MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: You've probably heard how restaurants at all price points are dropping their prices. But what's been under-reported is a similar trend happening at the grocery register.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has figures showing prices have been declining every month at grocery stores since the fall of last year.

Supermarket chains have had to struggle to get people to keep spending. At first, they convinced people to switch to store brands. But now the grocery chains are struggling as people trade over to cheaper stores like Wal-Mart and Aldi!

This means that the grocery heavyweights like Kroger and Safeway -- and all their various brands across the country -- will have to step it up yet again with more aggressive discounting. Even the warehouse clubs are complaining that they're losing business too in the grocery aisle to the likes of Wal-Mart and Aldi.

Speaking of warehouse clubs, you'll see more clearance merchandise than ever this year at Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club. Here's a quick guide to knowing what's on discount where:

• BJ's will clearly tell you on the label when they mark down.

• At Sam's Club, look for anything that ends in a penny -- such as 81 cents or $24.41 -- or anything marked with a "C" for clearance.

• At Costco, look for anything that ends in 97 cents. Also, price tags with an asterisk means an item will not be reordered. In the latter case, wait until the price ends in a 97 and then buy.

Costco has settled a lawsuit over its membership renewal policies. Clark's favorite warehouse club admits to back-dating renewals to the date of expiration. that means they were essentially cheating customers out of time on their memberships!

Under the terms of the settlement, Costco will offer customers who were affected from March 2001 to March 2009 up to 3 months of free membership going forward. Look for a postcard or e-mail in the coming weeks to let you know if you're eligible.

Meanwhile, a new university study done jointly by Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School reveals that customers often buy more than they intend at warehouse clubs.

A university study was necessary to determine this?! Clark could have easily told you that!

For example, executive producer Christa and her husband are on a spending freeze. Yet they couldn't resist a Flip Ultra HD for $199 during a recent Costco outing. Now they're selling some of their belongings on eBay to balance out the unexpected $199 expenditure!

Want to avoid unnecessary purchases at the warehouse clubs? Shop without a cart! Clark only buys what his arms can carry and has lowered his bill dramatically as a result.

Sam's Club has come up with a smart new way to attract members. The warehouse club has launched its own auction site, but this is no second-rate eBay. All the merchandise is brand new and brand name, plus it's from one seller only.

Auctions.SamsClub.com is strictly available to the members of the wholesale club.

Meanwhile, the May issue of Consumer Reports took an in-depth look at the big national players in the grocery industry -- including warehouse clubs like Sam's Club and others.

The top-rated supermarket in the nation was Wegmans, which got the best possible scores in service, perishables and cleanliness. But the prices? Just average.

Trader Joe's came in at No. 2, with a top rating for service and price, a good rating for cleanliness and an average score on perishables.

Publix (No. 3), Raley's (No. 4) and Harris-Teeter (No. 5) rounded out the Top 5. Whole Foods came in at No. 8.

What of the warehouse clubs? Costco is at No. 7, Sam's Club is No. 38 and BJ's is No. 42.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Super Center -- the nation's largest grocery chain -- came in at No. 56 out of 59! They got the worst possible score on service and perishables, a bad score on cleanliness and a good score on price. Kroger -- the second largest chain -- checks in at No. 37.

So who came in last at No. 59? The worst supermarket chain in America is Waldbaum's, according to Consumer Reports.

Staples, Office Depot and Office Max -- the Big 3 office supply chains -- are being hit with a double whammy at the moment. First, there have been sluggish sales because of the economy. Second, they're facing fierce competition from 3 new cheaper competitors.

Those 3 competitors are Amazon.com, Sam's Club and Costco Wholesale. In fact, Costco has opened a new offshoot chain called Costco Business Centers. According to The Wall Street Journal, there are only 9 Costco Business Centers in the entire country, yet they've already raked in $1.25 billion for the year.

The markups at the warehouse clubs are so much lower than what you find at the Big 3. Costco caps all markups at 14%. The Big 3, however, have typical markups of 28% on their products.

If you're not lucky enough to live near a Costco Business Center, Clark recommends buying your office supplies from the standard warehouse clubs and then purchasing whatever else you may need from Amazon.com.

One non-profit organization that took a similar approach was able to save $7,000 of donor money that would have otherwise gone to office supplies, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Give it a try if you're a small business owner.

RIP-OFF ALERT: With much of the nation beginning to warm up, Clark wants to put out a warning about motorists being cheated at the gas pump.

At temperatures above 60 degrees, gas expands in underground tanks and contains less energy than it would at lower temperatures. Some sources estimate consumers lose about $2 billion annually because no one is making a price adjustment at the pump based on temperature.

Now one major retailer is reversing that. According to The Los Angeles Times, Costco will install devices to auto-adjust in hot states such as California, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Florida and others.

Only the state of Hawaii currently requires true measurement of fuel at the pump based on temperature.

Apparently, some states even have their regulators in so tight with the oil companies that they outright ban pumps that adjust the price based on temperature!

Congrats to Costco for breaking with the industry ranks on this one.

So just how much does Clark actually "walk the walk" when it comes to living cheaply?

Consider this: Leading up to the turn of the millennium, retail stores were stocking up on all kinds of Happy New Year 2000 party products for revelers. But those types of products are literally yesterday's news once the new year arrives.

Clark recalls being in a Sam's Club on Jan. 2, 2000 with his wife. He saw Happy New Year 2000 plates and napkins being unloaded for a dime a pack and he bought the entire inventory. Executive producer recently priced similar packs of discount napkins on the web for $9.99 each!

Nine years later, he's just now getting down to his last pack of Happy New Year 2000 napkins! He already used up all the plates about a year ago.

It's so Clark to have used these Y2K-branded napkins for the last 9 years. So does that make him crazy…or crazy like a fox?

Write in below and let us know!

Organic food is something that's not relevant to Clark's life. His wife buys it for herself or the kids, but he's not into this particular food movement. Maybe that's because organic food prices are suffering from massive inflation -- even more so than non-organic grocery items. The New York Times found that while regular bread can be around $1.19, organic can be up to $3.19. Regular eggs may be $1.34-$1.50 versus $4.75-$6.39 for the organic version. Regular milk can be $1.99, while you may pay $3.99-$6.79 for organic milk.

So what can you do to dial back the price? Get your store's in-house brand of organic food instead of buying a brand name. Most retailers in the food business have private label organic food available. You can also try shopping at Wal-Mart. Clark knows the monster mega-retailer is anathema to a lot of green shoppers. But the reality is that they offer better deals on organic food than other places.

There's no doubt that organic food is gaining in popularity. Yet only 3% of food sales in the United States are organic. A whopping 97% of our food dollars still go to non-organic items. People can argue about the health value of organic vs. non-organic, but this is a dollars and cents issue. Right now the dollars you spend for organic make no sense!

CLARKONOMICS: The latest retail sales figures are in and show the warehouse clubs and discounters including Wal-Mart are booming. On the other hand, Target and mid-priced clothing retailers are not doing so well -- except for maybe Kohl's.

These sales stats highlight a basic fact: We are completely driven by the goal to spend less for whatever we buy. High gas prices have really chilled retail spending.

But there is a silver lining here for those interested in fashion. September should be a month of great deals on fall clothing. This has always been true, but Clark is expecting the deals this coming season to be unreal.

Of course, clothing sales don't mean much to Clark. His usual "Clarkiform" consists of a free station golf shirt, $9 shorts and socks and underwear for about $1 each. He usually aims to have his whole outfit for under $20.

Yes, some listeners may be thriftier than that because they only buy used clothing. But Clark's bias is against used casual clothing for men. He finds it's usually too threadbare for his taste.

Have you seen the new square-shaped packages for fresh milk at Sam's Club, Costco and elsewhere? The new packaging is more compatible with automated equipment, which means far less handling and quicker transportation. The benefit to consumers is fresher milk at cheaper prices.

But The New York Times reports that many shoppers dislike the packaging because it has caused many spills in kitchens across America. Some retailers are offering milk-pouring classes to reverse the consumer bias.

Clark is not the world's most coordinated guy, but even he can pour the new milk cartons without spilling. His 8 year old, however, is a different story. Likewise, Christa doesn't have any problem with spills when she pours milk for her young children. She also feels like she can buy less milk because it lasts longer.

Meanwhile, ice cream maker Blue Bell has a new ad campaign that stresses how they're not reducing the size of their packaging. Many other competitors are shrinking the size yet keeping the same pricing -- so you're getting less for your money.

For many years, people were buying more branded goods than store brands. But that's reversed now as consumers seek to stretch their dollars.

Each November, Clark does a toy test with children in his TV work to help parents sort through all the holiday choices. During a recent test, Target and Wal-Mart branded toys were almost more popular than the name brands.

Today you can buy store brands in most categories -- food, toys, household goods, etc. The warehouse clubs also push their own private labels. Sam's Club has Member's Mark; Costco has Kirkland Signature; and BJ's has Berkley & Jensen, among others. When it comes to OTC drugs, Clark exclusively buys store brands no matter where he's shopping.

So don't rely on emotions and reach for the brand name. Make the decision based on dollars and go for the store brand. And if you buy a store-branded food item and don't like it, take it back and they'll likely refund your money.

Years ago, Clark recalls getting a unique call from a man who explained how he haggled at Wal-Mart. Haggling at a chain store that's already turbo cheap? It turns out that idea is now in vogue. America's Research Group reports that two-thirds of Americans say they've haggled in a store during the last 90 days. The Los Angeles Times reports that some chain stores have now given floor employees the authority to accept lower prices, especially on electronics. Many retailers also have matching policies where you can show them a competitor's ad and get the lower price. Clark's not sure if he thinks of that as bargaining. Do you have a great haggling story? Let us know with our new commenting feature!

The book business has been through such tumult. Clark's books have been available via warehouses clubs, independent bookshops and chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders. An indie bookshop owner once yanked a title of his off the shelf when he did a book signing at a Sam's Club. In her mind, Clark was being unsupportive of indie booksellers in an era when they had fierce competition from the chains.

But what goes around comes around. Now Barnes & Noble and Borders are having a tough time because they can't compete with the warehouse clubs, online retailers and discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. So it's the chains that now are in a squeeze play. The indie booksellers who have survived figured out how to offer great customer service and cater to special niche audiences. Where is the room for the chains in the middle market? No one knows. Wouldn't it be ironic if the way people end up buying books again is at indie stores, warehouse clubs or online?

Warehouse clubs are not like normal book stores. They offer a fraction of the selection an indie retailer might have, but they sell their stock extra cheap. A new title from a well-respected author might only get a short run in the inventory. Yet one third of people bought a book at a discount store just last year. The Washington Post reports many authors now do book signings at Costco rather than at Barnes & Noble or Borders. Clark is on Borders' e-mail list and they're getting more and more desperate with the deals they send him. If you're an indie bookshop, it's got to be sweet revenge to see the chains struggling.

Clark is a confessed warehouse club maniac. He joined his first club back in the early '80s. At one point, he was a member of all five clubs that operated around the country. Anyone remember Price Savers, Pace Membership Warehouse or Price Club? Some of the ones that used to exist have since been absorbed by competitors. Today we have BJ's, Costco and Sam's Club. Clark, of course, is a member of all three. He likens them to having children; it's impossible to pick a favorite one. When pressed, Clark thinks that Costco is first among equals. In fact, he loves it so much that sometimes it can be an exercise in excessive spending for him. So he's developed his Costco rule, which states that he doesn't get a cart and only buys what he can carry in his arms. When he brings his 2 year old in a stroller, he'll sometimes hang a small number of items off the stroller too.

There's no doubt that Costco is habit-forming. The New York Times reports that the power elite in Washington, D.C., have become frantic Costco shoppers. The Costco by the Pentagon has become the "in" place to shop. Republicans and Democrats can't agree on anything, but they both look for a deal at Costco! Another new trend in D.C. is to hire a caterer to prep food items that have been bought at Costco. Clark's son, meanwhile, thinks the sole purpose of going to Costco is to get a hot dog for $1.50. That's one food item that never goes up in price at Costco. People may revolt if that ever changes. Meanwhile, Clark's producer Joel thinks that IKEA offers a better deal on dogs: two for $1!

Clark doesn't do rebates. He believes that you shouldn't buy something just because it offers a rebate. After all, you may never see that money! The Wall Street Journal recently sent five people out to buy five different items at five different retailers. All the products purchased came with rebates. All five people correctly filled out the necessary paperwork to get the rebates. Yet only one person actually got money back. That's a mere 20 percent! And that was with all the rebates being processed properly by the consumer. Now, think about how often you lose the rebate paperwork or fill it out incorrectly. Rebates are like a legal con game, according to Clark. His executive producer, Christa, recently tried to get a rebate from her phone company when she got high-speed internet bundled with other services. She still hasn't received any money back. Even worse, she was eligible for three separate rebates when she bundled three services together. But she hasn't yet seen a single penny in rebate funds from her phone company. Meanwhile, Clark likes that OfficeMax has eliminated rebates and instead lowered prices. Staples, meanwhile, offers very easy online rebates similar to wholesalers like Costco and BJ's. That's a good start, but why don't they just go the OfficeMax route? Perhaps because they know that most people don't even bother applying for rebates. The moral of the story here is that you shouldn't buy something just because it offers a great rebate deal unless you are sure you are going to use the product.

This is going to be a great year for high definition on your TV set. According to new statistics from the electronics industry, 25 percent of households are now hi-def. Just 18 months ago, that number was probably seven or eight percent. There's more hi-def programming being churned out, too. The Discovery Channel made a big ratings comeback thanks to Discovery HD, which features incredible photography that renders beautifully in hi-def and has really captivated viewers. Now, Direct TV's goal is to have 100 HD channels before the end of the year. What's happening there is that they're scared of the triple-play packages from the cable companies -- where you get cable, Internet and phone -- so they're fighting back with this promise to offer more hi-def programming.

Clark's approach to hi-def is to let the early adopters get in the game and drive the price down as the quality of programming up. That's already happening. Many of the major TV networks now put out hi-def transmissions in addition to regular broadcast signals. Meanwhile, a plasma TV today costs a quarter of what it did 36 months ago. And this Christmas, you can get a hi-def set for under $500 bucks. Still too expensive for your taste? The irony here is that you get a better picture from a hi-def transmission if you use conventional rabbit ears on your old TV set than if you actually pay for the hi-def programming and equipment. On the retail front, the way people purchase hi-def equipment is changing as well. Electronics retailers like Circuit City and Tweeter are in trouble because people buy their equipment at Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam's Club. In fact, the only electronics retailer doing well in hi-def sales is Best Buy.

Look out for the advertised "deals" on reward cards: Clark saw one in a retail store. He opened the brochure and flipped to the "mice-type" in the rewards section. The 2% reward turned out to be only .5%! You only got 2% if you shopped at that store and ran a credit balance. It's not that all rewards cards are a bear trap, but there are enough duds out there that you just can't trust them without really looking over all the asterisks.

You have to be very savvy to even make airline reward cards work. You have to be doing a substantial amount of flying on the airline and charging on the card to get your rewards. And even so, the company might cap the amount of miles you can earn per year, or they may suddenly change the rewards on those cards! Look out for three things:
(1) be wary of annual fees;
(2) be aware of fake reward levels (like the 2% "deal" above)
3) these cards have awful interest rates.
For people with money, it’s hard to beat the deal from emigrantdirect.com! They have a deal where you put money with their savings account, and you get a MasterCard that earns 1.4% But you have to maintain $10,000 in the account. Other good deals include the CostCo "True Rewards" card: No annual fee, 1% back on all purchases, 2% on all travel, 3% on all restaurants. It's pretty simple and clear, but you must pay your balance in full each month to avoid high interest rates!

Clark is sad to tell you that one of the most liberal retailers in terms or returns is changing its policy. Until recently, Costco Wholesale allowed any purchase to be returned any time for any reason. That means that years after the purchase Costco would still take something back – no questions asked. Incidentally, the company has had the lowest theft rate of any retail store, as well. Recently, Costco had to change its policy because so many people were returning old televisions just so they could get new ones. So, because a small percentage of people have abused the trust of the warehouse clubs, there will be a 90-day return policy on electronics. That includes televisions, DVD players, cameras, iPods and the like. But being Costco, it’s not all bad news. The company is going to offer its own 2-year warranty on electronics bought in its stores. So, you’ll have more time than you think in the end.

Clark is a member of all three warehouse club – BJ’s Wholesale, Costco Wholesale, and Sam’s Club. But he’s particularly fond of Costco. The most any item is marked up at Costco is 14 percent. Yet, some people are convinced it’s just a gimmick. They think that the store dupes you into paying the member fee. Well, Clark now has proof that it is absolutely worth it. A study by the Economic Research Service at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture shows that you save a substantial amount of money shopping at warehouse clubs and Wal-Mart Supercenters. The study was done over a five-year period, and, on the same quantity of an item, you will save from 5 to 20 percent. As a result, those stores represent about a third of grocery store spending these days. Alternatively, regular supermarkets use “high-low” pricing, where some items are extremely cheap and others are marked up significantly. The supermarkets tout the low, sale items in advertisements to lure you in, but they hope you’ll buy the higher-priced ones when you’re there. People feel duped and don’t go back. If you are going to shop at warehouse clubs, just try not to make impulse purchases.

What grocery store do you use? Competition is heating up in the supermarket industry and now there is a new player – Tesco. If you’ve traveled in Europe, you’re probably familiar with this chain. Clark’s crew recently experienced Tesco in the Czech Republic and found some great deals. It’s the most competitive supermarket in the world. And, despite warnings, Tesco is coming to the States. The company is spending half a billion dollars to start up on the West Coast and fan out from there. Tesco is planning to open min convenience stores that are like smaller versions of Whole Foods Market. The stores will be in higher income neighborhoods and will deal mostly in pre-planned meals and meal solutions. It’s going to be like an upscale convenience store, and it has Wal-Mart, warehouse clubs and traditional supermarkets a bit concerned. We’ll keep you posted pm Tesco’s progress.

If you own your own business and are self-employed, you probably know about the problems getting health care for yourself and your workers. Well, Clark has a solution for you. In response to Costco Wholesale offering health coverage in several states, Sam’s Club is now launching its own program in nearly all 50 states. The coverage is much less than other locations, including Costco, and there are several plans available. The Sam’s Club offering is designed to get people to buy the most expensive membership level, the “Plus” membership, in exchange for a large discount on health coverage. The information on Sam’s Web site is confusing, and you may have to go through medical underwriting. But the savings is worth it. Sam’s expects the most popular plan to be the one that has a $10,000 deductible. Yes, that’s a lot. But most people in small business want only catastrophic coverage and very low premiums, so the plan is perfect. Most employers will cap your coverage if you have a complicated procedure or long-term illness, regardless of whether your medical bills are paid. You can also take the HSA or Health Savings Account route. You put your money into a tax-free savings account, which pays for your premiums each month. There are a variety of offerings, so it’s great for business owners. For more, go to samsclub.com and click on “Member Services” in the left rail. From there you want to click on “Employee/Healthcare Services.”

How much of our food dollar is spent eating out as opposed to eating at home. Would you believe almost a half? Clark and his family used to spend about 90 percent of their dollar eating out, but now they have a newborn and they spend most of their time at home. Their food bill has gone down as a result. So, where do people save the most? Wal-Mart! The low priced supermarket sells $1 out of every $5 spent on groceries, and the company is on track to sell about one of every three dollars. Research shows that people save about 20 percent when buying groceries at Wal-Mart. The strange flip side of this is that Whole Foods, the high-priced gourmet market, is also gaining customers and growing like gangbusters. As a result, traditional supermarkets in the middle of those two extremes are closing left and right. There will be no need for these traditional supermarkets as people continue to move to opposite ends of the spectrum, shopping at the warehouse clubs and Wal-Mart superstores or at fancy organic health food markets.

Shopping in the supermarket has dropped off significantly. When buying groceries in the 90s, most people went to grocery stores. Today, people shop at the warehouse clubs and other alternative super stores likes Wal-Mart has. And, the third player in the game is a surprising one. Dollar Stores are starting to take market share away from supermarkets. As a result, grocery stores are no longer offering sales and “high-low pricing.” It was the way they used to make money, but it’s not working anymore. Stores are going to strictly low or discount pricing. They figured, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So, don’t be surprised if you see very few or no sales at the supermarket, and more people shopping at non-traditional stores.

People spend a ton of money on mattresses, when, in reality, you can get a great mattress for much less. Consumer Reports has done an extensive report on mattresses. The magazine states that there is no perfect mattress out there for you. But you want to try out a mattress for at least 15 minutes before buying it. Clark bought a complete king mattress for about $500 and it’s turned out to be perfect. Just make sure you buy from a reputable dealer or warehouse club, which is where Clark buys his mattresses.

What matters more, the quality of an item or where you buy it? You may have heard that Costco Wholesale sells diamonds. But the company has decided to try selling much bigger, more expensive diamonds. A ring on Costco’s site is selling for $180,000, for example. It would go for about $260,000 at a typical jeweler, so it’s a great deal when you think about it. But sometimes have that baby blue Tiffany box matters more to people than what’s inside. We’ll see how Costco does with its new endeavor.

You probably know that there are certain times of the year when you get great deals on merchandise. But what specifically are those items? And does it change each year? Well, it depends. The month of May is always a great time to buy things because all of the merchandise that hasn’t sold for spring is on sale. The National Retail Federation recently published a list on this very topic. Some of it is common sense, but other ideas are really new. So, check it out.

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What about shopping at warehouse cubs? Is it really worth it? Well, the Seattle Times attacked this question. You only have to spend about $300 a year in purchases to make up the yearly membership fee. Every purchase after that you’re saving money. So, it’s a no-brainer. What about the severely reduced items? Costco’s marked down items now end in a “97,” and Sam’s clearance items end in a penny amount. For example, “.71” or “.31.” Also, if the bar code number or SKU has a C after it on the shelf, it’s a clearance item. There are even Web sites devoted to warehouse club shopping. So there is a lot of information out there!

You may have noticed that the department store business is going through a giant wave of consolidation these days. Department stores started booming after the Civil War, and they continued to be the shopping location of choice until now. But these days people want less expensive discount stores, and many of the department stores have had to merge or cease operations. Now, Federated Department Stores, which owns Rich’s-Macy’s and Burdines among others, may be merging with May Department Stores. May owns Lord & Taylor, Marshall Field’s and Filene’s. So, all of the stores that used to stand on their own so proudly are now going the way of the Dodo bird. Most stores are probably going to be under the Federated umbrella and only Saks and Nordstrom will be left to compete for business. But for consumers this is good news. There are so many retail options out there that these stores have to constantly compete for our business. Malls are even more at risk than department stores because people just don’t go there anymore. People prefer to shop at outdoor “lifestyle centers” than at enclosed malls, which cost much more to maintain and operate. So, take your pick of where to shop because you can’t lose.

It’s become very hard for individuals and small business owners to find affordable health insurance. But the warehouse clubs are starting to offer very viable solutions. Costco Wholesale, for example, is offering its own branded health insurance for small group. Because of the buying power Costco has, the company can offer group buying power and better rates for groups. We’re talking about real health insurance policies, not just some slip to go see a certain doctor. The San Francisco Chronicle also reports that Costco is going to offer individual policies. The company is going to start this in California only at first, but it will eventually branch out to other states if it’s successful. We’ll see if it works. If so, Clark expects warehouse clubs to start offering HSAs (health savings accounts). This could be a terrific thing for small businesses and for our health care system in general.

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In other medical news, Target is starting to set up “Minute Clinics,” where people can stop in and see a nurse practitioner for certain ailments. If the problem is more serious, the patient will be sent to an emergency room. But people shouldn’t have to go to the emergency room for a minor emergency and pay extreme amounts. The cost at the Minute Clinic will be between $25 and $75. So, Clark commends Target and the warehouse clubs for their efforts to help consumers.

When did you last set foot in a department store? Clark can’t remember when he was last there. People simply don’t go to malls as often as they used to, and they go to the department stores in those malls even less. People are still fashion-oriented, but they can get great fashions for much less at discount stores and specialty stores. To stay alive, malls are recreating themselves. They are building more outdoor, main street type shopping centers, which are doing a bit better. But malls in general are going away. In fact, warehouse clubs are viable tenants for the former department stores. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

What matters more, the quality of an item or where you buy it? You may have heard that Costco Wholesale sells diamonds. But the company has decided to try selling much bigger, more expensive diamonds. A ring on Costco’s site is selling for $180,000, for example. It would go for about $260,000 at a typical jeweler, so it’s a great deal when you think about it. But sometimes have that baby blue Tiffany box matters more to people than what’s inside. We’ll see how Costco does with its new endeavor.

Clark has talked for several years about the tremendous advantage of getting pre-approved for your car loan from a credit union. They offer deals that are substantially better than what you’ll get from a bank. You will probably get rates of about 1.5 percent lower at a credit union. That’s because credit unions are co-ops, meaning the account holders own them. Online banks also offer great rates on car loans. And there is now a third option for you if you’re shopping for insurance – warehouse clubs. Both Sam’s Club and Costco Wholesale now write car loans at great rates. Sam’s Club is offering 5-year car loans for 3.75 percent. Costco is offering 3.5 percent for executive members and 3.6 percent for other members. Those rates are fantastic! Now, if the car dealership is offering you a lower rate, by all means get it from them. And sometimes insurers, such as USAA, offer competitive car loans. So, check out all of your sources. The other trick of the trade is to refinance an existing car loan that has a really high rate. Costco’s refi rate is offering 4.5 percent for a car older than three years and 4.1 for cars that are newer than that. The one thing you should NEVER do is to walk into a car dealership without having arranged your financing in advance. You have no idea what can happen to you on the spread because dealers mark-up loans whenever they can. If you have your money in advance, you don’t have to worry about getting taken.

If you own your own business, you know how hard it is to get good, affordable health care. It’s a topic that underlies this year’s presidential election because people are concerned about affordable health care. Economists have proposed a new theory that the job market has remained so crummy because of the cost of health care. Companies that would normally hire people full-time are choosing to hire contractors and part-time workers because health care is so expensive. GM just announced that medical care for its retirees has just crossed the $60 billion mark. So, if it’s happening to the bigger companies, it’s hurting the small business owner even more. Families USA reports that people are also getting ripped off everywhere because they buy into phony health insurance plans that cost less. You may not know it, but Sam’s Club is now experimenting with group health insurance offerings for small businesses. They’re trying it in 10 states initially. They are: California, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. So, companies with fewer than 100 workers will be able to try it out. If it works well, they will offer it in the other 40 states. The idea is people will have group buying power and will be able to participate in a PPO. And Clark is excited about this opportunity for you!