Mandy: August 2009

Monday, August 10, 2009

Marion's Pizza Turns Back the Clock on Prices

Get Marion’s Pizza super cheap

If you live in Ohio, you could get one of America’s favorite foods — pizza — at hefty discounts. Marion’s Pizza is cutting their prices today, back to the prices it charged 44 years ago when the restaurant first opened.

Marion’s Pizza had originally planned to run the opening-day price promotion for its 45th anniversary, but the pizza joint needed a little boost and figured its customers could use the discount right now, so it decided to go ahead and run the promotion today.

Yesterday’s prices today

In 1965 when Marion’s Pizza first opened, a small cheese pizza cost 80 cents, and a large deluxe pizza cost $2.50. That’s exactly what people will pay today at the seven Marion’s Pizza locations. So if you’re short on cash and need something to eat you might be able to squeak by without unsecured loans.

Here are the addresses of the seven Marion’s Pizza locations:

South: 711 Shroyer Road at Patterson Road
Centerville: 241 N. Main St.
North: 3443 N. Dixie Dr. at Wagoner Ford Road
Beavercreek: 1320 N. Fairfield Road
Dayton Mall: 8991 Kingsridge Dr.
Englewood: 404 W. National Road
Town & Country: 50 E. Stroop Road, T&C Shopping Center

Marion’s Pizza promotion rules

Of course, the promotion is limited to one item per customer, so don’t think that you can just go in and buy a week’s worth of meals at 1965 prices. Also, Marion’s Pizza is not taking reservations and the offer applies to dine-in and carry out only.

So how can Marion’s Pizza afford to sell deluxe pizzas for $2.50 and small pizzas for less than $1? The restaurant was voted the Dayton area’s best pizza in 25 local surveys of newspaper and magazine readers. This promotion almost seems like it’s just a favor to Marion’s Pizza customers. The pizza joint obviously is already very popular, so while this promotion might win Marion’s Pizza a few new customers, it appears the place is doing pretty well already in the publicity department. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Marion’s Pizza Turns Back the Clock on Prices“

Credit Card Use Increases Prices for Everyone

I use a total of three credit cards. The first is a card issued by Citibank that offers a rounded set of cash back rewards, my alternate is a Bank of America Visa Signature card, and for business expenses I use an American Express Blue Cash for Business card. But I don’t pay interest fees because I don’t carry a balance — I only spend what I can pay off before the due date.

For a conscientious consumer, there are a number of reasons to use a credit card for as many expenses as possible.

You can often automate regular expenses like cable and electricity. Your accounts are automatically charged rather than opening yourself to forgetting to send a check.
Credit card statements provide accurate records of your spending. Cash spending often falls under the radar.
When you pay for most expenses with a credit card, you do not have to carry as much cash around with you.
You are not liable for fraudulent charges on your credit card.
Many credit card companies offer rewards like cash back for their use.

Last year, I decided to reduce my credit card spending to practically zero while paying for as much as possible with cash. After a couple of months, I found that my level of spending did not significantly decrease but my level of accuracy in tracking my expenses did decrease. Sometimes, you can’t receive a receipt and it requires time and effort to track these expenses. There are studies that show people tend to spend less when they use cash rather than credit cards, but for people whose spending is already stripped down or optimized, there is no significant difference.

The real problem with credit cards is hidden. I first experienced this first-hand when I worked for a non-profit organization almost a decade ago. Somehow I inherited responsibility of managing the organization’s website, which wasn’t too far-fetched considering I had been running websites for several years at that point and it was a small company. The website included an online store, my first exposure with e-commerce from the management side. Our merchant agreement was with a monster of payment gateway services, Authorize.net. We were paying a third party to manage our store in addition to the merchant account.

I redesigned the store to be managed through what was called Yahoo! Store at the time. It was significantly less expensive and rather than dealing with an unresponsive third party, we managed the store from the office. But I had an interesting inside look at the cost of being a merchant.

It’s expensive to accept credit cards. This cost has to be built into the price of the products — for all customers, even those who pay cash — to ensure a modest profit. Per most merchant agreements, retailers are not allowed to charge a premium for credit card usage. (Some gas stations play fast and loose with these rules by offering what they call a cash discount.)

These fees make it possible for credit card companies to offer rewards even to those customers who pay their bills in full each month. Customers like me feel they are beating the system by earning rewards without paying interest or late fees, but credit card companies have the last laugh; our fervent use of credit cards to earn rewards simply increases their income from the fees charged to merchants for every transaction.

So widespread use of credit cards, with the high fees charged to merchants, increase the cost of goods — all goods — for everyone.

But what possible solutions are there?

We could encourage people to stop using credit cards. I think Dave Ramsey is one of the most influential people who has tried this approach. It has worked well on the individual level, but even if all of his followers were to stop using credit cards, it would not make a dent on the industry. Higher prices due to widespread use of credit cards is something we just have to deal with. Visa, Mastercard, and the others have too much power over retailers, and unless that changes, everyone pays the price for credit cards.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Credit Card Use Increases Prices for Everyone

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Podcast 16: Jeff Rose, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports Autos

In this episode of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast Tom Dziubek speaks with Jeff Rose, Certified Financial Planner^™ about financial planning. Jeff talks about different professional designations for financial planners and what it takes to become certified. He shares with Consumerism Commentary Podcast listeners some of the trends he sees with his clients, advice that could benefit everyone.

Tom also interviews Jeff Bartlett, online editor for autos at Consumer Reports, about how the magazine tests and evaluates cars. Jeff also shares suggestions for shoppers who are currently in the market for a safe, reliable car, either new or used, and offers tips for negotiating with car salespeople.

To listen, use the player above (Adobe Flash required), download the podcast here, subscribe to the podcast RSS feed, or use the iTunes link. Note: open links in a new window (Ctrl-click or Command-click) to avoid interrupting the podcast.

[00:00] Introduction from Flexo and an announcement about Money Quantum
[00:58] Interview with Jeff Rose, Certified Financial Planner
– [01:12] Difference between Financial Planners and Financial Advisers
– [01:57] The CFP and other designations
– [04:50] Jeff’s website, Good Financial Cents
– [06:36] Changes in saving habits since the beginning of the recession
– [08:10] Tom asks Jeff for free 401(k) advice
[13:02] Interview with Jeff Bartlett, Autos Deputy Editor for Consumer Reports
– [13:15] Auto testing methodology at Consumer Reports
– [15:05] How Consumer Reports handles reliability reports from customers
– [17:02] Consumer Reports’ perceived bias towards foreign cars
– [19:20] Qualifications for the Cash for Clunkers program
– [21:17] Possibility of Cash for Clunkers hurting domestic car sales
– [22:12] American cars that have made the best strides in fuel efficiency
– [22:46] Best buys for new cars
– [23:58] Negotiating with car salesmen
– [26:37] Best choices for used cars
[28:58] End

We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Podcast 16: Jeff Rose, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports Autos

Nine Tips To Travel Cheap (But Not Stupid)

Would-be travelers bemoaning a weak economy as the reason to stay at home shouldn’t be discouraged. Several travel experts have advice for travelers on a budget. One suggestion? Do research ahead on time on where you might want to eat.

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Saturday, August 8, 2009

Posts of the Week

Here are some articles of note.

12 Step Program: Shopping Addiction? MLR (My Life ROI) offers an overview of a twelve-step program for overcoming an addition to shopping. What I really like about this post are the twelve ways to spot a shopping addict. People are notoriously inept when it comes to self-evaluation; perhaps someone you love is a shopping addict. Is it time to plan an intervention?

Spending Cash Is the Same As Borrowing If You Have Debts. The best point in this article by Four Pillars is that all cash should be treated the same. In his example, if you’re in “debt repayment mode,” as much of your cash should be put towards that goal as possible rather than setting aside a portion for fun — the fun you already had that landed you in debt.

Unfortunately, not all debt is a result of fun. And I certainly don’t agree that you should sacrifice a complete emergency fund to pay off debt — if an emergency arises, your only choice would be to go deeper into debt. But as an example of the first point I mentioned, in the past I tried to separate the income from my day job from income from my side activities. This worked well but only to a point. When I realized I had enough income to maximize my 401(k) contributions, I was doing so with a significant percentage of my salary. This resulted in having no choice but to pay for some living expenses from the side income.

What the Heck is a Money Quantum? On Tuesday, Consumerism Commentary will be launching a new community-focused website, in the style of social networking, for people whose life involves money. Mighty Bargain Hunter had an early look at the site, Money Quantum, and shared his thoughts in this article. I’m really excited about this new project. I’ll be sharing more details shortly, and will soon be letting readers know how they can obtain an invite during the “private beta” phase of the launch.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Posts of the Week

Friday, August 7, 2009

Last Hispanic GOP Senator Mel Martinez Resigns

Adios, GOP racism?

Working with the Penguin? Not so good. (Photo: weblogs.sun-sentinel.com)

Times have been tough for the Republican Party lately. Sex scandals among senators and governors, radio personalities spewing racist hate, Sarah Palin teetering off for reasons known only to her… not to mention resignations. Now Florida Senator Mel Martinez, 62, has joined that party. He will not return to the Senate after this recess, according to FOX News. But will he need no fax payday loans or cash advances back in the private sector?

He stayed around for Sotomayor

Mel Martinez was one of just nine Republicans who voted in favor of confirming Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court Justice. It appears that he stayed in office just long enough to cast a stinging vote against his party by saying yes to the highly experienced Sotomayor. One wonders if the racist rhetoric the Republican Party had been bandying about in reference to Sotomayor backfired. Perhaps they alienated their only Hispanic member in the Senate (Mel Martinez) and will have to find a new way to make hay in Florida, where there is a large Hispanic presence.

Here’s a little window into the stinkin’ thinkin’ that’s been flying out of GOP pie holes lately. It’s not a Rush clip; that would have been too easy: ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Last Hispanic GOP Senator Mel Martinez Resigns"

Cash For Clunkers Gets $2 Billion Green Light

If you’re in the market for a car, get to buying!

Cash For Clunkers has been extended (Photo: blogs.southtownstar.com)

Did you actually think that a Senate with a Democratic super majority would allow one of President Obama’s pet projects to die? Did you believe that the shot in the arm for automobile dealerships would be allowed to fade away? Did you think for one second that Americans would stop buying things they probably can’t afford?

Of course not. And that’s why Cash For Clunkers has been extended, to the tune of $2 billion taxpayer dollars. That will mean more payday loans with no faxing and short term loans for down payments, so it helps Personal Money Store, too.

Stimulate the economy, Mr. Obama!

Deb Price reports for The Detroit News that the Senate voted 60-37 and President Obama signed the bill this morning to turn the taxation switch and slam $2 billion more through the Cash For Clunkers program. By current estimate, this should keep the program going through at least Labor Day and fund about another 500,000 vehicle trade-ins. However, this will be the last time, say supporters of the measure. We’ll see about that last one.

“Now, more American consumers will have the chance to purchase newer, more fuel efficient cars and the American economy will continue to get a much-needed boost,” said the president. “Businesses across the country — from small auto dealerships and suppliers to large auto manufacturers — are putting people back to work as a result of this program.” ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Cash For Clunkers Gets $2 Billion Green Light"

Thursday, August 6, 2009

'Cash For Clunkers': A Closer Look

So far, 8 in 10 of the vehicles traded in under the government’s “cash for clunkers” program have been trucks. The three Detroit automakers’ nameplates have accounted for 45 percent of the new-car sales. Explore an interactive map showing the states in which the trade-in program has been the most popular.

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Dirico Motorcycles Bring Together Rock and Road

Steven Tyler falls off stage

If Steven Tyler was trying to get his motorcycle brand, Dirico Motorcycles, some media attention he did a great job. Steven Tyler fell off the stage while performing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and was taken to the hospital.

Don’t worry. He’s fine. I don’t really think there’s a reality where Steven Tyler falls off stage just to get people to buy his motorcycles. Tyler is a pretty smart guy — and a pretty rich guy — so that doesn’t sound like something he’d do.

Dirico Motorcycles in the media

Still, when Steven Tyler falls off stage it makes the news. I didn’t even know that Steven Tyler had his own motorcycle brand before today, but now I know all about Dirico Motorcycles. It appears that Steven Tyler gave inventor Mark Dirico some easy cash loans, and a motorcycle brand was born.

Dirico Motorcycles web site says:

Music innovator Steven Tyler and master inventor Mark Dirico merged their respective art forms to create Dirico Motorcycles, USA. Designed and hand built for seamless function, Dirico motorcycles are statements of craftsmanship, style, detail, and innovation, expressed through modern-age components yet assembled with old-world skill. They connect with the owner through their lines and inspire the rider through their performance.

So, you want to buy a Dirico Motorcycle?

Of course, you can buy Dirico Motorcycles through the Dirico Motorcycles web site. But what kind of rider orders a bike without even seeing it or test driving it? I don’t know anyone who would buy a motorcycle without getting a feel for it. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Dirico Motorcycles Bring Together Rock and Road"

Answering Mail: Using Debit Cards as Credit Cards

Every so often I address questions and comments I receive via email or Twitter. If you have a question, please contact me using the form on this page. I try to respond to everyone, but it might take a while before I read every email I receive.

From A. Parker:

What is the difference between the options when a cashier asks you whether you would like to use your debit card as “credit” or “debit?”

Merchants offer pay the middlemen between them and banks less for “debit” transactions, which generally require you to enter a PIN. You will likely see merchants, if they show favor between “debit” and “credit” transactions, lead a customer towards “debit.” To use a debit card as “credit,” you are not actually using it like a credit card. Your bank account will still be debited immediately, overnight, or on the next business day. In most cases, you will be required to sign for the transaction rather than entering your PIN, but signature-less credit card transactions are increasingly common.

According to Visa, using a debit card as “credit” helps to ensure you’ll receive the credit card network’s protections like “Zero Liability.” This also ensures that Visa receives a bigger chunk of the merchant’s money.

If you have questions, let us know. You can email your questions directly to me (or to Smithee, Jeff, or Tom) or leave your questions in the comments area.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Answering Mail: Using Debit Cards as Credit Cards

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Is Bachelorette's Ed Cheating On Jillian?

Will honeymoon be over before it starts?

Will they make it to happily ever after?

I don’t know how much it cost ABC or the producers of “The Bachelorette” to make the show, but the good news for them is that now that “After The Final Rose” has aired, they get to keep all of their money, even if “The Bachelorette” winner Ed is cheating on Jillian.

Rumors are going around that even after Ed Swiderski got engaged to Jillian Harris on “The Bachelorette” he continued to have contact with two women — contact that was more than friendly — or so the women say.

Will another one bite the dust?

The relationships forged on “The Bachelorette” do not have a good track record of working out. I certainly wouldn’t bet my cash until payday on it. In this case, the first time was the charm, and only the couple who met in Season One of “The Bachelorette” are together to this day. Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter met on “The Bachelorette” 2003, got married and now have two kids.

Fast forward to the current “Bachelorette” cheating scandal, and you have a better idea of how the rest of the couples fared. None of them are together now. Despite the dismal marriage rate on this show, ABC keeps shelling out the money to make it, people keep watching in record numbers, and advertisers keep gobbling up air time during the show. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Is Bachelorette's Ed Cheating On Jillian?"

Get a Swine Flu Survival Kit, Just in Case

If you’re a health risk, it pays to be prepared

Get the kit, Martha! (Photo: improveverywhere.ning.com)

That’s right, the swine flu (H1N1 if you prefer more scientific, less barnyard nomenclature) simply won’t go away. In fact, nations across the globe are prepared for a difficult flu season this year. It’s not that the swine flue is any more dangerous than the standard type of flu that many contract each year and recover from, but it’s that the swine flu is everywhere and more people are likely to contract the flu this season.

Got a swine flue survival kit?

It’s an ounce of prevention. It’s a good idea to have one, particularly if you have health problems that make standard strains of the flu more dangerous. And thanks to publications like Consumer Reports, it’s easy to know what you should include. If you need no fax payday loans or short term loans to get all of this together, do it. Taking care of yourself should be your first priority in life. By caring for ourselves, we make ourselves able to care for others.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Make no mistake, the second wave of H1N1 is coming. If you can prepare for, prevent and treat symptoms if they occur, wouldn’t you do so? Consumer Reports has the following advice for people who want to do this in a safe, effective manner - by building a swine flue survival kit. Watch out for the September 2009 issue of Consumer Reports or check out ConsumerReportsHealth.org for more details. Until then, what follows are some of the basics. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Get a Swine Flu Survival Kit, Just in Case"

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

This essay makes me feel horrible because I’m not any good at this type of thing

Talking about what I've read and explaining what it means and stuff like that just isn't something that I've gotten down. I guess I do respond somewhat by typing this, but that's different. Somehow, typing what I think is different than how I say what I think. Sometimes, the words aren't coming out of my mouth the way I want them to, or maybe I just don't think of anything. But if I'm typing, I have time to think, and I'm not under much pressure from other people to get my response out there

Dina Wein-Reis | Making Chumps Of Corporate Giants

O Lady, be bad

Dina Wein-Reis (Photo: fraudtalk.blogspot.com)

Beg, borrow or steal. How do you make it, financially?

Of course that trio of choices paints an incomplete picture. Hard work and dedication are an ideal path toward success. But borrowing doesn’t hurt from time to time. For instance, if you need to borrow short term loans or payday loans, such resources are available. Begging, while unbecoming, is also an option, but doing so in public can lead to panhandling charges.

Then there’s stealing. Lately, we’ve seen our share of high-profile financial thieves, people who appear legitimate but are as felonious as cat burglars. Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford make that list, and now we must add Dina Wein-Reis. She scammed multi-national consumer product companies for as much as $15 million per year. Considering that the companies she scammed likely wrote off the losses, Wein-Reis was in effect stealing from American taxpayers. No get out of jail free card for you, woman.

Distribution to self

A recent story at BusinessInsider.com indicates that Dina Wein-Reis of upper Manhattan allegedly duped companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Hershey out of millions in a diversion scheme where she and her associates would convince primarily male executives to allow her company to supposedly distribute their products on college campuses, military baes and in aid packages at shelters and similar places. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Dina Wein-Reis | Making Chumps Of Corporate Giants"

Clinton Secures Pardon For U.S. Reporters in N. Korea

That’s Bill, not Hillary

Thank you, Mr. Clinton. (Photo: thefrisky.com)

Not that Hillary couldn’t have gotten the job done. She’s more than capable. But Bill had already established a relationship with North Korean government; they’ve even requested to meet with him specifically a few times over the past 15 years.

What job am I talking about? After “exhaustive conversation” with Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, Bill Clinton has managed to secure amnesty for American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Ling and Lee had been detained in North Korea since March. The women allegedly crossed the China-North Korea border inadvertently, but in crossing without authorization, they violated North Korean law. Their sentence was 12 years of “reform through labor.”

For amnesty, a special pardon

Heejin Koo reports for Bloomberg that not only did Mr. Clinton’s negotiations with Kim Jong Il secure the freedom of the American journalists, but it may have made headway toward deescalation of North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons program. Despite the fact that negotiating terms of amnesty constitutes an acknowledgment that Ling and Lee violated North Korean law, the results will no doubt be more than satisfactory for their friends, family and anyone else concerned with freedom from oppression. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Clinton Secures Pardon For U.S. Reporters in N. Korea"

List of Post Offices to Close Growing Steadily

Post office is in big financial trouble

With fewer post offices, mail carriers will have farther to go.

If you are looking for a list of all the post offices to close, that doesn’t exist yet. If you are looking for a list of post offices that might close, I’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for a partial list of post offices to close, I’ve got that too.

If you’re looking for a list of post offices to close, you know that dire financial straits at the United States Postal Service are causing the government to have to shut down several post offices. I guess they don’t have anymore emergency money to keep them all afloat.

How many post offices to close?

I have seen a few different numbers regarding how many locations are on the list of post offices to close, but ABC News reports:

Of the 32,741 post offices in America, the Postal Service is reviewing about 3,200, or nearly 10 percent. The Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent agency, posted 700 of them on a 12-page list at its Web site, www.prc.gov.

The supposed “list of post offices to close,” which you can view by clicking that link, still is titled “United States Postal Service Station/Branches Identified for Full Study,” so no official has yet stated that all the locations on that list of post offices to close will definitely be shut down. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "List of Post Offices to Close Growing Steadily"

Flash Trading

The SEC has begun an investigation on whether or not certain stock brokerages have been engaging in a shady practice called flash trading. Flash trading is when stock brokers let stock brokers see the order they are putting into the market before they file it, which is considered to be the less ugly cousin of the ugly and illegal practice of insider trading. Security and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Schapiro is set to begin investigating the practice, and the SEC is considering a flash trading ban. New York Senator Charles Schumer is completely in favor of a ban, and it may take some payday loans at least to find out who has been flash trading.

Flash Trading | More Funny Business on Wall Street?

Taming the oily Wall Street beast

(Photo: donkelphant.com)

Ask any investor what the last thing Wall Street needs is these days. There will be some variety in the answers you receive, but most anyone will agree that a stock market crash (always a bad thing) would be horrible right now. Particularly since America is barely beginning to claw its way back up out of the recession.

What could cause a stock market crash? There are a number of complicated ways to answer that, but for the purposes of this article, let’s examine something called flash trading, which the SEC is seriously considering banning. Not just because it gives certain high-powered investors a possible advantage, but because the same technology that makes flash trading (also known as high frequency trading) possible could create a feedback loop that grinds the market to a halt. At that point, payday loans and no fax payday loans won’t be enough to put Humpty Dumpty ba ck together again.

We don’t need more shenanigans

Sarah Lynch reports for The Wall Street Journal that the Securities and Exchange Commission is considering stopping the flash trading practice that critics claim “gives an unfair advantage to some traders by giving them an early look at buy and sell orders.” ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Flash Trading | More Funny Business on Wall Street?"

Games in school

When I was in middle school, and my pre-algebra teacher would let us play games, (which were somehow related to math of course) I would often read instead of play games. I don't know if it's because I didn't want to play, or if it was because there weren't really any good games. The other kids thought I was just I tad bit weird for wanting to read instead of play games. I myself liked it just fine, because I love to read. I would also read during lunch. I would sit with my friends of course, although I'm sure some of them weren't really my friends, but rather my friends' friends. Sometimes a few of them would read too, but for the most part it was just me. Maybe I just didn't have the right communication skills to participate in their conversations, so I buried myself in a book.

10 Percent of U.S. Post Offices Under Evaluation, 700 to Be Closed

The U.S. Postal Service has not been a thriving business for a while, and the recession has worsened its condition. In order to save $7 billion, the government is evaluating about 3,200 offices out of the total of 32,741, and 700 of these are currently marked for closure.

Personally, I am a fan of the U.S. Postal Service. I’ve found their services to be less expensive than other shipping options and just as reliable. The biggest drawback I have experienced is when visiting the facilities. The lines are often too long and the hours are inconvenient. Post office employees, those that I have seen, often seem disgruntled, frustrated and overworked. There are never enough works available to assist customers, and from what I understand, my experiences are not unique.

The U.S. Postal Service is disadvantaged against the capital available for their competitors like UPS and FedEx. They have no competition for the millions of people who first began communicating my phone rather than letter, and later, by email and text messaging. There are many people, possibly even a majority, who would be happy to see the U.S. Postal Service disappear.

People living in the areas served by the 700 offices slated for closing might be the first to experience life without USPS. If not, they will have to travel farther to the post office, make use of more expensive mailing options, and possibly receive mail less often. But the complete disappearance of the U.S. Postal Service would have a devastating effect. Households receive mail every day. Much of it is unwanted marketing, but it’s unlikely that will stop. Without the Postal Services, other companies will have to fill the void with standard daily mail delivery. And the great pricing that the U.S. Postal Service offers customers for this mail — and the even better pricing offered for bulk mail and non-profit organizations (and religious organizations) — would disappear as well.

If the website is available, you should be able to download the list of the 700 stations to be closed here. More information is available at the Postal Regulatory Commission’s website.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

(Scavenger hunt to win a free IPod? Here is a clue: “smart.”)

10 Percent of U.S. Post Offices Under Evaluation, 700 to Be Closed

If the website is available, you should be able to download the list of the 700 stations to be closed here. More information is available at the Postal Regulatory Commission’s website.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

(Scavenger hunt to win a free IPod? Here is a clue: “smart.”)

10 Percent of U.S. Post Offices Under Evaluation, 700 to Be Closed