and the Most For Your Money winners are…

It’s been a tough year economically and everyone is watching their spending.  With the holidays right around the corner, it’s going to be even harder than ever.  That’s why Buzzillions has found the best deals in each category to help you with your holiday shopping.  These aren’t just the cheapest products, because what’s the point of getting a cheap product if it doesn’t do what you want?  These are products where you feel like you are getting far more value than what you paid.  These are products that are highly ranked yet won’t break the bank.  These are the Buzzillions Most For Your Money winners.

The Most For Your Money winners are determined based on user reviews.  To ensure the winners are relevant and not discontinued or out of stock, we only use reviews from January to September 2009.  Products in each category are then ranked with a special algorithm that incorporates star ratings, number of reviews and the reliability of the reviewers (reviews by “Verified Buyers” are given more weight).  A price comparison is performed on the highest ranked products to determine the Most For Your Money winners for each category.

***Note that these awards are NOT influenced by any sponsorship or payments. They are based solely on the product reviews of real consumers and price reported to us by retailers.

You can see all Most For Your Money Award winners here.

When browsing for products, look for the distinctive blue Buzzillions Most For Your Money badge, and you’ll know you’ve found a standout within a category.
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Some Award Highlights

Toys, Baby and Kids:

• Most For Your Money Standard Baby Stroller: Graco Glider Stroller
• Most For Your Money Car Seat: Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat & Base
• Most For Your Money Ride-On Toy: Little Tikes Rockin’ Puppy

Sports & Outdoor:

• Most For Your Money Ski/Snowboard Helmet: Giro Bad Lieutenant Helmet
• Most For Your Money Backpack: North Face Terra 60 Backpack – 3700-3850cu in
• Most For Your Money Elliptical: Stamina Products InMotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer

Electronics:

• Most For Your Money MP3 Player: Apple iPod shuffle 1GB
• Most For Your Money Digital Point & Shoot Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS Digital Camera
• Most For Your Money LCD TV: Samsung LN40A450 40 Inch High Definition LCD TV

Home & Garden

• Most For Your Money Dishwasher: Frigidaire 24″ Tall Tub Built-In Dishwasher – White
• Most For Your Money Washer: Haier 6.6 lbs. Portable Pulsator Washer
• Most For Your Money Coffee Maker: Faberware Stainless Steel 8 Cup Yosemite Percolator

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Congratulations to all the winners. You can see all Most For Your Money winners here.

Alan, an account manager on the Buzzillions team, recently got his Honda Element tricked out with a pop-top camper.  Southern California company Ursa Minor converted his SUV into an ECamper complete with 7′x4′ matress and Sunbrella fabric tent panels. Alan claims it’s for camping, but we’re not so sure. After all, it earned the dubious distinction of being the #7 Car You Can Live in After Your Home is Reposessed.  Either way, it’s a pretty awesome vehicle, reminiscent of the VW Westfalia.

Whether you prefer an Ecamper or a traditional tent, we have all the camping gear product reviews you could possibly need here (don’t forget the portable hot tub). If your car needs a tune-up before you hit the road, check out the car part reviews from JC Whitney, our newest Buzzillions partner.

When it comes to wheelchairs, the ubiquitous Rascal has been the undisputed leader. Blanketing daytime TV with infomercials promising to safely deliver you or your loved one to the Grand Canyon with a mere touch of a button, The Rascal has become a household name. These days, though, you might not be eager to signing up for their convenient, but deceptively pricey monthly payment plan. If you need the mobility, but don’t want to shell out big bucks for an overrated mobility device what are your options?

According to reviews, the little-known Allegro Medical Jet Powered Concept Wheelchair is a solid alternative. In a side-by-side comparison, the AMJPCW beats out the Rascal in almost every way. Most notably, the AMJPCW’s top speed dwarfs that of the Rascal, reaching as high as 127 mph. With the correct safety equipment (after-market roll cage is recommended) & driver training the AMJPCW is generally considered perfectly safe.

While it’s not the top ranked mobility device on Buzzillions, our friends at Allegro Medical have slashed the price of the chair. With a new low price of $1200, you no longer need to sell your grandchildren to afford the $387,568.00 list price. With those savings you can buy a house at the Grand Canyon.

7 User-Approved Products to Help Realize Your New Year Resolutions

Every year we seem to make the same New Year resolutions. Why? Because those pesky resolutions are hard to keep. What we all need is a little something that will inspire and nudge us along to help us realize our resolutions this year.  Buzzillions.com has compiled a list of Top Rated products, endorsed by actual users, that are sure to motivate you from beginning to end, so you can finally put a big check mark on your New Year resolutions list and say, “I did it!”

Stop Smoking: Kicking this bad habit doesn’t mean you have to go cold turkey or limit your lifestyle. The NICODERM CQ smoking cessation aid is a clear patch that is effective, easy to use and stays on no matter what – swim, sweat or shower these patches will stick by your side and help you quit. Users say these are easy to use and they really work.
Buzzillions Rank: #1 of 32 (see top ten list)

Lose Weight: The key to effective weight loss is systematically monitoring your progress. The Omron Body Fat Analyzer is a nifty gadget that allows you to measure your body fat in the privacy of your own home. With separate modes for athletes and non-athletes you get the most accurate progress reports so you know your weight loss efforts are paying off. Users say it’s super easy to use, even if you’re technically challenged.
Buzzillions Rank: #12 of 415 (see top ten list)

Get Organized: Keeping track of your website logins doesn’t mean you have to cover your office in sticky notes anymore. The Open Sesame! Password Reminder is an unassuming little book designed to store websites, usernames, hints and passwords. No more wasted time recovering lost login information, maximize your efficiency and get more done with this cool little book. Users say it makes their job more efficient and desks more organized.
Buzzillions Rank: #2 of 415 (see top ten list)

Learn Something New: Enrich your mind and soul this new year. Learn something for your own personal growth and impress your friends in the process. The Esteban’s Complete Guitar Course for Beginners features step by step instruction course book and two DVDs to help you master the guitar in no time – and have fun while you’re doing it. Users say this has everything you need to get started.
Buzzillions Rank: #7 of 1349 (see top ten list)

Get out of Debt: Don’t even consider keeping up with the Joneses – they’re broke! The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness offers proven how-to advice to get out and stay out of financial debt. This book explains debt and helps readers devise a plan of attack to eliminate debt and enjoy life again. If you have the desire to get out of debt, allow this proven book to help. Users say this book is easy to read and follow and changes the way you look at life.
Buzzillions Rank: #3 of 553 (see top ten list)

Spend More Time with the Family: Say “Goodbye” to mundane “How was your day?” questions behind the dinner table. Getting kids, parents and grandparents together and livening up dinner time is easy and entertaining with the Family Dinner Games.  This game caters to all age groups so no one feels left out. Users say this is “a must have for anyone with children!”
Buzzillions Rank: #7 of 148 (see top ten list)

Live Greener: Living green doesn’t mean you have to live like the Flinstones. Harness the power of the sun and illuminate your garden with the Ultra-Bright Double Solar Spotlight. Using high-tech LEDs that never need replacing and weather resistant construction, these lights will light the way to greener living! Users say these are the perfect for accent lighting while being environmentally conscious.
Buzzillions Rank: #4 of 1628 (see top ten list)

I read an article today that seems to confirm what I’ve known all along: when times are tough, women buy cosmetics.  While I’ve significantly scaled back my shoe shopping, I see nothing wrong with purchasing yet another lip gloss.  I’ve already lost thousands in the stock market, and that did nothing for my appearance, why not shell out $10 for a bit of makeup?  There seems to be some evidence to support the fact that I’m not alone in my rationalizations.   The New York Times reported in their article, “Hard Times but your Lips Look Great,” that Estee Lauder noticed a significant uptick in lipstick sales following September 11th.   Panic in the streets, threats of war, an economy in a death spiral…no match for lipstick. More alarming still, is UK Popsugar’s article “You Have to Suffer to Be Beautiful During Credit Crunch” which claims: “Nearly one in three women, which is the equivalent to eight million nationwide, would prefer to eat less than curtail their spending on what we all seem to see as must-have essential beauty items.”  That’s right, some of us would rather starve than be ugly.  So why is lipstick seemingly buoyed by an economic slide?  Probably because in times of great economic stress, women cut back on the big ticket items and with it go things like apparel, shoes, jewelry and electronics.  But makeup…lipstick to be specific, is (relative to the car you’d been planning to buy pre-economy meltdown) practically free – a luxury you can actually afford. That said, lipstick purchases add up, especially if you buy them the way I do – blindly and with plenty of false hope.  With that in mind, I give you our Top 10 list in this category, as well picks from my fellow lipstick/lip gloss/lip balm wearers here at Buzzillions.  All these products have great reviews and none cost as much as a new pair of shoes (well, maybe the Nars, but it’s a cheap pair).

Buzzillions Top 10 Lipsticks and Glosses

And a very unscientific poll of what we like here at Buzzillions:

1. Elf Cosmetics Luscious Liquid Lipstick:  Lots of colors, and I mean come on, it’s a dollar.
2. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm: An old standby, tried and true. Lots of good stuff, no scary ingredients.
3. Bonne Bell Lip Smacker Lip Gloss, Dr. Pepper: Who doesn’t want Dr. Pepper on their lips all day?
4. Vincent Longo Baby Balm Lipstick, SPF 12: Also loved by Allure magazine in their annual Best of Beauty list.
5. Bonne Bell Lip Lites Lip Gloss in Cappucino:  A neutral gloss that compliments most skin tones, and smells yummy too.
6. L’Oreal Colour Juice Sheer Lip Gloss, Watermelon: Easy to apply, not too sticky and smells like candy.
7. Nars Frost Lipstick in Klute:  Yes, it’s $24, but there’s a reason it’s a beauty editors fave.
8. LipFusion Color Shine Collagen Lip Plump: Not a lot of reviews but one of our employees swears by it..
9. Carmex Lip Balm: A favorite for the guys too, and still comes in that familiar yellow pot.
10. Smashbox Lip Gloss Sheer Color in Illume: Another winner in Allure Magazine’s Best of Beauty Editor’s Choice Award for best lip gloss.