Does it Smell? June 27, 2010

Admit it. That’s the test when it comes to milk in your fridge. Does it pass the smell test?

Since it’s just me & my husband in our house, we rarely go through a half gallon of milk before it goes bad.It’s why when I saw the “Best by” date on the “Smart Balance” milk we purchased earlier this month made me do a double take.

I purchased the first carton on June 4th. When I noticed the July 11th “Best by” date, I thought it was just a typo- and that it should have read “June 11th.”  The second carton I purchased the following week had a “Best by” date of July 27th. What is going on?

To find out, I turned to “Smart Balance’s” website for an explanation. Here’s what I found:

“We pasteurize our milks for a short time at Ultra High Temperature (UHT). This process kills more bacteria and gives the product a longer shelf life as long as it remains unopened and refrigerated. Once you open the container, we recommend that you use the milk within 7 days.”

Interesting. So, once I open it, I can’t keep it until July 11th. But I can tell you that it stayed fresh for about 11 days.

Keep Your Private Information Private June 24, 2010

Everyone wants your information- your phone number, email address, date of birth. Companies are in the business of compiling your information and selling it. Most of the information is already public. Your address and the value of your home are listed on the Harris County Tax Appraiser’s website. Any run-ins you’ve had with the law are public… listed right on the police report anyone can read.  But dozens of data brokers have gone a step further and captured all of the data available at multiple agencies and offices… and put all together in one easily searchable database.  You can get info on anyone- for a small fee.

Don’t like the idea? You can opt out of these databases so that when people search for you… they won’t find a thing. Click here for the “Giant List of Data Brokers to Opt Out of.”

Websites Where You’ll Snag Great Deals June 22, 2010

Tuesday night at 10, we showed you a website called Groupon that offers a different deal every day in Houston (and other cities… so you might want to check out the other cities if you’re planning a trip).

While we featured Groupon in our newscast, these savings websites are all over the web offering fantanstic deals.

Below is a list of some of them. If you know of one I haven’t mentioned here, please send it to me by “commenting” below.

Living Social Today’s offer is $65 for a shampoo, conditioning treatment, haircut, color, blowdry & styling at Clique Salon downtown.

MyDailyDeals Today’s offer is $20 for a $40 gift certificate to Fish Houston in Midtown.

MyTableEntree Pay $15 for a $30 gift certificate to Tinto’s Spanish Restaurant & Bar

iDineDeals Still under construction, but you can regsiter now. They’ll send you 1 offer every day for 50% off at Houston restaurants.

HoustonontheCheap More geared towards families. There are multiple deals posted everyday. No need to register.

Restaurant.com Dozens of deals offered every day. Most restaurants offer gift certificates worth $25 for only $10.

HoustonTidbits The scoop on Houston’s shopping & social with savings tips thrown in every now & then.

Save these sites to your favorites… and enjoy the savings!

Cars People Complain about the Most June 3, 2010

Every year the Center for Auto Safety and consumer advocate Jack Gillis pour through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data to find out which vehicles consumers are complaining about the most.  They’ve recently released the 2010 Car Complaint Index.

If you’re in the market for a new car, you may want to check it out.

Here are the vehicles that make up the top 20 (in order):

I owned #8 on the list for 9 years… and I had no complaints.

Dodge Journey
Acura TSX
Jaguar XF
Volkswagen EOS
Mitsubishi Lancer
Volkswagen Routan
Toyota Tacoma
Jeep Wrangler
Volkswagen Tiguan
Chevrolet Cobalt

Scion xB
Nissan Titan
Nissan Murano
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Honda Accord
Hyundai Veracruz
Mazda Tribute
Lincoln MKS
Volkswagen Jetta