The cost of center-based childcare for infants has risen twice as fast as median income for families over the past decade.
Planning
Survey: College Isn’t All That Great an Investment
Last year, 80% of Americans believed that college was a good financial investment. Now, results from the same survey show a sharp drop in confidence in the rewards of higher education, with only 64% of people saying that college is a good investment.
Monster Money-Saving List Round-up: Freebies, Outlet Store Rip-offs, Remedies to De-Stink Your Shoes, Coupon Secrets and Coupon Sins
Also: stuff you should never pay for, including certain insurance policies, brand-new technology, checking accounts, and ridiculous plastic surgeries. Cankle liposuction anyone?
114 Money-Saving Strategies, Tips, Resources, and Unconventional Ideas
Take a look at insights that’ll help you negotiate, shop smarter, and get the most out of your local library, along with lists of stuff that’s overrated, stuff that’s cheaper than you thought, and stuff that you can always get for less than the retail price.
Playing with Percentages: Health Care in America
9% From June 2009 to March 2010—the heart of the health care debate—only 9% of media stories about health care reform actually “focused on a core issue — how our health care system currently functions, what works and what doesn’t,” according to a Pew Research study; the study says that 41% of health care stories were devoted to …
$8,604
That’s what the average U.S. household spends annually on transportation, the bulk of it in the form of automobiles—purchase price, fuel, insurance, finance charges, repairs and maintenance, but not factoring in depreciation. For a lot of Americans, more than 20% of their take-home income heads right back out of their homes and into …
This Summer Only! College at 50% Off! Get Your Learning On While It’s Cheap!
To attract students at a time when many families are wondering if they can afford college—and also, if higher education is actually worth the money—colleges are going all Crazy Eddie, offering deals like tuition freezes, 50% off and buy-one-get-one-free summer courses, and free housing.
Cheapskate Wisdom … That Should Be in College Graduation Commencement Addresses
“Visit Graceland at least once, to see what happens to some people when they get too much money.”
Friday List: Cheap Movies, Financial Concepts Not Taught in School, Worst Charities, Worst Money-Saving Tips, and More
Read on for advice on how to avoid money fights with your significant other, how to figure out what car will really cost you less money over the long haul, and how to dumpster dive like you’ve been living on the streets for years.
Cheapskate Wisdom about … Whether a College Education Is Worth the Money
“One needn’t necessarily be a liberal-arts graduate to regard as distinctly and speciously utilitarian the idea that higher education is, above all, a route to economic advancement.”
College Grad’s Guide to Reality: Essential Reading for Those Trying to Entering the Workforce
Congratulations! You’re a college graduate. On the one hand, it’s not going to be easy to find someone willing to pay you to go to work. On the other, at least you’re done paying—via tuition—for people to teach you and evaluate your work.
5 Weird Ways to Save
Corporate sponsorship for weddings, fake (but effective) medications, savvy business advice from prostitutes, and more.