A quick shout-out to a Time.com Q&A with Boston University professor Ellen Ruppel Shell, who has a new book out titled Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. The author is right on the money, excuse the pun, that, when it comes to saving, just plain buying less is a much smarter approach than buying lots of cheap stuff. Also, it’s …
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Big and Little League Baseball Hit by Recession
Knowing how sports fans from outside the New York metropolitan area feel about the city’s sports franchises (“Evil Empire” anyone?), people from around the U.S. must get a little joy in watching the Big Apple squirm just a bit as it looks to soon be home to five big-time sports venues—and no realistic plans to fill all of the seats on …
It’s a Deal: £1 Hotel Rooms in London
The Hoxton Hotel in London periodically offers rooms for just £1, and the next sale starts tomorrow, July 2, at 12 p.m. London time (7 a.m. EST). At that time, 500 rooms will be offered for £1 per night for reservations between August 1 and October 31, and another 500 rooms will be offered for £29 (about $48). More info here.
The Queen, Amish Latest to Experience Economic Troubles
Apparently, some members of the Amish community in Indiana have been living beyond their means, buying second homes in Florida, splurging on fancy horses, and pimping out their carriages with velvet and LED lighting.
Gas for $1.49 a Gallon, Guaranteed
Hyundai has a promotion starting today: If you buy or lease a new Hyundai between now and August 31, you’ll receive a special gas card that guarantees you’ll pay $1.49 a gallon for one year. The promo would have been an even more enticing a year ago, during the days of $4 a gallon, but still, it’s a pretty decent deal if you’re in the …
What We’re Buying More of During the Recession
With few exceptions, people are spending less nowadays. Spending is down on everything from home improvement to organic milk to Mother’s Day gifts. So, obviously, the recession affects the way all sorts of people—such as an unemployed couple, a sports CEO, an ER doctor, and others profiled in a Time package—make decisions about how, …
A Reminder That Many Gift Cards Go Unused
As the WSJ reports, many states are boosting revenues by collecting so-called “abandoned property,” including unused retail gift cards. If a card is not used in as few as two years after being purchased, the states can claim the card’s value.
Mass. Tollpayers: Sometimes Free Isn’t Enough
There’s an interesting conversation over at the Boston Globe website. Even after Massachusetts dropped the maintenance fees on time-saving Fast Lane transponders, one-third of tollpayers still go to the booth to hand over payment in person. Cars with the transponders zip along past tolls, while those without wait in line gathering …
It’s a Deal: Up to 90 Percent Off at Sierra Trading Post
A host of outdoor gear, clothing, footwear, sunglasses, home décor, and accessories is being discounted by 60 to 90 percent off retail during Sierra Trading Post’s ongoing Summer 2009 Blowout sale.
FreeFest: Tickets Still Available (for Volunteers for the Homeless)
On Saturday, 35,000 tickets were given away for Virgin Mobile’s FreeFest, an all-day concert on August 30 in Columbia, Md., with Blink-182 at the top of the bill. Tickets are (mostly) free: Attendees are being asked to donate $5 per ticket to homeless youth organizations. But USA Today reports that fans who were shut out of the initial …
Q&A on How to Save at the Pharmacy
Even with drug makers agreeing to discount medicine for seniors on Medicare, people are still struggling to pay bills at the pharmacy, especially for prescription meds. Jeff McCluskey, a Houston-based pharmacist for CVS, answered some questions about how to save money—or at least how to save some time—at the pharmacy.
No Regrets Buying Cars, TVs, and Other Big-Ticket Items
Fascinating story in the Times Science section about how consumers buy things, and the relative happiness those things bring consumers. One part of the story discusses Spent: Sex, Evolution and Consumer Behavior, a new book by Dr. Geoffrey Miller. Dr. Miller says that in some instances, people express regret over spending lots of money …