Morning Deals: Restaurant.com, hotels & car rentals

Deal Of The Day:

Restaurant.com: Free $25 gift card for first 500 people

Other Morning Deals:

Hotels: Save between $20 and $100 on all hotel bookings now!

Car Rentals: From $8.98 a day- save up to 40% on 7 major car vendors at Car Rentals LLC

Morning Deals: Song download & computers

Deal Of The Day:

Song Download: Free Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow" song download

Other Morning Deals:

Compaq: Compaq value bundle: Presario C770US Intel Pentium dual core , includes Logitech Alto Stand with wireless keyboard only $429.99

Gateway: $550 off Gateway M-7351u dual core 2GHz notebook- 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, 15.4" and Logitech Alto Stand now only $449.99

Morning Deals: Santa photo, tickets & Angie's List

Deal Of The Day:

Santa Photo: Free photo with Santa at Walmart

Other Morning Deals:

Tickets: Purchase $50 or more in Fandango Bucks and receive a free movie ticket.

Angie’s List: Find thousands of unbiased ratings on services for home improvements, car repairs, and restaurants!

Morning Deals: John Frieda & taxes

Deal Of The Day:

John Frieda: Free shampoo and conditioner sample

Other Morning Deals:

Taxes: Great deals for the 2009 tax season at QuickTax.com

More Taxes: Get your refund fast and get big discounts- do your taxes the easy way at TurboTax.com

Social media sites save consumers during holidays

Season's twitterings? For this gift-buying time of the year, let social network sites help you save on your holiday shopping.

Social media sites like MySpace, Facebook, and now Twitter, help the masses maintain connections with friends and family. Why not let social media help you save big on your holiday shopping?

This year, almost 50 percent of big retail chains are using sites like Twitter to reach out to consumers, building customer loyalty with each holiday discount they post.

Rachel Holland, a mother of three, a deal seeker and a Twitter fanatic reports in an ABC News report, "I got all of my kids Christmas presents at 75 percent off and I knew exactly when the sale started because of Twitter." She continues, "I feel great about the savings this Christmas, the holidays aren't a burden on it, and it's been wonderful."

Toys "R" Us Facebook followers learned of Black Friday deals before anyone else. Barbie Dolls that were half off, $4 DVDs and 80 percent off select children's toys. Facebook followers of Staples were offered $40 off Bluetooth headsets on Black Friday, and $130 off select GPS units.

So, when your anti-social media friends ask you why you enjoy Facebook and Twitter, be sure to alert them of the holiday-saving benefits.

In the United States, 45 percent of internet users will use social networks to compare products, research items and search for offers according to an ABC news article. If you don't have Facebook or Twitter but are ready to get started, simply go to each Web site and sign up for a free account. Once you are a member, type in your favorite stores in the search tabs of both Facebook and Twitter, and friend them. Voila! The stores will begin to send you tweets or notices about holiday discounts and secret sales.

Consumer savings sites are here to help all over the internet. Loren Bendele, CEO of Savings.com, an up-and-coming site states, "It's a community of people, it's a social network coming together to help each other save money, building that social network around deals, discounts, coupons and promotions, seeing people take off and leveraging all the new media like Twitter, we believed it would happen, but we didn't know it would happen this quickly."

Follow Consumer United on Twitter here.

Push to bounce unsolicited checks in New Jersey

A New Jersey lawmaker is pushing to ban deceptive and unsolicited checks.

Paul Moriarty, a Garden State assemblyman, is spearheading legislation that would bar unsolicited checks. The lawmaker was inspired after a constituent showed him an unsolicited check for $8.25. If cashed, the consumer would have been automatically enrolled in a roadside assistance plan, costing the consumer $15.99 a month.

If turned into law, businesses wouldn't be allowed to send consumers unsolicited checks that in turn automatically charge the consumer monthly fees. Paul Moriarty, the assemblyman who is pushing the ban says, "Right now, consumers are at their most vulnerable to fall for a scheme that appears to offer them instant cash but would end up costing them much more in the long-run."

If a business does send an unsolicited check, under New Jersey's Consumer Fraud Act, the business will be fined $10,000. If the business continues, they will face $20,000.

Businesses will still be able to mail checks to consumers as long as there has been a pre-existing b-to-c relationship and as long as the checks are from legitimate banks.

The proposed legislation will most likely be considered by the Consumer Affairs Committee, according to an article from the Associated Press.

Free Macy's $50 gift card

Test drive a Chevy at a Chevy dealer and get a free $50 Macy's gift card!

Check out our twtQpon here

Morning Deals: Photo Works, toothbrushes & vaseline

Deal Of The Day:

Photo Works: Free book, photo cards, or calendar from Photo Works

Other Morning Deals:

Toothbrushes: Buy the new Supersmile toothbrush and get $20 off your order at drugstore.com

Vaseline: Save $1 off Vaseline lotions at drugstore.com- offer ends December 13, 2009

Crazed parents flock for Zhu Zhu Pets in Florida

Our favorite Black Friday video for 2009? It has to be a clip from Fox 13 in Tampa-St. Petersburg featuring a pack of crazed shoppers on the prowl for Zhu Zhu Pets at the Toys R Us in Clearwater, Florida.

Here's the lowdown from the report:

There were an estimated 1,000 people in line before the store opened, and at one point, store managers asked police to keep an eye on the line, which wrapped around the building.

What's a Zhu Zhu? Robotic hamsters. Yes, the furry critters that come in five different characters have parents all worked up in a shopping tizzy.

Click here for details.

Money-saving tips to curb car-rental costs

Renting a car this holiday season? Get your motor running. A columnist at USA Today serves up several money-saving tips to help curb costs for those renting a car.

Here are a few highlights:

1. Rent in the city: Columnist David Grossman says he saved $103 on a five-day rental after bypassing user fees on airport rentals and opting for a pick-up location in the city.
2. Drop off at the airport: Save money on cab fares by dropping off the rental at the airport instead of the inner-city locale. Most agencies don't charge extra for dropping off at a different location.
3. Capitalize on discounts: Many airlines offer discounts on car rentals as a customer-loyalty perk. Also, groups like the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offer group savings.
4. Avoid unnecessary insurance: Car rental companies generally recommend insurance consumers may or may not need. However, some auto insurance policies and a handful of credit cards cover car rental insurance. Check with your insurance provider and credit card company before shelling out the extra cash for coverage.
5. Book online: Many car rental companies offer discounts for customers who book online versus calling in the reservation over the telephone. For example, Consumer United partner CheapOair offers discounted rates, starting at just $13 per day here.
   

Click here for additional money-saving tips.

LED-fueled holiday lights go green

As more and more consumers are becoming familiar with the benefits of using LED bulbs, manufacturers are offering an increased selection of energy efficient holiday lights. Not only are they better for the environment, LED bulbs cost far less to operate than traditional holiday lights.

Even though the purchase price of LED holiday lights may be higher in some instances, they last five to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. In addition, the savings they provide on energy bills is substantial.

The average string of lights contains about 300 bulbs, and to power a string of incandescent bulbs for six weeks would cost between $70 and $71. A string of LED bulbs that size, on the other hand, would cost less than a dollar to power.

"That means you save $70 a season if you switch out 300 incandescent lights to LED lights," Joe Molica, a spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric, says to the San Francisco Gate. "It's a pretty dramatic savings, and it reduces your carbon footprint."

Many homes and businesses use far more than one string of lights, so the savings can add up quickly. LED bulbs also have the added advantage of producing far less heat than incandescent light bulbs, so the risk of fire is lower. Let this year be the year you switch to the lights that are cleaner, safer and less expensive to run.

Are you on Santa's naughty or nice list when it comes to energy efficiency? Click here to for Consumer United's holiday savings game.

Morning Deals: Santa video & flights

Deal Of The Day:

Santa Video: Give your kids a thrill with Disney's personalized Santa video message

Other Morning Deals:

New Year's Flights: Save big on New Year’s flights at CheapOair.com- take $10 off by using promo code NY2010- valid until Jan. 4th, 2010.

Last Minute Flights: Save up to 40% off last minute fares with low Hotwire hot-rates!

Tips to save during the holiday season

With many retailers hoping to keep their sales figures high despite the weak economic conditions, there are lots of opportunities for shoppers to stretch their holiday budgets this year.

One of the best ways to get a deal is to do plenty of comparison shopping online. Many brick and mortar stores, especially large electronic and clothing stores, offer much of their merchandise online. Shoppers can save money on gas and shipping if they wait for the store to offer free shipping on online purchases, as well.

Another benefit of shopping online is the ability to use coupon codes to save even more. There are Web sites dedicated exclusively to offering coupon codes, and some sites send them out to customers who have made purchases in the past. Some stores will even accept their competitors’ coupons for similar items.

For shoppers that plan on making a lot of their purchases in one location, a small investment in that store’s rewards card could lead to a big payoff. The Barnes and Noble card, for example, offers a 10 percent discount on all purchases to members. Starbucks and many other well known specialty retailers also offer membership discounts. The memberships themselves make great gift ideas to help pass the savings along.

This year in particular, retailers are putting merchandise on sale and keeping those sales going up until the winter holidays. With Black Friday falling especially late this year and with many shoppers keeping a close eye on their budgets, mid-December doesn’t mean the deals have ended. Even online, shoppers can find discounted rush shipping offers so the gifts will arrive just in time.

Morning Deals: Tea, digital readers & electronics

Deal Of The Day:

Tea: Free tea from Golden Tea Company

Other Morning Deals:

Digital Readers: Sony and Bookeen digital book readers for very affordable prices

Electronics: 17 media electronics with huge price drops of up to 66% off at OnSale.com

No. 1: Video countdown to Black Friday 2009

Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving and the beginning of the traditional holiday shopping season, is around the corner. Can't get into the gift-giving spirit?

Don't fret.

Consumer United Advocate plans to unveil its favorite Black Friday video clips to shock you into the spirit.

Click here for more Black Friday videos.

No. 2: Video countdown to Black Friday 2009

Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving and the beginning of the traditional holiday shopping season, is around the corner. Can't get into the gift-giving mood?

Don't fret.

Consumer United Advocate plans to unveil its favorite Black Friday video clips to shock you into the spirit.

If people run like this everyday, we won't need campy shows like "America's Biggest Loser." When it comes to Black Friday Sale, people are strapped on with their running shoes. Beware Usain Bolt!

Snag a free car-history report from eBay Motors

Looking to buy a used car or truck? On eBay, consumers can snag a free vehicle history report thanks to Experian's AutoCheck.

Buying a used vehicle can be tricky and over the years consumers have been known to complain of rebuilt lemons and cars with "secret" histories. And eBay isn't trying to exclude rebuilt cars or vehicles with different histories. All eBay is trying to do is let the vehicle's real history be known.

According to a New York Times article, Nicholas Franchet, senior director at eBay Motors says, "Previously such vehicle background reports were offered by some sellers, but now eBay will provide them on all used vehicles after the 1981 model year."

Experian's AutoCheck places an emphasis on the importance of consumer awareness and knowledge, especially when it comes to the history of vehicles for safety purposes.

However, some don't believe the disclosure is actually useful. Anthony Giorgianni, an associate finance editor for the Consumer Reports Money Advisor newsletter states, "Don't trust it. Don't trust it." Giorgianni has evaluates many services that check vehicle identification numbers and histories. What has he found? Numerous flaws.

Franchet argues that “the history on a used car is not a perfect science." But he says that he believes the Experian information can be a great help to buyers. “In our experience it is very, very good data,” Franchet adds.

What does the consumer learn from the report? Mileage, any damage the vehicle has accrued and a history of where the vehicle has been registered. This is certainly valuable information, however the information cannot be trusted 100 percent.

The best advice for consumers? Check out a range of resources and educate yourself in order to have total confidence when making a purchase.

Morning Deals: Calendars, toothbrushes & Listerine

Deal Of The Day:

Calendars: Free calendar from Betty Crocker

Other Morning Deals:

Toothbrushes: Buy the new Supersmile toothbrush, and get $20 off your order at drugstore.com

Listerine: Save $2 off 1 Listerine Total Care at drugstore.com- ends November 28, 2009

No. 3: Video countdown to Black Friday 2009

Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving and the beginning of the traditional holiday shopping season, is this week. Can't get into the gift-giving spirit?

Don't fret.

Consumer United Advocate plans to unveil its favorite Black Friday video clips to shock you into the spirit.

This clip shows how employees keep their spirits high when it comes to working late at night for Thanksgiving Weekend sale. Spare a thought for the sales girls!

Morning Deals: Fabric softener, flights & hotels

Deal Of The Day:

Fabric Softener: Free fabric softener sample from Seventh Generation

Other Morning Deals:

Flights: Lowest airfare guarantee on all winter flights at CheapOair.com and save $10 instantly by using coupon code WINTER10

Hotels: 4-star hotels at 2-star prices- save up to 55% with low Hotwire rates!