Consumerist
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shopping
Holiday Gifts That Won't Break The Bank
As we've all been hearing lately, the sputtering economy is bound to put a damper on gift giving this holiday season. If you're belt-tightening with the rest of us but would still like to give presents to those special people in your life, there are several alternatives for consideration. For instance:
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frugality
Are You Spending $145 A Year Just To Leave Your PS3 On All The Time?
The NRDC has released some numbers about video game consoles and their power consumption. If you're one of the 50% of gamers who leave their consoles on all the time — you're wasting a lot of money. More » -
cars
Never Get Locked Out Your Car: Drill Hole Through Key, Screw To License Plate
On Meghann's post about a reader who fell for a locksmith scam, the aptly named commenter "yetiwisdom" left a great tip for never getting locked out your car again: More » -
gift ideas
Getting Crafty For Fun Holiday Frugality
Personal finance blogger JD Roth is on a mission to help us all save a bundle during the holidays. First he shared a ton of frugal Christmas ideas, and now he's posted a list of 34 gifts you can make yourself. A few of our favorites include: More » -
free email
Free Disposable Zero Registration Email Boxes At Makemetheking
Looking for a free, easy-to-use, anonymous and disposable email address? Check out makemetheking. Just enter the prefix on the front screen and email sent to that shows up about 2 minutes after it was sent. You can also delete and respond to messages. No password or registration are required, so obviously don't use it for love letters or CIA secrets, but it's perfect for anything that needs your email and you don't want to give them your real one.
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getting out of debt
5 Expenses To Cut Right Now If You're In Debt
Let's say that like so many storied former-investment-banking-giants, you, the average consumer, have found yourself over-leveraged (wink, wink) and are looking to clean up your act before the whole thing falls down around you like the house of cards it is. Well, since you can't increase revenue at will, you'll have to decrease your costs. Where should you start? Here are 5 expenses that you can cut right now — so you can take the extra cash and throw it at your debt. More »
2:19 PM on Thu Oct 9 2008
By Meg Marco
70,197 views, 61 commentsMost discussed Quatre707: If I cancel my cell phone, cable TV, Internet service, gym membership, and stop eating out... I may as well more »
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debt
Reader Pays Off $14,330 In 20 Months With Our Tips
Stuck in a $14,300 debt hole, reader Trixare4kids was able to dig herself out using tips she learned about on Consumerist.com. Let's learn how she attacked her personal finances and learned to live frugally, and did it all in 20 months. More » -
how to
The Idiot-Proof Way To Securely Use Public Wi-Fi
We talk a lot on this blog about personal data and privacy, but not so much about how to secure that data on your own computer. That's because a.) we're not Lifehacker and b.) the solutions frequently bloat into crazy, jargon-filled recipes that scare away the non-IT crowd. Not this time! For all you novices, here is a single idea you should consider that will help keep your personal data personal, and make your identity that much harder to steal. More »
1:30 PM on Mon Oct 6 2008
By Chris Walters
54,481 views, 76 commentsMost discussed mariospants: Just a question for you uber geeks: after a little researching, I could find no real way (outside of the more »
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debt
How To Get Out Of Debt
J is in a debt hole and needs help getting out. We're going to give it to him:
We are pretty smart people who did some pretty stupid things and now we are just trying to get out of debt. We know exactly what to do in the future to manage our spending, savings and credit score. And we both agree that nothing is worth putting on a credit card if we cant go home and transfer money to the card to pay off the balance when we get home. But that doesn't change the fact that we are currently facing a staggering mound of debt and see no end in sight.
J, you've got two choices: More »
12:27 PM on Thu Oct 2 2008
By Ben Popken
36,760 views, 104 commentsMost discussed Norcross: I'm about to start this process myself. My wife and I got caught with her graduating law school (and thus more »
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gas
Desperate Atlantans Use Twitter To Find Gas
There's a gas shortage in Atlanta, GA, so consumers are using Twitter to help each other find gas. They're tagging their posts #atlgas whenever they spot some and letting others know the price and location, as well as tossing out requests for information. The tag was created by Tessa Horehled who writes the DriveAFasterCar blog.
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annual credit report
Consumer 101: Get Your Free Credit Report From "Annual Credit Report.com"
You've probably seen those commercials featuring a friendly looking jackass and his factually inaccurate songs about what can happen to you if you don't check your credit report. It's true, checking your credit report is a good idea, but you can avoid subscription-hawking pay sites and, instead, go to AnnualCreditReport.com. More » -
your government
How To Write To Congress
Writing to Congress is the single best way to express your view on public policy. The average consumer has a surprising ability to influence legislation by crafting a well written missive. Let's find out what the common mistakes to avoid are, how the process works, and the best ways to ensure your letter has the greatest impact. More »
4:10 PM on Tue Sep 23 2008
By Carey Alexander
32,483 views, 48 commentsMost discussed egoldin: Here's a question. I'd love to write a letter (as opposed to an email), but my handwriting sucks. Like, it's more »
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mortgage meltdown
10 Skills To Have In The Post-Financial Apocalypse
It's the end of the world as we know it, but that doesn't mean you should give up on yourself. Here are 10 skills to have in our brave new world... More » -
money
What To Do In These Uncertain Financial Times
The housing crisis. The stock market plunge. The banking industry in shambles. What's a person to do in the midst of all this financial turmoil? We thought we'd offer our suggestions for making it through the rough waters many of us are facing:
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real estate
Live Underground For Cheap
Forget the sub-prime meltdown and get with the subterranean housing craze. This book - linked in one of Chris's posts but I just had to bring it to the front page - has everything you need to know about building a house underground. The most amazing thing is that there’s ways to do it to get light from all four sides. The penultimate amazing thing is not being buried alive while you sleep.
The $50 & Up Underground House Book [Official Site]
$50 and Up Underground House Book [KK.org] -
Rudder
'Rudder' Provides Your Daily Financial Status Via Email
Rudder is a new personal finance service that differs from the dozens of other ones now available in two key ways: it presents a simplified overview of your available funds, which it calls "What's Left," and it delivers it (along with bill reminders and balance notifications) to your email inbox instead of requiring you to visit a website. Think of it as a highly customized "Very Short List" or "Daily Candy," only the topic is always your current financial health. More » -
boxes of crap
What To Do When A Store Sells You Box Of Crap And Won't Take It Back
We get a lot of complaints about people buying things from stores like Best Buy and Target and finding that once they get them home — there's a bunch of bathroom tiles in the box instead of the item, or that the item is used, broken or smashed. When they try to return the thing, the store tells them that they're out of luck. When you ask why they think they can get away with selling you a paperweight instead of an XBOX, they point to some bullsh*t policy and send you on your way. You don't have to put up with this. In this post, we'll tell you a) How to keep this from happening to you in the first place. b) How to equip yourself with tools that will help you in the event that this does happen to you. c) How to take advantage of these tools so that you never get stuck with someone's old broken PS3. More »
10:29 AM on Thu Sep 4 2008
By Meg Marco
159,191 views, 132 commentsMost discussed mdoublej: I'm afraid I may have started this trend in the early nineties. I worked at a software store with a more »
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fuel oil coop
Save Money By Starting A Fuel Oil Coop
To save money on heating costs this winter, consider joining or starting a fuel oil co-op. What's that? More »
lifehacker
New York, 6:45 PM
Mon Nov 23
20 posts in the last 24 hours
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