December 2011 Archives

Brief History of New Year Celebration

The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner.

The New Year of the Gregorian calendar, today in worldwide use, falls on 1 January, continuing the practice of the Roman calendar. There are numerous calendars that remain in regional use that calculate the New Year differently.

The order of months in the Roman calendar has been January to December since King Numa Pompilius in about 700 BC, according to Plutarch and Macrobius. According to the Christian tradition, 1 January is the day of the circumcision of Jesus (on the eighth day of his birth), when the name of Jesus was given to him (Luke 2:21).

It was only relatively recently that 1 January became the first day of the year in Western culture. Upto 1751 in England and Wales (and all the British King's dominions) the new year started on 25 March - Lady Day, one of the four quarter days (the change to 1 January took place in 1600 in Scotland).  Since then, 1 January has been the first day of the year. During the Middle Ages several other days were the first (1 March, 25 March, Easter, 1 September, 25 December).


Hong Kong Fireworks Celebrating New Year 2012

 
Sources:
Wikipedia.com
Youtube.com

一 美女興致勃勃地問醫生：「我想 豐胸，但是豐胸後會有什麼效 果？」

醫 生淡定地答道：「豐胸後，一般 會有四種結果：

1. 大 不一樣；

2. 不 大一樣；

3. 一 樣不大；

    4. 不一 樣大！」

世 界上沒有其他的文字能夠有這樣 的功能，中文萬歲！！！
 
〈中 文字的奧妙〉

外 國人學中文，確實不容易。

中 文字的奧妙，常常讓學中文的老 外暈倒，說幾個聽來的段子：

一、 方便

一 位剛學過一點中文的美國人來到 中國，中國朋友請他吃飯。

到 了飯店落座，中國朋友說：「對 不起，我去方便一下。」

那 老外沒聽明白，「方便」是哪 裡？

見 老外疑惑，中國朋友告訴他說 「方便」，口語裡是「上廁所」 的意思。

哦， 老外意會了。

席 間，中國朋友對老外說：「我下 次到美國，希望你能幫忙提供些 方便。」

老 外納悶了：他去美國，讓我提供 些廁所幹嗎？

道 別時，另一位在座的中國朋友熱 情地對老外說：「我想在你方便 的時候請你吃飯。」

見 老外驚訝發愣，中國朋友接著 說：「如果你最近不方便的話， 咱們改日......」

老 外無語。

「咱 找個你我都方便的時候一起吃飯 吧。」老外隨即暈了。

二、 乳

一 位老師向老外學生解釋「乳」字 的含義：乳即是小的意思，比如 乳鴿、乳豬等。

講 解完，老師要求老外學生用 「乳」字造句。

老 外學生造句說：「現在房價太高 了，所以我家只能買得起20平 方米的乳房。」

老 師聽了，冒著冷汗說：「再造一 個！」

老 外學生：「我年紀太小，連一米 寬的乳溝都跳不過去。」

老 師冷汗如雨下，說：「再造一 個！」

老 外學生說：「老師我真的想不出 來了，我的乳頭都快想破了！」

三、 意思

某 老外苦學漢語10年， 到中國參加漢語考試。

試 題之一：

請 解釋下文中每個「意思」的意 思：

阿 呆給領導送紅包時，兩個人的對 話頗有意思。

領 導：「你這是甚麼意思？」

阿 呆：「沒甚麼意思，意思意思而 已。」

領 導：「你這就不夠意思了。」

阿 呆：「小意思，小意思。」

領 導：「你這人真有意思。」

阿 呆：「其實也沒有別的意思。」

領 導：「那我就不好意思了。」

阿 呆：「是我不好意思。」

這 老外聽了，一頭霧水。

中 文的「意思」太深奧了，於是他 交白卷回國。

I just got an email from Bill, Matt & Eric the Crush Crew .  With a group of internet leaders Bill Matt and Eric  joined force raising fund as their cause for helping Sophie, a little girl with bone cancer.  I would like to give these people my share of help spreading the words here for readers of my blog.  Here below is the exact email:

 

Something amazing is happening... Nearly every major Internet marketer has banded together and are willing to give you over $10,000 in software, products, courses & services just for helping a small child in need.

We've joined forces with them & you've got to check this out:

http://www.marketersforacause.org/sophie

We need your help spreading the word about this. Go there now & find out about the upcoming day long live "web telethon" that I'm hosting. The guest list reads like a virtual who's who in the online marketing world.  I'll be on live ALL DAY (I hope my voice holds up).  Matt & Eric will be joining me a few times too.

When you participate you'll even get a chance to grab some of our very best products for pennies on the dollar.

What a great concept! Help a little girl in need & get some high-quality products designed to help you build your Internet business at the same time. Everyone wins!

I look forward to seeing you over there:

http://www.marketersforacause.org/sophie

Sincerely,

Bill McIntosh
On Behalf Of "The Crusher Crew"
 

PS:

Every penny of revenue generated from this goes straight to the family of a 4 year old girl with bone cancer. It will provide support and give her the strongest fighting chance of beating this terrible disease. Do everything you can to be part of this:

http://www.marketersforacause.org/sophie

The season of giving isn't quite over, as Americans make last-minute deductible donations to a wide variety of non-profits. Unwanted gift cards received during the holidays have happily emerged as a popular contribution, and for good reason.

According to the National Federation of Retailers, eight in 10 consumers bought at least one gift card this year, for what BigResearch estimates is a total of $27.8 billion in sales during the holiday season. Naturally, not all those cards aren't exactly well matched to the recipients, which means a lot of plastic goes unused; thus the trend towards donating unwanted gift cards.

Before you contribute your card, however, here are six caveats to consider.

1. How Much Are You Actually Donating?
What percentage of your gift card will be directed towards the charity's stated purpose and how much towards overhead? Ascertaining this fact may require reading the fine print or contacting the non-profit directly.

2. What is the Minimum Balance You Can Donate?
Some charities will accept any balance, but others don't want the hassle of processing a card that's worth less than $10 or $20.

3. How Will the Charity Use Your Donation?
Gift cards sometimes end up being given directly to the charities clientele, while other non-profits resell the card for a percentage of the face value and use the cash.

4. Should You Simply Resell the Card Yourself?
Not many non-profits accept gift cards, but there's a way you can still make hay out of this sunshine. You can exchange your gift card for cash on such websites as GiftCardGranny.com, then donate the proceeds directly to your preferred recipient.

5. Would the Charity Prefer You Donate Purchased Items?
Check with the non-profit to see if they would rather you purchase groceries, clothing, etc. and donate these items, instead of the cards or cash. If your gift card comes from a merchant selling products the charity doesn't need, some stores allow you to exchange gift cards for those from another store. Look for a kiosk near the cash registers that contains a variety of cards from different merchants.

6. Can You Donate the Gift Card to a Silent Auction?
One way to make sure cash goes directly to a non-profit is to contribute your card as a biddable item for a silent auction. If the buyers are feeling charitable, the non-profit might end up with more than the value of the card.

###

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert and has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles.

For all media inquiries please contact Andrea Woroch at 970-672-6085 or email andrea@kinoliinc.com.

>>>Amazon Gift Cards for Your Selection<<<

Around the beginning of December 2011,  I came across the captioned headline.   Briefly I went through the post in Google Affiliate Network Blog:

Do you have a blog, website and an AdSense account? If you aren't already a Google Affiliate Network publisher, now is a great time to join and monetize your website by giving your audience access to exclusive opportunities

As I have the Google Adsense account,  right away I submitted my application. The approval was granted immediately.   Here below is the email from Google Affiliate Network regarding the application and approval:


Welcome to Google Affiliate Network. Your network application has been reviewed and approved. You are now ready to join advertiser programs, get links and start earning revenue.

Getting Started:

To sign in, please visit http://www.google.com/affiliatenetwork/ and enter the email address and password associated with the Google Account you submitted on your application.

We recommend you review your Communications Preferences for email communications (Settings > Profile). Please consider opting-in for Non-Joined Advertiser Opportunities. By opting in your website is eligible to be included in important advertiser facing features to identify new relationships.

If you have any questions about Google Affiliate Network and your account, please visit our online Help Center at http://www.google.com/support/affiliatenetwork/ or ask questions on our online Help Forum at http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/affiliatenetwork?hl=en

In particular, we also recommend visiting our Beginner's Guide at http://www.google.com/support/affiliatenetwork/bin/answer.py?answer=142694

Join Programs:

Navigate to the Advertisers tab, set the Relationship status to 'Available' and click any and all advertiser affiliate programs you want to join. Within this section you can learn about advertiser programs, review Advertiser Specific Terms, and view payout rankings. You will be notified via email when advertiser-specific program applications have been reviewed.

How to Get Links:

The Links tab allows you to search and filter on links from advertisers with whom you have a relationship.

Link Subscriptions is a link delivery service that sends you the type of links you want via email or FTP.  Sign up to receive Link Subscriptions by promotion, size, and banner/text in one online form.  Navigate to Subscriptions > Link Subscriptions.

Reports:

You can access real-time sales data, run performance reports and build and save new reports.  Once you sign in you can view each report option under the Reports tab.

We look forward to the start of a long and productive relationship.

Sincerely,
Google Affiliate Network



Friends,  if you like to partner with Google empowering your affiliate marketing don't miss the opportunity.

Before the holidays there was endless advice about setting a budget and sticking to a shopping list. Those who ignored the wisdom shared by experts will be in for a shock when credit card and bank statements arrive in the mail.

According to a Consumer Reports poll, six percent of us are still paying off holiday debts from 2010. That means any new purchases racked up over the past holiday season will inflate those interest charges and make paying down the old and new balances more difficult and expensive.

If the bottom line on your bills is looking ugly, it's time to get a financial-management makeover. Consider these tips for balancing your holiday debt:

1. Double and Triple Up
Multiply your credit card minimum payments two or three times to reduce the amount of interest you'll end up paying. Merely meeting the minimum means you'll never see bottom.

2. Now's the Time to Negotiate
Talk to your credit card company about negotiating a better rate on interest, fees and other expenses. If your interest rate is above 15 percent and they won't negotiate, it may be time to transfer much of the balance to a lower-cost card. Just make sure you pay off the debt before the interest rate climbs again.

3. Go On a No-spend Diet
Stick those credit cards in the freezer, if you have to, but do what it takes to avoid impulse shopping sprees. Better yet, give them to a trusted friend or family member for safekeeping.

4. Get Couponing
Using coupons for necessary purchases not only saves you money, but the practice helps you make more educated purchasing decisions. You can find online and printable coupons for thousands of stores on CouponSherpa.com, or download their mobile app for instant access to coupons while you shop.

5. Stick to Cash
There's something about parting with greenbacks that makes us less likely to spend. Keep a budgeted amount on hand and stay away from the cards. Using the envelope system is expecially helpful in tracking your cash spending while working toward financial goals.

6. Cut Back on Luxuries
You've had your fun during the holidays; now it's time to get serious. Cut out the restaurants, nail salon and triple shot mocha latte until the bills are under control. Of course, too strict of an economic diet is as easy to break as a weight-loss regimen. So figure in an occasional, small splurge to keep you going.

7. Set Small Goals
Don't try to do everything at once. If paying off credit cards in three months means going hungry, you're biting off more than you can chew. Set smaller, obtainable goals and you'll appreciate the final results more. For those with multiple credit cards with high balances, try paying down one card at a time to feel that sense of accomplishment needed to push on to the next goal.

8. Meet With a Financial Planner
If you're barely treading financial water, it's time to get some assistance. A professional financial planner can help you establish a reasonable plan that won't leave you paying off debts until next Christmas. You can find a qualified guide through the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards website or you might check for non-profit assistance.

###

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert who has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles.

For all media inquiries, please contact Andrea Woroch at 970-672-6085 or email andrea@kinoliinc.com.

Hong Kong gets into the Christmas spirit with lights decorating the city's famous skyscrapers and shoppers thronging the streets.

A heart felt speech by a 13 years old child who stunned the United Nation and the world representatives. A timely message for all of us in this festive time celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Savior of human 's soul. Thank you girl for sharing with us your thought, fear and hope. Let us pray and work with the help of God to this world to become a better place.

Here's an interesting statistic from Consumer Reports: Nearly 50 percent of people surveyed by the national research center tip their cleaning person for the holidays with cash, checks or gift cards. The same generosity is shown to hairdressers (36 percent), manicurists (35 percent) and barbers (32 percent).

It sounds like people know exactly what to give their beauty-care specialists and, since gift cards are the most-requested present for the fifth year running, you have to bet a large portion of those holiday tips came in the form of gift cards.

Tipping with gift cards adds a personal touch you can't get with cash. It shows you know something personal about the recipient, other than that they provide a good service. If this sounds appealing, read on for five suggestions on tipping with gift cards.

1. Consider The Individual
Those who stand on their feet all day would likely love a spa treatment. Delivery people who use their own vehicles, like newspaper carriers, would probably appreciate a gas gift card.

2. Give an All-purpose Card
If you're totally clueless, a grocery gift card from Whole Foods, Safeway, etc., could hardly go amiss. Other gift cards to fall back on include iTunes or big-box stores, like Wal-Mart or Target.

3. Buy Discount Cards
You can prove your largess without spending large. Check out websites like GiftCardGranny.com, where you can buy discount gift cards at up to 50 percent off the face value. The recipient will never know and you'll save enough to tip your newspaper-delivery specialist.

4. Give Them Something to Chew On
Check with local eateries for discounts on gift cards. At this time of year, some restaurants -- big and small -- offer bonus cards when you buy a minimum amount, like California Pizza Kitchen.

5. Point Them Towards Gift Card Exchange Day
Should the recipient give you a blank look when you hand over their gift card, you might casually mention Gift Card Exchange Day, when they can exchange their card for cash on Dec. 26 through a variety of resellers.

###

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles.

For all media inquiries, please contact Andrea Woroch at 970-672-6085 or email andrea@kinoliinc.com.

>>>More Gift Card Selections<<<

Gift cards have topped the list of most requested presents for five years running, but some recipients inevitably end up disappointed. Whether you have a collection of unwanted cards you're looking to unload or just haven't decided what you want to buy, use these tips to get the most from your holiday gift cards.

1. Review Details
Despite new federal regulations for gift cards resulting from the Credit CARD Act, retailers are finding their way around the rules. A recent article in Canadian Business points out bank-issued gift cards from MasterCard and VISA often include additional purchase fees on top of the balance of the card. Other cards included as a bonus with your purchase are actually treated more like coupons, with short expiration dates or product restrictions. Before you stick these away in your wallet, read up on the rules and regulations.

2. Follow the News
With the economy still struggling, businesses come just as quickly as they go. If you have a gift card for a store that's struggling to stay afloat, it's smart to use it up as quickly as possible. Once they go under, you'll lose out on the entire balance.

3. Sell or Exchange Unwanted Cards
There's no mystery when it comes to gift cards; you either like them or you don't. If your plastic haul falls on the "don't" side, there's still hope for getting something out of them. Gift Card Exchange Day -- a one day event created to raise consumer awareness about exchanging gift cards for cash -- is set to take place on Dec. 26. Just enter the store name and gift card amount to receive instant bids from resellers wanting to purchase your card.

4. Consider Regifting
Do you have family or friends with a post-Christmas birthday or perhaps an upcoming wedding or baby shower? Unwanted gift cards make quality presents at no cost. Just make sure such holiday gift cards don't feature a season-specific design when gifting for another celebration.

5. Get Registered
Once you've decided you're going to use your gift card, get it registered. Call the issuers' customer service department and provide your name and address with the card's unique account number and PIN. If the card is lost or stolen you're able to get the balance credited back on a new card.

6. Keep It Close
Though gift cards work like cash, they certainly don't get the same treatment. Cash is closely guarded and meticulously monitored while gift cards get tossed into the sock drawer. If you'd tuck a $20 bill into your wallet as soon as you got it, why wouldn't you do the same with a gift card? To ensure they're around whenever you need them, put them in a secure place such as your purse, wallet or car. That way you have your gift card ready for unexpected purchases and you don't have to use cash or credit.

7. Shop Smarter
In a surprising find, Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney discovered gift card recipients typically spend 140 percent of the card's face value during their redemption trip. This indicates shoppers don't spend as carefully as they would when using cash or a credit card. If you spend just to spend, take more time to weigh your gift card purchases. Also, use gift cards for stores like Walmart or Target on household items and boost your budget for a few months.

8. Make a Donation
Unwanted cards can be donated. Many organizations such as Make-A-Wish Foundation accept donations of gift cards that are used toward granting wishes. If smaller, local charities don't accept them, use your card to buy items like food and clothing you know they'll take. It's best to donate directly instead of through a third-party site so you know the money got there and you're guaranteed a tax deduction.

9. Keep Up with Balances
To avoid leaving partial balances unredeemed, keep notes about how much you've used and store balance receipts along with the card. You can also check your balance on such sites as GiftCardGranny.com if it's been a while since you last used the card. In some states you can even request a cash refund when the balance falls under a certain amount. Currently the minimum is $10 in California and $5 in a handful of other states.

10. Start a Portfolio
This year the investment site, GoalMine, is taking a unique approach to gift cards. From Dec. 19 through the end of January they'll sell your cards and deposit the value into a FDIC-insured savings account or one of their mutual funds. Instead of filling your cart up with candy bars to spend the last of your store credit, get a college fund going for the kids.

11. Recycle
Several companies such as Target, REI and Walmart began using bioplastic gift cards made with a corn-based material that will biodegrade in a regular compost bin. Though some gift cards aren't biodegradable, you can mail them to Earthworks System, a PVC recycling company that began accepting gift cards for recycling last January.

###

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more.

For all media inquiries, please contact Andrea Woroch at 970-672-6085 or email andrea@kinoliinc.com.

>>>More Gift Card Selections<<<

Before I buy any stuff  like most people these days I check out the customers ' comments.   As we would expect really good product would have lot of good comments.   The same is true if the product is bad and lousy.    If the majority of comments are good the product should be reliable and quality product.  And if there lot of these good comments, it is safe to say the product is right for you.   It is the advantage of online shopping where customers' reviews and comments are open.
A friend of mine used Dyson fan heater and he referred it to me.  Anyway, I would like to know more about this product.   Therefore I searched the internet for more information related to Dyson Am04.  One day, as I was surfing the net, my eyes found a customer review and it caught my attention.  The following is the review:

I bought Dyson AM04 hot fan heater because it is not just a heater. It is a heater and a fan. This product works well. We have a large second floor bedroom that gets cooler in the winter than the other areas of the house. We have already had temps of 38 at night and by setting this heater at 72 with the swivel turned on and tilted up - warms the room very quickly and then stops while the thermostat waits for the temp to drop. So I do not have to adjust the furnace to compensate for this bedroom. The remote control is extremely simple to use and the read-outs on the front are clear and easily readable. I have tried other heating units and this is by far the best




Another item I would like to buy is a  refrigerator for the basement kitchen replacing the old one sat there over 15 years.    Talk about in more details soon. By the way, as my old house is over 50 years,  many equipments in the house are somewhat outdated.  Some of them are monsters consuming huge amount of energy.   For example, the baseboard heater which was installed there at the basement to supplement the central heating system  could easily consumed couple of dollars each day additionally.  Now,  I replace it with Dyson AM04 Hot Fan Heater.  It would save me some money on electricity.  
>>>>Find More Dyson Fans & Heaters<<<<

Today we went to Costco doing my shopping for our daughter Alison.  She will move to her new home soon.  Julie and I would like to buy her some Christmas gift as well some house appliance stuff for her.  Costco was fully packed with people who are shopping for the Christmas.   What we have in mind are couple of things.  The first one is a handheld vacuum cleaner designed specifically for home ..  As we checked the displayed items for this product group,  there is one which caught our eyes.  It is Dyson DC 31 handheld vacuum cleaner. 

We have used handheld portable vacuums before.  Due to the limitations to their design in the past, the annoyances was underpowered requiring me to pass it over the spill several times. With its advanced technology and new design Dyson DC31 is much more powerful.. It uses the same Root Cyclone Technology as the Dyson full sized vacuums. The powerful Dyson DC31 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is ideal for quick pick-ups and spot cleaning.


Though it is small, the DC 31 motor is more powerful than conventional motors.  This handheld vacuum cleaner has no carbon brush nor carbon dust. Dyson's Root Cyclone technology means the vacuum doesn't lose any suction power while you clean.  Its dual power mode offers 10 minutes of high constant suction or 6 minutes of 70-percent higher suction.  One thing I like Dyson is its being bagless, saving me money on costly replaceable bags.  Another advantage is the washable filters.  Such features would save substantially over time.


Emptying the bin of waste is easy, quick and hygienic.   People barely need to contact with the dirt. Weighs just 2.9 pounds with balanced weight distribution for easy handling. Also includes a combination debris nozzle/brush tool for dusting, high-velocity crevice tool for baseboards and between furniture, battery and Energy Star-qualified charger, AC/DC power adapter, manual, quick-start guide, registration card, and 2-year warranty that covers parts and labor by its customer service which I like  and it  sets apart the Dyson DC31 from competing vacuum cleaners.  As you get a 2 year parts and labor warranty. Should you ever have a problem with your Dyson DC31 handheld vacuum cleaner, you can contact Dyson by phone or via their website, they will try to troubleshoot the problem for you and if its not possible, will immediately arrange for a repair or replacement of your vacuum.


>>>Dyson DC 31 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Detail<<<

Yesterday,  I purchased a piece of internet secret which is a proven way to grab targeted traffic to your blog by leaps and bounds through a free tool Google Alerts.  It is nothing new but rather a very old method that was simply forgotten.

I would like to share it with your guys.  Here is the way step by step:
 
1. Choose the keywords that you would target to your niche market

2. Use keywords chosen in step 1,  turn them into simple questions that prospect would pose into the search engines. e.g., ; "back pain", is your keyword, then turn it into a question 'how to cure back pain?' or 'best back pain treatment?' In this way, turn your keywords into questions bearing in mind to add in the full quotation marks and the question mark.

3. Open a Gmail account if you don't have one, Create one here Give a name to this account for easy of remembering.

4. Create your Google Alerts,

• Search Queries:  enter keywords
• Result type: Discussions
• How often: As they happen
• How many: All results

Deliver to:  Choose RSS feed or your new Gmail account as the email destination for the alerts from Google. RSS is my choice.

Set this up for each of your keywords separately 10 -20 times)  RSS feed will update you on new Google Alerts.  If you choose Gmail. it will email you every time a new discussion related to your niche is posted. 

Now you are all set and done ready for the following important follow up:

When people post relevant questions in the search engines. you will have the addresses of the websites that are getting these keyword queries.  This is why using the quotation marks and question marks.  It ensures you only get these exact phrases inside the quotations.

Upon the Google Alerts,  you should go to places like blogs, forum, yahoo answers, etc., and there you find the needs of people and present your solution.  Over time you would turn people to become your fans listening to your answers.  They are the best potential prospects who would likely become your customers!

Tomorrow, close to 2,500 eRetailers -- including Lands' End, JCrew, will offer free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve during the one-day shopping event, FREE SHIPPING DAY. Though some 92 percent of retailers promised free shipping through the holiday season, those deals actually cost consumers more money as minimum orders were required to qualify for the perk.

Free Shipping Day offers truly free delivery deals, as 75 percent of participants are offering complimentary shipping with NO MINIMUM. More retailers are participating this year, in an effort to boost last-minute online sales before the end of the season. By now, most realize free shipping is an essential incentive.

The event has already generated significant media attention from the likes of TIME Moneyland, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

Get the most from Free Shipping Day deals with these tips.

1. GRAB THE CODES OR CLICK THE LINKS ON FREESHIPPINGDAY.COM
Check the site now to find out who's participating, but check again after midnight to learn about deals offered in addition to free shipping! And always compare free shipping offers among the thousands of retailers participating on Free Shipping Day.

2. READ THE FINE PRINT
More than 75 percent of e-retailers will offer free shipping with no minimum on Free Shipping Day, but some will require you order a certain amount to qualify. Verify any clearance items aren't final sale.

3. REVIEW RETURN AND EXCHANGE POLICIES
Retailers change their return and exchange policies during the holidays. Find out if there are return shipping charges, re-stocking fees, or whether you can return/exchange the item at a brick and mortar location. Better yet, consult Free Shipping Day's "Free Return Shipping" category for a list of participating merchants offering free return shipping.

4. COMPARE PRICES
Don't assume you're getting the lowest price just because it's marked in red. Still compare prices among the many retailers participating in Free Shipping Day. Use PriceGrabber.com for instant comparisons from multiple retailers and feel free to call the customer service hotline or chat with live sales rep to see if they'll price match.

5. SKIP EXTENDED WARRANTIES
If you're buying a big ticket item, stores will prompt you to add an extended warranty. It's best to avoid such offers because you don't get what you pay for and most items won't need repair within that extended period. Instead, pay with a credit card that doubles the manufacturer's warranty.

6. BE CYBER SAFE
Don't shop on public networks found at coffee shops, libraries or airports, where hackers can easily steal your bank or credit card information.

7. BEYOND FREE SHIPPING DAY
Watch for 3-day and 2-day free shipping codes posted to FreeShipping.org. Some 5 percent of online retailers will even offer free overnight shipping to drive some last holiday e-sales. Otherwise, opt to pick-up in-store when ordering online. You'll still beat the long checkout lines while securing gifts in time for the holidays.

Andrea Woroch is available for a Skype, satellite or phone interview to discuss ways you can maximize your Free Shipping Day shopping and score last-minute deals in time for the holidays. Please call (970) 672-6085 to schedule a segment.

Portable DVD Players

Excellent Gifts for

Christmas Holidays.

Now this is worth keeping The SPINE in Detail.

Roll your mouse over any of the 24 vertebrae in the human spine!!!

What a fascinating demo of how our spine affects our bodies. 

Move your mouse over back bones and see the parts that are affected!

What an amazing site

http://www.chiroone.net/why_chiropractic/index.html

"Christmas Card"


Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, literally "Christ's mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December 25  as a religious and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations,is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

The precise day of Jesus' birth, which historians place between 7 and 2 BC, is unknown. In the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church first placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted also in the East. Theories advanced to explain that choice include that it falls exactly nine months after the Christian celebration of the conception of Jesus, or that it was selected to coincide with either the date of the Roman winter solstice or of some ancient winter festival.

The original date of the celebration in Eastern Christianity was January 6, in connection with Epiphany, and that is still the date of the celebration for the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia, where it is a public holiday. As of 2011, there is a difference of 13 days between the Julian calendar and the more generally used Gregorian calendar. Those who use the Julian calendar or its equivalents thus celebrate December 25 and January 6 on what for the majority of people is January 7 and January 19. For this reason, Ethiopia celebrates Christmas, both as a Christian feast and as a public holiday on what in the Gregorian calendar is January 7.

Many of the popular celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations, including Christmas trees, lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas and Kris Kringle among other names, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.[20] Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Source: Wikipedia

Time sensitive replay
on Facebook Marketing


This is a replay of  a webinar event registered for:
Event name: 7 Simple Strategies to Profit From Facebook Marketing
Originally broadcast at: December 13, 2011 9:00 pm (Eastern)
It is available now as a replay to watch at your convenience until December 16, 2011 at 1:20 am Click here to attend: http://www.onlinemeetingnow.com/seminar/?id=ac1d9af9bc.

Friends, the above link may be time-sensitive.   I would suggest that you watch it as soon as possible.   It may be taken away any minutes.  Enjoy and benefit from it. 

If you or someone that you love needs an electric mobility scooter to help you get around safely and you have invested the money into purchasing one, then you will want to make sure that you are performing regular maintenance on your scooter to keep it running properly at all times. While this may seem like a daunting task, it actually takes very little time to do.

One of the most basic things that you can do to maintain your scooter is to inspect the tires regularly. You will want to make sure the tread has not worn down to less than 1/32 of an inch; if it has, then the tires will need to be replaced. While you are inspecting your tires, you will want to double check the air pressure of any inflatable tires. You want the air pressure to be between 30-35 PSI to get the maximum usage out of the tires. Many scooters are equipped with flat free tires and don't need air, so check your owner's manual to make sure you know which type you have.

Along with maintaining the tires on your scooter, you will want to make sure that you regularly check the battery terminals. If there is any corrosion, you will want to get it cleaned up as soon as possible. Doing this will ensure that you are getting the maximum battery life out of your battery. Treat corroded terminals with a mixture of baking soda and water, and dry them prior to reconnecting the battery.

Now that the tires and battery are fully functional, you will want to check all wires regularly as well. If there are any frayed or loose wires, you will want to get the scooter to a technician to have them repaired or replaced as quickly as possible. Failure to do this can lead to electrical shock or possibly a fire.

If you are not planning to use your electric mobility scooter for an extended period of time, it is important that you fully charge the battery and then disconnect it from the scooter prior to storage. You will also want to store it in an area that is not too hot or too cold, as extreme temperatures will affect the life of the battery.

 

Doing all of these things regularly will ensure that your electric mobility scooter will last you for many years.

>>>>Click To Mobility Scooter Best Deal<<<<

After more than 500 California customers of Lucky Supermarkets called last week to complain they'd been victims of fraud, parent company Save Mart issued a warning. High-tech thieves had altered self-checkout machines at nearly two dozen San Francisco Bay Area stores with data-skimming devices that wirelessly captured customers' credit and debit card statistics.

ABC News aired a report Friday with advice on avoiding such in-store thefts, but consumers also need to consider security when shopping online. As Christmas shipping deadlines approach, more of us will cruise the Internet to find last-minute deals. Here are five tips to avoid falling prey to online thieves.

1. Use One-time Use Credit Cards
Companies like Citibank, Discover and Bank of America can issue card numbers for one-time use so thieves can't piggy back on your purchase. According to an article in TIME Techland, these cards typically have a 12-month lifespan and are not available from all banks and card companies, but still represent one of the best methods to avoid online fraud.

2. Only Use Credit Cards
Debit card holders often have a very small window during which they can contest charges, whereas credit card carriers have between 30 and 90 days. Federal law dictates that cardholders are responsible for $50 of fraudulent charges to their credit cards before reporting the theft, whereas debit cardholders are liable for up to $500 if they fail to report the theft within two days. Bottom line: save debit cards for in-store purchases.

3. Shop With Gift Cards
Discount gift cards from websites like GiftCardGranny.com both save you money off a card's face value while ensuring online thieves can't dig deeper into your pocket. You don't have to wait around until you receive one as a gift, either - there's no law against purchasing gift cards for your own use, especially when you can take advantage of instant savings.

4. Review Statements Regularly
Check your credit card and bank statements regularly while charges are fresh in your mind. Paper statements are almost passé these days, so bring a printout of any suspicious activity to show your bank. You'll likely need to include it within the paperwork required to contest the charges, anyway.

5. Secure Your Network
Turn off "Share Files," printer access, and "Allow Remote Log-in" on your computer. Use a firewall and make sure it's updated. And make sure a url's "http" address changes to "https" when you start the checkout process. Read this Lifehacker.com blogpost for how-to details.

###

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert who has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles.

For all media inquiries, please contact Andrea Woroch at 970-672-6085 or email andrea@kinoliinc.com.

張家界天門山玻璃棧道-China's glass-bottomed walkway around the cliff.... China's newest tourist attraction... a glass-bottomed walkway around the cliff....
Brave tourists looking to test their nerves have flocked to China to walk across a dazzling glass bridge suspended from the cliff.
The oriental Skywalk is situated 4,700ft above sea level on the side of the Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China. 
In order to keep the glass path clean, tourists are asked to put on shoe covers before passing.
  
   

Dazzling: A glass path suspended on a cliff face has been built on the side of the Tianmen Mountain in China

 

 

Don't look down: A brave tourist walks along the glass path that was built on the side of a cliff 4,700ft above sea level on Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China.

The 200ft long bridge joins the west cliff at the Yunmeng Fairy Summit, the summit of Tianmen Mountain and Zhang Jiajie. The pathway, built earlier in the summer echoes the glass-bottomed walkway at the Grand Canyon in the U.S. The 70ft bridge is 4,000ft above the natural wonder and allows tourists to look through 2.5in of crystal-clear glass to the Canyon floor below. The Tianmen mountain, literally translated as Heavenly Gate Mountain is so called because of a huge natural cave that occurs halfway up to the summit.    

 

Stunning: The skywalk offers breathtaking views across the Hunan Province for those brave enough to attempt to cross the bridge.

Situated in the Hunan Province,  Its highest peak is around 5,000ft above sea level and it is home to a wealth of rare species of plants . A four-mile-long cable car was constructed in the park, which is said to be the longest of the same type in the world. The futuristic glass walkway is a marked upgrade from another sky high mountain walkway located in the same province.

 

As of 21st February 2011,  I was officially retired and a new chapter unfolded.  Now I work as blogger, as a  writer and as a publisher.  My retirement marks the beginning of my business at home.  My home busienss is an online business and my cup of tea.   I transformed myself from a salary man to become an entrepreneur.    

As usual I start my day 's work early in the morning around 6:30 a.m.,  For example, today I worked on my blog reviewing it thoroughly where I can improve the blog.  I decided to  add two new monetization features to my blog.  The first monetization feature is an online shop selling a wide range of Amazon products. To name a few it included Amazon Kindle 4th generation e-readers,  w.g. Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire.  They are the best sellers of Amazon.   The other Amazon products include Dyson vacuum cleaners, the upright and canister models,  the computer laptops, the digital cameras.  They are respectively incorporated into their related posts within the blog.  You can search for them by simply type in the 'search' box in the horizontal menu bar the related keywords.  More products will be added,. e.g.  nutrition and wellness products, cosmetics & skin care, hair management, vitamin supplements, appliances for home, organic cleaning detergents for kitchen, kitchen wares, glasswares, etc.   There is another product line by Amway.  Hence, you guys can shop on blog for all your Christmas gifts for friends and also for yourself.  They are big brand name products.  Come and check it out.  You will be amazed.  

By the way, shopping online is now a trend now among young people.   For example, they like to browse the internet or the smart phones looking for items such as fashion, makeup, bath and body items, nutrition and wellness stuff. They prefer this type of shopping because they can save a lot of time.  The ordered goods will soon be delivered to the door step within couple of days by UPS, Canpar, Fedex, etc.   Guys, ff you have questions, just email me or put it in the comment area.  I will get back to you soonest.    

I also added in an ebookstore for ebooks and digital information products. According to research, people are more intended to buy these type of products online.  I  put a link to the amazing story of Rosalind Gardner and her success in the online business.   It is an excellent program for those who would like to start a new online business.   Later  on, I would add some software and games sutiable for boomers.   Buddies , check these features at the sidebar as well as the menu bar.   I hope you like them and enjoy the easy online shopping.   


After updating my blog with the above mentioned features,  I took my car and drove Julie to the Go Train Station.  She works in downtown Toronto.  

With today's information technology, we can use the internet and work from home on our own schedule to generate the income.  Yes, it is  make money online by writing reviews.   There are several companies out there  with which people can write reviews and submit their original articles for a fee.  They are PayPerPost, ReviewMe, Epinions,  eHow and more. 

 

I joined PayPerPost (PPP) on March 9, 2007. I earned $41 on the second day as I have plenty of topics to write on. At that time my blog has a PR3 ranking, I am given the choice to choose topics at $5 to $15.  As the rule of thumb I always select the more expensive ones if they are available. I am happy about the abundance of topics at PPP.  I found out at PPP  they are already offering topics @ $100, to $500 to very high traffic and high page ranking blogs. Meanwhile , I am working hard to improve my blog traffic and content.  When my blog traffic improves further and PR ranking higher, I shall have plenty of blog money opps !   Just imagine, down the road, you can write a single review for $40, $50, or even $100. It is extra income to the bank account working at the comfort of your home.

 

All new bloggers accepted into the PayPerPost may have chances to review PayPerPost at attractive price, e.g. $20. They then have opportunities to write on different topics about PayPerPost ranging from $5 to $15. This gives new reviewers chances earning the reward instantly and also to see how the PayPerPost system works and to know clearly the company online advertising objectives.

I also made some money by  writing articles for ReviewMe.  Meanwhile, I started writing an ebook to be published in Kindle Direct Publishing.  

 

I got a very good news for my readers especially those who like writing and would like to make more money with their writing skill.  I got this news from Kindle Direct Publishing of Amazon couple day ago.  It is not sales and marketing nor networking.  It is a pure opportunity for people who would like writing and publishing their own book jointly with Amazon via Kindle Direct Publishing.  It can be in any language and it is available almost in every country.  Check out the following email and attached links.  Guys,  to your success. 


Hello from KDP!

We're excited to introduce KDP Select - a new option dedicated to KDP authors and publishers worldwide, featuring a fund of $500,000 in December 2011 and at least $6 million in total for 2012!  KDP Select gives you a new way to earn royalties, reach a broader audience, and use a new set of promotional tools. 

Here's how KDP Select works:

When you make any of your titles exclusive to the Kindle Store for at least 90 days, those with US rights will automatically be included in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library and can earn a share of a monthly fund.  The monthly fund for December 2011 is $500,000 and will total at least $6 million in 2012.  If you haven't checked it out already, the Kindle Owners' Lending Library is a collection of books that eligible US Amazon Prime members can borrow for free once a month with no due dates.

You'll also now have access to a new set of promotional tools, starting with the option to promote your KDP Select-enrolled titles for FREE for up to 5 days every 90 days.
 
How your share of the monthly fund is calculated:

Your share of the monthly fund is based on your enrolled titles' share of the total number of borrows across all participating KDP titles in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.  For example, if total borrows of all participating KDP titles are 100,000 in December and your book was borrowed 1,500 times, you will earn $7,500 in additional royalties from KDP Select in December.  Enrolled titles will remain available for sale to any customer in the Kindle Store and you will continue to earn your regular royalties on those sales.

What this means to you:

KDP Select gives you access to a whole new source of royalties and readers- you not only benefit from a new way of making money, but you also get the chance to reach even more readers by getting your book in front of a growing number of US Amazon Prime customers: readers and future fans of your books that you may have not had a chance to reach before! Additionally, the ability to offer your book for free will help expand your worldwide reader base.

How to enroll:

KDP Select is available for titles participating in both the 70% and 35% royalty options.  You can immediately start by enrolling a single title, your whole catalog, or anything in between. 

If you're interested in enrolling a title that's already uploaded, simply click "Enroll" next to the book in your Bookshelf. To enroll multiple titles that are already uploaded, select the boxes next to any number of titles, then click "Actions" and choose "Enroll these books in KDP Select." The titles you choose will be enrolled immediately.

If you're interested in enrolling a new title, simply check the "Enroll this book in KDP Select" box while submitting details about your book and proceed to publish the book as you normally would. For new titles, enrollment takes effect once the book is available for sale on our website.

To learn more about KDP Select, visit: http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/KDPSelect

To learn more about the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/kindleownerslendinglibrary

Thanks again for choosing KDP to publish your work.


Regards,

Kindle Direct Publishing
http://kdp.amazon.com
=============================
Connect with KDP and other Authors and Publishers:
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KindleDirectPublishing
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AmazonKDP
 

>>>Click Here To Find Your Best Price<<<

Click here to the Kindle Store!

Internet has changed the world and every aspect of today's lifestyle.  Information products and IT are the talk of the business arena.   For infoproducts Clickbank is the marketplace.  Founded in 1998, ClickBank is a secure online retail outlet for more than 500,000 digital products and 100,000 active affiliate marketers.  ClickBank makes a sale somewhere in the world every three seconds, safely processing more than 35,000 digital transactions a day over more than 200 countries, and are consistently ranked as one of the most highly-trafficked sites on the web world. Clickbank is the best place to go for both publishers and affiliates for infoproducts.  It is pretty safe to say that the majority of e-books in today's world are sold through in Clickbank and Amazon. 

 

Clickbank  service is to let publishers the benefit to sell their infoproducts in a very simple way ........ publishers can save the  e-commerce set up cost !!

On the other hand, Clickbank has  its affiliate marketing network.   Anyone can join the Clickbank Affiliate Network. As a Clickbank affiliate one can sell any of the products in Clickbank's portfolio just by signing up online as an Affiliate.

ClickBank's 100,000+ affiliates earn a percentage of every purchase made by every customer they refer to any ClickBank product. These affiliates generate well over half of the sales of Clickbank 's top selling products. The ClickBank Marketplace is where affiliates go to select the products to which they will refer traffic.

 

Every product listed in the ClickBank Marketplace is associated with a sales commission rate. Commission percentages range from 1% to 75%. On any one sale the minimum commission is $0.25 and the maximum is $100.00.

As you signed up as a Clickbank Affiliate you are given a username or nickname. You just include this username in clickbank links for your site to your selected Clickbank products. 

 

Some Clickbank  commission levels are much greater than others.  To make most money with Clickbank you need to identify products that are both profitable and easy to sell.  If you visit Clickbank's website, you can find out which products are selling well because Clickbank displays products in order of popularity. e.g. the Clickbank Top 10 Hot Products. They  are high conversion ratio products.  The sure way to sell these products is by pay per click Google Adwords .  It is the most cost effective way to start the campaign at the targeted group of potential prospects.  Moreover. Google adwords works within minutes starting promoting the products the moment you finish preparing the wordings  for your Ads.  Click here to see the Adwords demo.  

When we have to select an affiliate program the best bet is to refer to the basics.  Here, I meant the basic characteristics.    Any  good affiliate program should meet the following requirements.

Good Quality

The product must be of very good quality - something that you use yourself or recommend to your family members.  This can be liken to household brand names, such as IBM, Microsoft, Coke, Dell,  as well as quality assurance authorities' endorsement such as CSA approval, BBB OnLine Reliability Participation Confirmed, etc. Brands reputation is the key here.

 

High upfront Commission

Affiliate programs that have high profit for each sale. For myself, I have found that you need a profit of double digits per sale in order for it to make good money. e.g. iPowerWeb earn US$65 per signup. and Satellite TV Affiliate Programs - A Simple Path to Freedom earning US$50 per customer referred

 

Residual monthly commissions.

Some affiliate programs give you commissions on every product that is sold to the customer forever. A great example of this is SiteSell. I am getting commissions from customers who visited the SiteSell website months ago, but only now decided to buy something.

.

Highly Recommended Affiliate Programs:

Information products are often the best type of affiliate products because they do have high profits. Many vendors will give you 50-75% commissions for selling their information product.  e.g.:

 

SiteSell

Survey Scout

Google Cash  

Super Affiliate  Handbook

 

I save here the best for the last. 

This is Empower Network an affiliate program just launched on 31^st October 2011.  It meets all the requirements way above with high quality, 100% upfront commission and residual monthly income. 

Conclusion
To sum up,  in choosing any affiliate program for making money online should be good mix of the requirements in terms of product itself,  its commission and its saleability. 

 

Search engines love fresh contents.  When you add fresh content to your blogs the search engines will come and spider on them if you use the right format and keywords.  I titled my blog Empower Tips For People Over 50, all these words are keywords pertaining to the Empower Tips niche.  I further zoomed in to People Over 50. I aimed at this small segment of the market.  People call this niche market which simply means a very laser focus marketing strategy geared towards a specific targeted niche.  

If your marketing effort is to aim at all people in the internet you would be firing your ammunition to the ocean.  You know the reason why.  Your advertisement's message is drowned out by those big spenders such as global companies with their huge advertising budgets.  My advice here is to avoid competing head on with these giant  spenders.   Choose a niche market and select the keywords for your domain and headline.   This way you are aligning your blog/site with the search engines ' search pattern communicating effectively in the same computer wave length.  The result is lot of traffic to your blog/site.

Now try typing  Empower Tips For People Over 50 in the Google search box.  You will see all related generic links and Google Adwords connected with these keywords.  You would see my links there on the first page of the Google search result.    Think along this line.   Try and practice with the keywords for your post titles, blog title and domain name.  As a search engine visits your blog, it crawls on it like a spider.  The first place it goes to is the domain name, then the header for the blog name its brief description and the horizontal menu.  It goes to the article title and the opening  paragraph.   It does not like picture in this location.  It also goes to the sidebar to check for the tags, categories, etc.  These are the important locations the search engines would like to search for key information about your blog.  Generally it is from top to bottom.   Therefore always remember to sprinkle a few keywords  in the opening paragraphs,  the sidebar and the footer in line with those you have in the header and menu areas.

The number of sites linking back to your blog/site is very important for your page ranking in Google.  The best way is your daily post with original content.  Remember your content  should be themed towards your blog name as well as the domain name.  A niche theme and being focus in your daily posts is the key.   The search engines will come and spider your blog/site more frequently.

 

The affiliate programs in the internet market are overwhelming much similar to the variety of the general merchandises.  Which one would match me well and make me to become a successful affiliate?  The following questions would help you to find the answer for yourself.

1. Ask yourself do I have a passion for this  new  online business? 

You would agree with me that if you are really enthusiastic about something then you are much more likely to be successful at it. If you are just doing it for the money, then it is still ok but it can be more difficult.

 

2.  How to find the money making affiliate programs in the market?

You can feel the competition in the targeted area with the Google Search. Now type in Super Affiliate HandBook  in the Google Search box .  All relevant links come up.  Who are the top 10 search results? Those links with high Google Page Ranking will appear on the top 10 search result.  Now you know they are directly competing with you if you are going to sell 'The Super Affiliate HandBook'. You also find some commercial ads by your competitors selling 'The Super Affilaite HandBook'   The most top paying ads would come out at the top no.1 position then the second position for a little less. If there are  plenty of such commercial ads,  it is for sure a very hot item with fierce competition. 

                               

               

You can feel the temperature of competition by finding their approximate biddings with Google keywords tool.   In general ,  information products such as internet marketing programs or softwares and related affiliate programs are very expensive, e.g., $3 to $7.  Some very high paying bid can go up to double digit per click.  You will be surprised by these crazy bid.  It can go up to $50-100 approx.  Now, you can  picture the market potential.  In short,    Google Search indicates the potential market segments as well as the affiliate programs where the gold and diamonds  are.  The above two tools are instrumental in our process of selecting the right affiliate programs or products. 

Not all affiliate programs in the market make money for you.  Only few have the potential.  Most of them  don't have much chance of making an genuine income. So, do you research before you jump on any affiliate program.    Remember the two tools I recommend you.  They are excellent tools though they are free.

Is free shipping really free when stores place difficult-to-meet restrictions on consumer purchases? While "Free Shipping" banners and ads are everywhere this year, so are the minimums required by many merchants.

The increase pushes many shoppers to spend more and that's exactly what happened last year. For the week ending Dec. 5, 2010, transactions using free shipping averaged $125.20, or 45-percent higher than those with paid shipping, according to ComScore.com.

Although some 93 percent of e-retailers plan to offer free shipping deals this year -- up from 85 percent last year -- free shipping will come to a cost for consumers.

Here are a few tips to help consumers find the REAL free shipping deals.

• Read the fine print. Free shipping may only be offered on select items or a minimum order value must be met to qualify for free delivery.
• Check exchange and return policies. Some e-Retailers will charge for returns and won't accept in-store exchanges.
• Seek alternative shipping. Opt for free site-to-store delivery offered among top online stores like Walmart and Best Buy.
• Look for free shipping codes. Sites like FreeShipping.org aggregate free shipping codes from thousands of merchants, or check a e-Retailer's Twitter/Facebook for exclusive delivery discounts.
• Register for trial memberships. ShopRunner has a 30-day trial membership with free 2-day delivery from thousands of top stores. Amazon Prime offers a trial membership with a similar shipping deal.
• Shop Free Shipping Day. Scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16, consumers can enjoy free shipping from over 2,000 online stores with delivery by Christmas Eve. Some merchants will offer free shipping with no minimums, while others may reduce their typical minimum for the one-day event. Check FreeShippingDay.com for participating retailers.
• Send gifts directly to recipients. Avoid double shipping charges or extra luggage fees for traveling with presents.
• Shop securely. Avoid shopping on public networks found at libraries, airports and coffee shops where hackers can easily steal your information. Look for the "s" in "https" and pay with a credit card when possible as it offers more consumer protection when disputing fraudulent charges.

###

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. To view recent interviews or for more savings tips visit AndreaWoroch.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.