Surging Energy Prices Are Already Taking A Toll On One Area Of The Market

Coffee Costs: 5 Ways to Save Money on K-Cups

Keurig's K-CupsThe convenience of single-cup coffeemakers is undeniable -- the sheer simplicity of popping a pod into a brewer that dishes out premium brew in a minute or two. There's no mess. There's no old coffee going bad.

It's no wonder more and more java sippers are tossing out their coffee pots for single-serve machines.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) shipped a whopping 4.2 million Keurig brewers through its partners during the holiday quarter. Revenue more than doubled to $1.16 billion as earlier buyers loaded up on the K-Cup portion packs that provide the bean-based caffeinated kicks.

Keurig isn't the only single-serve specialist. Tassimo, Nespresso, Senseo, CBTL, and now even Green Mountain's brand new Vue system are just some of the one-cup platforms vying for your morning swig.

Slick, But Not Cheap

Single-serve coffee is certainly easier on the pocketbook than hitting up the Starbucks (SBUX) barista every time you need a caffeine fix. But you may be surprised at how much you're actually paying for the ground coffee that shakes in the proprietary pods like maracas.

The New York Times' Oliver Strand did the math earlier this month. He looked at Nespresso Arpeggio pods that retail at $5.70 for 10 espresso capsules. Since each capsule contains just five grams of coffee, we're looking at about $51 a pound. Ouch!

He also priced the Folgers Black Silk blend available for Keurig machines at $10.69 for a dozen K-Cups. Since each of those pods contains eight grams of coffee, it would take nearly 57 K-Cups -- setting a fan of joe back close to $50.50 -- for a pound of the stuff.

Thankfully for Strand and others with single-serve machines, there are ways to avoid paying $50 a pound for coffee. Here are tips on ways to save. Though specifically for Keurig's K-Cups, many of these suggestions apply to rival makers as well.

1. Buy in bulk
If Strand's prices seem outrageous, it's because you're probably not paying them. His article singles out retail pricing and not what savvy sippers can find if they shop around.

Amazon.com (AMZN) offers larger counts of pods at substantial savings through its website. For instance, the same Folgers K-Cups that he was pricing at $0.89 per refill can be had for about $0.47 a K-Cup through the leading online retailer.

Amazon sells three of the 12-packs bundled together for $16.97. A buyer is paying a little more than half per K-Cup, but they can even do better than that.

2. Subscribe for Savings

Amazon has a "Subscribe and Save" program, offering buyers who commit to automatic repeat purchases discounts of as much as 15% on select items.

It's a forgiving program. You can go online to skip deliveries or change the frequency of the shipments. If you've found your favorite single-serve brand -- and it's available through Amazon's subscription plan -- what do you have to lose? Your K-Cup consumption is likely to be pretty steady anyway.

Soon other plan choices outside of Amazon may be available, too. Target (TGT) revealed last month that it's exploring a subscription service to provide shoppers with discounts on regularly purchased merchandise.

3. Be Less Brand-Loyal

Remember that last tip about finding your favorite brand? Forget about it! There are more than 200 varieties of K-Cups on the market. Rival single-serve systems offer dozens of options.

If you're not stuck on a particular flavor, there will probably be different price points available to you across the many K-Cup varieties. You won't find the same kind of pricing disparity for smaller platforms, but it never hurts to hunt for sales or more compelling prices on other pods.

4. Buy a reusable filter

Environmentalists worried about the disposable nature of single-serve capsules have flocked to reusable Keurig filters for years, but they're also a great way to save money.

Consumers willing to sacrifice a little on quality can buy a reusable K-Cup filter, filling it with the ground coffee of their choice. Yes, it's perfectly legal. It doesn't void the appliance's warranty. Green Mountain even makes its own reusable filter.

It won't be as clean, but wiping the counter for stray coffee grounds is a small compromise for the serious money that can be saved by the pound.

5. Be Patient

Green Mountain is going to lose some key intellectual property later this year. The two patents related to Keurig's K-Cup portion packs expire in September. At that point, anyone will be able to make K-Cup refills without having to pay Green Mountain a royalty that amounts to a few cents per K-Cup.

The move should drive prices lower, obviously. The level playing field will make it easier for companies that have been sitting on the sidelines to throw their K-Cups into this brew ring.

There's serious money to be saved now, and more to be saved later. So drink up!

Longtime Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz does not own shares in any of the stocks in this article, except for Green Mountain. The Motley Fool owns shares of Starbucks. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Starbucks. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended writing covered calls in Starbucks. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a lurking gator position in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.


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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/02/18/coffee-costs-5-ways-to-save-money-on-k-cups/

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Productive Information About Personal Finance That Helps

At some point in their lives, everyone has to manage their personal finances. As members of society gain income, they must decide how they will allocate their funds to best suit their present and future needs. Personal finance management (credit card debt relief act) is important to surviving in today’s world and the advice in [...]

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2012/02/19/productive-information-about-personal-finance-that-helps/

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The 10 Most Atrocious NBA Rappers Ever


kevin durant oklahoma city thunder

Rappers rap about ballin' all the time.

Unfortunately, there have also been a few ballers who decided to try rapping for themselves.

Of course, the results were horribly awesome.

Recently, Kevin Durant released a new song titled "Worried About Tomorrow."

It's by no means awful, but we think Durantula should probably stick to his day job.

Even though his first album, "Shaq Diesel", went platinum, Shaquille O'Neal was dreadful as a musician. Sample lyrics? ?They call me XT. What?s that Shaq, man? Xtra Tall-em.?

Check out Shaq's rapping attempts for yourself

NBA commissioner David Stern was not a huge fan of Allen Iverson's highly-controversial and offensive single "40 Bars." Despite changing the lyrics, Iverson never released the full album he had planned to.

Listen to NSFW track

After being suspended for the rest of the season for brawling with fans in Detroit, the player formerly known as Ron Artest spent time in the recording studio. Artest wasn't exactly a trailblazer, rapping about spending his money on gambling and strippers.

Watch one of his music videos (probably NSFW)

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/JCV7Xr33Eo8/the-10-worst-nba-rappers-ever-2012-2

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The 9 Least Dependable Auto Brands On The Road


chrysler

People buy cars based on personal appeal, price, performance, fuel efficiency and reliability. Reliability is among the most important factors for most consumers. A car or light truck that runs without problems saves its owner time, and most important, a great deal of money.

Click here to see the brands >

24/7 Wall St. looked at the recently released JD Power 2012 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. We reviewed the auto brands that received the lowest scores. The brands with the most dependability issues were examined to determine why they received such poor marks.

The JD Power survey is based on the responses of more than 31,000 original owners of 2009 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. Dependability is determined “by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.” The industry’s average for the current study was 132 PP100. The worst brands had more than 160 problems.

For one, many are niche brands. Seven of the nine brands have a U.S. market share of 3% or less. Mainstream brands such as Ford (NYSE:F), Chevy and Toyota (NYSE:TM), which have closer to 15% of the market, do not make the list. Is brand reliability related to market share? There is no evidence that is true.

Some small market share brands like Lexus get high quality marks. However, the small market share brands on this list do not have anywhere near the production quality of Mercedes or Lexus. They are lower end brands with small market share.

The effects of the Chrysler Chapter 11 filing in April 2009 are obvious when looking at the list. The survey measures the dependability of cars manufactured in 2009 after three years of ownership. When the 2009 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge models were manufactured, Chrysler was in great turmoil, including layoffs, management changes and plant closures — all of which can affect manufacturing quality. It should come as no surprise then that three of the brands on this list are part of that parent company.

The least dependable cars include nine brands that JD Powers’ 2012 Vehicle Dependability Survey lists as having the highest incidence of problems. The dependability number provided for each brand represents the number of reported defects per 100 vehicles — the higher the score, the lower the quality. Initial quality scores by brand and brand dependability scores for these automakers’ most popular vehicles also were reviewed.

Brand satisfaction scores from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index also were included. Most of the brands on our list ranked close to the bottom in ACSI score relative to the other automakers. We also list what we consider to be the brand’s flagship vehicle — the most recognized and usually one of the highest-selling models of the brand.

This post originally appeared at 24/7 Wall St. 

9. Mazda

  • Problems per 100 vehicles: 163
  • Initial quality score: 4/5
  • 2011 sales: 250,426
  • 2011 market share: 2%
  • Customer satisfaction score: well below average
  • Flagship model: CX-9

Mazda is an example of a car company that caters to the low end of the market with inexpensive cars and light trucks. The Mazda brand never gained the traction that the Toyota, Nissan and Honda (NYSE: HMC) did 40 years ago. Those brands have diversified into mid-market and luxury cars. But Mazda can claim some progress of late. Consumer Reports gave some of its models good reviews in its 2011 evaluation of cars and light truck sold in the U.S. However, some of the brand’s top-selling nameplates, including the MAZDA3, MAZDA5, and CX-9 received poor initial quality and dependability scores.

8. Suzuki

  • Problems per 100 vehicles: 167
  • Initial quality score: 2/5
  • 2011 sales: 26,619
  • 2011 market share: less than 1%
  • Customer satisfaction score: NA
  • Flagship model: SX4

Suzuki does not sell many cars in America, perhaps because it competes with more visible brands such as Kia and Volkswagen, which have cheap models. Suzuki is better known for its motorcycles and marine engines than for its cars, at least in the U.S. Few car companies that are part of big auto manufacturers have less than 30,000 sales a year in America — unless the cars are Bentleys or Maseratis. The SX4 received extremely low dependability scores from JD Power.

7. Kia

  • Problems per 100 vehicles: 169
  • Initial quality score: 3/5
  • 2011 sales: 489,452
  • 2011 market share: 4%
  • Customer satisfaction score: below average
  • Flagship model: Optima

Kia’s sales have grown as the low-priced South Korean cars have taken the place that the Japanese cars held from the 1970s to the 1990s. They are affordable for almost anyone who has the means to buy a new car. However, a low price may not buy high quality. Despite gains in market share and total sales, Kia ranks below average in the JD Power and ASCI measurements. The Optima, Kia’s top-selling car last year, received poor reliability scores.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Iran Oil Ministry Cuts Off Exports To Britain And France


oil barrels

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's Oil Ministry says oil exports have been halted to Britain and France.

The statement posted on the ministry's shana.ir website on Sunday appears to be part of pre-emptive action by Iran after the European Union decided to boycott Iranian oil beginning in July. The 27-nation EU accounts for about 18 percent of Iran's oil exports.

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Take A Look At 27 Buildings That Are Shaped Like The Food That's Sold There


giant donut hole

This post originally appeared at Mental_Floss.

In 2010, Ethan Trex gave us a great list of buildings shaped like what they sell… but there are way more than just 10 buildings shaped like what they sell, so today we’re back with more! (Thanks in part to the tips from all the commenters.)

These 27 buildings are all shaped like edible items, from fruit to soda, and most of them—at some point in time—were involved in the production or sale of those items.

FRUIT

Fruit-shaped buildings have been especially popular, perhaps in part because a sphere (for an apple or orange) is somewhat easier to construct than some other shapes.

FAST FOOD

Fast food restaurants, which are usually located close to major roads, have always tried to make their buildings eye-catching, but some go above and beyond with buildings shaped like their offerings.

COFFEE & TEA

Despite the seeming complexities of the coffee pot / tea pot shape, it’s actually a relatively popular shape for buildings.

MILK & SODA

The simple structure of a bottle was once a popular shape for dairy stands and ice cream shops, but it has since fallen out of use, with few still in operation

ALCOHOL

We found a few buildings that are shaped like alcohol containers. Although we’re not sure why—a barrel-shaped bar seems pretty cool to us. 

More From Mental_Floss:

The Big Apple

262 Orchard Road, Cramahe, Ontario K0K 1S0

Surprisingly, the Big Apple isn’t in the Big Apple—New York City, that is—but instead in the apple-producing township of Cramahe, Ontario. Inside “the world’s biggest apple” are a restaurant, pie bakery, gift shop, and observation deck; a petting zoo, nature trail, and mini golf course are also on the grounds.

More: There really is a Little Debbie

The Big Banana

351 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales 2450

John Landy built the Big Banana in 1964 to attract drivers to his roadside banana stand. Today, in addition to the walk-through banana, the attraction includes 20 plantation acres, a shop, a café, a theatre experience, a nursery, an ice rink, a toboggan ride, and an inflatable waterslide. Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Stuart Edwards.

The Bundaberg Barrel

147 Bargara Road, Bundaberg East, Queensland 4670

Bundaberg (Australia) is the home of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, a soft drink manufacturer founded in 1960. In 2005, they built a tourist facility, the Bundaberg Barrel, that features a tour of the ginger beer making process, a 3D hologram adventure, a sampling bar with all their drink flavors, and a gift shop.

More: What makes a grand jury so grand?

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EntreLeader Spotlight: Dr. Michael Easley

EntreLeadership is not just a theory. Thousands of business owners and leaders are using Dave?s principles every day to take their companies and team members to heights they never imagined. In the EntreLeadership Spotlight series, we?ll be highlighting some of these great leaders and learning about their dreams, motivation and secrets to success.

Dr. Michael Easley is a teaching pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. Before joining Fellowship, he served as president of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois.

My Biggest Decision as a Leader

Without question, it?s firing people. The corollary is more important?making the right hires. But when you inherit staff or have to let someone go, it?s hard, unfriendly and rarely goes well. No matter how tough, though, you have to do the right thing for the right reasons.

A Characteristic Every Leader Should Possess

Initiative.

My Mentors

One was a retired psychologist, who was in many ways the father I never had. He believed in me, encouraged me, and asked great questions. The other was a former professor, who was both an outstanding teacher and practitioner. He was always my sounding board, able to clear my thoughts to what was the issue in front of me.

My Best Leadership Advice

You must have humility in learning the organization and how to lead, and courage in making the right decisions at the right time.

My Biggest Obstacle as a Leader

Dealing with the loneliness of the position, yet being real/available to people. There?s a constant tension as a leader. You know things, do things, and make hard choices that no one knows or understands. You cannot look for your managers/team members to understand?and it would be improper to expect them to. The outside mentors are great, but there?s an exquisite loneliness that goes along with leadership that is interesting to navigate.

The Secret to My Success

Perseverance and trying to always improve. I?ve found this axiom to be true: ?There?s only a little difference between men; but the little difference makes all the difference.?

My Favorite Movies

O Brother, Where Art Thou??delightful nonsense; Jeremiah Johnson?challenges trying to create a perfect life; The Spanish Prisoner?clever beyond explanation; Almost any John Wayne movie (best Western of all time: The Searchers) because it?s John Wayne; Moonstruck?reminds me of my Italian heritage; Corrina, Corrina ?a family fave; and, of course, The Princess Bride.

My Leadership Style

It has changed over the years. Early on, I was all about consensus and relationships. Then I was placed in a position where I had essentially complete authority and responsibility. I think now it?s more of a combination of relational and goal-oriented. Meaning, you can lead better as the relationships are strong, but you also must have goals you are working toward.

To learn more about business, team building and leadership, download our newest EntreLeadership Podcast. You?ll hear more from Dave, as well as a special question and answer session with two of his team leaders: Chris LoCurto, vice president and host of the EntreLeadership Podcast, and his producer, Chris Mefford, vice president of Live Events.

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Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/entreleader-spotlight-dr-michael-easley/lifeandmoney_business

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