A year ago, observers speculated that 2011 would become the “Year of the Cord Cutter,” during which a record number of consumers would drop their cable subscriptions. Needless to say, the vast majority of American households …
Smart Spending
Americans Are Expected to Buy a Million More Cars in 2012
Check Out the New Walgreens — Where You Can Get Sushi, Cognac, a Smoothie, and a Manicure
For more than a year now, shoppers have been able to buy cheap six-packs of private-label beer at Walgreens around the country. The brew, Big Flats 1901, is often described by reviewers as “drinkable,” high praise considering it costs about 50¢ a can. Ironically, though, the brand-new upscale 27,350-square-foot Walgreens in downtown …
The Secret Cause of Buyer’s Remorse
Being able to hold things before we buy them makes us more satisfied with our purchases.
Why January Is the Best Month for Cheap Fast Food
After the annual holiday spending binge, consumers tend to hunker down and save money by cooking more at home. Well aware of consumer tendencies, fast-food restaurants do their best to tempt diners into eating out more often by …
Money Milestones: What Kids Should Know About Money and When
President Obama and his top financial advisers in November were handed a blueprint for what kids at certain ages should be expected to know about money. The document is still a work in progress. But it’s far enough along to …
4 Tricks to Ditch That Holiday Debt
Are you stashing the credit card bills under the junk mail because you’re afraid to see how much you spent over the holidays? Surveys from USA Today and Consumer Reports reveal that we were on track to charge roughly 7% more on …
Why Monday Is E-Retailers’ Favorite Day of the Week
For most employees, Monday means time to get back to the workaday grind. And it looks like retail therapy is often the prescription consumers use to cope with a “case of the Mondays.” The first day of the workweek is also almost …
The Wait Time for Movies from Redbox and Netflix Just Doubled
It’s fairly standard practice today for movies to become available for sale on one day, and only become available for rent after several more weeks have passed. For four or so weeks, the only way fans can see the movie is to buy …
Look for Gas Prices to Hit $4 a Gallon by Summer, If Not Sooner
The priciest year ever for gasoline has just ended. In 2011, the average gallon sold for an all-time high of over $3.50, and the average household spent $4,155 gassing up their vehicles—also a record. And if you were hoping for …
TV Prices Just Keep Getting Cheaper and Cheaper
The TV was one of the hottest-selling purchases over the holiday season. That would seem like good news for TV manufacturers and retailers, right? Nope. The main reason TV sales were strong is cheap prices—prices so low that …
Battle for Title of ‘World’s Cheapest Car’ Heats Up
Got $3,000? With that sum in India, drivers will have a choice of not one but two brand-new cars.