Yes, at least that’s what the government believes is true. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) set to go into effect on February 10, 2009 will require all products manufactured for children (up to age 12) to undergo testing for lead and phthalates. Any item not tested will be treated as a “banned hazardous substance” under the Federal Banned Substances Act and can not be legally sold in the United States after that date. Thus second hand clothes and toys sold at thrift and consignment stores will suddenly be considered “banned hazardous substances.”

In light of last year’s widespread issue with toys manufactured with high levels of lead, Congress swept in and enacted this law. While I agree with the law in spirit, afterall I do have two small children, I disagree with the law’s application.

I am sure there are probably many toys on store shelves today that have excessive levels of lead; however, the vast majority of toys and clothing do not. Thus suddenly making all new and used clothing and toys on store shelves “banned hazardous substances” at the stroke of midnight on February 10th sounds ludicrous to me.

While sellers of used or homemade items seem to be the ones affected by the law. It actually has much more far reaching effects.

The law affects both new and used items. In essence this law is a retroactive law. While it goes in effect on February 10th, it actually affects products manufactured months or years before. All inventories are required to have testing in order to be legally sold. This could potentially throw thousands of consignment, thrift and small mom and pop shops out of business. Even large corporations can be hugely impacted. One large retailer which has remained anonymous estimates the value of its affected inventory to be as high at $500,000,000.

The cost of compliance with this law could make children’s products much more expensive. Not only will you not be able to purchase second hand items, there will be less new items to go around. Imagine if overnight you could no longer buy a used car. The prices of specially tested new cars would suddenly become more expensive. So whether you currently buy new or used items, the new law would cause prices to go up for everyone.

There has been little mention of this in the mainstream media. Futhermore, I have not been able to find clear directives to manufacturers and resellers as to what all the reuqirements are and how to comply with them.

Consider reaching out to your elected officials and asking them to step in with some changes and revisions.

References:

Los Angeles Times – New safety rules for children’s clothes have stores in a fit

BabyCheapskate – The End of Second-Hand Kids’ Clothes and Toys

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

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January ushered in a new year and February will usher in new television signals. Digital television is just a month away. Are you ready? If you currently have cable or satellite service, you are ready. If not, then you will be missing out on your favorite shows come February 17, 2009.

You don’t have to have cable or satellite service to continue watching TV but you will need a TV converter box. The converter is inexpensive and the government is offering $40 coupons to help you purchase one. To receive your coupon apply online at DTV2009.gov or by calling 1-888-DTV-2009. The website says to apply for a coupon by December 31, 2008, but that is just a suggested deadline. The real deadline is March 31, 2009. However, the fine print says “while supplies last.” So the sooner your request your coupon the better.

For those considering purchasing new televisions, please take the time to recycle your old television. Don’t just throw it in the trash.

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I just finished my reports for Angie’s List and I can’t wait to receive my free Flip. This is such a great promotion and there is still time for you to sign up and share your reviews of local services. Here are the details:

Angie’s List is giving away a free Flip digital camcorder this month during it’s Report Drive. Members will receive a free Flip when they submit 15 reports (3 of which must be in the medical category.) Plus each report you submit enters you in a drawing for a $5,000 gas card. You must be a member to post a report. To save $20 off your membership fee enter promo code HANDYOCT.

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I was on Atlanta & Company again today. The segment went well. But the best part was meeting and chatting with Maureen McCormick aka Marcia Brady. She was very nice and friendly. I had a chance to meet her in the green room while we were waiting for the show to start. She looked great for being 52!

Now back to the reason why I was on Atlanta & Company. I was sharing my perspective and tips on the current financial situation. Here are the notes from the segment:

Many financial pundits are projecting a very gloomy future. But the future doesn’t have to be so gloomy.

Change Your Perspective

Just like constantly looking at a clock makes time go by slower, constantly looking at your stock and retirement accounts makes market fluctuations seem even more painful. Take a step back and breathe. Unless you live on Wall Street, the stock market is part of your long term savings strategy. Daily fluctuations should not rattle you.
Even if you are close to retirement and are worried about how much you have “lost” don’t be too worried. Remember retirement is a long term perspective as well. Just because your account is down 30% doesn’t mean you have lost that much. It’s not like you are going to take out all your money next year. You will only take out a portion of your account, so the loss will only be on that portion not the entire account.

Don’t Be Penny Wise and Dollar Foolish

It’s easy to be tempted by sales and coupons and to spend time chasing the savings they can provide. But here are few things to keep in mind so that you really do save money:
1. Whether it is toothpaste or a T-shirt don’t buy something just because it is on sale. If the item will not be used by you or your family then you have essentially thrown your “savings” away.
2. Don’t get consumed with finding coupons (don’t forget about coupons on ShoppingQueen.com) only to let your bills pile up. I have seen many people chase sales yet complain about late fees and interest charges on their past due bills.
3. Concentrate on monthly savings on bills. This is where you can see the savings add up. Here’s how:
a. Cable, phone and internet services: With so many choices for internet service as well as cable and satellite services, you have competition working for you. Call your current provider and ask them to match other providers’ rates. Most of the time, you will get a rate discount.
b. Credit card rates: Credit card companies send you a lot of offers before you finally become their customer. Once they have you, they don’t want to lose you, especially if you carry a balance and pay finance charges. Save money by contacting the credit card company and asking them to give you a lower rate. If you have good credit and have been paying on time, they will usually knock a few percentage points off your rate.
c. Natural gas service: Do you know how much you are paying per therm? Is it the best deal around? (Only for Georgia) To find out visit the Public Service Commission’s Natural Gas Marketer Price Chart. (http://www.psc.state.ga.us/gas/pricecard.asp) See what prices are out there and call to see if your marketer can match the rates or if you should switch. This can save you a hundred dollars or two in the winter depending on your current rates.

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Being self-employed means being self-insured. We have no employer group coverage safety net. Becoming self-employed and then having two kids is the fastest way to learn all the ins and outs of health insurance. We now have a high deductible plan ($7000 to be exact) and an HSA. Managing our health care is a three phase process. Business Week magazine just featured part of my health care story in a special report: Health Savings Accounts: More Time, Less Money.

With Phase One, every year in April I have to  spend countless hours researching health care plans, options and costs. I work with an insurance broker, but thus far I haven’t found one that is truly knowledgeable about all the ins and outs of the various plans. I have to do my own research and let’s face it health care policies aren’t exactly easy reading.

Once I have chosen a health plan and filled out all the appropriate forms, applications and consent forms I can move on to Phase Two. Now I have to spend countless hours researching and planning the cost of doctors’ visits, lab fees and all the other endless costs. I have had to make sacrifices to make it all work. For example, I had to leave my beloved obstetrician when I found out I was pregnant with our second child. Why because she wasn’t affiliated with the lower cost hospital.

Finally, I have to reconcile all the bills, quotes and codes. Many of the bills I receive have either a clerical or billing error. So checking up on the billing and making sure everything is priced correctly is the final and most important part. I can now recite many billing codes from memory now.

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Every month I have half a dozen finance and business magazines arriving at my house. Yet no magazine gets me as excited at Real Simple. This is my indulgence magazine. Forget about gossip, tell me how to be efficient and practical.

We are constantly reminded to be green and to recycle instead of adding to the landfills. But do you ever wonder where or how to recycle something? Real Simple has compiled an A to Z Recycling Guide. This is a excellent resource. For example, did you know there was even such a thing as the National Crayon Recycle Program?

And yes, I do donate and recycle all the magazines I finish reading.

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Taste of Atlanta returns to the streets of Atlantic Station on October 11 & 12!

Grab a plate and enjoy tastes from over 70 of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants like Dolce, Imperial Fez, The Sundial and more. In addition to great food there are kids activities, entertainment and cooking demonstrations from national and local celebrity chefs.

You can also catch Grammy Award winner and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood, food and wine authority Ted Allen, and Top Chef Finalist Richard Blais at the event.

As a Shopping Queen reader, you can receive $5 off your ticket. Purchase tickets by visiting www.TasteOfAtlanta.com and entering Promo Code SHPQN to receive this exclusive discount.

If you want to win your tickets instead, enter my first ever giveaway. One lucky person will win a pair of tickets to Taste of Atlanta (general admission) for Sunday, October 12th.

Enter by filling out the form below. You get one entry for providing your name and email. Here’s how to earn a few extra entries:

1. Click Here to Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment below letting me know.

2. Signup for the Shopping Queen newsletter and leave a comment below letting me know.

3. Share a link. Post a link to this contest (or this blog in general) on your blog or on discussion groups or forums you belong to (please follow posting guidelines) and leave a separate comment for each link you share. 

The giveaway is open for entries until Tuesday, October 7th, at 11:59PM EDT. One winner will be chosen at random, and announced October 8th. Good luck!

This contest has ended. The lucky winner was Jennifer G.

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With the holiday season coming up, gift cards will be a great gift option for many shoppers. Most shoppers know to look for deals when purchasing items as gifts, but do you know to look for deals when purchasing gift cards? Here are some tips on getting gift cards for less:

1. Shop during special occasions – Retailers have gift card promotions during major holidays such as Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Many times they will offer an added bonus to a gift card purchase. You especially see this at restaurants. The Brinker restaurant group which owns Macaroni Grill and Chili’s for example offers a free $5 bonus for every $25 card purchased.

2. Look to credit cards – Credit card issuers such as Visa, Mastercard and Amex frequently have gift card promotions on their discounts website. Amex for example has an offer for 10% off Linens N Things or Visa has a discount for Spawish.com.

3. Costco: Costco and Costco.com offer a variety of gift cards for less than face value. You can find $100 worth of Starbucks gift cards for $79.99. Other gift card offers include restaurants, iTunes and Spafinder.

3. SwapaGift.com – This website offers discounted gift cards. If you purchase a card directly from SwapaGift, it is guaranteed. If you purchase one through one of it’s users, its only guaranteed up to $100.

4. Buying from eBay or craigslist – There are many listings on both sites for gift cards, but you have to be especially careful and do some legwork. You should ask to verify the balance before you purchase. You need the card number and the toll-free balance check number. You should also ask about the expiration date. Many cards have expiration dates where some or all of the value is lost.

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A friend of mine is getting married and asked me for some advice on how to cut her wedding costs. The average wedding these days costs around $30,000, so even saving 10% can be a great amount of savings. It’ll definitely help with the honeymoon. So here are a few of the tips I shared with her:

1. Look for non-wedding vendors for wedding deals. For example, Costco.com offers Weddings at Costco where you can purchase flowers, invitations and even your honeymoon.

2. Consider bundling or unbundling services. For example, some event facilities simply rent their facilities and give you the power to choose your own caterer and bring your own alcohol. Other locations require you to use their own or affiliated food and beverage services. Many times choosing your own caterer and purchasing your own alcohol to serve can save your money. Sometimes getting a bundled service might come out cheaper. This all depends on what is or is not included in the package such as linens, plates, glasses, cake service and more.

3. Don’t call it a wedding. When getting prices, first start over the phone and just say you are getting pricing and service information for an event. Many times vendors charge higher for a service related to a wedding than other kinds of events.

4. Don’t take prices and contracts at face value, negotiate. Ask the vendor if they can give you a discount or include other items and services without an additional charge.

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