WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog/media/feedlogo.gif WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Pumpkin shortage could mean no Christmas pieshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/pumpkin-shortage-could-mean-no-christmas-pies/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/pumpkin-shortage-could-mean-no-christmas-pies/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/pumpkin-shortage-could-mean-no-christmas-pies/#commentsFiled under: ,

News from Illinois and other Midwestern pumpkin farms has me worried I'll have to add more security to my front walk. My front yard, relieved this spring of its burden of grass, is a wild mess of corn stalks, bean and tomato vines, sunflowers, asparagus ferns, and pumpkins. My kids have already eaten one pie and two loaves of pumpkin bread from the gourds grown right here. Come December, we could be the only ones for blocks eating pumpkin pie; food giant Nestle says a rainy Midwestern growing season means they've lost what was left of a small harvest; and there will be no more Libby canned pumpkin shipped after Thanksgiving.

Nestle controls an incredible 85% of the U.S. pumpkin crop destined for canning, and it's located on 5,000 acres of farmland in Illinois. The crop was looking 15% to 50% smaller than normal at the end of the summer; and then came the fall rains, which destroyed what remained. Typically, Nestle cans the late bloomers from the 2009 crop in October and November to stock shelves for Christmas and the first half of the next year.

Continue reading Pumpkin shortage could mean no Christmas pies

Pumpkin shortage could mean no Christmas pies originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>agriculturebakingfeaturedlibbynestlepiepumpkinpumpkin piePumpkinPieSarah GilbertThu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:00 ESTThe American Dream: buy your own laundromathttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/the-american-dream-buy-your-own-laundromat/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/the-american-dream-buy-your-own-laundromat/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/the-american-dream-buy-your-own-laundromat/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It turns out that the bad economy is great for coin-op laundromats. Because, though houses with laundry rooms will be foreclosed upon, washing machines and dryers will break and be too expensive to fix, and sometimes, we lose our homes entirely, we still need clean clothes.

Long the refuge for college students, the young creative class, jobless, homeless and others not in possession of a few Whirlpools, laundromats are now flourishing. And the middle class is showing up, too, pride and laundry baskets in hand.

By all appearances, this would be a great time to get into the business of laundry; the Wall Street Journal recently profiled one such man, Brian McChristian, laid off in early 2008 and now running the Austin, Texas Community Coin Laundry; and he's one of the lucky ones. His business is doing well, thanks in part to his efforts to keep his parking lot and facility free of anyone not doing laundry.

Continue reading The American Dream: buy your own laundromat

The American Dream: buy your own laundromat originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>coin-opentrepreneurshipfeaturedlaundromatlaundryrecessionself-employmentSarah GilbertWed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 ESTSmack! Injured kid sues school after dodgeball accidenthttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/17/smack-injured-kid-sues-school-after-dodgeball-accident/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/17/smack-injured-kid-sues-school-after-dodgeball-accident/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/17/smack-injured-kid-sues-school-after-dodgeball-accident/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Dodgeball: perhaps no grade school sport is infused with more cringing memories and dark humor.

And the story of 12-year-old Shane Reese surely has both elements, along with a little "what were they thinking?" and could spell doom for the activity's future in New York schools.

The boy's been offered $20,000 by the Bronx school district thanks to an accidental ball in the teeth. A judge will decide if that's enough.

Let's take you back to Dec. 22, 2008, at Intermediate School 219 in the Bronx, N.Y. It was a rainy day and really close to Christmas -- the Bronx school district doesn't let out for winter break until Dec. 24 -- so many teachers had already taken off for the holiday. What to do with 100 students cooped up and buzzing over the upcoming holidays? A friendly game of dodgeball, of course!

Off to the school gym they went, where it was extremely crowded and none of the traditional soft rubber balls were to be found. No matter: plenty of soccer balls were rolling around the equipment room. Those will work, right? (Ouch.)

Continue reading Smack! Injured kid sues school after dodgeball accident

Smack! Injured kid sues school after dodgeball accident originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bronxdodgeballinjuryschoolschool districsSchoolDistricssettlementshane reeseShaneReeseSarah GilbertTue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 ESTRuby Tuesday polishes its image and takes casual dining up a notchhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/09/ruby-tuesday-polishes-its-image-and-takes-casual-dining-up-a-not/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/09/ruby-tuesday-polishes-its-image-and-takes-casual-dining-up-a-not/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/09/ruby-tuesday-polishes-its-image-and-takes-casual-dining-up-a-not/#commentsFiled under: ,



Goodbye Ruby Tuesday -- or at least the Ruby Tuesday we once knew. Gone are the knock-off Tiffany lamps and the cheesy knickknacks that once served as such great comedic fodder for the fictional restaurant Chotchkie's in the movie Office Space Gone, too, are the waitstaff clad in white shirts and ties that hark back to 1989. Instead of fusion cuisine excesses like Southwestern egg rolls and the Macho Nacho burger, the new Ruby Tuesday's menu is about bison burgers, prime rib, and lobster -- with a side of macaroni and cheese, of course.

It's not exactly four-star dining, but it's surely a long way from a casual dining restaurant where "casual" far outshone the other possible monikers. The new Ruby Tuesday's features waiters and waitresses in black tees and pants -- "hipster" style, the New York Times says -- leather banquettes, dark varnished wood, and a menu that would feel right at home in this millennium. In addition to the lobster and prime rib, there's jumbo lump crab cakes, broiled tilapia, and a crispy shrimp sampler in which sesame seeds and peanut glaze make an appearance.

Continue reading Ruby Tuesday polishes its image and takes casual dining up a notch

Ruby Tuesday polishes its image and takes casual dining up a notch originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>casual diningCasualDiningfast casualFastCasualfoodlobstermakeoverrestaurantrestaurantsruby tuesdayRubyTuesdayshrimpsteakSarah GilbertMon, 09 Nov 2009 18:15:00 ESTEat well on $50 a week: Challenge, or no duh?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/eat-well-on-50-a-week-challenge-or-no-duh/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/eat-well-on-50-a-week-challenge-or-no-duh/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/eat-well-on-50-a-week-challenge-or-no-duh/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The headlines for various projects and challenges to eat on a small food budget always slurp me in with their titillation, the gauntlet-throwing, and immediately I ask myself: could I do it? The answer always disappoints, because I'm either doing it already or find the challenge so impossible it's meaningless. Eating on $1 a day per person?

Continue reading Eat well on $50 a week: Challenge, or no duh?

Eat well on $50 a week: Challenge, or no duh? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>budgeteateatinggrocerygrocery budgetgrocery shoppingGroceryBudgetGroceryShoppingSarah GilbertFri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 ESTRecession tales: Frugal becomes fashionhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/recession-tales-frugal-becomes-fashion/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/recession-tales-frugal-becomes-fashion/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/recession-tales-frugal-becomes-fashion/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The term "frugalista" may be trademarked, but frugality is so hip the practice deserves a new, rights-free term. Let's call ourselves the "frugalite," as in, "frugal" and "elite." Or call it "thrift store chic."

We may be doing this because of the recession, but baby? Frugal is the new awesome.

The frugal run the gamut from the truly extreme (counting toilet paper squares, re-using plastic wrap, making your own laundry detergent) to the practical environmentalist (biking instead of driving, fixing old appliances and furniture instead of buying, re-using glass jars and plastic bags) to the hipster broke artsy (making hats out of holey sweaters and wedding gowns out of plastic newspaper bags).

Wherever you fall on the spectrum, however, it's clear that frugality has had a resurgence of the sort not seen since the Great Depression.

Continue reading Recession tales: Frugal becomes fashion

Recession tales: Frugal becomes fashion originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>frugalfrugalistfrugalistafrugaliterecession talesRecessionTalesshoppingSarah GilbertFri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 ESTRecession tales: Bartering exchanges 'lame' for 'hip'http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/05/recession-tales-bartering-exchanges-lame-for-hip/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/05/recession-tales-bartering-exchanges-lame-for-hip/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/05/recession-tales-bartering-exchanges-lame-for-hip/#commentsFiled under: ,

I was helping my second-grader with his homework; he was reluctant to read a the little copy-printed book on bartering, saying, with full eye-rolls, that he'd already read it.

So we read it together, and worked through the questions at the end. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "You and dad barter!" he said.

Exactly. Here in Portland, Ore., I am such a regular user of the barter economy that the book's historical viewpoint (first came bartering, and finally came malls) seems passé.

The grocery co-op where we are member-owners holds an annual holiday barter swap, instead of a bazaar, and we look forward to the seed and start swap in the spring. On Portland's craigslist barter page, hundreds of offerings appear every day, and if it weren't for the constant request to trade something for an iPhone, you'd think it was 1972.

"VHS copies of your favourite horror movies that you replaced on DVD this year for Tokyo Long Scarlet Radishes," reads one ad, also suggesting the trade of an old window for a 10-pound Fielderkraut cabbage.

Continue reading Recession tales: Bartering exchanges 'lame' for 'hip'

Recession tales: Bartering exchanges 'lame' for 'hip' originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>barterbarteringfreefreegangoodsrecessionrecession talesRecessionTalesSarah GilbertThu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 ESTColumnist quits in protest after readers are forced to pay for his columnshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/columnist-quits-in-protest-after-readers-are-forced-to-pay-for-h/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/columnist-quits-in-protest-after-readers-are-forced-to-pay-for-h/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/columnist-quits-in-protest-after-readers-are-forced-to-pay-for-h/#commentsFiled under: ,

Saul Friedman has written a column for the Long Island, N.Y. daily newspaper, Newsday, since 1996. But recently, his weekly column on aging, "Gray Matters," became restricted behind a paid subscriber wall. As a result ,Friedman, who is the winner of journalism's prestigious Nieman Fellowship and who roused enough rabble to land on a list of Nixon political opponents, quit in protest.

Friedman's reaction may well be justified. Only subscribers to Newsday, which is sold in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and in New York City, can now read his full column online. In fact, Friedman, who lives near Washington, D.C. and isn't in the Newsday circulation area, can't even read his own columns online now. Customers of Cablevision, the company that owns Newsday, can also access Newsday online free of charge, but the rest of the world outside New York City's five buroughs and Long Island, has to pay $5 a week for the privilege.

Continue reading Columnist quits in protest after readers are forced to pay for his columns

Columnist quits in protest after readers are forced to pay for his columns originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>friedmanjournalismnewsdaynewspaperspaid accesspaid contentPaidAccessPaidContentsaul friedmanSaulFriedmanSarah GilbertMon, 02 Nov 2009 18:30:00 ESTStay in school? Slumdog stars risk losing trust fund, apartment, morehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/slumdog-stars-risk-losing-trust-apartment-more/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/slumdog-stars-risk-losing-trust-apartment-more/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/slumdog-stars-risk-losing-trust-apartment-more/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sweet, saucy, and from the slums, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail both went from wretched poverty to international fame after starring in the 2009 Academy Award winner for Best Picture and Best Director, Slumdog Millionaire.

But they just won't go to school, even though the movie's producer and director got the young stars placed in a Mumbai school and paid their tuition until they turn 18... and even though they've set up a trust that's dependent on the children attending school for the next seven or eight years.

Ali, 10, and Ismail, 11, have average attendance of about one in three days, and though Slumdog producer Christian Colson and director Danny Boyle have urged their parents to accept their offer of apartments outside of the slums, only Ismail's mother has taken the moviemakers up on their offer.

Continue reading Stay in school? Slumdog stars risk losing trust fund, apartment, more

Stay in school? Slumdog stars risk losing trust fund, apartment, more originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>azhar ismailAzharIsmailazharuddinmohammedismailchild starsChildStarsfeaturedmumbairubinarubinaalislumdogslumdogmillionairestarstrustSarah GilbertMon, 02 Nov 2009 16:15:00 ESTSAT score online: More instant gratification for today's kidshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/sat-score-online-more-instant-gratification-for-todays-kids/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/sat-score-online-more-instant-gratification-for-todays-kids/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/sat-score-online-more-instant-gratification-for-todays-kids/#commentsFiled under: ,

sat scoreThursday, October 29, is a date many of you would have circled on your calendar... if you still circled things on paper calendars. It's the day SAT scores for the test taken October 12 are available online.

Continue reading SAT score online: More instant gratification for today's kids

SAT score online: More instant gratification for today's kids originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>college prepCollegePreponline sat scoresOnlineSatScoressatsat scoresSatScoresSarah GilbertThu, 29 Oct 2009 16:15:00 ESTMy preschooler is now a homeowner, and other tales of fraudhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/my-preschooler-is-now-a-homeowner-and-other-tales-of-fraud/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/my-preschooler-is-now-a-homeowner-and-other-tales-of-fraud/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/my-preschooler-is-now-a-homeowner-and-other-tales-of-fraud/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Homebuyers did not have to truly be first-timers in order to qualify for the "first time homebuyer" tax credit, expiring Nov. 30; they only had to meet the limitation of not having owned a primary residence for the past three years, with income limits of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married taxpayers.

According to the Treasury Department, however, 4-year-olds (and other individuals incapable of legally signing a purchase agreement) don't count.

In an Internal Audit Report meant to assess the 2008 filings in anticipation of a surge in claims for the 2009 tax season, as many as 90,000 claims were determined to be potentially ineligible, and 528 of those were to homebuyers under 18.

The federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers is $8,000.

Continue reading My preschooler is now a homeowner, and other tales of fraud

My preschooler is now a homeowner, and other tales of fraud originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>first-time home buyersFirst-timeHomeBuyersfirsttimehomehomebuyerhomebuyer tax creditHomebuyerTaxCreditmortgagetax creditTaxCreditSarah GilbertWed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 ESTFoods 50% sugar still labeled smart choices? FDA warns: Red light!http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/22/foods-50-sugar-labeled-smart-choices-fda-warns-red-light/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/22/foods-50-sugar-labeled-smart-choices-fda-warns-red-light/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/22/foods-50-sugar-labeled-smart-choices-fda-warns-red-light/#commentsFiled under: ,

My 4-year-old son believes that "good for you" foods are anything that is "good" and "for him." Sweet cereal? Fruit roll-ups? Candy? Yes, yes, YES! I've so far been unable to convince him that "good for you" doesn't just mean "yummy."

Over the past several months, a consortium of food manufacturers have been as stubborn as my preschooler, using wildly inapt guidelines to determine that products such as frozen ice pops and Froot Loops are "Smart Choices." To determine which products qualify the group -- which includes Kraft Foods, Kellogg, and General Mills -- considers calories per serving and fat content, among other thing. And, given that criteria, sure enough candy CAN be a smart choice. Every little boy and girl would agree.

Continue reading Foods 50% sugar still labeled smart choices? FDA warns: Red light!

Foods 50% sugar still labeled smart choices? FDA warns: Red light! originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>capn crunchCapnCrunchcerealfdafroot loopsFrootLoopshealthhealthyred lightRedLightsmart choicesSmartChoicessugarSarah GilbertThu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:00 ESTTwo-year-old Colorado girl denied health insurance for being too skinny http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/20/two-year-old-colorado-girl-denied-health-insurance-for-being-too/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/20/two-year-old-colorado-girl-denied-health-insurance-for-being-too/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/20/two-year-old-colorado-girl-denied-health-insurance-for-being-too/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Health insurance companies, it appears, are uncannily skilled at creating cute, sweet poster children... for the other side of the health reform debate. Just two weeks ago, Colorado insurer, Rocky Mountain Health Plans denied health coverage of four-month-old Alex Lange because, by growth chart standards, Alex is obese.

Now, according to a report by The Denver Channel, a local affiliate of ABC News, little two-year old Aislin Bates of Erie, Colo. is getting a similar dose of rejection. This time, however, it is because she's underweight and, this time, it's a much bigger insurer: UnitedHealthcare.

Continue reading Two-year-old Colorado girl denied health insurance for being too skinny

Two-year-old Colorado girl denied health insurance for being too skinny originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aislinaislin batesAislinBateshealthhealth insuranceHealthInsuranceinsuranceinsurance reformInsuranceReformunitedunited healthUnitedHealthwalletmomandpopSarah GilbertTue, 20 Oct 2009 18:15:00 ESTInconvenient family living: Reduce your trashhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/20/inconvenient-family-living-reduce-your-trash/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/20/inconvenient-family-living-reduce-your-trash/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/20/inconvenient-family-living-reduce-your-trash/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This is the first in a series of columns on how to help your family live greener -- and cheaper in the bargain. Check back each week for a new topic.

Is it possible to live more lightly on the Earth after starting a family? Yes it is. Is it easy to go greener with kids? Well... let's just call it inconvenient.

Living greener, trying to leave a smaller footprint, comes into ever-sharper focus when you start your family. How many children will you have? What will they wear, play with, sleep on, eat? What will you teach them? How will you ensure that, when we further our species, we're not also hastening the destruction of our ecosystem?

Big questions, and worthy of making an effort. That's why I came up with a 12-step plan to live greener and cheaper ... along with my family of three small boys and an occasionally-reluctant husband.

Let's take a look at the first step. It's a biggie. And with kids, it also takes some determined effort: Reduce your trash.

Continue reading Inconvenient family living: Reduce your trash

Inconvenient family living: Reduce your trash originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>environmentgreenreducereduce wasteReduceWastetrashwalletmomandpopSarah GilbertTue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 ESTIf four-month-olds are being denied health insurance coverage, is anything sacred?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/12/if-four-month-olds-are-being-denied-health-insurance-coverage-i/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/12/if-four-month-olds-are-being-denied-health-insurance-coverage-i/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/12/if-four-month-olds-are-being-denied-health-insurance-coverage-i/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In yet one more reason why the national dialog has changed from "health care reform" to "health insurance reform," Grand Junction, Colo. native Alex Lange was denied insurance coverage by Rocky Mountain Health Plans. Lange has never smoked, drank alcohol, nor has he ever been diagnosed with a chronic disease. In fact, he's only been to the doctor a few times for checkups, and has never missed a day of school or work in his life.

That impressive track record can be credited to the fact that Alex is just four months old and, in his short life, he has been fed nothing but breast milk. Nevertheless, he was denied health coverage because, according to growth charts, he's obese.

Continue reading If four-month-olds are being denied health insurance coverage, is anything sacred?

If four-month-olds are being denied health insurance coverage, is anything sacred? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>alex langeAlexLangebabiesbabydenial of coverageDenialOfCoveragedenverhealth insuranceHealthInsuranceinsurance coverageInsuranceCoveragelangewalletmomandpopSarah GilbertMon, 12 Oct 2009 17:30:00 ESTCoupon clippers hotter than ever, says New York Timeshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/25/coupon-clippers-hotter-than-ever-says-new-york-times/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/25/coupon-clippers-hotter-than-ever-says-new-york-times/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/25/coupon-clippers-hotter-than-ever-says-new-york-times/#commentsFiled under: ,

I just came back from the grocery store, and I couldn't wait to share my victory story with my husband. A local chain had a great deal on Seventh Generation products and I was stocking up on diapers. Not only did I end up with 40% off the retail price, but... drumroll... the packages were festooned with coupons! I ended up bringing home $45 worth of product for less than $25. A budget hunter fresh from her kill, I carried the packages into the house as the trophies they were. His eyes lit up with pride.

Sure, moms are well-known for their love for coupon clipping. But the love affair has waned these past few decades; coupons hit their peak in 1992, says logistics company Inmar, with 7.9 billion coupons redeemed. As the '90s wore on and became the new millennium, shopping pundits decried the end of an era. Coupons, like soap operas, were an anachronism in this digital, busy-busy culture. In the early part of the 21st century, everyone began talking about time in its dollars-per-hour value, quantifying everything with the bizarre concept that, were you to forego washing your car, walking your pet, or preparing your own dinner, you could instead be making an hourly wage. That 25 cent coupon cost me $1.79! I might have thought. Professional moms and adults of all stripes breezily swiped their credit cards at the checkout stand, skipping the messy coupon stage and hurrying off to bask in their market value. In 2006, only 2.6 billion coupons were redeemed, a number that remained unchanged through most of 2008.


Continue reading Coupon clippers hotter than ever, says New York Times

Coupon clippers hotter than ever, says New York Times originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>budgetcouponcoupon-clippingcouponsgroceriesrecessionshoppingSarah GilbertFri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 ESTOverdraft fee overload: Can we get a little help here?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/21/overdraft-fee-overload-can-we-get-a-little-help-here/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/21/overdraft-fee-overload-can-we-get-a-little-help-here/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/21/overdraft-fee-overload-can-we-get-a-little-help-here/#commentsFiled under: ,

Banks will charge a shameful $38.5 billion in overdraft fees to the American public this year, and most of them are the ones who can least afford it -- the working poor and the unemployed who are constantly juggling utility bills and can barely afford groceries.

Congressional Democrats are finally moving toward limits on banks' ability to charge overdraft fees, calling them "criminal" and a "rip-off." Given my long and once-cozy relationship with the banking industry, I agree -- and think it should have happened years ago.

We had a particularly good year in 1997, in what is now Wachovia's investment banking division. My former favorite boss had taken the position of head of investor relations, and he came in the wake of annual financial reporting to proclaim the truth: the real money was in fees.

We'd made millions structuring syndicated loans and securitizing assets, yes, but the bank's millions of retail customers had funded far more profit with their overdraft and ATM fees. It was double what we'd made in all of investment banking, even in this record year.

I was uncomfortable at the time -- heck, I was a retail customer and paid my share of ATM fees even though I worked in a building with a First Union cash machine right there next to the elevator banks, and a branch a few yards to the south.

Continue reading Overdraft fee overload: Can we get a little help here?

Overdraft fee overload: Can we get a little help here? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>congresscriminallawoverdraftoverdraft feesOverdraftFeesSarah GilbertMon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTBulgaria lottery repeats winning numbers, and winners aboundhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/18/bulgaria-lottery-repeats-winning-numbers-and-winners-abound/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/18/bulgaria-lottery-repeats-winning-numbers-and-winners-abound/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/18/bulgaria-lottery-repeats-winning-numbers-and-winners-abound/#commentsFiled under:

LotteryDespite odds of 4.2 million to one against it, the Bulgarian national lottery drew the numbers 4, 15, 23, 24, 35, and 42 on two consecutive draws. And more curious than that: either many people in Bulgaria are not mathematicians and believe in second chances; or it was rigged. Ann astonishing 18 people guessed the six numbers on September 10th, the second time they were drawn. Each of the 18 winners will receive 10,164 leva, the equivalent of about $7,300. No one guessed all six numbers on September 6th, the first time they occurred.

Although the coincidence does seem wildly improbable, Bulgarian authorities insist that no manipulation would have been possible, giving as evidence of the event's randomness the fact that the numbers were drawn in a different order on September 6th and September 10th.

This may calm one's suspicions if it weren't for the fact that three of the six winning numbers also appeared once again in the following draw, on September 13th. Still, the geographic dispersion and rage of ages of the winners was deemed, in a lottery probe, as sufficient evidence the 18 people did not work together. The rather small winnings were also cited as making fraud unlikely.

I love this news, which provides illumination into the way regular human minds work. Instead of playing games of chance rigorously, by comparing the possibilities and determining what is most likely, people embrace the most delicious improbabilities. A recent statistical study determined that the best chance for winning the most money in a lottery is to play a random number, and not a pattern; and yet, 18 people believed that they might just win by playing the numbers picked in the last lottery draw.

The faith in the magic of coincidence, and the serendipitous result of that conviction, reaffirms my faith in the continued life of art and soul. If 18 lottery players in Bulgaria believed in magic -- and it worked -- why shouldn't you?

Bulgaria lottery repeats winning numbers, and winners abound originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bulgariabulgarian lotteryBulgarianLotterycoincidencelotteryluckmathematicsstatisticsSarah GilbertFri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:00 ESTKenmore appliances: Why they're not better than Frigidairehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/14/kenmore-appliances-why-theyre-not-better-than-frigidaire/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/14/kenmore-appliances-why-theyre-not-better-than-frigidaire/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/14/kenmore-appliances-why-theyre-not-better-than-frigidaire/#commentsFiled under: ,

Many a customer has probably faced a dizzying array of gas stoves and thought to themselves, which is better, Kenmore or Kitchenaid? Should I buy this Whirlpool refrigerator, or the Kenmore? Isn't Bosch a more trusted name than Kenmore for dishwashers? The answer to those questions is probably, in order, "neither," "either," and "not really."

Because even though Kenmore is proudly advertised by Sears as "the best known name in appliances" with a product in 60% of American homes, Kitchenaid, Whirlpool, Bosch, and a host of other manufacturers are the ones that made your Kenmore appliance.

Kenmore isn't the only brand to appear on products actually manufactured by its competition, but it may be one of the biggest. At Appliance411, a chart demystifies the Kenmore purchasing process. According to the web site, you can deduce who manufactured your appliance by reading the model number on your appliance's identification tag. The first three numbers (or in some appliances, the first three numbers plus the initial "C") correspond with a manufacturer. Does your refrigerator's model number begin with 106? You have a Whirlpool. If your dishwasher's model number starts with 630, it's made by Bosch. A microwave starting with 401 is a Samsung. And so on.

Continue reading Kenmore appliances: Why they're not better than Frigidaire

Kenmore appliances: Why they're not better than Frigidaire originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appliancesbrandbrandsfeaturedkenmoremanufacturingsearstrustSarah GilbertMon, 14 Sep 2009 18:30:00 ESTPatagonia severs SIGG relationship, claiming 'chagrin'http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/10/patagonia-severs-sigg-relationship-claiming-chagrin/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/10/patagonia-severs-sigg-relationship-claiming-chagrin/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/10/patagonia-severs-sigg-relationship-claiming-chagrin/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The relationship between SIGG USA, manufacturer and marketer of hip, trendy aluminum water bottles -- the green alternative to plastic bottles -- and Patagonia, outdoor goods retailer and a company known for its environmental activism, seemed made in heaven.

The two companies sealed their love for one another and the earth by creating a co-branding and co-marketing agreement. The touchstone? An advertisement in Outside Magazine and Backpacker depicting Patagonia founder and owner Yvon Chouinard holding a SIGG bottle with a 1% for the Planet logo on it.

And then, oops. SIGG owned up to its long-held secret: the lining of its bottles was formulated with BPA, one of the plastic chemicals that parents and young consumers were spending big bucks to avoid in alternatives like Nalgene bottles.

Continue reading Patagonia severs SIGG relationship, claiming 'chagrin'

Patagonia severs SIGG relationship, claiming 'chagrin' originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bpafeaturedliepatagoniasiggSarah GilbertThu, 10 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST