Two ways to fix a pinchy bank balance (I do both) “I can’t be out of money! I still have checks!” ~Some old person who knows what checks are Everywhere, prices are creeping up. It’s rare that I can shop at Walmart for under $50 anymore, and I don’t buy crap. What’s worse, our pay … Read more
Customer loyalty programs are everywhere these days. Fast food restaurants, gas stations, and even state lotteries. On the surface, they offer something we all love: free stuff. But what’s the real cost of those rewards? Why Customers Love Them For customers, it feels like a win: spend money like you normally would, and eventually get … Read more
I rediscovered an old trick a bit by accident I signed up for a “chair workout” app last year called Muscle Booster to ease myself back into exercising. There was a $22 for three months trial and then it went up to $66 per three months. And then the app stayed closed most of the … Read more
Find these deals while you still can My main work computer was grinding to a slow death. I’d put up with the lengthy reboots, the pegged disk activity, and the frozen screens long enough. Last week I bought a new reasonably-priced desktop that should last me at least a few years. Setting up the new … Read more
And then, how to do it deliberately I love beefy discounts. The beefier, the better. Many discounts require some effort to find, even it’s simply going to a coupon site to look for a code, or installing Honey to do it for you. That little bit of effort often pays off in surprisingly big ways, … Read more
Businesses LOVE automatic recurring subscriptions. Once you sign up, it’s up to you to cancel, and they get paid until you do. If you forget about the subscription, no problem for them, you just keep paying. These subscriptions add up. An unused $7.99 monthly subscription is nearly $100/year down the drain. How many of those … Read more
Sometimes you get a message that nearly brings you to tears. State governments make a mint on lotteries. For all but a very lucky few, playing the lottery is a money-loser. And the more you play, the more likely you are to lose. There is some entertainment value in them like just about anything. It … Read more
I haven’t gone full-bore into paying with my phone, but I did use Pay with Ibotta on a recent trip to Olive Garden. I’ll share what I did wrong so you’re not stressed out the same way I was … Apps that allow you to pay with your smartphone have matured. Think Venmo, Google Pay, … Read more