No one present at next week’s swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama as president is supposed to pay a dime to attend the event. But some attendees may be paying thousands of dollars for the privilege.
Craigslist
Gas Prices Take a Huge Post-Sandy Plunge
Amid epically long lines at gas stations and pervasive fear and panic among drivers in areas hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, entrepreneurs have jumped into action. Ads on Craigslist reveal that a black market for gas has emerged, …
Sandy Bump? Where Business Is Brisk After the Storm
No one should anticipate that a “Sandy stimulus” will kick the economy into a higher gear. Even so, Sandy has caused businesses of all shapes and sizes to be exceptionally busy — including a few you wouldn’t expect.
Big Data: Which Websites Respect Your Privacy Rights the Least?
Fine. Nobody reads website “terms of service” fine print. Of course we should be concerned about our privacy, but these (often one-sided) agreements are almost impossible to decipher and can seem kind of pointless in that even if Facebook or Google does something we don’t like, it’s not like we’re going to stop using them.
Top Consumer Complaints: Our Latest, Biggest, Weirdest Grievances
So we like to complain. What else is new? No, really — what’s new? A consumer watchdog group just released a study about the biggest and baddest complaints fielded by various investigative agencies last year. There are some …
‘Dark Knight’ Ticket Sales: $25 Million and Counting—Before the Movie Hits Theaters
It’s hard to overestimate the degree to which fans have been anticipating the arrival in theaters of the new Christopher Nolan-Christian Bale Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Tickets to some of the first showings, at …
The Benefits of Buying Virtually Everything Used
Most folks understand that buying a new car is — on paper at least — a poor financial decision. Buying a used car generally provides substantial long-term savings. But did you know there’s a growing number of folks who try to …
Unemployed Cry for Help (and Work) on Craigslist
There’s no shortage of grim employment statistics floating out there. For example, only 63.5% of men ages 21 to 54 had jobs in July, and one or more people have lost jobs in nearly half of American households since 2008. While the numbers tell one part of the story, free ads posted on Craigslist by people who are out of work and …
81 Money Tips: Memorial Day Sales, Budget BBQ Advice, Garage Sale Pointers, and More
Also in this week’s link roundup, what you can still buy for just $1, and why fast food “value meals”—which cost way more than $1—aren’t really good values.
96 Money Tips: Smart 401(k) Saving, Dumb Pawn Shop Purchases, and More
This week’s roundup also includes insights on technology rip-offs, the future of coupons, and tactics for handling everything from hard-nosed negotiations to selling stuff on Craigslist.
Spring Clean Out! Instead of Getting More Stuff, Get Rid of Some
The result will be that instead of clutter, you’ll have space and a refreshing sense of Spartan simplicity—and you won’t have to look at all that stuff you never use, and probably should have never bought. And instead of money disappearing into the cash registers of retail centers all over your neck of the woods, you’ll have some money …
Economic Indicator: The Price of a Haircut on Craigslist?
Among the data that may give some indication of how the economy is doing: Sales of generic toilet paper and cheap liquor, how new your underwear is, and how hot your waitress is, and how busy the fast-food drive-thru is at breakfast time. Also: passenger subway traffic near San Francisco’s Union Square, and perhaps even the asking prices …
