Poker teaches important lessons about saving and investing. Foreclosures are better than mortgage modification programs. Debit card overdraft fees are good for consumers. PMS is responsible for impulse purchases. There is no shortage of strange theories out there—and some of them are actually plausible.
For some people who have tried to go cold turkey and stop making unnecessary purchases, being good is getting boring. They’re experiencing “frugal fatigue,” and many shoppers out there are bound to crack.
Economists say the only way you can get your finances in better shape is to save more and spend less. Economists also say that the way to get our national economy in better shape is to have people spend more—and therefore save less. So basically, right now, we should all be spending more and saving [...]
For now at least, cheap is cool. Frugality is viewed as acceptable, sensible. The assumption is that this “Great Recession,” which has thrown the nation (and our retailers) all for a loop, will have lasting effects. Here’s why it won’t.
“Elmo understands Elmo can’t get everything Elmo wants, and Elmo’s parents save money to get what they really need like food.”
You know what? That’s still nearly a thousand bucks more than you need to spend on a pair of pants—even a pretty nice pair of pants.
Even though God may occasionally punish the self-interested followers of capitalism, the Divine One can still make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. Huh? Throughout the recession, various religious leaders have voiced their opinions about what God does and doesn’t do, and how believers should respond to the crisis at hand. To no surprise, religious [...]
Some towns are defying the recession, with cranes dutifully piecing together new buildings, new businesses opening, populations showing increases, and average resident income actually growing. How do they do it? Chances are, Uncle Sam has given them a helping hand.
Sure, to get a sense of how the economy is faring, you could look at home sale prices, or unemployment stats, or what products are actually selling well at the time. Instead, a New York magazine story explores the symbiotic relationship between the attractiveness of restaurant waitstaff and the economic climate: Basically, if your waitress [...]
A Times story cites a report that one in three people admit to napping on a typical day. “Admit.” As if napping is a bad thing.
You might think that a financial crisis and a dreary, prolonged economic downturn might be a total bummer. People wouldn’t find much of anything funny, and they wouldn’t exactly be in the mood for other kinds of fun, either. Actually, it appears the opposite is true: In tough times, people seek out releases more than [...]
