July 24, 2025
Saving you time. Saving you money. Helping you score great deals—and steer clear of rip-offs and scams. That’s what we’re all about at the Consumerpedia podcast. In this episode, Checkbook staffers share their favorite life hacks—simple tricks and workarounds they’ve used and swear by—that will help you shop smarter, spend wiser, and stay one step
Read More : 91 – Checkbook’s Life Hacks»July 10, 2025
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing continues to grow in popularity. These short-term loans, which are typically 6 weeks and usually interest-free, appeal to consumers who want flexible payments and no credit card debt. Consumer advocates warn that BNPL services make it too easy for people to purchase items they can’t afford, which can result
Read More : 90 – Buy Now, Pay Later»May 1, 2025
Americans are drowning in stuff: clothing, electronics, toys and games, collectibles, and appliances. Some of us have so much that they need to rent storage units to hold it. Why do so many have the need to buy, buy, buy? In this episode, author Emily Mester shares personal stories from her new book American Bulk:
Read More : 85 – Too Much: How We’re Encouraged to Buy, Buy, Buy»April 17, 2025
Whether it’s a complimentary dessert, an unexpected upgrade to a better hotel room, or you find a $20 bill in your coat pocket, we all like freebies. The staff at Checkbook sifted through member benefits for credit cards, warehouse clubs, health plans, and AAA. We discovered dozens of perks that are often overlooked. If you
Read More : 84 – Free Perks You Didn’t Know You Had»February 20, 2025
Americans are piling on credit card debt at an alarming pace, and the unprecedented interest rates on these unpaid balances can be as much as 30% to 35%. No wonder it seems impossible to get out from under it. But with hard work and proper guidance, you can do it. In this episode: Meet two
Read More : 80 – Debt Busters: Real-Life Success Stories»November 27, 2024
We’ve come up with a fun way to celebrate our 75th episode: An old-fashioned radio quiz show, featuring the morning anchors at KIRO Newsradio in Seattle. Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien are old friends, who have Herb as a regular guest each week, so we had a lot of fun doing this. Play along with
Read More : 75 – Checkbook’s College of Consumer Knowledge #1»October 31, 2024
The hectic holiday shopping season is underway, and for many, that will put a strain on the family budget. Checkbook wants to make this stressful time a little easier. Our annual holiday helper is packed with timely advice: Super shoppers share tips about how they find the best prices and avoid fake sales. Plus, how
Read More : 73 – Checkbook’s Holiday Shopping Tips 2024»July 25, 2024
Whether it’s points, miles, or cash back, it’s nice to be rewarded for shopping. The lure of “getting something extra” can encourage you to apply for new credit cards and spend more to score those rewards. In recent years, many credit card reward programs have become more complex and confusing, and frustrated cardholders are complaining
Read More : 68 – Rewards Cards»March 21, 2024
Feeding the family has never been more expensive. Supermarket prices have been going up for four years now, running well ahead of the overall inflation rate. And while increases are slowing, no one expects the cost of food to drop back to where it was before the pandemic. In this episode, why everything is so
Read More : 59 – Saving Money at the Supermarket»March 7, 2024
You can save a ton of money by comparison shopping. Checkbook’s surveys consistently find huge price differences—sometimes more than twice as much—from company to company for the exact same product or service. And businesses can get away with this because they know most customers won’t bother to shop around. Sometimes consumers don’t compare prices because
Read More : 58 – Misleading Marketing That Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More»