“Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.”
Saving & Spending
Home Buyers: Purchase What You Need, No More
This advice is probably a little late for owners of the 1.5 million homes in foreclosure, but a WSJ story succinctly tells the big reason anyone should become a homeowner—because it saves money compared to renting, not because it’s going to make anyone rich. Many speculators are learning that buying a property you cannot afford will do …
Foreclosure Watch: At Some Point, Is It Smarter to Walk Away from Your Mortgage?
The news is making the rounds that in the first half of 2009, 1.53 million properties in the U.S. were in the foreclosure process. That’s up 15 percent companred to the previous year. The figures are certainly the result of the rise in unemployment and slow, confusing relief efforts from the government and lenders. It’s also likely that …
It’s a Deal: Two-for-One Iced Beverages at Peet’s Coffee
Peet’s Coffee & Tea, which has stores throughout the West and a few in other parts of the country, is giving away one iced beverage with the purchase of an iced beverage. A coupon is required, and you can print it out here. Valid only through Friday, July 17.
As Steak House Business Suffers, the Chef at Home Smiles
For years, high-end steak houses have held a monopoly on the best beef. Restaurants had first dibs on USDA prime beef, and whatever they didn’t scoop up was secured by gourmet stores and specialty butchers. But now that restaurant goers are forsaking their $50 steak dinners for meals around the family dinner table, steak houses just …
It’s a Deal: Free Breakfast, Half Off at IKEA
This weekend (July 18 and 19), IKEA is hosting a “Seize the Days” sale, in which certain wood furniture is being discounted by 50 percent, and in which one free breakfast per customer is being awarded. Print a coupon and see more details here.
Small Car of Your Future? Small Home of Your Future?
One thing the recession has made clear: Living large is totally not necessary. The waste and added expenses of huge cars and enormous homes seem silly right about now. For many people, downscaling may literally mean shrinking the size of those two mainstays, cars and homes.
Freebies and Big Discounts at Restaurants May Soon Disappear
To boost business in recession-era times, major restaurant chains like Denny’s, T.G.I. Fridays, Applebee’s, and Chili’s have been rolling out discounts and promos over the past few months—$5 specialty sandwiches, two-for-one entrees, free appetizers, and such. If you’re interested in such things, take advantage of these specials while …
Eating Healthy and Fresh Foods—Without Breaking the Bank
There’s quite a food fight going on due to a post about blog experiment Fifty Bucks a Week, in which three writers discuss their struggles and adventures while limiting their weekly food expenditures to (obviously) $50. Apparently, the topic hits a nerve. Everyone would love to eat well without spending a fortune. So how do you do it?
In Baseball, Every Win Comes at a Price—But Some Teams Pay Way More Than Others
How much does victory cost? That depends on who is paying the bill (and in terms of war, what one calls “victory”). In Major League Baseball, where team payrolls can vary enormously, the payroll-dollars-to-team-wins ratio can be dramatically, appallingly different. Since The Cheapskate Blog is all about getting the best value, I thought …
It’s a Deal: Free Baja Fish Taco at Long John Silver’s
Seafood chain Long John Silver’s is giving away one baja fish taco per customer today, Tuesday, July 14, from the time each restaurant opens until 2:30 p.m. More details here.
How to Eat Well on $50 a Week: They’re Doing It. Could You?
Fifty bucks. It could get you a single steak at a fine dining establishment. Or it could feed you—and feed you pretty darn well—for an entire week. A trio of writers from around the country is proving just that with the recent launch of their experiment and blog Fifty Bucks a Week.