Finding Ways to Save Money in 2011

Happy 2011, everyone! The year is well underway, and with it, a series of resolutions have been made that will eventually be thrown into oblivion, or wherever else it is that resolutions disappear to after they have been retired. For many people, these self-made promises come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. It could be taking care of that one thing that you've been putting off for years, losing a few pounds or changing your sleeping habits.

Regardless of the kind of resolution you've made, there's one thing that we can always do more of, no matter what time it is: finding new ways to save money. Consumer Reports recently updated a list of 15 top money-saving tips that should hopefully prove useful in 2011. The list covers a wide range of tips, including using your phone to get coupons, grabbing more freebies and changing your font to save on printing costs. On top of that, they also talk about finding local sales, which are really easy around this time of years. For instance, many retailers give huge discounts to make room for new inventory.

Both of those lists should provide some good money-saving instructions for those of you who are trying to find new ways to save this calendar year. What are some other great ways that you know of to save money in 2011?

Beating the Black Friday Deals Now

Ah, Black Friday, the titan of shopping and savings that looms the day after Thanksgiving. I can't think of a better way to celebrate a gluttonous feast than to go buy a bunch of stuff. Personally, I avoid the day like plague, because in my head it's probably just a re-creation of several popular zombie horror movies, only with even more bite wounds. That being said, I do see the necessity of it for folks that do a lot of Christmas shopping and don't want to break the bank in the process.

However, if you want to do your Black Friday shopping without all of the hassle, there are actually a number of sellers and vendors this year doing pre-day deals, so that people can capitalize on the savings early. Yahoo has a list up of 7 Black Friday Deals Worth Buying Now, and it outlines all the places that have been in a price dropping war the last week or so, including Target, Wal-Mart and Amazon. Good news for shoppers!

There are a few key items to take note of where the savings are potentially at their highest. For one, toys seem to be getting marked down already, almost across the board. In addition, HDTV's are going to see their best prices in years. In fact, it might even be possible to grab 42" 1080p TV's for as low as $500. It all sounds too good to be true, but you might want to check out the list to see if there's anything you can get a steal on before the craziness of next week.

So, which of you brave readers will go out and confront the masses for Black Friday next week? Do you have another source of great deals? Let us know in the comments!

City Highlight: Moving to Cleveland

Every month, we try to highlight a city to show savings-savvy consumers how they can save money. Whether people are moving to a new place or just looking for deals for where they live, we hope these prove to be useful for shoppers that are trying to cut down on their monthly expenses.

This month, we take a look at the great city of Cleveland, Ohio. There are lots of great specials to be had with a Cleveland zip code at the moment, especially if you are trying to lock in a natural gas rate just before the temperatures start plummeting.

Here are some of Cleveland's best deals!

Natural Gas

• If you want to get a low natural gas rate before it gets too cold, check out Vectren Source natural gas service. You can find a low variable rate plan that starts at only 5.828 cents per therm.

Bundles

• AT&T; is letting you save money with phone and high-speed Internet bundles that start at $29.20 per month. This deal can help save you up to $180 on your bills!

High-Speed Internet

• Order lightning fast Internet from the folks at Cavalier! You can get up to 8.0 Mbps download speeds for the low price of $39.95 per month!

TV

• DIRECTV is offering their Choice XTRA plan for as low as $34.99, which will also net you 3 free months of Showtime and Starz.
• DISH Network is running a special for the America Top 120 package, which has over 120 channels for only $24.99.

Phone

• Sage Telecom has great deals on home phone, starting at just $19.99. This well priced package will give you unlimited local calling as well as 200 free long distance minutes.

Some of these prices and specials may vary by area, and may change at a future date. To find out what you can save, visit WhiteFence and enter your address to get started!

Provider Highlight: Gas South

As we're in the midst of natural gas light-up season we decided to feature another natural gas company in this week's provider highlight. This time it's Gas South, one of Georgia's fastest growing natural gas companies.

Gas South currently serves over a quarter of a million customers throughout Georgia and offers clear pricing, great rates and outstanding service. Their mission is to not only provide natural gas, but a personal touch, comfort and peace as well.

Here are some things to look out for when shopping for Gas South service on WhiteFence:

• Enjoy $45 in Bill Credits – Currently, Gas South is offering $5 off for your first nine bills on all of their plans through WhiteFence. That adds up to $45 of savings!

• Lock in a Fixed Rate – Gas South currently offers three different fixed rate plans. You can lock in your rate for 6 months, 12 months or 18 months, depending on how long you want to commit for.

• Get a Great Low Variable Rate – If you're looking for a month-to-month plan, Gas South currently has a competitive variable rate plan available with service starting at just $0.490 per therm!

Ready to start shopping for Gas South service? Head over to our Gas South page and enter your address to see what plans are available in your area.

Have You Ever Switched Energy Providers to Save Money?

Fall is here, and it's time to think about ways to save money on energy again. During the hot summer months, consumers in deregulated electricity markets are mostly focused on the savings they can find by looking for better rates through different providers, lowering their monthly payments and keeping some extra change in the pocket.

However, now that fall has arrived (and in full swing here in Houston, where the weather is quite lovely), it's time for folks in deregulated natural gas markets to start thinking about natural gas. After all, you don't want to suddenly wake up one morning to find that it's much too cold in your house and rates have already shot through the roof.

The surprising thing about all of this is that not that many people take an active interest in ways they can save money on their monthly bills. Sure, they would like to pay less, but they don't always do the legwork to go out and find the savings that are there to be had. My wife and I have done this a couple of times with our electricity provider, and we couldn't be happier. Honestly, it was so easy I was shocked that more people don't do it more often.

So I thought I'd create a poll and see just how many folks out there have switched energy providers to save money. Feel free to vote or leave a comment down below! If you're interested in saving on energy, visit the WhiteFence electricity and natural gas pages and get started!

HDTV Prices Dropping This Holiday Season

As any technology rolls out, each successive year tends to bring lower and lower prices. HDTVs have certainly followed this trend, going from incredibly expensive to commonplace in just a decade. With this in mind, you'd expect HDTV prices to be a little lower this holiday season than they were last year.

However, due to a large oversupply of HDTV panels, prices are foretasted to plummet by the end of the year. According to CNN Money, prices are already roughly five percent lower than they were this time last year. With the glut of panels on the market beginning to take effect, they predict prices may get as low as 12 percent lower than they were just a year ago.

If you've been biding your time waiting to make a TV purchase, it looks like your time is coming. There are already some great buys to be found on the market, but I'd recommend watching the big box store ads and deal sites (like SlickDeals) in late November and December to find the absolute best possible deals.

Looking for more information about HDTVs and TV service? Check out these articles:

• Which HDTV is Right for You?
• What to Watch for When Choosing a TV Plan
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Satellite and Cable TV

WhiteFence's October Deals

Here in Houston, the change to the fall season doesn't always mean immediately cooler weather. Last year, the mid 90s heat stayed the same all throughout the month of October, giving us no real reprieve from the sun's hateful beams. However, this year, it actually feels legimitately like fall, seeing as how we are experiencing some of the best weather we've had in all of 2010. It's a nice reminder that summer is officially over.

While our focus on the blog might have been the summer of savings, the chances for you to find great deals are still all over WhiteFence. Here are some of the best deals for October:

• Get three FREE months of Starz and Showtime with select DIRECTV plans.

• Receive a $50 gift card with select Green Mountain Energy plans.

• Reward yourself with $40 in bill credits with select Georgia Natural Gas plans.

• Get $240 back plus $5 off per month for 24 months with select Verizon bundles.

• Get AT&T high-speed Internet for as low as $14.95 per month.

• Save $45 per month or get a $200 reward card with certain AT&T U-verse bundles.

As always, these promotions are subject to change and are true as of the date posted. Really, the best way to ensure you catch one of these deals while they last is to enter your address and see just what's available where you live. Don't miss these fall savings!

Poll: On Demand or Premium Content?

Over the weekend, I began doing some research to see how I could expand on the already numerous features of my current TV package. Having never really sought for more channels, it was a brand new experience for me, and one that I wasn't aware of before. Through our DVR interface, I was able to see what other channel options I could add instantly, including sports (was very tempted by NFL RedZone) premium and on demand content.

I actually ended up ordering a premium channel, and was surprised at just how simple the whole thing was. Honestly, the thought never really occurred to me that it would be something I would be interested in, but this weekend proved me wrong. Since then, I've caught myself going through on demand content, just testing the waters to see if there are any movies or shows I'd like to catch instantly.

Even though this was new for me, I'm guessing it's a practice that's fairly common for many avid TV watchers out there. So I thought I'd do a poll to see where our readers stand. Do you guys watch premium, on demand content, or both? Feel free to vote and tell us in the comments!

Provider Highlight: Georgia Natural Gas

Surpsingly for us here in Texas, we've been hit with a pleasant cool front to relieve us of the normal day to day heat we tend to experience from April through late October. It's a nice little preview for the fall, and reminds us that the cold weather will eventually come, even though it always doesn't feel like it.

Unfortunately for other places where it gets even colder, there's not quite the same amount of warning. Before you know it, things can cool down rather drastically, and suddenly you're in the middle of light up season, looking for better natural gas rates. Since there are so many great options available with WhiteFence for switching natural gas, we thought we'd highlight one of our Georgia gas providers to give you the inside scoop.

Here are some things you may not have known about Georgia Natural Gas:

• Pre-Pay Plan. Georgia Natural Gas currently has an option for those who are establishing or reestablishing credit. The Pre-Pay Plan allows for shoppers to pay their expected gas usage in advance, with no deposits or contracts required!

• Bill Credits. In addition to the Pre-Pay Plan, Georgia Natural Gas is also rewarding natural gas switchers and savers with bill credits, depending on the type of plan you choose. Fixed rate plans reward consumers with $10 in bill credits for 4 months, while the Variable Intro plan rewards with $5 off for 8 months. The end result is still the same: saving $40 on natural gas service!

To start shopping and saving with Georgia Natural Gas, simply visit Georgia Natural Gas on WhiteFence and enter in your address to see what's available for you.

City Highlight: Moving to Los Angeles

We all know that Los Angeles, California is the City of Angels, so naturally, everyone wants to move there, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to be near the epicenter of America's entertainment industry? If you want sports, you can check out USC football games or the Los Angeles Lakers, or even the Dodgers. On top of that, it's located in sunny California, which is statistically proven to be awesome.

It's true, Los Angeles has everything a mover could want in a new destination. That's why we've taken the time to put together a list of some of the best deals you can find in Los Angeles, to see where you could save money on your monthly bills. If you're moving or just thinking about switching, here are some of the best deals available to you:

Bundles

• AT&T; is bundling Internet and TV packages for as low as $49.94 per month for both services. This saves you as much as $528 over the course of 2 years.

High-Speed Internet

• Order blazing fast 7.0 Mbps Time Warner Cable high-speed for as low as $34.95 per month!

TV

• DIRECTV is offering their Premiere package for free for 5 months with the purchase of NFL Sunday Ticket for this season of America's favorite sport.
• DISH Network is running a special for the America Top 200 package, which has over 200 channels for only $39.99.

Phone

• Sage Telecom is letting you dial on the cheap with unlimited local and long distance phone plans starting at just $29.99!

Some of these prices and specials may vary by area, and may change at a future date. To find out what you can save, visit WhiteFence and enter your address to get started!