I get it. It’s easy to shop on Amazon. Running low on toilet paper? Need lightbulbs? Want a bath caddy on a whim? With two clicks and even less thought, the item you need/want/desire is at your doorstep, often in 48 hours or less. Shopping locally requires more thought. Supporting small businesses is an intentional … Continued
The U.S. economy ground to a halt in March 2020 as state after state issued lockdown orders and shut down businesses to blunt the spread of the coronavirus. A year later, mask-wearing is commonplace, the phrase “social distancing” is now in the dictionary, elbow bumps have replaced fist bumps and hugs are still on pause. … Continued
In a holiday season that many of us will spend apart from loved ones, gift-giving might feel even more important than usual. After all, if you can’t travel to see family, at least you can see them unwrap gifts over a video call, right? And just as many families will use a video service for … Continued
We’re primed to get suckered this holiday season. Tight budgets, wishful thinking that we can get a screaming deal if we hurry, and plain old impulsive spending are a dangerous mix. Scammers know this. One example: Clicking an online ad, maybe for an ornament featuring a Santa with twinkling eyes and a smile hidden under … Continued
A point-of-sale loan lets you break down a purchase into a series of smaller payments, so you can buy now and pay later. In recent years, point-of-sale financing has rapidly expanded in the United States, with lenders like Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm now partnering with major retailers, including Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart, … Continued
Like most things in 2020, Black Friday won’t be the same this year. But at least in the case of holiday shopping, change might not necessarily be a bad thing. If you’re thinking about shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, here’s why you should — and at least one reason you shouldn’t. The day still holds meaning … Continued
Amid all of the retail chaos and change of 2020, at least one thing remains the same: the biggest sale day of the year. Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — has a reputation as the best time of the year to buy just about anything. But even though Black Friday still exists in … Continued
If you’re looking for a self-improvement task in this pandemic era, try teaching yourself to use contactless payments with your phone or “tap-to-pay” credit and debit cards. Any germaphobe will tell you that the surfaces of bills and coins have always been gross. And handing your credit card to a cashier who has the sniffles and … Continued
When I originally set out to write this column, I wanted to share the unexpected benefits of cutting back on my online shopping habit. At the beginning of the year, I set a personal challenge to reduce my online orders from several times a week (insert embarrassed emoji) to a few times a month. As … Continued
Time has marched on since you last bought a car. You may love the reliable, low-mileage car parked in the garage but still long to make a hands-free phone call or summon up a song off Pandora. But you don’t need to spend $35,000 on a new car just to get a rear backup camera … Continued