Lets face it, everyone is trying to find a way to save money these days and the internet can provide a wealth of opportunities to do just that – SAVE MONEY.

By doing a little research, you can find a savings deal for just about anything you want to buy – from restaurants to groceries.  I never leave home without coupons and I certainly never purchase online without looking for a discount code.

I’ve started a short list for you below, but there are literally tons of resources for coupons!  If you have found a good site, let us know!

Top 5 Places to Find Coupons in Charlotte NC

• Charlotte Rewards – This website features coupons and saving for just about everything you can find in Charlotte and the surrounding areas.  From ice cream to flying lessons, you can find a coupon here!
• Couponer101 - Love this site! In addition to coupons and deals locally, they show national deals as well.  They provide Grocery and Drug store coupon match-ups to maximize your savings and in addition, it saves you a ton of time!
• Shoppe Charlotte – This site includes not only coupons, but business directories, classified ads and general area information
• Local.com – Great place to find the best restaurants, dentists, plumbers, etc along with reviews of their work and coupons if offered
• 360Charlotte - Features coupons, reviews, business directories as well as area attractions, housing and a parents and kids section

The much anticipated Mecklenburg County Budget Proposal was unveiled last night by County Manager Harry Jones with $81.1 Million in cuts.

The new proposal includes $21.7 Million in Charlotte Mecklenburg School cuts.  In a  school district that already feels the ache of over crowding and under anticipated growth, these cuts are going to knock the school system for a loop!  Over 350 teachers and administrators have already received pink slips, but it is believed that up to $1,000 will lose their jobs before they are finished with the cuts.

Think about that for a moment – over $1,000 teachers and administrators will be gone!  That is huge to say the least.  Our schools are already suffering with over-crowded classrooms and less than adequate learning spaces with over 1/4 of all classes being held in trailers or mobile classrooms.  I don’t quite understand why the school system is taking the brunt of this cut.

Getting rid of the over abundance of administrators is perfectly fine with me, as well as cutting the salaries of the “upper crust” of the school system and other County office.  But the decision to cut so many teachers is just beyond my thinking.  Our children are in desperate need of good teachers and classrooms conducive to learning.  We complain about kids being out of control and ruling the schools – yet we make major cuts where we actually need more money.

I don’t have the answers, but I do know what I haven’t seen – Harry Jones or Peter Gorman taking a pay cut.  Why are the highest paid NOT taking a cut?

Take a few minutes and check out the Mecklenburg County Salary Database. Harry Jones, the County Manager makes over $215,000 a year PLUS over $38,000 in bonuses. This amount is being paid for a County that is out of control and mis-managed.  How about he take a pay cut?

Even more interesting, Peter Gorman’s Salary is NOT listed in the database. Why?  Its easy to find his salary online, but why not list it in the database?  FYI – His base salary is over $260,000 PLUS bonuses, retirement, etc of over $56,000 – uh, pay cut please?

Let me know what you think about all these cuts.  I would love to hear what you have to say.

Speed Street 2010 Dates

• May 27, 2010 – May 29, 2010
• Speed Street Schedule of Events

400,000 Race fans… Speed Street… The NASCAR of Fame…

Speed Street will begin at Fifth Street and Tryon Street and extend south on Tryon Street to Martin Luther King Boulevard. The footprint also includes several blocks of Third Street between Tryon Street and Poplar Street. A pedestrian corridor along Martin Luther King Boulevard will be available to reach the NASCAR Hall of Fame

You don’t need to pay a lot of money for an expensive fire escape ladder; all you need is one that is durable and sturdy.  Fixed structure residential fire escape ladders are the best to get, simply because you don’t need to assemble then.  With a fixed structure ladder, all you need to do is climb down to safety.  They are permanently attached to your home – so they will always be there when you need them.

When you look for a residential fire escape ladder, you’ll find that there are several different styles to choose from.  There are chain and rung fire escape ladders that are designed for multiple stories, to those that reach even higher.  You can also get permanent interior ladders, exterior permanent ladders, collapsible fire escape ladders, and even retractable fire escape ladders.  Fire escape ladders are a great thing to have as a method of fire safety.

If you’ve ever lived in an apartment building or seen the outside of one, you’ve probably noticed their fire escape.  Fire escapes, depending on how many stories the building may be, will vary from simple ladders to steps.  The fire escape is very important, especially with tall buildings.  Those who live on the higher floors of apartment buildings absolutely must have a fire escape so they too can exit the building in the event of a fire.

For your home, you can also purchase a fire escape kit that includes a heavy duty escape ladder that can be assembled up to 40 feet in length.  These kits also include smoke hoods as well, in order to help keep the smoke out of your face.  Most come with chemical sticks and a horn as well, so you can let rescuers know where you are in the home when they arrive.

As you can tell, a fire escape ladder is very important to have with your home.  Homes that are 2 stories or more simply must have an escape ladder.  Fire escape ladders are perfect for safety, and may one day save your life.  Even though they may cost you a bit of money and time to install, they are one investment that you’ll never go wrong with.

About the Author:

Buddy Frey is a Keller Williams Real Estate Agent in Charlotte NC, ready to help you with your home buying needs today!

If you are a homeowner in Charlotte like myself, one of the true fears we all have revolves around the number of Foreclosures in Charlotte! Fortunately for myself, I have quite a few Charlotte Realtor friends who help me understand that whole it looks bad, it’s actually getting better!

Why The Foreclosure Trend is Looking Up!

At first glance you may read this and think that ANY foreclosures in Charlotte are bad, the truth is… while the sheer number of Foreclosures in Charlotte are growing, the rate at which they are selling is increasing as well! Sure, nothing about having a house down the street from you go into foreclosure is good, but at least if they are not sitting there for 12-24 months, it increases the likelihood that the local market will return to normal sooner!

Finding Foreclosed Homes in Your Area

There are many ways to get into the foreclosed list on the web but they all cost money to join! Before you put your credit card on the line just to get a list of current offerings, you may just want to get in touch with a local Realtor who can send you weekly lists of all new listings in the market.

A Friend of my own, Buddy Frey, sends out Charlotte Foreclosure Listings to more than 250 people every week, making the task (and cost) of finding the foreclosed homes, almost effortless!

He handles the listings through a no-obligation, no-cost and no junk email delivery system that automatically processes it all for him. I suggest that if you are looking for info, head over to his Charlotte Real Estate Site and read up on the foreclosures in Charlotte.

Its that time of year again, when Charlotte NC turns into a week long Carnival of NASCAR and Auto Racing!

Food Lion and 600 Festival have once again brought back the show that every race fan and a large majority of Charlotte Residents enjoy… Speed Street!

The full schedule of events surrounding this years Speed Street can be found at the 600 Festival Site

With the cool mornings we have seen over the last few weeks in Charlotte, it should be taken as a reminder that fall and winter are quickly approaching! One of the most important things we all need to be aware of, is that regardless of whether we are ready for the cold, our Gas Furnaces or other Heating Systems, May not be! Waiting until it breaks is never the right answer and following these 5 basic rules, can spare you the unpleasant awakening of chattering teeth on the first very cold morning!

The following 5 tips were provided by B&E Air Conditioning and Heating of Charlotte NC

Visually Inspect your Furnace

This is pretty basic. just like you look over your automobile for things that may lead to a failure, you can easily do the same thing with your heating system. If you have a Gas Furnace or outdoor package unit, just grab your flashlight and give it a good once-over, looking for obvious signs of trouble. The easiest things to spot are:

• Corrosion or Rust
• Loose or exposed electrical connections
• The tape or bonding has chipped or cracked around the ductwork connectors
• Scorch marks
• Anything that just looks to be in disarray.

Testing your Thermostat

Go to your thermostat and turn it to the heat setting, maybe 5-10 degrees higher than the current temp in your home. You should immediately hear the ignition system on the furnace and within 3-5 minutes at most, you should be able to feel warm air blowing out of your vents.

It is very common to experience a funny smell the first time the furnace lights up in the early fall, however, that smell should dissipate within 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t, you may want to call out a service company.

Replace your HVAC Filters

This is a standard thing you should be doing every 30 days, regardless! Plugged air filters can lead to the death of a heating or cooling system!

Just imagine if you held a cloth over your own mouth and tried to breath through it after it was there for 45 days! It would be so clogged, you would not be able to get air into your lungs, and would eventually suffocate!

Start and Test Your Heat Today

Most important, do NOT wait until it is 30 degrees outside to find out your furnace doesn’t work! Just like every industry, supply and demand has a large impact on how quickly the service company can come out.

If 10,000 people all call in with no heat, it may take several hours, or even a full day, for the company to come out. Test your heating system when the weather is still somewhat warm, and you don’t mind possibly waiting 24 hours.

Have it Serviced by a Professional

This alone can not be stressed enough. Your heating system is designed to contain noxious fumes (CO2) and keep them out of your breathable home oxygen. An inefficient furnace or even one small crack could endanger your family…

B&E Heating and Air Conditioning specializes in seasonal furnace tune ups and inspections on all types and manufacturers of equipment, and the cost is very affordable. Don’t be fooled by the free tune up offers, the idea is to get a sales person in front of you, where they try to sell you on extras. At B&E, we care about you and have 25 years worth of satisfied customers in the Charlotte NC area, that agree!

Call B&E for your Gas Furnace Service today – 704-333-0363

As the next weeks take shape, you will find several new sections on our site. Each section was planned according to what you said you would like to see!

Thank you for your patience during the transition, you won’t disappointed!