Funerals.org - Join a nonprofit memorial society
InfomercialScams.com - Investigate hotel ballroom sales scams
LeftFootCompany.com - Get digitally customized men's dress shoes

Today's show featured "Best Of Clark" repeats from recent shows

During a recent Clark Stinks segment, someone was upset about Clark's recommendation of CFL (compact fluorescent lights) bulbs. Clark jokes that he's surprised his wife would post something about him behind his back! Clark and Lane always go back and forth about the CFLs in their home. The problem is that Clark was an early adopter of CFLs. He bought when they were too expensive and didn't have all the kinks ironed out. So his CFLs emit a yellow-green glow and take a full 90 seconds to fire up from the time you flip the switch!

CFLs only account for about 5 percent of the market today. But they'll continue to be more prominent in people's lives. There's a new federal mandate that requires 35 percent more efficient lighting over the next several years. Meanwhile, there's been some concern about the level of mercury in CFLs. But Clark says it's only a minor amount. You'd practically have to crack open the bulb and inhale to get yourself in trouble! Keep in mind that CFLs are probably only a transitional technology. The next major advance will be LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in the home. Did you see the Times Square ball drop on New Year's Eve? That was all LEDs. LED Xmas lights were also popular this past season because they're much safer and more cost-efficient. But we're still about 5 years away from commercial viability for LED household use.

Are you struggling with your bills? Many Americans across the socioeconomic spectrum are having trouble paying all kinds of bills. People often get used to living a certain way and then don't adjust their lifestyle when the money dwindles. Compound that with the threat of a recession and people are really feeling the squeeze. The warning signs are there. It's like being in a coastal community and seeing threatening storms clouds on the horizon. When you think it's going to rain, you prepare by taking an umbrella. So do the same financially. Prepare by getting into a position where you have breathing room. Did you know it's not uncommon for Americans to increase their household debt year after year? People now sometimes think it's quaint and obsolete to pay in cash. But that's the wrong attitude to have. You must work to pay your debt down. Start by not taking on additional debt. For some people it's already too late or very late in the game. Over the years, Clark has always been amazed when he talks to couples about their debt. They often say they're sending in payments, but the balance never seems to go down. Then he discovers that they're still using their cards. That's why the balance isn't going down!

Here's a deadly topic that people don't like to talk about -- planning your funeral arrangements in advance. Clark became a lifetime member of a nonprofit memorial society back in the '70s. Is that what you'd call advance preparation or great pessimism? He was in his 20s and already thinking about when he wouldn't be here! The memorial society gave him access to group buying power to get a great deal on cremation or burial. Being a member will cut the costs of your disposition by about 75 percent. You simply pay a lifetime fee of around $25-$35 that varies by state. The memorial society will contact a funeral home to make arrangements at a low price. Be sure to tell your loved ones you've joined and give them access to the paperwork so they know how to proceed when the time comes.

There is an alternative, which is to pay in advance for burial arrangements. But Clark is against this option. The Washington Post recently reported on a cemetery in Maryland that catered to pre-need clients. But the operator stole the money -- instead of putting it in escrow -- and then sold the operation and moved to Florida. The new owners didn't know anything about the existing customers and couldn't honor their contracts when they did pass away. So the families had to pay a second time. That's why Clark advises you not to pay in advance, but rather to just plan in advance. Funerals.org is one site where you can join a memorial society.

What can you do if you haven't done any planning and you're in sudden need of a funeral home? Many homes have gone through roll-ups and been bought out by huge national chains. But the homes will still retain the old family-operated names. Unfortunately, economies of scale do not apply here. In fact, national chains come in and raise the rates astronomically. So try to do some comparison shopping (as hard as that may be at the time) and find a locally owned and operated funeral home. That should run you about a 1/2 to 2/3 off the cost of the giant monster mega-chains. Remember, you can't tell from the name outside, so you must ask.

Have you ever had a shoe that felt like it was made for your foot? Clark has been a longtime fan of mass customization. For example, Nike has been making sneakers that are customized as far as the look and styling goes. But now there's a company coming to United States called Left Foot that will do the same for the world of men's dress shoes. Left Foot starts by taking a digital picture of your feet. Then you have your pick of more than 300 styles of footwear, including golf shoes. The end result is a shoe that fits you perfectly down to every last dimension. Forbes has already reported on how people are raving about this company. But at $300/pair, these shoes are way out of Clark's price range. The rich who become early adopters of this technology will help the rest of us out by driving future prices down. Meanwhile, Clark paid about $15 for his dress shoes. They've lasted forever -- probably because he wears sneakers every day of the year!