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Layaway your vacation home? Give me a break!
Ann Brenoff
Dec 11th 2009 at 5:30PM
Filed under: Budgets, Debt, Home, Real Estate
Whatever happened to the idea that if you can't afford something, you don't buy it? Didn't living above our means get us into this recessionary mess in the first place? No, I'm not an anti-credit card fanatic; I just believe in paying them off each month. What I don't believe in is layaway. If you can't afford it today, why do you think you can afford it piecemeal or at all? So this item got my ire: We are now being encouraged to use an installment payment plan to pay for our vacations. The writer in Realty Times says: Retailers are doing it, so why not vacation rental owners? Easy answer dude: Buying a washing machine may be a necessary expense and one you have to make on layaway. But taking a vacation, and I like to get away as much as the next guy, just isn't. Vacations are luxuries and in these times, luxuries are what we give up first.
Mike Daisey: The bard of personal finance - at the Public Theater
Amanda Gordon
Dec 11th 2009 at 5:15PM
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Charity
The glass bowl filled to the rim with dollar bills didn't look like any old tip jar. Resting on the wood table behind which Mike Daisey had just performed his monologue "The Last Cargo Cult" at the Public Theater in New York, the bowl of money seemed to glow. The green never looked so green. The paper never looked so crisp. It was beautiful, really, the way the bills rested on top of each other. For those of us who worry about paying the bills every day, Daisey's show is a refreshing, laughter-inducing eye opener about money.
One point we all need to hear now and then (especially as we think about end of year charity gifts and buying presents for family and friends) is that the dollar value of money doesn't always matter. This was the meaning of the bowl of money, at least for me.
Trash or treasure? The price of junk mail
Gina Roberts-Grey
Dec 11th 2009 at 5:00PM
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Economizer
Tired of the endless stream of junk in your mailbox? You're not alone."I dread going to the mailbox," says Katie Hough, a Midwest mom. "It's rare that I get something that's addressed to me and not the 'current resident.'"
Hough's mailbox, like those across the country, sees an average 1.5 pieces of "personalized" mail (including bills) a week compared to the average 16 pieces of junk mail ending up in mailboxes.
More deals Saturday at Sears
Laura Heller
Dec 11th 2009 at 4:30PM
Filed under: Shopping
It's week six of Sears' Black Friday Now promotions. The number of items being discounted seems to have shrunk a bit, but not the caliber of the deals, which skew heavily to popular big ticket items like electronics and appliances.
Nearly half off on a Kenmore Dishwasher and Craftsman tool set is generous. And the Sony 52-inch LCD TV is a good get, if you get there Saturday.
This week's deals sent to Walletpop in an e-mail are available on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 7 a.m. to noon only and include:
- Kenmore Dishwasher - $299.99; Reg $579.99 (Save $280)
- Sony 52" class 1080p LCD HDTV - $1199.99; Reg $1599.99 (Save $400)
- Craftsman 302-piece Mechanic's Tool Set - $199.99; Reg $399.99 (Save 50%)
- Men's Sweaters from Arrow, U.S. Polo Association and Haggar - $19.99; Reg $54.00
Is skipping Christmas to save money a good idea?
Geoff Williams
Dec 11th 2009 at 4:00PM
Filed under: Debt
If you skipped Christmas this year, think of the money you would save.That's the premise of an interesting story running right now on Forbes.com titled "How Much Money You'd Save by Skipping Christmas." The writer, Kate Adams, concludes that the average family would save $1,000, or $2,000 if they customarily traveled somewhere for the holidays, and then she offers several ideas on how you might invest that money.
It's an interesting, worthwhile financial exercise, adding up what you spend on the holidays and how you could invest it if you didn't, and I'm sure quite a few families this year are asking themselves that question: Should we skip Christmas this year?
Mortgage deliquents in Philadelphia get reprieves -- and may get more
Amy Pyle
Dec 11th 2009 at 3:30PM
Filed under: Home, Recession, Mortgages
For those falling behind in their mortgage payments and other home bills, Philadelphia looks like the place to be, at least on the surface.A special program requiring banks to sit down face-to-face with delinquent borrowers at the courthouse before they foreclose on their homes recently reached its one-year anniversary with an estimated 5,700 homeowners helped, 1,400 of whom were temporarily saved from foreclosure.
And now the city council is considering an amnesty for penalties related to past-due property taxes and perhaps water bills, to give low-income residents some temporary relief.
Steve Madden 25% off and free shipping coupon
Julia Scott
Dec 11th 2009 at 3:00PM
Filed under: Bargain Babe
Get 25 percent off in store and online purchases of $59.95 or more at Steve Madden as part of its friends and family sale, going on through Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST. If you're in the contiguous 48 states, you'll get free shipping, too! Use code FF25 online, or for in-store shopping, print this coupon. The code works on clearance items, too.
I've never understood the appeal of peep-toe boots like those above -- if I'm wearing boots it's either cold or my toes are gross. But I do like this gladiator wedge, for $48 (orig $80) in brown or black leather.
Caveats: coupon code excludes gift cards, taxes, shipping and handling.
New poll finds demand for job creation, tax hike on the rich to pay for it
Bob Cesca
Dec 11th 2009 at 2:30PM
Filed under: Career, Recession
So The results of a new Bloomberg poll about spending and job creation really comes as no surprise, considering the unemployment situation. 60% of Americans support government spending on job creation. And a full two-thirds of Americans want to pay for it by raising taxes on the wealthy.And it's no wonder.
I popped into the hardware store the other day to summarily mow down the rack of replacement twinkle lights with an Uzi 9mm. It's a long story that involves the lights in the star ornament we traditionally mount at the top of our tree. But, suffice to say, next year we're transitioning to LED lights once and for all. 29,000 hours of life in an LED, along with never having to buy another packet of twinkle bulbs, is worth the higher price tag.
Ask the Dolans: How do I get a copy of my credit score?
Ken and Daria Dolan
Dec 11th 2009 at 2:00PM
Filed under: Credit, The Dolans, Credit Reports
Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.
Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.
Your credit score has never been more important than it is today. In an economy where credit is ridiculously tight, credit card companies are ruthlessly raising interest rates and slashing credit limits, and competition for jobs is fierce, your credit score can make or break you. Today, Ken and Daria help WalletPop reader Sharon learn the basics of what her credit score is and how to get a copy of her credit report.
Dear Ken and Daria,
How do I get a copy of my credit score? Is "FICO" a credit score and how do I figure mine out?
--Sharon
Learn more about improving your credit score and debt management at Dolans.com.
Finally, instant gratification with an Internet purchase
Josh Smith
Dec 11th 2009 at 1:30PM
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Technology
Amazon's new Disc+ On Demand program is a cool promotion which solves the biggest problem of ordering form the low priced Internet giant; the wait. While Amazon's DVD prices have traditionally been very competitive, if you wanted to pick up a new release and watch it instantly you were out of luck. Now instead of going to your local retailer and paying $3 more for a DVD you can order it on Amazon and begin watching the movie instantly.
Rock-bottom movie rentals for as little as 4 cents an hour
Julia Scott
Dec 11th 2009 at 1:00PM
Filed under: Bargain Babe
If you can't stomach paying $1 for a one-night Redbox rental, there's a new option to drastically cut your movie rental costs. BigBox DVD, a company located in Blaine, Minn., rents old titles for 4 cents an hour, new DVDs for 6 cents an hour, and Blu-ray titles for 9 cents an hour. So you could in theory, with time budgeted for pick up and return, pay 16 cents to watch a movie. Of course, if you keep the rental overnight, you'll be paying as much or more than Redbox. At 4 cents an hour, a 24-hour rental adds up to 96 cents. At 6 cents an hour, you'll pay $1.44 for a full day.
Current titles include "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "Julie and Julia," and "Public Enemies."
Airport napping rooms finally make American debut
Madhusmita Bora
Dec 11th 2009 at 12:30PM
Filed under: Transportation, Travel
Those long layovers spent slouched on uncomfortable airport chairs or, worse, on the carpets, may soon be over. Beginning this month, passengers transiting through the bustling Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are able to catch a few winks before hopping on that connecting flight elsewhere.
The USA Today reports that the Minute Suite rooms, at 7 feet by 8 feet, are about the size of two office cubicles and equipped with a daybed sofa, pillows and blankets. They also have a system that tunes out noise. For the business traveler, the rooms come with a small desk, Internet access and a flat-screen 32-inch monitor hooked up to Direct TV. Similar nap rooms may soon appear at airports in other parts of the country.
Breaking in is hard to do if your home is prepared
Diane Wedner
Dec 11th 2009 at 11:45AM
Filed under: Home, Technology
Heading to Gstaad for some skiing? Bordeaux for wine tasting? Walmart for shopping? Wherever the destination, or even if you're tucked in for the night, remember that Santa's not the only one trying to squeeze down your chimney. Thieves love this season too, when boxed electronics sit atop the dining room table and jewels for tonight's party are laid out on the dresser.Free subscription to U.S. News & World Report
Julia Scott
Dec 11th 2009 at 11:30AM
Filed under: Bargain Babe
Get a free one-year subscription to U.S. News & World Report when you join RewardsGold, a site that gives rewards to members who shop online, take surveys, and review products. Signing up requires you to share a good deal of information about yourself, including your name, address, occupation, total hours you spend on the Internet a day, email, age, sex, and birth date. You can also opt in or out of its e-mail list.
If you are interested, don't delay as freebies this good go super quick.
Thanks, Coupon Cravings!
The skinny on sugary cereals: General Mills takes on childhood obesity
Gina Roberts-Grey
Dec 11th 2009 at 11:00AM
Filed under: Kids and Money, Health
Breakfast in households with children (and adults who eat like kids) combine two of the biggest money makers in America. Sugary cereal and obesity. And if cereal giant General Mills has its way, the latter will get a whole lot smaller.Wednesday, Big G, the cereal division of General Mills and the makers of popular brands Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix, announced that it was reducing the amount of sugar in many of its most profitable brands that are marketed to kids.
The chopping block
Ten cereals in all will go on a diet, with the goal of reducing the sugar grams within to the mere single digits per serving. The reduction could prove substantial. For instance, the sugar in Cocoa Puffs could dip 25% lower than it was a few years ago.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-12-2009 @ 7:59PM
Seth said...
It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon to charge and drive an electric car.The electricity to charge the car could come from solar or wind generated electricity.If all gasoline cars,trucks,and suv’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of N.D.This past year the high cost of fuel so seriously damaged our economy and society that the ripple effects will be felt for years to come.Why not invest in setting up some alternative energy projects on a national basis, create clean cheap electricity,create millions of badly needed new green collar jobs, and get out from under our dependence on foreign oil.What a win-win situation that would be. There is a great new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW by Jeff Wilson. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in alternative energy. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Reply
4-13-2009 @ 10:22AM
Owen said...
Certainly I'll allow that speculators drive oil prices, but their speculation is actually very logical. I suggest an article recently published called "Rational Revolutions".
For 60 Minutes to only blame the bankers and traders is incredibly misguided and oversimplified, but to suggest that what drove the bubble was wholly irrational is naive.
Given the uncertainty of our ability to keep meeting oil demands - especially with the nearly unceasing increase in demand from places like China, Brazil, and India - prices are driven upwards based on expectations. The oil market is very much a futures market, and oil an asymptotic good. As supply dwindles, it will become increasingly more expensive to locate more oil. Eventually oil will price itself out of our economy, and it won't be because Wall Street bankers were greedy.
What we saw last year was supply and demand in action. Many environmental doomsayers were predicting we'd run out of oil in the next couple years, and a couple were actually ridiculous enough to say we'd be dry by 2012. Oil prices were driven by speculators hoping to trade on this information.
At the same time that oil companies were posting record profits they were also spending disproportionately unprecedented amounts of money on finding new oil sources. They were actually much more successful than anyone had expected, and suddenly the market started to be oversupplied. Add to this the effects of a credit crunch and huge economic downturn, and suddenly no one felt like spending $4 a gallon to get dinner and a movie. In some states Americans have reduced gasoline consumption by 15% since last summer, and it's not likely that will return any time soon.
So oil companies were oversupplying refineries who were doing all they could to get the new gasoline out of their inventory. Many had to lay of hundreds of workers, slash production levels, and in some cases even temporarily close down until supply reached normal levels.
So we witnessed both the price elasticity and income elasticity of demand in action, along with the rational (although incorrect) expectations of investors.
This situation actually makes a lot more sense than many people will give it credit for.
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