If you want to learn how to be insanely efficient with coupon clipping and watching for sales, follow Kathy Spencer and learn from the master. WCVB TV in Boston notes that Spencer manages to spend only $4 on average each week to feed her husband, four kids, and four pets. We carefully re-read the pets line to make sure there was no past tense involved, as this would suggest cheating on where the food comes from. But nope, they’re still around, so it looks like she really is good with coupons and sales.
budgets
Slate Dyes Its Hair To Find The Best At Home Kit
By 8.25.09
Slate’s column for ladyfolk, doubleX, recently tested 5 home hair dye kits to see which of them work the best. It seems Slate’s fancy writers are too good for Kool-Aid or RIT, which is what my friends always used when they needed a good ugly green tint; apparently Slate also wanted to test brown dyes and not ugly green ones. Of the five, the worst was the $6 “Rainbow Henna Persian Dark Brown,” while the best was a $14 Clairol product, which handily beat out a $30 kit from Frederic Fekkai.
How The Average Consumer Spends His Paycheck
By 8.20.09
You already have a budget, you just probably haven’t seen it turned into a colorful graphic before. Here’s one that illustrates where all the money goes. Sadly, we spend about three times as much on tobacco as on reading, and yet almost nothing on strippers! (Unless that falls under “entertainment.”)
Consumers Finally Growing Some Damned Sense, Not Buying Bottled Water
By 8.14.09
We’re not always pessimists on Consumerist. Why, sometimes we actually like silver linings, if only because it gives us a chance to complain about argyria. (Don’t take colloidal silver, people!) Today’s silver lining is that sales of bottled water “have fallen for the first time in at least five years,” says the Los Angeles Times. We’re apparently showing common sense and opting for tap water over branded and labeled water, proving that in a tough economy it’s hard to compete with (nearly) free.
Save Money On Groceries By Buying The Ugly Ones
By 8.7.09
Salvage grocers are stores that stock all the dented, crushed, slightly past their “best by” date products that consumers have been trained to avoid. Because of this, they’re the Dollar General or Big Lots of supermarkets, with prices up to half off regular store prices, says the Associated Press.
Save On Cooling Costs By Installing A White Roof
By 7.30.09
The New York Times says a white roof on your house “can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart” yet “reduce air-conditioning costs by 20 percent or more in hot, sunny weather.” This is because, scientifically speaking, the color white hates the stupid sun and won’t have anything to do with it.
Are Dollar Stores Really That Cheap?
By 7.14.09
Kim McGrigg at Blogging for Change took a look at the dollar stores in her neighborhood and found that it can take some work to make sure you’re actually saving money. In fact, on a couple of items she actually paid a fraction more than what she would have at a superstore like Walmart. This matches what Consumer Reports’ shopping mag, ShopSmart, discovered in their recent “Dollar Mania” report (free PDF download).
Live In Ohio? Your Library May Soon Close
By 7.3.09
Here at Consumerist, we love libraries. They’re like some weird, old-school version of Netflix, but with books! And free! That makes them one of the most cost-effective sources of entertainment and reference material around. Unfortunately, Ohio may gut the funding on this public resource if the proposed state budget goes through.
"Chase Hiked My Minimum Payment To 5 Percent!"
By 6.25.09
Chase just notified Greg that they’re more than doubling his minimum payment requirement. Because he and his wife are carrying such a large balance due to a promotional balance transfer offer a few years ago, this pushes their monthly payment to nearly $1,000.
By 6.20.09
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Here are 5 personal finance podcasts to subscribe to, download, and argue with during your commute or workout. [Automatic Finances] (Photo: uhuru1701)
Give Yourself A Financial Stress Test
By 6.5.09
Why let banks have all the fun? Run the numbers on your own personal finances, suggests a certified financial planner in the Dallas Morning News, and see whether or not you’re prepared for disruptions like a layoff or sudden interest rate increase.
Make A Budget That Leaves You With No Money
By 6.4.09
Budgets are supposed to leave you money left over, right? Well, the zero-based budget takes the opposite view, and thinks you should allocate every single dollar from every paycheck so that you’re left with nothing. Well, nothing that you don’t know what you’re going to do with. The allocation can, and probably should, include savings, for example. Getting Finances Done shows you how to get started with this budgeting technique that can save you time, headache, and yes, money. To jumpstart things, here’s a spreadsheet template you can use.
Walgreens Cancels EasySaver Program, But That Doesn't Mean You Can't Still Play "The Drugstore Game"
By 6.4.09
Mitchell wrote to us complaining about Walgreen’s decision to cancel its EasySaver Rebate program, where customers could submit multiple rebate requests at once and get the money back along with a 10% bonus applied to a gift card. Although the program is no longer with us, it’s still very possible to game the reward/discount systems at Walgreens and other chain drugstores to accumulate huge savings. Sometimes you can even make money back.
The FDA Isn't Yet Sure How To Make Our Food Safer But Lots Of Cash Might Help
By 5.23.09
The FDA is set to receive $3.2 billion next year but they don’t yet have a plan to make our food any safer. That doesn’t sit well with Congressional appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who at a recent hearing told Acting FDA Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein: “A lot sounds to me like buzzwords from a past administration.”
Ready To Make A Budget? Here's How To Prepare
By 5.17.09
So you want to write a budget, but you’re not sure where to start? No Credit Needed has a list of ten simple but necessary steps to take before drafting your first spending plan. Most consumers will already have knocked off the basics like putting their checking and savings accounts in order, but everyone can take advantage of tips like tracking your spending for a full month and making sure you have a detailed list of your irregular expenses. Once you’ve done your homework, check out our guide to writing a beginner’s budget and start mapping out your financial future.
The Staycation Is Soooo 2008
By 5.13.09
Roll on, Summer of 09! Staying at home is sooo last year. According to a recent travel survey, America is on the move again! 95% of respondents said they are planning to get away this summer. No more navel gazing and lawn mowing. It’s on to brighter things such as cruises, the Caribbean, and even Europe. Plus, with “historically low airfares” and gas prices down a buck fifty per gallon from a year ago, you can even visit *gasp* other parts of America!
By 5.1.09
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It looks like greeting cards are another thing we’re cutting back on lately; American Greetings has announced that sales fell 14 percent in the last quarter. [Associated Press]
Is It Cheaper To Make Or To Buy? Six Foods Tested
By 4.27.09
Jennifer Reese decided to make six common food items and then determine whether it was better to go the homemade route or to buy from the store. We briefly considered making our own crackers last month in a fit of anger over how expensive generic saltines have become, so we’re glad someone did the research for us.
