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spending
spending
(ronnyg)
Spending Traps We Succumbed To In 2011 & How To Avoid Them Next Year
By Mary Beth Quirk on December 21, 2011 11:00 AM
18 Comments
When we were feeling good about spending this year, man, we were feeling good. But those spend-happy habits when the economy was on the uptick or when a sweet deal landed in your inbox should be shed when the ball drops on 2012. More »
Consumer Spending Went Up .6% In September
By Ben Popken on October 28, 2011 1:00 PM
26 Comments
Even though they haven't been making any additional money for the past three months, consumer spending ticked up 0.6% in September. Are people spending more because they feel that the low interest rates they get from the bank make it less valuable to save? More »
What Broke Sports Stars Can Teach You About Personal Finances
By Phil Villarreal on October 17, 2011 10:15 AM
50 Comments
Athletic skill and financial acumen don't always come in the same package, which is why many successful pro athletes run out of money once their fat paychecks stop rolling in. More »
(Enokson)
Don't Mistake Luxuries For Necessities
By Phil Villarreal on October 10, 2011 3:00 PM
168 Comments
Those of us who consider ourselves poor are probably overlooking key budget items that sap money away on a monthly basis, keeping us away from important goals that seem unreachable. More »
How To Track Your Personal Inflation Rate
By Phil Villarreal on October 7, 2011 3:30 PM
7 Comments
National average inflation rates can rise or fall, but the only number that makes a difference in your life is one that's hidden from you unless you do some legwork to uncover it. Tracking and categorizing your purchases over time allows you to get a handle on how your budget and priorities evolve over time in relation to the fluctuating market. More »
(sdc2027)
Which Personal Finance Tracking Software Is The Best?
By Phil Villarreal on June 20, 2011 3:15 PM
65 Comments
Although the prevalence of online account access makes financial software tracking less crucial now than it was, say, a decade ago, a detailed record of your spending is still key to maintaining a budget. More »
(AlishaV)
Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Cheapskate?
By Chris Walters on July 22, 2010 8:04 AM
47 Comments
Jeff Yeager, Wise Bread blogger and author, has just published a new book titled The Cheapskate Next Door, where he interviews over 300 self-described cheapskates to find out what makes them tick. In an interview over at Daily Finance, he says that for most of his subjects, the choice to live frugal lifestyles wasn't primarily about money. More »
Force A Reality Check With This "Real Cost" Credit Card Tool
By Chris Walters on July 19, 2010 9:30 AM
17 Comments
The next time you want to splurge on some big ticket item, you might want to head over to The Real Damage first to see what it's going to actually cost you in the long run. The free online tool looks at your current balances and interest rates, as well as your monthly payments, and then approximates how much extra you'll pay in interest on your new purchase before you're totally debt free. More »
Debt-Riddled Illinois Is A Subprime Borrower
By Meg Marco on July 14, 2010 12:50 PM
55 Comments
Illinois credit rating sucks, which is unfortunate for the Sucker State, because it needs to borrow millions of dollars to pay its bills. This means that the state is paying a premium for the loans, which are going to be used to improve roads, bridges and schools. As a product of Illinois' public schools, I can honestly say that the $900 million in new bonds it is issuing will not be enough. Whether this is because we are too poorly educated to figure out how much money is actually needed, or because it really isn't, no one can say. More »
(bradipo)
Savings Rate Goes Up, But Spending Doesn't
By Chris Walters on June 29, 2010 8:05 AM
45 Comments
As a nation, we saved more of our paychecks last month than any time since last September—nearly 4% of income went unspent. That worries economists, because it means we're not spending at a high enough rate to support an economic recovery. But as the Washington Post notes, since unemployment remains high and most of the recent wage growth came from the government, consumers aren't exactly comfortable with buying something shiny and new just because it's on sale. More »
Target Says You Are Buying Crap You Don't Need Again
By Meg Marco on May 19, 2010 11:30 AM
49 Comments
Target's first quarter profits were up and things are looking better for the retailer's troubled credit card division. The secret to their success? Consumers are buying more "discretionary merchandise," which is retailer speak for " various bullsh*t like video games and cheap designer clothes that you don't technically need to survive." More »
(dmuth)
We're Finally Saving The Economy By Spending Too Much
By Marc Perton on May 4, 2010 7:47 AM
43 Comments
Back in the early days of the recession, circa 2008, people were nervous about the future, and decided to start saving more of their money instead of just spending it. That brought personal savings rates up to over 5% by last year. But after hearing for months that the recession is over, consumers are apparently starting to believe it — especially when numbers show the economy growing by 3.2%. Savings rates are down to about 2.7%, and consumer spending is up by 0.6% as of March. Unfortunately, incomes are only up 0.3%, so plenty of people may be helping the economy grow by spending more than they earn. Thanks, guys! More »
(zieak)
How Far Can You Get On $10?
By Chris Walters on April 19, 2010 5:17 PM
67 Comments
Earlier this month, CNN asked readers to see how far they could stretch $10. A lot of people chose unusual purchases or silly things, but there were some good ideas for tightwads too. More »
Stay On Budget By Maintaining One Indulgence
By Chris Walters on February 18, 2010 6:22 PM
35 Comments
Adam Baker at Get Rich Slowly suggests you'll be able to better stick to a budget if you pick one non-essential hobby or interest instead of cutting them all out. The key to figuring out whether or not it's something worth "wasting" money on is to identify any hidden benefits, and then to make sure there aren't hidden drawbacks. More »
Nine Things That Are Overpriced
By Chris Walters on February 4, 2010 11:02 AM
148 Comments
CNN Money has put together a slideshow (ugh) of nine of "America's biggest rip-offs," and I think we've covered all of them at one point or another on Consumerist. More »
(Photo: dmuth)
5 Lies You Tell Yourself To Justify Dumb Spending
By Phil Villarreal on January 4, 2010 10:38 AM
75 Comments
Blogger Fabulously Broke lists five lies you use to trick yourself into overspending. More »
Newly Frugal Behavior Is Permanent, Say Some Consumers
By Chris Walters on November 12, 2009 9:09 PM
73 Comments
—>A new study says that 26% of US consumers "have no plans to return to their free-spending ways," which probably doesn't sound like good news to retailers. Even worse (for retailers), about a third say they've become less loyal. More »
Layaway Making A Comeback
By Chris Walters on November 9, 2009 1:48 PM
71 Comments
—>Sears and Toys R Us are among retailers who have brought back layaway programs to help boost sales, reports Eve Mitchell at the San Jose Mercury News. Not all stores think it's worth the effort, so you won't find it at JCPenney, Target, or Walmart. However, if you want to use layaway at retailers that don't offer it, there are now websites that can help. More »
Gas Prices Have Jumped $0.20 In The Past Two Weeks
By Meg Marco on October 26, 2009 5:56 PM
59 Comments
—>Gas prices have spiked in the last two weeks, reaching levels last seen during the peak of the summer driving season, says the AP. The increase in gas prices has retailers worried that consumers who are putting more money in their gas tanks will buy fewer gifts during the upcoming holiday season. More »
Christmas This Year Will Be Less Tacky
By Chris Walters on October 7, 2009 11:14 PM
62 Comments
—>Because retailers plan their Christmas offerings so far in advance, most were too far along with trendy or ostentatious Christmas merchandise to change course last year, reports the Associated Press. This year they're prepared to pursue the fiscally conservative consumer, which means everyone is selling the holiday decor equivalent of comfort food. More »
