Clark's Big Book of Bargains by Clark Howard Read Free Book Online

do get a new car, they’ll respect and appreciate it more and take better care of it.
    • Internet •
     
www.parentware.org
    * MUSIC AND DANCE LESSONS *
    I wish I had a dollar for every time I got a call from a parent who was upset about signing a contract for karate, music, or dance lessons for his child. Well, maybe I do.
    Parents sign these contracts, and then a child’s interests quickly change. Or the child might think they want to try karate, and then realize they don’t like it. This is a disturbing phenomenon I’m hearing more about with kids. Our children are over-scheduled as it is, and now these places are trying to rope them into long-term agreements before they’re even in elementary school.
    One of my callers, Karen, wanted to know if she should sign a long-term contract for her son to learn karate. The school she was looking at wanted her to commit her son to a three-year program, which would cost her thousands of dollars over those three years.
    The people who run these schools know that what a child is interested in today may not be what they’re interested in tomorrow. The school has an incentive to get the parents to sign, so that, whether or not the child sticks with the lessons, the school still gets its money.
    Schools like this also go out of business frequently, so your money is at risk if you pay in advance. Even if the school is financially strong, the service you receive will be better if the school has an incentive to earn your money and your loyalty. If you have already agreed to pay them for three years, there is no incentive for them to do a great job.
    I strongly encouraged Karen to look elsewhere for a karate school that would both teach her son and earn her business month after month.
    It’s great to want to enrich your children by getting them involved in some cultural or physical activity, but it’s important to know that your money is at risk. If you can find a place that will let you pay lesson-by-lesson, that’s the way to go.
    Sometimes your city or county will have good programs available, and they’re never going to involve a contract. You pay a lot of money in taxes, so why not take advantage? Schools often have after-school programs that provide an affordable way for you to try something new for your child.
    A lot of privately run schools won’t take your child unless you sign a contract. They’re okay to consider, but don’t sign a contract for any longer than six months. That’s a long time in a child’s life. A year is too long.
    Don’t rely on the salesperson or the sales literature to decide whether a place is good for your child. Ask other parents which places they’ve had good experiences with.
    • Tips on Lessons •
     
Look for enrichment programs that don’t require you to sign a contract. If you have to sign a contract to enroll, don’t agree to a term of longer than six months.
Check with your city or county to see if they offer such programs.
Schools often have after-school programs that provide an affordable way for you to try something new for your child.
    * THE DENTIST *
    The advice you get from a dentist, or any doctor, may not always be correct.
    I did a TV report a few years ago that showed just what a variety of opinions you can get. We took a “patient” who had absolutely nothing wrong with her to six different dentists, complaining of a toothache. What they recommended was unbelievable, ranging from major invasive work to the best answer: that she was just fine and might be having a temporary problem.
    My nephew had problems with his teeth, and the dentist his parents trusted went as far as to wire his mouth shut for six months. It turned out that it not only wasn’t what he needed—it was the wrong thing.
    I get a lot of calls from people asking about the prices dentists charge. But what I’ve learned is that price isn’t the most important factor in dentistry. Although dentistry is a science and a skill, there’s also a lot of