I have a small child. My husband and I are astounded by how quickly he grows…algae. Yeah, my kid is a little turtle named Duck Puppet. I know this sounds sick, but we got him because he was super cute and tiny, and based on friends’ stories about his short-lived cousins we didn’t think expect [...]
It’s been proven: credit cards make you spend more money.
This is because whenever we decide to buy something, there are actually two parts to the transaction, consumption (which we enjoy) and payment (which we really really don’t).
Normally, when we’re paying with cash, consumption and payment are closely tied together, so that while we do enjoy [...]
Excessive self-indulgence is probably not a good idea, but Keinan and Kivetz suggest that the alternative is just as bad. At the other end of the spectrum is too much self-control and excessive farsightedness. These hyperopic people view splurges as wasteful and irresponsible, and as a result avoid the very things that would actually bring them the most pleasure in the long run. And so, over time, while their indulgent counterparts feel less and less guilty about their decisions, these people who chose self-control and virtue over vice express a growing sense of having missed out on their lives.
Ever wondered why Santa Claus is so jolly all the time? Well, it just may have something to do with all the presents he’s giving away every Christmas. And if you want to maximize your happiness in 2009, you might want to get started on the giving early.
Professor Elizabeth Dunn published a study a couple [...]
It isn’t exactly news that the American economy is in the pits. Everyone’s cutting back on gas, shopping expenses, eating out, etc. Soon enough we’ll be wearing paper bags and foot propelling Flintstone-esque cars to save money even further. Which is bad news for me, given I’ve got enough mass to propel a Mini for [...]
We all know that companies benefit from offering gift cards, which is probably why there are so many of them. People spend their money much more readily when they use a gift card rather than cash, and they also tend to spend a higher amount of money in the store overall. Professor Dan Horne of [...]
I left college chasing the American dream. I wanted a house with a two car garage, a good job and lots of stuff. For my first job, I had to choose between a job in the northeast or one in the southwest, so I used a cost of living wizard to help me make the [...]
Last Wednesday, in the quest for free shipping, I found myself frantically clicking through J.Crew’s website, looking for anything I could buy to push my total over the 150 dollar mark. I ended up spending an extra 60 dollars on something I didn’t need or even really want in order to save ten bucks on [...]
This post was written by Stephanie Cuellar Butler, Contributing Writer on October 7, 2009 
