I’ve posted repeatedly about rewards programs, cash back and savings opportunities that should, in theory, let you either get more for your money or get money back, which can be applied to what’s next. But with so many programs and opportunities, with rewards that tend to be lukewarm or good only for certain timing, the question many times becomes whether it’s worth the time and energy. Continue reading
I’ve been writing about loyalty programs pretty much as long as I’ve been blogging: MyPoints, Plink, and even credit card rewards. (An upcoming post will talk about whether all this stuff is worth it, but for now…) My latest foray began only a year ago, when after years of my father’s insisting, I joined Marriott Rewards. Continue reading
It’s not hard to please me when it comes to technology. The local supermarket here, Stop & Shop, has hooked me in repeatedly to do more of the work myself, first with self-checkout lines, and more recently with their Scan It! service. Continue reading
Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big impression, and I was reminded of one such instance in the aftermath of Groupon’s revived $5 for $10 offer to use at Starbucks, something they’ve done once before. Continue reading
One of the great things about the printed word, the vinyl record, or even the CD, was that the item always retained some sort of value. The fact that you owned that item meant you could also sell that item, and the proliferation of options to buy used books, CDs, or even hunting through a stack of vinyl at a flea market had its moments of joy. Continue reading
If you’re like me, from time to time you acquire a gift card from various sources… friends, family, work, companies as an incentive, loyalty programs, etc. Because most gift cards are set to work at one or a few stores, they can sit dormant for months, or even years, with the value on them just waiting to be unlocked. The longer they sit, the more they lose their value thanks to inflation and ever-rising prices. Continue reading
I’ve lauded Amazon for a number of its efforts over the years as a company that gets consumers, everything from letting consumers use credit card points to make purchases to their “read anywhere” approach to Kindle books that expand the reading options for eBooks and creating a true ecosystem. Their latest effort, AutoRip, is yet another consumer-friendly move that will only help their sales figures. Continue reading
Facebook’s sheer size and awful handling of monetization and evolution of its platform has raised a number of awkward teenager moments for the site; indeed, I wrote about it repeatedly on my last blog. Two new reports from this past week about Facebook’s plans for modernization show a platform continuing to struggle with how they get the message out. Continue reading
I work in a hectic environment, which isn’t new for me, and given the state of things today, many people are working at companies attempting to do more with less. However, the constant ping of the email box, ringing phone, blinking IM window or knock on the door may be killing our productivity.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported the results of a study which showed that many users find themselves being distracted (or self-distract), on average, once every three minutes, and once distracted taking 23 minutes to get back on track. It’s a devastating figure, if true. Continue reading
When my family first moved to Connecticut, we signed up for accounts at People’s Bank in Bridgeport. We ended up there solely because my father, who had moved up to the state a few months before, got an account there. Going on 20 years later, the now-renamed People’s United Bank, excepting a brief, horrid flirtation with Fleet (now Bank of America) when I was in college), has been my steady,long-term relationship of a bank. Continue reading