Also, why you should forget about self-help gurus—and follow the lead set by leprechauns instead.
This week’s links cover topics ranging from school fundraisers that aren’t worth your time (and don’t raise much money), to resources for finding the best Black Friday deals, to effective, low-effort, low-cost ways to clean the bathroom.
In three recent rip-off round-ups, title insurance and college textbooks have consumers riled up, as have unnecessarily expensive—or just plain unnecessary—home repair jobs.
Generally speaking, extended warranties don’t pay off. Warranties are profit-makers because customers who buy them don’t—or can’t—ever use them. So when, if ever, is it worth paying an extra 10% or 20% on top of the product’s price for an extended service plan?
You assume you’re being a savvy consumer by doing things like using coupons, getting free shipping with online purchases, and shopping in stores with no-hassle return policies. But are you really being taken for a sucker?
Why are Chinese households so much better at saving money than their American counterparts?
Be on guard at the checkout line: In all the chaos of holiday shopping season, you can easily get talked into paying extra for some sort of extended service plan you don’t want, or into signing up for a credit card that saves you 10% upfront—and then hammers you with fees down the line.
