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Filed under: College , Debt The Project on Student Debt recently released its Student Debt and the Class of 2008 study and the results are sobering, to say the least. The average graduate of a four-year college with loans is now leaving with $23,200 in debt, up from $18,650 in 2004. The state by state numbers are also interesting: the District of Columbia clocked in with the highest average debt load: $29,793. Iowa, Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire followed.Continue reading Will certain states help your kid avoid the evils of student loan debt? Will certain states help your kid avoid the evils of student loan debt? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Food , Health As a Dad with a daughter in public school, I was more than a little alarmed to read that the meat/bacteria regulations for fast food restaurants are 10 times more strict than the standards set by the USDA for school lunches, according to a report by USA Today. Underscoring how truly alarming this is requires some history. Back in 1993, Jack in the Box fast food restaurants were responsible for the deaths of several children due to E. coli O157:H7 food poisoning. Four kids died of hemolytic uremic syndrome and 600 residents of Washington state were sickened or hospitalized with bloody diarrhea stemming from bacteria-tainted hamburgers, derived from meat produced by Von Companies of California. Continue reading Health standards for school lunch meat far lower than for fast food joints Health standards for school lunch meat far lower than for fast food joints originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Shopping , Economizer Gift cards are one of the most popular gifts -- especially for those hard-to-shop-for names left on our gift lists. Now charities are getting in on the gift card action. Companies like TisBest , who earlier this month was ranked #1 charity gift card , lets gift card recipients donate their gifts to the charity of their choice.Continue reading Gift card lets recipients give to the charity of their choice Gift card lets recipients give to the charity of their choice originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Extracurriculars , Celebs & Money As a bookend to WalletPop's hard-hitting expose on candy smuggling into movie theaters, we bring you the other end of the picture-show universe: a chain so upscale that $49 bottles of champagne, $19 steak sandwiches and a club-like pampering come on top of a $29 ticket. The recession has faded to black for a niche of upscale movie goers, according to an article in Monday's Los Angeles Times. Australia-based Gold Class Cinemas opened its fourth luxury movie mini-palace in the United States -- this one in Pasadena, Calif., -- and it's doing brisk business.Continue reading When Milk Duds won't do: $29 movie ticket and champagne theaters open When Milk Duds won't do: $29 movie ticket and champagne theaters open originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Bargains , Extracurriculars , Home , Shopping , Technology When I was a kid, the first Blockbuster video opened near my school in Fort Lauderdale. And I don't mean the first Blockbuster in my neighborhood. I really mean the very first Blockbuster, ever. The place was a revelation. Just a few years before, only the richest Americans could afford machines that played videotapes, so the appearance of a tidy supermarket of titles, many of which we'd only dreamed about seeing on UHF channels once in the distant past, was practically the definition of luxury. I'll never forget rushing there after school on new release day, or the soothing smell of all those gleaming aisles of new plastic clamshell cases. It was heaven.Continue reading 5 fatal flaws in Blockbuster's new $1 rental machines 5 fatal flaws in Blockbuster's new $1 rental machines originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Charity , Celebs & Money There's no place like home for the holidays. Which if you're Stephen King means celebrating the season by the rocky shores of coastal Maine. Makes one wonder what characters he's planning on having over for figgy pudding. But while many celebrities are busy worrying about taxes and platinum flooring , King's embracing the spirit of giving and opening up his presumably large pocketbook to spending a bit of his fortune on others. A move experts say should make him very happy . Continue reading The heart of a King: Stephen King makes sure soliders home for holidays The heart of a King: Stephen King makes sure soliders home for holidays originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Home , Real Estate , Mortgages Housing sales up. Housing sales down. Home prices up. Home prices down. Mortgage rates higher. Mortgage rates lower. It's a wonder the entire country isn't suffering from motion sickness by now! Since the fiscal mess began, we have been "treated" to seemingly non-stop reporting giving us monthly and often daily temperature readings of the nation's economic state. Sometimes we feel reassured. Sometimes we feel like we've been hit over the head with a sledgehammer. The truth is, no one set of figures does a trend make, and we shouldn't get too up or too down by any one particular set of reports.Continue reading "Good" housing news expected this week, but does it really matter to you? "Good" housing news expected this week, but does it really matter to you? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Bargain Babe Get 10% off one item at Staples today through Dec. 26. Some exclusions. Print the coupon. One per customer. In store only. Caveats: not valid on laptops or computers, cell phones and cell phone services, HP ink and toner, BOSE products, Apple products, gift cards, stamps, or phone cards. May not be combined with any other discount. Not valid on previous purchases. Remember to shop through eBates to save even more! Staples 10% off coupon originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Technology Verizon Wireless, which doubled its early termination fee for smartphones like the Motorola Droid or Blackberry Storm 2 from $175 to $350 last month, is now answering to the Federal Communications Commission. The commission is reviewing Verizon's customer policy and will determine if the company violated consumer protection rules. While many consumers hoped the inquiry would cause Verizon Wireless to question and possibly lessen its ETF, instead Verizon is refusing to budge, saying the pricey fee balances out the high cost of providing the smartphone at a discount and that the fees help keep its network up and running. Continue reading Verizon defends pricey early termination fee to FCC Verizon defends pricey early termination fee to FCC originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Extracurriculars , Shopping , Technology With the Nook a no-show this year, the Amazon Kindle DX out of stock (thanks to earlier sellouts ), and many other ebook readers in short supply , this year many adults will feel the pain that children know all too well: the dissatisfaction of opening up a rain check on Christmas morning. But it doesn't have to be this way, because you can read eBooks on many different devices. Even though these devices don't offer an e-ink screen, week-long battery life or the same portability of a traditional eBook reader, the good news is that you don't have to buy anything extra. Below, you'll find out how to give an eBook on Christmas that your gift recipient can read that very day, even if your Nook or Kindle eBook reader won't arrive for weeks.Continue reading eBook readers not the only way to read e-books eBook readers not the only way to read e-books originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Bargain Babe Thought you missed out on free shipping? Not so fast! A group of merchants -- albeit a much smaller group than we saw for the Dec. 17 free shipping day -- have banded together to offer free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24. Some of the merchants have a minimum purchase amount, generally $25-$50, to get the free shipping. The deal works as long as you ship to a single address within the continental United States. The free standard shipping will kick in one you add items to your cart. Visit the Web site of a retailer below and order by Dec. 21 at 11:59 p.m. EST to get the deal. Participating merchants include: Aeropostale NFL Levi's Dick's Sporting Goods iRobot Sports Authority Calvin Klein Jeans MLB Kate Spade NBA Speedo Modell's Kenneth Cole NHL Calvin Klein Underwear NASCAR Sephora Ghirardelli Chocoate Caveats: not valid for shipments to APO/FPO addresses or previously made purchases. Some merchants gather for free shipping today originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Recalls , Health , Consumer Ally Procter & Gamble forgot one teeny-tiny detail in manufacturing a recent batch of Vicks DayQuil capsules: To protect your kids from them. The absence of a childproof cap forced the company to recall 700,000 packs of the over-the-counter cold and flu medicine, Tte Associated Press reported. The label says that the packages are childproof but they are not. Have little ones and want to know if you have the DayQuil in question? The recall involves only the DayQuil Cold & Flu 24-Count LiquiCaps Bonus Pack. Then check for a "Bonus 20 Percent More" on a yellow banner at the top-right corner, according to the report. Continue reading Procter & Gamble recalls DayQuil capsules Procter & Gamble recalls DayQuil capsules originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Charity , Recession , Recession Diaries This just in from the Department of Why I am Not Suprised: Americans are giving less to charity this Christmas. A recent poll from the Red Cross shows that 20 percent of Americans plan to reduce their charitable giving this year. Salvation Army centers and Toys for Tots drives across the country all report decreased giving of at least that much. Indeed, donations to the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program are down a whopping 60 percent from last year, while demand is up almost 20 percent. "A lot of people who donated last year are now in lines to receive help," said Sally Casazza, the program's chair. "This is our worst year ever."Continue reading Giving to charity declines in Scrooge's America, and that's not bad Giving to charity declines in Scrooge's America, and that's not bad originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Extracurriculars , Food Seems our love for bacon is strong enough to withstand this recession. The savory treat is predicted to be just as popular in 2010 as restaurants find more creative uses for the crispy treat. According to a trends report from J. Walter Thompson , bacon is one of the top five trends to watch in the coming year. The others are organic fast food, wine cocktails, a backlash against healthy food claims, and sardines. Yes, sardines. JWT predicts the smelly little fish will be the new tuna. Bacon has been exceptionally popular for a while now as oddities like bacon ice-cream and bacon chocolate have captured our attention. Not only does bacon smell and taste great, but it triggers a nostalgic reaction that is comforting, especially in difficult times. But how many more ways can chefs find to use bacon? Continue reading Sizzling news: Bacon is recession-proof Sizzling news: Bacon is recession-proof originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments