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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.

Have you heard of “Vista Print?” It’s a business card printing company that allows you to design your own card and buy them for just $5. It’s a terrific deal and it’s been around for years. The hope, of course, is that you’ll buy other services once you get the cards. It’s a lost leader to get you into the system and then satisfy all of your printing needs. Clark can’t believe they’ve stuck to their promise of nearly free cards for all of these years. So, if you need business cards, why not do it for nearly nothing!

Communist China has been under enormous pressure from the Bush administration to “float their money”. China’s money has been what’s known as “pegged,” meaning it fluctuates based on what happens with the U.S. dollar. So, one dollar translates into an exact amount of Chinese money. And, as a result, their money has been way undervalued. Chinese money should be worth a lot more right now and people should be paying more for Chinese products. In reverse, it costs a lot for people in China to buy products made in the U.S. China has started to turn this around and it’s going to mean more expensive items in our country. The price of toys and electronics goods will go up. But we also hope to be able to sell them more of our stuff. This is part of China becoming a full member of the world stage and more of an economic rival to the U.S. It’s been coming for a long time, and we just have to accept it. It will also mean higher interest rates in America to keep pace.

Clark has talked to Caroline several times about her thwarted vacation to Playa Del Carmen near Cancun. She had booked a vacation package with Aeromexico Vacations several months ago. But since the hurricanes have hit the area, the resort where she was going to stay was destroyed. Well, Aeromexico Vacation reps first told Caroline she was out of luck and had to take the trip even though she had no place to stay. Well, Clark thought that was unacceptable and heartless. But after he talked about it on the air, Aeromexico Vacations has recanted and is going to allow Caroline to take her trip later on or get a full refund. In fact, the airline has established a new policy for anyone affected by an emergency that causes a hotel to close. Basically, anyone affected can book a subsequent vacation through Dec. 15 or they can receive a full refund for the cost of the trip. It’s a more generous offer than Clark could have hoped for and he wants to praise Aeromexico for going out on a limb for its customers. He hopes other companies take a page from their book by treating customers with respect and courtesy.

What percent of young adults are now living with their parents? Would you believe 25 percent? It’s being named the “boomerang syndrome,” which alludes to the idea that kids go away to college and come back home to the nest to live. The survey involved people ages 18 to 34, and the latter number may not seem so young. But after graduate school or after a divorce, moving home with the parents allows these young people to regroup and save money. It can also cause a good bit of conflict. So Clark wants to stress that there should be rules. “Children” should not expect to eat their parents out of house and home, for example. Parents should also decide on some amount of rent to charge their kids. Let them live rent free for a while, but then the rent sets in. Paying for long distance calls and doing chores around the house should also be on the list. And make sure you have that conversation before he or she moves back home.

Clark recently bought a color photo printer for his wife, Lane, because she likes taking pictures but she rarely gets around to developing it. So, for her birthday, Lane got a camera and printer that were both rated “top of the line” by Consumer Reports and the Wall Street Journal. The printer was $179 and it’s phenomenally easy to use. But PC World just published a story claiming that the pictures from these printers will last only two or three years tops. Of course the manufacturers say it isn’t so. But if it is true, Clark’s wife, Lane, is not going to be happy. The three major printing companies – HP, Lexmark, Cannon and Epson – claim that pictures printed at home don’t fade. But for now, if you are printing photos from digital cameras and you want to keep them for a while, print them out at an actual store in addition to printing them at home.