Most people only buy a furnace or air conditioner with the house they buy, or when the old one breaks. As a result consumers don’t get much experience hiring HVAC contractors and even less negotiating for the best deal. Heating and cooling contractors know this and use this to their advantage.

Since as home repairs go, replacing the furnace or the air conditioning system is a big cost, and since summer’s warm weather is almost here, we thought we’d share a detailed article from Furnace Compare about how the HVAC market really works and how to choose a heating / cooling contractor.

Additionally there is a second article on how to negotiate for the best deal, because HVAC quotes are extremely difficult to compare, even when the models are the “same”.

Here are some highlights on picking a Heating or Cooling Contractor

(See the article for more the details)

• Ask for recommendations.
• Find out how long they have been in business.
• Check References.
• Contact the Better Business Bureau.
• Ask how they will determine the correct size of the new furnace.
• Make sure you contractor properly licensed.
• Find out if you need a permit and if the contractor will get it for you.

How to Negotiate with Heating Contractors

Once you pick a contractor you’ll want to negotiate for the best deal. After all, if you are spending $5000 a saving of just 5% is $250! The problem is that it is often impossible for a home owner to make a fair comparison, between two bids. Furnace compare has just added a new article to help consumers negotiate with their heating contractor.

Their ideas include:

• Explaining that you are a referral source friends and colleagues and that when you get a particularly good deal you are extra anxious to share the news.
• Negotiating lower prices by being flexible on install date and payment terms.
• Negotiating for a year of free service.

Good luck keeping cool this summer, and think about energy efficient units because engery costs are not likely to decline anytime soon.

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It is not often that we at Joe Consumer find ourselves as fans of lawyers and businesses, but we’d like to tip our hat to Kurt Denke, CEO of Blue Jeans Cable, for his corporate “Little guy” tenacity. The folks at Monster Cable charged his organization, Blue Jeans Cable, with infringing there intellectual property. The very short summary is that Monster thinks that their Tartan cables look too much like Monster’s cables. How do I say this simply… It is an RCA plug — It has pins on each end and wire in the middle. I am just waiting for them to find a string with cups on each end to be infringing.

It seems like Monsters IP bully tactics were directed at the wrong guy this time. Kurt Denke was q lawyer litigating for insurance companies for 19 years before becoming CEO. He fired back as only a wronged lawyer itching for battle can, in an insanely long, over the top letter that left use crying at its awesome in your face style, mastery of facts and law, and its absurdly long length.

See the whole letter here at gizmodo.

Has anyone else noticed that it’s much harder than it used to be to make healthy choices in restaurants? Not only are portions bigger, they are packed with saturated fat and sodium, and have more add-ons than previously. Appetizers are pressed on customers, and sugary sodas have free refills. How hard is it to eat well when you are eating out?

First, keep in consideration that most active adults should eat approximately 2,000 calories per day, and no more than 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 milligrams per day of sodium (depending, of course, upon health conditions). Many restaurants offer entrees that outdo all of these recommendations - in one dish.

Take this example: On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, with branches all over the United States, offers Double Stacked Club Quesadillas: a combination of a club sandwich and quesadilla, “stacked with fajita chicken, cheese, crumbled bacon, fresh avocado… sour cream… and ranch dressing.” This entree has a total of 1,860 calories, 3,440 milligrams of sodium, and 52 grams of saturated fat! Their Ranchiladas, “fajita steak topped with ranchero sauce and Jack cheese” which come with two cheese enchiladas, Mexican rice, and beans with cheese contain 1,870 calories, 3,810 milligrams of sodium, and 46 grams of saturated fat. If you add a large soda, you’re past the recommended daily allowance of calories for the day in just one meal! Without a dessert or an appetizer!

Uno Chicago Grill outdoes them, however, with an appetizer that tops 2000 calories! Pizza Skins, a combination of pizza crust, mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes, bacon, cheese, and sour cream, has 2,050 calories! This appetizer - meant to get you ready for your main meal - also includes 3,140 milligrams of sodium and 48 grams of saturated fat. And this comes before the meal!

Burgers have gotten bigger, as well. The Ruby Tuesday Colossal Burger contains 1,940, before you includes the fries or the sauce on the side. It has a total of 141 grams of fat! The same restaurant offers a healthy-sounding dish: Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta. Many people would assume that this dish contains less than the actual 2,060 calories which it does have - without a beverage, garlic toast, or dessert!

Next, take the desserts into consideration. The Cheesecake Factory’s Chris’s Outrageous Chocolate Cake, for example, contains 1,380 calories - in one slice. This one slice also offers 32 teaspoons of sugar and 33 grams of saturated fat. This is more fat and calories than two quarter pounders - just in your dessert. Cold Stone Creamery is not much better. The large sized “Founder’s Favorite” includes 14 ounces of ice cream, brownies, pecans, caramel, and fudge, for a total of 1,740 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat.

In addition to the changes in meals, Americans’ way of thinking about eating has also changed. It’s not enough now to just order an entree and a beverage. Now people tend to order beverages that have unlimited refills, appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts. While the portion sizes go up, we continue to clean our plates - because who wants to waste food?

So what can we do to stay healthy in the midst of the calorie explosion? Start by being aware. Just knowing that you have to watch out for yourself in a restaurant is a good start. Check out what exactly restaurants have to offer at sites like HealthyDiningFinder.com. Don’t be afraid to ask your server if you can have a certain item prepared light, or grilled. Ask for sauces on the side so that you can control the amount that you put on the food, and substitute vegetables for fries when possible.

One very simple, but often overlooked, way to reduce the amount of calories you take in when eating out is to drink water or unsweetened iced tea. Sodas and alcoholic drinks are packed with calories, and many people drink more than one serving with a meal.

Think about sharing - share a dessert or appetizer instead of getting one for yourself. If no one wants to share, take the rest of your meal home! You’ve just gotten lunch and dinner for the price of one meal, and you’re saving your health!