Archive for the ‘Economy’ Category

Where is that extra French hen?

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

(If you have a true love, then you have thirty of them from last Christmas! Most people really only need twenty-nine French hens.) Regifting this year is up.  Way up. A Consumer Reports survey found that a little over a third (36%) of American adults said they'd recycle a gift this ...

Here’s the one thing you can absolutely count on in this economy

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

This economic downturn hasn't been kind to a lot of people.  Jobs that haven't been taken away from people have had their hours cut, their workload increased, or their cost of living allowances taken away.  Jobs that people used to be able to count on are on very fragile ground. If ...

Extended yard sales: sign of the times?

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

In better times, a yard sale is a good way to clear the junk out of the closets and make a little bit of extra money.  And what doesn't sell will find a good hope at the Salvation Army thrift store or something similar. This past weekend there was a yard ...

Why the tip jars are coming out

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Liz Pulliam Weston had an article today on the new tip-jar economy -- that new business practice of putting out the tip jar, raising the "customary" tipping percentage, and adding other tip-like fees that are no longer discretionary, but mandatory. Her take regarding the tip jars was, in essence:  Ignore the ...