Beware of Scams – While online shopping may be easy and convenient, be wary of who you’re giving your credit card info to. Be cautious of those “no risk free trial” ads you may see on various websites. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is, and before you give your credit card information, read the fine print and Google the name of the product or website followed by the word “scam” to see if anyone has posted complaints about it. This simple step can save you from hundreds of dollars of unauthorized charges and the huge headache of having to cancel credit cards and trying to get your money back from multiple companies that you didn’t even know you’d signed up for a subscription with. Take it from the thousands of people who believed that there really was a local mom who found the secret for whiter teeth for only $2, only to discover hundreds of dollars being charged to her credit cards from numerous companies affiliated with the original company when the “free trials” expired. One way to make online shopping safe is to purchase a prepaid credit card that you can load with as much money as you’d like. That way, if you unknowingly make a purchase that turns out to be a scam, the company doesn’t have access to your bank account, and you only risk losing the amount that’s on the card. (Smart peeps, us LIFERS).

And remember, the internet isn’t the only way to save money, just check out the magazine you’re reading! Lovingly and painstakingly put together with the same integrity, the same honorability that we’ve demonstrated in 25 YEARS of publishing, the “Life” family and “Life” family of advertisers are trying their hardest, in this the most challenging economy any of us ever remember, to bring you the best of the best, right here in our own backyard. Our magazines (and now website lifepubs.com) is packed full of awesome money saving offers and specials in advertiser’s ads, and all you have to do is print the ad from the website, or show them your magazine to partake. We’re all in this together and we all have to support each other.

So whether you shop online or locally, we hope we’ve provided you with some great ideas to keep more green in your pocket this year. See you next issue.