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Retailers are in dire straits when it comes to theft rings. Retailers are rethinking how they deal with shoplifters entirely because the problem has gotten so massive. Professional theft rings are stealing merchandise and then either returning items for a refund or setting up front companies and selling stolen items to stores. Returning items has become much more difficult as a result. So, what are they stealing? Baby formula is the No. 1 item, if you can believe it. Retailers are installing cameras in the baby formula area specifically and setting up alarms at doors that catch stolen items. Criminals have found a way to deactivate those alarms though. The second hottest items are diabetic strips, followed by Advil and Tylenol. Razors are also hot ticket items because they are small and expensive. So, if you feel like you’re being watched in stores, you probably are. Don’t take it personally, though. Stores are losing a fortune and are doing everything they can to prevent theft these days.

Clark and Christa both have children who are approaching their 1st birthdays. They couldn’t be approaching how they feed their babies any differently. Christa prefers to buy organic and gourmet baby food for her son, Matthew. Meanwhile, Clark buys discount baby food from the warehouse clubs. Christa informed Clark today that she has let his wife Lane in on her gourmet secret. We’ll see if things change in the Howard household now.

Clark loves to jog, and he prefers to jog through neighborhoods because the asphalt is softer than concrete. As he runs along neighborhood streets, he tends to look in into open garages. Most of the garages he passes can only fit one car in them because people have so much stuff and nowhere to put it. Rentals of storage units are growing by leaps and bounds because Americans love to shop and accumulate junk. There is 70 square feet of retail space for every American. That’s like having our own retail store. If you can’t pull one of your cars into the garage, it may be time for Clark’s “closet test.” Go through each of your rooms and look for clothing, furniture and knickknacks that have no use anymore. Clark used to buy things just because they were on sale. Now, he buys only what he needs. Something that helps with this is to put yourself on restriction and shop every two weeks for perishables and non-perishables once a month. That way, if you’re not in the stores, you’re not tempted to buy more things.

There is a lot of talk these days about eBay’s foray into the car selling business. Some people don’t think Clark should be so hard on eBay. Others say he needs to be more tough on them. One thing is for sure: eBay Motors is trying to win your business. The company is running huge color ads about all of the “purchase protection coverage” the company offers on car purchases. The company claims that all purchases are protected up to $20,000, which sounds great, right? But if you look deeper and read the fine print, most of the “protections” offered are stripped away in clauses and restrictions. People still buy on eBay and that isn’t going to stop. It’s a great marketplace. But you have to know that you’re taking a risk. Clark buys lots of gadgets and accessories for his cell phone on eBay because they are so much cheaper than in retail stores. He knows it may not show up, though. So, just make sure you ALWAYS reads the mice type and remember that it’s buyer beware with eBay.