Buying Tires Online: A Quick Guide for the Road-Conscious Consumer

  By schutt | June 26, 2011 - 8:55 am | Shopping Leave a comment

For most of us, any thought to tire quality tends to occur only when the quality deserves question. Easy example: a flat tire forces your vehicle to the side of the road.

If this happens, or if you’re a road-conscious consumer on the search for high-quality tires for quality’s sake, consider this article a snapshot of your online tire market needs: where to find them, what to look for when you buy tires, and how to save money, time, and – most importantly – minimize risk.

Affordability, durability, and manufacturer reputation stand out as the usual suspects when many of us consider our tire needs. But there are a host of other important dimensions to any tire and its retailer. Most people think buying a tire involves going to your nearest retailer, selecting something that works or looks good, and that’s it. The reality is that you could save a lot of time, money, and risk by buying tires online, informing yourself – and thus empowering and equipping yourself – before you make that all-important purchase.

Here’s just a sample of the myriad choices involved in tire selection and purchase, information that the consumer may lack:

- Most tires have anywhere from 19 to 25 constituent parts, from the inner liner to their fabric belts
- The type of tire you select can increase fuel economy
- The size of a tire sidewall can cause tire performance to vary significantly
- Choosing a dealer over a local “mom-and-pop” retailer for tire repair and replacement can add unnecessary fees

One of the larger companies selling tires online, TireBuyer.com, leverages an extensive national network of distribution and installation centers. The site claims to minimize cost and confusion for the consumer by offering an online service that comprehensively answers questions and ensures competitive choice. For example, it offers a pricing system to track all the costs that add up quickly – from tire selection and inspection to installation at a certified local retailer.

TireBuyer.com offers an intensive, before-the-purchase look at retailer installation fees, shipping times, tax rates, dealer certifications, even fitment criteria specific to various vehicles, making the online tire search not only accessible but informative.

One such money-saver the site claims, and which many of us may fail to consider: the heft, weight, and size of a tire can add to the final cost. Sometimes consumers go for larger tires because they think they’ll perform better. Or they’ll take the suggestion from a dealer at face-value without wondering if it’s best for their particular vehicle.

If the tire is larger and heavier than others, and therefore more difficult or time-consuming to install, the dealer could tack on a higher installation fee. The logic follows that it’s best to take a closer look at a tire before you buy it, and buy your tires online if you can help it. The tire you buy could affect you, your vehicle, and the safety of the people who ride with you – so make it an informed one.

Online tire dealers are often able to take advantage of their massive scale to invest more heavily in providing in-depth technical and performance data. One of the largest online tire retailers, TireRack.com, even has its own on-site test track to provide customers with comparisons of tire performance from real-world driving tests in specific driving styles and road and weather conditions. TireRack.com also conducts surveys of independent consumers about their experiences with specific tires or types of tires, which is another example of online retailers using their size and technology advantage to benefit customers in ways that local tire stores or dealerships cannot.

In addition to providing valuable tire information and recommendations to customers, online tire dealers usually have a far wider selection than their offline competitors, and they’re able to keep more product styles, brands, and sizes in stock. So instead of having to wait for a local dealer to order that specific model you want, you can usually count on your tires being shipped within 24 hours with a major online tire dealer. And in most cases you need not worry about shipping costs. TireBuyer, which is owned by American Tire Distributors, claims to have over four million tires in their inventory, thanks to their extensive network of distribution warehouses. Among those millions of tires are a massive variety of tire styles and sizes to fit almost any vehicle.

Finally, when you shop for tires at a local store you are often limited to just the brands that store carries, which is usually influenced by smaller-scale distribution arrangements than those of the online retailers. This may be fine if you’re looking for the larger brands like Michelin, Dunlop Tires, or Goodyear. But often times the growing number of up and coming brands that performance enthusiasts and smart deal shoppers are searching for can only be found online. Manufacturers such as Nitto, Kumho, and Nexen Tires are gaining ground quickly on the larger more mainstream brands in large part due to the explosion of online tire purchasing over the past decade.

Tagged ,

Three Good Reasons to Hold a Life Insurance Policy

  By schutt | June 24, 2011 - 8:20 pm | Financial Leave a comment

Three Good Reasons to Hold a Life Insurance Policy

Life insurance policies are important safeguards for many different people in a variety of life circumstances. From workers employed in high-risk professions to the average family member concerned for their spouse and children, life insurance provides peace of mind for the difficult circumstances that no one wants to think about but are nonetheless real possibilities.

Life insurance policies are often purchased to cover specific periods of time. These policies are called ‘term’ policies and are valid for a specific term period, after which the policy expires. Many term life insurance policies offer nothing in return by way of profits, dividends, gains, or refunds. The policy simply expires and you are no longer covered.

Other life insurance policies cover the duration of your life after the point in time in which you purchase the policy. These policies are known as whole life policies. Many of these policies also act as investment accounts of sorts. Each policy provider puts a unique spin on these types of policies and how they work, but they may include something like a yearly yield, the option to invest payments or dividends in various funds, or something similar.

Life insurance plans are created, and quotes are made, by the standard actuarial processes involved in determining most insurance rates. Historical statistical data is used to formulate market prices and quotes are delivered based on the most important vital data included in the quote inquiry. Many couples seek out life insurance plans which cover both individuals in the case of a death. These policies are created specifically for couples and take a variety of things into account from both a personal and family/couple perspective.

Many others seek out personal life insurance policies to cover only themselves or another person. Personal life insurance plans are created specifically for a single individual and cover only a single person, either for a set term or for life. Depending on your insurance provider, personal life insurance plans can provide coverage for a very narrow set of circumstances or can provide coverage for practically any and every possible cause of death.

Individuals seek out personal life insurance plans for a wide variety of reasons. One reason for purchasing a personal life insurance plan is to provide coverage when working in a dangerous profession. Personal life insurance plans are important assets for anyone who makes a living performing dangerous jobs. These jobs include deep sea fishing, underwater welding and maintenance, and certain kinds of construction. On the one hand, life insurance plans are expensive for individuals who work in these kinds of dangerous professions. On the other hand, they are important safeguards against the potential disaster that may occur in such lines of work.

Another important reason to carry life insurance is to provide security in the unlikely – but possible – event that an unexpected tragedy occurs. No one likes to think about these fluke disasters or random strikes of nature, but they do occur. Life insurance is one of the few things that can provide some kind of benefit in the midst of an otherwise tragic circumstance.

Personal life insurance is also a valuable asset for people who are adventurous, risk-takers, or thrill seekers. This includes people who travel frequently and are exposed to the risks of regular land, sea, and air travel. Many of life’s most exciting hobbies are also the most dangerous. Unfortunately, some people do pay the ultimate price for chasing their passions and pushing these pursuits to the limit. Whether you are backpacking across country, hot air ballooning, scuba diving or rally car racing, there is an inherent danger involved in your excitement. A personal life insurance plan is a valuable thing to include in your hobby expenses, particularly if you have people in your life whom you care for and who depend on you for their own health and well-being.

While plans do become more expensive as you age, it is currently a good time to purchase a life insurance plan. Rates remain low and life insurance providers are more accessible than ever. You can receive quotes from a wide variety of top life insurance providers in very short periods of time, and pick the best rates and most accurate plans. This is all accomplished easily online. Gone are the days of sitting on the phone endlessly tracking down quotes from each provider one by one. Cut to the chase and get fast quotes from reliable policy providers with just a few minutes’ time.

Personal life insurance quotes will of course depend on who you are, what you do for a living, and what kind of health history you have. It is always best to provide the most honest and accurate information possible in your quote process – it will guarantee coverage later if something does happen. Give the best answers you can and get yourself a personal life insurance quote in no time at all.

Tagged ,

Five Ways a Dumpster Rental Service can save you Money

  By schutt | June 24, 2011 - 11:02 am | Public Safety Leave a comment

Five Ways a Dumpster Rental Service can save you Money

When you are tackling a clean-up, renovation, or other project, you’re bound to generate a lot of waste. While it seems logical that dumping trash should be cheap – everyone does it on a daily basis and it’s even picked up from the curb – it can actually cost a huge amount of money to have waste removed. We’ll look at a few ways that hiring a dumpster service to handle this task can save you time, and more importantly, money.

One of the first places you’ll save money is by removing the need for you to use your own car or truck to haul trash to the dump. Filling the family pickup to the brim with heavy trash can cost a small fortune in gas alone, and that’s not including things like wear and tear on the vehicle. Hauling waste can also end up being dangerous – if something like a piece of stray drywall or metal should come flying out of the truck as it’s driving down the highway, it could cause an accident which you could be on the hook for. Many common auto insurance policies actually prohibit the usage of family or personal vehicles for the hauling of large amounts of rubbish anyway, so it’s best to just check into a dumpster service to find out how they can keep you from having to drive to the dump a bunch of times.

In today’s economic age, a dumpster rental can be one of the most cost effective ways to get rid of your debris. The dumpster company you select should take care of all of your concerns and make getting rid of your debris a cinch. When it comes to selecting a dumpster rental service provider, be sure to go with a company you can trust.

Dumping fees have skyrocketed in the past few years as local and state laws are clamping down on unnecessary waste – and when you show up with small loads, you’re going to pay the highest rate. Using a dumpster service will allow you to take advantage of having all of your trash go to the dump at once, and most dumpster services will have a bulk rate worked out which you can leverage. The more renovation, yard or other waste you have, the more you’ll save in dump fees by using a dumpster service.

Another area for savings that comes with using a dumpster service is avoiding small fees that are tacked on to waste disposal such as “environmental fees”, “handling fees” and other associated costs. These are akin to dumping taxes, and are meant to discourage individuals from just throwing anything in the trash. Since most people don’t want to sit in their trash pile sorting out different items, hiring a dumpster service to handle the waste is the way to go. When you receive the dumpster, the dumpster service will inform you exactly what can and what can’t go into it, which leaves you to work on your project and not sit around sorting the trash.

Although many people don’t attach a dollar figure to it, time is another huge area of savings that using a dumpster service will provide. Nothing beats the convenience of having a dumpster right in the yard or beside the house for you to toss all of your waste into. A good dumpster service will be able to handle the drop-off and pick-up of your dumpster in a time frame that works for you, and since you won’t have to make a dozen trips to the dump in the station wagon to remove all of your waste, you can focus on getting actual work done. Using a dumpster service will save you a ton of time, and the convenience factor can’t be beat.

Finally, using a licensed and bonded dumpster service eliminates any worries you might have about your rubbish causing unnecessary damage or harm. All of your waste goes straight into the dumpster, and once the dumpster service takes it away, it becomes their problem. The last thing you need when you’re paying for expensive renovations and other materials is to have someone step on a nail because you tossed your waste into the yard. Let a dumpster service handle your trash and leave the risk to them.

These are just a few of the ways that using a dumpster service to handle your waste removal needs can save you both money and time. Even if you’re just planning a spring cleaning or a small yard-work project, the convenience that a dumpster service provides can’t be beat. You simply make one phone call and shortly you’ll have a dumpster that will easily hold all of the waste you can throw at it. The next time you’ve got a home-improvement, office renovation or other project where you know you’ll be generating a lot of waste, give your local dumpster service a call and they’ll set you up with a dumpster that will work perfectly for you.

Tagged ,

Internet Abuzz With i Pad 3 Release Talk

  By schutt | June 24, 2011 - 2:11 am | Technology Leave a comment

Apple revolutionized, and in some ways, created the tablet market. There have been several attempts at a successful tablet machine over the years. However they never really took off, and consumers never found a use for them. Tablets failed partially by the lack of functionality and partially due to the lack of technology. No one wanted a tablet that would only run an hour or two before needing to be charged. Nor did they want something that was too heavy to easily carry around.

The iPad was released in 2010, and sold an astounding 3 million devices in 80 days. The iPad sold 14.8 million units in 2010 and represented over 75% of the tablet PC market. The iPad was here, and it was in charge. Apple made the tablet not only something that was useful, but something that people wanted. By running the same operating system as the very popular iPhone people easily adapted to the new device. The popularity of the “app” gave the device functionality and made it more then a trendy device.

Users found multiple uses for the iPad which helped it grow in popularity quickly. Some companies have started using the iPad in the office to assist with meetings, presentations, and interacting with clients. It has also been incorporated into the classroom. Even more exciting is the breakthrough with using the iPad to assist the learning of children with autism. It of course is also extremely popular for your ability to consume media be it music, games, or movies. It was even approved by the FAA to be used in the cockpit of flights to cut down on printed flight manuals.

The original iPad was offered in two versions. One version was Wi-Fi only enabled and the second was able to connect to Wi-Fi as well as 3G. Like the iPhone, the iPad was originally only sold via AT&T. The actual units themselves however could only be purchased at Apple stores. Due to a limited supply Apple wanted to be in control of the entire roll out process. Since its successful launch Apple has since started to sell the iPad via other retailers.

The iPad 2 was released on March 11, 2011. It was made available in two different color choices, the original black and also a white casing. The iPad 2 is thinner and lighter then the original iPad and also contains a faster processor. A dual core Apple A5 reportedly is twice as fast as the original iPad, and nine times faster at GPU operations. The iPad 2 also incorporated a rear camera which the original did not contain. Even more exciting was the addition of a front facing camera which enables users to FaceTime other iPad and iPhone users. This of course is the feature which enables you to see the caller as you are speaking to them. The final feature added was a three-axis gyroscope which can be used by any of the apps installed on the device. Even with the new features and upgraded processor the iPad retained its 10 hour battery life, the same as the original.

All eyes are now on the upcoming release of the iPad 3. There are almost daily reports being issues bring new news and information to the table related to the iPad 3. Everything from the specs that the device may contain, to the projected release date, nothing is off limits. Currently the main focus of everyone is the possibility of two iPad releases in 2011. As you remember the iPad 2 was just released in March 2011. However there are many that are projecting the iPad 3 may be released in September or October of the same year. This of course would go against the normal release cycle of Apple. They historically release a product on a yearly cycle at specified events. Apple however has recently broken this trend when the failed to release the iPhone 5 at WWDC.

Other rumors are focused on the type of display that the iPad 3 may contain. It is a lot of folks thought that the iPad 3 will come with some type of high definition display. The iPad 2 was released with the same display as the Original iPad, and was one of the things begging for an upgrade. A Retina Display, similar to the iPhone, is what many are projecting to be used. However legal issues with Samsung, and possible supply issues may have the iPad 3 being released with a similar display as the iPad 2.

No one really knows what Apple is going to do with the iPad 3. They are historically very tightlipped about their products. This of course helps create the buzz around the release of every product that they release. Whenever the iPad 3 is released it will surely be the center of the tablet industry and the mark that all competitors try to reach.

Tagged ,

A New Era

  By schutt | June 23, 2011 - 5:24 pm | Health Leave a comment

Last night, at about 12:03pm, I found myself digging my way to the bottom of a pint of mint chocolate chip ice-cream. I stood in my kitchen with nothing but a robe and slippers on, shivering in the cold waves creeping out of the freezer. With every spoonful of dairy delight I found myself falling deeper and deeper into a state in which I could not return. This was the state of the “fatsos”. Well, maybe not a state, but definitely a fate of becoming a fatso. Anyway, I fell asleep with a stomach full of ice- cream and this never ends well.

This morning, I felt terrible. My stomach hurt, my head hurt, everything hurt! I was panicking thinking that something was wrong with me, but I recovered and decided that it was time to start picking up my own workout routine. I have been eating like this for months now and I can’t seem to stop. I just love food way too much. So, I have decided to start exercising daily with some cardio workouts to get the calories off and to get the fresh air in.

Today, I headed to the gym where I started this ritual. First, I got on the treadmill and ran a mile, eager to dive right into the workout. Then, I jumped on the elliptical and did some time on that. Then, to further my explorations into the cardio fitness realm, I cycled for about 10 more minutes. I was sweating buckets by the end of this, but I did not want to stop. I felt an urge to keep pumping it out. So, I headed over to the weight machines where I worked on my quads, my biceps, and my thigh muscles. Then, after a ton of sets on those machines, I decided to do an abs workout and practice some body sculpting techniques I learned from a workout video I own. Usually while doing my body sculpting session, I listen to relaxation music to ease the nerves. It is great and really makes you open your mind and forget your worries. I must say, it was a successful trip to the gym and I hope to continue my efforts to lose some weight.

As I touched on before, I am a victim to ice-cream. All flavors, you name it! I love chocolate, vanilla, vanilla bean, strawberry, and the list can go on and on. It is a problem that I have been having trouble with. Going to the gym is one thing, but I want to loose the weight and eating tons of food doesn’t help. I have done high impact cardio, walking exercises, stretching, and a whole bunch of fitness videos. It is just so hard to stay fit when you eat like I do. I am also a late-night snacker, scavenging for anything I can find in the kitchen cabinets. I am good during the day and have pretty much knocked my daily calorie intake to about 1,500, but it is when night comes that I am prone to floating into the kitchen where I probably tack on about another thousand. I am helpless to the scent of chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of cold chocolate milk. This doesn’t even satisfy me. I always have the craving to wash it down with a huge bowl of ice-cream with sprinkles, whip cream, and chocolate syrup. I know that these aren’t the healthiest choices, but I have tried doing the healthy thing. I just end up eating the entire carton of cashews or almonds. It still doesn’t work, I might as well eat the cookies and ice-cream. I am trying to get it under control, but to do that, I must discipline myself first.

It is not easy, and I am going to need to push myself to make sure I get to the gym every day. Even if it is just to go to the gym and do some walking workouts on the treadmill, it is still going to the gym and doing some sort of physical activity. Walking to lose weight is a great idea, but I will still need to motivate myself to go even beyond my comfort zone. My goal is to be able to run a mile without getting exhausted. But in the mean time, I think that I just need to get comfortable with running even a quarter mile without becoming exhausted. Hopefully my treadmill workouts will be the start to this. Then, I need to learn how to maintain a steady diet and make sure that I don’t eat too much. Watch out treadmill because here I come! I am going to loose this weight and feel great while doing it. All that I need to do is stay motivated and everything else will follow. I just need to stay in it and give it my all. Wish me luck people, I’m going to need it!

Tagged ,