Here’s the weekly roundup of eye-opening, headache-erasing, money-saving tips—some wacky, some creative, and some that might even prove to be helpful and practical.
food
4 Places Where Kids Eat Free This Weekend
Candy isn’t the only free food being handed out to kids this weekend. Check out these four restaurant chains also offering freebies for the kids.
Food Is Way Cheaper Today, Relatively Speaking
From the 1950s to the 2000s, the amount of money a family spent on food roughly increased by a factor of five, from $1,130 to $5,347 annually. During this same time frame, average family income has increased more than tenfold, from $4,237 to $50,302.
It’s a Deal: $2 ‘Boorito’ at Chipotle on Halloween
If you wear a “horrifying processed food product” (chicken nugget, for instance) as your costume, and you wear it to a Chipotle restaurant on Halloween after 6 p.m., you can get an order of tacos, salad, bowl, or a “boorito” for just $2.
Why You Must Own a Hickory Handle Hammer, and 123 Other Money-Saving Insights
Favorite dirt-cheap meals! Why you must quit being an idiot! Tastiest low-budget beers! Lessons learned from spiking your hair into a mohawk! And more.
Yale’s Dumpster-Diving Foodies
A house full of Yale University students lives on a food budget of $8 per person per week, thanks to veggies provided via a local community supported agriculture operation, tossed-out foods that they regularly collect from storefront curbs and behind supermarkets, and lots and lots of improvisation in the kitchen.
Credit & Debit Cards: Bad for Your Finances, and for Your Diet
The arguments for becoming a cash-only consumer are well-known: Dishing out actual greenbacks feels more real than swiping a credit or debit card, and, say proponents of the cash-only lifestyle, as you count out the dollars and see them being taken away by a store cashier, you’re forced to pause, think—then, hopefully, reconsider—as …
Green Living: What Home Upgrades Are Really Worth the Money?
A woman in California has spent the past two years (and a decent chunk of money) installing and testing out all sorts of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, money-saving improvements in her home. In the process, she’s discovered that some improvements are so simple and so cost-effective that it’s dumb not to make the change. Yet …
Friday List: 191 Good, Bad, and Ugly Money Tips
Good, as in karma from accepting hand-me-downs graciously. Bad, as in “money jerks” who don’t pitch in for their share of restaurant bills (tips included) or who are constantly hitting you up to contribute to fundraisers. And Ugly, as in regularly checking the obituaries—so that you can anticipate where you’re likely to be able to …
Q&A: America’s Cheapest Family Reveals How to ‘Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half’
Steve and Annette Economides have five kids and a monthly food bill that totals a mere $350. How do they do it? Among other things, through lots and lots of planning, strategic buying in bulk, utilization of their freezer, pantry, and Ziploc bags, and the occasional purchase of something called a chub.
Supermarket Scene: Shopping Baskets (Not Carts) Filled with Cheap Store Brands
According to a recent survey, 93% of grocery store shoppers say their habits have changed due to the recession. For the most part, the changes involve people choosing cheaper brands for necessities like shampoo and cereal (often generic store-brand products). Many shoppers are also simply buying less period, and to force themselves to do …
What Condoms, Condiments, and Condominiums Have in Common
Other than the fact that they start with the same four letters, sales of all three have been strongly and directly affected by the economic downturn.