The Associated Press reports that the Phillips LED light bulb that won the government’s L Prize—a $10 million contest to replace the traditional incandescent bulb—will go on sale as of Earth Day with a full retail price of …
Odd Spending
Prom Arms Race: Typical Teen—Or Rather, Her Parents—Drops Over $1,000 on Prom Now
Last year, we lamented how costly proms were: According to a Visa survey, the average prom attendee wound up dropping $807 on photos, limos, hair and makeup styling, tickets, and of course, a dress or tuxedo. Fast-forward to this …
When ‘Black Friday’ Sales Don’t Happen on Black Friday—or Any Friday
Considering that Black Friday is a totally made-up event meant to stir up retail sales during the peak winter holiday shopping season, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that stores are loosey-goosey with what “Black Friday” means, …
Canada to Introduce Glow-in-the-Dark Quarter
When Canada introduced polymer bills last year to replace their paper ones, we thought – cool! Then just a few weeks ago, the Canadian government announced it was doing away with pennies as a cost-cutting measure, and we …
Got $1? You Could Buy a Timeshare
Take my timeshare, please! People have joked for years that timeshares are horrible investments, and yet some people have just kept on paying good money for them. Given the abundance of timeshares now offered for sale for just $1—or nothing whatsoever—perhaps the message will finally sink in.
Study: We’re Paying Nearly $2,000 More for New Cars This Year
There’s a theory holding that when gas prices are high, consumers wind up paying higher prices for cars—especially vehicles with good gas mileage. Well, gas prices are rising, and sure enough, the numbers show that we’ve been …
Domino’s Latest Stunt: $50 Foie Gras & Snow Crab Pizzas
In the U.S. pizza is casual, feet-on-the-coffee-table grub, but Japanese diners are dropping $50 on pies from Domino’s, following a big marketing push by the American pizza chain to rebrand the collegiate staple as haute holiday fare. For fifty bucks, diners aren’t just getting a plain — or even pepperoni — pie: They’re getting pizza …
Think Twice Before Putting a Pet Bunny in the Easter Basket This Weekend
Wouldn’t your kids love it if the Easter Bunny brought them a real live bunny this Sunday? While the idea of giving a rabbit on Easter sounds adorable, a nonprofit pet rescue organization is trying to talk parents out of it. Why? …
How’d You Like to Buy an Entire Town? Bidding Starts This Week at $100K
In the real estate world right now, it’s clearly a buyer’s market. Years of foreclosures and price drops have brought about a sharp rise in investment and vacation home sales, while the market also presents buyers with ample …
The War Against Couponers: Double Coupons Going Way of the Dinosaur
As of April 1, yet another major supermarket chain has put an end to double coupons, in which a store matches a manufacturer coupon, doubling the discount. The move comes amid a larger strategic war against “extreme couponing” …
10 Fun, Weird, Sometimes Disturbing Factoids About the $640 Million Mega Millions Lottery
Tonight at 11:00 p.m. E.T., the winning numbers of a record-breaking $640 million lottery will be announced. The monster jackpot is causing a frenzy across the U.S., with players waiting up to three hours to buy tickets at “hot” stores and math nerds debating whether it’s worth it to buy a ticket. The media circus over Mega Millions even …
Backlash to the ‘Pink Slime’ Backlash
Who in the world would ever want “pink slime” in their hamburger? Before answering, take note that the slime is officially referred to as “lean finely textured beef,” or LFTB, that it’s 95% lean, on average — and that without …