Getting the best deals when you shop online has never been easier. All the information is right at your fingertips. There are many hot deal websites out there that scour the net for the latest bargains. Two sites that I always visit are Slickdeals.net and Fatwallet Hot Deals Forum. If you’re looking to buy something online, make sure you stop first at these sites to see if there are any recent deals.

Another tip on getting the best prices for your online purchases is make the most of the great price guarantees found at online retailers. Many popular online stores such as Amazon and Best Buy offer their customers price guarantees and price protection benefits for up to 30 days after your purchase.

So, for example, say you purchase a new LCD Television for $1000 on Amazon. A few weeks later you notice that the price has dropped to $900. Simply login to your Amazon account, click on a few links, and you will be credited the difference.

Here is a list of some popular retailers that you might shop at:

Amazon: “Amazon.com’s prices for released items will change from time to time based on a variety of factors. If Amazon.com’s price for an already-released item decreases within 30 days after we ship the item to you, we’ll be glad to refund the difference in price if you contact us.”

Best Buy: “If an item you purchased at Best Buy is advertised at a lower price at another Best Buy store in your local area or on BestBuy.com within 30 days of your original receipt purchase (14 days for select categories*), we will refund you 100% of the price difference. Simply bring in your original Best Buy receipt to the customer service counter while that lower price is still in effect.”

Circuit City: “If you purchase an item from Circuit City and we advertise the same item for a lower price within 30 days of your purchase, we will refund 100% of the difference.”

Ritz Camera: “At RitzCamera.com, our low price guarantee assures you that you are getting a competitive, low price. If you find a price lower than ours on the Internet, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed below, you may qualify for a price match.”

United Airlines: Login to your “My Itineraries” and choose “View/Modify” flight info. Click on “Change itinerary” and “Check the price of the itinerary.” If the current price is lower than what you paid for, you will be credited back the difference.

Expedia: “Expedia guarantees you’re getting the best price. If you should find a better price online for the same trip within 24 hours, Expedia will refund the difference—and give you a travel coupon worth $50.”

Travelocity: “If you find a Qualifying Lower Rate within twenty four (24) hours of your booking, we will provide you with the following per booking: One $50 Promo Code for a future “Good Buy” Hotel or Flight + Hotel vacation package booking on Travelocity and A refund of the difference between the price you paid through Travelocity and the Qualifying Lower Rate.”

Zzounds: “If you see a lower, publicly advertised delivered price, we’ll beat it. And if you see a lower, publicly advertised delivered price within 30 days after your order ships, we’ll refund you the difference.”

Guitar Center: “If at any time within 30 days of your purchase from us, you find the identical item in stock and advertised by an authorized dealer at a price lower than what you paid, GuitarCenter.com will fully protect you.”

Starbucks Store: “We will guarantee our prices for 30 days from the purchase date. If you find our price has changed on the same item you’ve already purchased on our site within 30 days of the date of purchase, we will happily refund the difference.”

Baby Catalog: “Babycatalog.com guarantees the lowest price on everything we sell. If you find an item elsewhere (before or within 30 days of your purchase from babycatalog.com), you will be eligible for our “110% price protection” program.”

Abt Electronics: “If you are inquiring about a price guarantee and have already purchased an item from Abt, please contact our customer service department within 30 days at our toll free number 1-888-228-5800”

Boaters World: “At BoatersWorld.com, our Low Prices, Guarantee assures you that you are getting a competitive, low price. If you find a price lower than ours on the Internet, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed below, you may qualify for a price match.”

Cooking.com: “We will guarantee our prices for 30 days from the purchase date. If you find our price has changed on the same item you’ve already purchased on our site within 30 days of the date of purchase, we will happily refund the difference.”

Golfsmith: “Golfsmith.com will match 100% of a published price on a stocked item PLUS an additional 15% of the difference from a competing web site on any identical, in-stock item. Just show us the lower price within 30 days after purchasing the product from us and we’ll refund the purchase difference plus 15 percent of the difference as a credit to your account.”

Smart Bargains: “We are confident that our prices on footwear are the lowest online, but if you find another qualified web site that offers a lower price, we’ll refund you 110% of the difference between the lower price and our price.”

Overstock.com: “Overstock.com guarantees that our prices are the lowest you’ll find anywhere online. You’ll know you’re receiving the best deals available on thousands of quality products. And if you happen to find a better online price out there, and meet the qualifications listed below, we’ll give you the difference.”

Simple Human: “We want to make sure you never pay more at simplehuman.com. If you find an identical simplehuman product at another retailer for a lower price, we will gladly match that price.“

Trent over at The Simple Dollar has an excellent post about “What, Why, and How I Read“. I knew that he was well read, but it was still a shock to hear the vast amount of reading he does each day. Four books and four magazines in a week is pretty amazing. One commenter mentions how that comes down to two pages a minute in the couple hours he reads each day. But the content in his blog goes to show his knowledge and expertise on many subjects.

According to this article, Americans watch an average of 19 hours of television each week. That’s almost 3 hours a day. Yikes! When I started college I committed to reading consistently each day. If we can afford to watch 3 hours of television, surely we can afford to read for at least 1 hour a day.

So here’s a typical reading schedule I have each day:
- 30 minutes of reading my Bible (My quiet time with God)
- 30 minutes of reading magazines or blogs
- 30-60 minutes of reading various books

The magazines I read currently are The Economist and Kiplinger’s. Since I don’t have cable to watch CNN, I get my world news facts mainly from The Economist. This news magazine has heavy content, and I often struggle to finish an issue in one week before the next one arrives. But reading it helps me keep informed about world politics, finance, and science and technology. I highly recommend it. Kiplinger’s is a personal finance magazine that I also highly recommend. I used to get Money magazine, which is equally as good. What I really appreciate about Kiplinger’s magazine is that no matter what level of expertise you have, there are always new tips and insights you can learn.

I’m usually reading 3-4 books at any given time. Currently I’m reading:
Weight of Glory - C. S. Lewis
Comma Sutra: Position Yourself For Success With Good Grammar - Laurie Rozakis
Frommer’s Greece - John Bowman (For my upcoming honeymoon)

Read all sorts of literature and writing to exercise your mind. Sometimes I pick up classics to challenge my level of reading. All in all, reading increases my knowledge, adds to my vocabulary, and improves my writing. If you aren’t in the habit of reading each day, set a goal and try it out. Even a commitment to read 30 minutes a day can greatly benefit you.

One final thought. Whenever I fly on a plane or take public transportation, I always notice people that have nothing to read. This boggles my mind. As soon as I get into my seat I pull out one of my magazines or one of my books and start reading. Then usually the guy next to me looks at me and gives me a bored look. But after a few minutes he reaches for the Skymall catalogue and peruses it three times from cover to cover. My advice, don’t ever be caught without something to read. Most of you carry a backpack or purse, so it’s easy to carry a magazine or a paperback with you. In fact, I carry a pocket New Testament on my person at all times. I’ve turned to it many times when I have some down time, or I’m in a situation where I’m waiting for something.

I received a comment from George on my post “Why Tithing And Giving Require An Element Of Sacrifice“. Here is his comment:

“Discussion about ‘tithing’ is not an issue because ‘tithing’ is NOT a requirement for Christians.

None of the ‘tithing’ that occurs now has any connection to the definition of tithing contained in the Bible. (other than to mention 10%)

In a nutshell, the were four tithes. 1)The Levitical tithe required those who raised crops (not everyone and not all professions - just those who raised crops) to give 10% of that to the Levites. This tithe only occurred 6 years out of the 7 year cycle. It also required those that raised 10 or more animals to give each tenth animal that passed under the rod to the Levites. If a person raised less than 10 animals, they were NOT required to tithe. 2) From what was given to them, the Levites in turn had to give the very best to the priests. 3) The festival tithe required that those who raised crops or animals to set aside 10% for the annual festivals. It was for the people to have a party and consume the food joyfully and alcoholic beverages (strong drink) if they wanted. 4) The Poor tithe occurred only in the 3rd and 6th years of the seven year cycle. This was set aside for the poor.

All tithes were always food and NEVER money.

I go into more detail on the link “FREE VIDEOS” where it will take you to my other website www.inyourbible.com where, if you have a high speed internet connection, you can view or download my series of 10 - 30 minute lessons titled “The Truth About Tithing”.

We should be generous but the poor widow is NOT our example. She was being plundered by church leaders. There is no single formula for Christians to be able to judge for themselves whether they are generous or not. Each person needs to hear from God for themselves.“

And here is my response to George. I was originally going to use e-mail, but I thought that others could benefit from reading this exchange:

George thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate what you have to say, especially since I don’t claim to be an expert on this matter. But here are some of my thoughts on this issue of the tithe and also general thoughts on generosity:

1. The burden of proof lies on the person who says it isn’t a requirement. The issue in contention is whether or not the tithe is a New Testament requirement. I’d rather err on the side of caution because I have nothing to lose. I’m not going to regret being generous to my church with 10% of my income if I find out I was wrong in the end. But, if I don’t keep the tithe, I run the risk of being disobedient to God’s Word if the tithe is true.

I know that there is no direct commandment given by Jesus or the other New Testament writers. However, the spirit of the commandment might still carry over into the New Testament. The reason I say this is because Jesus brought new and deeper meaning to many of the Old Testament commandments. For example, look at the pattern with adultery or murder. Jesus added to the spirit of the law by saying, now if you even lust after a woman in your heart you have committed adultery, and if you have anger in your heart, you have committed murder. When Jesus came, many of the Old Testament commandments received a heavier implication, not a lighter implication. We should expect something similar with the tithe.

I see something like this: back in the Old Testament, people gave 10% of their resources. Now, in the New Testament, Jesus wants people to give not only 10% out of obedience, but wants this issue to be about the heart as well. It’s easy to go through the motions and just give money, but Jesus wants us to be sacrificial with our time and energy as well when it comes to the tithe & generosity.

I’d expect something along those lines when we look at the trend of what happened when Jesus came and brought about the New Covenant. It seems counter-intuitive, if the New Covenant brings a lighter implication on the issue of tithing and does away with it instead.

One more supporting idea is seen in Romans when Paul talks about the law. The Christians in Rome were probably asking, “Well if we are no longer under the law but under grace, can’t we do away with the law?” And Paul responds, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”

2. The reason that I said “tithing is a non-issue” is because for most Americans, they can easily afford to be generous with at least 10% of their resources. So all this talk about whether the tithe is still a requirement for us in the New Testament is really a moot question. People might argue over the tithe, but no one can argue about whether or not Jesus and the Bible teach us to be generous and sacrificial.

God and the Bible command us to be generous / taking care of the poor, orphans, widows, etc. We Christians, have an obligation to serve and provide in whatever fashion we can. In fact, if these ideas were to be lived out to the fullest, our generosity would be sacrificial, and it would cause a noticeable difference on our finances.

Quite frankly, I don’t care where the money/resources are given to. If a person doesn’t want to give to a church or a building fund, that’s fine. Give instead to a homeless shelter, overseas missions, etc. But give sacrificially! The average church offering in America is around $700, and I am guessing that the average church-goer makes more than $7000 a year.

The U.S. median income is $46,000. I’m going to venture to say that for most middle-class Americans, giving away $4,600 is fairly pain-free. Forget the 10% tithe as being a measuring stick, instead the measuring stick we should use is a measure of sacrifice.

A conversation with me might go like this:

SS: “Hey are you observing the tithe and giving 10% of your resources to your church?”
Christian: “Actually, I don’t believe the tithe is a requirement for us in the New Testament.”
SS: “Oh, okay, no problem. Are you being generous and giving sacrificially to the point where you are being stretched?”
Christian: “…”

2 Corinthians 8:1-4 says, “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.”

I think this is where Jesus really wants us to be. To say, “Gosh, I’ve stretched my finances so much. I’ve made real sacrifices in my own life so that I can be generous to those around me. I’m stretched to the limit in terms of how much I can give.”

In the hopes to offer encouragement in light of the Virgina Tech massacre, the Passion Conference and Six Step Records is offering free mp3’s to download at Hope For The Hokies. This includes tracks from Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder, Matt Redman, and Passion.

Here’s a quote from the website www.hopeforthehokies.com:

“Our desire is that these songs will encourage anyone at Tech or around the world who is looking for sure footing in the wake of these tragic events. They are born out of a belief in a God who comforts and repairs, a Heavenly Father who has paid the highest price to rescue and restore us all. And because of Jesus we believe light can shine in darkness, life can come from death and hope will endure.”

Amen.  Isaiah 41:10 say, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“

My car was running on empty this morning so I went to go fill up before I began my commute to work. I noticed that the Vons supermarket near my apartment sold gas. Actually it’s the first time I’ve seen a fuel station at a Vons grocery store.

As I pulled up to the pump I saw a sign that said “Vons members save 3 cents per gallon on gas.” Sweet! The gas right now is $3.29 a gallon, so it’s only saving me like 1 percent. But still, I’m not complaining. Combine that with 5% back with my credit card and I’m good to go.

Check here if your local Vons or Safeway supermarket has a fuel station.

Students from all over the world come to America to study at top universities. Unfortunately, these top schools come at the expense of top dollars for tuition. According to the statistics of the Graduate Business School of Stanford, a typical international student was graduating with $80,000 of debt. Many students desire to go back with their knowledge and education to make a difference in their home countries. Yet, the high amounts of student debt is holding back many from making an immediate impact.

I’m glad to see Stanford is offering a loan forgiveness plan for international students that have a true desire to apply their education back in their home country. Students can qualify for up to $7,500 of loan forgiveness each year. Although I’d love to see this amount go up, it is definitely a step in the right direction for Stanford.

Many international students will become the future leaders of tomorrow. I’d love to see more universities provide top-notch education at a reasonable price. Instead of being shackled by debt for years and years, these graduates can begin immediately making a difference.

This is the last lesson in the Managing Finances God’s Way series. My church has been working through this material during our Sunday School classes. Overall, I’ve been pleased with the quality of the material and the information offered in this study.

In this final lesson we look at the topic of how God desires us to enjoy the resources that he has blessed us with. The DVD lesson was led by Chuck Bentley, from Crown Financial Ministries.

Bentley teaches us that “God truly wants us to enjoy the resources that he has given to us.” He gives us four supporting ideas from the Bible that confirm this to be true.

1. The Lord expects us to take care of our families. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” God blesses us with resources, and He intends for part of those resources to be used to provide for the family.

2. The Lord wants us to enjoy regular periods of rest and refreshment. We each need opportunities to be refreshed and renewed by God. Even with a hectic schedule, God desires us to allow our resources to give us that rest that we need.

3. The Lord tells us that when we enjoy his blessings, we bring him more glory. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 says, “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”

4. The Lord instructs us to enjoy blessing the people he puts in our lives to serve. God intends the blessings and resources to benefit not only ourselves, but also our neighbors who may be in need. 2 Corinthians 9:11 says, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Bentley goes on to share dangers that can rob us of our enjoyment of God’s resources.

1. Worry - Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Bentley encourages us to replace anxiousness with trust and prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

2. Comparison - When we compare ourselves with other people, we often end up becoming prideful, or feeling a sense of self-pity. The antidote to this danger is to replace comparison with contentment. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’.”

3. Selfishness - This sin can so easily creep up on us as we enjoy what God has blessed us with. The goal should be to imitate Christ in his selflessness. This selfishness should be replaced by sacrifice. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

4. False Guilt - If the handling of our finances needs improvement, God offers us forgiveness and grace. We can replace this sense of guilt with gratitude because we know that God is faithful to those who confess and seek forgiveness. We are all in the process of becoming more like Christ, and so there is always room for growth. Romans 8:1 teaches us that, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

In the end, what it all boils down to is an issue of the heart. Jesus taught us that we cannot serve two masters. We will love one and hate the other. Though our money and resources may give us a false sense of worth or security, we should never place our hope in these material things. Only God who is the provider of all things deserves our trust and obedience.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church has a free 20-day devotional on the topic of stewardship.  I took a look at it and it looks pretty good.  It covers various aspects of our Christian life as it relates to money and possessions.  Right now I’m going through the Bible in an year reading, so I might try out this devotional afterwards.

The church is also offering four free downloads of sermons given by Pastor Tim Keller.  I highlighted one of the sermons yesterday in my post called “Why Tithing and Giving Require an Element of Sacrifice”.  It was a really good sermon and I’m looking forward to listening to the other three.

I was listening to a Tim Keller’s sermon: Treasure vs. Money yesterday and he raised some great points about money and how Christians should view money. I was totally convicted by God’s Word and feel that God is calling me to a higher level of generosity that involves true sacrifice.

One insightful point Keller makes is the fact that the sin of greed is much more indefinite than other sins. For example, in the sin of adultery, it is obvious whether or not you are sleeping with a person that is not your wife or husband. No one ever says, “Wait a minute… you’re not my wife.” But with sin of greed, we can be easily fooled that it is an issue that only other people struggle with. “Everybody is absolutely sure that it is not true of them.” Keller reasons that this is exactly why Jesus tells us to watch out and be on guard because greed can slowly sneak up on us. Greed and materialism can be hiding in our hearts, affecting our thoughts and actions, and we might be totally unaware. Accountability with like-minded believers can be a huge help here.

Keller also mentions how we cling to money because it offers us a sense of significance or a sense of security. Some find significance or status in the things that they own, or the purchasing power that they may have. Still others find a false sense of comfort and security in the money that they have saved up. Yet, as the Bible teaches, none of us know what tomorrow will bring, and no amount of money can guarantee refuge from a disaster.

“How do we get to the place where we are not worrying about money, or not being consumed by thoughts of money?” Matthew 6:21 clues us into the answer, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” For the follower of Christ, it is clear that the only thing that can be our master, which will not enslave us, is to have Christ as our master. Only as we place supreme value in Jesus does the worry and concern over money die out.

What is the test that proves that we have placed value on spiritual wealth over worldly wealth? Keller explains that the way you view rich people can be an indicator. “Do we resent them for what they own and feel superior to them? If you dislike rich people and feel superior, it shows that money still has power over you and that you lack spiritual wealth. And it also shows a lack of humility. And if you envy rich people, it also shows that money still has power over you.” Keller teaches that the best way that we can know that money has no power is when we can love rich people for who they are. In the same way this principle applies to how we view poor people. If we respect them instead of looking down at them we can know that money has no hold on us.

“The third test that money really has no power over us is this: you get really generous.” Jesus commands us to take up our cross and follow Him. The element of sacrifice should come into play in all aspects of our lives. Keller makes the point that if we desire to respond to Jesus to this degree of obedience, we should be giving away enough money that it sacrifices our current lifestyle.

God’s Word is convicting and demands obedience. These convictions lead to application and principles with which we live out our lives. As I pray for discernment, I’m looking for ways that I can grow in my generosity. For me the conviction I learned yesterday from this sermon was that obedience to Christ involves sacrifice in all areas of our lives. This includes the area of tithing and generosity. I give 10% (pre-tax) and I also support a some missionaries and organizations. But frankly, I’m at an income level where I could probably be giving away much more of my money. Sure, I have a wedding to pay for and student loans to pay off, but even with those things, if I am to take Jesus at His word I ought to push myself until I feel the strain. How can I call it sacrifice it I don’t feel the heat? Jesus never taught us that this life of obedience was going to be easy. In fact he likens it to taking up the cross each and every day. I know that a lot of people debate whether the tithe is required or not, but honestly, most Americans make so much money that the point is moot.

As Keller exhorts, “the ten percent tithe really shouldn’t be our goal, but it should be the cross that serves as our standard.” I agree. What would my giving have to look like for it to feel like true sacrifice? At least for me this would probably begin with raising my level of giving from where it currently stands.

For Christians, these are tempting times we live in. Fortunately, God’s Word steers us and guides our path in each of our decisions.

I wrote last year about my plans to put together a cheaper-pedic mattress based on ideas from this Fatwallet thread.

Well, I purchased the combo for my new apartment and I am happy to report that I am loving it. The cheaper-pedic foam mattress is an effort to get the same feel of a Tempurpedic mattress at a fraction of the cost. This is what the mattress consists of:

1. Base Layer: 5” Firm Topper, Queen 60×80″ (J.C. Penny Catalog Number: RN725-5805A, $109.99)
2. Top Layer: 3” Sensus® 5lb Queen Memory Foam Mattress Topper (SleepWarehouse $289.95)
3. Zippered Cover for stackup.

The J.C. Penney topper acts as the supporting base, and the expensive Sensus is where you get the memory foam action.

I tried it out for a few days and found it to be a little too firm. The 5lb density Sensus is very dense, heavy, and supporting. I like to sink a little bit more when I sleep. So I went to Walmart and bought a cheap 1” foam topper for $39.99 and placed this inbetween the two layers. Now, my cheaper-pedic mattress is perfect. It is very comfortable, and pretty comparable to the Tempurpedic mattress I see at the mall.

My dad visited my new apartment and he loved it as well. In fact, he loved it so much he asked me to buy him a set too. Hopefully my fiancée is also going to love our new bed. She prefers mattresses that are firm, so I think it won’t be a problem. Now all we have to do, once she moves down, is buy a queen bedroom set to put the mattress onto.