How do I get the best deal on my kitchen appliances?

I am buying my first home and the appliance that are in there absolutely have to go (most don’t even work, let alone they are 20 years old). I want to get good stuff, but I don’t need the top of the line. I want to get a good deal on my appliances, but I want to get the job done right. I work in IT so I would consider myself pretty savvy. I have searched online at various retailers, compared what a lot of models have to offer, have a general price point of what items may cost. I also went in to Home Depot, Pacific Sales, Sears, Sears Outlet, Costco, etc.

So I am in San Diego and I want to buy a refrigerator, cook top (30″ gas), wall oven (30″), microwave/hood combo (over cook top). What suggestions might everyone on here have at getting the best deal possible? Where might you recommend I shop to find the best deal? What about possible rebates, coupons, etc.? Any specific things to look out for when purchasing? Warranty? Installation? Possible (or not) package deal savings?

What about fitment? Might I have issues with various 30″ appliances fitting in where the previous Magic Chef 30″ stuff is already? I can take pictures and exact measurements, maybe that can help in purchasing more precisely?

Here are some possible items I can see myself buying based on the knowledge I have now…

Kenmore Stainless Steel 25.0 cu. ft. Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04678503000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Refrigerators&sName=Bottom+Freezers

Kenmore Elite 30″ Stainless Wall Oven
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02248043000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Cooking+Appliances&sName=Wall+Ovens

Bosch 30″ Stainless Oven
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02242333000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Cooking+Appliances&sName=Wall+Ovens

Kenmore Elite 30″ Stainless Gas Cook Top
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02242333000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Cooking+Appliances&sName=Wall+Ovens

Kenmore PRO 30″ Stainless Cook Top
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02231003000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Cooking+Appliances&sName=Cooktops

You get the idea….

THANKS!!
Regarding craigslist. I have been looking for the last 1-2 weeks and the only thing I have seen that looks like I can find an ample amount of on there are Refrigerators. I can get a good deal on one of those and Washer/Dryer. But buying an oven and cook top on there seems hard to find and not the kind/size/color I want (yet).

What can we do to get our money back on a new paint job on our car we were ripped off on?

We are currently in San Diego, where this has been taking place….

Between the hours of late March 17th and early 18th both of our cars were keyed pretty badly, dinged up and stereos stolen. One vehicle was totaled out and the other ( 2005 Ford Explorer ) came to about $5,245.96 worth of damage.

We found a guy, Steve Adams, with a shop, Nu-Life Auto Body, that would paint it within the mount estimated by the insurance company. We asked him how much it would cost out of pocket to get it painted slightly different. Our vehicle was one solid color and we asked how much he would charge to paint the top half black with a pinstripe separating the black from the stock color. He told us that it would stay within the price range if not under what the insurance company issued.

He told us that he paints his vehicles in a different location than where he lives but to bring the car to him and he would have it back to us within 4 days with a stage 3 paint job looking better than a professional paint job. It took us about 25 minutes to get to his home where we were instructed to drop off the car on April 5, 2009.

We received a call April 8, 2009 stating we could pick up our car. When we arrived we were devastated! The car was not painted properly and significant damage was done to the exterior of the car. The top part of the car was not sanded and was just painted over the existing stock color. We knew this because the black paint was already chipping off around the windows. The windows have marks where he slipped numerous times with a sander and I do not think there is anything we can do to repair them other than buy new. The mirrors, tail lights, headlights and rims all have over spray and sander marks on them. The headlights were damaged as well and added into the estimate. We bought the new headlights and have a receipt showing they were brand new and were inserted right before the car had been re-painted. The lower part of the car looks very matte, not glossy like it was before. There are sanding marks everywhere and the key marks are still very visible. The dings were filled with bondo which is noticeable along with a dent he apparently added while removing one. The paint has bubble marks in it as well as dirt that was sprayed over. You can see where spots were missed completely and the surface feels like a fingernail filer. There are so many large run marks that it is unreal. Door jams were not painted, under the hood was not painted and there is paint on the black stock running boards.

This paint job is not even a stage one . We feel totally taken advantage for and are not sure how to go about this in a legal manner. He said to bring the car back up and he would strip it and fix it but we are very hesitant being as he damaged everything on the exterior of the car. We have 5 children and my husband has to go out to sea. I need this car because I have to take my children to and from school, dr. appts, school appts., and to run daily errands. I cannot drive a manual so using my husbands car is out of the question. We got this paint job while the children were on spring break and my husband was home so I would not have any problems getting anywhere. Geico has already closed the case so I cannot afford to get a rental car while this guy continues to mess up the vehicle worse than he already has.

The guy was already sent the check of $5,245.96 and said the paint job totaled $4,800. He did not order any aftermarket parts that were included in the estimate. He also did not buy the We are so frustrated we do not know what to do at this point. of course a million things are popping up but we do not want to let this guy slip through without paying up for what he has done. Steve told us that he keeps his word and that he would do “anything” he could to make sure we are happy. After asking for the money back he refused and stated he had already $1,000 into the paint job. Steve said that for the hassle he would give us a $10,000 paint job but we would have to pay $600 out of pocket if we wanted the door jams painted.

We are very dissappointed that we trusted this man to take care of our vehicle after the damage that occurred to it. We are very unhappy that he he drove our car until he ran the gas out of it as well. I do not know where he paints his cars but obviously this man does not have a shop at all.

The insurance company states there is nothing they can do because he was not a geico repair facility , which we were not told about any we could go to. We were informed to “Take the vehicle to your choice of shop” and that is what we did. The check was written to him only and he has already now cashed it so we cannot get it stopped.

We do not know what to do and we need as much advice as we can get, without sarcasm.

Here is a link with the photos…

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090410172306AANaUFO&r=w

How is on base living (Wife Question)?

I have a wife question here. She is wondering what base housing is like for E-3 and O-2. I haven’t choosen which way I want to enter.
J_ody I say both because I would love to become an officer but the ability not choose your direct MOS. I have three I would want to do (0180, 3404, 4302) but the chance that I may be put in an MOS that I have no interest in has me also thinking about enlisted.