The cost of center-based childcare for infants has risen twice as fast as median income for families over the past decade.
Last year, 80% of Americans believed that college was a good financial investment. Now, results from the same survey show a sharp drop in confidence in the rewards of higher education, with only 64% of people saying that college is a good investment.
Also: Is it better to invest or pay off your mortgage early? Is Hulu Plus worth the $10 a month they’re asking for it? Are you paying too much in property taxes?
Take a look at insights that’ll help you negotiate, shop smarter, and get the most out of your local library, along with lists of stuff that’s overrated, stuff that’s cheaper than you thought, and stuff that you can always get for less than the retail price.
To attract students at a time when many families are wondering if they can afford college—and also, if higher education is actually worth the money—colleges are going all Crazy Eddie, offering deals like tuition freezes, 50% off and buy-one-get-one-free summer courses, and free housing.
“Visit Graceland at least once, to see what happens to some people when they get too much money.”
“One needn’t necessarily be a liberal-arts graduate to regard as distinctly and speciously utilitarian the idea that higher education is, above all, a route to economic advancement.”
Congratulations! You’re a college graduate. On the one hand, it’s not going to be easy to find someone willing to pay you to go to work. On the other, at least you’re done paying—via tuition—for people to teach you and evaluate your work.
Corporate sponsorship for weddings, fake (but effective) medications, savvy business advice from prostitutes, and more.
“Based on my experience as the vice president for finance and administration at a prominent college in the early 2000s, I suggest that the answer is simple: Top private institutions charge what they do because a substantial number of people will pay it.”
Only a small number of people actually pay the full retail price. For others—folks who buy stuff on sale (and there’s always a sale), or who get financial aid—one of the reasons these institutions are attractive because it feels like they’re getting a deal.
