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delta
Delta Increases 2nd Checked Bag Fee To $50
Delta announced today that it's doubling the fee for a second checked bag from $25 to $50, effective on new bookings starting July 31st for all travel after August 5th. Got a third, fourth, or fifth bag and a lot of money to burn? Fees for those will rise from $80 per bag to $125 each. More »
energy
See How Soaring Gas Prices Have Impacted Your Community With This Transportation Cost Heat Map
The Center for Neighborhood Technology has an fun (but painfully slow) interactive map that will allow you to see how soaring transportation costs are impacting different metro areas across the US. More »
inflation
P&G Will Raise Prices Up To 16% On Products Such As Tide, Head & Shoulders, Etc.
Procter & Gamble has announced that you will pay more for your Tide and Head & Shoulders and all their other consumer products. P&G is raising prices by as much as 16% on "fabric, home and hair care, bar soaps, and health and shaving products." P&G is the manufacturer of popular brands such as Gillette and Ivory soap. More »
groceries
15 Easy Ways To Save Money At The Supermarket
Saving money at the supermarket has never been more important or difficult thanks to the tag team threat of inflation and the Grocery Shrink Ray. Get Rich Slowly published 15 money-saving tips to help you hold onto your hard-earned cash. More »
transparency
What Goes Into The Price Of Gas?
When you fill up at the pump, how much of the wallet you're emptying goes towards the actual gas, and how much goes towards other stuff? Blogger FiveCentNickel crunched the Department of Energy numbers:
73% - Crude oil
11% - Federal and state taxes
10% - Refining costs and profits
6% - Distribution and marketing
He's also got a cool graph showing how this ratio has changed from 2001-2008.
What Goes Into the Price of Gas? [FiveCentNickel]
(Photo: amyadoyzie)
competition
Cable: The Worst Deal Of The Decade
The price of everything in the telecom world has fallen over the past decade, except for cable. Cable is now 77% more expensive than it was ten years ago, an increase that dwarfs the rate of inflation and makes telecom executives salivate. The Times looks with pity on all of us who splay our wallets wide for the industry, and asks if there's any salvation other than à la carte pricing. More »
Airlines aren't just hiking fees to cover fuel costs—they're also reducing the number of places where they'll fly. Nearly 30 cities across the country have lost their scheduled service over the last year, making it just a little harder to get to sparsely populated areas. [New York Times]
airlines
Department Of Transportation Says Airlines Can't Charge Extra Baggage Fees After Ticket Purchase
The Secretary of Transportation announced earlier this month that airlines shouldn't surprise consumers with extra baggage fees after they've already purchased a ticket:
More »Passengers should know what to expect, and what to pay, before they buy a ticket or pack their bags, which is why we are calling for carriers and travel agents to disclose baggage fees in their internet and print ads before anyone purchases a ticket. We also are making it clear that airlines may not impose increased fees or new restrictions for baggage after a passenger has bought a ticket.
British Airways yanks beef from the menu because"We can only serve two options and beef and pork obviously have religious restrictions. "We have to try to use two meals which appeal to as many customers as possible."BA says that cost has (cough) nothing to do with it. [Daily Mail]
real estate
Don't Get Cheated On Closing Costs
Some homebuyers are pissed because when the actual line item fees for various closing costs come in less than the estimation, their closing agents are simply pocketing the difference. How do you fight back? This article on LawyersandSettlements says,
Ask if the recording charges are indeed estimates, and ask why. Then demand to see the actual recording fee(s) once actuals are established, and compare them with the estimates. At the very least, insist that you are re-imbursed for the difference once actuals are determined, and demand to see the paperwork after the fact.
Real Estate Overcharges: Others Get Rich on Your Money [LawyersAndSettlements]
(Photo: Getty)
inflation
Consumer Price Index Shows That Consumers Like Eating Out, Gasoline
The New York Times made a pretty cool graph out of the Consumer Price Index, which tracks changes in prices for many consumer goods over the past year. Turns out, gas prices went up. More »
shipping
Halve Your Shipping Costs With Amtrak
Express shipping from Amtrak is a cost-efficient way to ship packages between cities, sometimes costing half the price of UPS or FedEx. More »
shrinking packages
Country Crock's three-pound vats of fat are now three ounces lighter, but you can't tell by looking at the packaging. The crock-purveyor Unilever claims that the adjustment was made not to ensure optimal profitability, but to "ensure optimal consumer satisfaction."
More »
Three-Pound Tubs Of Country Crock: Now 3 Oz Lighter!
Country Crock's three-pound vats of fat are now three ounces lighter, but you can't tell by looking at the packaging. The crock-purveyor Unilever claims that the adjustment was made not to ensure optimal profitability, but to "ensure optimal consumer satisfaction."
More »
saving money
How To Avoid Extra Travel Fees
Kiplinger tries to help you save money on your next airline "flight"—we have to put quotation marks around that word now, since the prospect of actually getting up in the air seems purely hypothetical at this point—with their latest travel article. A lot of the advice boils down to, "Find out what each airline charges extra for, then choose a different airline," but it's helpful to have everything in one article for a quick reference. More »
surcharges
Budget's Free Frequent Flyer Miles Promos Will Cost You
Michael writes, " I was just reserving a budget rental car, and for some reason decided to actually read some of the fine print." Buried in the text was something called an "FTP Surcharge," which basically amounts to a participation fee for any frequent flyer promotion they offer their customers. More »
shopping
Uh Oh, Retail Sales Down, Wholesale Prices Up
The AP says that inflation in wholesale prices "shot up" by the largest amount in 26 years, while retail sales slumped. December was the worst shopping season in 5 years.More »
The Labor Department reported that wholesale inflation was up 6.3 percent for all of 2007, reflecting a huge increase for the year in various types of energy costs ranging from gasoline to home heating oil.
food
Milk Prices Up 23.2% In 2007
CNNMoney says that milk prices have soared 23.2% through November of this year, and people are cutting back on the amount of milk that they purchase.More »
John Norris' family is drinking a lot less milk these days. He said he considers the higher prices and has cut back on his kids' milk consumption. But between work and family obligations, he still drives almost as much as he used to.
