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Companies are somehow getting hold of our magazine subscriptions and are sending out renewal notices up to two years in advance. Sometimes the sender is not even with the magazine. They just want your money. Renewal time is when magazines try to get more money out of you. That’s why it’s important to look at the newspaper or magazine site and see if it’s a deal or a different offer there. You should also try to call the magazine directly and work them down even more. It’s very possible to do. Don’t just take the offer that companies give you.

Several people have stopped Clark to ask how his switch to cable has gone. Although his wife and daughters are still getting used to it, he loves the high definition picture. He has been checking out the “on demand” service, too, because he will soon have a show on it called “Get Clark Smart.” He’s enjoyed getting to know that system, as well. Christa, on the other hand, has not had the greatest time with her new cable install. The installer never showed up the first time and brought the wrong equipment the second time. As a result, she missed several of her favorite shows’ finales. She only got service she wanted when she called to cancel.

One in four underage drinkers meets the clinical criteria for abusive and dependent drinkers, according to a study in The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. In other words, lots of teens are potential alcoholics. These young drinkers and adult alcoholics account for half of all the liquor revenues in the United States. Young people seem to think drinking is no big deal because it’s legal and they see adults doing it all the time. Even worse, parents tend to look the other way, convinced that their kid is not involved in alcohol. The same is true of cigarettes. It starts as a problem in youth and is very hard to quit. Pay attention to your kids and what they’re doing.

Clark has never been a fan of speed limits. In fact, he was ecstatic when Montana eliminated speed limits all together and created the “reasonable and prudent” law. He had egg on his face, however, when the fatality rate in Montana shot up after that law went into effect. Left to our own devices, we didn’t use good judgment and people died. As a result, the mountain states established a 75 mile per hour law. In much of the Northeast, speed limits don’t even reach 55 mph. But different areas of the country need different rates, it seems. Now, Texas has outdone us all. The state recently raised its speed limit to 80 mph. How did they do it? The state conducted tests on I-10 and other highways and found that most people were going at least 80 mph. What is the purpose of having a speed limit? Is it to collect money for state governments from tickets? The speed limit should not be some arbitrary number that people won’t obey. It should be what people actually drive yet still be safe. Clark likes the move.

Years ago, Clark talked about a service called Freeway that offered free long distance if you listened to ads first. That was how Clark made all his long distance calls. Then, as the 90s moved on, long distance got drastically cheaper and people didn’t care about listening to ads to get free service. Freeway went away, but fast forward to 2006 and something similar is here. Virgin Mobile will soon offer free cell phone minutes if you listen to ads. You’ll get 900 minutes over the course of a year with the program known as “Sugar Mama.” It’s not ready yet but we’ll let you know!

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Have you heard about the cell phone war going on in schools? Governments are trying to ban cell phones in schools because it is causes distractions, but parents are adamant about their kids having phones. In New York City especially, parents are in an uproar because they want their kids to be able to call home in emergencies. It started after the September 11, 2001 attacks and hasn’t let up since. But politicians say it’s a distraction and schools are buying devices to scan kids’ belongings for cell phones. If one is found, the cell phone is destroyed. That has parents even more upset. Clark thinks it’s fine for kids to carry cell phones, as long as they don’t use them in school.

Roughly half of people are either not putting any money in their 401k accounts or they’re not putting in enough to get a company match. By failing to contribute at least 6 percent, you’re missing out on an automatic raise from your employer. You will get an automatic 3 percent more from your employer if you invest at least 6 percent. That's probably what you got this year for a raise, right? Well, this is another three percent! Are you saving in your retirement plan at work? If not, you should be! Yes, Clark said should. In fact, he’s in favor of mandatory savings. Roughly half of people blow all the money in their retirement accounts when they move to a new job. And that means tons of money in penalties and fees. So, be sure you’re putting at least enough to get the free money, more if you can. You will be glad you did.