To regift or not to regift: Actually, that’s not the question. The question is: How can I get away with regifting something without getting busted as a regifter, and without coming off like a schmuck or a jerk for giving a present that I didn’t want and may seem totally inappropriate and/or thoughtless?
Amid the gloom of higher credit card rates, more fees, and more credit card accounts being canceled, there’s a silver lining: The once-constant stream of junk-mail solicitations for new credit cards has slowed down dramatically.
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?
Health insurance companies aren’t bashful about getting the most they can out of customers, in the form of premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and so on. So, as the end of the year nears, it makes sense to make sure you’re getting the most out of your policy—especially on stuff you’re entitled to for free, like annual preventive checkups, …
A mother of five swears that she’s able to save a ton of time and money by cooking an entire month’s worth of dinners with only one day in the kitchen. She swears she can teach you to do it too. How? For one thing, a freezer is involved—ideally, a really big freezer.
Layaway purchases have returned in a big way. More and more retailers are offering layaway, and it’s often being heralded as a way to get more value for your money. Really? I don’t get it.
If you’re a Citibank customer, you may be getting hit with a new $7.50 monthly checking fee.
One way banks and credit card issuers are trying to make money—or at least stop losing it—is by getting rid of customers who are bad for business. The number of credit card accounts decreased by 72 million last year.
Major colleges and universities like Yale, MIT, and Cal-Berkeley offer online courses, lectures, and class notes free to the public. You won’t earn credit—but you won’t spend a penny either. And you could actually learn something. Who needs an actual degree anyway, right?
Is the recession over? It doesn’t really matter. Retailers and manufacturers realize that frugality will be the rule at least for the near future, and they’re trying to figure out how to reach the newly cautious, newly vigilant consumer.
A new website allows you to rent dresses for a few days from designers like Diane Von Furstenburg for one-tenth of what it would cost to buy them.
The supermarket is designed to get you to spend more than you need. Product location, packaging, quantities, and promotions are all part of the game. And if you aren’t aware that supermarket marketers are even playing a game, then you’re the easiest mark.
