We’ve all heard that young people in America today are very likely to have loads of student loan debt, relatively little cash to spend, and roommates they know as “Mom” and “Dad.” Interestingly, despite their strapped financial …
Smart Spending
9 Products Enjoying a Curious Surge in Sales
It’s always interesting when sales of one product or another suddenly take off. Sometimes it’s just a passing fad, while other times a curious sales increase is a sign of a shift in the economy, or it comes in reaction to a major …
12 Things You Should Always Haggle Over
You know the saying “Everything is negotiable”? It’s true, and the mind-set that no price is set in stone can be applied to a wide variety of goods and services. Some people are intimidated by the idea of haggling or think it …
On Square, Biohazards, Biting and the Psychology of Money
The deal announced this week between Square and Starbucks is exciting but worrisome. Square streamlines the transactions that define our everyday economic lives — just say your name and you’ve paid. Partnering with the coffee …
4 Reasons Not to Buy Clothes in August
More money is spent on clothes in August than in any other month, but smart shoppers aren’t buying then. The fact is, August just isn’t the most cost-effective month in which to buy new clothes. Why? Here are four reasons:
Despite Recent Spike, Gas Prices Are Supposed to Drop Again Soon
It wasn’t supposed to play out this way. After gas prices plunged in spring, the forecasts called for a continued drop in prices at the pump, with sub-$3 gas around the country likely by Thanksgiving. Thanks mainly to spiking gas …
Will Millennials Change How Cars Are Bought and Sold?
Gen Y doesn’t seem to care much for cars. Based on sales and survey data, it’s clear that young Americans are far more interested in iPhones than cars. Only one of those two is considered a necessity nowadays, and it’s not the …
Time to Do the Math and Switch to a Prepaid Smart Phone?
The number of smart-phone users electing to skip the locked-in two-year contract and instead go with a prepaid plan is on the rise. But considering how much consumers stand to save by switching to prepaid — easily more than …
Why You Should Be Shopping for Airline Tickets Soon
Thus far, 2012 has been a year of fliers getting squeezed. Airline fares and fees have both soared, and travelers have had little choice but to pony up more money, downsize luggage and packing lists, or perhaps take the bus. As …
Auto Screen Overload: Is There Too Much Tech in Cars?
In a column for Automotive News, Larry P. Vellequette risks getting labeled as a cranky old-fashioned fuddy-duddy by calling for a halt to the arms race for more and more video screens in cars. In the column, which he presumably …
‘Home of the Whopper’ Looks a Lot Like Its Neighbors
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and it turns out it can be a shot in the arm for business, too. After losing its crown as the number-two burger chain in the country to Wendy’s, Burger King fought back and dumped $750 …
Midwest’s Wacky Gas Prices: Up 14¢ Per Gallon One Day, Down 25¢ on Another
The national average for a gallon of regular shot up 14¢ last week. Normally, a sharp increase like that is associated with strife in the Middle East or a natural disaster causing a major slowdown in production. Instead, the …