Somebody took the time—quite a lot of time, I’d imagine—to tweak the classic fairytale into a story that links to dozens and dozens of personal finance posts. Bravo.
Money-Saving Insights and Tips: 19 New Resources to Take to Heart (and to the Bank)
In this week’s roundup, we’ve got myths to debunk (about used cars, coupons), things to avoid (absurd kitchen gadgets, preemptive brake jobs on your car, going into debt from calling psychic hotlines), and ways to trick your brain—and your belly—into thinking you’re consuming more, thereby helping you eat (and spend) less.
Does Economy Justify This Stock Rally?
When the stock market gives you a gift like a 7.7% monthly return it’s almost impolite to question the justification for such a rise. Well, let’s be impolite then. The stock market, in this case the Dow, has risen sharply over the past month most likely because the economy is muddling along, improving bit by bit, and the Federal Reserve …
Want a Shrubbery? And Not Too Expensive? Now’s the Time
It’s the perfect time of year for planting or moving shrubs, perennials, and trees: The soil’s just right, the mix of rain and sunshine are just right, and as a bonus, discounts abound as garden stores and nurseries are eager to sell off inventory before the winter lull sets in. So if you don’t buy a shrubbery and soon, I’ll be forced to …
It’s a Deal: Free Phones on Fridays at Best Buy
Every Friday in October (starting today), Best Buy hosts Free Phones Fridays, when the retailer offers four different phones at no upfront cost. The catch? You have to sign a two-year service contract, but that’s a fairly typical requirement when you get a subsidized phone.
Good Service? You Tip Well. Bad Service? You Still Tip Well
Huh? Apparently, restaurant customers tip for all sorts of reasons, and the main reason we’re supposed to tip—good service—actually has little to do with how much we’ll leave on the table.
Where Would You Rather Be a Consumer?
Here are your choices: A world with “a level playing field where the best products at the best prices win,” or in “the Wild West where companies use deception to pick off every consumer they can get in their sights.”
It’s a Deal: Chocolate Chip Giveaway from Great American Cookies
On Friday, October 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Great American Cookies is kicking off National Cookie Month by giving away one chocolate chip cookie to each and every customer. And throughout October, the retailer will give you a cookie of your choice when you donate a new or gently read book at a Great American Cookies location. Check out …
5 Cheapskate Conundrums: Is It OK to Use a Coupon on a Date?
Also: How do you avoid getting ripped off if you’re the world’s worst, most timid, most undemanding haggler? People concerned (obsessed?) with saving money have issues, such as …
Can Ireland’s big bank bailout defuse its debt crisis?
In an attempt to reverse a recent, rapid deterioration of investor confidence, the government of Ireland today released new estimates of the costs of rescuing its sickened banking sector. You might want to sit down because the numbers are pretty ugly. Nationalized Anglo Irish Bank, the biggest source of investor concern, will require, in …
The Lottery: A Means to Free College, the Life of Your Dreams, and/or an Easy Loss of $102
In nearly all cases, a dollar gambled isn’t going to make any of your dreams come true. There’s nothing new about that. But what is new with the lottery?
Cheapskate Wisdom … That Ought to Make You Think Twice Before Getting a Tattoo
“It’s $50 to get a tattoo, and add a few zeros to get rid of it.”