Home›Personal Finance›Smart Spending
Smart Spending Edition

Smart Spending

How to stretch every dollar and avoid common money-wasting habits.

16 stories
Anchoring, Decoys, and Price Illusions: How Retailers Shape What Feels Like a Deal
Featured

Anchoring, Decoys, and Price Illusions: How Retailers Shape What Feels Like a Deal

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 9 min read · Jun 2, 2024

Latest in Smart Spending

Smart Spending Before You Make a Big Purchase: A Room-by-Room Financial Checklist

Before You Make a Big Purchase: A Room-by-Room Financial Checklist

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 5 min · Nov 26, 2025
Smart Spending Hidden Costs That Make a "Good Deal" More Expensive Than It Looks

Hidden Costs That Make a "Good Deal" More Expensive Than It Looks

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 7 min · May 29, 2025
Smart Spending Lifestyle Inflation: When Earning More Quietly Costs You More

Lifestyle Inflation: When Earning More Quietly Costs You More

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 8 min · Jan 20, 2024
Smart Spending Paying Cash vs. Using Credit: What the Research Actually Shows

Paying Cash vs. Using Credit: What the Research Actually Shows

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Feb 13, 2025
Smart Spending Smart Spending From the Ground Up: A Plain-Language Introduction

Smart Spending From the Ground Up: A Plain-Language Introduction

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 8 min · Jan 17, 2026
Smart Spending Spending Myths That Sound Like Common Sense but Aren't

Spending Myths That Sound Like Common Sense but Aren't

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Oct 25, 2024
Smart Spending Spending Tradeoffs Worth Making — and Ones That Usually Backfire

Spending Tradeoffs Worth Making — and Ones That Usually Backfire

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Oct 21, 2023
Smart Spending Subscriptions You're Probably Still Paying For (and How to Audit Them)

Subscriptions You're Probably Still Paying For (and How to Audit Them)

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Mar 21, 2025
Smart Spending The Psychology Behind Impulse Spending — and What Actually Stops It

The Psychology Behind Impulse Spending — and What Actually Stops It

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 8 min · Jun 30, 2026
Smart Spending Unit Pricing: The Grocery Store Math That Most Shoppers Skip

Unit Pricing: The Grocery Store Math That Most Shoppers Skip

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Mar 26, 2023
Smart Spending Wants, Needs, and the Blurry Line Between Them

Wants, Needs, and the Blurry Line Between Them

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 7 min · Jan 8, 2024
Smart Spending What a 30-Day Spending Pause Can Reveal About Your Money Habits

What a 30-Day Spending Pause Can Reveal About Your Money Habits

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Feb 20, 2023
Smart Spending When Spending More Upfront Actually Costs Less: The Economics of Quality

When Spending More Upfront Actually Costs Less: The Economics of Quality

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · Mar 24, 2024
Smart Spending Why Frugality Fails — and What Sustainable Spending Habits Look Like Instead

Why Frugality Fails — and What Sustainable Spending Habits Look Like Instead

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 6 min · May 25, 2025
Smart Spending Zero-Based Budgeting vs. the 50/30/20 Rule: Two Frameworks Compared

Zero-Based Budgeting vs. the 50/30/20 Rule: Two Frameworks Compared

By Personal Finance Editorial Team · 5 min · Feb 21, 2026