Even in the 21st century, you can survive without plastic. Thrive, actually. Many people swear by the switch to cash-only as a means to avoid going into debt.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Mark Twain
“October: This is one of the particularly dangerous months to invest in stocks. Other dangerous months are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.”
It’s a Deal: Free Admission to Hundreds of Museums on Saturday
This Saturday, September 26, is Museum Day, when hundreds of museums and cultural centers around the country are waiving normal admissions fees. The event is sponsored by Smithsonian magazine, and museum visitors must download and print a fee admission card to gain entrance. Details here.
Q&A with Clothing Swap Expert Wendy Tremayne
Wendy Tremayne is the founder of Swap-O-Rama-Rama, a hub for clothing swaps around the country. In a Q&A with The Cheapskate Blog, she discusses ways to spruce up old clothes and discarded textiles in the swaps’ DIY workshops, along with lots of tips that are certainly new to me. Example: Bras can be easily transformed into great water …
All unemployed people are equal, but some are more equal than others
I try not to spend too much time paying attention to politicians’ Twitter feeds (or to what politicians say in general… or to Twitter feeds), but this tweet, from Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska caught my eye:
Why is an unemployed person in California more worthy of help than an unemployed person in Nebraska?
Is Microsoft going the way of the Zune?
Fortune’s Jon Fortt reports that when long-time Microsoft-basher Larry Ellison (the CEO of Oracle) was asked this week if Microsoft was still relevant, his answer was:
They make a lot of money. I think they’re clearly relevant. I divide the computer industry into two groups. And I know for a long time I was constantly picking a fight
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It’s a Deal: Extra 15% Off Contact Lenses from VisionDirect
New customers at VisionDirect.com get 15 percent off orders, along with free shipping if you’re spending $99 or more. Use the coupon code 15NEW when making purchases. More details here.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Benjamin Franklin
“Beware of little expenses. A small leak can sink a great ship.”
Read on for ten more wise quotes from B.F.
Why China should stop piling up dollars (and why it won’t)
In today’s FT, Martin Wolf writes about China’s $2.1 trillion in foreign currency reserves:
It is little wonder such a huge exposure makes the Chinese government nervous. But nobody asked the Chinese to do this. On the contrary, US policymakers have consistently (and wisely) advised them to do the opposite. Having made what I believe was
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Debit Card Fees: Changed, But Still an Easy Way to Get Ripped Off
The banks say that being threatened with legislation had no impact on their decisions to make annoying debit card overdraft fees slightly less annoying. Instead, Bank of America and Chase say they are changing their fees just to help out their customers. How nice of them.
Q&A with “In Cheap We Trust” Author Lauren Weber
Lauren Weber’s father is cheap. Really cheap. He kept the thermostat at 50 degrees during the winter. When driving, he used hand signals to indicate he was turning to avoid burning out the headlight bulbs. He washed dishes in cold water to keep the hot water bill down. As a child, Lauren hated how cheap her father was. But she grew up …
My educational day in Chicago
I was sitting in the park across the street from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business this morning, after a visit with Steve Levitt and before a lunch date with Dick Thaler. (Am I a friggin’ econonamedropper or what?) At least, I was trying to sit there and answer some e-mails, but every time I stayed more than about two …