People are reacting to the economic downturn in different ways. Some folks are trying to change careers, whether they really want to or not. Lots of people are sensibly scaling back. Still others are taking a rather proactive approach: They’re turning into superheroes. No joke, as CNN reports.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Henry David Thoreau
“That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.”
A Father’s Day Gift the Cheapskate Can Endorse
I’m very proud to have been anointed as the official spokesperson for dads everywhere—OK, not really, but I have a blog, and I’m running with it. Take it from me: What Dad really wants—more than pants, a stainless-steel barbecue, a cheap Chrysler, and certainly more than a new tie—is a break.
It’s a Deal: Spend $50 at Sears, Get $50 Back
When you spend $50 on men’s pants at Sears, you’re eligible for a $50 mail-in rebate in the form of a Sears gift card. It’s a Father’s Day promotion, ending June 21. Give Dad some pants, and later, give him the gift card too, so he can buy himself some tools.
How to find a job using Facebook and Twitter
I’ve got a new story up on Time.com about how to find a job using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It begins:
Brian Ward lost his job on a Friday afternoon. Eleven days later he had a new one. With nearly 1 in 10 people out of work and the typical job search lasting 12 weeks, how did the Cleveland-based software
…
Cheapskate Q&A about Buying Cars with Edmunds.com
What happens to your warranty if the car manufacturer is in bankruptcy? Edmunds.com’s senior consumer advice editor and blogger Philip Reed answers that question and more.
A new blog for people who want to save money
Everyone please extend a warm welcome to Brad Tuttle, our newest Time.com blogger. Over the weekend he started blogging about how to spend less money. Topical, eh? You can follow his thrifty ways on The Cheapskate Blog. And Brad, if you’re ever down Manhattan way, let me know and I’ll take you out to lunch. We can go to Mamoun’s for $3 …
Chrysler Dealers: Everything Must Go
“In essence, I paid some people to take some of my cars.” Those are the words of a Chrysler dealership owner in Arkansas. His dealership, like about one-quarter of Chrysler showrooms across the country, is being forced to close tomorrow, June 9. Dealers on the chopping block have been unloading inventory on the cheap for weeks, and today …
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Woody Allen
“Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.”
It’s Time to Consider Plan B, Whether You Want to or Not
Lately, plenty of writers seem to be trying careers on for size that don’t involve them sitting in front of a computer, and it’s not because they want to be the next George Plimpton. Everyone knows that their pink slip could be next (people in publishing especially). So, if you’re out of work, or on the brink of being out of work—and …
Peter L. Bernstein, inspiring guy
I had this thank you letter in mind that I was going to write to Peter Bernstein. It wasn’t going to be electronic, and it wasn’t going to be just a brief note. The proximate cause was the blurb he wrote for the back cover of my new book, but I meant to thank him more generally for making the book possible. He had given me the idea for …
If the stock market’s not rational, should you ever own stocks?
Zvi Bodie e-mails with an interesting question, related both to my article about long-run investing in the current TIME (in which he plays a starring role) and my book:
If you doubt the rationality of the stock market, then isn’t investing in stocks a crap shoot? How can you be sure that there is a positive risk premium? The historical
…