SavvySugar

What $100,000 Would Have Bought 10 Years Ago

SavvySugar — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:18:50 -0700

You may not have thought about what $100,000 would have bought in 1998, being that many of us were at the prom and watching non-rerun episodes of 90210. But 10 years later, money is on all of our minds, and maybe we worry a little more than we'd like. Most of us have a much better understanding of the value of a dollar than we did back then and can now truly get a feel for some of the surprises in terms of what $100,000 would have bought in 1998.

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How Money Are You: Christmas Price Index

SavvySugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:30:17 -0800

From celebrities and fear to Christmas, it seems there's an index for pretty much everything. PNC Wealth Management calculates the Christmas Price Index, which includes the cost of the items in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song, from a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming.

This year's price is $86,608, up 10 percent from last year. Can you guess how much some of the things in the song cost, like two turtle doves or six geese-a-laying? Take the quiz!

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Take the quiz

Save Your Airport Receipts For an Experiment!

SavvySugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:31:53 -0700

Upon reading the opinion of Laura Samuels, director of corporate communications for a transportation retailer, I almost forwarded the article to GiggleSugar because here's what Laura wrote in an email to CNN Money.

Airport prices reflect the local street prices where the airport is located, in some cases allowing a small percentage above to allow for additional handing/freight costs to airports. We feel that though customers may be somewhat 'captive' during their wait times at airports, they are also very savvy consumers who know the cost of goods.

Is Laura living in a bizarro world, or am I hallucinating the $4 bottled waters sold in airport newsstands? Summer for many of us means more time in the airport than we care to spend. If you're stuck buying something from the airport, send me a message and let me know if your items were comparable to what you'd see outside the big sliding glass doors. I'll be saving my receipts from my travels, too, and report back to all of you.

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Wait, So Gas Prices in the US Aren't Actually That Bad?

SavvySugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:29:46 -0700

A survey of gas prices collected the numbers from gas pumps in 155 countries and placed the US as number 111, meaning prices are 45th cheapest out of the countries surveyed. The reason prices in the US have been comparably low is that taxes on gas have been kept to a relative minimum when measured to international standards. Some experts say that Americans are extra sensitive to hikes in gas prices because we've been spoiled by cheap gas in the past, and feel any increases more acutely than countries who are used to being taxed more. The cheapest gas is found in fuel-producing countries.

The research firm that ran the survey didn't account for different exchange rates or other factors like varied salaries among different countries, and because oil is priced in dollars those with stronger currencies aren't feeling as much pain at the pump. To see what drivers in the most expensive places to buy gas are paying to fill up just read more

According to CNN Money, these are the most expensive places to buy gas.

Rank	Country	Price/gal
1	Sierra Leone	$18.42
2	Aruba	$12.03
3	Bosnia-Herzegovina	$10.86
4	Eritrea	$9.58
5	Norway	$8.73
6	United Kingdom	$8.38
7	Netherlands	$8.37
8	Monaco	$8.31
9	Iceland	$8.28
10	Belgium	$8.22

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Do You Know How Much the Same Items Cost Last Year?

SavvySugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:58:41 -0700

You've surely noticed that your grocery and gasoline bills have totals that are much higher than last year's, but do you know how much more you're paying for the same items? Sure it's frustrating, but it's also important to be aware of the changes that affect your budget and modify the way you spend if needed. See how observant you've been when you take this quiz!

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Take the quiz

News Flash: 2007 Saw Fastest Inflation Jump in 17 Years

SavvySugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:52:52 -0800

Consumer prices rose in 2007 at the fastest pace since 1990. Prices rose the most for energy, food, health care, housing and education but they fell for clothing, new cars and computers. Core inflation - which the Fed closely monitors and excludes food and energy - dropped slightly and that's a sign of economic slowdown. This will be a big talking point when the Fed meets on January 30.

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How Much Is That Milk in the Window?

SavvySugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:42:56 -0800

With all the research that's been done on dairy and weight loss, I didn't think there was a silver lining to my milk aversion. Turns out I'm actually saving a lot of cash by ordering soy in my lattes. Remember when Starbucks raised their prices in August? They blamed the extra nine cents per drink on increased dairy costs.

Some people are even cutting their milk consumption so they can afford to drive their cars. Sound extreme? Consider this comparison:

Even with gasoline prices soaring, milk still tops gas prices. The nationwide average for a gallon of whole milk is $3.80, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That dwarfs the nationwide average of $2.99 for a gallon of unleaded, according to AAA.

The cost of other food and non-alcoholic beverages also rose over the course of the year. Have you noticed?

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