More and more, restaurants are requiring credit cards before allowing customers to make a dinner reservation, and they’ll charge you, and possibly say nasty things about you on Twitter, if you fail to show up.
Smart Spending
Even with $4 Gas, Few Drivers Choose Electric Cars—Or Even Hybrids
With each passing month, and with the average gallon of gas rising 1¢ more each day, consumers are turning more and more to fuel-efficient cars. The average new car sold in February got 23.2 mpg, up from 22.9 mpg in January and …
Move Out of Your Parents’ House and Save the Economy
Whatever happened to wanderlust? Over the years, Americans in their 20s have grown less and less likely to move away from their home states. During the recession era, young adults have becoming increasingly unlikely to leave even …
Your Bus to Work Just Got a Little More Crowded
Last year, Americans took more than 10 billion trips on mass transit. It was the second highest rate ever. Now, with gas prices even higher this year — plus signs that more Americans are re-entering the workforce — this year …
$4 Mark for Gas Could Be Reality in Nine States & D.C. This Week
Gas prices have soared in 2012. The national average is currently $3.80—up 50¢ since the beginning of the year, and a rise of 30¢ over the last month. There are now four states where the average gallon of regular has passed …
Free-Spending Consumers Are Offended by … Deep Discounts?
It happens all the time: You buy an item at one price, and then see others buy the same item a little later on for a much cheaper price. This is standard practice nowadays, but it still gets customers angry. How angry? A new …
The Best (and Worst) Things to Buy at a Dollar Store
Poll: Most Americans Won’t Change Lifestyle Until Gas Tops $5 Per Gallon
As gas prices surpass or come closer to $4 per gallon around the country, there’s been plenty of griping that something must be done. To some degree, many Americans are already taking action themselves: Note the sharp rise in …
In the Wake of the Costa Concordia Tragedy, Cruise Prices Drop By 12%
As images of the sinking Costa Concordia filled newspapers and TV and computer screens all over the world in mid-January, it seemed inevitable that the disaster would cause become a disaster for the cruise industry as a whole. By …
McDonald’s Dollar Menu Shakeup: No More Fries and Drinks for $1
Two staples on McDonald’s Dollar Menu—small fries and small drinks—will soon cost more than $1. Replacing them on the chain’s Dollar Menu are two items that might be considered extras, rather than core parts of the McDonald’s …
Why You Want the New iPad So Badly
For a certain breed of consumers, the arrival of Apple’s third-generation iPad is an occasion of monomaniacal focus and intense anticipation. Visions of how the shiny new gadget will revolutionize their lives fill their heads. …
Are High Gas Prices Boosting Online Shopping?
For years now, consumers have grown increasingly comfortable with the idea of doing a fair amount of their shopping online. Over the most recent winter holiday season, e-commerce revenues increased an impressive 15%, compared to …