A new survey out by the National Retail Federation indicates consumers will most likely spend their economic stimulus checks to pay for necessities like gas and groceries. With prices for both steadily on the rise, makes sense. It's not stopping some major retailers and e-tailers from rolling out big incentives, hoping to make you think twice about where and how to spend your rebate. Circuit City, Home Depot, Sears, Radio Shack and many others are offering rebate-themed "discounts" and promotions.


Here's a look at a few of the stimulus check shopping deals out there:

Sears and Kmart: Offering 10% bonus to every customer who converts an entire check into a gift card at one of the stores. So a $250 rebate check gets you a $250 gift card and another for $25. The gift cards can be redeemed at any Sears, Kmart or Lands' End retail stores or online at sears.com or landsend.com. The promotion is scheduled to last from May 14 to July 19, 2008.

Staples.com: Staples.com is offering special coupon codes designed to stretch your rebate check.


Overstock.com: Plans to offer consumers a discount coupon, likely in the range of 7% to 10%, redeemable in a one-day event at Overstock.com. The date isn't yet determined, but when the date is selected, Overstock will promote the event and coupon via e-mail, through its affiliates, and, most likely, on its website.

Zonder.com: The vacation rental Web site is offering 10% off bookings of $600 or more and 15% off bookings of $1,200 or more. You have to book by August 1st and use the promo code "taxes" during checkout. Such blatant marketing, it's almost funny. But, hey .... money in the bank probably does up the odds you'll think about going away.


RadioShack: Use your stimulus check or IRS tax refund on any $50 or more purchase at RadioShack and get 10% off that purchase. The unspent portion of your check is converted into a prepaid Vision Silver MasterCard that can be used at any store. Sounds like they thought this one through in enough time to line up a credit card partner.

Walmart: Offering to cash your stimulus check for free. They usually charge about $3 to cash a check. No purchase is required to take advantage, but if you do some spending at Walmart, keep and eye out for special offers on groceries ... They've lowered prices on a number of grocery items to help customers get more for their rebates. According to money saving blog WalletPop.com, the more deals Walmart offers, the more we all benefit from bigger price drops at competing stores. Walmart even launched a special site to educate consumers on smarter spending – www.savemoneylivebetter.com.

Note: Some retailers require you bring the actual stimulus check into the store, while others are not requiring proof of stimulus checks.

How will you spend your check? Tell the world online at www.howispentmystimulus.com – click on the "Tell Your Story" tab.

Find more stimulus check deals, including deals offered by a number of grocery chains, check out DealNews.com.

Related article: As Stimulus Checks Go Out, Stores Want the Whole Check

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "haggle" as "to annoy or exhaust with wrangling." Makes it sounds a little harsh, but hey if it nets you a bargain ... game on.

With the economy on shaky ground, more Americans are pulling out all the stops to stretch their dollars further. This includes haggling for lower prices on everything from cars, to new flat screen TVs, furniture, home improvement products ... even clothing. But did you know, your mouse may be one of the best bargaining chips of all? It's called "e-Haggling."'

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF US ... WE BUY AN ITEM AND THE VERY NEXT WEEK THE PRICE DROPS OR IT GOES ON SALE . BUT IT'S NOT GAME OVER?

www.priceprotectr.com

Most retailers offer what are called "price protection" policies, where they promise to refund a portion of your purchase price, if the product you bought drops in price within a certain time frame after you buy it. A typical period of time is 30 days. At PriceProtectr.com, they watch prices so you don't have to; if an item drops in price after you purchase it, they'll notify you by email so you can get a refund of the difference. To use the service, just enter the URL for the item you purchased.

AND THERE'S A SITE THAT WORKS IN SIMILAR FASHION FOR AIRFARES?
www.yapta.com – "Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant"
All major airlines offer what is called the "guaranteed airfare policy," which means you're eligible for a refund if the fare price decreases. Plug your email address and itinerary into Yapta.com (before or after you book) and it will alert you if/when prices drop. Even after deducting any change fee that may be levied by the airline, if the $400 round trip ticket you purchased is suddenly $200, you might have $150+ bucks headed your way – usually the money comes by way of a travel voucher you can use on a future trip.

ONE OF THE LATEST WAYS TO E-HAGGLE IS WITH OUR CELL PHONE?
Wireless E-Haggling: At wap.aol.com/shopping there's a mobile comparison shopping tool where you can compare prices on nearly 12 million products right on your cell phone, while you're in the store. Try showing that to the salesperson ... it could move the needle in your direction.

SHOPPING FOR A NEW OR USED CAR ... ALSO POPULAR ONLINE ... SOME TIPS THERE FOR GETTING THE BEST DEAL?

75% of car shoppers start their search online ... and spring/summer is a popular time to buy a new set of wheels. Your best bet is to start out on a major autos site like autos.aol.com ... Once you find the make/model you're after, your next move should be to email the dealer for an anonymous no obligation price quote. Chances are, they're going to give you a competitive price ... after all, they want you to show up to the lot on Saturday. On the other hand, if their price seems a little high to you, email back and let them know ... Tell them you're also waiting on quotes from other dealers. If they want your business, they'll likely respond with their best price.

Wedding season is fast-approaching and brides- and grooms-to-be are working feverishly to button up details on everything from flower arrangements and honeymoon plans, to bachelor parties and bridesmaid dresses. For those feeling a little lost in the fray, there's help online from people who've been there, done that. #1 piece of personal advice: Enjoy every second.

The writers at Wedding blog AisleDash, serve up daily doses of advice, helpful info. and picture galleries to help ease the stress of planning for the big day. The site covers weddings from just about every angle – etiquette (never under-estimate), gifts & registries, cakes & catering, invites, rings, fashion, bridal bloopers and more.


With today's average wedding costing nearly $30,000 (that's not including the honeymoon!), you'll want to check out AisleDash's regular posts on "budget advice," like these tips for buying bridesmaids dresses online: Shopping Online for Bridesmaids Gowns: 4 Rules to Follow. And there's no shortage of DIY wedding advice, including: Virtual Scrapbooking, DIY Wedding Program Fans, An Eco-friendly Wedding without Breaking the Bank.

We were back talking cars this weekend ... It was really nice to to catch up in-person with the extremely talented Clayton Morris. You're hard-pressed not to like the guy .... www.ClaytonMorris.com. We compared iPhone habits & got Rich Reichmuth to admit he's a blackberry addict.

When was there, Rich hid Courtney Friel's shoe ... Hey, you've got to humor yourself off-camera ...:)

We played ALL-things Wii ALL weekend at my sister's house. From tennis, to bowling to Guitar Hero it was NON-Stop action with an audience (we're a big family).

Looking ahead, here's what we'll all probably be playing when the holidays come around ... Can almost see my sister mastering her center of gravity with the new Wii Fit available now in Europe and on the ground here in the U.S. on May 19.

Soon you'll be able to start doing muscle workouts, yoga poses and balance games, like ski racing and jumps. Check out this downhill run & blocked shots on soccer goal. Total Score! The winner: Nintendo!

There's some talk on message boards re: what mats you do & don't need + what is & isn't included bundled Wii offers. Those can be tricky. Sometimes significantly cheaper, but only if you need/want everything included. If you're a gamer, you might actually find some of the things listed in this article remotely doable: 10 EASY WAYS TO GET MORE FROM YOUR WII

Having seen the demand in my sister's living room & remembering the trouble Santa went to for Guitar Hero this year, am getting in on this early & pre-order. The trick will be resisting breaking them out on a rainy day ...

RELATED: This parody is kind of a riot. And, of course, the Internet wouldn't be complete without a baby laughing video. This little guy's giggle is contagious!:)

Sat in traffic all morning. All could think about was home much time & gas was being wasted. Ironically, every story on the radio was about gas prices and area road planning. Turns out, there are some new online applications might prove useful on this front. You can even find out where construction is underway, as lots of orange hardhats & one lane, can be a huge factor with summer road trips. Plus, in my world, if you're due at a TV Bureau at a certain time, being punctual is make or break ... Here's hoping we all find these 3 SITES TO AVOID TRAFFIC useful.

Then, again, as discussed on WSJ RADIO, you could have THIS commute in you live in Japan. UNBELIEVABLE!

3 Best Ways to Avoid Traffic

Nobody likes to sit in traffic. Searches for the word "traffic" are up 44% on AOL Search so drivers are clearly looking for help.

TrafficLand: You really can do just about everything from your Facebook page these days, and getting live video feeds of the roads on your daily commute is no longer an exception. Just go to Facebook and search for "TrafficLand" to add the application to your profile.

MapQuest Traffic: MapQuest just announced a new feature called Current Traffic that lets users overlay traffic conditions, including crashes, construction and slow speeds, on top of their route map with one click. Perfect for travel on new routes when you want to be sure to arrive on time.

TrafficGauge: If you're traveling to a new city and not sure of the traffic patterns check out TrafficGuage. This one's not free – it's as low as about $1.99 a month – but this one uses real-time data to guide you around traffic in 20 major cities right on your phone.

Going green is a huge trend & can't watch TV, listen to the radio or get through an interview on either without it coming up. Not to date self, but remember when Nickelodeon launched ground-breaking Earth Day efforts. To their credit, seems they were ahead of their time. Now, everyone & everything is well represented online.

See: Earth Day 2008.


Browse over to GreenDaily.com for tips like: Five ways to start going green if you already haven't: Bring your own bag to the grocery store, unplug appliances when you're not using them and lots more.

There are also a regular features on Celebrity "ecoists" like Ted Danson:

It was particularly quiet around the TODAY SHOW this weekend because all of the roads were blocked off near St Patrick's Cathedral where the Pope was giving mass. The weather was glorious, just as it was in DC. Divine intervention perhaps & just wonderful to see. Back to business ... We didn't get nearly as much information as I had hoped across in the on-air segment re: online resources when it comes to car buying. A couple of clicks really can save you thousands of dollars. The article prepared for MSNBC.com is loaded with info & here's even more ....

We've got the FULL STORY tomorrow on the TODAY SHOW .... TUNE IN if you can for some KEY online moves ... Am particularly interested in this story, because -- of all the financial mistakes have made ... Not getting the car-thing right is probably at top of the list.

Seventy-seven percent of women plan to take a man to the dealership with them when making their next vehicle purchase. I am one of them. In the meantime, the Internet is booming with more resources than ever on this front. It's a purchase in which you can save thousands by getting it right. Not convinced? Get this stat: Studies indicate people who use the Internet for research pay an average of 5 percent less for their new vehicles, thanks to the additional knowledge they bring to the process.

Here's first in a series of posts re: cracking the car buying code ...

Don't Go in Cold.

Know Your Price & the Price Source (article by Forbes)

You don't want to go into the dealership "cold," not having done your research. Arm yourself with information you can print out and bring with you to the showroom. Have this information in hand, and the sales person knows you're informed. You have a good idea of what the dealer paid for the car and now you're negotiating up from the known wholesale price, instead of down from a sticker price.

Here's WHAT NOT TO SAY TO THE CAR DEALER

Know the price of options, the car's safety ratings ... and this is an obvious biggie right now, check the fuel economy. That big SUV they just sold you might not be such a great deal when you're paying $80.00 a week to fill it up.

Know the latest dealer incentives: You can find them online on car sites or dealer sites – sometimes you have to enter your zip code, as rebates & promotions vary regionally. While some manufacturers are offering 0% financing on models for up to 5 years, others are offering cash back incentives. Be aware this is usually an either or situation. You get one ore the other, not both. If you're lucky enough to be paying cash for the car, take the cash back option. If you're financing the whole thing, 0% for 5 years is your friend.

More to come ...

PriceProtectr.com: They watch prices so you don't have to; if an item drops in price after you purchase it, they'll let you know so you can get a refund for the difference.

• All you need to do is enter the URL for the item you purchased. If the price drops within the item's price protection period, they'll send you an email with detailed information on how to get your money back.
• Also works for in-store purchases – check the site for a complete list of stores
  • Abercrombie & Fitch

  • Ann Taylor

  • Anthropologie

  • The Apple Store

  • Best Buy

  • Bed Bath & Beyond

  • Nordstrom

  • Target

  • Walmart

RELATED POST: HAGGLING -- Price Set in Stone? Maybe, Maybe Not. - Regina Lewis

Historically movies tend to be an affordable luxury and that's more true than ever as the cost of DVDs, in particular, used DVDs goes down. If you have young children who are going to want to watch a particular movie over and over (is there such a thing as seeing "Finding Nemo" too many times?), purchasing may be way to go.

Cost: You can search used DVD sites like DVDEmpire.com by genre, by age (i.e. under 9), by price, etc. A search for DVDs under $10 turns up more than 11,000 titles. Are they the top selling new releases everyone is after? Not necessarily at those price points, but they have those too at some of the best going rates.

Used DVDs are also available on Amazon.com and eBay, as well as in-stores. Online they'll tell you the condition of the DVD as part of the listing. In-store, you may see a "Previously Viewed" sticker.

Even if the price is right, you don't want to make costly (both time and money) mistakes purchasing films you don't end up enjoying or ones that aren't age-appropriate. That's one reason sites like Moviefone.com are seeing record traffic as people "preview" films and read reviews before making the purchasing or rental plunge.

RELATED POST: MOVIE RENTALS 101

We've covered this angle on the radio this week & are delving into it further in upcoming TV segments ... Not since the 1850's have American consumers considered prices in retail stores anything other than fixed (set in stone). In face, most research indicates we like it that way. Hence, "no haggle" price advertisements. Well ... maybe not so fast. They're calling it "entrepeneurial" (why ise the word 'desperate' if you don't need to?). Whatever the driver, math is math and consumers are watching their wallets just as retailers are realizing some margins are better than none. What does it all mean & how does the Internet factor in? Read on ....

NY Times: Even at Megastores, Hagglers Find No Price Is Set in Stone

• Consumers accustomed to haggling online are heading to brick & mortar stores for more deals.

Haggling is a never-ending process:

• PriceProtectr.com: They watch prices so you don't have to; if an item drops in price after you purchase it, they'll let you know so that you can get a refund of the difference.
  • All you need to do is enter the URL for the item you purchased. If the price drops within the item's price protection period, they'll send you an email with detailed information on how to get your money back.
  • Also works for in-store purchases – check the site for a complete list of stores
    • Abercrombie & Fitch

    • Ann Taylor

    • Anthropologie

    • The Apple Store

    • Best Buy

    • Bed Bath & Beyond

    • Nordstrom

    • Target

    • Walmart

HowToHaggle.com: Know the mistakes

• Getting angry: Do not let your emotions get the best of you. Remember, you approached him with a price that is different than what he is advertising.

• Don't Dress to Impress

• Don't be unreasonable: the vendor needs to make money too; he cannot give you the item for free.

More Tips:

• WalletPop's daily deal – new bargain-basement deals posted daily

• Go to a comparison shopping site, print the bargain, and take it to the store as evidence to support your haggle!