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Markets
The best and worst bargains can be found at markets.
• Before setting out, write a list of things you’d planned to buy at retail stores. The same items may be at the markets at a fraction of the price. The list also will keep you focused so you’re not tempted to buy useless items.
• Take cash. Stallholders prefer it, and it gives you better bargaining power.
• If you’re planning to buy drapery or furnishings, take a tape measure and measure areas before you go.
• Find out what time the market starts and get there early when the best range of goods is on offer. It also pays to be there just before closing time. Items such as flowers and food are virtually given away.
• Don’t accept the price tag figure. Always ask, “What’s your best price?”
• Bad weather shouldn’t deter you, but it will stop less serious shoppers. You’ll have more room to move and stallholders will be more co-operative in lowering their prices.
• Beware of fly-by-night operators. If you have problems with your purchase, you want to ensure the seller is a regular or has a contact number.

Retail sales
• The only way to make sure a sale price is a genuine discount is to shop around first and compare prices.
• These days, retail stores often are open to offers, so it pays to haggle. If you know another store is offering an item at a lower price, ask the shop to match or better it.
• Beware of retailers who display two prices for the same product. If the higher price has a line through it, the lower price often looks considerably discounted. This is called false price indication, as the shop never offered those shoes for $200. It’s an offence and the retailer can be prosecuted.
• Beware of retailers who advertise products at bargain prices, only to inform customers the items have sold out - in reality, they were never available. Known as bait advertising, it is an offence for a store to mislead potential customers in this way.
• If shops advertise bargains, they should ensure they are available for a reasonable period and in reasonable quantities. Otherwise, the advertisement should indicate there is only a limited number available.

Second-hand woes
• Always inspect used items. Look for damage. If there are faults, can they be repaired and at what cost? Do they interfere with the function or safety of the product?
• Don’t buy chipped china or glass -unless you know it’s special and that it can be restored easily and cheaply.
• Beware of second-hand electrical goods — such as white goods, heaters, radios and so on. They may have faults which could be extremely dangerous.
• Does it have a motor? I know of one shopper who bought a food blender at a market and found later that the motor was missing. So always try appliances out for a few minutes. If it needs any additional wiring or plumbing, add these expenses to the purchase price and then ask, “Is it really worth the money?”
• Ask if the motor has been reconditioned - and by a properly qualified person. Is it clean inside and out?
$ Inquire if the original manual is available for an appliance. Many good second-hand dealers supply these with purchases.
• In some cases, used appliances should be labelled to show whether they have been tested for safety by a qualified person. If an appliance has not been tested, you might be liable for the cost of modifications.

Your rights
• Remember, second-hand goods should work properly and be safe, but you can’t expect them to be the same quality as the new product. If you do have problems, check with the Department of Fair Trading, because you may have rights against the seller or manufacturer. For example, in spite of “no refund” signs, if the item has faults you were not aware of before sale which affect its safety and function, the seller may be legally obliged to give you a refund or exchange. This applies to new goods bought in stores as well as second-hand purchases.

Discrimination can be a very painful experience, not to mention, damaging to one’s self-esteem. Worst of all, it hampers your career prospects more than any other obstacle in the working world. But discrimination is also subjective, and is not always easy to recognize. How can you tell if you are being discriminated against without knowing it?

One of the more common examples of discrimination at the workplace is being excluded from office meetings and social events. When your entire team goes out to lunch to celebrate a major account, and do not (or belatedly) invite you, then you know something is wrong.

People who are excluded from meals or invites to meals should pay close attention to ensuring that they are assessed fairly at work. You could be getting trapped into not just being discriminated against, but also being seen as ineffective.

Often, isolating you from the support of colleagues is the first step towards sidelining you completely. You can tell that you’re not wanted and that you’re not appreciated when it happens. No one asks you to head any projects or stay back to help with deadlines anymore.

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SELECT A WASHING MACHINE THAT USES THE LEAST ENERGY
water and detergent, and has a high spin-dry speed. Front-loading models usually rate best, but some top-loaders now perform well. Check the energy label to help you choose energy-efficient models (the more stars, the better the energy rating). These usually spin clothes better, saving on drying time.

CHOOSE A SIZE SUITABLE FOR YOUR HOUSEHOLD. An oversized model will often be used with part-loads, while an undersized one may be used too often -both are wasteful. Washers are most efficient when fully loaded.

WHEN USING YOUR WASHING MACHINE heating water for your laundry makes up 85 to 90 percent of the energy cost. So if possible, wash clothes in cold water. Kao Attack 2-in-1 Liquid Detergent Plus Softener has a low-liquid viscosity, allowing it to dissolve quickly and rinse off easily, so there’s no need to worry about remaining suds. What’s more, being a two-in-one, it effectively cleans and softens clothes.

UNLESS YOU’RE DEALING WITH OILY STAINS, the warm or cold water setting on your machine cleans clothes well. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm halves a load’s energy use. If this won’t get your clothes as clean as you’d like, use a warm water pre-soak.

3 or 4 WEEKS BEFORE Choose a date and decide on party type. Set a budget and add 10 percent for unexpected expenses, say celebrity party planners Elizabeth Harrison and Lara Shriftman, authors of Fete Accompli: The Ultimate Guide To Creative Entertaining. Send invitations.-

2 WEEKS BEFORE Work out the decor (lots of votive candles always work) and soundtrack (mix your own CD of favorite songs to suit the theme). Determine your liquor needs and select your menu.

WEEKEND BEFORE Buy ingredients now and whip up and freeze some meat dishes, say Cocktail Parties, Straight Up! authors Lauren Purcell and Anne Purcell Grissinger. Shop for non-perishables like plastic cups, napkins and decorations. Get extra garbage bags and paper towels for easy clean-up. Clean your house and pay attention to spots that sparkle like bathroom taps and mirrors.

DAY BEFORE Arrange everything as if the party were tonight. Push furniture against the wall to open up space. Arrange decorations. Do last-minute shopping for vegetables, flowers and ice.

3 HOURS BEFORE Get yourself ready. Put the finishing touches on yourself before you garnish any platters. Chill wine.

10 MINUTES BEFORE Light candles and warm serving platters. Leave small tasks like turning on music for early birds.

I’m having a cocktail party far 60 people. How much liquor will I need?

answer:
APPROACH YOUR BAR AS YOU DO YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS? IT’S BETTER TO HAVE TOO MUCH THAN TOO LITTLE. Assuming that about 10 percent of your invitees will sip soft drinks all night, you’ll be left with 54 drinkers who’ll down three or four drinks apiece, says Serena Bass, author of Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day. That translates to about 12 bottles of liquor, so buy 15. (You can always take the unopened bottles back to the store and exchange them for wine.) Also, don’t forget to have ample supplies of mixers, beer, and red and white wine on hand.

A GENERAL RULE IS THAT IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO LOSE SOMETHING, YOU SHOULDN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU. But if you must travel with valuables, store them in a safe-deposit box at the front desk (usually provided free of charge). The problem with in-room safes is that the hotel can’t be held liable if something is stolen from them; the Housekeepers Liability Laws make sure of that. Of course, if your hotel doesn’t offer deposit boxes, an in-room safe is better than nothing, especially if the safe has a number pad instead of a key, which can be copied and distributed among the staff. For laptops and other items that won’t fit into a room safe, consider the PacSafe 85 ($65,pac-safe.com). Once you secure this stainless-steel-wire-mesh bag to a pipe or other immobile object, it will deter all but the most persistent of thieves.

Producers and vips go for seats between the 10th and 20th rows- generally regarded to be the best in the house for sight and sound—but I suggest you opt for the first few rows of the mezzanine, preferably center. These seats are easier to acquire and far less expensive, and offer equally clear views of the stage. And since mezzanine seats at many theaters begin at the 12th row, you won’t be too far back. Avoid private boxes. Though glamorous, they’re often so far to the sides that their view is less than optimal. Wherever you decide to sit, though, you should never pay full price. At broadwaybox.com or theatermania.com, you can get a discount code for a show and use it when buying tickets online or at the box office.