DTV2009.org - Free digital-to-analog TV converter box voucher or call 1-888-388-2009
TaxACT.com - Free tax prep and filing regardless of your income

Clark is one man who lived a true bachelor's life before getting married to his wife Lane in 1995. At that time, all he had in his home was used or damaged furniture he'd gotten at repossession sales. Over the years, his wife purged every piece of used furniture except one -- a little love seat that she still lets him keep. Life involves compromise. Clark came into the marriage with "cheap" stitched across his forehead. His wife was the exact opposite, preferring taste over budget pricing. They've each had to learn to tone down their natural inclinations a bit over the years.

Recently they were looking for a comforter set for their 2 year old, who is transitioning from a crib to a bed and really loves trains. So Lane was online and had found a train comforter that cost $320. Clark was about ready to croak over the price. He asked his wife if he could look online for a few minutes on his computer. After visiting the usual closeout/clearance sites, he found a similar train comforter set for $39. His wife looked at it, loved it and told him to make the purchase.

That's the spirit of compromise. You have to look for a place where you can meet in the middle. There was recently a story about "financial infidelity" in the media. It's so common that couples hide things from each other about money, which in turn creates distance in other areas of their lives. It's not a good idea. While Clark and Lane don't need each other's permission to spend, they try to be respectful of one another when it comes to joint purchases like those for the house. It isn't always easy; Lane believes in taste, while Clark believes in price and has no sense of taste!

There's still a lot of mystery surrounding the upcoming February 2009 switch from analog to digital broadcasts in the TV world.

Here's the scoop: If you are among the 88% of people who get TV via cable or satellite, it is irrelevant to you that analog TV signals are going away next year. However, if you are one of the 12% who uses rabbit ears, listen up: Your rabbit ears will no longer work as they did come February 2009. You can keep your old TV, but you'll need to get a converter box.

The government is offering each American two $40 vouchers to help subsidize the purchase of the boxes. Please note the vouchers are only good for 90 days.

Dish Network, meanwhile, is offering free converter boxes to people who have the vouchers. Shipping and handling fees of $8.95 may apply.

PIRG recently sent secret shoppers out to electronics stores in about a dozen states seeking info about the digital TV switch. More than 80% of the time they were given false info by sales associates, who then tried to sell them an expensive multi-function box that would have been useless to them. Almost half of the time they also got wrong info about the time table for the conversion.

Stats from other organizations show that about 4 in 10 Americans haven't heard a word about the coming switch. Clark encourages everyone to help out elderly relatives who may still be getting TV via rabbit ears.

Consumer Reports' annual auto issue is out and Clark is giddy with excitement. The April '08 issue definitively says that extended warranties aren't worth the investment. Clark has historically been neutral on extended warranties for vehicles, but now he'll have to revise his opinion. Only 20% of people ever recoup the cost of the warranty vs. the cost of repairs over the lifetime of a vehicle. If you're buying a Mercedes, you'll have the best chance (about 40%) in that regard. Other vehicles where a warranty may be a smart move include Pontiacs, Jeeps, Chryslers, Buicks and Dodges.

In other news, there's a new champ when it comes to reliable small cars: Hyundai Elantra. Other top picks included the Honda Accord (family sedan); Toyota Prius (hybrid); Toyota Sienna (minivan); and Hyundai Santa Fe (SUV). American cars are getting more reliable, but they're not quite on par with the Japanese vehicles yet.

When it comes to the best used cars, they're all Japanese: Toyota's Prius, Highlander, RAV 4 (4 cylinder), Corrolla and Honda's Accord (4 cylinder). A new category this year was vehicles that are unloved, but good to own. This category was dominated by Korean vehicles such as the Kia Rondo and the MAZDA5.

Clark has been on a slow burn about the IRS eliminating free tax prep and filing for those who make more than an adjusted gross income of $54K. Clark just doesn't get the class warfare angle. Why is it that the more money you make, the more you have to spend at a tax preparer -- just to give the money back to the government? There is one outfit out there still offering free federal tax preparation regardless of income -- TaxACT.com. There are additional charges for your state return. Please note that Clark has never used TaxACT.com and has no idea about their quality. He just loves that they're doing it for free.