When Should You Not Buy Furniture?

Avoid buying heavily used upholstered furniture

Whether you are shopping online for a used sofa or visiting a yard sale, it’s important to know a few things before you make a purchase. For example, the seller may price their items much higher than they are worth, and they may not be willing to lower the price. Also, you may be buying vintage furniture, which is usually reproductions of popular pieces, and upholstery can hold moisture and odors. In some cases, even powerful cleaners cannot remove stains.

In addition to checking for mold, bugs, and stains, you should also check the history of the upholstered furniture. If the furniture hasn’t been exposed to chemicals in the past, it’s likely safe to buy. The only way to be absolutely sure, however, is to have it professionally cleaned. Read the furniture care tips. This way, you can be sure that the upholstered furniture won’t contain harmful substances that could endanger your family.

Another factor to consider when buying used upholstered furniture is the risk of bed bugs. It’s hard to detect bed bugs once they’re inside a piece of furniture. Often, people who donate furniture or sell it don’t even know they have bed bugs on their furniture. If this is the case, they may have cleaned it without realizing it. As a result, you should always make sure the pieces are free from bed bugs.

Avoid buying floor samples

Buying floor samples can be beneficial when it comes to choosing a floor covering for your home. These samples will help you visualize the product in your own home and will help you decide if the color or style you’ve chosen will look good in your room. Purchasing new flooring is a significant investment, so it makes sense to order a few samples before you make your final decision.

You may have reservations about buying furniture from a showroom floor. After all, you can’t see the item for yourself – and you might think it’s damaged. In reality, floor models haven’t seen daily use, and most customers only sit on sofas and chairs for a few minutes at a time.

One of the best times to shop for furniture at Crate & Barrel is when the seasons change. Right now, the store is full of outdoor furniture, and at the end of the season, it will be time to move on to indoor furniture. However, don’t be afraid to visit during off-season, since DWR frequently redoes their floor plans and offers up to 50% off of their regular prices. You can also buy luxury and branded furniture here. Having a weekly markdown on their floor models, which means that you can save even more money.

You may also find floor models on furniture stores’ sales floors. These items are often discounted as retailers try to get them off the showroom floor. However, it’s important to note that not all stores offer floor model discounts. So, it’s best to inquire about this before purchasing. A good rule of thumb when buying furniture is to ask before you buy.

Avoid financing furniture purchases

If you want to save money, try to avoid financing furniture purchases. Furniture stores use special promotions to get you to pay in low monthly installments. This way, you can avoid the interest on the furniture and can keep your money for other things. Check out the occasional furniture buying guide. If you are on a limited budget, this can be a great option.

You should also avoid financing furniture purchases if you can’t afford the monthly payment. This can cause you to live a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle and may even delay retirement. Buying furniture on credit will only add to your financial stress and prevent you from achieving other goals, like a vacation. Besides, the value of the furniture will depreciate once you put it into your home. Lastly, furniture stores that offer financing are likely to sell overpriced pieces.

Teenage Driving Statistics – Why GPS Tracking Matters

In a 2011 study conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), 68% of teens said they had narrowly avoided a crash, and more than half had experienced more than one close call in the past year. More than 2,000 students in 28 high schools were surveyed for this study, which was released on June 13.

Of those who said that they had a close call, 55% blamed other drivers or the weather. However, when asked what was happening during the exact time of that close call, 30% of teens said they were speeding, 21% said they were texting and 20% said they were talking to passengers in the car.

A similar study conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance in April, found that when crashes occurred because of an error made by a teen, 20% of the time distracted driving was to blame (texting, mp3 players, passengers, etc.). The study also found that speeding was responsible for 21% of crashes in which teens were at fault. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teens are four times more likely to get into accidents than older drivers. About 3,000 teens died in auto accidents in 2009; according to CDC estimates, roughly 350,000 were treated for injuries.

Stephen Wallace, chairman of SADD, says the idea to research close calls by teen drivers came out of focus groups. “We were hearing a lot of kids saying ‘I almost did this, I almost did that,’” Wallace says. The problem is, however, these close calls and crashes aren’t changing driving behaviors and bad habits among teens. According to the Liberty Mutual/SADD study, a little over half the teenagers surveyed said their new habits lasted only a few months or less.

GPS Tracking Devices For Teenage Drivers

As children gradually transition into adolescence, one of the greatest fears that parents often face is placing their teenagers behind the wheel of a car. This is a significant event in the life of both the parent and the teen, however, parents now have the tools necessary to ensure their child is responsible behind the wheel. Teen tracking using GPS technology provides a level of security from the convenience and comfort of home using a computer, smartphone or mobile tablet with internet access.

Real-Time GPS trackers can capture and transmit important GPS location data, such as time, position, and even the vehicle’s speed in a matter of seconds. GPS tracking devices, such as Tracki, Vyncs GPS, LandAirSea 54, and SpaceHawk GPS overlay the live and historical positions over high-resolution satellite images such as Google Maps. This provides a truly user-friendly and intuitive tracking experience.

And since speed is often a major concern for parents, who are the ones that pay for the insurance premiums, alerts can be sent as a text message (SMS) or email when a user-defined violation occurs. In addition to speeding alerts, location proximity alerts can also notify parents of the arrival and departure of their vehicles.

GPS vehicle trackers have also become relatively affordable over the past few years, offering a simple and logical safety solution for less than a cup of coffee per day. Teen tracking also has the potential to provide some financial benefits as well. Many insurance companies recognize GPS tracking devices as a theft recovery solution and offer a policy discount.

How Installing GPS Tracking Devices Can Help Teen Safety

According to recent statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation, young drivers between the ages of 16-20 were involved in 58,392 total reported crashes in 2010. And although they account for about 8% of all licensed drivers, their involvement in crashes is considerably higher. In addition, teenagers driving at night with passengers are four to five times more likely to crash than teenagers driving during the day.

A statistical research study performed by the National Traffic Safety Administration also revealed that more than 5,000 teens are killed annually in traffic collisions, which makes it the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 15 and 20.

GPS car trackers, can be used to monitor and track the driving habits of young drivers by keeping them accountable for their whereabouts and their driving tendencies. Installing a GPS tracking device can also help reduce the risk of vehicle-related accidents, injuries, or even fatalities among young, less-experienced drivers.

While no guaranteed life-saving inventions are available in today’s market, proper monitoring and guidance can greatly reduce the risk of injuries and/or fatalities among teenage drivers. Utilizing devices such as real-time GPS trackers, can serve as a valuable preventative tool to help parents monitor one of their most cherished assets, their children.