Fewer travelers expected on July 4th weekend

With the ongoing uncertainty about the strength of the economy and the return of higher gas prices, the folks over at the American Automobile Association predict that people will stay home during the Fourth of July weekend.

Armed by research conducted by IHS Global Insight, the AAA's Leisure Travel Index suggests a two percent decline in travel, dropping from 37.8 to 37.1 million compared to the number of Americans who traveled 50 miles or more from home during the summer holiday season in 2008.

While fewer people are expected to leave home this weekend, the airline industry is preparing for a 4.9 increase in bookings compared to air traffic this time last year.

The AAA cites the recent spike in gas prices and plummeting airfare as a motivating factor inspiring travelers to ditch their car and travel by plane.

“Many Americans remain cautious about the outlook for their personal finances and these attitudes are reflected in the slight decline in travel we are forecasting for the upcoming holiday weekend," says Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA President & CEO.

Click here for more information.

Also, looking for a last-minute hotel this weekend? Click here to get an extra $20 off with a three-night booking through Hotels.com (offer expires July 31, 2009).

Morning Deals: Recipe book, flights & cars

Deal Of The Day:

Recipe Book: Free 4th of July craft and recipe book

Other Morning Deals:

Flights: Save up to 65% on Independence Day flights at CheapOair- and get $10 off with coupon code: 4JULY10

Cars: Grab a rental car for $13.95 a day at Hotwire.com

Rebate at Hotels.com

Save between $20 and $100

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Morning Deals: Foundation, adaptors & GPS

Deal Of The Day:

Foundation: Free bareMinerals foundation from Sephora inside JCPenney with this coupon

Other Morning Deals:

Adaptors: SRS Labs iWow Adaptor for iPod- only $63.99

GPS: $50 off TomTom XL 330S 4.3-inch widescreen portable GPS navigator with text-to-speech- refurbished for only $99.99

70% off Restaurant.com

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Morning Deals: Candy bars, magazines & restaurants

Deal Of The Day:

Candy Bar: The first 250,000 people each Friday after 9:00 am will get a voucher for their favorite Mars product

Other Morning Deals:

Magazines: Great savings on fashion magazines at MagazineCity.com

Restaurants: Save 70% off dinner of the month club purchase and receive $10 certificate when you use code RECIPE

Loyal consumers break up with favorite brands

Consumers are dumping the brands they once adored ... and opting for flings with lesser-known products ranging from laundry detergent to food.

In 2007 and 2008, 20 percent of brand-loyal customers were having one-night stands with new brands while keeping the old, while 33 percent of these brand-loyal customers dumped their old loves altogether.

A PR WEEK article reports that less than half (48 percent) of highly loyal customers, those defined as "shoppers who made 70 percent of their category purchases with a single brand during a 12-month period," remained dedicated to the brand in 2008. In addition, 33 percent of these customers completely stopped buying the brand even while they continued purchasing items in the same product category.

The recession is playing a large part in the brand loyalty break up. In this economy, retaining customers is a challenge. Catalina Marketing Corp's CHKHDC.UL Pointer Media Network reports only four out of 10 brands kept around half of their highly loyal customers from 2007 to 2008. This report was based on purchasing data from 23,000 stores nationwide.

Which brands lost loyalty? Coca-Cola Classic and Procter and Gamble Co.'s Crest toothpaste to name a few. Reuter's reports Walmart Stores Inc., Safeway Inc., and Kroger Co. are a die-hard brands expected to do well. Their prices are low, and may gain loyalty due to the recession.

Company-specific iPhone apps come in handy

Thanks to a few company-specific iPhone applications, the hand-held device is more helpful then ever before.

When you're managing your money, a few companies have apps that will get the job done. E*TRADE Mobile Pro will assist with trading and investing in the stock market. Chase and Bank of America offer banking apps as well, taking the lead. These apps enable you to locate store branches, pay bills and credit cards, and contact the bank with a touch of a button.

The cost? Free.

Now, the iPhone comes in handy at the scene of a crime. Nationwide Insurance offers Nationwide Mobile free to its customers. This app can be used to report accidents, start claims and find local repair shops. State Farm Insurance was quick to release their 1.0 application, called the State Farm Pocket Agent. Although the first version is light on features, the company makes a point that the app is very easy to use.

Morning Deals: Paint, contact lenses & food bars

Deal Of The Day:

Paint: Free quart of paint from Glidden- starts today

Other Morning Deals:

Contact Lenses: Save $5 off $50 at AC Lens with code ACLS5 in the instructions portion of our order form.

Nutrition Bars: Save up to $12 off nutritional bars at drugstore.com- ends July 31, 2009

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Morning Deals: Nature Made, sun care & Off!

Deal Of The Day:

Nature Made: Free sample of Nature Made TripleFlex liquid soft gels

Other Morning Deals:

Sun Care: Buy any Aveno sun care item and get a free sun tote ($20 value) at drugstore.com

Off!: Buy one Off! pest control item, get the 2nd 50% off at drugstore.com

Tips to keep cool when the heat is on

Yep, the heat is on but don't let the warmer temperatures burn a hole in your wallet. With 72 percent of American homes equipped with air conditioners, the energy experts over at AmerenUE serve up a few tips to average out the higher prices as temperatures rise.

Here are a few suggestions for cost-effectively keeping cool this summer:

• Keep your air conditioner in the shade. To cool your house efficiently, make sure your AC isn't directly in the sun.
• Set your thermostat as high as possible. Aim for the recommended energy efficient summer temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
• Ditch your air conditioner and use use a ceiling or portable fan as much as possible. Ceiling fans generally are more effective in rooms where family members congregate.
• Check the filter on your air conditioner at the beginning of the summer. A clogged filter will use up to fiver percent more energy than a clean one.
• Combat the heat by drawing shades and curtains on particularly hot days.
• Use the exhaust fans in your bathroom and kitched to help reduce the humidity burden on your air conditioner.
• Don't set the thermostat really low if your home is warm because it won't help it cool down any faster. When the AC is on, it runs on the same “speed” regardless of the temperature setting.

Click here for the complete list from AmerenUE.

Morning Deals: acrylic paint, flights & hotels

Deal Of The Day:

Acrylic Paint: Free sample of Winsor & Newton Artists' Acrylic Paint while supplies last

Other Morning Deals:

Flights: Take off $10 using this coupon code EUROFLY10 to any European destination when you book on CheapOair.com

Hotels:4-star hotels in Rome from $39 per night at Hotwire.com

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Morning Deals: energy shot, printers & LCD HDTVs

Deal Of The Day:

Steaz Energy Shot: Free Steaz Teas energy shot sample while supplies last

Other Morning Deals:

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LCD HDTVs: $150 off Sharp 32" 720p LCD HDTV with built-In ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner refurbished- now only $379.99

$30 off AutoAnything.com

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Morning Deals: Gatorade, magazines & auto supplies

Deal Of The Day:

Gatorade: Receive a coupon good for a free 20 oz Gatorade, G2 bottle or 16.9 oz Gatorade Tiger bottle

Other Morning Deals:

Auto Supplies: Get $30 off $399 with code KEEP30 at AutoAnything.com until June 30, 2009

Magazines: Great savings on health and fitness magazines

Tips for a do-it-yourself wedding on a budget

Saving money has become more fashionable as the economic downturn continues, and weddings are no exception. Brides everywhere are looking for projects they can complete on their own to reduce the cost of their big day.

Modern Bride writer Kelly Bare has even published a new book targeted to those who don't mind putting in a little elbow grease in exchange for saving on the bottom line. "The DIY Wedding: Celebrate Your Day Your Way," published by Chronicle Books, offers tips on how to save money without sacrificing personal style.

A good first step toward saving is to avoid telling vendors that the event being planned is a wedding. Services related to weddings often command a premium price, so withholding that knowledge could keep vendors from going over the top on the final bill. Another trick is to try to find amateurs instead of professionals, such as weekend musicians or moonlighting calligraphers.

As with any service provider, however, all of the details of the agreement should be put in writing ahead of time. Keeping signed copies of contracts could save time and money in the long run if a dispute arises. Be wary of hiring anyone who is unwilling to sign a written agreement, and don't be afraid to negotiate.

The economy has caused business to decline in many industries, so brides are in a good position to get what they want for a better price. It can't hurt to ask.

Make your pool more eco-friendly this summer

As consumers look for ways to have fun while saving money this summer, improving the energy efficiency of backyard pools can make a big difference.

A standard-sized pool often uses about 15 kilowatts of energy each day, much of that from the pool pump. Pool lights and heaters can also be updated for energy savings because newer models are often significantly more efficient. An added advantage is that LED bulbs last about 10 times as long as typical fluorescent bulbs, so they require changing far less often.

Heating pools with solar panels is another energy efficient trend on the rise. After an initial investment of about $5,000 for pools around 25,000 gallons, in some cases solar panels can provide considerable savings compared to gas or propane heaters. Even traditional heaters made within the past ten years can use up to 40% less energy than older models.

Chemicals are another environmental concern related to pool maintenance. Chlorine is widely used and considered relatively safe, but other pool treatment methods are gaining popularity. Ozone is effective at killing bacteria and can reduce the need for chlorine, and salt-activated systems are also effective and are often touted as less abrasive.

An alternative to pool chemicals popular in Europe is known as "biological filtration" because the process uses plant life to clean the water naturally. Aquatic plants such as lilies and reeds grow in the pool and replace the use of chemicals.

Morning Deals: Scott products, eyelash renewal serum & suncare

Deal Of The Day:

Scott Products: Free Scott products sample pack

Other Morning Deals:

Eyelash Renewal Serum: Great savings on RapidLash eyelash renewal serum at drugstore.com

Suncare: Save up to 30% on suncare from your favorite brands! Offer ends June 30, 2009

Inside Consumer United :: Justin Petaccio

We welcome Justin Petaccio to our team at Consumer United. Petaccio is working full time as an advocate, and thinks Consumer United is great because it's such a simple idea that can lower monthly bills with very minimal effort.

What is Petaccio's favorite personal finance advice? "Don't eat out! Especially not multiple meals a day. You can make better food in larger quantities for less money in your own kitchen!" Petaccio also tries his best to avoid the unnecessary little things. He finds it too easy to spend money here, there, and then all of a sudden he's spent a lot of money with nothing to show for it. This way he can save up for things he really wants to buy.

Petaccio's free time is spent fixing up a scooter he bought last week. "I know nothing about cars, but there's no better way to learn then to practically rebuild the whole thing myself." Petaccio prefers the outdoors to indoors, and loves to travel. "I've been to 10 different countries, from Costa Rica to India. Most recently I went to Jamaica (for the second time). Ya Mon!"

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Wallet-friendly finds for a leaner Father's Day

In case you haven't heard, Father's Day is just a few days away. This Sunday, June 19, get something for dad that he'll love ... without breaking the bank.

Dr. Susan Orenstein of StayHappilyMarried.com says, "It's always hard to find dad the perfect gift, but it's even harder when the family budget is strained by rising gas prices and a tight economy--and dad doesn't need another neck tie, golf club or coffee mug." Check out our Father's Day gift ideas that will keep your pocket lined:

1. Take dad for a hike

Most fathers love the outdoors, and this is a way to spend quality time with dad, enjoy nature, and not spend a penny. Find a National Park in your area here.

2. Make dad a homemade video/CD

You know what music dad loves, but he's too busy to actually download it! Make dad a compilation of tunes from your computer that you know he will enjoy. Check out Youtube.com for some funny Father's Day home videos, here. This is a sure way to make your father laugh out loud this Sunday.

3. Wash his car

Wake up early Sunday and wash dad's car. The price? $0. Use kitchen soap, and water from the hose. Vacuum the interior, too!

4. Plant a tree

You will have to pay for the tree, but you can buy a small tree for $20. If your dad gardens, plant him a tomato plant! Visit your local garden store, Lowes, or Home Depot. Planting a tree or plant for dad is a gift that will keep on giving.

5. Attend a free event/game

Go watch a minor league sports game in your town. This is a great way to spend time with dad, and it won't cost anything. Is your dad interested in cars? Take him to a car show/swap. Look over a list of car shows in your area here.

6. Father's Day online deals

Restaurant Gift Certificates: This Father's Day, take your father to lunch- Save 60% on restaurant gift certificates! $25 gift certificates for only $10!

Flights: Save up to 65% on airfare plus $10 off flight tickets for Father's Day weekend with coupon code FATHER10 on CheapOair.com

Morning Deals: seasoning, restaurant gift certificates & sports tickets

Deal Of The Day:

Seasoning: Fill out online form and receive 2 Emeril's Original Essence samples free

Other Morning Deals:

Restaurant Gift Certificates: This Father's Day, take your father to lunch- Save 60% on restaurant gift certificates! $25 gift certificates for only $10!

Sports Tickets: Great savings on Major League Baseball tickets at StubHub.com

Morning Deals: deodorant, hotels & flights

Deal Of The Day:

Deodorant: Free Degree men's deodorant sample from BJ's

Other Morning Deals:

Hotels: 4-star Los Angeles hotels from $85 a night at Hotwire.com

Flights: Save up to 65% on airfare plus $10 off flight tickets for Father's Day weekend with coupon code FATHER10 on CheapOair.com

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Morning Deals: sticky notes, adapters & Toshiba notebooks

Deal Of The Day:

Sticky Notes: Free sticky notes from Sandy Paper

Other Morning Deals:

Adapters: SRS Labs iWow Adaptor for iPod - Chrome only $63.99

Toshiba Notebooks: $383 off Toshiba satellite notebook plus HP color inkjet printer and USB printer cable bundle.Now only $399.99 after rebate (was $783.24

Morning Deals: coffee, tickets & magazines

Deal Of The Day:

Coffee: Print this voucher for a free small coffee at Borders. Valid until June 18, 2009

Other Morning Deals:

Tickets: Great deals on Daytona 500 tickets

Magazines: Try Your favorite magazines for Just 10 cents a copy at MagazineCity.com

hand therapy cream, contact lenses & hair color

Deal Of The Day:

Hand Therapy Cream: Free Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream if you sign up for the Self Challenge

Other Morning Deals:

Contact Lenses: Save up to 70% plus an additional $5 off any order over $50! Enter promo code ACLS5 on the order form

Hair Color: Buy one Clairol hair color and get a second free at drugstore.com. Offer ends June 30, 2009

Up to 65% off CheapOair.com

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Morning Deals: Fekkai, charcoal grills & Burt's Bees

Deal Of The Day:

Fekkai: Print this coupon for free color care sample at Sephora

Other Morning Deals:

Charcoal Grills: Low prices and free shipping offered at ShoppersChoice.com

Burt's Bees: Save 40% on select Burt's Bees gift sets while supplies last

Morning Deals: Crest, hotels & flights

Deal Of The Day:

Crest: Free sample of Crest Advanced Whitestrips

Other Morning Deals:

Hotels: 4-star hotels on Myrtle Beach from $62 a night

Flights: Save up to 65% on Independence Day flights at CheapOair. Get instant $10 off with coupon code:4JULY10

Morning Deals: Gatorade, iPods & printers

Deal Of The Day:

Gatorade: The first 500 people each day to email the 5 tips to up to 5 friends (minimum of 1 friend required) will receive a coupon good for a free 20 oz Gatorade, G2 bottle or 16.9 oz Gatorade Tiger bottle -- expires June 30, 2009

Other Morning Deals:

iPods: $14 off 8GB (2nd Gen) iPod touch, now only $214.98 w/free engraving and free charger and case after rebate

Printers: Lexmark X6675 buy 2 get 1 free bundle professional wireless inkjet printer only $299.98 ends June 30, 2009

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Morning Deals: soap, VistaPrint & magazines

Deal Of The Day:

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Other Morning Deals:

VistaPrint.com: 25% to 75% off all products at VistaPrint

Magazines: Click to save on golf magazines!

Battery makers charge into electric vehicle market

Ever since gas prices shot up last summer, the demand for electric vehicles began to soar ... and laptop battery manufacturers want a piece of the action.

There are a few manufacturers leading the way. A123Systems, a lithium-ion battery startup, and Johnson-Controls Saft, a lithium-ion joint venture between Milwaukee automotive-component supplier Johnson Controls and French battery maker Saft to name a few. Both have received state funding and have announced plans to build factories in Michigan.

Boston Power, a Massachusetts based company, is currently working on an electric vehicle battery named Swing. The battery has received $9 million in state funding, and is waiting on $100 million in federal grants from the US Department of Energy.

Although electric cars do release zero emissions, these vehicles still come out ahead of gaz-guzzlers in carbon dioxide emissions. A Slate.com article explains that most electric vehicles don't even have tailpipes, eliminating harmful gases such as nitrous oxide, and producing far less methane than gas-powered vehicles. The only exception is sulfur dioxide, coming from coal combustion.

Sulfur dioxide leads to acid rain. Carbon-dioxide emissions per kilowatt hour is determined by how much coal is used in your electricity. The more CO2 emissions, the more coal. Use the EPA zipcode tool here to determine how clean your electricity really is.

How will these batteries help the environment? Swing for example, has “industry-leading capabilities” in areas such as energy density, lifespan, safety, cost savings and environmental sustainability -- according to an Earth2Tech article.

Morning Deals: postcards, fragrances & gourmet food

Deal Of The Day:

Barcode Art: Free postcard

Other Morning Deals:

Fragrances: Discounts on fragrances for men and women at Drugstore.com

Gourmet Food & Gifts: Save up to 25%- offers end June 19, 2009

VOC-free paints come in many shades of green

Thanks to consumers who are chemically sensitive, paint companies are changing their image.

Laurie Tamm, of Boulder, CO, has experienced sensitivities from immediate exposure to toxic chemicals such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in household paint. For 20 years, Tamm has experienced headaches, depression, and anxiety just by walking through a newly-built building. "If anyone is going to start the trend (of using nontoxic paint), it has to start with people like me," Tamm reports to the Honolulu Advertiser.

VOCs in household paint don't affect the chemically sensitive alone. Children are especially vulnerable. Paints vary in type and frequency of VOCs. Some compounds in VOCs are associated with cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that paints with high levels of VOCs can cause dizziness, vision problems, headaches, and other problems, depending on which chemicals are in the paint.

How can you tell which paints are VOC free? A simple sniff test. If the paint smells like chemicals, it's not something you want to paint with. Carl Minchew, director of color technology at Benjamin Moore in Montvale, N.J. says, "If something smells pungent, or if it burns your nose or your eyes, you know that's probably not something you want to paint with."

Which companies sell low VOC and no VOC paint? AFM's Safecoat brand has been in the non-toxic paint business for 25 years. Sherwin Williams sells Harmony, Home Depot sells Freshaire Choice. Benjamin Moore will soon be selling Natua, a VOC-free paint that will be available in 3,000 colors.

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Morning Deals: Yogi Tea, portable BBQ grills & garden products

Deal Of The Day:

Yogi Tea: Free sample of Yogi Tea

Other Morning Deals:

Portable BBQ Grills: Great for Tailgating- starting at $25

Garden Products: Save up to 50% on outdoor & garden products at drugstore.com. Offers end June 19, 2009

Debate regarding health care reform heats up

As President Barack Obama calls for an overhaul of the current health care systems, big health insurers are upping their lobbying money in opposition.

According to a report filed last month, the five largest insurers and an association of approximately 1,300 insurers under “America’s Health Insurance Plans” spent more than $6.4 million on first quarter lobbying. Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for the group, claims the 12-percent increase from last year is simply the group “putting all our resources behind building support of comprehensive health care reform.”

Obama's proposal aims to expand health care coverage in the form of government provided plans similar to Medicare, especially for children, low income citizens and the unemployed. Opposition to the bill claims the competition amongst their plans and government sponsored plans will actually make it harder to reform the current system and will be costly.

As Massachusetts struggles to finance its statewide health care bill, serious concerns arise on how to fund the estimated $1.5 trillion that will be necessary to cover the 47 million uninsured Americans over the next ten years.

Consumer United offers access to Massachusetts Individual and Family Health plans for those not qualifying for state-subsidized insurance or employer-sponsored plans. For a free quote or more information, click here.

--Lana Petersson

Leasing solar panels to heat your house?

Want to incorporate solar technology to heat your home, but can't afford the steep investment costs? You're in luck. Let the solar panel company finance it for you.

Installing solar panels is a smart, not to mention, eco-friendly way to heat your home. However, buying them may be too pricey for the average consumer. They cost roughly $25,000 ... and that includes a potential 30-percent tax credit.

For a few years now, companies have been leasing solar panels to homeowners. The consumer pays a $1000 deposit, and then follows through with a monthly fee. The lease for the solar panels lasts 18 years, according to an article in the Christian Science Monitor. If you decide to sell your home before your solar panel lease is up, you can sell your excess back to the company.

The pros? There's no installation charge. According to an article in the Boston Globe, there's viable proof that a homeowner can earn back the investment in three years.

The cons? The company, not the homeowner, receives the tax benefits of owning the solar panels. If you have white winters, you will have to remove the snow from your leased panels.

And, the obvious trade-off, is that you won't save as much money as you would if you paid for them outright.