While normally focused on deals with local merchants, Groupon occasionally offers its group coupons nationally. And right now, it’s offering a national coupon for online emporium Red Envelope in which customers pay $15 for a voucher good for $30 worth of jewelry, clothing, collectibles, and any other merchandise at Red Evenlope. Vouchers …
The November Jobs Report Disappoints Broadly
Los Angeles job fair has applicants (Lucy Nicholson/REUTERS)
The monthly report on employment, given out by the Labor Department, is the most important statistic of the month for the White House, the American household and the financial industry. The report released on Friday morning at 8:30 am didn’t disappoint–it is already a big …
One Week After Black Friday, More Black Friday
It’s the shopping event that never seems to end, and that you just can’t get away from—even though it’s already over. It’s Black Friday, the day that celebrates unadulterated consumerism, fittingly with a name straight from a slasher horror film. This weekend at the stores, you can expect plenty of Black Friday-type door busters and …
Is the IRS Racist?
An AARP volunteer helps a man fill out his taxes (photo: Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS)
If you are a minority, you might want to take extra care filling out your taxes this April. Apparently, the Internal Revenue Service is gunning for you.
According to a study released on Thursday, African-Americans and Hispanics are twice as likely to get …
Cheapskate Wisdom … About What Kids Learn from Most Toys
“What lessons do our children learn from toys? It could very well be that they are primarily learning to be avid consumers.”
Why Record Corporate Profits Aren’t that Great
Tomorrow the government will announce the jobs number for November. Companies are expected to have added nearly 150,000 jobs last month. That’s not a lot compared to the millions people who are out of work. Indeed, the unemployment rate is not expect to fall from its current 9.6%. But if the jobs number is even lower than expected, …
Skip Restaurants for a Month, Save Over $500
A blogger and his wife recently took on a seemingly straightforward challenge: No eating out for a month. The experiment may sound simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. No lunches out at work, or even sandwiches from a deli. No fast food. No pizza deliveries. No food or drink from vending machines. Basically everything you consume …
It’s a Deal: 13 Free Holiday Song Downloads from Target
The Secrets of a Master Retail Manipulator
Cheap trendy jewelry and amusing throwaway gifts are placed strategically to encourage impulse buys and lure shoppers further into the depths of the store, where pricier items—and the occasional celebrity—lurk. Consumers can’t help themselves.
Can Europe’s economic system survive its debt crisis?
As contagion spreads in Europe, political and economic leaders continue to struggle to find a real solution. There is hope that the European Central Bank will announce Thursday that it will expand its purchases of government debt to appease jittery markets. And Spain’s government announced a wide-ranging privatization plan to raise …
Pay-As-You-Drive Auto Insurance: Coming to a Highway Near You?
If you drive infrequently, you could save a bundle from paying by the mile, rather than a flat amount for coverage over a specified time period. One study, in fact, says that the average driver would save $270 per car with a mileage-based insurance policy.
How Amazon Gets You to Stop Shopping Anywhere Else
Members pay $79 annually to join Amazon Prime, the service that gives customers two-day shipping on almost all Amazon orders at no extra charge. To the rational consumer, the question of whether or not the membership is worth it depends on how much they’d otherwise spend on shipping. But to Amazon, the $79 membership fee is a ploy to get …