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Computer Repair and Parts

We usually buy electronics on eBay or thrift stores, but when we need to upgrade with RAM or hard drives, we don't mess with used stuff. Our favorite source is New Egg. They have great prices, excellent customer service and great return policy. It just doesn't get much better than that.

Give them a try and post what you think below.

Decorate Your Own Cakes and Save

Years ago, Annette's mom took a cake decorating class at ABC cake decorating in Phoenix. She learned so much during that class that she started making THE most delicious cakes our family had ever tasted. She passed her knowledge down to Annette and to our daughters Becky and Abbey too. They all have made fantastic cakes for parties and other celebrations we've hosted.

We'll post some photos of their creations soon.

Companies with Excellent Customer Service

We have had a number of frustrating interactions with companies lately. Poor or non-existent customer service has become the norm. So when we encounter a company with great customer service, it makes us want to stand up and cheer.

We'll add to this list as time goes on. Here are some companies that have given us excellent customer service (we know that sometimes customer service can vary depending on who you deal with, so if your experience is:

Housing Help

If you’re upside down in your home, contact your lender and see if they will negotiate a reduction in principle. Most lenders will drag their feet when it comes to loan modifications and we can't tell you the number of people we've heard of who have been lost in the government's attempt to "fix" the problem with their programs. If your lender won’t renegotiate or they constantly delay, find an attorney who specializes in these types of deals.

Rental Car Savings

We're planning a trip to San Antonio, Texas to cheer as our son Roy graduates from Air Force basic training. We're checking rental car prices and looking for the best rates. We'll be comparing the Entertainment Book, AARP, AAA and any other discount plans we can get, and we'll let you know the results.

If you have any suggestions on who to quote, let us know.

We're starting with Thrifty, Budget and Enterprise.

Drug Information / Cheaper Alternatives

CRBestBuyDrugs.com is a free web site where you can research safe alternatives to commonly prescribed drugs.

Find a Thrift Store in Your Area

Looking for a thrift store near your home or when you're visiting a new city? TheThriftShopper.com is a great web site that will let you search by zip code to find stores in your area. As of May 2010 there are over 9300 stores listed nationwide (and they're always looking for more).

Scholarship Money Starts Here

Financial Aid — get thousands even now

FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid www.fafsa.ed.gov. This is a two step process: First you'll also want to register for PIN number, which will take a few days to receive—do that at this web site FAFSA Pin Number.

Second, You'll need income tax and savings information for the student and parents. Allow about 90 minutes to complete the online application. The deadline is September 15.

How to Get a Free Credit Report

While we really don't worry about our credit score, because we just don't borrow money, we know many people like to keep tabs on their score. About once ever couple of years we access our free credit report. One time we actually paid to see our score and found it interesting that our score was so high without having any credit cards.

When you get a free credit report, that's just what you get — a report. If you want to know your score it will cost you about $8 (it varies by state).

Check Out Insurance Company Reliability

Whenever we requote any insurance policy, we always check out the performance of each insurance company we research. To do this we visit the Arizona Department of Insurance web site and read their data.