People are cutting back from outsourced services and opting to do things themselves, like cleaning the house, walking the dog, making their own coffee, cutting their hair, or packing their lunch. Those who do say it saves money and gives a feeling of self-reliance. What have you started doing yourself lately that you used to pay people to do?
money
Desperate Debtor Cuts Off Finger In Court
By 1.21.09
A Lisbon man cut off his finger in the middle of court after a judge refused his offer to settle his 170,000 euro ($219,436) debt. “My intention was to tear up all the case papers and splatter them with blood so I could prevent the expropriation order for my land,” said Orico Silva…
4 Ways To Lose Your Rewards Points
By 1.20.09
Part of the new year and the new year is getting rid of unnecessary clutter, like rewards points! Here’s 4 ways to increase your chances of losing your credit card rewards points.
Defending Access To Your Credit Cards & Lines
By 1.17.09
Credit card issuers are panicking, cutting credit lines and entire cards. This can have a negative impact on your credit score, here’s a few ideas on how to defend against it.
Reach BoA Customer Service On Twitter
By 1.16.09
Bank of America is now on Twitter, user “BofA_help.” They have a pretty boy named David Knapp who is here to solve your problems and answer your questions about Bank of America. He seems to be both handling inbound requests and scanning for people on Twitter with BofA problems and reaching out to them. Certainly faster than sending Ken Lewis a letter. (Thanks to Brandon Savage!)
Debt Collectors Incessantly Harass Dead Son's Parents
By 1.16.09
Debt collectors are illegally harassing Vincent’s parents for debt their son owes. Vincent died last year at 27 from a sudden heart attack during a softball game. “I’m afraid to pick up the phone in my own home,” said Roco Crimeni, father. “That’s the hard part, to tell them my son is dead. How many times do I have to repeat it?”
Which Financial Gurus Are Worth Listening To?
By 1.16.09
We’ve already noted that author Eric Tyson believes Jim Cramer’s stock advice is worse than a coin toss. Now Tyson takes on the advice of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” author Robert Kiyosaki. In summary, Tyson berates Kiyosaki’s disdain for mutual funds and refutes many of the arguments Kiyosaki uses to favor real estate over them. Tyson also points to a larger review of Kiyosaki’s teachings that is, shall we say, less than complimentary.
Personal Finance Roundup
By 1.15.09
Here’s our weekly roundup of the best personal finance news. Inside: investing lessons, gadgets to buy, mentoring, career tips for women, and fixing money mistakes.
Fired? Suck Up To Your Enemies
By 1.14.09
Here’s a cheeky guide for sorta-lazy people to survive being laid-off. Number one: Kiss the ass of ex-coworkers you hate.
Why The Fed Is Making "Bad Banks," And Why That Could Be Good
By 1.14.09
Marketplace’s Paddy “Sexycakes” Hirsch whips out the whiteboard to explain the how and why of the latest gimmick the Fed is deploying to ease the financial crisis. Now they’re making “bad banks” which will go buy the toxic assets from the banks so they can clean up their books. Hopefully over time these assets will mature past their heavily discounted value and the taxpayers can make money on the deal. But if the situation deteriorates and too many of the assets go to zero, as some indeed may, then we’ll be sitting on a big fat goose egg, again. Video inside.
12 Confessions Of A U.S. Bank CSR
By 1.13.09
A customer service rep (CSR) for U.S. Bank’s 24-hour banking hotline has stepped forward from the shadows to reveal 12 tips that can save customers money and time. Insider tips on how to get fees refunded, how “available balance” is a lie, and why you should demand the Portland call center when you have a fraud problem, inside…
By 1.13.09
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From Wikihow: 12 ways to teach your kids about money.
Deprogram Bad "Money Scripts"
By 1.12.09
How you relate to money money could have a lot to do with emotional connections you made to money at a young age, and these so-called “money scripts” can be a blindspot that’s causing you financial pain, reports WSJ.
Video: Oil Speculators To Blame For Record Gas Prices After All
By 1.12.09
If you thought oil speculators as the reason behind the historic gas prices spikes of this summer was debunked, think again. From ’07 to when the price of oil collapsed, supply increased and demand dropped. According to basic economic theory, this should’ve meant the price went down. But all of a sudden an influx of capital, an infusion that brought the total at play from $13 billion to $300 billion, brought to market by large investment bankers, exploiting de-regulation and trading in black box private exchanges made possible by Enron, drove the price of oil from $69 to almost $150. A new 60 Minutes report explores the issue. Video inside.
Make Your Driver's License A Debit Card And Save 3 Cents Per Gallon Of Gas
By 1.12.09
If you live in or around Austin, Texas, you can save 3 cents or more per gallon by turning your driver’s license into a debit card.
The Poverty-Stricken Masses Are Flocking To Libraries
By 1.11.09
Why waste precious cash at Borders and Barnes & Noble when you can go to the library for free? It’s a simple question that is causing traffic local libraries to spike as flocks of new patrons register for library cards. We’ve praised libraries before, but it takes a depressing recession to convince people that yes, even they could use an extra buck in their wallet.
Money-Conscious Boozers Fight Depression With Happy Hour
By 1.10.09
Consumers low in spirits are starting to sadden bar owners as they increasingly take advantage of happy hour deals. People aren’t cutting back on their drinking, but they are consuming more at home and trying to extract more booze from their buck when they go out.
$400k ATM Receipt – Madison Ave Doin' Just Fine
By 1.9.09
There’s a $407k balance on this ATM receipt. At least one denizen of Madison Ave, a metonym for the advertising industry, hasn’t been reading the headlines. One is that he’s supposed to have no money thanks to the recession. The other is that the FDIC only provides coverage up to $250,000. Oh Don Draper, won’t you ever be felled by your devil-may-care ways? Full-size, inside…
