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Posted
Oct 22 2008, 05:13 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
What's in our wallet? We can assure you it's not the American Express Black Card. We hadn't even heard of this ultra-exclusive card -- known officially as the Centurion -- until we stumbled upon a personal Web site dedicated to unveiling its secrets. Some guy not in the employ of Amex spends his time singing the praises of a piece of metal (it's not plastic)? We just had to read on, if only to see how the other half lives.
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Posted
Apr 04 2008, 09:04 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Who's up for a $15 cup of coffee, a $35 movie ticket, an $81 burger and a $480 cocktail?
Oh, and I'm not buying.
I'd be awfully surprised if you were buying, either. Those who read this blog are not likely to want to spend $81 on a sandwich.
Not that this is just any old burger. It's a 14-ounce Japanese Kobe beef patty formed around a quarter-pound seared Kobe medallion, according to an article at wcbstv.com. No plebeian Heinz or Hunt's for this sammich; it comes with house-made sake onion catsup and a miso and ginger aioli.
And if that doesn't fill you up? It also comes with a side order of Tater Tots. Honest.
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Posted
Jun 20 2008, 09:16 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Scared that your money won't keep pace with rising food and energy costs? You may be tempted to cut to the barest of bones, buying nothing nonessential and pinching every penny twice before putting it under your mattress.
I have a better idea. Spend a little money. And spend it on something that isn't strictly necessary.
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Posted
Oct 22 2008, 07:35 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
While I'm as jumpy as anyone else about the economy, I've also secretly thought that our nation was in desperate need of a financial wake-up call.
Way too many people have been living way too far beyond their means thanks to credit cards, subprime loans and home-equity lines of credit. They got so used to luxury that it didn't feel like luxury anymore. It felt like entitlement. A little humility and a little common sense are long overdue.
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Posted
Sep 18 2008, 11:46 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Yesterday I spent 90 blissful minutes being rubbed the right way for a change. A licensed massage therapist dissolved painful knots in my neck and shoulders and loosened muscles that I'd strained while picking fruit.
Thanks to a student discount, the hour and a half cost $77, money that comes out of the "treats" section of my spending plan. Other people do dinners out, concerts, DVD subscription services, basketball games, fine wine. I do bodywork.
Even so, I hesitated to write about it because I was afraid that "massage" would sound elitist.
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Posted
Apr 24 2009, 06:41 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Some personal-finance bloggers have started a list of things they no longer purchase, either to get rid of debt or survive the recession -- or both.
It started at No More Spending, where debt-slayer Laura says she doesn't miss any of the things on her list. It includes newspapers and magazines, soft drinks and bottled water, paper towels, gift wrap, DVDs, and eating out for lunch, among many others. Oh, and she gave up her personal cell phone and credit card interest (she no longer carries a balance).
Her readers mentioned cable TV, Christmas gifts, manicures, Starbucks and "fries with that," etc.
That mindset is consistent with a remarkable new Pew Research Center survey that shows Americans are redefining what constitutes a need vs. a want. Abruptly reversing a trend of the last 10 years, the center says, "No longer do substantial majorities of the public say a microwave oven, a television set or even home air conditioning is a necessity. Instead, nearly half or more now see each of these items as a luxury."
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Posted
Oct 15 2007, 09:22 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A recent thread on the Smart Spending message board, “Feeling Guilty,” dealt with reader ManyaP’s recent purchase of a $450 vacuum cleaner. Her guilt stems from making such a big purchase when she’s trying to save for a home.
Fellow readers assured her that quality vacuums improve indoor air quality and last longer than cheap ones. In fact, ManyaP’s son has “horrible allergies,” and she’s tired of buying appliances “that have either burned out or just weren't meant for heavy-duty everyday use.”
Still, she felt guilty.
I’m right there with her, having recently splurged on two luxuries. Well, they felt like luxuries to me. Friends called them sensible.
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Posted
Apr 28 2009, 04:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
How many people can say this? "Most people look pretty horrified when I tell them that I haven't used shampoo since February of 2007." (Or conditioner.)
It's water-only for "Prune," whose blog, Tightwad, proves that frugality and luxury aren't mutually exclusive. True to form, she exfoliates her face with a simple mixture of baking soda and water. A combination of salt, olive oil and a dab of honey softens her feet.
But no shampoo? "I swear," she writes. "And no one has any idea."
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Posted
Oct 04 2007, 09:48 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Sam’s Club thinks I deserve luxury. Specifically, the retailer thinks I deserve a pair of Granny Smith apples dipped in caramel, rolled in pecan pieces and drizzled with three kinds of chocolate. This particular luxury would cost me $18.22 -- plus shipping, since it’s available only online.
The two-piece treat was one of several items highlighted in an e-mail whose subject line read, "Luxury You Deserve At Sam’s Club." That got my attention because I’d just read a review of a new book called "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster."
Back in the 19th century, the "luxury" trade was small and aimed squarely at European aristocrats. Now it’s big, big business and marketed to the middle class. For example, the author mentions a secretary who’s saving to buy her second Prada bag.
She’s putting money aside to buy a purse. She’s not saving for a down payment on a home, startup funds for her own business, tuition to further her education or, God forbid, retirement.
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Posted
Jul 07 2008, 02:18 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Lots of people have something to say about Starbucks' decision to close 600 stores that haven't met earning expectations. But nowhere are the comments more illuminating than those posted at the Starbucks Gossip blog -- a site that says it's dedicated to "monitoring America's favorite drug dealer." Starbucks employees speculated that the company was addressing at least two trends: There are too many Starbucks stores too close together, and not as many people have money for coffee that costs a lot more than the stuff you brew at home.
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