At some level, all shoppers know that a game is being played in every aisle of every store. Original prices, weekly promotions, clearance racks, coupons, Black Friday, blue-light specials, flash sales, oddly specific prices …
Odd Spending
How to Get a Photo with Newt Gingrich for Free
This week, the increasingly desperate-looking presidential candidate Newt Gingrich began charging $50 a pop to anyone wishing to have a photograph taken with him. Starting on Monday in Delaware, supporters who wanted to pose with …
Game Changers: 5 New ‘Next Big Things’
Imagine if you could pay for parking with a few taps of your phone, and that you’d never have to pay for more time than you used. Imagine if, after you’re done eating a bag of chips or drinking a carton of juice, you could scarf …
When New Cars Are Cheaper Than Used Cars
Sometimes, thanks to a combination of soaring used car values and special dealership and automaker incentives, the stars align and a fluky thing happens: Buying a new car is cheaper than a used version of the same model. It’s …
Movie-Theater Owner Tries to Justify $4 Fountain Sodas
It’s been estimated that movie theaters make an 85% profit at the concessions stand on overpriced soda, candy, nachos, hot dogs and, of course, popcorn. Movie-theater popcorn has been called one of America’s biggest rip-offs, …
Now There’s a Daily Deal Site for Underwear
You have to give the daily deal industry some credit: It’s never short on new—and often, unorthodox—ideas. Groupon has been trying out $30 VIP memberships and creepy carnival-style games promising extra discounts in recent …
NCAA March Madness and Money, by the Numbers
It’s officially tourney time. Just how much is wagered on games? To what degree do workers slack off to keep up with the action on the court? What is your office doing to stop you from streaming video so maybe you’ll actually get …
Casting Call for ‘Extreme Cheapskates’
Do you go dumpster-diving for your wife’s anniversary gift? Do you dine on cow’s hearts and goat’s heads, so long as the price is right? When you hear the words “reusable toilet paper,” do you think “Brilliant!” rather than
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Now You Can Be Charged—and Shamed—for Not Showing for a Restaurant Reservation
More and more, restaurants are requiring credit cards before allowing customers to make a dinner reservation, and they’ll charge you, and possibly say nasty things about you on Twitter, if you fail to show up.
People Are Stealing Tide Detergent and Using It to Buy Drugs
So say the latest reports about a “crime wave” sweeping the nation. According to multiple news sources, theft of Tide Detergent is soaring across the country, forcing retailers like CVS to consider placing alarms on each …
Look Out, Dunkin’ Donuts: McDonald’s Plans to Offer Breakfast Pastries
Egg McMuffins not your thing? No problem. McDonald’s is trying to boost its share of the breakfast business with new offerings like muffins, scones and danishes. The fast-food giant is rolling out a line of breakfast pastries in …
Free-Spending Consumers Are Offended by … Deep Discounts?
It happens all the time: You buy an item at one price, and then see others buy the same item a little later on for a much cheaper price. This is standard practice nowadays, but it still gets customers angry. How angry? A new …