As a dad of three boys, I’ve put together dozens of toys, typically while cursing the nonsensical directions and pieces that don’t fit right under my breath. OK, occasionally there’s cursing out loud too. I know how frustrating it can be. But a NY Times story on how toys come with more pieces nowadays—because they’re cheaper to make …
Just in time for the annual busting-of-the-budget tradition, here’s a round-up of holiday season tips from around the web that are aimed at getting you all jolly by saving you some cash.
Electronic book readers like Barnes & Noble’s Nook are selling for around $260, if you can get your hands on one of these hot-selling gifts at all. There are much cheaper alternatives—free, actually—although you have to deal with a much smaller screen.
For some smartphones, the fee for jumping ship and canceling your service plan early is now a whopping $350.
Did I miss something? More people are going to have insurance because of health care reform, meaning the risk pool would be bigger and average costs should go down. So what gives?
If you’re keeping score, eBay tells me that on Black Friday alone there were 350,000 searches for Zhu Zhu Pets, the holiday’s season’s hottest can’t-find must-have toy. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined, eBay customers purchased about 30,000 of the robotic hamsters and related items.
Wal-Mart is at it again. The retail giant has knocked $10 or so off the price of many popular video games, and a holiday shopping throw-down with the likes of Best Buy and GameStop seems inevitable.
Introducing the $150 bottle of beer.
Not only has the website been profitable since June, but Groupon—which announces specially discounted daily offers on everything from massages to bike tours in certain U.S. cities—has raised $30 million and wants to expand its bulk-buying collective to 50 more cities next year.
You assume you’re being a savvy consumer by doing things like using coupons, getting free shipping with online purchases, and shopping in stores with no-hassle return policies. But are you really being taken for a sucker?
Use each of them in the right way, and you’ll find yourself in a better financial situation. In theory, that is.
‘Tis the season to buy too much food—and, after the guests have gone home, to toss too much of it into the trash. Before heading back to the grocery store to fill up your shopping cart and start the whole cycle over again, take a long, hard look at what’s in the refrigerator and see if you can make do.