Inflation has been negative this year. And since the Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA, is pegged to the inflation rate, it is expected that there will be no COLA increase this year for those on Social Security. It’s the first time in more than 30 years that Social Security checks will stay put.
You lose your job. Then the home goes into foreclosure. What do you do? Go west to strike it rich in the gold mines. These are scenes from the 1800s, and from the Great Depression, and from today.
Money will not make you happy. That’s what people say. But maybe the saying should be tweaked to: Money alone will not make you happy. When used properly and strategically, money can help you attain whatever it is that makes you happy in life.
A first-class postage stamp cost 2¢ in 1950. If the cost of a stamp had risen with inflation, it would cost 30¢ today. Instead, we’re paying 44¢ to mail a letter.
Why do many competent, smart people make mistakes with their investments? It turns out that their feelings have been hurt, or they’re trying to save face, or they’re cocky enough to think they’re faster and smarter than the masses. Basically, they get emotional.
JetBlue is hosting a “Bikini Sale,” with flights to the Bahamas and the Caribbean for $29 to $149 each way. Tickets must be purchased by August 26 for travel between September 8 to November 18. More details here.
The Cash for Clunker clock is running out. The government incentive program officially expires on Monday, August 24, at 8 p.m., so this is the last weekend you can score up to $4,500 for turning in your old gas guzzler in exchange for a more fuel-efficient model.
Lumber Liquidators has issued a “Buyout Alert,” with inventory of laminate floor varieties selling for less than half of comparable retail price. A couple of styles are selling at 69¢ per square foot, and a couple more are under $1 per square foot. More details here.
I have a special place in my heart for DIY home fixer-uppers, especially if they figure out how to tackle their projects while saving money—and especially if they pass along their experience and wisdom to me.
The recession has provided a moment to step back and contemplate, to come to a truer understanding of life lessons like that happiness is not derived from material things. The financial downturn has also passed along some slightly odd teachings, like that fewer people die at the workplace when there are fewer people actually at [...]
I know that when I lost my full-time job a few months ago, few of my colleagues bothered to utilize the outplacement firm paid for by our former employer. And almost all of the people who did use the firm found the experience of little help, with “tips” on job databases available to anyone and [...]
