Here’s what this week’s scouring of the web for good (or at least amusing) personal finance advice has yielded:
Is it Time to Stop Listening to the Ratings Agencies?
Moody’s CEO Ray McDaniel (right) testifying about the Financial Crisis, along with Warren Buffett (Shannon Stapleton/REUTERS)
It’s not often that I burst out laughing when I open up the business section, but I couldn’t help myself after cracking the Times to a see a big cartoon and the scarifying story that Moody’s and Standard and …
Cheapskate Wisdom … About the Limits of Willpower
“It’s not that we have less willpower than we used to, but rather that modern life immerses us daily in a set of temptations far more evolved than we are.”
It’s a Deal: Extra 50% Off Levi’s Sale Merchandise
Use the coupon code EXTRA50 to get an additional 50% off Levi’s items already on sale. All orders will also be shipped for free when customers select standard ground shipping. Valid for orders placed by January 17.
Luxury Purchases Are Up, But It’s Not Just the Rich Doing the Buying
Spending on luxury goods during the peak holiday shopping weeks of 2010 rose 8.5% compared to the year before. Jewelry sales were up even higher, rising 10.4%.
Buying in Bulk: Trimming Food Bills Beyond the Warehouse Stores
With prepackaged food, somebody’s got to pay for the packaging—and that somebody is the consumer. But shoppers can bypass the packaging and marketing costs built into most food items by hitting bulk food dispensers—which now not only sell staples like coffee, beans, pasta, and grains, but also goods you wouldn’t think to buy without …
Seattle Stadium Beer Scandal: Same Amount of Brew Whether You Pay $7.25 or $8.50
OK, we all know that fans pay through the nose for beer, hot dogs, and everything else served at sporting events. But some snacks and frosty beverages are more of a rip-off than others. A YouTube video making the rounds shows that at Seattle’s Qwest Field, the “large” beer that costs $8.50 holds the exact same amount as the small draught …
Will Paychecks Shrink in 2011?
(Getty Images)
Workers expecting a raise in the next year, might get something very different–a pay cut.
Wages have already been growing very slowly during the recession, up just 1.5%. That’s down from 3.5% at the beginning of the recession. And when you factor in inflation, real wages, which is the measure of whether you can buy …
Incense as Energy-Conservation Tool
Turns out a stinky incense stick is useful for reasons other than masking the smell of marijuana.
It’s a Deal: 40% Off Entire Purchase at The Gap
Follow this link (thanks Buxr) and show it on your digital device to a Gap cashier to get 40% off your entire purchase on Friday, January 14, or Saturday, January 15. Alternately, print the offer out and bring it to the store. Valid for in-store discounts only. There are a few exclusions—notably, the discount doesn’t apply to jeans.
Guest Post: Are Small Businesses Hiring Again?
President Obama signs the Small Business Jobs Act (Jason Reed/REUTERS)
By Kate Pickert
The U.S. economy will not recover without a dramatic turnaround in the small business sector. That’s just a fact. According to the Small Business Administration, companies with fewer than 500 employees account for 44% all private payroll …
Talk About Dirt Cheap: 3 Extreme Foods Found for Free in the Ground
So you want to save money on food? It may be time to readjust your taste buds, get your hands dirty, and eat something you might normally want to shoo out of your house or rip out of your pristine lawn.