You’re charged a lot if you use a cell phone a little. You’re charged a little if you use your cell phone a lot.
Better technology at home than at work
In today’s WSJ, Nick Wingfield addresses one of the stranger information-technology developments of the past decade. The off-the-shelf computing technology available to anybody with a few bucks to spend (and in some cases without any bucks, as some of the best stuff is free) is significantly better than what large corporations provide …
Last One to Turn on the Thermostat Wins
The competition is, um … heating up? Around the country, anti-consumer websites and community forums are hosting “no heat” challenges. The winners—who win bragging rights, perhaps a trophy, certainly lower utility bills—are the households that leave their heat in the off position the longest.
‘Expert’ Wine Sippers Take Us All for Suckers
Studies show that there’s not much rhyme, reason, or consistency to how judges and critics rate wines and decide who gets the gold medals. This means that we can basically tell this snobby “expert” breed to put a cork in it.
It’s a Deal: Save 25% at Lands’ End. Free Shipping Too
Lands’ End Friends & Family promotion gives you 25% off all regularly priced items, and free shipping is thrown in to boot.
Dream a Littler Dream Home
The gargantuan, 3,500-square-foot boom-time McMansion is so 2007. Its replacement? The 2,500-square-foot recession-era McMansion.
The U.S.: export juggernaut (if you don’t count oil and China)
Here’s the kind of interesting stuff you can learn reading this morning’s monthly foreign trade report from the Census Bureau:
Overall U.S. trade deficit for September: $36.5 billion
Trade deficit in petroleum products: $20.5 billion
Trade deficit with China: $22.1 billion
This Just In: Cable TV Is Not a Necessity
When people are beating the rugs hunting for little ways to improve their financial statements, cable TV is generally considered untouchable. Why?
It’s a Deal: Free Photo Gift (Worth $15) from Kodak Gallery
Right now, online photo service Kodak Gallery is giving away gifts worth $15 via its “Million Thanks Giveaway.”
Self Mag Tells You How to ‘Save $656 This Month (At Least)’
A story in this month’s issue of the magazine lists ten tiny, very manageable strategies—some are obvious, some a little peculiar, all with the potential to save you some money.
Debit Card Overdraft Reform Gets the OK. Now What?
When Congress introduced credit card reform, the banks and credit card issuers reacted by jacking up rates and adding new fees. Likewise, with the Federal Reserve ruling that banks must reform the way debit card overdraft fees are assessed, there will certainly be unintended consequences: Banks are sure to react with new strategies that …
Dunkin Donuts’ New 99¢ Menu Items
This week, the donut and coffee chain made some hoopla by offering a few snack items for 99¢ during a trial run in Chicago only. Am I totally out of touch? Shouldn’t everything in Dunkin Donuts cost less than $1?