The diamond industry is a big stinking sham, but if you’re stuck in a relationship where you can’t get away with a plastic spider ring for a gift—well, first of all, we feel sorry for you, but second of all, here are some great tips to help you save money when jewelry shopping.
tips
How To Fill A 120-Day Prescription For 1/5th Of The Regular Price
By 9.26.07
Here’s a potential way to get certain drug prescriptions filled cheaply—as in, a several-month supply for less than $15—from our own Consumerist reader and commenter Hambriq. He posted it last week and we thought it was worth bringing to the foreground for more readers to see.
10 Great Wines For $10 Or Less
By 9.24.07
The sommeliers who read The Consumerist may scoff, but there are actually some decent wines available for $10 or less, or so says the New York Times food critics.
Borrowing From—And Loaning To—Friends And Family
By 9.21.07
Ah, what an awkward situation—over the phone, or whispered at your desk, or asked face to face over beers at your weekly hangout. What’s the best way to respond when someone you love (or at least like to some degree) wants to borrow money? And what if you’re the one in need? Betterbudgeting.com offers some advice on when to loan and when to figure out whether you’re just enabling a bad habit.
8 Tips For Fish Shopping
By 9.21.07
If you grew up in a landlocked area like this author did—or you’re just not a foodie at heart—odds are you’re a bit clueless when it comes to fish shopping. Alton Brown of the Food Network offers some quick advice on how to find the best fish the next time you go to the market.
4 Strategies To Help You Live Debt Free
By 9.20.07
“Americans collectively spent more than we earned after taxes for the past two years in a row,” says SmartMoney in their latest cover story, “Live Debt-Free”. Their point: we spend a lot of time thinking about how to save and how to invest, but not enough time working out a healthy debt strategy that doesn’t eat away at our happiness, not to mention our retirement savings. They offer four different strategies for reducing your debt to little or nothing, so that you can apply your income to more worthwhile activities than fighting off your liability monster.
The Copper In Your House Is Worth Lots Of Money
By 9.20.07
I recently hired a plumber to do a rebuild on an existing small bathroom. During the demolition phase, the plumber remarked that he would be reclaiming the old copper pipe and that it was worth around $25.
When Should You Buy New Technology?
By 9.20.07
The short answer: when it’s no longer new, of course—early adopters are the pawns in the great game of consumer electronics, easily sacrificed by both sides in order to fuel product launches, establish word of mouth, and help discover any 1st-gen bugs. (*cough* iPhone *cough*) SmartMoney says on average, wait six months after a product is released before buying it, but they also provide a list of specific advice for things like cellphones, computers, and cameras.
4 Tips For Keeping Your Digital Pictures Safe
By 9.18.07
Where would we be without photos? We’d have no blackmail, no things to cut up after a divorce, no US Weekly, and no pictures to stare at on The Consumerist. And now that there are digital cameras, anyone can take ’em. But like emails, thesis statements, and that Great American Novel you’ve been working on for years, they’re prone to digital oblivion if you don’t take some precautions. The Associated Press has four basic tips that you should already be following to keep your digital pics safe.
5 Furniture Shopping Tips
By 9.17.07
Despite the crummy real estate market and generally listing economy, now is a good time to go furniture shopping, apparently. That’s partly because consolidation and increased competition has squeezed out everyone except for discount-happy big box retailers in some cities, and partly because business is down overall this year so everyone is trying to attract more customers with markdowns.
5 Ways To Make Sure You're Actually Talking To Your Credit Card Company
By 9.12.07
When you consider the risk and high cost of identity theft, it pays to be skeptical whenever someone calls you and claims to be from your credit card company. How can you verify that they’re legit? Reader Cathy points us to bloggingawaydebt.com, which offers five simple things to do if you want to make sure you’re not being scammed.
By 9.7.07
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Here’s a sample email one man used to gather quotes from multiple dealerships. He ended up getting a 2007 Odyssey EX minivan for $25,780 before TTL, $630 under invoice, no trade, no accessories and the dealer beat his e-loan rate. [dbattery]
Try Not To Light Yourself On Fire Once You Get To College
By 8.31.07
According to Consumer Reports’ Blog, the number of fires in campus housing has risen dramatically over the past few years—from 1,800 fires in 1998 to 3,000 fires in 2005.
10 Stupid Ways That Smart People Waste Money
By 8.30.07
Some people are bad with money and they waste it constantly on stupid crap that they can’t afford and they are sad all the time and have no friends… That’s not you.
If You Buy Expensive Electronics, Be Careful. You Might Be Being Followed…
By 8.27.07
Hey there, he’s a tip from our good friends up in Canada: If you’re buying expensive electronics don’t assume you’re not being followed to your next destination!
To Get Telemarketers To Stop, You Must Specifically Say "Put Me On Your Do Not Call List"
By 8.27.07
According to a reader who works as a telemarketer for a timeshare company, it’s not enough to say say, “Stop calling me,” to get yourself off a company’s calling list, you must unequivocally request the removal.
Avoid Hazardous Supplies When Back-To-School Shopping
By 8.20.07
If you’re back-to-school shopping for your kids, here are a few guidelines for what to buy—and what not to buy, as well as some tips for inspecting the local playground and soccer field:
