Could a hip 20-something Chicagoan limit her weekly spending to $100 a week for an entire month? Nicole DiVito set out to find out last month, trying what she called “No-Spend November.” The results were…mixed. “No Spend November… Good in theory; Mediocre in practice,” DiVito says. I think she’s being [Keep reading]
Jeff Bezos is a lot of things, but when I see him talk, I feel the same way I do about a charming magician. Now I know why. He’s convinced some very important people that drones will soon be dropping Amazon packages out of the sky, only 30 minutes after [Keep reading]
Corporations use Big Data to get the upper hand on consumers; it’s time for consumers to strike back. A host of online calculators makes it easier for you to compare prices across a wide variety of industries, and learn quickly if you’re about to be ripped off — or at [Keep reading]
To Black Friday or not to Black Friday? Perhaps you haven’t made up your mind yet. Dueling polls seem to suggest Americans are torn on the issue. The National Retail Federation says 140 million Americans will go shopping this weekend, and 23.5 percent of them will start as soon as [Keep reading]
The Utah Couple who were “fined” $3,500 for writing a negative comment online about a small online merchant named KlearGear.com has formally threatened to sue the firm, and is asking for $75,000 to avoid litigation. Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is representing the couple, John and Jen Palmer of Layton, [Keep reading]
UPDATED with statement from Solavei, below. Discount mobile service and multi-level marketer Solavei has cut its mid-level smartphone data plan in half, raising the ire of some users who traditionally have been both loyal and aggressive promoters of the service. Solavei subscribers who now pay $49 per month for 4 [Keep reading]
Consider this how infomericals work, part II. If you missed part I, click here, then come back. When infomercials sell products, the director’s goal is to make the thing look bigger, stronger, brighter, or otherwise more appealing than it really is. When they sell programs, like weight loss or strengthening [Keep reading]
Doing some research for a story about the psychology of Black Friday, I found this nugget on the National Retail Federation’s website. “NRF offices will be closed Friday, November 29.” It goes on to say that reporters can still get in touch with media relations folks, but only between 9 [Keep reading]
It can feel like the ultimate Gotcha. You give a bank your money for safe keeping, and seemingly just because it’s sitting there, your bank helps itself to a handful of your cash. Your balance dips below $5,000 for one day? That’ll cost $25. You buy a hamburger at the [Keep reading]
You can’t buy happiness, but you can save for it, according to a new survey. I think it’s obvious that people enjoy getting free things. People always take part in online surveys and giveaways in a way to win gift cards and free things. But a new survey has suggested [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan