Money Saving Tips: News and Opinion - billeater.com

Most Big Companies Suck to Work for...11 That Don't

Heather Hollingsworth — Mon, 23 May 2011 05:00:00 +0000

When you think of working for a large company, you probably imagine cubicle farms and deep levels of redundant middle management. In many cases, you wouldn't be far from the truth. Working for a big company can be tough. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle and feel like the company doesn't care about you at all. Not every company is like that, though. More large corporations have begun to recognize that having happier employees results in better overall productivity. High tech companies like Intel and Google are leading the trend toward becoming better places to work.Read the rest...

Don’t be a Sucker; Avoid These Five Tricky Pricing Gimmicks

Cheryl Johnson — Fri, 13 May 2011 01:08:51 +0000

Think it's buy one, get one? Don't jump so quickly. It's probably buy one, get one half off. This is just one trick retailers use. Whether we like it or not, bargain hunting requires that we stop and pay attention. Some of us enjoy bargain hunting; some don’t. Whichever category we fall into, we need to be aware that retailers employ a laundry list of tricks in order to get us to spend more. Here are some gimmicks to watch out for and how they work.Read the rest...

Impulse Buying? Your Last Name Might be to Blame

Cheryl Johnson — Mon, 09 May 2011 21:48:32 +0000

Are you an impulse buyer? You may now have an excuse – it’s all your last name’s fault. People whose last names start with letters toward the end of the alphabet are more prone to impulse buying. According to a study to be published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the “last name effect” seems to stem back from childhood.Read the rest...

Five Lessons from the Obamas' 2010 Tax Returns

Cheryl Johnson — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:19:35 +0000

The Obamas recently released their 2010 tax return, revealing an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $1,728,096. While this is a nice haul to most people, it’s a two-thirds pay cut from the $5.5 million they earned in 2009. They paid $453,770 (26%) of their income in federal taxes and $245,075 (14%) of their income to charities. President Obama earned $400,000 as Commander-in-Chief, but the bulk of their earnings came from his book sales. While those numbers are a bit overwhelming to the average taxpayer, there are still lessons that anyone can apply to their own finances.Read the rest...

Five Least Stressful Healthcare Jobs

Guest Blogger — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:33:53 +0000

Want a job that helps others, pays well and doesn't stress you out? Healthcare is an excellent field to look for work in a challenging economy. Career Cast ranked the top 10 least stressful white collar jobs for 2011 and 5 health care jobs were on the list. Some of the stress factors considered in the ranking were income opportunity, competitiveness, travel, hazardous work environment, and if lives are at risk.Read the rest...

Are Today's Households More Prudent?

Heather Hollingsworth — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0000

The recent recession had a widespread impact on households in every economic sector. Unemployment, high energy prices, and rising food costs have caused consumers to evaluate their spending habits and make a few changes. While homeowners appear to be more frugal these days, economists hope they don't see too much of this good thing.Read the rest...

Need a Job? Don't Turn Your Nose Up at McDonalds

Heather Hollingsworth — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Finding good paying jobs has been something of a challenge over the last few years for many people who are out of work. Even fast food positions have been hit or miss in this struggling economy. Indications are beginning to show that jobs are opening up across the nation, and McDonald's is leading the way. The company expects to hire as many as 50,000 new workers this month.Read the rest...

eBay Buys GSI, but Why?

Jessica Bosari — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:13:28 +0000

eBay, in a deal announced on Monday, March 28th, has bought out GSI Commerce. GSI is a multi-service company that currently provides e-commerce solutions, including marketing, payment processing and customer service, to over 180 different companies such as Zales, Toys R Us and Radio Shack. The merger deal, worth $2.4 billion dollars, is eBay's most expensive purchase since 2005 when the online auction company bought Skype for $2.6 billion.Read the rest...

Are they Freegans or Just Freeloaders?

Jessica Bosari — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:33:06 +0000

I'm not really sure what to make of the Freegan lifestyle. While I strongly believe in some of the things they do, others seem down right insensitive, lazy and disruptive. Freegans are relative newcomers to the environmentalist scene who object to a profit-driven economy. They consider it the basis of all evil and injustice. Freegans do their best to avoid spending money at all costs to prevent supporting greed-driven corporations responsible for the excesses abd throwaway mentality of today's consumers.
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Will Middle East Unrest Topple the Fragile Recovery?

Heather Hollingsworth — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:33:49 +0000

The world has been transfixed on the events in Egypt. Peaceful protest has unseated the government and created an unexpected change in one of the largest Middle Eastern nations. The ripples from this successful protest could impact economies all over the world. Even if Egypt is able to install a stable government in a quick fashion, it will still be a long time before the Middle East can settle into a business as usual frame of mind.Read the rest...

Six Bizarre but True Signs of Economic Recovery

Heather Hollingsworth — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:00:00 +0000

A recession doesn't always show up in your life as a lost job or a cut in pay. The most common result of a bad economy is that people tend to cut back on the things that are not entirely essential for getting by. An economic upswing will be noticed in many smaller markets long before it shows up in housing costs or purchases of new cars. When consumers begin to feel confident again, they like to take smaller steps that can be easy to cut out again if necessary.Read the rest...

Could Gen-Y be the Next Greatest Generation?

Jessica Bosari — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:53:49 +0000

Between the influence of my brother and father and a girlhood crush on Matthew Broderick, I was destined to be at least a little geeky. I embraced Dr. Who, Buckaroo Banzai, science fiction fantasy paperbacks and just about anything that made me think beyond the reality I lived. I believe that Matthew Broderick made it cool to be a little geeky, from the movies War Games and Ferris Buehler’s Day Off, we see that being a geek has its advantages.Read the rest...

BPA on Receipts! Cause to Panic?

Fletcher Martin — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:50:47 +0000

If you are a financially responsible person, then you probably take every receipt you are given and keep it in your purse or wallet until you decide to go through your receipts. You’ll probably keep the important ones you need, and throw the rest away. However, this practice could be tainting your money and the other items that encounter your receipts with BPA. Bisphenol A, abbreviated as BPA, has been found to have the potential to cause a number of health issues such as cancer and possible birth defects in developing fetuses and young children.Read the rest...

How to Stay Positive in the Down Economy...without being a Polyanna

Jessica Bosari — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:12:21 +0000

Staying Positive in a Down Economy might seem like a contradiction or something hard to achieve for many people who are going through rough times. A down economy affects all sectors of the population; it even affects people who are wealthy, as they watch their investments plummet. Although every sector suffers the effects in different degrees (some might not even have a home anymore or food), everyone has the power to adjust their attitudes toward their current situation and look for the positive inside the suffering.Read the rest...

How Do You Measure Wealth?

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:04:18 +0000

The current economic recession has taken a wrecking ball to society’s airy pursuit of endless wealth. American has lost its Midas touch, and only the phantoms of past success remain. But in the desert of this depression lurk small and beautiful flowers. Towers of treasure have tumbled down, but in the rubble, families have found joy and friendship. The minimalism and conservationism adopted by society has forced families to come together, both economically and socially, and thus they have become more than relatives; they have become friends.Read the rest...

Five Lessons on the "Up"s and Downs of Financial Life

Jessica Bosari — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:21:57 +0000

Disney’s Pixar masterpiece, “Up,” released in 2009, is about more than marriage, adventure, and friendship. Beneath the touching storyline, “Up” is also about the ups and downs of financial life. Finances, actually, determine the plot. It is because of financial emergencies that Carl and Ellie, the starring couple, never get to travel to their dream location, Paradise Falls. It took ruthless urbanization and little temper tantrum to propel Carl, along with the naïve and endearing Russell, to the lush greens and blues of Paradise Falls. But perhaps, if Carl and Ellie had chosen a different financial path, the fulfilling of a dream would not have taken so much and been so long. “Up” teaches some vital financial lessons about what it takes to fulfill your dreams.
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How Investment Bankers Contributed to the Financial Crisis

billeater — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:26:44 +0000

Investment bankers are essentially the source of the financial crisis and that's why the government is working hard to re-impose strong regulations on the industry. It helps to understand what an investment banker is, what the job entails and how investment banking led to the problem in the first place.Read the rest...

15 tips for clipping coupons

Tyra — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:02:44 +0000

Coupon clipping is a great way to save money on just about everything- Groceries, toiletries, household items, cleaning supplies, toys, baby stuff, dining out. You name it, there is probably a coupon for it somewhere. Manufacturers print coupons to get an edge against their competitors, gain popularity, or promote a new product. You, as a consumer, can benefit from this and save thousands of dollars a year on expenses with a little patience and time. We put together a list of a few tips and tricks to maximize your benefits from coupon clipping. Read the rest...

Unbroke: Celebrity Advice on Saving Money?

billeater — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:51:05 +0000

Okay, so I had to laugh at this one. ABC Television is launching a one-hour special on Friday, May 29th @ 9PM ET that's "an unconventional look at the fundamentals of everyday finance with all the facts about credit cards, mortgages, stocks and bonds, investing and 401k's, in a fresh new format combining information and humor."Read the rest...

Update: Mainstreet.com is putting together a Twitter event for viewers to share their reactions to the show live as they watch it. See Mainstreet's Unbroke Article for the details.

Free Financial Magazines Anyone?

micharch — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:22:41 +0000

Most are completely free -- though a couple say right up front if only the first 2 or 4 issues are free. I get a couple of these mags myself, and I have never gotten a bill for them ever. Each mag has its own link to fill out the form to get it (where it says "click here"), so I'm sorry about that if it slows you down. If you do not like them, you can always donate them to a senior citizens center in town.Read the rest...

Stock Broker Success~ It's all about the Numbers

micharch — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:22:54 +0000

Have you ever wondered how a young inexperienced stock broker in training with Merrill Lynch or Goldman Sachs can be so correct on so many investments? He/she just learns to play what is called "the numbers game."
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One Ticket for the Price of Two?

micharch — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:26:43 +0000

I'm an occasional air traveler these days, but I have had the uncomfortable experience on occasion to sit next on extremely overweight fellow traveler. It is very uncomfortable because the other guy is always apologizing for intruding on my "space"and I keep looking at my watch and can not wait for the adventure to end when the plane lands.
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End of Pensions as We Know Them?

micharch — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:41:24 +0000

If you have a vested pension (also known as a Defined Benefit Plan) you are probably in the minority today unless you've worked for a government entity.
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Luxury vs not a Luxury?

micharch — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:28:17 +0000

This very interesting article has quite a number of shocking revelations in it. I consider a microwave oven and a cable TV as a necessity and could care less about a cell phone. Take a look at the graphics in the article to see how your fellow citizens rate various day to day items as luxury or necessity. Do you agree or not? What appliance would you consider a luxury?
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Mutual Fund Expenses Matter

micharch — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:52:51 +0000

From this article at www.fa-mag.com:

The problem is, fund companies and financial advisers are stuck in an archaic business model that rewards the insiders at the expense of the investors––a claim Vanguard founder John Bogle has made for decades.   That's why investors still must pay 12b-1 fees and even sales loads on funds recommended by financial advisors.   
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