Friday Frugal Tidbits Roundup

Here are some tidbits that we've spotted the past week, a mix of eyebrow-raising headlines and common sense:

Overspending on Debit Cards is a Boon for Banks - Via NYT. "...banks now make more covering overdrafts than they do on penalty fees from credit cards." Great incentives to keep close track of your account balances!

How to Cook for Kids Who Aren't Foodies - Via Double X. A great reminder that, when you find frugal recipes using staples that your family loves - you shouldn't feel bad about putting them into regular rotation!

The Social Side of Obesity - You Are Who You Eat With - Via Time magazine. Your dining companions can dictate how much you do or don't eat, often to the tune of hundreds of calories! This applies to concepts of frugality, too. If you and your family members as a group don't overconsume on food, you'll save money and waistlines in the aggregate!

A Weak Back To School Season for Retailers - Again via NYT, from last week. Apparently, with college and high school students' summer jobs being slim pickings, and parents having budget 'reality checks' of their own, prestige retailers like Abercrombie and Fitch are suffering sales drops by as much as 29%. Maybe...just maybe... the consumers are paying half the price for classic jeans will last for a few years instead of those that aren't already professionally deconstructed and abraded.
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New York Times Piece: Credit Card Industry Aims to Profit From Sterling Payers

Go and read this article. Apparently with new credit card legislation/regulation at play, credit card companies won't be able to make their biggest profits (was 70% of their revenue streams) from delinquent payers the same way that they have in the past. What does this mean? The perks programs - no annual fees, rewards and cash-back programs, etc. - are likely to evaporate since the only other sources of income would be sterling payers: people who faithfully pay their bill in full every month.

If you are a perfect credit card payer (and you should try to be, because otherwise it's money down the drain on fees and interest) - it's probably best to monitor your card's interest rate and the other fine print. Before you know it, a long-loved rewards program could silently cease (save only the teeny tiny notification at the bottom of one of your bills), or an annual fee could start on your account. Definitely budgeting considerations! And for fun, check out Crystal Paine's post today on making a mosaic frame out of cut-up credit cards - so cute!
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