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January 11, 2024

54 – How to Shop for a Gym Membership

Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

You don’t necessarily have to join a gym to get more exercise—there are scads of other workout options, many of which are free. If you decide that joining a club is the best choice for you, shop around and avoid making any long-term financial commitments. The fitness industry thrives on good intentions, but most consumers who join gyms stop using them regularly after only a few weeks or months, yet they continue paying their dues.

In this episode: Tips on how to find the best gym or fitness center, how to avoid the common marketing tricks and traps used by salespeople, and what to look for when reviewing membership contracts.

Read Checkbook’s full report on gyms and fitness centers⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

Related Episodes

October 31, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Jamie Lettis - Checkbook's Associate Editor; Edgar Dworsky - Publisher, Consumerworld.org; Amy Nofziger - AARP Fraud Watch Network, Bruce McClary - National Foundation for Credit Counseling

The hectic holiday shopping season is underway, and for many, that will put a strain on the family budget. Checkbook wants to make this stressful time a little easier.

Our annual holiday helper is packed with timely advice: Super shoppers share tips about how they find the best prices and avoid fake sales. Plus, how to avoid gift card scams, stop porch pirates, and spot bogus online shipping notices. Also, the pros and cons of buy now, pay later loans.

Additional Consumerpedia Episodes & Resources:

Checkbook’s Top Holiday Shopping Tips

Don’t Overspend This Holiday Shopping Season

#59: Saving Money at the Supermarket

#58: Misleading Marketing Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More

#57: Whatever Happened to Customer Service?

#52: Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season

#26: Sale Prices Are Rarely Real Deals

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

September 19, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Lisa Gill - Consumer Reports investigative reporter; Stacie Dusetzina - Professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Prescription drug costs in the U.S. are “significantly higher” than in most other countries, according to a report earlier this year from the Rand Corporation. The average American spends more than $1,400 a year on prescription medications, research shows. For many, that expense is a budget buster. Because of the high cost, more than 9 million Americans don’t take their medications as directed, the CDC reports, which could result in serious health consequences

In this episode: Why are drug prices so high, and can anything be done about it? Plus, ways you can cut the cost of your prescription meds.

About our guests: Lisa Gill is an investigative reporter with Consumer Reports who focuses on health and medicine. Stacie Dusetzina is a professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Much of her research focuses on the economics related to prescription drugs.

Additional Consumerpedia podcast episodes on health.

More from Consumer Reports

How to Beat the Rising Cost of Prescription Drugs

Online Pharmacies Can Help You Save Big on Prescription Drugs

How to Find the Best Medicare Part D Drug Plan

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

September 5, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

Want to spend a few days in Dublin before going to Munich? Sightsee in Madrid or Lisbon on the way home from Paris or Rome? Maybe break up that long-haul flight to Australia or New Zealand with a few nights in Tokyo or Honolulu?

Dozens of airlines (mostly foreign carriers) let you visit two places for the price of one by allowing free stopovers. Book these tickets and you can stay in the hub city for a few days or weeks, and then continue onward to your final destination.

In this episode: A look at some of the stopover programs available and how to find them. Plus, tips for anyone planning to buy a plane ticket.

Additional Resources:

These 26 Airlines Let Flyers Stop Over in Their Hubs for Free

Consumerpedia Episode 62: The Travel Show 2024

New Rule Will Soon Require Airlines to Provide Automatic Refunds When Flights Are Canceled or Significantly Delayed

Don’t Get Left Behind When Your Airline Travel Credits Expire

Credit Card Reward Programs Under Scrutiny by Federal Regulators

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

July 11, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

When it comes to buying corrective eyewear, the choices seem endless—from dozens of contacts to thousands of fashionable frames. Even so, shopping for new specs or contacts can be a major hassle, and it’s an expensive purchase.

In this episode: Which eyewear stores offer the best advice and service, where to find the best prices on glasses and contact lenses, and who should you see to get your eye exam?

⁠Read Checkbook’s full report on opticians, optometrists, and buying eyewear.⁠

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

June 27, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Dr. John Swartzberg - Head of the Editorial Board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter; Bonnie Patten - Executive Director and Co-Founder of Truth in Advertising (TINA.org); Caitlin Dow - Senior Nutrition Scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest

Many Americans are sold on supplements. They’re convinced the “natural ingredients” in these non-prescription products have powerful health benefits that can prevent diseases, make us feel better, and slow down the effects of aging.

But can you trust what’s in the bottle, and the marketing claims used to sell this stuff?

In this episode, we focus on the false claims, bad science, and marketing tricks often used to sell dietary and nutritional supplements. Plus buying advice for those who choose to take these products.

Additional Resources:

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter:

⁠A Guide to Dietary Supplements⁠

CSPI Nutrition Action Newsletter:

Why the supplement aisle is the Wild West

How supplements distort science to sell

Tricks of the trade: Are supplement companies playing you for a fool?

Truth in Advertising (TINA.org):

Jury Hands Down a Verdict in Prevagen Deceptive Marketing Case

Consumer Alert: Hair Growth Products

Cow Colostrum Supplements

What You Should Know about Apple Cider Vinegar Supplements

Not a Checkbook member? Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

May 2, 2024
Host: Herb Weisbaum /
Guest(s): Haley Berg - Lead Economist at Hopper.com; Christopher Elliott - Travel Expert, author of the “On Travel” column

It’s going to be a busy summer for travel, especially for those headed abroad. It’s late in the booking season, but some deals may still be available.

In this episode, we’ll look at what you can expect to pay for airfare, hotel rooms, and rental cars. Plus, tips from travel experts Haley Berg of Hopper.com and Christopher Elliott of the “On Travel” column on how to deal with crowds and other peak-season hassles.

Other Consumerpedia travel episodes:

⁠17 – Travel Tips: How to Find the Best Deals on Airfare⁠

⁠41 – Hotel Intel: Finding the Best Rates⁠

⁠60 – How to Avoid a Big Cell Phone Bill When Traveling Abroad⁠

Additional Resource:

⁠Elliott Advocacy⁠ is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support