We're talking about online resources for buying a car on TV & Radio stations across the country this week. Had privilege of sitting down with the folks on frontlines of the AOL Autos team. They've done some impressive work. The end-result is thoughtfully simplistic (which means the site is loaded with information, but is intuitive to use). A winning equation for successful consumer websites. Here are some background notes based on our conversation with them. Hope helpful. More to come on-air:)

• Should we really log on before we hit the lot and in these tough economic time how do we really make it work to our advantage?

• With automakers filing for bankruptcy and closing local dealers en masse, it is time take advantage of the autos market. AOL Autos, autos.aol.com, is a great place to start for free car information for new and used cars, as well as tips and news.

• People are conducting extensive car research online before they buy. This puts them in the driver seat by giving them the information they need to make smart car buying decisions.

• Those looking at buying a new car can compare the features, prices, incentives and total ownership costs to find the best deals before heading out the door. The site has car buying guides focused on:

• Alternative fuel vehicles

• Crossovers

• Best family cars

• Luxury vehicles

• Sedans

• SUVs

• You can also use their car compare feature http://autos.aol.com/cars-compare
  • Choose between two and five cars to see how they compare on price, features, and performance

  • The differences between the cars you are comparing are highlighted

  • Compare cost to own a selected car with other similar vehicles

• Many consumers are considering used cars due to the current economy, so you can go online and compare cars in your area to make informed choices. AOL Autos Used Cars: Car buying maps and graphs :
  • Search for used cars by zip code: Search results give you location of the car, the cost and it's mileage. See: http://autos.aol.com/used-list/make1-Acura/location-20148/map

  • You can input your address and get driving directions to the car(s) you selected to go see

  • Shows you car prices in your area graphed by price vs. mileage so you can find the best deals. See: http://autos.aol.com/used-list/make1-Acura/location-20148/prices

• Work and even - GRAPH - the used car market - all 3 million of them!

• Don't overlook new - promos highly incentive; very dynamic Run the numbers - look at MSRB vs invoice. Aim to come in on or under.

• E-Haggle - Talk it "type" them down in advance. Win/win - you negotiate anonymously in advance/dealer gets qualified lead.

• Think ahead - use cost of ownership calculator to level-set on "real" 3 year + cost including depreciation (hello! First year will make u cringe), estimated maintenance (not all vehicles historically hold up well).

RELATED POSTS ****** CLICK HERE

If you're a parent of school-age kids, they're likely counting down the days until school is out and summer break begins. And while the summer months provide kids a much needed break from the rigors of school and you gain a respite from your role as homework disciplinarian, another set of parenting challenges arise. Parenting in the digital age means monitoring our childrens' "screen time" – from TV and video games (consoles and handhelds) to cell phones, smart phones and the granddaddy of them all, the Internet.


The summer months present that much more opportunity for kids be online unsupervised. Web surfing, social-networking, video-sharing, "tweeting," texting ... it's a lot to stay on top of. And because kids are so tech-savvy these days (they are the true "digital natives"), parents often feel one step behind in trying to shield them from dangers lurking online. The good news is: Technology is on your side ... there are plenty of Cyber-smart tools available to help you safeguard your child's online experience. Combining these tools with a good game plan, some well thought out ground rules and a dash of common sense will go a long way in ensuring your children have a safe summer on what has become a 24X7 digital playground.

In the past, many parents took a more passive approach to keep their kids safe online, but no longer is it enough to occasionally walk by the computer screen. Parents need to take control to keep kids safe online and on cell phones. And that may mean getting your hands dirty – trying things for yourself, learning what technology can and cannot do.

Get in the Game:
Being involved with their child's online experience is a critical part of modern day parenting. Only a few years ago, this meant keeping the computer nearby (in the kitchen or the family room) and keeping an eye on the screen, but getting involved these days take a little more doing. Experience the online world the same way your kids experience it. Join Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo – whichever social-networking sites your kids are members of. Learn your way around these new online neighborhoods; familiarize yourself with each site's privacy policies and security settings. (There's even a four-part online class offered at Stanford University titled Facebook for Parents. You can follow the course remotely, online.)

Have the Internet Talk:
Know your way around the various sites you kids are using gives you the ability to have regular, informed discussions with your child about Internet and social-networking safety and the consequences of putting too much information out there. Because once it's out there, you can't take it back. Another good way to drive your point home is to share recent news stories with your children about the consequences of revealing too much information online or on social-networking sites. Parents can also get useful tips on sites like safetyclicks.com.

Don't Hesitate to Play Detective:
If you don't feel your kids are giving straight answers, you can search most social-networking sites by your child's name ... but because some children don't use their real name on the sites, you may need a few work-around strategies. Try advanced techniques like searching for them by their school name, by a nickname they use, or try locating their online profiles by searching for their friends or classmates, as well as groups they may be a part of and interests they may have listed in their profiles.

To Friend or not to Friend:
Should you "friend' your kids on social-networks? There may be no right answer to this question. You could take the stance "I pay the Internet bill in this house, you will friend me or no Internet." That may work for middle-school kids, not so much for high-schoolers, and it could possibly drive a wedge between you and your child. You may be better off asking if they will "friend" you. If they won't friend you, that doesn't mean it's game over. Stay in tune with the latest technology, ve regular offline dialogue with your kids about online safety & get them to "friend" another adult who can stealthly keep tabs for you (maybe a coach or aunt/uncle).

Don't Overplay Your Hand: The biggets complaint I hear from young people is that parents & grandparents are "making lots of loser comments" on my pages & heaven forbid on their friends pages. Apparenly, WAY uncool. So, don't overplay your hand. Just passively being able to witness what happens can be very eye opening & you don't want to lose your front-row seat. Also, resist the urge to over-react is something bad happens. That can shut down the lines of communication all-together.

musing look at what some kids really think of parents "friending" them on Facebook, check out MyParentsJoinedFacebook.com.

Related - from The New York Times: When Your Kid Won't Friend You

Empower Yourself with Technology:
Empower yourself by using parental controls to monitor and/or manage your child's online activity. This is not about invading their privacy, it's about precluding them from making mistakes. Often inadvertent mistakes.

Set Cell Phone Boundaries:
A new trend emerging has parents and educators alarmed. It's called "sexting" (texting + sex) and simply put, it makes naughty notes that may have been passed in class by previous generations, look tame. It can also include the transmission of nude and semi-nude photos via cell phone, which can be a crime. If you're worried about what your teen may be viewing in text messages or online content, some cell carriers offer free filters that you can set online, according to the child's age, that filter out things according to sexual content, violence and even language. For about $5 a month, you can also control the times of day that teens can use the phone, set limits on minutes or texts, and block specific numbers. Third party applications like My Mobile Watchdog are available if you're interested in completely monitoring your child's cell phone usage (cost: $9.95 per month).

Related: SafetyClicks.com - What is Your Perceived Parental Right

Related: CNN.com - Parents, Police monitoring kids' cell phones

Safeguard Your Child's Online Reputation:
Think of your child's online reputation as their credit score for the 21st century. Every video, blog post and picture they put out there is up for examination by anyone. Not just friends, but school teachers and administrators, potential bosses and even the college admissions office ... THAT usually gets even teenagers to listen up.:)

AOL Consumer Advisor, Regina Lewis, stopped by WEEKEND TODAY to help shed light on the changing face of social networking and the modern day challenge of "staying in touch" in these fast-paced, cyber-times.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

She contends when something that was inherently intended to make your feel more productive and more in touch, starts to feel un-manageable, you've got to take a step back & make some adjustments. We may have boxed ourselves into expectations and behaviors that just may not be sustainable. It's about assessing the quality and quantity of your time online.

Boomers on Board
Founded exclusively for college kids, nearly half of all Facebook users are now over 26 years old with women over 55 the fastest growing demographic of all! The majority of Twitter users are 35 & older. The average age on LinkedIn is approximately 40. Even Bebo, known for it's youthful following, has 40% of it's US membership over age 44.

There's been a gradual build to un-manageability. Recent poll on popular blog LemonDrop.com suggests even the most social among us, sometimes feel "addicted" or certainly know someone who is.


More Not Always Merrier
Turns out, despite our technical capability to keep in constant contact with everyone, our capacity as human beings is somewhat limited & more is not always merrier. Primatologist suggest the size of the human brain allows us to handle stable networks of about 150 [The Dunbar #]. Interestingly, the average # of "friends" on Facebook is 120 ... pretty consistent. BUT, the average # of friends within that network we're able to regularly keep in touch with -- by responding to posts, or leaving comments on photos they may post -- men will do this with only about SEVEN of those 120 friends and women are slightly more sociable, with the number rising to TEN.


The average AIM "Buddy List" is about 100 people long -- also in same realm. There are more than 1.5 billion instant messages sent on that service alone EVERY DAY -- some PC, some PC to cell or smart phones and some from cell to cell. So, some of the social conversations we do have are trending toward shorter, very frequent, real-time exchanges with a core group. Here's the good news ... We're all human beings, so now we can all shed our social guilt and know we're all in the same boat.

Pace Yourself & Build Something Meaningful
There's a tendency to come very fast out of the box ... start a blog, add a million friends to your social networking page, etc. Start by striving for quality not quantity. This can be controversial, but it happens naturally. You can quickly diminish the true value of your social network or buddy list if one day you look at it and wonder, "who are all these people?" (See: Handling a Facebook Request From an Office Random) So, pre-empt that. Doesn't mean they don't get added to your address book (in fact, they get added automatically in many cases) but there's a difference between the two tools.

"Unfriending" someone is little trickier ... The good news is generally they will not be notified. They don't get an email informing them "You got the Cyber-Boot!" They won't figure it out until they seek you out and are not able to. Break-ups is a common scenario in which it may make sense. Otherwise, you can generally play around with the "settings" and phase down your contact with someone, so they remain part of your distant network (like someone you might see at a reunion and say "let's stay in touch!" but -- realistically -- was well intentioned as you both were, it's easier said than done). On buddy list side, you can always IGNORE someone and you can also make yourself invisible, so they are not prompted to IM you, which goes a long way.

There's also a trend and technological innovation going on to allow for multiple "views" of a profile, so certain people can see more than others. Kind of like whether you're invited to the wedding or the wedding and the rehearsal dinner. But, like weddings, those things require mental decisions and grappling a lot of people are torn by.

Again, don't feel torn ... it's everyone's issue and it sorts itself out if you develop your own rhythm and style that works for you. People will adjust accordingly.

Create a Sustainable Routine
In many ways it's helpful for YOU and for other PEOPLE. Make sure you keep your overall online time in check and that -- in total -- it's not disruptive to your in-person relationships (i.e., are yor Facebook friends getting more attention that your spouse?). Women -- in particular -- worry a delayed reply may hurt someone's feelings or being misunderstood and spark speculation as they often do (i.e., "is she mad at me?"). We've all been there, but often it's a function of a false-sense of urgency and artificial deadlines we impose on ourselves and others.

And -- remember -- any sustainable routine has conscious breaks.

This one I had never thought of, but it's terrific. If your home overflowing with shelves and boxes full of trophies, medals and plaques from your overachieving life, don't toss them out ... eco-friendly site GreenDaily.com says those little statues can actually be recycled.

You can start with a few phone calls to local trophy makers or youth organizations, to see if they accept old ones to make new ones. Many organizations fix-up donated trophies, add new nameplates and donate them to nonprofit groups like the Special Olympics, boys and girls clubs or other worthy causes. Or, check out THIS SITE -- They have a mailing address where you can send them. So maybe go ahead and let go of that bowling trophy from 20 years ago ... it's time for someone else to share in the glory. Be sure to ASK before you give the kids or your significant other's trophies away. You knew that;)

We'll be talking about this on RADIO & TV this week in a genuine effort to be helpful ... There's talk online that the Web is actually adding to the panic -- so much chatter on social-networking sites and the potential for misinformation to be passed around. Swine Flu Spreads Panic Over The Web

Swine Flu: What You Need to Know (AOL Health)

CELL PHONE SAVINGS: How Your Cellphone Can Put PHONE SAVINGS: How Your Cellphone Can Put

Money Back in Your Pocket

While some consumers are downgrading their cellphone plans, or even ditching their cell phones altogether to save money, there are ways to save and save big with your cell phone. We've got five sure-fire ways to cut everyday costs thanks to your cellphone. So don't toss your phone just yet!

Get Grocery Coupons on the Go: Grocery shoppers want to trim their food bills any way they can. You can now download coupons straight to their store loyalty cards right from their cell phones. Breaking News: Shortcuts.com now offering coupons via cell phone

Comparison Shop Right from Your Phone: It's easy to comparison shop on-the-fly on a mobile shopping site by entering product names or model numbers. In an instant you'll see if the price you see in the store is the best price around. Your Phone Knows Best Price -

Scan Bar Codes with Your Phone to Save: Another way to make sure you're getting the best prices is by scanning product bar codes with the built-in camera on select cell phones to compare prices at various stores. Watch for this nascent, but legit trend to continue. Big in Japan - Developers of ShopSavvy or Shop Savvy

How Your iPhone Saves You Money: This is clever iPhone application, with adorable logo ... it will help you quickly find local restaurants where kids eat free. It's a .99 cent download. Just did it!:) Apple - Web apps - Where Do Kids Eat Free Today?

Cut Costs with VoIP on Your Cell Phone: Slash your cell phone bill by using this mobile Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that routes international calls through the web to save you money. Calls between Nokia, iPhone and iPod Touch users are always free. Get VoIP on your Mobile and Make Cheap Calls with Truphone

Here are just some of the topics and questions we're hoping to address on-air this week across the country. If you're a media producer or anchor and have already opted in, thanks. If not, feel free to reach out & we'd be happy to make time as the schedule allows.

1) THE RUSH IS ON ... AMERICANS ARE CLAMORING TO MAKE THE TAX FILING DEADLINE. IN THIS TOUGH ECONOMY, HOW QUICKLY CAN PEOPLE EXPECT TO GET REFUND CHECKS IF THEY FILE ONLINE?

2) THE REAL ESTATE MARKET CONTINUES TO FLUCTUATE ... WHERE CAN WE GO TO KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES & REALLY DRILL DOWN ON HOW THEY AFFECT OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS?

3) HE RAN A SMART ONLINE CAMPAIGN & PLEDGED TO BE A HI-TECH PRESIDENT. WHAT HAS THE ADMINISTRATION DONE ONLINE IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS THAT AMERICANS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF?

4) "GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK" AS THEY SAY, BUT RUNNING A MORE COST EFFICIENT HOUSEHOLD IS ALSO IN STYLE. WHERE CAN WE GO FOR TIPS ON DOING BOTH?

5) IT'S ALWAYS INTRIGUING TO SEE WHICH "VIRAL VIDEOS" WE CAN'T SEEM TO STOP WATCHING ... SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE DUG UP ....

classifieds.aol.com
Around the country, many newspapers are running into tough times. So, where does that leave traditional newspaper classifieds? The Internet is filling the void, by posting classifieds online and traffic is spiking. In part, because you can now list things for FREE. That frees up anyone looking to unload something or offer a service to spread the word without running up a tab. You'll fine everything from horses to tractors and jobs to personals. Another sign of consumers tightening the purse-strings ... On Classifieds.AOL.com alone, you can access more than 40 million listings, aggregated from more than 80,000 different sources. Listings are searchable by every Zip Code in the U.S. Maybe it's time you took out an ad ... the price is right .... zero.

A sign of the times: Online searches for coupons have shot up over 160% since the recession began. We recently talked coupons on the CBS Early Show ... Retail 101 means I want to offer you the best possible price, but no better. That's why – and this is little known secret – the sooner you start acting like a bargain bee, the better the deals targeted to you will get. It's called dynamic pricing. Here are some of the sites featured on-air + MORE. Turns out, you have more control over the total tab at grocery stores, restaurants and local establishments than you may think ... It pays to be proactive.

CLIP COUPONS VIRTUALLY – SITES FOR SAVING ON GROCERIES:

www.Coupons.com

www.CouponMom.com

Because consumers are also facing high grocery prices, restaurants are really trying to keep their value propositions strong without eating into already strained margins. If consumers play their coupon cards right, it could actually be cheaper to eat out!

With money extra tight these days, instead of hiring a handyman, homeowners are increasingly turning to web sites like DIYlife.com for tips on tackling common household repairs on their own. From minor plumbing and electrical fixes to trouble-shooting doors, windows, appliances and even home computers ... Whatever problem you're having, chances are, someone else has had the same issue. Online searches can also turn up message boards where other online do-it-your-selfers have your back & can save you a buck.

Granted, the timing may be opportune as it appears there's an inverse relationship between the economy and online dating sites. A growing number of the estimated 92 million singles in the U.S. are turning to online dating sites to hunt for dates. Many are cutting back on big nights out and instead choosing to spend more time at home on the Internet surfing through profiles, which can take tons of time. As reported in the Washington Post, Match.com saw it's biggest one-month jump in seven years!

The L.A. Times reports eHarmony.com registrations is seeing signficant increases. And, get this, eHarmony and Match.com reported especially high traffic on days when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted. Apparently, cold weather is also a factor. Both sites can be accessed via AOL Personals.

Related: Online dating do's & don'ts.

WEB SURFERS SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF SPRING ONLINE:
Spring Break Travel Deals, Bathing Suit Season Shape-up, Tips for "Going Green," Fixing-up the House & Managing March Madness Bracketology.

Regina has pinpointed some of spring's most searched for topics to help consumers shake off the cold of winter and put them in the know for shaping-up, fixing-up, saving money and being ahead of the curve for the season's latest and hottest fads and interests.

SPRING BREAK TRAVEL: How can you really be sure you're getting the best price? What happens if the price drops AFTER you click to buy? Good news ... You could be eligible for the new lower fare. We'll show you how to get the credit you deserve and new cyber-savvy ways to use airline miles. Plus, this year, over 250,000 college students will go on Spring Break, and an unprecedented number of webcams will follow the action (for better or worse!). Expect to see the unexpected. We'll show you why & where your teen might think twice about striking the wrong – or even incriminating - pose in this tell-all, social networking age. www.Gadling.com

DIET DIARY: Start a Diet Diary: The multi-billion dollar diet industry isn't exactly known for FREE resources, but one of the most effective things you can do just launched online at ZERO cost. It's a diet diary to plan and track your food & nutrition in-take, plot and record your exercise regime and track your progress. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a recently study indicated people who keep a food diary realize TWICE the weight loss of those who rely solely on dieting and exercise. The newly available tool generates printable graphs & spreadsheets, so you can really see how your diet stacks up against recommended guidelines for the goals you're trying to reach. If you're off-course, it shows up in the reports before it shows up on your waistline! http://www.aolhealth.com/food-diary

MARCH MADNESS: Online bracket challenges are in full force. Regina has tips and sites to help make sure you're Final Four picks are a slam dunk. This year there'll also be hours & hours of basketball coverage online and it may look better than ever with improved video streams comparable to high-def TV. It's one of the first big sports event to take advantage of it & the potentially career-saving "Boss Button" will also be back (not that you need it;). If you're looking to attend the Final Four in person, "sold out" doesn't' meant you can't get tickets online. We'll point you in the right ticket re-sale direction and fill you in on the going rate. www.Fanhouse.com

FREE CLASSIFIEDS: Here's a sign of the times... In response to demand for a way to bring classified listings across the web to one place, a new classifieds service boasts listings from EVERY zip code in and allows you to post your own ad for FREE. At launch, there are more than 40 million listings aggregated from more than 80 million sites, which means less searching and surfing for what you're after and more luck trying. www.classifieds.aol.com

My friend Sara is extremely diligent in her approach to "real food" and she dug up some terrific organic food coupon sites. I'm amazed how terrific these sites are & am excited to save on some of our favorite products & brands. Here's one of my new favorites:

www.mambosprouts.com

Alternative Spring Breaks are nothing new, but President Obama's call for increased community service has inspired legions...including spring breakers.

Students at Georgetown University paying it forward:
http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=40335

• Students participating in the Border Awareness Experience will share meals with immigrants and refugees on the U.S.-Mexico border and spend time with border patrol agents who work in the area surrounding El Paso, Texas

• In the Worker Justice D.C. program, students will learn more about the low-wage working community and its organizers struggling to improve local working conditions.


Background:
USAT: Economy inspires public service
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-03-09-publicservice_N.htm