The Obama administration is looking very closely into the possibility of a program that would cover a big chunk of the cost to weatherize your home—meaning you’d save money right away on getting an energy audit and on projects like sealing windows and adding insulation, and you’d save down the line because those projects will make it …
recovery
Are You Mental? Retailers Try to Understand (and Exploit) the ‘Recession Mentality’
Is the recession over? It doesn’t really matter. Retailers and manufacturers realize that frugality will be the rule at least for the near future, and they’re trying to figure out how to reach the newly cautious, newly vigilant consumer.
The Text-Message Savings Plan
Do you want to save more money? A new study shows that people were able to boost their bank-account balances when they regularly received simple reminders to save via text message.
In the Land of Opportunity, Not as Much Opportunity as You Might Think
Is a combination of hard work, intelligence, and talent a guarantee of success? Or has the American Dream become just a dream?
Ten Signs that the Economy Is Still in Awful Shape
News is out: The economy grew in the third quarter. But don’t start the celebratory parade just yet.
Ten Bizarre Theories on Saving and Spending
Poker teaches important lessons about saving and investing. Foreclosures are better than mortgage modification programs. Debit card overdraft fees are good for consumers. PMS is responsible for impulse purchases. There is no shortage of strange theories out there—and some of them are actually plausible.
Shopping Withdrawal: Are You Bound to Binge?
For some people who have tried to go cold turkey and stop making unnecessary purchases, being good is getting boring. They’re experiencing “frugal fatigue,” and many shoppers out there are bound to crack.
Saving’s Double-Edged Sword: Good for You, Bad for the Economy
Economists say the only way you can get your finances in better shape is to save more and spend less. Economists also say that the way to get our national economy in better shape is to have people spend more—and therefore save less. So basically, right now, we should all be spending more and saving more. Right …
Will the Recession Effect Last?
For now at least, cheap is cool. Frugality is viewed as acceptable, sensible. The assumption is that this “Great Recession,” which has thrown the nation (and our retailers) all for a loop, will have lasting effects. Here’s why it won’t.
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Elmo
“Elmo understands Elmo can’t get everything Elmo wants, and Elmo’s parents save money to get what they really need like food.”
Irresistible? Leather Pants Marked Down from $3,300 to $1,000
You know what? That’s still nearly a thousand bucks more than you need to spend on a pair of pants—even a pretty nice pair of pants.
When Will God Fix the Economy?
Even though God may occasionally punish the self-interested followers of capitalism, the Divine One can still make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Huh? Throughout the recession, various religious leaders have voiced their opinions about what God does and doesn’t do, and how believers should respond to the crisis at hand. To no …