absolutely no contracts.
6. Avoid a surprise attack or an outrageous bill from yourself or a family member.
7. Minutes are easy to get and very assessable through many retailers, by phone and the Internet.

How can you go wrong with all these great features and benefits from prepaid wireless? While all of this sounds great, there are some outstanding features a consumer doesn’t want to overlook from having regular monthly billed cell phone service.

Contract Cellular Phone Service Benefits:

1. Free Phones! High priced phones for free or at a reduced cost for signing a contract.
2. More minutes for the money. (In most cases)
3. Low cost text messaging.
4. A lot of free night and weekend minutes.
5. Additional or multiple line discounts.
6. No worries of running out of time.
7. Flexible billing, plans and phones.

As you can see, there are some great features and benefits of each type of wireless service you choose. Take into consideration of what you and your family needs the phone for and then you can decide on what works the best. Take a test drive and look at the different plans and phones each has to offer. Some people prefer to prepay, while others like to be billed. There is no better choice for the public. Each cell phone user is unique and has different calling needs.

These are some of the questions I ask. To be honest I don’t care about the answers. Today I visited one of these community shockers for the 3rd time. This time I made sure to get there early. They opened the lot up to the sale at 10 a.m. I arrived at about 7:30 to catch the $99.00 sale.

As the event neared opening the sales manager came out to talk with the few people who had gathered for the “big event”. He said that we all need to pick a vehicle that we like and when the clock strikes 10 we get the price on the vehicle. Whoever is in the car at this time will be rewarded the price. Since I was a veteran at these events I knew right away what to check out. I jumped in the oldest, most ugly looking car on the lot. This was a 96 Ford with high mileage and a little hail damage. There is no way this car was going to be priced high.

The manager yelled on the intercom “start your engines”, so we did and a salesperson came by and reveled the window sticker price as promised. To my amazement the car I was in was $3500. The ad was right “shock the community” because I was shocked that the price was so high. The salesperson said, do we have a deal? No!! I told him I was going to buy the $99 and donate it to charity. However, I must have picked the wrong one? I jumped out of the vehicle to find out the lucky customer. To no suprise I didn’t see the customer or car that was sold at $99.

I have never seen so many disappointed customers in one place. I ask my salesperson if he knew which car was priced for $99. He told me someone had already bought it, even though I didn’t see anyone drive off the lot. I also didn’t find any real happy customer(s) at the event either. I didn’t find another vehicle on the lot for less than $2500. The ad in the paper made it sound like there would be plenty of cars under this price. However, I didn’t see one.

As I said earlier this was my third time coming to one of these events and knew what to expect. I just want to raise awareness of what one might find at an event like this. First you may not see any real deals or any of the advertised prices, since they will already “be sold”. Also expect to see some very pushy, aggressive salespeople with money on their mind. The worst part is the whole sales tatic. If your salesperson doesn’t make a sale he or she gets a manager and then another person comes and attempts to make you buy something you don’t want or can’t afford.

I may have been to 3 very bad events but they seem to all have something in common. The event wasn’t special to me. I did get one great thing from visiting these events, a great breakfast and coffee. Also I am able to write this article and save many of you valuable time and money. Again this research is only to find out if a deal like this may really exist. Car dealerships have been very notorious for playing games with consumers. I guess this is the world we live in. These dealerships just seem to be very desperate to me.

Pay your policy in full; Most insurance companies can offer discounts to customers who pay their entire premium in full. A premium can be defined as the amount an insurance company charges to keep a policy current. You can pay a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual premium. Discounts can be found if you pay the entire amount of your policy in full.

Daytime running lights; Some drivers are enjoying 5-15% discount for having daytime running headlights. Daytime running headlights can be defined as headlights that are always on while the vehicle is running, even in the daytime. Insurance companies enjoy the safety aspects of the daytime running lights. Insurance companies are able to provide discounts for drivers with daytime lights because they are assured that these lights are safer and more visible during rain, sleet, snow and fog.

New Car Discounts; Buying a new car can be very exciting and rewarding. Best of all, a new car can also save you money on your auto insurance. A new car is considered a vehicle with no previous owners or never titled. Insurance companies know drivers with new cars seem to be more careful, much more aware of their surroundings and the cars are equipped with the newest safety features.

Senior citizen discount; Insurance companies that offer senior citizen discounts know that these drivers (citizens over the age of 55)  seem to be much more careful, drive less and follow most laws.

To get the lowest possible rate, combine any of these discounts with other more common insurance discounts you may qualify for such as a defensive driving course

• security alarms
• anti-lock brakes
• low mileage discounts
• discounts for good credit
• student driver discounts
• parent’s policy discount for younger drivers
• marriage discount
• multiple car discount 
• combined policy discounts

Not every insurance company offers these or any discounts. It is important to shop around and compare rates to get cheap rates. Before renewing or buying a new policy, ask your insurance company or agent if you qualify for any of these discounts or other special offers.

Do you know of any auto insurance discounts we missed? We would like to hear them.

There are drivers on the road here in Texas with cars displaying tags that expired back in 2004 or older. Some of these drivers haven’t even been caught or ticketed for having expired tags. Don’t think you can get away with not keeping current stickers. The first day you try and go without them you will most likely be ticketed. There is just no explanation how the others drivers can get away with it.

Police have new technology that spots or scans winshield tags. With these scanners they can spot your expired tags, miles away. This will enable officers to pull you over and write a ticket without ever seeing them. This is why people can’t get away with expired tags like they used to. A few years back, cops had to actually see your stickers with their eyes to be able to write you a ticket.

What are the tags used for?

• A registration tag or sticker keeps the Department of Transportation informed on the vehicle’s owner and car identification information. In addition it also shows proof of having paid the registration fees. These tags have to be renewed on an annual basis. Some states allow you to go up to 15 months. There may be different laws in other states allowing longer registration times, contact your local tax office for more details.
• An inspection tag or sticker is required in a lot of states as well. They have similar fees as registration when ticketed for expired inspection. An inspection sticker ensures your car meets or exceeds the requirements needed for driving in your state.

An inspection can consist of checking your brakes, horn, head lights, tail lights, glass, blinkers, gas caps and steering to name a few. Some states like Texas, require you to pass an ozone or emission test. This test checks for exhaust, smog or other harmful gases put out by your vehicle that may hurt the ozone. The test is not required in all counties in Texas. A licensed inspection shop can provide you with all the details of the inspection.

Personally I would like to see all states require drivers to obtain both tags. They play a very important role in assisting officers and the Department of Transportation keeping everyone safe. This also puts money into the departments hands to help improve roads, hire more officers and improve resources.

Abide by all traffic laws at all times to avoid paying extra fees. The state has put these laws in place for a reason and violators should be prosecuted. Following laws can make you a much safer driver. Safer drivers cause less accidents.