Newsletter Update

Consumer United, 181 South St. Boston, MA 617-482-4700   www.consumerunited.com

In This Issue
CU On Twitter
Rent vs. Buy
Savings 101
 
CU ON TWITTER
Twitter
Consumer United, an online savings group that negotiates better deals on basic services, launched its new Twitter channel here.

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Is Now The Time To Rent Or Buy?
Rent or Buy?For those looking to enter the market, current economic conditions may make buying a home a long term, cost-effective alternative to renting. The large number of homes for sale, coupled with incentives such as the new First Time Home Buyers tax credit, could give buyers the opportunity to save thousands of dollars. Taking a conservative approach to borrowing and the new first time home buyers' tax credit may put current buyers in an even better position. A credit of up to $8,000 is available on homes purchased between January 1 and December 1, 2009 for qualified buyers who earn less than $75,000 filing alone or less than $150,000 filing jointly. Click here for the lowdown.
Prepaid Phones Are Gaining Popularity
Cellphone The weakened economy is causing many Americans to take a hard look at their budgets, and a recently released survey by the New Millennium Research Council suggests that their monthly cellphone bill is one of the primary expenses people are trying to reduce. Over 60 million consumers are likely to eliminate some of their cell phones services and features if the economy continues to worsen, according to the survey of about 2,000 respondents. In the last six months, about 15 percent of those polled have decided to eliminate extras such as internet connectivity and text messaging. An additional 40 percent of respondents who currently have these features replied that it is somewhat or very likely that they would get rid of these extras if the economy continued to decline. Click here for more information.
Savings 101: Save Water, Save Money
Water By making just a few small changes to your daily routine, you can cut down on your utilities bills and your carbon footprint. The average American household uses over 900 kWh of electricity every month, so even simple modifications can make a big difference over time. Start by washing your clothes in cool water. According to the California Energy Commission, almost 90 percent of the cost of washing clothes comes from heating the water that fills the washing machine. As long as clothes don't have grease stains, they will generally come out as clean in cool water as they would in hot water. Read more here.
Inside Consumer United
Brendan Fallon Brendan Fallon works full time as a Consumer United advocate, helping the average person save money on basic services. Working at Consumer United, Fallon enjoys interacting with a group of intelligent and motivated young co-workers who believe in what they do, and the goals of the company. "It's refreshing to work with people who care about their jobs and the consumers we help," he says. How does Fallon save money? "I try to save money by enjoying many of the free activities in and around Boston. Nothing beats a concert or movie at the half shell during the summer." Read more here.
Save 33% On Skype Subscription
SkypeSwitching from a traditional landline telephone connection to Skype, the internet-based calling service, can be very cost-effective. On Skype it's free to call other Skype members and their rates for calling landlines, even international ones, can be much lower than traditional providers. Click here for 33% off three or 12-month calling subscriptions from Skype.
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