Buying advice at your fingertips.

The Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2007 is your handy one-stop source for making intelligent, informed, money-saving purchases for all your home and personal needs. Consult it before you shop and bring it to the store to help you compare brands. Here's how to make best use of this buying guide:

Whether you shop in stores, through catalogs, or online, arm yourself with time-and money-saving strategies by reading Shopping Strategies to Get Best Value, on page 7. This section includes two revealing surveys: Appliance Retailers Compared and Computer Retailers Compared, about the best places to go and methods to use when shopping for various products. It also includes a sidebar about the hooey you might be handed by a salesman trying to sell you an extended warranty you probably don't need.

You may not be stepping into an electronics store, appliance store, or car dealership this week, but we're pretty sure you'll be visiting a supermarket. Be sure to read Shop Smart in the Supermarket on page 15. Here you'll find simple strategies that can add up to big savings each year.

After you've brushed up on your shopping savvy, turn to the Buying Advice section, beginning on page 18, for guidance from the experts at Consumer Reports on more than 45 product ...