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Posted
Aug 06 2009, 03:16 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
 Wal-Mart (WMT) has been called a lot of things, but Destroyer of Girl Scout Funding isn't one of them.
Until now.
One woman who spent years as "Cookie Mom" for her daughter's troop says Wal-Mart is copying two of the most popular Girl Scout cookies -- Thin Mints (pictured) and Tagalongs -- to sell under its own private label. The woman, a scholar and consultant named C.V. Harquail, says Wal-Mart is testing its Girl Scout knockoffs in limited release under the Great Value brand.
"Wal-mart can sell all the hunting equipment, cheap plastic gizmos and clothes made in sweatshops that it wants to sell," Harquail writes on her blog. "But why must they encroach upon the market of a non-profit? Why do they have to go after the Girl Scouts?"
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Posted
Jul 30 2009, 09:30 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Jon Hood at partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.
Many modern-day baseball stadiums prohibit smoking, but cancer danger apparently still lurks around the corner: An anti-meat consumer group alleges in a class-action that hot dogs pose serious health risks and need to carry warning labels.
The lawsuit was filed in Essex County, N.J., by The Cancer Project on behalf of three New Jersey residents. Among the named defendants are Nathan's Famous; Kraft Foods, which manufactures Oscar Mayer wieners; Sara Lee; ConAgra, which makes Hebrew National franks; and Marathon, manufacturer of Sabrett, "the frankfurter New Yorker's [sic] relish."
The plaintiffs envision a warning label similar to the one on cigarette packages. The wording would look something like: "Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats increases the risk of cancer."
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Posted
Oct 21 2008, 01:32 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Do you feel warm and fuzzy -- and more generous -- when your waiter draws a smiley face on your check? Do you feel a bond when your server engages you in chitchat? According to Richard at Student Scrooge, these are devices waiters employ to pump up the tip.
When he researched them, Richard said, "I had a whole series of flashbacks to all of these moments at the end of a meal where I undoubtedly was influenced by some of these strategies. Is tipping some sort of game of psychological warfare?"
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Posted
Apr 23 2008, 05:45 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Shades of World War II: Two warehouse-type retail chains in the United States are rationing rice as anxious customers stock up because of a worldwide shortage. It's the most startling sign that the world food crisis is making itself felt in the United States. But, despite rising food prices here, we've still got it good compared with some developing countries, where food shortages and price hikes have sparked deadly riots.
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Posted
Apr 22 2009, 12:14 PM
by
Anthony Mirhaydari
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
In the hamburger wars, McDonald's (MCD) is just crushing archrival Burger King (BKC). Since the market's March 9 closing low, shares of the Golden Arches are up 4.6% versus the 14.8% decline seen at the Home of the Whopper.
Although both have benefited from the trade down out of casual restaurants like Red Robin (RRGB) as consumers cut spending, Burger King is struggling to capitalize on the opportunity. I warned of these troubles in a post back in September.
Just look at the sales picture. On Wednesday, McDonald's reported solid first-quarter results with earnings of 83 cents per share and a 4.3% increase in same-store sales. Burger King, on the other hand, saw an "unanticipated" drop in traffic last month and has been consistently trailing its rival in same-store sales growth.
What's wrong with Burger King; and what's McDonald's doing right?
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Posted
Feb 02 2009, 03:16 PM
by
Des Toups
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Denny's restaurants around the country reported lines out the door today as diners queued up for free Grand Slam breakfasts.
The chain threw open its 1,560 restaurants for free breakfasts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., anticipating that up to 2 million people would stop in. At 6 a.m., a store in Portland, Maine, reported a line out the door. The Dallas Morning News found an early morning line 30 people deep and quoted one customer, Francisco Flores, 53, as saying he heard about it on the morning news and rushed over immediately. "I didn't even shower," says Flores.
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Posted
Dec 11 2008, 12:56 PM
by
Minyanville
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Starbucks employees driving to the corporate headquarters in Seattle are greeted with a billboard proclaiming, "4 bucks is dumb."
It's part of the campaign for McDonalds' latest offering: Espresso - and the hamburger chain plans to slug it out with Starbucks on price. That looks like a smart move in the current economy.
Other billboards in western Washington State, including some near Starbucks, declare "large is the new grande" as McDonalds launches class warfare against what it sees as a hopelessly snobby competitor.
So far, Starbucks has remained blissfully above the fray. The bet: Its customers would never go to McDonalds for a small, medium or large anything.
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Posted
Mar 31 2008, 09:48 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
When I wrote "Surviving and thriving on $12,000 a year," some people thought it was a scam. They wrote notes to the editor along the lines of, "Come on, nobody could really live on that." The fact is, plenty of people in this country live on less.
These days, some readers ask whether this part-time writing job changed things. As I noted in the follow-up to the original article, my life changed but my lifestyle didn't. The additional income has let me visit family, invest in decent shoes, and buy the occasional rotisserie chicken.
I still hate to pay retail, though.
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Posted
Jun 18 2008, 02:39 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
It's once again time to take a break from the heavier issues of the day, and "Frugal Dad" gave us the respite we were looking for. Ponder this one: Is sneaking your own candy into the movie theater frugal or cheap? This is an academic exercise for us because we don't really care for movie theater candy. (We've got our eye on the popcorn with extra butter.) But it's a real-life decision for Frugal Dad, and you might be surprised at the decision he reached.
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Posted
Apr 03 2009, 01:54 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Denny's gave away some 2 million Grand Slam breakfasts on Feb. 3. Now they're at it again with the "Pass Along Grand Slam Kindness" promotion. From 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, you can get a free Grand Slamwich for a friend when you order a Grand Slam for yourself.
"We invite you to bring a friend . . . anyone who could use a hug, a smile, a lift, a free meal. . . . I'm sure everyone knows someone who they want to pass Grand Slam kindness on to," says Mark Chmiel, chief marketing and innovation officer.
What's a Grand Slamwich? So glad you asked.
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