The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 95

POCKETBOOK TIDBITS FOR TODAY Store dosings open door to real bargains Timing is everything when a store has a going-out-of-business sale The longer you wait the better I be bargains may be as long as you want left Store of Knowledge on the Country Club Plaza clos es today a week after its sister store at Oak Park Mall When 1 read weeks ago that the nationwide Store of Knowl edge chain was closing I made a mental note to make one last visit then put it off So 1 went in recently to see what treasures I could find at 40 percent to 70 percent off There were a dozen or more Store of Knowledge microscopes origi nally $150 Robotix kits with 425 pieces were going for $120 marked down from $200 There were shelves of scale-model dinosaurs and Harry Potter products Some books on travel finances information technology and natural sciences remained as did a few videotape sets and DVDs But they were only a shadow of the stores former selection The best variety of merchandise left was for young children -International Traveler Madeline dolls Parenting Pre-School Craft kits dress-up clothes and stuffed dolls There also was a good selection of inexpensive novelties goody bag stuffers for pen nies apiece If you keep a stash of gifts for unexpected occasions going-out-ofbusiness sales are great opportuni ties to restock I left with a Monopoly Millennium 2000 Edition set in a commemorative tin originally $55 for $33 It has cast-metal game pieces a holographic game board and a nifty plastic tray for the banker OK so 1 could have bought a standard Monopoly board game for $11 from wwwtargetcom My commemorative edition a true bargain unless you include the collectible and souvenir elements of the purchase Even so happy with it Rosanne Shop Talk column takes readers on smart shopping ad venlu res It appears eivry other week in MoneyWise If you have comments for her please call (816) 234-4881 or send e-mail to StarShopTalkaoLcom SUSAN IM ANNMUll I RSU'diil lo I hr Si Unit air conditioners fill the windows of an apartment building on the Country Club Plaza LIKE LOIS OF AC! BETTER COOL IT INVESTMENT CLUB dated reports are presented in following months When a stock is in the buy range according to a National Association of Investors Corp software tool the club uses a recommendation is made always mindful of our portfolio We buy for the long term and so buy more of what does well for Ralston said I have learned my stocks are not a member of my family and 1 can sell them" Current issues: trying to diversify some more so added GF which is a diversified company" Ralston said If you are interested in sharing your investment experiences please call Donna Vestal at (816) 234-4881 or send e-mail to dvestalkcstarcom Club: Dollars and Sense Founded: January 1997 Membership: Women who work at Johnson County Community College including some retired educators The club has 1 6 members and is currently full Meetings: Monthly Membership requirements: $40 a month Also members must attend stock analysis classes and model club meetings of the National Association of Investors Corp Founder Cindy Ralston said these strict requirements make the club successful because members make a serious commitment and wait to get their teeth into it" "This is really a she said the social side of it but we get right down to our agenda We make every minute count Philosophy: Buy and hold leading companies with a strong steady growth record in revenue and earnings per share Selling only occurs if club members see changes in the fundamentals of a particular stock Sample of largest holdings: Cisco Systems Gap Jack 1 lenry Associates Paychex Return on investment: 17 percent compounded return since the inception Decision making: Stock analyses are presented at meetings by club mem bers but never are vot -edonat their first mention Up machine with too much cooling output Nanni said People who purchase an air conditioner with twice the necessary output need to run it hall as much as the smaller unit While that might not sound bad it means you might end up turn ing the air conditionei on more than needed to reduce humidity "When you run it hall the lime it remove moisture when not running So you might end up with a higher relative hu midily and when you lower your thermostat setting" Nanni said In these days ol skyrocketing electricity osts more impoi tant than ever to consider buying an energy-efficient ait condition er To find out how efficient an air conditioner is look lor the energy efficiency rating ot I ER The higher the number the better According to Consumer Re ports small differences in the EFR can significantly affect your electric bill An air conditioner with a rating of 10 for example consumes 20 percent less energy than one with a rating of 8 Consumer Reports plans to add an energy-saving section to the free section of its Web site wwwconsumerreportsorg that includes information about air conditioners The site includes a calculator that people can use to help them determine their Btu needs for cooling Die Associated Press shopping for a window air conditioner and I need to figure out what size I need for my apartment 1 low do I do this? A The output of air condition YJers is measured in British thermal units commonly known as Btu The higher the number the greater the cooling capacity Most appliance stores can do a rough calculation of your Btu needs if you can supply the square footage of the area you need to cool For example a (i 000-Btu air conditioner generally will cool an area measuring 300 square feel while a 10000 Btu air condition er usually has sufficient output to cool a 700-square foot area But those estimates take into consideration other important factors said Jim Nanni who tests air conditioners and other home appliances for Consumer Reports magazine Homes with windows facing north or east can be cooled more easily than homes with windows facing south or west he said If the area to be cooled includes a kitchen your Btu needs will rise Well-insulated buildings are easier to cool than older build ings with little or no insulation And when two or more people regularly occupy the space Btu needs also increase A common air conditioning purchase mistake is buying a IISH TRIVIA Name that company Money in the bank Percent increase in deposits at US banks during the first quarter the leading specialty retailer of lingerie personal care home fragrance and decor products I sell my Bath BodyWorks and White Barn Candle Co products through some 1200 stores I also sell products under my better-known brand via about 365 million catalogs a Web site and more than 900 stores I went public in 1995 and my stock has nearly doubled in value since then Who am For the answer check out Hie Motley Fool Page F-16 Fidelity Investments has an online game to A tesl what know about investing You play I the bull in Chart Climber and race to the top of til chan before the bear runs to the bottom I I You have to answer multiple choice and true-false questions Visit wwwfidelitycomgoto chartclimber Knighi Ridder Tribune Pocketlrook is compiled from staff and wire service information by The Star's Donna Vestal She can be reached at dvestalkcstarcom MONEYWISE lime 3 2 001 I 3.