Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

The Bayview Station in San Francisco, where clerk Shun Wong waited for customers recently, is one of five targeted for possible closure in that city.

While the iconic small-town post office may become scarcer, urban areas also will be hit heavily by the Postal Service's plans to eliminate up to 10 percent of its retail offices nationwide.

Most of the attention from this week's announcement has focused on rural post offices, such as this story pointing out that long-distance hikers could have a harder time if many rural outposts are shut down.

But as our partners at 24/7 Wall St. have pointed out, hundreds of locations in dozens of big and midsized cities also are on the list of potential closures.

Here are the top 10 cities where urban post offices could disappear, accorinding to 24/7 Wall St.:

1. New York. May close 34 post offices.
2. Washington, D.C. May close 19 offices.
3. Philadelphia. May close 14 offices.
4. Cleveland, tied for 3^rd place. May close 14 offices.
5. Chicago, tied for 3^rd place. May close 14 offices.
6. Detroit. May close 13 offices.
7. Los Angeles. May close 12 offices.
8. Pittsburgh. May close 10 offices.
9. Baltimore, tied for 8^th. May close 10 offices.
10. Houston. May lose nine offices.

The reasons for the closures include a possible loss of nearly $7 billion this fiscal year, a sharp drop in business due to e-mail, and more people doing postal business online and in local businesses.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a news release. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

The post office maintains that delivery will continue as normal, Monday through Saturday, regardless of rain, sleet, snow or budget cuts.

www.otogodfrey.com

You could go pretty far on $100 million, but it wouldn't last that long for the federal government.

By Jessica Mintz

The clock is running down on lawmakers' efforts to agree on a plan to keep the U.S. government from running out of money.

Just as your bank sets a limit on how much you can borrow on your credit card, Congress has set a limit for the Treasury -- $14.29 trillion. We actually hit the limit back in May, but through a series of accounting maneuvers the Treasury has been able to hold off the day of reckoning until now.

It’s almost impossible to imagine $14.29 trillion, but an infographic from Los Angeles-based designer Oto Godfrey gives it a try, using stacks of virtual $100 bills and comparing them with well-known landmarks. The image shown here represents a mere $100 million on a pallet.  Visualizing $14 trillion (actually let's just round that up to $15 trillion) involves a truck, a football field and the Statue of Liberty (see below).

If you’re wondering what this mountain of currency has to do with you, you're not alone. Critics at Business Insider suggest there may be more productive ways of thinking about the national debt. For example, they point out that interest payments on the national debt as a percentage of gross domestic product is lower than it has been in decades.

The national debt, of course, is not to be confused with the federal budget deficit, the difference between government revenue and spending this year, which has topped $1.5 trillion – or in Godfrey’s world, a football field covered with double-stacked pallets packed with $100 bills.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner may indeed wake up to bare cupboards Tuesday, although in all likelihood Congress will raise the debt ceiling as it has done 78 times in the last 50 years. In the meantime, the White House has been busy cranking out graphics of its own to explain the national debt, and how it got that way.

www.otogodfrey.com

Here is $15 trillion. The full graphic visualizes $100 growing into more than $100 trillion.

If it was a love story, it would have ended with a breakup and "It's not you, it's me."

Readers showed a lot of interest in our various stories about Borders having to liquidate. Some saw it as, perhaps, the end of an era. "This whole thing is just sad," one commenter said. Of course, if people really cared about/wanted to buy stuff at Borders, they wouldn't be liquidating.

That said, lots of people were ready to pick the bones clean. Although a quick survey Monday showed not a whole lot of deals were being offered early in the liquidation process. Maybe you can find something at Amazon on sale ... oh wait, a lot of you have.

There was a twin dose of bad news about the Postal Service on Tuesday. The big headline was the service is considering closing almost 3,700 post offices nationwide, in no part due to the record $8.5 billion net loss it took in 2010. Contributing to that deficit was the day's smaller story: Dog attacks on mail carriers costs the post office $1.2 million last year. A gentle reminder to all dog owners: It's called a leash.

But we refuse to be all about the bad news. On Thursday we reported that (and here's the big kicker) IF you have a job, you should be getting raise this year. That is if you perform well. And while 3 percent isn't likely to get you that yacht you've had your eye on, every little bit in this economy does help.

TODAY

TODAY Money expert and CNBC personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday morning after the show's Money 911 segment.

Here's one of her answers from the chat and a complete archive:

Evan's question:
Hi! I'm 14 years old. I have savings bonds that I will receive when I'm 18 and was wondering how I should spend those or should I save them for college and other things. 

Sharon's answer:
You're only 14!! I am sooo excited that you have joined our chat and are interested in finding out the best way to save your money for the future. 

You are on the right track and you probably can guess my answer: SAVE, SAVE, SAVE.

When you get that money at 18, use it for college or invest it in a 529 college savings plan for a few years and then use it to pay for the last year or two of your education.

Complete archive:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here.

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Watch the complete Money 911 segment below:

Our story today on Social Security by senior producer John Schoen has generated more than 1,500 comments in just over three hours since publication. There is a reason the entitlement program is considered the "third rail" of politics.

While Democrats and Republicans debate whether to change Social Security benefits as part of a bitterly contested deficit-reduction plan, our story makes the point that ultimately changes are all but inevitable.

Among the likely changes outlined in the story:

• Raise the cap on wages subject to the Social Security Tax.
• Raise the retirement age.
• Change the formula for calculating benefits.

Needless to say, there is a lot of anger in the comments, even many of the more thoughtful ones. In general taxpayers who have been working for years express anger at the prospect they might have to pay more into the system or collect less in benefits.

The fight over Social Security is largely a generational battle, with younger workers blaming baby boomers and older retirees with somehow "rigging the system."

"As a 71-year-old, I have difficulty with getting inside the head of a 21 year old, but trust me, this was not a diabolical plan on our part," says one self-identified "grandma." Many commenters complain that the government has mismanaged the Social Security trust fund or squandered away billions.

One commenter, "Magnum Serpentine," calls our article bogus and contends the Social Security shortfall could be solved easily by drastically cutting the nation's military spending.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.

If you are lucky enough to have a job, you should see a base pay increase of about 3 percent next year, about the same as this year’s projected 2.9 percent, according to a new survey. But pay increases will vary according to performance as companies try to retain top talent while struggling with anemic revenue growth in a sluggish economy, according to the report from Mercer, a consulting firm.

“Differentiating salary increases based on performance has become a necessity with limited resources,”  said Catherine Hartmann, a principal with Mercer. “In this less-than-robust environment, top-performing employees are an employers’ competitive weapon and they are doing their best to reward them accordingly.”

As a result more than two-thirds of employers in the survey said they use some type of pay-for-performance  program to differentiate pay and retain top talent. And the gap in pay between the highest and lowest-performing employees is likely to widen.

Top-rated employees are likely to see average pay raises of 4.4 percent, while the lowest-rated employees typically will see pay virtually unchanged.

Mercer surveys 1,200 large and midsized employees representing 12 million workers for the annual survey, which has been done for more than 20 years. For more details on the survey, click here.

By Kara Reinhardt
Cheapism.com

With a heat wave baking much of the country, one of the last things you want to do is haul out a lemon of a lawn mower that spends more time spewing fumes than cutting grass. A budget of less than $300 may not land you in the bright-yellow seat of a John Deere tractor, but it can buy a well-regarded Briggs & Stratton or Honda engine, and a brand name such as Toro, Black & Decker, Husqvarna, or Craftsman.

In this price range, you’ll find three basic types of mowers: gas mowers, electric mowers, and old-fashioned reel mowers. Gas-powered models — particularly self-propelled mowers — are best for buyers with large, hilly yards. Those who don’t have quite so much acreage can opt for an electric mower and avoid the noise and fumes of a maintenance-hungry gas engine. Choose a cordless model for greater range or a corded model for a lighter machine that won’t run out of juice mid-yard (although it may feel a bit like you’re vacuuming your lawn). Finally, reel mowers are making a comeback as a quiet, low-maintenance, and eco-friendly alternative. The drawback is they’re powered by elbow grease as opposed to gas or electricity, so they’re best suited to smaller yards and not-so-sweaty climates.

Lawn mowers manage grass clippings by blowing them out to the side, collecting them in a bag, or letting them fall back onto the lawn as mulch. Some models offer all three options; each has its pros and cons. Side discharge leaves clumps that that have to be raked, lest they smother patches of lawn — but it’s the best choice for tall or wet grass. Bags can get heavy and have to be emptied and replaced. There’s also the question of where to dump the clippings (a compost heap is ideal). Mulching takes care of that problem, and treats the lawn with self-made fertilizer, but can clog the mower if the grass is too long. If it’s been a while since you last mowed (be honest), you may want to opt for one of the other two methods.

Other features to consider are cutting width and height. A wider blade allows you to finish the yard in fewer passes. Multiple height settings let you to dictate the precise height of the lawn. An expert at University of Illinois Extension recommends keeping the grass around three inches or longer so it doesn’t dry out in the summer heat.

Below are Cheapism’s picks for the best inexpensive mowers.

• Users give the electric Black & Decker MM275 (starting at $180) overwhelmingly positive reviews for being lightweight and easy to use despite having a cord. The 18-inch blade can be set at six different heights between one and three inches. This lawn mower lets you choose among all three ways of dealing with grass clippings: blowing them out the side, mulching, or bagging (the bag is not included). (Where to buy)
• The Toro 20331 (starting at $300) is a self-propelled gas mower with a four-cycle Briggs & Stratton engine and a washout port for easy cleaning. Enthusiastic user reviews say this mower is a snap to start and maneuver. It too can mulch, bag, or side-discharge grass clippings. The 22-inch blade has nine cutting positions between one and four inches. (Where to buy)
• Users posting reviews of the Scotts 2000-20 reel mower (starting at $113) like that it’s quiet, low-maintenance, and emission-free. The 20-inch blades — wide for a reel mower — can cut at nine different heights between one and three inches. The mower leaves behind clippings fine enough to serve as mulch. (Where to buy)
• Users find the self-propelled Craftsman 37068 (starting at $290) a snap to assemble, use, and maintain, according to reviews. Like others on our list, this gas mower offers the option of mulching, bagging, or blowing grass clippings out the side. (Where to buy)

More from Cheapism:

Best cheap lawn mowers

Best cheap riding lawn mowers

Cheap swimming pools

Best ice cream makers

The Deal Chicken

It sure is getting crowded in here. Here being the group coupon marketplace.

The newest entry in a niche already crammed with the likes of Groupon and Living Social comes from Gannett Co. The newspaper publisher announced Tuesday it is expanding nationally a daily online deals business dubbed "DealChicken."

DealChicken, which it calls a "new and unique daily deals business," will be available in more than 50 markets across the U.S. by the end of the year, Gannett said.

As if acknowledging it was joining a flock in the field, Gannett made sure to include this quote in its statement announcing the expansion:

"The daily deals space is getting crowded. But the industry is fast evolving and there are many opportunities out there, especially in local markets where these deals are developing into a new category of local advertising," says Peter Krasilovsky, vice president at BIA/Kelsey, a market research firm. "Gannett has a strong brand and knowledge of its local markets. It is well positioned to compete in this space."

The DealChicken website,  chock-full of fowl puns ("hatching deals daily") features offers in 57 large and midsized markets, ranging from Appleton, Wis., to Phoenix, Ariz., where the project was launched last year. The website also includes a mascot that resembles the well-known Twitter avatar.

Sotheby's International Realty

The majestic view from the pool is just the beginning.

The property: 8 bedroom, 11 bath, customized Southampton home

Location: Water Mill, New York

Price: $58.5 million

Anything you think a house should have, this house should have it, says Sotheby's real estate broker Harald Grant. The 20,000-square foot property includes a grand master suite, four separate guest suites, three staff bedrooms, two powder rooms and eight fireplaces (with 100-year-old mantelpieces, of course). It also has a tennis court, pool, movie theater that seats 20, professional gym that would make any trainer drool, and a state-of-the-art kitchen designed by restaurant consultant Mark Stech-Novak. (The kitchen is so extravagant that it was featured in Forbes's America's Most Decadent Kitchens).

The waterfront home also has a dock, which is unusual on a four-acre piece of land, Grant said. The Water Mill community is considered part of the Southamptons, about two hours from Manhattan. In 2010 Water Mill was listed as number 14 in America's 100 Most Expensive ZIP Codes.

In designing his dream home, expense was not an issue for the owner, Grant said. After beginning construction in 2003, it took two years for the owner to see his vision come to fruition. But now, with a change of lifestyle and an interest in other properties, the owner is looking to sell to someone who will appreciate the attention to detail.

Details such as the grand staircase cast in bronze and silver and gold leaf that ushers guests in under an early 19-century, stained glass skylight. Or the coffered ceilings in the library and living room, and coffered cross beams in the living room.

"This would attract a person of accumulated wealth who understands the cost of finishing a house to the detail this house is finished in," Grant said. "This is not for your typical bargain hunter. This is not a typical Hamptons traditional home."

View the listing here.

Sotheby's International Realty

True beauty is in the details, but the living room is pretty grand even before you get to those.

Sotheby's International Realty

The investment-grade grand staircase is a performance in heavy metal.

Sotheby's International Realty

The kitchen could double as the set for a new Food Network show.

Apparently America's preference for digital communication isn't the only thing the Postal Service is paying for.

While the Postmaster General is mulling the future of 3,700 post offices across the nation because of competition from e-mail and the Internet, there is another, lesser-known cost that the service has to deal with: medical expenses from dog attacks.

Nearly $1.2 million was spent on medical expenses for letter carriers who were attacked by dogs last year, according to a Postal Service news release published in May during National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

Last year 5,669 postal employees were attacked in more than 1,400 cities, with Houston by far the leader, the release says.

The top cities, and the number of attacks in each, are listed below.

1. Houston, Texas: 62 attacks

2. San Diego: 45 attacks

2 (tie). Columbus, Ohio: 45 attacks

4. Los Angeles: 44 attacks

5. Louisville, Ky.: 40 attacks

6. San Antonio, Texas: 39 attacks

6 (tie). St Louis: 39 attacks

8. Cleveland: 38 attacks

8 (tie). Phoenix, Ariz.: 38 attacks

10. Minneapolis, Minn.: 35 attacks

10 (tie). Portland, Ore.: 35 attacks

12. Denver: 31 attacks

12 (tie). Philadelphia: 31 attacks

14. Sacramento, Calif.: 30 attacks

15. Seattle: 28 attacks

See also: On mailman's dog blog, man's best friend is now the enemy 

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

A customer walks by a Borders outlet in San Francisco last week. Borders has begun a liquidation sale, but the bargains so far appear to be limited.

Borders is GOING OUT OF BUSINESS with a massive liquidation sale and prices UP TO 40 PERCENT OFF, according to signs at the remaining 399 stores in the once-giant chain of bookstores. So where are all the deals?

That is what some shoppers want to know after checking out the goods over the weekend, after the sale officially started.

Secret shoppers at dealnews.com have been haunting the aisles of the Borders outlet at Time Warner Center in New York City and found that prices on 19 out of 25 items they sampled have gone up instead of down.

A hardcover copy of mystery bestseller "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," for example, was priced at $25.16 Saturday, up from $19.57 the previous week. "The Help," another best-selling novel, was marked at $14.40, up from $11.20 a week earlier.

Both books were available for far less online at Wal-Mart or Amazon.com, -- $11.87 for "Hornet's Nest" and $8.57 for "The Help."

It is not a huge surprise to learn that the liquidation sale is starting slowly. Liquidation sales often are run by outside parties that typically reset prices and then mark them down gradually over the course of the sale, which could last six to eight weeks. Any remaining inventory can be sold wholesale to pay off creditors, so the liquidator may not have an incentive to sell out every last book, record and DVD.

If you are looking for a magazine, it might be a good time to stop into your local Borders -- several sources report that magazines are marked off 40 percent.

Have you been to Borders in the past few days? What did you find? 

We've heard so much about in the past few weeks about all the fun President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and that jaunty-sounding "gang of six" have been having trying to wrangle with the nation's debt ceiling and deal with the federal budget. Who wouldn't want to get in on that action?

Here's your chance! Budget Hero, a new web-based game created by American Public Media, lets you at least pretend you're holding the national purse strings. Want to cut defense spending? Bam, you can do it with the click of a mouse. Feel like Social Security should be kicking in a lot later than it is? Now's your chance to make it happen and see where the chips fall.

The game is free, but there is one caveat: You are asked to provide a name, zip code and e-mail address.

A giant "Going Out Of Business!" sale has begun at the 399 remaining Borders and Waldenbooks stores after the company was unable to find a buyer and was forced to shut operations. Discounts of up to 40 percent are being offered, although not on Borders.com and not at all airport locations.

Liquidation sales typically last eight to ten weeks and discounts usually get steeper later in the process, although merchandise is scarcer.

Borders gift cards will be valid throughout the sale. "Borders Bucks," the chain's reward for frequent shoppers, expire July 31.

Store fixtures, furnishings and equipment, including shelving and, in some cases, cafe equipment, will also be sold.

Some bookstores may get a new lease on life. Rival bookseller Books-A-Million has proposed buying 30 locations to coninue operating them as bookstores. The locations are scattered across the country, with Pennsylvania home to eight of the 30 outlets, according to The Associated Press.

 It would probably take some serious magic for most of us to be able to afford to send our kids to Hogwarts.

A post this week on the very steep estimated cost of sending a child to the fictional school in the Harry Potter series generated plenty of discussion this week on our Life Inc. blog – including many who wondered if you could qualify for a “spell grant.”

Back in the real world, we’ve got more weighty worries on our minds: The nation’s economic conditions. Although talk in Washington has focused mainly on the debt ceiling, many of our readers say they’re much more worried about issues hitting closer to home: When the economy will improve, and when we’ll all get jobs.

Despite – or perhaps because of – the nation’s weak economic conditions, the daily deal industry has been growing like wildfire. You know the drill: For a short time only, you can buy a group coupon good for a deep discount at a restaurant, yoga club or other happening.

There’s only one problem: Sometimes you buy a group coupon only to find that you can’t use it. A post this week on the emerging market for reselling group coupons generated plenty of buzz about the new phenomenon known as group coupon regret.

And finally, it turns out we’re still peeved with Netflix for their recent decision to change their pricing plan, effectively raising rates for many people. A post about how far Netflix’s reputation has fallen since the announcement prompted many of you to weigh in on our Facebook page.

“Cancelling my account before the price change goes into effect!!! Great way for Netflix to lose a lot of money!” one reader wrote on Facebook.

If you’re looking for a job these days, the west is the best.

New data to be released by the Labor Department show that jobless people in South Carolina have been out of work almost four times longer, on average, than those in North  Dakota.

The data, which the Labor department plans to release at the end of the month, are broken down by state, gender and race. The sample pool is drawn from about 60,500 eligible households in the Current Population Survey.

The survey examined the length of time Americans have been seeking work. It polled people based on how long they were unemployed at the time they were interviewed. Based on median numbers, here are the top four states where people have been looking for work the longest – and the shortest – amounts of time.

States with longest term unemployment:

Michigan: 27.3 weeks

Georgia: 28.4 weeks

New Jersey: 29 weeks

South Carolina: 29.2 weeks

States with the shortest term unemployment:

Alaska: 11.5 weeks

Montana: 11.2 weeks

South Dakota: 10.2 weeks

North Dakota: 7.6 weeks

Men were out of work the longest in Michigan (30.2 weeks) and New Jersey (30.4 weeks), while women were out of work the longest in Georgia (30.6 weeks) and Connecticut (29.5 weeks).

"The states with the longest unemployment were some of the states that were hit the hardest by the recession," said Marisa Di Natale, a director at Moody's Analytics. "Conversely, the states with the shortest term unemployment are all energy producing states, which barely had recessions at all. They've been among the strongest growing states, not only during the recession, but also during the recovery, mainly because of high energy prices."

Tip of the hat to the Wall Street Journal for first reporting on the survey.

Credit Suisse

Many Americans spend much of their working life saving up for their golden years.

Here’s some sobering news: You could end up spending about one-third of that money on health care expenses.

Here’s some even more sobering news: Older people Germany, U.K. and Japan are spending a lot less of their income on health costs.

Research analysts at Credit Suisse took a look at what people 60 and over spend their money on, using 2007 data from research firm Euromonitor and Credit Suisse itself.

They found that older Americans were spending 33 percent of their income on health goods and medical services. In the U.K., people 60 and over were spending just 3 percent of their income on health costs. In Germany, it’s 8 percent and in Japan it’s 6 percent.

There were other telling differences as well.

The researchers said that Brits over 60 were spending 22 percent of their money on leisure, recreation and hotels. Americans in that age range were spending just 13 percent of their income on those things.

The Japanese, meanwhile, spent 21 percent of their income on food and beverages. Older Americans spent just 8 percent of their money on food and drink.

One thing everyone over 60 seemed to have in common: No one in any of the countries was spending much on clothes and shoes.

On Thursday, msnbc.com Senior Producer John Schoen took your questions on the debt ceiling impasse going on in D.C. A sample question, followed by the full transcript, is below.

Carrie: If they don't cut a deal, would it raise credit card rates?

John Schoen: Yes, though it’s not clear just how much rates would go up. Investors would want a higher return to buy US debt because it would be riskier to hold. Those higher rates raise the cost of all forms of borrowing, including credit cards, mortgages car loans etc.

YouGov BrandIndex

Here’s what happens when you announce a major change to your pricing plan, effectively hiking prices substantially for many of your customers: Those folks get angry.

Very, very angry.

And apparently, they stay that way.

In the days since announcing major pricing and plan changes, Netflix went from being the most beloved movie and TV rental company to being the most hated among its major competitors. That’s according to new data from YouGov BrandIndex, which interviews about 5,000 people a day on their perceptions of various brands.

The video-by-mail company has since rebounded a bit, but it’s still scraping along the bottom of the pack. It’s joined in negative perception territory by Blockbuster, which has tried to capitalize on Netflix’s pain with a campaign aimed at winning over Netflix customers.

Redbox, which rents DVD from kiosks outside convenience stores and the like, has seen a popularity boost as a result of Netflix’s actions.

Are you looking for other options besides Netflix? Check out our list of five simple ways to get flicks without Netflix.

Can anyone really read enough IRS-get-egg-on-their-face stories? We can’t. So we enjoyed this piece from Forbes.

To sum up: Badri N. Abdi sounds like a very hard-working young man from a family in difficult financial straits. Guy works multiple jobs and goes to college — especially impressive since he manages to do it without a car in Southern California. He gives most of his pay to his mom for household expenses since he still lives there. What little is left after expenses for him he spends on his little sister.

When tax time rolls around, he claims the sister on his taxes as a dependent. Important to note: His mom doesn’t claim either him or the sister when she files. The IRS blows a fuse and says he’s about $3,332 short on his taxes — the dependency deduction, earned income credit and child tax credit.

So Abdi took the IRS to tax court. Where the IRS proceeded to lose the case.

Check out the details at Forbes here.

Gallup

This is how Washington gets its reputation for being out of touch.

As the debate over the federal debt ceiling dominates talk on Capitol Hill, a new poll finds that most Americans are far more concerned with the economy and jobs than deficit issues.

Nearly one-third of Americans said the economy is the most important problem facing the United States today, according to Gallup poll released this week. Unemployment and jobs was the second most common issue on people’s minds, with 27 percent saying that was the most important problem.

The federal budget deficit ranks No. 3, with just 16 percent saying it’s the most important problem facing the United States.

Not surprisingly, Americans are also glum about their job prospects. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed told Gallup that now is a bad time to try to find a new job.

Americans have good reason to feel more preoccupied personal financial worries than national ones.

The unemployment rate edged up to 9.2 percent in July, as the economy added just 18,000 jobs. That left more than 14 million Americans out of work and looking for a job.

Of course, the country’s deficit issues probably aren’t helping people’s personal financial situations. Economists already are warning that uncertainty about what’s going on with the federal debt ceiling is hurting the nation’s fragile economic recovery because it’s affecting consumer and business confidence.

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

If you don't have easy access to an open fire hydrant, you might want to consider a new air conditioner.

By Kara Reinhardt
Cheapism.com

If you’re on a tight budget, sweating out the summer with no air conditioning may sound like a good way to save money. But a sizzling June brought record highs to more than 40 U.S. locales, and a heat wave is gripping much of the nation. So if you feel your willpower starting to melt, here’s how to find an air conditioner for less.

Let’s start with the basics. The first thing to note in an air conditioner is its cooling capacity, which is measured in BTU, or British thermal units. The size of your space determines how much cooling capacity you need. Budget air conditioners range from 5,000 BTU, which can handle about 150 square feet, to 12,000 BTU, enough to cover about 550 square feet. Naturally, air conditioners with higher capacities have higher price tags. But beware of buying less (or more) than you need; you’ll pay the price in performance and efficiency. This government chart can help you determine the right size for you.

Another thing to look for is an Energy Star label, which signals that an air conditioner is at least 10 percent more efficient than the minimum standard set by the federal government. While an Energy Star model can cost more than a conventional air conditioner, the savings on utilities should make up any difference. Buying an Energy Star appliance can also qualify you for a rebate, sales tax exemption, or tax credit. Check the Energy Star website for offers in your area.

Even low-cost air conditioners come with plenty of features, such as electronic controls and a remote control. A timer lets you set the air conditioner to turn off in case you forget or turn on before you expect to be home so the place is cool when you arrive. An energy saver mode strategically cycles the fan on and off, using the compressor only when necessary. Sleep mode gradually increases the temperature a few degrees while you sleep, conserving energy and keeping you from waking up cold in the middle of the night.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks in a variety of sizes:

• The 5,200 BTU Kenmore 70051 (starting at $150) has all the features of a bigger, more expensive air conditioner. It comes with an Energy Star label, three fan speeds and cooling modes, a remote control, a 24-hour timer, energy saver mode, sleep mode, and an indicator light to alert you when the filter needs cleaning. According to reviews, it’s easy to use and install. (Where to buy)
• With 6,500 BTU, the Frigidaire LRA074AT7 (starting at $159) is big enough to cool up to 250 square feet. This Lowe’s model comes with a five-year in-home warranty and a full set of features that impresses users posting reviews. (Where to buy)
• The LG LW8011ER (starting at $199) features an Energy Star label, three fan speeds and cooling modes, a remote control, a five-year in-home warranty, and a 12-hour timer. At 8,000 BTU, it has the cooling capacity for up to about 350 square feet. All that power generates a few complaints in reviews about noise, but overall consumers are pleased with this model’s performance. (Where to buy)
• The Frigidaire FRA106BU1 (starting at $237) boasts a cooling capacity of 10,000 BTU, enough to handle about 500 square feet. The remote control is equipped with a thermostat to monitor the temperature elsewhere in the room and adjust the AC accordingly. In reviews, users praise the air conditioner’s high quality and durability. (Where to buy)

More from Cheapism:

Best cheap air conditioners

Best cheap fans under $40

Where to find cheap sandals for women

Here’s a little insight into what it takes to be a manager: More managers are annoyed by meetings that don’t start or end on time than by meetings that don’t seem to have an actual purpose.

When asked to name their biggest pet peeve about meetings, nearly one-third of senior managers said their No. 1 gripe was when the meeting didn’t stick to the schedule.

A little more than one-fourth said their biggest pet peeve was meetings that seem unnecessary.

That’s according to a new survey of more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees, conducted for finance staffing firm Accountemps.

So, to recap, if you want to make your boss’s day: Start and end your meeting on time, and make sure it has a useful purpose.

Also, resist the urge to check your e-mail, update your Facebook status or tweet about how useless/late the meeting is. Nearly 20 percent of senior managers surveyed said their biggest pet peeve was when people used devices or laptops for non-meeting related activities.

Shapiro & Sher Group

A serene desert setting 15 minutes from the action.

Listing: 6 bed, 10 bath, golf-course location

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Price: $4,999,900

After selling homes for almost 40 years, real estate agent Florence Shapiro has seen changes in her clients' real estate preferences.

"In 1973 we didn't have million dollar houses," she said. "Now people are looking for style. They want lines, they want the house to be unique."

That's just what this property is, she says. It took three years for this custom built home to be completed in 1990. Shapiro talks passionately about the house's architectural merits, saying "When you have good lines to start with, the house always keeps those lines."

It's an extravagant home with a dining room table that can seat 12 to 14 people, a living room that looks more like a hotel bar, a gourmet kitchen with a separate prep kitchen behind it and a hidden entrance to the study from a door located in one of the master bedroom's closets.

"Even though it's grandiose, it's still very warm and inviting. Very timeless," Shapiro said.

A highlight of the home is the placement of the bedrooms. The master suite is on the main floor, off to one side, while there are three bedrooms upstairs, ideal for the children.

"Even if the children leave to go to college, you can still live downstairs without having to go upstairs," she said. 

The home, which is 15 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the Las Vegas strip, is located right on a golf course in the Spanish Trail Community, which also features a private country club.

The home has been on the market for three months.

Listing courtesy of Luxury Real Estate and Shapiro & Sher Group.

Shapiro & Sher Group

You don't necessarily need a cart since the course is in your backyard.

Shapiro & Sher Group

Las Vegas heat starting to get to you? There's a pool for that.

Shapiro & Sher Group

All that's missing from the living room is a casino. Or you could get in the car and drive 15 minutes.

DealsGoRound.com

Anyone who is regularly tempted by those daily deal e-mail alerts has probably already learned the hard way about group coupon regret.

That’s the feeling you get when you realize you will not be making it to that restaurant, helicopter tour or art class before the dreaded daily deal expiration date.

It was only a matter of time before someone saw a business opportunity in that sinking feeling. A number daily deal resale sites, including Lifesta, DealsGoRound, CoupRecoup, Skeedka and SellMyDeal, have popped up recently. They’re adding yet another layer to the frenzied expansion of the daily deal industry.

The fact that such sites exist shouldn’t come as a surprise. A recent academic study of the daily deal industry found that more than 20 percent of the people who bought daily deals from sites such as Groupon, LivingSocial and BuyWithMe never actually used them.

The sites operate like a clearinghouse of sorts, offering potential buyers a long and varied list of deals that are for sale in their area.

Many, including Lifesta, DealsGoRound and SellMyDeal, charge a fee to the seller if the coupon is sold.

Other sites, such as CoupRecoup, connect buyers and sellers to each other directly and don’t charge a fee.

The resale sites generally let the seller set their own price. In some cases, it appears sellers are charging more than they paid for the deal.

Kris Petersen, founder and chief executive of Chicago-based DealsGoRound, said he think that’s because the sellers are factoring in the transaction fee and hoping to break even. He said they don’t yet see people trying to make a lot of money by reselling hot coupons for a premium.

Many – but not all - resale sites also offer some form of guarantee if the coupon turns out to be bogus or used, as long as the problem is reported quickly. Petersen said DealsGoRound has had to refund money for about 10 of the thousands of customers who have bought a deal through their site.

The potential for dishonesty is one reason Groupon cautions against such sites. The company says it has no way of knowing if the coupons that are being sold have been faked or already used.

“We don’t encourage people to use them because we have no way to verify that they are, in fact, authentic vouchers,” Groupon spokeswoman Julie Moser said.

DealsGoRound’s Petersen counters that resale sites are filling a gap in the industry.

“The consumer needs the protection of being able to get rid of something they paid for and for some reason or other can’t use,” he said.

Have you bought a group coupon you couldn’t use? If so, did you eat the cost or try to resell your deal?

In these times of economic uncertainty, it’s nice to trust that your employer will be able to lead you through the really tough challenges facing so many companies today.

Too bad most employees don't have that trust.

A new poll of nearly 2,000 employees finds that only 10 percent of employees trust management to make the right decision in times of uncertainty.

Just 14 percent of the employees polled by Maritz Research believe their company’s leaders are ethical and honest. About the same percentage believe their employer genuinely listens to and cares about its employees.

At many companies, it appears things are actually getting worse. The poll by Maritz, a marketing research firm, finds that 25 percent of employees have less trust in management than they did last year.

The poll of 1,857 employees who work more than 30 hours a week was conducted in March and has a sampling error of 3 percent.