Also: the sickest things people have done to save money, including wolfing down a Quarter Pounder that sat forgotten on a shelf—for five days.
5 New Retail Loyalty Lures. Including rewards for “liking” brands on Facebook and personalized discounts sent via e-mail to loyal customers. Discounts are great, but at some point, the retailer-customer relationship (and the lack of anonymity and privacy) might begin to feel too cozy, even creepy.
5 Huge Money Pitfalls. Among the biggies to avoid—if possible—are divorce, jail, and addiction. They’re all bad for your finances, not to mention your overall happiness.
9 Tactics for Starting Food Preparation at Home. Simple recipes with few ingredients are best, especially for novices, and there’s no underestimating the utility of the freezer.
10 Tips on How to Reduce Your Food Waste. Advice from Slate readers: Shop several times a week (this is the opposite of what cheapskates like Jeff Yeager suggest), hit the supermarket salad bar (again, money-savers recommend avoiding pre-washed or pre-sliced foods, which are more expensive than their raw, unprepared counterparts), and utilize the freezer (one tip we can all agree on).
13 Pay-What-You-Want Restaurants. In an emerging mini-trend, restaurant customers decide how much a meal is worth and how much to pay. Before stiffing anyone, remember: Karma’s a bitch.
27 of the Sickest Things Consumerist Readers Have Done to Save Money. Reusing milk for cereal the next day (and the day after that). Dating a horrible (but rich!) girl who would pay for dinner. Returning a sleeping bag to a store after sleeping in it for a month straight. Eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder—a five-day-old Quarter Pounder. Going without health insurance for 12 years.