Finding cheap appliances is always a challenge. You need to strike a balance between quality and cost; after all, you wouldn’t want a cheap refrigerator or stove that’s going to break down in a year, but at the same time, buying overpriced appliances that will to send you Debtville isn’t a good idea either. The key is to do ample research before making a purchase. Scout around online stores and retailers in your area, and check out their selection, staff, and of course, prices. Be sure to ask your friends and neighbors and see where they got the appliances in their homes. Also consider recent surveys and consumer reports from sites and organizations.

ConsumerReports.org for instance, recently published their findings about customer satisfaction with regards to appliance stores.

According to survey results from the Consumer Reports National Research Center, not a single retailer was able to provide all of the following at the same time: reasonable prices, good selection, trained help, and a smooth shopping experience. Indeed, no one store truly “has it all.” Still though, some retailers did better than others. Check out their verdicts below:

Abt Electronics – In the sea of mediocre appliance stores, ConsumerReports.org stated that Abt Electronics is “some cause for hope.” This retailer, along with other independent local stores received top marks in terms of price from shoppers who purchased a major appliance. The store is based in Chicago, but you can also order appliances online.

Abt Electronics was established way back in 1936. Back then, the store was called “Abt Radio” because it only sold small electronics. However, in the succeeding years, the electronics store grew to a major electronics and appliance store occupying 37 acres in Glenview, IL and employing over 1000 people. Abt currently operates 60 large delivery trucks, 45 custom installation trucks, and more than 100 service vans.

Amazon – Now this is a retailer that needs no introduction. Amazon.com was rated highly by consumers when it came to reasonable prices of small appliances as well as for having a huge selection. This of course, comes as no surprise as Amazon practically dominates the online market. The website, which started as an online store for books, steadily became the leading online retailer for shoppers.  As of 2010, it employed 37,700 employees, and had revenue of $34.204 billion.

Costco – Apparently, this wholesale giant also ranked high when it comes to reasonably priced small appliances. Costco Wholesale Corporation is well-known for its international chain of membership warehouses where consumers are able to buy items at lower prices. According to its company profile, “The warehouses are designed to help small-to-medium-sized businesses reduce costs in purchasing for resale and for everyday business use. Individuals may also purchase for their personal needs.

Clearly, when it comes to finding cheap appliances, it looks like big box stores and chains are trailing behind smaller retailers. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should totally disregard the big chains. Survey results from Consumer Reports indicate that Best Buy-owned Pacific Sales was praised for having a wide selection, and Lowe’s as well as Sears scored above average when it comes to staff and customer service. These stores may not have the cheapest prices on a regular day, but be sure to check them out during their sales, because you just might get a great deal on your appliances.

The Holiday season is undoubtedly one of the busiest times of the year. It’s also a time where people have the biggest tendencies to overspend. There’s money for food (a Turkey for Thanksgiving, celebration food for Christmas and New Year’s), you need to shell out for presents, and then there are those holiday items and decorations around the house.

But what if someone told you that you don’t have to whip out your check book or swipe your card too much this holiday season? What if you could keep your Christmas bonus in your savings account this year? Well, the good news is you can. Give yourself the present of creativity this season. Instead of buying all the presents and decorations that you need, why not just make them?

1. It’s Cheaper – Choosing to make your own decorations and presents can be a whole lot cheaper than buying all those shiny new items on the department store shelves. If you do the legwork and research on local arts and crafts stores, you’ll find that some of them offer great prices on ribbons, bead supplies, various types of paper, and other cheap craft supplies. Read up on art magazines and visit arts and crafts websites to get ideas on what to create. You can even head to a nearby arts and crafts store and check out the various items to see what you can cook up.

2. You Can Make it Just the Way YOU Want It – Ever went to a department store, picked up an item and said, “This would be perfect if only it [insert missing feature here].” One the biggest advantages of do-it-yourself projects is that you can customize your creations to look exactly the way you want them to look like. YOU get to decide on an item’s length, size, color, and other features. No more buying items half-heartedly or getting in the waiting list just to get the exact color you wanted; this time, you can choose to do it yourself.

3. It’s More Personal – This is your chance to show off your creative and thoughtful side to your friends and relatives! Nothing says “personal” more than a handmade present. This year, give your loved ones something that came from the fruits of your creativity. It’s a very heartwarming gesture, and your friends and family will certainly remember you for it. Let your gift be something that will immediately remind them of you whenever they see it. This personal touch doesn’t just apply to presents, by the way. Choose to hand-make the holiday decorations for your house and give your home an extra oomph that will make you look more memorable to anyone who steps foot inside.  Think about it. With the tons of Thanksgiving and Christmas events all around, it’s easy to get lost in a whirl of homes and events. Wouldn’t you want YOUR place to make a lasting impression on people?

4. You Can Do it with the Family – One great bonus of doing hand-crafted presents and decorations is that you can invite the whole family to join in! Doing arts and crafts with your spouse and kids unleashes the family’s creative side while paving the way for tons of bonding moments to take place, at the same time.

Image credit: Carissa GoodNCrazy on Flickr

Whether you want to entertained, comforted, or you’re in it for the “bonding sessions,” a movie night is a great activity that never gets old. Not only is it a great stress reliever, but one of the best things about a movie marathon is the fact that practically anyone can enjoy it. You can do it with your friends, spouse, or even the whole family. However, with the state of the economy weighing down on most consumers, it’s pretty sad to see that  some families or groups have brought movie nights to the chopping board. This isn’t that surprising though; after all, frequenting the cinemas can get pretty expensive (and don’t even get started on the price of food in theaters).

If you’re one of those who cringe at the thought of spending 11 bucks at the movies, then perhaps you should explore other more cost-effective ways to be able to watch movies for cheap. Check out the suggestions below. Each option has its own set of pros and cons, and certain choices may only work for some. Either way, evaluate your movie-watching habits and see what works best for you.

Redbox – Redbox lets customers rent new-releases for extremely low prices. Users can rent discs for as low as a dollar a day, and with Redbox kiosks located at thousands of locations, it proves to be a very convenient way for users to get their hands on the latest releases. If you happen to be at a grocery store or a gas station, check to see if there’s a Redbox kiosk in the area, and pick up a great movie on the way home.

SwapADVD – Got a bunch of DVDs at home that are just accumulating dust? Then consider signing up with SwapADVD.com, a great online service that enables user to swap DVDs online and save money in the process. If you have original, playable DVDs that you do not wish to keep, post the titles to your “DVD Tower” on SwapADVD.com. Once you’ve posted 10 titles, you’ll earn 1 gift credit that will enable you to start swapping. After that, you’ll be able to receive more credits by sending out discs to other members. When another member requests a DVD from you, the site will notify you via email, and you’ll be in charge of mailing out the DVD to the requestor, and once it is received, you’ll be able to earn a credit. You will need to pay for postage when you send out DVDs, but it does even out, because when you request a DVD, you won’t have to pay anything, except 1 credit. You can do whatever you want with the DVDs that you receive. You can choose to keep them, or swap them again, once you’re done watching.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon – These options are for you if you’re the type who spends a lot of time online and you want to keep it that way. Each of these services vary in terms of prices and offers, and it all depends on the types of movies and shows that you like, and how often you watch them.

Albeit the immense amount of bad press that Netflix got due to them raising their prices, the company still offers good value IF you make it worth it. Netflix offers unlimited movies and TV episodes to watch instantly online for $7.99 a month.

Hulu is another service that enables users to watch movies and TV shows online. It has a free service that lets you watch up to five recent episodes of season shows from networks like Fox, CBS, and more. Hulu also has a paid subscription called Hulu Plus, which gives users access to all current episodes of several shows for 7.99 a month.

Amazon – The online retailer is offering free unlimited streaming of over 5,000 movies and TV shows as part of the Amazon Prime membership that costs $79 per year. If you’re already a loyal Amazon customer, and do most of your shopping there, then consider upgrading your account to Amazon Prime.

Image credit: dcJohn on Flickr