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Posted
Sep 24 2007, 09:52 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A clever entrepreneur explains how she's used Amazon to declutter her music collection and turn a profit. She's cleared 160 bucks in two months with surprisingly little effort.
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Posted
Sep 24 2007, 12:42 PM
by
Robert Walberg
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
The failure to create a strong, clearly defined identity that resonates with consumers has been Gap's single biggest problem over the past decade. If you've spent any time in the company's stores you know what I'm talking about -- Gap simply doesn't know what it wants to be or who it should target as its primary consumer. Unfortunately, Friday's announcement that the company has hired Todd Oldham as creative design director for its struggling Old Navy division shows that the new management team is as clueless as the old one.
Management has made similar moves in recent months hiring notable fashion designers such as Doo-Ri Chung and Patrick Robinson. While these folks are at least current in fashion, they won't have any more success than Mr. Oldham in solving the company's underlying identity problem.
In fact they are likely to make it even harder for consumers to figure out what to expect from Gap stores. Is this still a company that prides itself on khakis and basic tees or is it trying to become more stylish? Is the target audience 30-50 year olds that fondly remember the store as a place for well-made, simply styled, office-casual clothes? Or is it trying to appeal to the teen set that has left the store for the more stylish offerings over at Abercrombie & Fitch
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Posted
Sep 25 2007, 09:45 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
It's one thing to buy candy from your neighbor's kids so they can go on a school field trip. But not every salesperson who knocks on your door is legit. Think twice before you hand out personal financial information or a check to strangers selling overpriced magazine subscriptions.
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Posted
Sep 27 2007, 07:20 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog Wise Bread. Want to help the environment, but not too keen on all of the expensive suggestions floating around out there? Here are 10 frugal ways to incorporate green living into your life without throwing your well-laid budget plans to the wind. 1. Safety razors. Giving up disposable razors for the old-fashioned safety razor is a great way to save money and the environment. The multi-packs of flat razor blades are not only inexpensive, they come without all of the extra plastic housing that ultimately ends up in landfills. We've been doing this in our house for a few years and have noticed a tremendous savings. Added bonus: We don't have to carve out extra storage in the cabinets when we stock up. Flat packs of blades store very efficiently in a minimum amount of space. 2. Mineral salt deodorant sticks. You can find these at nearly any health food or natural living store. They last an incredibly long time, don't contain harmful ingredients and don't come with a ton of obnoxious plastic packaging to toss in the landfill once the product has been used up. 3. Reusable coffee filters. Just imagine never having to buy or run out of these little babies again.
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Posted
Oct 03 2007, 11:46 AM
by
Robert Walberg
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Why is one of the great growth stocks of the last decade languishing near its 52-week lows when the market is racing to new highs? I know the cost of coffee is on the rise and that energy costs are pinching margins as well, but this is Starbucks -- a company that somehow made people feel good about paying more than $2 for a cup of joe.
Is it possible that management has lost its way? Pay increases combined with the rapid pace of new store openings might not be the most prudent moves at a time when commodity expenses are high and the economy is slowing down. In fact, concerns over rising costs prompted one analyst to issue a sell rating last week -- a move that promped plenty of debate on the Starbucks gossip blog.
Of course, issuing a sell rating when the stock is already down 25% this year isn't exactly the stuff of legends. It would have been nice to see that rating months ago when it might have made a difference to investors long the stock. Coming now when the bad news is already out, comps are soft and commodity prices are at their highs might be the signal small investors need to get back into the stock
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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
Oct 05 2007, 06:43 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
It's easier to save money when people aren't bombarding you with solicitations to spend. With that in mind, take note that the federal Do-Not-Call list expires next summer for those who signed up when it became available five years ago. Unless you renew your registration at the DoNotCall.gov Web site every five years, you'll be getting those delightful telephone sales pitches we all came to hate. MSN Money's award-winning Liz Pulliam Weston offers advice about how to stop the flood of unwanted phone calls, junk mail and spam .
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Posted
Oct 08 2007, 08:15 AM
by
Robert Walberg
Rating:
Money Blog: Top Stocks Blog - MSN Money
Investors that checked out of Whole Foods' stock this summer amid fear that the FTC would block its proposed acquisition of Wild Oats, or over concerns about CEO John Mackey's unprofessional blog postings, have spent the past few weeks wiping organic egg off their faces.
As soon as the Wild Oats deal finally won approval -- and there was really little chance of the deal going bust -- the battered stock caught fire, rallying some 33%. From its July low, the stock is now up an eye-popping 48%. And now that the company's internal investigation into Mackey's blog entries is over and done with, there should be little in the way of bad news to cast a pale over one of the retail sector's great growth opportunities.
What makes Whole Foods such an exciting long-term investment is that it has changed how we perceive the supermarket experience, much like Starbucks changed coffee retailing 20 years ago. The produce, meat, specialty food and wine/cheese areas provide a feast for the senses. Meanwhile the focus on natural and organic products throughout the store gives consumers a place to shop where they can find an abundance of healthy and nutritious food choices for their families. Toss in a knowledgeable staff that prides itself on being friendly and helpful and you have a winning mix of product and service.
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Posted
Oct 09 2007, 05:35 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Nine-year-old Liz is so disinterested in money that her mom has taken to direct-depositing her allowance because Liz never needs it. Ask her what she wants for Christmas and this angelic child replies, "I'll like whatever you get me." Not so younger brother Sam, a nearly 5-year-old NASCAR fan with finely developed tastes in fashion and toys. Being Frugal asks a fundamental question about our attitude toward money: Is it nature or nurture? (Make sure you also read her funny and insightful post about a trip to the supermarket with Sam.)
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Posted
Oct 11 2007, 08:24 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Philip Brewer at partner blog Wise Bread . It used to be that spotting a "good" counterfeit bill was impossible for ordinary people. If it was good enough to pass the "look and feel" test, an ultraviolet light or a magnetic ink detector would be needed to detect fraud. But for the past 10 years, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing has been making bills that are easy to check for authenticity. The amount of counterfeit money in the United States is low enough that most people feel safe taking money with barely a minimal check for counterfeits. Does it look and feel like money? Then it probably is. But have you ever gotten a bill and thought something -- either the bank note or the person giving it to you -- seemed a little off? Ever wished you could quickly check to see if it's good? Well, here's how: Look and feel. This is as far as most people go, and it's good enough most of the time. U.S. bank notes are printed on special paper that's 75% cotton and 25% linen
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