Consumerist
how to
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saving money
Take More Notes, Save Money
Yesterday I grabbed a notebook app for my smartphone and spent a couple of hours organizing the various content folders—ideas for Consumerist, gift lists for Christmas, things to look up later on a computer—so that I could capture information more efficiently. Wait, why s ths n Cnsmrst? Because The Simple Dollar argues that by keeping a notebook and using it all the time (Lifehacker calls it "ubiquitous capture"), you can end up saving money. More » -
mortgages
When To Buy A Home And How To Avoid Screwing It Up
Are you hitting that stage in life where you're thinking of becoming a homeowner? Morningstar has published two home buying articles that together offer some good, concise advice to the prospective buyer, especially if you're a first-timer. More » -
video
How To Choose The Best Tires
The Consumer Reports Cars blog has posted a video on how to choose the best tires for your car. Here's one interesting trick we learned from the clip: how to measure tire tread depth using coins. More » -
identity theft
Here's Your Post-ID Theft Checklist
Personal finance blogger Carrie... On the Cheap put together a checklist of things you should do once you've found out your identity has been stolen. More » -
brand whoring
Sparkling Wine Is Just As Good As Champagne (When It's Well Made)
The Champagne Bureau, a trade organization representing "the grape growers and houses of Champagne, France," just sent us a nonsensical press release warning consumers to be on the lookout for imposter champagne. WATCH OUT! You're pouring sparkling wine into your mouth, you jerk! The thing is, the only real reason "champagne" is unique is because wine houses in that region of France managed to get laws passed to prevent anyone else from using the word on their own sparkling wines. They're all sparkling wines; how they're made is what determines quality. More » -
websites
Swine Flu Self-Assessment Saves You Worrying
Do you have H1N1 flu? Probably! Aaaugghh! But before you haul your feverish butt to a clinic or a doctor, consider taking this free online flu self-assessment test from Emory University. It probably could have been combined into a one-page flowchart, but that's not as much fun as pressing YES/NO buttons. More » -
books
"So Sue Me, Jackass!" Provides Random Legal Advice In Humor Book Format
Here's a new book that focuses on those random questions people always have about how the law pertains to everyday activities. You know, things like starting your own online porn site, burying a pet, or selling your ex-boyfriend's things on eBay. More » -
how-to
How To Prepare Your iPhone For International Travel
If you think your standard monthly iPhone bill is rough, just get a load of it after you've been traveling abroad. A la carte data charges could run your bill up into six figures, according to an AP story. More » -
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how to
Get Your Data Out Of Google
If you're like the average Google user, you've now got a lot of personal data—emails, addresses, calendars, documents, photos and videos, maybe even health records—in their system. This is fine with them, because the Google Hive Mind needs all of this data to eventually become self aware and enslave us. However, if you ever want to get that information out of Google, the company has created something they call the Data Liberation Front to make it easier for you. More » -
personal finance
23 Tips On How To Pay Down Your Debt
If you're still floundering when it comes to paying off debt, here's a great starting place for you. The blog DoughRoller has listed 23 ways to get started on freeing yourself from debt, along with lots of links to tools and other articles or websites that can help.
"23 Powerful Tips and Tools to Eliminate Debt" [Dough Roller] (Photo: mskogly)
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stocks
How To Financially Benefit From The Mistakes Of Others
Monevator dishes out some general advice on stock investing to keep in mind as the economy (hopefully) starts to turn around and investing no longer becomes a bottomless money pit. More » -
buying a home
Buying Your First Home? Here Are 7 Good Tips
Ron Lieber at the New York Times has put together seven sensible tips that can help you find a first time home that you can both afford and enjoy living in. More » -
banking
Bank Of America Has High Money Order Fees, Teller Recommends You Go Elsewhere
Christian writes in telling us he went into Bank of America looking for a cashier's check or money order, and the teller was so embarrassed of his bank's high fees — for customers, mind you — he recommended Christian look elsewhere. He writes: More » -
job fairs
How To Win Your Local Job Fair
The anonymous, newly unemployed personal finance blogger behind Well-Heeled with a Mission put together a timely, helpful guide on how to avoid wasting your time at job fairs and actually come away with the experience with some positives rather than feel as though you've wasted your time in a cattle call. More » -
talk radio
Finally, A Personal Finance Podcast For People Who Don't Want To Listen
The blog Personal Finance Hour is the home to a weekly live audio show with personal finance bloggers over whatever topics they like. Sometimes the conversation turns inward and focuses on trying to blog for profit, or blogging as a part time job. Sometimes the conversation is about things like remodeling your home or planning for a vacation. More » -
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advice
Free 2009 Consumer Action Handbook Out Now
As a reader of this fine site, you probably know something about airing consumer complaints. But say you're going on a ten-hour flight and need consumer guidance IMMEDIATELY. Or have a friend who only reads in the bathroom. You're in luck, because a handy new guide with all the basics is now available free. The 2009 Consumer Action Handbook, courtesy of Uncle Sam, can be ordered here. More » -
401(k)
Common 401(k) Mistakes To Avoid
Christian personanl finance blog Redeeming Riches offers four revelations on how you may be mistreating your 401(k). More »
