The U.S. should adopt a simple solution that was successfully used to restore trust in public companies and markets after the …
great depression
Could Your Property Taxes Actually Be Getting Cheaper?
Property taxes are based on the value of one’s home. But as the real estate market collapsed and owners watched in horror as home values dropped by one-third, or perhaps half, their property taxes probably didn’t budge. Through …
Economic Doom, By the Numbers
Unemployment, misery, workplace dissatisfaction, the disappearing American Dream, forecasts of another Great Depression … Yikes!
How the Recession Changed Young People’s Attitudes About Money
Everyone knows someone who grew up during the Great Depression, and as a result, eats green beans out of the can and sews up holes in socks.
On Launching Moneyland in the Luce Tradition
More than two years after the near-meltdown of the global financial system, “the economy” remains the story of our day.
Cheapskate Wisdom About … Why Santa Claus Is a Saver, Not a Spender
“I was born in 1926 and that was a time with all the problems and everything. A lot of the children now and adults don’t realize what we went through. My mother went out and worked. She knit things for the Red Cross and things like that.”
Look in Your Closet for Some Perspective on the Great Recession
The average American now owns about 90 articles of clothing, and that total doesn’t include underwear, socks, bras, or pajamas. Guess how many items of clothing the average person had during the Great Depression?
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Gary Hart (About His Childhood in Kansas)
“Everyone worked, in my case starting at the age of eleven. (I don’t think there were child labor laws then.) We didn’t spend money we didn’t have. There were no credit cards. And my parents would have been embarrassed to go to the bank and ask for a loan to buy more gadgets. The Depression taught them, and they taught me, don’t …
How Far to Drive for Cheap Gas? Where Do Your Taxes Go? Why So Many Damn Movie Trailers Lately?
As is usually the case, I’ve got more questions than answers. Luckily, somebody has answers — to these and other puzzling questions.
How Homeownership Is Like Marriage
There are forces that eagerly want you to enter these institutions—the federal government with homeownership, nagging family members with marriage, and society as a whole for both. You hear over and over that entering into these commitments is the fulfillment of a dream. But neither homeownership nor marriage is right for everyone. And …
Recession: Just What the Doctor Ordered?
Contrary to what you might assume, the nation’s overall health showed dramatic improvements during the Great Depression. Could something similar be happening right now? Does economic crisis actually make us healthier?
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 …
