What are the two things that matter when it comes to an alarm clock? That's right, the sound of the alarm and the length of the snooze. The problem is that alarm manufacturers rarely allow you to access this information when buying an alarm clock. This was the problem that Mrs. Planner and I faced two weeks ago when we bought a new alarm clock. The package that we were interested in said escalating ring, and we felt that this could work for us. The earlier we hear the alarm the less loud it will get. It was a match made in heaven. We got home, threw batteries in the clock, and set the alarm for the next morning. Well, 6:30 came...SNOOZE...then 6:34 came...6:34! A 4 minute snooze. A FOUR MINUTE SNOOZE. That is sadistic. I am a lazy American. A 4 minute snooze is unacceptable. I wouldn't have bought the stupid clock if it had said 4 minute snooze on it. Some things you can research, some things you can't.

What are things you can research? The gas mileage of a new car. The insurance rates of a new car. The restrictions on a new investment. The true cost of your monthly cable bill. These are all things that people generally don't research before they make a buying decision, yet we all know that this lack research can cost us serious money. Read the fine print. If you don't, you might end up waking up every 4 minutes for 28 minutes.