(ashi)
Obsessing Over Debt Can Stop You From Getting Rich
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 4:15 PM
17 Comments
The credo preached by just about every personal finance writer is that debt is an enemy that must be eradicated before you can think about building wealth. But there's a reason many rich people have no problem with taking on more debt to finance new ventures. Those who think big and take manageable risks tend to be the biggest winners. More »
Use Your Flexible Spending Account To Whip Medical Bills And Taxes
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 3:15 PM
48 Comments
If you get heath insurance from your employer, you can probably take advantage of a flexible spending account (FSA) to cut your taxable income and lessen the impact of medical bills that sting you throughout the year. The way things usually work is to require you to commit a dollar figure to the account, then use the money to pay medical bills as they arise. Since the money comes out of your check, you're never taxed on the amount. More »
(PepOMint)
Save Money When Remodeling Your Kitchen
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 2:15 PM
17 Comments
You don't have to overcook your budget to revamp your kitchen. Be willing to get your materials from unorthodox places, as well as learn how to do some of the improvements yourself, and you can end up with a better-looking kitchen than your neighbor at a fraction of the cost. More »
How To Find The Best Nearby Beer Sales
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 1:15 PM
22 Comments
You may hear about a nice beer sale, but without research you may be missing better offers elsewhere. Luckily there's a site that will virtually stroll the aisles for you and point you in the right direction to find the cheapest booze. More »
Top Posts Of The Week And Open Thread
By Laura Northrup on December 23, 2011 12:30 PM
66 Comments
- FedEx Thinks This Is An Appropriate Place To Leave A Package
- Is This Normal? Cracker Barrel Gives Me A Free Meal To Make Up For A Short Wait
- Perhaps This FedEx Delivery Man Is Preparing For A Monitor-Throwing Contest
- Parking Attendant Thinks $2 Bills Aren't Real, Returns My Perfectly Good Money
- How An Attempt To Return TV To Best Buy Left Man With No TV And No Refund
Before You Return Gifts, Check Out Return Policy Tweaks
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 12:15 PM
8 Comments
Retailers are always tweaking their return policies, weighing the delicate balance between protecting their bottom lines and treating customers with fairness. No two return policies ever seem to be the same, and even if they are, changes come along soon enough to differentiate them once again. More »
Guaranteed Christmas Delivery At Zales Leads To Panicked Boyfriend
By Laura Northrup on December 23, 2011 11:30 AM
45 Comments
Maybe Derek shouldn't have waited until last week to order a bracelet for his girlfriend as a Christmas gift, or maybe he should have gone to a brick-and-mortar Zales store to buy it. But he didn't, and their site guaranteed delivery by Christmas if he ordered at that point. It turns out that "guaranteed Christmas delivery" actually means "we might get around to shipping it by the 22nd." More »
What You Need To Know If You're Looking For Your First House
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 11:15 AM
68 Comments
First-time home buyers are at a disadvantage. They typically lack experience with the real estate market and are eager to seal the deal and get into a house — any house — just to achieve the milestone. But behaving more like a someone who has already screwed up and learned from his mistakes will pay dividends. More »
At This Quizno's, Meat Is Mandatory
By Laura Northrup on December 23, 2011 10:30 AM
142 Comments
Brenda is a vegetarian, and finds that Quizno's is one chain that she can depend on to make her a tasty and meat-free sandwich. Until, for once, she visited a restaurant near her home and tried to order a sub without meat. This was not possible. Even if she ordered one of the subs listed on the sign, but requested that the meat be left off. No. Not allowed. More »
A Crash Course On Thank You Notes
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 10:15 AM
19 Comments
They say the giving of a gift is reward enough, but gift-givers may feel miffed if they don't get an acknowledgment in return. That's where the ancient art of thank-you notes comes in, allowing you to express appreciation for what you've received. More »
Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
By Laura Northrup on December 23, 2011 9:30 AM
11 Comments
Here are ten of the best photos that readers added to The Consumerist Flickr Pool this week, picked for neatness and usability in a Consumerist post. More »
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Netflix CEO Will Take Pay Cut After Rough Year
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 9:15 AM
28 Comments
Although the average CEO saw hefty pay increases this year, it's a different story for Netflix honcho Reed Hastings. Following a year in which the company introduced a rate increase coupled with a short-lived decision to spin off the disc-rental division as Qwikster, causing an exodus of subscribers, Hastings will receive fewer gold coins to toss into his money bin. More »
HTC: We Can't Make Better Phones If We're Always Fixing Yours
By Laura Northrup on December 23, 2011 9:00 AM
57 Comments
William has tried everything to get a working HTC smartphone: he's e-mailed executives and he's visited his local Sprint store for help. The company replaced his broken Evo Shift with a Design. Yay! ...except that on the new phone, no one can hear him. HTC won't send a replacement phone. Not because he's not entitled to one, but because William tried had swapped in a battery from his old phone when the replacement had shipped with a bad one. More »
(Amazon)
Sony's Next Handheld Requires Sold-Separately Memory Cards
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 8:15 AM
67 Comments
Due out in February, the PlayStation Vita starts at $250, but those who would like to be able to save their games will need a proprietary memory card that isn't included with the device. Unlike Sony's last handheld, the PSP — which accepted relatively cheap run-of-the-mill memory sticks, the Vita demands special memory sticks that range from $20 to $100. More »
The Point Of A Monogrammed Bathrobe Is That Someone Has To Monogram It
By Laura Northrup on December 23, 2011 8:00 AM
57 Comments
The point of ordering a monogrammed bathrobe for someone as a gift is that you want to give a monogrammed bathrobe as a gift. Jennifer planned to give such a gift this Christmas, and ordered the robe from Brookstone at the beginning of the month. It arrived without the monogram, and thus without the point. The best Brookstone has been able to offer her is a $20 gift card. She is not pleased. More »
Morning Deals
Joe's New Balance Outlet [Apparel] [Joe's New Balance Outlet coupon: extra 15% off site wide] Puma [Apparel] [Puma up to 75% off Private Sale] Cabela's: [Apparel] Avalanche Exploit Jacket $29.99 (was $87.99) Perry Ellis: [Clothing & Accessories] Save 50% Off Sweaters & Outerwear with coupon code PECOLD50. The Limited: [Clothing & Accessories] Save 40% Off Your Entire Order + Free Shipping use coupon code MERRY. Puma: [Apparel] [Private Sale up to 75% off] More »
By Phil Villarreal on December 23, 2011 7:30 AM
3 Comments
- Clothing
Class-Action Lawsuit Has A Problem With Sun Chips And Tostitos Being Labeled "All Natural"
By Chris Morran on December 22, 2011 4:30 PM
70 Comments
The meaning of the phrase "all natural" is in dispute in a class-action lawsuit recently filed against Frito Lay over claims that some of the company's Tostitos and Sun Chips products may not live up to consumers' expectations of an all-natural label. More »
Resurrect That Worn-Out Credit Card Strip
By Phil Villarreal on December 22, 2011 4:00 PM
27 Comments
Use your credit card enough and you'll render the magnetic strip unreadable. You can call the company and have a replacement sent over, but in the meantime there's a quick fix to which you can resort. More »
