Considering that a text message costs a fraction of a penny to transmit, it’s absurd that some consumers still pay 10¢ or 20¢ a pop for sending and receiving texts. Even 5¢ per text is arguably a huge rip-off: Even though we’re only talking about a measly nickel, the charge represents a mark-up of something like 2000%. What can you …
Coming Soon? Marijuana That’s 80% Cheaper!
California is considering legislation that would put pot essentially in the same category of alcohol, legalizing the sale of weed to anybody at any time, not just for medicinal reasons. Research indicates that if marijuana goes fully legit, an ounce of the choicest bud could cost just $38, down from the current rates that range from $300 …
Why Europe needs marriage counseling
One issue I keep beating on in my posts about Europe’s debt crisis is the need for collective action to resolve the region’s problems. The independent nations of Europe have gotten into bed together, with the common market as the blanket and the euro as the wedding ring, and they have to start behaving that way, as members of a union …
A Stock Rally Built on Financial Reform?
Stocks are rallying today in the wake of very little positive news. So some are clinging to the one piece of news that can be spun. The financial reform bill is good for banks and their profits. Yes, State Street did pre-report good profits. But most banks are projected to have falling profits in the second quarter. The real market …
Cell Phones: You’re Probably Paying Too Much for a Plan You Don’t Need
By one estimate, 70% of cell phone users are “way oversubscribed,” meaning that they’re paying—overpaying really—for a plan with more minutes and texts than they need.
It’s a Deal: Free Chik-fil-A Meal on July 9
Before planning on a free meal, there’s a slight catch—one that’s either fun or humiliating, depending on your point of view. July 9 is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A, when you can receive a free meal if (and here’s the catch) you enter the restaurant fully dressed as a cow. Kids dressed as cows (or calves) are also entitled to …
The Zookeeper’s Guide to Beating a Heat Wave
Animals are accustomed to being outdoors and dealing with even the most oppressive heat waves. Especially considering that some of them walk around all day and night wearing the equivalent of a winter coat on their backs, animals can teach us a lot about staying cool.
Cheapskate Wisdom … from a Tanning Salon Customer
“The reality is it’s a luxury. It’s not a need.”
Do We Need A Second Stimulus?
It’s a wonder we can sleep at night. No, I’m not talking about the heat wave cooking the northeast this week but rather the debate over whether the country needs—or can even afford—a second shot of federal stimulus spending. New York Time’s columnist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman has been making the case in print and on television …
Uncommon Versatility: 139 Uses for 6 Everyday Products
Vinegar can be used to shine patent leather and be added to boiled rice to make it fluffier. WD-40 removes the residual gunk from places duct tape once stuck, protects silver from tarnishing, and gets rid of black scuff marks on floors. Coca-Cola tenderizes and adds flavor to pot roast, kills slugs, neutralizes jelly-fish stings, and …
Cheapskate Wisdom … About the Staggering Amount of A/C That’s Wasted
“Take a 3,000-square-foot house on a summer day — only about 3 percent of the cooling power from the central air conditioning is going for people cooling.”
How your excise taxes compare to mine
As you may have noticed, most states are finding themselves in fiscal straights. States took in $87 billion less in tax revenue between October 2008 and September 2009 than they did in the prior 12 months, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. That has led to all sorts of service cuts and tax hikes. This weekend I …