A few months back I voiced concerns that some economists were being overly rosy about the outlook for global growth this year. And there are more and more reasons to be gloomy. The U.S. economy is disappointing, Europe is tied in knots over the Greek debt crisis, Japan’s earthquake sent the economy back into recession, and commodity …
Staying Home: Fewer Small Business Owners Are Taking Vacations This Summer
For years, small business owners have been going on less and less summer vacations. But this time, it might be because they see opportunities.
Say Goodbye to It’s Your Money
In June of 2009, during the heart of the recession, The Cheapskate Blog was born. Two years, one name change (from Cheapskate to It’s Your Money), and 2,000-odd posts later, it’s time to start learning to share my blog space.
Can Goldman Survive a Libya Scandal?
Today’s story in the Wall Street Journal about Goldman Sachs’ shifty dealings with Libya’s sovereign-wealth fund is yet another blow to Goldman’s once-rock solid rap. That begs the question: how much more negative publicity can Goldman’s business take?
As Stephen Gandel argued on this blog a few weeks back, they can handle a lot. …
How Humor Sells Silly Daily Deals No One Needs
Everybody knows that sex sells. Groupon is showing the world that bizarre-but-carefully-inoffensive writing can do the same.
Why House Prices are Double Dipping
Welcome back to the sour economy.
It didn’t take long after the Memorial Day break to get the latest signs that the recovery remains in the gutter. The housing market has been looking like it was headed for a double dip for some time. On Tuesday, we got confirmation that it happened. According to the S&P/Case-Shilller housing index, …
Wanna Save on Gas? You’ll Spend Less by Doing Less Behind the Wheel
The recent rise of gas prices has been followed, inevitably, by reams of consumer tips for dealing with the rise of gas prices. But which of the many tips in circulation save drivers the most money? It turns out that by far, the …
It’s a Deal: JetBlue Flights from $29
During a one-day sale from JetBlue, flights are available starting at $29 (Las Vegas to Burbank or Long Beach), $39 (Boston-Baltimore), $44 (Washington, D.C., to New York City-JFK), $49 (Buffalo-Boston, Sacramento-Long Beach, Burlington-New York), $59 (Richmond-Boston), $89 (Hartford-Orlando), and $109 (Orlando-Austin, Bermuda-New York). …
Congratulations, College Graduates! But Did You Just Waste Your Money, and Four Years of Your Lives?
There seems to be no stopping the argument that college is overpriced, overvalued, and not particularly good at preparing students for their lives after being kicked out of the dorms. Upon hearing some of the factoids gathered by …
81 Money Tips: Memorial Day Sales, Budget BBQ Advice, Garage Sale Pointers, and More
Also in this week’s link roundup, what you can still buy for just $1, and why fast food “value meals”—which cost way more than $1—aren’t really good values.
Is the U.S. Economy Worse Off than Europe’s?
The U.S. economy is still only muddling through, according to revised GDP numbers out by the Commerce Department. That’s bad news. But more disturbing is the accompanying dollar slump against the euro, and what it says about perceptions of our economy versus Europe’s.
The Commerce Department’s revised report on first quarter GDP …
It’s a Deal: Bring In Used Clothes and Get 30% Off at Gap
This weekend wraps up a Gap promotion in which customers who bring in a clothing donation will receive 30% off their in-store purchase. The promotion is valid through Sunday, May 29, and donated clothes collected at Gap stores will be sent to Goodwill.