Frugal Obsession: Listia

You know you have it. Stuff you don’t want and don’t use, but that seems too valuable to throw or give away. The nearly-full bottle of hair product that’s taking up space in the bathroom. That promotional glass paperweight. The television cables you bought and forgot to return after you realized they didn’t work with your set.

Okay, you might not have those exact things–but I did. And frankly, they were causing me the tiniest bit of angst until TechCrunch wrote about Listia, a new website that’s a cross between eBay and Freecycle…

10 Sneaky Tips for Flying Fee-Free in Europe

If Dante were writing today, he would have designed the tenth circle of hell after the Pisa Airport. While it’s often advertised as the “Florence” Airport by some European budget airlines, it’s actually about 50 miles away, waiting to punish you with outlandish excess baggage fees.

Europe has a number of airlines that offer if not luxurious travel, at least insanely cheap fares. Easyjet, Ryanair, and the lesser known copycats offer flights for as little as a few dollars. They don’t tell you that you’ll have to wake up at 3:00 am to catch a bus to some remote European town and wait in line for two hours before boarding something that resembles an aircraft. And they aren’t big on reminding you about the countless extra fees they can charge, especially for luggage.

I’ve learned the rules of frugal flying the hard way. I’ve been stranded on buses in Slovakia and had rough landings through flocks of birds in Lithuania. But if you’re crafty, prepared, and desperate for a European vacation, the experience can feel like a victory, especially after flying round-trip on $35…

Get 80 Wines for $50 on Friday

Bottlenotes, our favorite online wine company, is offering Recessionwire readers a special deal for tomorrow night — $10 off its Around the World in 80 Sips event in New York.

There will be wine from five continents, plus artisinal cheese, charcuterie, pickles, chocolate, and cigars. All that and no tip required!…

Downturnaround Deals: Bloomingdale’s, Martin and Osa, Barnes and Noble, Folica, Limited, Zales

Some of us are starting to spend again (a little). Every week, we post online coupons for food, clothes, books, gadgets and more, hand-picked for Recessionwire readers by the nice people over at Savings.com.

Get 20% off during the Friends & Family Sale @ Bloomingdale’s.
See more Bloomingdale’s coupons.

Take an Extra 20% off sale items at clothing company Martin and Osa.
See more Martin and Osa coupons.…

Preparing for the Next Downturn

If there’s one thing we learned from this recession, it’s that economies tend to be cyclical. Stock markets crash and rebound, unemployment rates go up and down, and real estate prices can decrease just as quickly as they increased during the boom years. Unfortunately, there’s very little we can do about it, and an economic downturn is likely to happen again.

With an ounce of prevention, though, there are some things we can all do to put ourselves in a better position the next time around. After all, sudden job losses might not have been so crushing had we all had enough money in savings to carry us through the downturn. And spiking credit card rates might not be quite as big of a deal right now if we hadn’t been carrying such a large debt load prior to the recession’s beginning last fall. If only.

No matter what mistakes we made this time around, it’s never too early to start planning for the next economic crunch. Consider this your emergency survival guide to a solid financial future, no matter what’s happening on Wall Street…

Quiz: Which Recession Spender Are You?

Did the recession bring out your inner coupon-clipper? Do you hate not be able to shop for fun? Or are you one of the happy few who hasn’t taken a hit to the bank account and continues to blithely spend? (Hm. Those people are probably not reading this blog.)

According to market research firm Decitica, there are four different kinds of consumer personalities coming out of the downturn. (Incidentally, company principal Val Srinivas says he was inspired by Recessionwire. Schweet.) Which type are you? Answer this multiple-choice question to find out:

In terms of spending, what has been your reaction to the downturn? …

The New Rules for the Recession Holidays

Tight times have brought out our ingenuity in spending and this second holiday season of the downturn is no different. We rounded up a few of our favorite new rules for surviving the holidays:

* Regift. It’s both budget-friendly and good for the environment: Recycle those unwanted yet still brand-new socks, wine bags, candy dishes, etc. “Regifting” – the act of giving someone a gift that you had received – is growing fashionable. A poll by Consumer Reports found that 36% of U.S. adults said they would recycle a gift this year, compared with 31% last year and 24% in 2007.

* Group-give. First, pare your list to its essentials, then find a buddy or two to go in on gifts for those on your list. This tip comes from Jack Chary, who also recommends starting a Christmas savings account in the future. Good thinking…

Looking for Holiday Savings? Try Pop-Ups

Throughout 2009, malls across the country have been battered by the downturn, struggling to stay afloat amidst a record number of store closures and a high rate of retail vacancies. Now that the holiday season is nearing, though, those same vacancies are turning out to be a benefit for some retail companies. Loosened lease terms and lowered rental rates on retail spaces have created a perfect storm for a myriad of companies planning to open temporary “pop up” stores this holiday season…

Save Money with the 30-Minute Rule

The 30-Minute Rule has nothing to do with eating food off the floor.

It’s a way to keep your spending in check by curbing impulse shopping — especially important as some of us are starting to feel flush again.

Maybe you’ve just found a job after months of unemployment. Maybe you just feel like the economy is starting to wobble towards a recovery. It’s hard not to unleash all that pent-up desire to buy. But over-spending is not a habit we want to return to as a society.

The 30-Minute Rule is ridiculously simple….

Cost-Cutting at College—Separating the Good from the Bad

Tuition costs are rising and financial aid funds are scarce, but that doesn’t mean you should sit back and watch your college dreams go up in smoke.

Since the recession began last year, thousands of tips and tricks have been published listing ways to make college more affordable. From small shifts (like buying used textbooks rather than new) to big changes (like moving off campus to save on housing), there’s no doubt that the thousands of published ideas could save students money. But whether many—or any—of these ideas are actually feasible for the average student is another story entirely…