There are reasons that layaway went away. As more Americans gained access to credit, most stores got rid of layaway plans, which allow customers to pay off big purchases over the course of a few weeks or months. Stores preferred …
Budgeting
Struggling for Investment Answers? It Helps To Reframe The Question
Tom ran a public opinion survey a while back where some of the respondents were asked if they believed they could save 20% of their income. Only half said yes. But when the other respondents were asked if they thought they could …
Save for Retirement or Pay Tuition? Most Parents Are Making the Wrong Choice
With all the hand wringing over the high cost of college and amid an increasingly loud debate as to whether the expense is worth it, parents by a wide margin see saving for tuition as equally or more important than saving for retirement.
99 Money Tips: Save on Concerts, Smartphone Plans, Auto Expenses, DIY Projects, and Debt Collector Confrontations
Also, learn from the mistakes of others: Check out lists of foolish (and wasteful) assumptions consumers make all the time, the dumbest money moves during one’s college days, and incredibly stupid things people do when shopping online.
Born to Spend (or Save): It’s All in Your Genes
When it comes to personal spending and saving habits, it’s all in the genes, a new study says. Is it true that we really can’t help ourselves?
Entering the World of an Extreme Couponer
Survey: The Frugal ‘New Normal’ Has Become the Norm
Throughout the recession and the slow, meek recovery that has followed, there has been much discussion about a “new normal.” After the financial collapse, there was a widespread shift among consumers, a tendency to scale back on …
Viewers Turn Off the TV … And TV Ad Prices Go Up?
For the first time in two decades, the number of U.S. households with at least one TV has declined. So why would the rates charged to TV advertisers be rising?
5 Ways to Prepare for a Double Dip
We’ve been hearing a lot about a double-dip recession lately, and for good reason. So is anyone doing anything to prepare? Here's how to start.
The Worse the Economy, the Better Business Is at Auto Repair Shops
The “new normal” among consumers is to make due with automobiles long after they’ve lost that new car smell. Plenty of drivers plan on sticking with their aging cars well past the six-figure mileage marker, until they can’t be …
3 Ways to Save for the Holidays Now (and Why You Should)
Back-to-school shopping is barely behind us, so it might seem premature to start thinking about holiday shopping (despite the fact that some retailers are rolling out holiday merchandise in their stores this month). But the …
145 Money Tips: Get Free DVDs, Avoid Bad Restaurants, Save Money & Mother Nature at the Same Time
There are also money lessons to be learned in this roundup from millionaires who hate fees as much (or more) than you and I, high-profile pawn shop owners who are wise enough to walk away rather than lose money on deals, and …