Consumer United Advocate

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

In This Issue
Health Insurance
Pack Your Bags
Cellphone Savings
EARTH DAY
Earth Day
In honor of Earth Day 2009, here are five easy Earth-friendly and money-saving tips for you to accomplish this week. Learn more here.
MOTHER'S DAY
Mother's Day Roses
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10 and it's time to treat your mom to a beautiful arrangement or gift basket. Click here to start saving.
Greetings!

Welcome to our bi-weekly newsletter. Consumer United, an online savings group that negotiates better deals on basic services, launched its new Twitter channel here. Now, let's get started.
Consumer United Launches Health Insurance
Health CareConsumer United is proud to announce a new pilot partnership with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a high-quality health insurance provider, to offer plans with lower monthly premiums than traditional products. The Consumer United and Harvard Pilgrim partnership will help individuals in Massachusetts obtain affordable coverage to comply with the state's health care requirements. Enrolled members will benefit from savings on fitness club memberships, Weight Watchers, exercise equipment and may qualify for a fitness reimbursement of up to $150 each year. Members also have ready access to responsive member service programs and to money-saving products to help them stay healthy. Click here for the lowdown.
Travel Deals Heat Up For Warmer Months
Travel Deals Last year's stay-cation left us at home watching the Travel channel. This year, it's time to travel. The recession has led to deep discounts on airfare, hotels, rental cars and resort packages. Travelocity.com reports that the cost of many trips is down from 2008 prices. Now you can get the best deals, as long as you know how to find them. Instead of picking a destination, choose what type of vacation you'd like to take ... then explore the available deals. Barbara Messing, the Vice President of Travel Ticker, a division of Hotwire reports on vacation deals: "It's such a great time to travel that I'd recommend letting the deal be the inspiration." Read more here.
Additional Tips To Save On Cellphone Bills
Cellphone Savings Wireless service providers make their money when customers decide to sign a long-term contract for far more minutes and services than you're likely to need. You can often only get out of this agreement by paying an expensive cancellation fee. If you're shopping around for a new service or considering re-signing your contract, think about switching to a prepaid plan. By avoiding the commitment of a two-year plan, you have the option of signing up for a more limited plan then expanding your services if you find you need to do so. Click here for more information.
Ditch Your Car And Buy A Scooter?
Scooter Have you decided to ditch your car this spring? Maybe you are ready to opt for something cheaper, and something fun. If so, a scooter may be for you. Scooters are great for commuting and bumming around town on errands. Scooters can be used year round, except for extreme weather. A new scooter costs $2000 on average, and with care a scooter can last five to 10 years. Scooters get better gas mileage than cars and they're smaller, so they use less materials to produce and ship. We talked to Sean Murnane, co-owner of Metrowest Scooters of Framingham, MA. Murnane compares gas costs of a scooter versus a car, " It depends entirely on the price of gas, but I spend about 20 percent of what I used to spend." Read more here.
Save $10 on Angie's List
Better Deals DailyWhen you need help with repairs around the house, Angie's List members will help you decide which service companies to trust and which to avoid. As a Consumer United member, you qualify to save on Angie's List membership rates. Use promo code "SAVE TEN" for $10 off. Click here to save.
Save
 $10

Save $10 off your next flight to anywhere in the United States. When booking your flight on CheapOair.com, use this coupon code USFLY10 and save $10 off their already low domestic flights here. Offer expires Dec. 31, 2009. 
CheapOAir