As featured in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and more!

December 2007

Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2: Clutter-Free Consumable Gifts: Food and Drink

by Sasha

Besides charitable giving, this year I’m focusing on clutter-free gifts: experiences and consumables. While experiences are great gifts, consumables give you something to open and enjoy Christmas morning. Unclutterer.com has some nice suggestions for theme-based consumable gift collections, such as bulbs and seeds for a gardener, spice collections for someone who enjoys cooking, and the ... Continue reading this article…

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Wrapped Up Two Segments for WSJ Tech News Briefing

by Luke Landes

Earlier today, I wrapped up recording a couple of segments to appear on the Wall Street Journal Tech News Briefing podcast, to be broadcast sometime soon. The segments deal with shopping for the holidays, finding deals, and being a smart and secure online shopper. I hope they can work some production magic and make me ... Continue reading this article…

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Thanks For the Bats

by Luke Landes

This is a guest post from someone who pops up in some of my more personal stories here on Consumerism Commentary. “A.” is a fourth-grade teacher in the New York City public school system. Every Halloween, my aunt lends her skills to my fourth-grade class by creating bats out of sewn felt bean bags, which ... Continue reading this article…

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Monthly Reminder: Subscribe to Consumerism Commentary

by Luke Landes

By subscribing to our RSS feed, you’ll always be aware of new content here, whether from me or Sasha. If you use Google Reader for reading news and blogs like I do, you can easily subscribe using this special link. If you use Yahoo, I strongly suggest adding Consumerism Commentary to My Yahoo. Other options ... Continue reading this article…

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State Farm to Pay Dividend to NJ Policyholders

by Sasha

In my mail recently, I received a colorful postcard from State Farm, the agency which insures my car, house, and several rental properties. I was “sorting” it directly into the trash when I noticed the word “dividend” peeking up at me. Dividend. That’s right, my insurance company has declared a dividend for its New Jersey ... Continue reading this article…

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Personal Income Statement, November 2007 (Net Income: $5,982)

by Luke Landes

Each month, I review my modified net worth in addition to my income and expenses. A monthly review helps me stay focused on improving my financial condition, and doing so in public is a way to hold myself accountable. If I have to report to the public my progress each month, I’m theoretically less likely ... Continue reading this article…

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Personal Balance Sheet, November 2007 ($121,861, +1.8%)

by Luke Landes

Following the end of every month, I take my financials from Quicken and publish a few reports online. I’ve been doing this since 2003 to keep myself accountable for my finances. The balance sheet included in this post measures my “modified net worth.” It’s a list of the present values of my assets my liabilities, ... Continue reading this article…

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Weekly Blog Roundup, Holiday Shopping Edition

by Luke Landes

My girlfriend and I managed to get almost all of our remaining “brick-and-mortar” gift shopping completed yesterday. Considering today’s snow and ice, I’m happy we don’t have to brave the crowds any longer. From now until the holidays, we will only be dealing with online stores. Here are some recent articles from the MoneyBlogNetwork and ... Continue reading this article…

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