Holiday Tool Shopping: Retailers Have Higher Prices

A new set of tools is the perfect gift for a blue collar dad on Christmas. Everyone knows that... it's an American tradition. Unfortunately, the retail knows this as well. Retailers see the majority of tool sales during the holiday season, and some -- less than cheery -- retailers tend to bring up the prices of tools in order to give an apparently great deal afterwards.

Sure, price-fixing happens with nearly every product during this time of year. The only way to avoid this is to shop tools from a reputable retail store or even the manufacturer (Wright Tool is a very good manufacturer).

The sad part to this story is that Dad might be the knowledgeable one about tools in the family, and the less knowledgeable will be the ones making the purchase. Again, reputable sources should be very helpful to you, so ask friends and family who would be the best source for Dad's Christmas Present.

Post Thanksgiving Savings

We hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving and ate so much that you are saying, "I never want to see turkey dinner again!"

Well, that is what most of the country is thinking right now and that means savings for all you blue collared workers. Frozen turkeys are on sale right now at amazing cut-rate prices. Turkeys can last months or years in your refrigerator, or you can cut the whole bird into pieces.

Also, green beans will be exceptionally low-priced because the grocery stores always overstock on canned green beans because it is the one thing they simply cannot run out of. Because they are canned,  they have a very long shelf life, and grocery stores will want to be getting rid of them quickly. Grocery stores cannot keep cans on their shelves as long as you can.

Stuffing by the box will also be on sale right now and it can last for years as well. If you aren't into stuffing any more than once per year, you can always just harvest the seasoning pouch from the box and use this to add a little flair to meats, soups, and more.

Equipment Rentals Throughout the United States

While the construction industry drooped in recent years, so did the businesses that provide the heavy machinery to those contractors.  Equipment rental services have suffered through a tough time the past few years as the construction industry felt the effects of a burst bubble in the housing market. Equipment rental actual saw larger declines than the contractors themselves, as contractors still had small project options, whereas the heavy equipment for larger construction projects, sat idle.

Just as the lackluster financial earnings of equipment rental was a symptom of a negative economy in years passed, the bright outlook on equipment sales and rentals is a harbinger for coming economic growth within the construction industry that is up-and-coming.

If these early numbers are any indicator of how the future will play out, 2013 promises to be an exciting and profitable year for the construction industry.



One difference between the emerging construction market and the market of yester-year is that this new market involves more industrial, commercial, and infrastructure projects, as opposed to the new home building and residential expansion that was seen in the 1990s. While these types of construction projects are not  rolling-in on a scale that can put all of the construction workers back to work that have been without a job for the past few years, at least it is a sign of a turning tide.

East Coast: Potential For New Home Construction

When you think about areas with a high possibility for new home construction, the Northeastern United States doesn't usually jump into the forefront of your mind. But that is all changing thanks to the severe hurricane and winter storms that have recently battered New York and New Jersey.

Workers are still sifting through the damage, especially in Long Island, but the number of homes that have been condemned -- and will be condemned -- is climbing quite quickly. The number one reason for this is not necessarily the wind damage, but is the mold damage that is arising from the long periods of time that existing homes are sitting damp and vacant.

Once mold creeps into the drywall, it is only a matter of weeks before those mold cultures will expand their way into the insulation and finally the wood framing of structures. Once the lumber is infected with mold, the "point of no return" has been met, and salvaging the building is nearly impossible.

Mold is very dangerous in an enclosed structure, as the spores produced by the mold will infect the air quality within that structure for years to come. As dangerous as asbestos, mold infection requires professional abatement to rid the building of any trace of the mold, then it must be sterilized to ensure that the mold will not return. For historical structures, abatement may be a viable option -- in order to save a piece of history -- but for an average home that is 60 - 10 years old, it does not make financial sense. In short, the sensible option is to "red-tag" the building and ready it for demolition. While this is a tragedy for those families who will lose their homes, it does open up an opportunity for construction workers to start work on new homes in the area, once the slate has been wiped clean.

Cleanup is still going at a snail's pace, but all conservative figures point to a time-frame of about six months before new home construction will kick off in the area of Sandy's footprints. This is good news for the millions of construction workers in the Southwestern United States who found themselves without work after the burst of the housing bubble in 2008. Nearly five years later, those construction workers and contracting companies may see themselves heading their wagons east to a fertile area for new home construction.

The Dirtiest Job: Let Someone Else Do It

When talking about septic tanks and cesspool pumping, there simply is not a way to sugar-coat what we are talking about. The fact of the matter is, if your home's plumbing is hooked up to a septic system, then everything that goes down the toilet ends up in a large concrete tank buried somewhere beneath your property; here it collects until the time comes for it to be pumped out.

If your home does have a cesspool, then you need to know the importance of proper cesspool maintenance. Some homeowners with septic systems have taken an "out of site, out of mind" approach to waste that has been flushed; avoiding the required maintenance of the cesspool. The particular homeowners learned a very revolting lesson when this avoidance turned into a cesspool emergency.

Not only is a cesspool failure or collapse a smelly and costly emergency, but it all could have been avoided by simple maintenance throughout the year. Maintenance is not difficult at all, you don't even have to go anywhere near the tank. All you have to do is call one of the many cesspool service companies like Quality Cesspool in New York, and they do all of the work for you. Services are very affordable and getting out of doing the dirty work is well worth the money.

So if you have a cesspool or septic system, heed the warning of those who have had their yards turned into a sinkhole of waste, and simply call a cesspool service company and let them schedule regular maintenance and pumping of your tanks. Trust us, you will be thankful.

Gasoline in the Colder Months

Do you ever feel like your gas seems to last a little bit longer in the winter months? Or that a half a tank seems to not last as long during the summer?

It is not a conspiracy or an elaborate plan to bilk you out of your hard-earned money. The real reason for this lies in the physical properties of refined gasoline. We know that the compound that makes up gasoline is quite a volatile concoction -- hence the reason it has the explosive power to turn the wheels of our vehicles. It is also volatile in its own liquid state; this is the reason that it is constantly giving off vapors (changing from liquid form to a gas). With it moving between physical states so often, the liquid gasoline is also constantly expanding and contracting, depending on its temperature.

In warmer states like Arizona, California, and Nevada, the summer heat causes the gasoline to take up more space in your gas tank. In the winter, a drastic change can occur when temperatures fall below the freezing point. This is also the reason why we change blends between summer seasons, is to keep a consistency in the physical properties of gasoline throughout the extremes in temperatures.

So, as we journey into the cold months of 2012, you will most assuredly see a changing behavior in your gas usage and possible mileage, but do not worry. Again, this is not a ploy by oil markets to get a few more cents out of your pocket, it is simply the physical nature of gasoline.

Unmatched Service Builds Reputation

There are a lot of industries that are filled with businesses looking to just do the bare-minimum, collect a check, and then leave; the painting industry is chock-full of companies holding this business model. Unfortunately, with so many small painting businesses all around the country, the "bad" companies don't often get "called out."

We here at American Blue Collar don't want to call any particular business out for any marks on their record, instead we try and commend companies that we find exceptional. Today, we commend PGH Painter for their unwavering customer service, excellent business model, and most of all, their cleanliness.

Cleanliness is of the utmost importance in the painting industry and these Pittsburgh painters are the best. PGH takes the extra time to plan ahead before any brush touches a drop of paint. Careful preparation ensures that your home and belongings are secure from any accidents including: drips, paint spills, or any other damage to personal property.

Chances are you have heard of friends or family who have had a nightmare time with a painting company. Stories abound about how painters have left unsightly drips, damaged masonry, or simply left a big mess behind after the job was finished. PGH is a well-respected, and awarded company for their attention to detail.

To learn more about PGH Painters, visit their official website at:

http://www.pghpainter.com/

After Sandy: The Cleanup Begins

Hurricane Sandy left devastation all up and down the Eastern Seaboard this month. Some areas were hit harder than others, but the damage was done every. Homes, buildings, boats, beaches and businesses all sustained damages from the gale-force winds and rising flood waters. Some lost everything, while others were miraculously only hit with minor damage.

And now the cleanup begins. Cleanup efforts will be slow, however, seeing as how much of the equipment, gasoline, food, water, and power were also wiped out in the storm. Add to this a strong Nor'easter storm following right behind Sandy that promises to hamper cleanup efforts even further.

In the West, many Americans are doing their part to aid in the efforts in whatever way they can. This includes sending donations of money, goods, food and water, toiletries, and basic necessities to help those that are still left with literally only the shirts on their backs.

Many companies too are joining the efforts, sending construction equipment, electrical technicians, manpower, roofing products, and other materials that will be needed to start getting the energy grid up and running again, and the rebuilding effort jump-started.

For more information on what supplies are needed, and more information on the rebuilding efforts visit the official FEMA page designated for this disaster at:

 www.fema.gov/sandy

Post Election: Getting Back to Work

Well, the election of 2012 is now done and over. Many are asking the question: "Where do we go from here?"

While none of us can foresee what exactly the future holds for The United States of America, we definitely know what we have to do. Now is the time for all of us, from the President down to every last one of us, to get back to work.

Thinking that it is only the re-elected President Obama's duty to grow and strengthen our economy is a fallacy. In fact, it is the duty of every single American, no matter which candidate you were rooting for, to all do our part to add to the growth and strength of America.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that America is a great country built on strong principles; you and I are the embodiment of those principles. Doctors may hold strife over the changing climate of healthcare, yet they still have a job to do -- to save lives and care for their fellow Americans. Those in the construction industry may not be seeing as much work as they did ten years ago, but there is still work out their to be done. In the business and finance industries, there is tough work ahead. The finance industry still reels from bad policies that were in-place and led to the eventual downfall of the economy -- an economy that we need to work hard on to rebuild.

No matter what sector you -- as a worker -- call your own, that sector needs your help. Together, all Americans need to keep their focus and use your own ideas and talents to bring about hope and change. With all of us working together, all the promises of a better tomorrow that were made during the campaigning can be brought to fruition. The answer doesn't lay within the Presidential winner or runner-up, it lays within you and I.