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3:51 PM Apr 26th
• According to the New York Times, anecdotal evidence suggests that the recession is creating an increase in men who seek vasectomies. Men fear that they cannot afford any unplanned pregnancies in these difficult economic times, plus anyone considering the procedure before the recession began is capitalizing on the opportunity to get one now, before he is laid off and loses his health insurance. rn … full story
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3:50 PM Apr 26th
• I'm not one to get all excited about the act of banking. Actually I'm the girl who does every transaction via ATM because why go inside and like talk to actual people? No, give me my ATM card and the ability to make a deposit from anywhere and I'll be pleased as punch.rnrn … full story
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5:51 PM Apr 21st
• Gift cards are incredibly popular. They're also an oxymoron.rnrnA gift, ideally, says, "I thought about you. I considered your likes and dislikes, your needs and wants, your dreams and desires, and found you this token of my esteem that I hope will delight you."rnrnA gift card says, "There! Checked you off my list."rnrn … full story
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5:51 PM Apr 21st
• Christine Coulombe can spot a deal a mile away. rnrnWhen she finds a good one, she cleans out all the stores in her area, spending hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. But what her neighbors think is just an expensive personal obsession is actually a lucrative business.rnrnReselling those bargains earns Coulombe $40,000 to $50,000 a year from eBay auctions and resale shops, more than her gig as a part-time registered nurse.rnrn … full story
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5:50 PM Apr 21st
• With Wall Street smarting, the dollar withering and food and fuel prices soaring, we could all stand a little something for nothing. If only there were indeed a free lunch.rnrnGood news: After a bit of searching, we uncovered a bunch of 100% discounts hiding in plain sight. In many cases, the only effort that's needed to claim them involves the 15 seconds it takes to type in a name and an e-mail address.rnrn … full story
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5:49 PM Apr 21st
• As most penny-pinching consumers know, joining a warehouse club can result in great deals on everything from 46-inch flat-screen TVs to 12-packs of chicken-noodle soup. But that doesn't mean every product in the rustic aisles of BJ's, Sam's Club or Costco is a steal.rnrn"You could make the argument that everything in the building is a good deal," says Michael Clayman, the editor of Warehouse Club Focus, a trade publication. Clubs make most of their profits from annual membership fees, which range from $40 to $100. That's one of the reasons why warehouse club markups are just 8% to 13% above wholesale prices, while mainstream retailers charge 25% to 50% more, he says.rnrn … full story
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5:44 PM Apr 21st
• When I was a kid, my mother would sit in front of the television with a dinner tray in front of her, and she'd methodically go through all the supermarket fliers, clipping coupons and writing her grocery list in her meticulous, fine print.rnrnI thought she was nuts. rnrn … full story
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4:56 PM Apr 21st
• Editor's note: Join columnist MP Dunleavey and a group of women as they seek to strip away the myths around money, liberate themselves from debt and find financial sanity. Follow the ongoing quest of the Women in Red every other Wednesday in Dunleavey's column on MSN Money.rnrnWhen I was a kid, my mother would sit in front of the television with a dinner tray in front of her, and she'd methodically go through all the supermarket fliers, clipping coupons and writing her grocery list in her meticulous, fine print.rnrn … full story
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4:55 PM Apr 21st
• Editor's note: Join columnist MP Dunleavey and a group of women as they seek to strip away the myths around money, liberate themselves from debt and find financial sanity. Follow the ongoing quest of the Women in Red every other Wednesday in Dunleavey's column on MSN Money.rnrnWhen I was a kid, my mother would sit in front of the television with a dinner tray in front of her, and she'd methodically go through all the supermarket fliers, clipping coupons and writing her grocery list in her meticulous, fine print.rnrn … full story
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4:54 PM Apr 21st
• A good deal rarely falls into your lap. You have to look for it. And there's no better place to hunt for bargains than the Web. rnrnThe key word is "hunt." According to the experts, it's best to continually check prices. Don't wait until the last minute; instead, be looking on a regular basis for the things you want to buy. For new ideas, check out "Hot Deals" on MSN Money's Smart Spending blog. rn … full story
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4:53 PM Apr 21st
• Ever notice how you can go to a store to pick up just one thing and then, by the time you get to the check stand, you have five or six things in your cart and a bigger bill than you had anticipated? rnrnThis happens over and over because department stores use an array of techniques (grocery stores use many of the same tactics) to get you to pick up these items. By itself, each technique isn't very strong -- it's the use of them in combination that is powerful.rn … full story
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4:52 PM Apr 21st
• Cheapskate, skinflint, tightwad -- whatever you want to call us, we hate spending money and love finding a good deal. If we can save a few bucks, we're happy. And if we can get something for nothing, we're in heaven.rnrnEven in these days of $400 haircuts and million-dollar starter homes, you can find plenty of things for nothing. We've pulled together a list of 26 of our favorite freebies, and they're not junk. These are valuable goods and services you'd actually want, from free music and movies to legal advice and financial services. rnrn … full story
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4:51 PM Apr 21st
• Few people really enjoy wasting their hard-earned money, but many of us do it every day by buying new. We could do our pocketbooks, and the environment, a big favor by opting to be the second owner of some of the stuff we buy.rnrnObviously, some things are best purchased new; lingerie pops to mind (see my companion piece, "10 things you should never buy used" for more). But lots of other stuff depreciates quickly while still having plenty of useable life left. Here are 10 items where the cost vs. use equation strongly tilts toward buying used.rnrn … full story
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10:39 PM Apr 16th
• "To violate the statute, an individual must have the specific intent to inflict severe pain or suffering," said an August 2002 memo from then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee to John Rizzo, who was acting general counsel for the CIA.rnrn"Because specific intent is an element of the offense, the absence of specific intent negates the charge of torture. ... We have further found that if a defendant acts with the good faith belief that his actions will not cause such suffering, he has not acted with specific intent," Bybee wrote.rnrnOther memos allowed the use of such tactics as keeping a detainee naked and in some cases in a diaper, and putting detainees on a liquid diet.rnrnThe Bybee opinion was sought on 10 interrogation tactics in the case of suspected al Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah.rnrn … full story
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7:37 PM Apr 4th
• In all things there comes a tipping point. The wobbly table spills your coffee again, this time on white cashmere; the loose doorhandle comes off, the bent car boot flies open on the motorway. At this point tolerance is revealed as the blind laziness that it always was, and the householder takes action.rnrnWe have reached that point nationally, and this week may bring a change of mood about living within our means. It is not the G20 summit that prompts this: that is just a windy waste of money surrounded by irritatingly unfocused demonstrations. No, it is an agglomeration of small things that tips any scale: and it culminated over the weekend in the collapse of another building society and the fingering of the Home Secretary's husband as a porn freeloader whose - er - fiscal stimulus was on the taxpayer.rn … full story
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7:07 PM Apr 4th
• The last time I bought anything to wear in a charity shop was 1985. Id like to say this is because I am a ruthlessly pared-down aesthete who cannot be distracted from her streamlined path by superfluous temptations. But since Im constantly distracted by superfluous temptations, I have to conclude its because the whole shopping-as-an-amazing-sensory-experience passed the charity sector by. But now Mary Portas aka Mary Queen of Shops is attempting to work her magic on them. Mary wants us all not just students and the elderly to buy more from charity shops, instead of simply using them as a repository for mangled Barbie dolls and discarded mug trees. … full story
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5:28 PM Apr 4th
• If you recently lost your health insurance, or if you've never had coverage, then you're part of an unfortunate but growing national trend.rnrnThe ranks of the uninsured have grown by nearly 18% just since 2000, according to a study updated in 2006 by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. More than 46 million people under 65 lack insurance, and millions more are considered underinsured, with gaps in their coverage that leave them exposed to catastrophic medical bills.rnrn … full story
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5:22 PM Apr 4th
• Every month, Jim Steamer, a sales clerk at a Pennsylvania home-improvement store, takes the $334 he would otherwise pay for employer-sponsored medical benefits and invests it in savings and mutual funds.rnrnSteamer, who makes $9.32 an hour, estimates he's saved $250,000 over his 26 working years by doing without health insurance for himself, his wife and one son. rnrn … full story
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4:55 PM Apr 4th
• De Mattia at home, where she enjoys entertaining in elegant surroundings. (Eric Luse / The Chronicle) … full story
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3:30 AM Apr 3rd
• Anyone who read Nassim Nicholas Talebs bestseller The Black Swan will probably regard the global financial meltdown as proof of Talebs point. He argued that its not the normal eventsthe mundane and expected white swansthat drive socioeconomic history but the magnificent outliers, the completely unexpected black swans. Think September 11, 2001, or the invention of the internet. Human history pivots on the rare seismic shifts that no one predicts or even has a chance of predicting. … full story
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1:42 AM Apr 3rd
• While some workers take pay cuts and forced time off, others are wondering: How can I get in on that? rn … full story
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1:10 AM Apr 3rd
• On a flight to Amsterdam last week, I moved past seat 2B and plopped myself down in seat 11B instead. The taupe-colored leather chair was built for wide-bodies like me and was outfitted with a huge, adjustable headrest and a comfy footrest. Even before I reclined, there was so much room between the seats that I could extend my legs all the way without reaching the seatback in front of me. rnrnThe mealsalmon appetizer; beef bourguignon with fluffy mashed potatoes and crisp green beans; flourless chocolate cake; good wines; cheesewas fresh, nicely plated, and surprisingly tasty. The clever personal-entertainment system, which operated either as a hand-held video player or holstered in an at-your-seat rig, offered dozens of on-demand video options and hundreds of albums. There was an at-seat power socket, a fat, linen-covered pillow, and a large, soft blanket. … full story
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1:09 AM Apr 3rd
• Hoteliers and airline executives have hit the panic button, and that means price breaks and bargains travelers haven't seen in years.rnrnDemand for airline seats and hotel rooms is traditionally weak in January and February, and the travel industry always discounts lustily. But 2009 is already shaping up as the worst year for business and leisure travel since 2002, when U.S. markets were suffering from a post-9/11 slump. "We're no different than any other industry," the general manager of a swanky Florida resort told me last week. "There's no business and no immediate prospect for business. So I'm doing anything I can to fill my rooms. If I have to throw in free breakfasts or slash my rate, I'll do it. What choice do I have?" … full story
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1:08 AM Apr 3rd
• Just about the time that Lehman Brothers tanked, business travelers blew right past the issue of whether we would have to cut back. Two months on, the only issues now are how much we'll have to slash and whether we can do it with a modicum of style and dignity. … full story
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1:07 AM Apr 3rd
• When I whipped up a bunch of 2008 predictions in the first Seat 2B column of 2008, I knew it was a matter of talking about the trees and ignoring the forest. After all, pundits almost never see the big stuff coming, just the minutia.rnrnAs long as you overlook 2008's business-travel forestthe oil-price spike and subsequent fall, the 78 failed carriers worldwide and the late-year collapse of travel demandI think you'll agree that I nailed the trees. I accurately predicted the rush to London's Heathrow Airport at the dawn of "open skies" over the Atlantic; the merger of Delta and Northwest; the introduction of internet service on jets; the continued expansion of the hotel industry; and even the collapse and umpteenth government makeover of Alitalia and Olympic, Europe's perennially weak sisters of the skies.rnrnSo what business-travel trees do I see for 2009? Here are some of the things we're guaranteed to talk about. What the forest will look like in 2009 is anybody's guess.rn … full story
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1:01 AM Apr 3rd
• Wide-ranging influences, from self-made wealth and middle-class roots to shock at sudden economic strains and the rise of the simpler living and eco movements, could shrink luxury consumption even when spending loosens up.rnrnThese shifts to consuming less-exclusive, less-expensive goods may occur in as many as half the households with annual income of $100,000 to $250,000, according to new projections by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Retail Forward, which each month surveys people in 4,000 homes across the U.S. … full story
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11:52 PM Mar 12th
• was talking with a gentleman in a coffee shop today (yes, people still do that) about the economy and business. We were discussing how people are dealing with a great deal of unease over the economic situation. People are moving from the Western US to places like Texas in large numbers.rn … full story
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11:51 PM Mar 12th
• Economic times have many businesses thinking twice before they spend their money. However, numerous studies, going back as far as the Great Depression, have shown that maintaining or increasing advertising during tough economic times yields greater results than advertising during good times. According to a recently released article titled, Advertising in a Recession: In Chaos Lies Opportunity, advertisers who can maintain or increase their advertising investment will see a greater impact in their advertising. During the recession of the early 80s, research shows that firms that maintained or increased ad spending during those tough economic times enjoyed significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the next three years versus those that eliminated or decreased advertising.rnrnIn the middle of difficulty lies opportunity- Albert Einsteinrnrn … full story
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11:48 PM Mar 12th
• In 1929, The Great Depression started with the collapse of the American stock market. At the lowest point in 1933, 16 million people, or one third of the United States working population were unemployed. Many advertisers switched to radio from newspapers, spending US$60 million in radio commercials. From 75,000 sales of radios in 1921, figures rose to 13.5 million in 1930. Radio infiltrated all aspects of American life, filling it with music, news, entertainment and advertisements. rnrn … full story
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11:45 PM Mar 12th
• I feel that I would not be going too far out on a limb by saying that we have all had to make some sacrifices during this period of economic volatility. Maybe you stopped short of purchasing the airline tickets for your much-deserved vacation of a lifetime. And to think that a little over a year ago, you might be cruising 30,000 feet over the Atlantic by now. Perhaps you are after the latest and greatest technological gadget. This time last year, you might have pushed your way to the front of the line to buy it. Fast forward to today. You avoid the splurge and wait for it to go on sale, or maybe you pass up on it altogether. rnrn … full story
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11:40 PM Mar 12th
• Andrew Shaffer, who runs The Order of St. Nick greeting card company, is using the currently rough economic time period as a theme for this years Valentines Day collection, reports Adweek. One card says, I made you a Valentine
But I had to burn it in a trashcan to stay warm.rnrn … full story
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11:34 PM Mar 12th
• The current economic crisis is already compared quite often to the Great Depression of 1930s. And while similarities are already here and probably we will have more of them to witness if the situation continues to worsen, there is one thing that bothers many of us here in the technology blogosphere - the future of internet. It is a well-known fact that the vast majority of internet businesses (startups and blogs alike) rely heavily on advertising for their income.rnrnThe first thing people usually express concerns about is how online advertising market will be affected during this difficult period with companies looking for way to cut expenses everywhere they can - with advertising supposed to be first item to cut. And we quickly jump to a conclusion that there will be no money to be made online (or much less money to support everyone working here now) - thus we will face a collapse or at the very least stagnation of internet industry.rn … full story
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11:34 PM Mar 12th
• The current economic crisis is already compared quite often to the Great Depression of 1930s. And while similarities are already here and probably we will have more of them to witness if the situation continues to worsen, there is one thing that bothers many of us here in the technology blogosphere - the future of internet. It is a well-known fact that the vast majority of internet businesses (startups and blogs alike) rely heavily on advertising for their income.rnrnThe first thing people usually express concerns about is how online advertising market will be affected during this difficult period with companies looking for way to cut expenses everywhere they can - with advertising supposed to be first item to cut. And we quickly jump to a conclusion that there will be no money to be made online (or much less money to support everyone working here now) - thus we will face a collapse or at the very least stagnation of internet industry.rn … full story
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11:31 PM Mar 12th
• The importance of sound creative executions and integrated strategies cannot be overemphasized in today's online ad market. Follow these steps to get on the right track.rnrnrnThe emergence of digital media has created some very fundamental and important changes in the goals for advertising today. Digital technologies have empowered advertising in unique ways and provided a wide range of new possibilities for two-way communication and measurement. These changes should fundamentally redefine expectations for advertising in the digital age.rnrnIn this article, I will discuss the goals and expectations that every marketer should have for their advertising campaigns, and how digital media and technology has re-shaped and transformed those goals.rnrnrn … full story
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11:29 PM Mar 12th
• Companies can and do prosper during times of economic turmoil. Take a lesson from brands whose Depression-era advertising strategies were key to their survival.rnrnrnWith the recent meltdown on Wall Street and talk of a possible depression, I thought it would be instructive to do a bit of research on what happened with regard to advertising during the Great Depression. I have heard anecdotes over the years of great companies founded during recessions. What do GE, Disney, HP and Microsoft have in common? They were all startups during steep declines in the U.S. economy. GE started during the panic of 1873, Disney started during the recession of 1923-24, HP began during the Great Depression, and Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft during the recession of 1975. rnrn … full story
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11:23 PM Mar 12th
• The Great Depression and the Artsrn"And then the Depression came." This familiar lament more than distinguishes one decade from another. Within its meaning are the images and realities of disaster: the crash of the stock market, the howl of the dust storms, the cry of the hungry, the silence of the shamed. Thousands of Americans watched their destinies evaporate. The horizon of prosperity looming "just around the corner" seemed to fade from view. While the Depression may have jolted many out of the American Dream, its pattern of unemployment, frustration, and despair was neither a universal nor identical condition. rn … full story
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11:22 PM Mar 12th
• Welcome to the New Deal Network's Document Library. We have an eclectic selection, which has been developed to meet the demands of specific features and projects. Our Library is meant to respond to the needs of the Network's users, through the practice of publication-for-use. rn … full story
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10:55 PM Mar 12th
• Andrew Shaffer had a problem on his hands. The Order of St. Nick, the irreverent-greeting-card company that the former office manager runs out of his Iowa City home, was gearing up for Valentine's Day -- a bread-and-butter occasion in the card business. But few things can kill a romantic evening like a limp GDP. If your beau just lost his job, chances are you're not getting two dozen long stems and a box of Godivas this year.rnrn … full story
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10:38 PM Mar 12th
• "Every advertisement is an advertisement for success," claimed an advertising campaign in 1926. During the Depression years of the 1930s, with successes hard to find, the advertising business faced severe challenges. Economic stringency, political attacks, and a need to recast their appeals all made the decade a difficult one for advertisers. Indeed, the advertising industry's achievements during the 1920s in establishing its cultural and economic importance may have made the challenges of the Great Depression more severe.rnrnSpending on advertisementsfrom local classified ads to major campaigns in national mediaplunged by more than 60 percent between 1929 and 1933, and it did not rise above pre-crash levels until after World War II. Although advertising agencies stressed the foolhardiness of cutting back on promotion during hard times and argued that advertising could help lift the nation out of its slump, many businesses, with revenues plunging, viewed advertising as an unnecessary expense.rnrn … full story
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10:35 PM Mar 12th
• Following is the first set of answers from Cheryl Lynn Greenberg, professor of history at Trinity College in Hartford, and the author of Or Does It Explode?: Black Harlem in the Great Depression and the forthcoming To Ask for an Equal Chance: African Americans During the Depression. rnrn … full story
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8:21 PM Mar 12th
• Those who weathered the Great Depression are famed for their work ethic, tenacity, ingenuity and character. What about the 1930s caused this group to later be dubbed the Greatest Generation?rnBy Samuel C. BaxterrnThe 1930s are often described as the worst of times. Encyclopaedia Britannica calls the period the harshest adversity faced by Americans since the Civil War. Author Timothy Egan titled a book on the 1930s Dust Bowl The Worst Hard Time.rnrnThose who grew up during the 1930s are markedly different. They have been called the Greatest Generation. Commonly, this age group is viewed as tougher, more weathered. They are known as hardworking and obstinate. This is a generation that seems to make true the old saying What does not kill me, makes me stronger.rnrn … full story
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8:19 PM Mar 12th
• Although many will find it difficult to survive an economic depression, there are a few things that you can do to not only survive but live a normal, productive life during a down economy. There are many jobs and industries that will not be seriously affected by a depression and will continue to be vital for society. Strong local communities are also of vital importance in times of depression. Local food supplies and self-sufficiency are a must in order to learn how to survive a depression.rnrn … full story
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8:17 PM Mar 12th
• Is total economic collapse just around the corner? As the U.S. dollar weakens and the price of goods such as oil, grain and gold rise, many fear for the economic stability of the country. So how does one survive total economic collapse? The U.S. dollar is weak and it may be too late to save the finances of this debt-driven economy. However, it's not too late to learn some basic survivalist skills. Following are some tips and resources. Here's how to survive a total economic collapse.rnrn … full story
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8:15 PM Mar 12th
• Who made money during the Great Depression? Despite the fact that the stock market crash of 1929 and the following Depression era meant loss of fortunes and income for many, there were some individuals and businesses who made money during the Great Depression. Some made millions, in currencies which were worth even more in that time. rnThese savvy people did so by taking advantage of lucrative opportunities for which they were prepared, whether by skill or savings. Knowing who made money during the Great Depression -- and how they did it -- could help you prepare to follow suit in the years to come.rnrn … full story
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