Some noticeable trends have emerged this holiday season, including never-ending Black Friday sales, an increase in self-gifting, and a decrease in credit card usage. Another trend popping up left and right among retailers and restaurants is the gift card bonus, a seemingly fantastic deal in which you might pay, say, $50 and get $60 worth …
Will the Tax Deal Hurt Housing?
The housing market reacts to the tax deal (Photo: Jessica Rinaldi/REUTERS)
Some are worried that the tax deal and other recent efforts to boost the economy will have an unintended and potentially troublesome casualty: The Housing Market.
Rates on the 10-year Treasury bond have spiked in the past week since news that a tax deal, …
Bad Credit? You Still May Be a Good Risk for Credit Card Companies
The credit card companies are mailing out ten times as many offers to open new accounts as they did last year, and what the offers show is that many people with bad credit are considered good for business. Often on the mailing lists are “risky” consumers with bad credit—so long as they have the right kind of bad credit. Being a …
The ‘Personalized’ Shopping Experience You Don’t Want
You could be paying more than your neighbor for the same item, purchased at the same time, via the same online retailer.
It’s a Deal: 3 Redbox DVD Rentals for $1, via Groupon
Here’s a deal first offered over the weekend that has generated so much interest it’s been extended through the end of today, December 13: With a coupon purchased through Groupon, three DVD rentals from Redbox can be had for just $1—a 67% discount, considering that one rental usually goes for a buck. The coupon must be used for three …
Will Your Baby Cost You a Raise?
I’ll cost you big bucks (Photo: Getty Images)
Children, it appears, are more expensive than we thought.
We all know about diapers and formula (or a breast pump) and eventually college. But a pair of recent studies suggest that having babies might cost more than we thought. It’s not just that your expenses go up when you have a kid. …
Such a Simple Question, Such Big Savings Potential: ‘Is That the Best You Can Do?’
Increasingly, the idea of a completely set, non-negotiable price is disappearing pretty much anywhere and everywhere consumers shop nowadays—even at huge retail centers such as Lowes.
200 Tips: Gifts to Inspire and Gifts to Avoid, DIY Decorating Ideas, Money Resolutions, Best Credit Cards, and More
Also, an argument that, depending on one’s perspective, may seem totally sensible or radically Grinch-ish: No buying of presents whatsoever.
It’s a Deal: 50 Free Photos, Free Shipping from Snapfish
Use the coupon code HPINK50 thanks DealSeekingMom) to order 50 4″ x 6″ photos free of charge—with free shipping to boot—from Snapfish. The offer is valid for new or existing customers, though it’s unclear when the promotion is due to expire.
The Christmas Without Credit Cards
Have consumers finally learned their lesson? This could qualify as a Christmas miracle. Surveys indicate that the number of shoppers using credit cards for holiday purchases has fallen to the lowest percentage ever since such data has been gathered. That’s a good sign considering that an estimated 13.6 million Americans are still paying …
Credit Unions and Small Banks Cream Big Banks in Customer Satisfaction Survey
The results of a new survey show that 88% — 88%! — of credit union and small bank customers say they’re satisfied with the service they receive, and only 1% of credit union customers report being dissatisfied.
Survey: More Than Half of Pets Will Get Holiday Gifts
Renters are more likely to buy pet gifts than homeowners, women are more likely than men to splurge on their pets, and dogs are more likely than cats to receive gifts. So if you’re a pooch owned by a female renter, chances are pretty good there’ll be a bone, or perhaps a diamond-encrusted leash, in your stocking in a few weeks.