Here’s a roundup of links with advice for dropping your monthly cable bill, evaluating diet programs (extra tip: plain old water may be a genuine miracle product in this department), consistently getting discounts at major retailers like Target and Sam’s Club, figuring out ways to pamper your pets on the cheap and the easiest ways to get …
college
10 Consumer Questions, Including: Are Cheapskates Hot?
Also, is it wrong to take advantage of freebies? And: How much should you be saving for college? (If you’re dropping off your kid at school next week, this is an issue you probably should have addressed earlier.)
Save Money Now: 18 Resources to Help You Hang On to More Cash
Included in this week’s roundup: colleges where tuition is free, best online savings accounts, stuff the cell-phone companies won’t tell you, unconventional ways to find jobs, worst items to buy at drugstores, reasons you might want to totally ignore your credit score, and justifications for why you’re not buying a diamond engagement …
Study: Childcare More Expensive Than College, Annual Food Bill
The cost of center-based childcare for infants has risen twice as fast as median income for families over the past decade.
Survey: College Isn’t All That Great an Investment
Last year, 80% of Americans believed that college was a good financial investment. Now, results from the same survey show a sharp drop in confidence in the rewards of higher education, with only 64% of people saying that college is a good investment.
10 Consumer Questions Including: Is Your Contractor Lying to You? And: Do You Care About Product Recalls?
Also: Is it better to invest or pay off your mortgage early? Is Hulu Plus worth the $10 a month they’re asking for it? Are you paying too much in property taxes?
114 Money-Saving Strategies, Tips, Resources, and Unconventional Ideas
Take a look at insights that’ll help you negotiate, shop smarter, and get the most out of your local library, along with lists of stuff that’s overrated, stuff that’s cheaper than you thought, and stuff that you can always get for less than the retail price.
This Summer Only! College at 50% Off! Get Your Learning On While It’s Cheap!
To attract students at a time when many families are wondering if they can afford college—and also, if higher education is actually worth the money—colleges are going all Crazy Eddie, offering deals like tuition freezes, 50% off and buy-one-get-one-free summer courses, and free housing.
Cheapskate Wisdom … That Should Be in College Graduation Commencement Addresses
“Visit Graceland at least once, to see what happens to some people when they get too much money.”
Cheapskate Wisdom about … Whether a College Education Is Worth the Money
“One needn’t necessarily be a liberal-arts graduate to regard as distinctly and speciously utilitarian the idea that higher education is, above all, a route to economic advancement.”
College Grad’s Guide to Reality: Essential Reading for Those Trying to Entering the Workforce
Congratulations! You’re a college graduate. On the one hand, it’s not going to be easy to find someone willing to pay you to go to work. On the other, at least you’re done paying—via tuition—for people to teach you and evaluate your work.
5 Weird Ways to Save
Corporate sponsorship for weddings, fake (but effective) medications, savvy business advice from prostitutes, and more.
