Up-selling Is Everywhere

Whether you’ve known it or not, you have experience up-selling as companies come under increasing pressure to turn a profit in bad economic times. At Kroger, where I used to work, we were supposed to address our customers something like this: “So, I understand you are looking for iceberg lettuce, would you like some bean [...]

For My Money

For my money it is Stein Mart for after Christmas shopping. But then I’m a clothes and accessories person who knows little of autos, electronics, or carpentry. More’s the pity, but there it is. For the real he-man Auto Zone, Pep Boys, Best Buy, Electronics Express, Lowes, Home Depot and others are the place to [...]

Gifts for the Christmas Season

Time once again for me to examine the catalogs and see what great prizes one might find for the holidays season that will be that just most unpredictable—therefore special–gift of all. First, let’s talk about Miles Kimball. This catalog is usually good for something unusual in the way of a kitchen utensil you never thought [...]

Stocking Up

A recent article in the Tennessean talks about the Mormon philosophy of stocking up on food in case of emergencies. I don’t know where the doctrine originates, but the idea is certainly worth a look from the prospect of sheer economic commonsense. The price of most goods tends to rise over time. In desperate days [...]

Shopping Without Buying

One of the embarrassingly simple secrets to happy living comes from knowing how to shop without actually buying anything. If you can possibly develop this talent, do so. By shopping without buying you will have the endless pleasure of the tourist without all the hassle that comes with owning a piece of property that drags [...]

Your Video and DVD Collection

My wife and I are the sort of people who would rather have it than rent it, so when it comes to videos and DVDs, the bonus room is stocked. We keep our old to very-old-indeed videos because, in general, they have held up quite well. On some videos, we know there will be a [...]

Shopping for Gas

Well . . . no, you don’t actually shop for gas, do you? All most all cars will run on regular unleaded gasoline, and price “wars” are a thing of the past when it comes to petrol. But, on the other hand, we do shop for cars, and this is where we can do ourselves [...]

Patriotic Spending—Or Saving?

In my own confused way, I, too, am confused about the U. S. economy and what we as private citizens are to do. On the one hand we are told that wise people conserve and do not spend beyond their means. On the other hand we are told that the American economy must spend so [...]

Things to Consider on a Vacation

I am going to start off by assuming my readers are married since a single person doesn’t need advice on taking a vacation except to take his credit card and watch his/her budget. I assume that the single person will know what they want to do and when they want to do it. My one [...]

Investigating Products Online

One of the greatest tools the modern-day shopper possesses is the computer. The computer gives the shopper almost unlimited access to news and views on the widest array of products possible, from cars to cantaloupes. You can sample the Internet on whether the Chevy Volt is a good car, a bad car, or an in-between [...]

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