Speaking of gambling…from a paper titled “Loving a bad bet: Factors that induce low-income individuals to purchase state lottery tickets,” presented at the 2008 American Economic Association annual meeting. According to the paper, despite state lotterys having the worst odds of any form of legalized gambling, “low income individuals spend a higher percentage of their [...]

A post on the legal blog Lowering the Bar comments on a judge’s ruling that a $125,000 plaintiffs’ attorney fee be paid in the same $10 gift cards he “won” for his clients.

From The Unemployed Life on Recessionwire:

The Starbucks Guide to Job Status (Andrew Lipstein)

Roman bath houses, or thermae, were massive public spheres (the Baths of Diocletian covered almost one and a half million square feet) that served as public gathering spots for every cross-section of society. Today, we have Starbucks.

Economy Bites is an online cooking show dedicated to helping people learn how to make economical, tasty dishes that will last almost all week. The show’s motto: “Cook on Sunday, eat till Thursday.” From the site: We’ve all been there: sluggishly trudging home after a long day at work thinking, “the LAST thing I want [...]

Boy, people can get really sarcastic on Craigslist… I’m reaching out to all members of the Bay Area BMW motorcycle riding community for your support of a fellow BMW rider who’s fallen on hard times. Anyone who’s perused the CL motorcycle listings at least once during the past year has seen the posting for the [...]

A severe recession, crippling unemployment, a housing collapse, long-lasting foreign wars, a growing chasm between rich and poor, and a political system crippled by partisan gridlock, unable to grapple with entrenched problems…not a few commentators have speculated that American hegemony is rapidly waning, and that an analogy to the Fall of Rome might be in [...]

Your financial worries are over. In the money-saving DIY category: How to fix shattered eyeshadow. From the EnKore Makeup YouTube channel.

Some folks’ investment strategies involve stocks and bonds, some include real estate, and others’ may go so far as to purchase gold and other precious metals. And then there are the people whose financial planning consists entirely of clipping coupons. Individuals fitting either profile will be able to make use of Mr. Cheap Stuff, an [...]

Today on the podcast: be afraid! Fear turns out be a very good thing for certain businesses. When the Weather Service warns of a hurricane, there’s a run on plywood and water. A crime spree sends people to the gun store. And when North Korea or Iran starts making nuclear noise, the orders pour in [...]

…check out The Recession Bride, which is about a “blogger trying to survive the recession, layoffs, pay cuts, and plan a wedding.”