The dollar store probably isn’t the first place you think of for finding a date. But no matter if you’re a geek, cheapskate …
shopping
A 4% Surcharge for Using a Credit Card?! Now Legal — but Not Likely
Starting on Sunday, Jan. 27, retailers will be allowed to tack a surcharge of up to 4% onto your tab if you want to pay with a credit card. If that sounds like a lot, you’re right. Happily, though, it’s unlikely to happen very often.
What to Buy in October
When most people think of October, they think of brown, yellow and red leaves and bright orange pumpkins. Retailers think green. To them, the start of the fourth quarter represents hope that end-of-the-year sales will boost their …
The Latest Expansion of the Holiday Season: Layaway at Walmart Starts a Month Early This Year
We’re still in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record, but in less than a month, you’ll be able to put holiday items on layaway at Walmart.
How to Beat Rising Food Prices: Be Smart About When You Buy
The severe drought in our nation’s breadbasket has a lot of people worried about rising food prices. That makes this a great time to know when to buy food — because knowing when to buy can save you a lot of money. Here are a …
4 Reasons Not to Buy Clothes in August
More money is spent on clothes in August than in any other month, but smart shoppers aren’t buying then. The fact is, August just isn’t the most cost-effective month in which to buy new clothes. Why? Here are four reasons:
Reports of the Shopping Mall’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
There are few more enduring symbols of American consumerism – or American culture in general – than the shopping mall. The first modern, fully enclosed mall, the Southdale Shopping Center, was built in Edina, Minnesota – …
The Best Time for Back-to-School Shopping
About 80 million American children – from preschool to college – will return to school in August or September, and between now and then, they will need to buy school supplies and clothes.
Retailers are hoping for even bigger …
Smartphone Shoppers Actually Increase In-Store Sales
They call it “showrooming,” and to hear the nation’s retailers and other experts fret about consumers using smartphones to buy online while shopping in stores, it’s the worst thing to happen to brick-and-mortar sales since Jeff …
How Smart Phones Are Changing the Way We Bank, Drive, Have Sex and Go to the Bathroom
“Smartphonatics” are changing the way we bank and play. And while smart phones are making a lot of things easier, in many contexts they are the source of gross distraction and rude behavior
What Student Debt Crisis? Survey Says We’ll Spend $5 Billion on Graduation Gifts
A new survey shows that Americans will collectively spend more than $4.7 billion on gifts for students graduating college or high school this year. For some perspective, our country’s collective student loan debt has cracked the …
How to Get Even for Poor Customer Service
Two-thirds of our economy is in the service sector. So why is service so bad?
