Yes, we all know that modern-day customer service is awful. But there’s something that just might be equally awful: working in customer service.
How You’re Paying Less, But Also Getting Less, at Dollar Stores
At first you think, Hey, this only costs a dollar, what a deal! But what you should be thinking is, Hey, wait a sec, I used to get a lot more for my money.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Actress Edie Falco
“It’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on kid’s clothes because they grow out of them in five minutes … And my kids don’t really care what they wear.”
It’s a Deal: Free Carvel Ice Cream on Thursday, September 23
All day on Thursday, September 23, Carvel shops are dishing out free 3 oz. scoops of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate ice cream—which presumably is actually cold, not hot. Anyway, more importantly, it’s free. And that’s not the only ice cream freebie to keep on your radar.
Free Beer!
Thanks to a new national promotional campaign, you have a pretty good chance of scoring a free brewski (or four) over the next few weeks. Don’t get too-too excited, though. It’s Budweiser that they’re giving out for free. But still! Free is free.
Is Ireland the next Greece?
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero declared to The Wall Street Journal this week that the economic crisis in Europe has ended. “I believe that the debt crisis affecting Spain, and the euro zone in general, has passed,” Zapatero said. He probably hasn’t been watching the ongoing trials and tribulations of Ireland. …
The Two-Day-a-Month Investment Road to Riches
Here’s an odd observation that I don’t advise you to act upon in any way: In 2010, you would have gotten an extraordinary return on your investment if you’d put money in the stock market only on the first two days of each month—and then pulled your money out every other day.
Shout Out: ‘The Gift Card Minefield: How to Get Your Money’s Worth’
When your goal is to give someone money to spend, doesn’t it seem odd that you’d need to have a conversation about getting “your money’s worth”? Why wouldn’t you just give, um, money?
Fed Keeps Rates Low: Is Bernanke Making a ‘Dangerous Gamble’?
The Loan Dissenter: Kansas City Fed President Tom Hoenig (Nati Harnik/AP)
Last month, economist Thomas Hoenig delivered a speech at a public meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska, called Hard Choices. The normally mild-mannered Hoenig said the Fed’s recent policy of holding interest rates near zero was a “dangerous gamble.” He said he feared …
Cheapskate Wisdom from … a Summer Camp Teaching Kids About Finance
“Owing someone else is worse than being broke!”
College by the Numbers
What with high unemployment rates and soaring costs of higher education, there’s no shortage of skepticism about whether a college degree is truly worth the time and expense. Whether college is a good investment or not is a question that has come up again and again and again and again. Here are some important, often surprising figures to …
It’s a Deal: 40% Off Sherwin-Williams Paints and Stains This Weekend
From September 24 to 26, Sherwin-Williams is selling nearly all paints and stains at 40% off the retail price. Also, painting supplies are discounted by 30%, and wall coverings are marked down by 10%. Find a Sherwin-Williams store here.