He lives beneath his means, has a ten-minute commute to work, and bought a house he can afford. Then again, what house can’t he afford?
134 Money Tips, Special Mother’s Day Edition
In this week’s link roundup: wisdom, tips, and lessons about money and family from moms everywhere—and tons of affordable, heartwarming gift ideas that’ll show much Mom is appreciated.
Insider Insight … About the Makings of a Good Mother’s Day Gift
“Good Mother’s Day gifts are like geometry class where you are required to show your work in order to get credit.”
It’s a Deal: Free Comic Book Day on Saturday
Saturday, May 7, is Free Comic Book Day, when comic book shops around the country give out select complimentary comic books to all customers. Search for participating locations here.
Unemployment Rate Rises: Why More Jobs Are Not Equalling a Good Economy?
Is it time to stop worrying about the recovery? In April, the economy added 244,000 jobs. That was more than double the 93,000 workers companies boosted their payrolls by just six months ago, and it was far more than expected. After a string of weak economic data, and drop in the price of oil yesterday, many thought the jobs report …
Good Reads: Fancy (but Worthless) Kitchens and College Degrees, and More
Here’s some recommended reading, inquiring into issues like: Why do consumers keep paying top dollar for huge, high-end kitchens and designer appliances they almost never use? Why do students keep buying into the idea that college is the only path to success, and that racking up tens of thousands in loans is a good idea? And how the heck …
Oil Prices Plunge: Why Gas Might Not Kill the Recovery
The price of oil plunged today, down more than $9 to $99.60. But the largest one-day drop in oil prices since the height of the financial crisis is unlikely to stop talk that high gas prices could kill the recovery.
According to the oil price spike of 2008, whenever gas prices hit $4 a gallon, the economy flips out. Sticker shock at …
The Passive-Aggressive, Total Cheapo Gift Guide for Mother’s Day
The National Retail Federation expects a rise in Mother’s Day spending this year: The average celebrant will spend $140.73 on mom, up from $126.90 last year. Consumers are expected to drop billions on restaurants, flowers, greeting cards, and candy—and interestingly enough, much of this spending goes against the wishes of Mother’s Day …
It’s a Deal: 25% Off Schwinn Bikes & Helmets
Through May 7 (and just in time for warm weather), Toys R Us is discounting all Schwinn bicycles and helmets by 25%. This 18-inch boys’ bike, for instance, is selling for $59.99, down from the original price of $79.98.
Retailer Loyalty Reward Programs Mean Never Having to Pay Retail
Store reward programs seem like a great deal for shoppers, with instant discounts and special offers not available to non-members. But there are tradeoffs to all these deals. Retailers haven’t designed and instituted these programs out of pure kindness and the generosity of their bottom-line hearts, and at some point the savvy consumer …
Mortgage Fraud: Will Wall Street finally have to pay for its misdeeds?
Wall Street may soon have to finally pay for its folly. Earlier this week, the US Attorneys office of the Department of Justice sued Deutsche Bank for allegedly tricking a government insurance program into backing mortgage loans that were much riskier than they were portrayed. Many of those loans have defaulted causing nearly $400 …
More Big Players (AT&T, Amazon) Enter Daily Deal Market and Offer an Easy $10 Off
Despite some indication that interest in Groupon and other daily deal sites is on the wane, the flash deals market keeps getting more and more crowded—with bigger and badder competitors. Facebook rolled out its deals service last week, and now Amazon and AT&T are jumping into the daily deal mosh pit as well.
