The majority of couples rank money as the number one cause of serious arguments. According to research, when couples fight over money, they could actually be fighting over so much more: issues of power, trust, priorities and commitment. Money is not just...
As we gear up for what promises to be a spectacular summer, many people are planning special celebrations – weddings, reunions, birthday parties and end-of-year corporate functions. Few of us have an abundance of money to throw around, but does...
A recent article in New Scientist magazine suggests that complex societies are more prone to collapse. Some experts argue that we’ve already passed a global tipping point, and that it’s now a case of managing our lives effectively in the aftermath...
For most of 2008 and 2009, consumers have been struggling to cope with gravity-defying food prices – which In August hit an all-time high. Yet it would appear that over the last few weeks, prices have dropped again: it seems like a favorable time...
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi Some people would probably regard pet ownership as a luxury in these tough economic times, yet research has shown that the...
Money. It’s a gas. /Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash/New car, caviar, four-star daydream, /Think Ill buy me a football team. - Pink Floyd Does it sometimes feel like you were born to spend? As if you’re battling the hardwired...
My vantage point this week is Forest Hill, a leafy suburb of southern London. I’ve had 10 days to explore this glorious, open history book of a city and it’s been fantastic in many soul-enriching ways, but I have no money left. At all. (Not...
"Traditional sales is about winning a war -- the entire process is adversarial from start to finish. “ – Gill Wagner, American corporate sales consultant As the fallout from the economic downturn continues to grind consumers under foot...
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” – William Morris, British craftsman and designer In order to understand the cost of clutter, you have to distinguish between price and cost –...
“For the rich, it’s not about getting more stuff. It’s about having the freedom to make almost any decision you want,” T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. Rags-to-riches tales are a familiar archetype in literature...
Not many would be as committed as brave soul and award winning journalist Judith Levine , who gave up shopping for a whole year. She woke up one day and, realising she was deeply in debt, decided to buy only what was absolutely necessary for 365 days...
Consumer psychologist David Lewis, author of The Soul of the New Consumer: Authenticity, What We Buy and Why in the New Economy provides an articulately formulated reminder that marketers are constantly refining tactics in order to seduce increasingly...
With the inland price of petrol currently at R7.21 a litre, and – for me at least - no prospect of being able to buy a covetable, planet-friendly Toyota Prius at any time soon, fuel efficiency is an absolute priority. There are a number of practical...
I love my house, but at this time of the year, if I had to look up and see a line of earnest Emperor penguins waddling in single file down the passage, I wouldn’t be all that surprised… they’d feel entirely at home. The huge picture...