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As we approach the 2 year anniversary of the tragic terrorist events of
September 11th the impact of those attacks continue to be felt on many levels.
The airline industry continues to change but it can be costly to consumers
that don't keep up with the new rules of the game.
Here are some tips that'll help us avoid making the same costly mistake
Ben recently made:
Avoid buying
tickets until you're reallllllly sure about your travel dates: Wait
a second! Don't consumers get better deals if they buy their
tickets in advance?
Yes, but there's a happy medium and it's always important to remember
that most airlines will charge fliers some sort of change fee.
American's is $100 for example, and the rule of thumb is the better the deal
you've gotten on the ticket, the more restrictive it usually is. If
you're not sure about travel dates, keep that extra $100 fee in mind if your
plans should change.
Don't click past "Fare Rules" screens! It's
a mistake that I made, and unfortunately, there's not a forced
"read and must click here to accept" sort of fail-safe function.
As a result, I whipped right past it and it cost me 400 bucks. Don't do
what I did...do what I say!
Use it or lose it!?! By
this I mean that in my case on American I had until midnight my originally
scheduled travel date to re-book my flight or forfeit the entire value of the
ticket. Other airlines may not be as forgiving...so make sure you know
what your re-booking parameters are at the time of ticket purchase...and it
might even be worth printing out the fare rules at the time of booking so
you're extra clear. While you're at it, it might be worth writing on
your calendar what your drop-dead re-booking dates are.
Ben's
airline ticket buying bottom line? The days of
"slack" and waived ticket change fees are probably gone forever from
the airline industry. So make damned sure that you print out all
relevant pages when you buy your ticket on-line...which by the way, the vast
majority of consumers are doing these days. Don't
do as I did and you'll have more money to spend on your next trip outta town!
Interest rates are bumping up fast,
above 6% for the first time this year! Now's the
time to buy a home...or if you're thinking about getting divorced,
re-finance and take the other spouse outta the picture once and for
all! Interest rates are still
lower than they were a year ago, so
read what the big shots are saying about the future of those (still)
incredibly-low interest rates. And since we're on the
topic of good timing, what
are you waitin' for? Cash
in and lock in the lowest
rate in decades by re-financing your current mortgage and cut 10
to 15 years off your term! It's
easy to get educated about the process first...and the price is
right! (Free!)
Everything you need to know can be found on-line; get your own copy of Bens'
2003 Home Buyer's Guide by clicking here.
Now that you're motivated to buy a house,
or trade-up from your current home...how
would you like to get some cash back on your next home purchase
(or sale)? (I'll
show you how.) Click here.....
Okay, so you're about to move; it's
time to go down your "things to do" checklist: Moved
your phone service and utilities? [Check!]
Put in your change of address on your mail? [Check!!]
Have all of your belongings held hostage by some rogue movers? [Check...not!!!]
Do your homework (first) and
choose the right moving company! Ben's
Moving Tips will save you time, money and lots-o-heartache.....
If you do decide to cut the cable,
or hook-up with satellite TV, the choice really is
simple: First off, it's probably not as expensive as
you might think...and those satellite
TV installers ["great service or else"] put
the cable guy to shame. Here's
Ben's easy pick.....
Time to get off your butt and
start making travel plans for the lonnnnnnnng Labor
Day weekend (now only 22 days away): Stretch
your travel budget and get your Thanksgiving
or Christmas-time travel planning handled now while
you're at it. Check out Ben's no-brainer choice
for hotel room or condo deals: www.hotels.com.
Still looking for a cool birthday
(or other special occasion) gift that'll keep on giving, all
year long?
Then give 'em a subscription to the Dose
of Dover...the
most reliable source of insights and no s*** ideas available on
the planet. (You can afford it...it's free!)
Time to share the wealth! Sign-up
for a subscription to the weekly Dose of Dover
Newsletter right
here!
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