From the beginning, the main goal of Amazon Prime, the membership program that includes benefits such as free two-day shipping on all orders, was to get consumers into the habit of buying regularly at Amazon—to change …
Smart Spending
Mild Winter Could Mean Best-Ever Deals on Winter Coats and Cold-Weather Gear
There aren’t many people who are complaining that this winter has been too warm, too storm-free, and altogether too comfortable. But there is one group griping the weather just isn’t cold or snowy enough: retailers that sell …
Apple’s Textbooks: Undeniably Cool, But Will They Help Students?
Apple debuted the holy grail of textbooks on Thursday in New York City. The books are undeniably cool: they will integrate videos, photos and interactive graphics, make taking notes a breeze and be easy to navigate — all …
Fine Dining on the Cheap: Restaurants on Sale Coast to Coast
It’s easy to see why the start of the year is a slow time for restaurants. Diners tend to stay home and cook not only because the weather’s cold, but because they probably have yet to pay off the credit card debt accrued via …
Price Hike for iPhones, iPads: Data Plans from AT&T Are About to Cost More
Updated: Thursday, 3:35 p.m.
AT&T just announced that new data plans for smartphones and tablets will “give customers more data and value.” That’s true, technically. It’s also true that when the new data plan pricing system takes effect starting this Sunday, wireless bills for new AT&T customers will cost more.
Jalopy Nation? The Average Car on the Road Has Never Been Older
Even after a year when sales of new cars increased by nearly 11% compared to 2010, thereby lowering the average age of cars on the road, the typical automobile today is ancient compared to its counterpart in the mid-’90s. In …
The Weird Ways Gender Ratios Affect Dating, Spending, Saving—and the Size of Your Engagement Ring
Men are known to go to great lengths—and great expense—to impress women. This is most obviously the case when the male population outnumbers that of females, and laws of supply and demand kick in.
8 Celebrity-Endorsed Financial Products We Wouldn’t Buy
Athletes, actors and other famous folks lend their recognizable faces to promote all sorts of products, from breakfast cereal to basketball sneakers to prepaid debit cards (see Suze Orman). But a celebrity endorsement is, of …
Italy Cruise Disaster: A Disaster for the Entire Cruise Industry
After seeing images of the Costa Concordia, which ran aground near an Italian island last week, killing at least five people, it’s understandable that a sizeable portion of the public is deciding that maybe cruising isn’t for …
Dollar Stores: The One-Stop Shop for Home Decorating?
Forget about Ethan Allen, or even IKEA. The hottest way to outfit nearly every room in your home is by scouring for treasures at dollar stores.
Now Is the Time to Learn to Ski or Snowboard on the Cheap
It’s hard to claim that downhill skiing is remotely inexpensive. Colorado’s Steamboat Ski Area is noteworthy this year because its top price for a one-day lift ticket is “just” $99. In other words, it hasn’t crossed the $100 …
Price of Orange Juice Futures Soars—Will OJ Prices at the Supermarket Do the Same?
First, it was coffee prices spiking last spring. Then, over the summer, the cost of bacon surged. Now, the price of another breakfast staple—orange juice—could suddenly be heading northward.