http://cache.jezebel.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jezebel.com.png http://jezebel.com/tag/spending http://jezebel.com/tag/spending

Seems the "weak retail outlook" is all women's fault — because we're "pessimistic." More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5782692&view=rss&microfeed=true

• Rihanna had dinner with Topshop founder Philip Green and Simon Cowell. Because Green and Cowell run an entertainment company that produces television and fashion ventures, the tabloid seers are pretty sure that means Rihanna's getting a clothing line. [Daily Mail]

More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5720487&view=rss&microfeed=true

More women are buying Rolls-Royces, particularly the $300,000 Ghost. "Women love their Ghosts...But Rolls-Royce is a male brand. And women like that. It's a nice masculine car. It's a statement. It's all about powerplay." More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5710180&view=rss&microfeed=true

According to Dr. Mark J. Perry, an economist at the University of Michigan, Americans spent just 2.98% of their disposable income on clothing last year — the lowest ever in U.S. history. Is that good or bad? More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5500324&view=rss&microfeed=true

According to a survey, more women than men are cutting back on "optional expenses" like clothes, restaurant meals, and vacations. So are women better at managing money, or do we "have more optional expenses to begin with?" [USNWR] More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5335103&view=rss&microfeed=true

It seems some marathon shoppers are learning the difference between "want" and "need." Now that the credit crunch is wreaking havoc with our bank accounts, one-time necessities like new Jimmy Choos getting passed over for last year's model. Says the Wall Street Journal's Christina Binkley, "After years of gluttonous shopping, forgoing our wants feels virtuous, like using up leftovers. That's why many people these days are boasting that they are 'shopping' in their closets." Which is great — while the novelty lasts. More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5078466&view=rss&microfeed=true

Despite the fact that my mom does wealth management and my brother is a bond trader, I am one of those people who does not "get" money. I know the economy is in the crapper and I can pay my bills on time and I know a bargain when I see one, but money is really a mystery to me. There was a time in my life where I was so broke I was afraid to leave the house because I'd work up an appetite and have to buy something to eat. There was time when I would eat a slice of eat pizza every day to "save money" on lunch and then, on the weekend, drown my sorrows in 4 or 5 $8 margaritas, wake up depressed and charge $200 Chanel sunglasses to cover my bloodshot eyes and cheer myself up. But reading the The NY Times story called "How To Treat A Money Disorder" made me realize there are all kinds of issues with cash: Overspending, underspending, serial borrowing, financial infidelity, workaholism, financial incest, financial enabling and hoarding. Money is not just money. It's pride, shame, guilt, stress, freedom and oppression. More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5054704&view=rss&microfeed=true

CNN reports that New Yorker Stephanie Kaster threw her daughter a birthday party recently. The celebration was held at a fondue restaurant and Kaster hired a musical troupe to perform as the Wiggles. There was a four-layer cake and each guest took home a Fisher-Price guitar and a custom CD. The party's price tag? $5,000. Stephanie's daughter was turning 3. The Coach-themed cake pictured at left was created for a 10-year-old's birthday party. Price? $1,500. Meanwhile, there's the appealing/appalling MTV show My Super Sweet 16 and that $10 million bat mitzvah on Long Island. Oh, and magazines like Baby Couture. More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=381550&view=rss&microfeed=true

As it turns out, all those babes in bikinis you see at auto shows actually have a scientific purpose for being there! Science Daily reports that Stanford researchers exposed (heh) heterosexual men to erotic photos and found that immediately afterward, the men were consistently more likely to take bigger financial risks than they would otherwise. (As reported earlier this year, women are inspired to spend after smelling food.) More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=375753&view=rss&microfeed=true

You may think that if you had more money, you'd buy nicer stuff. But ladies with cash still love a bargain, according to the National Retail Federation. Women with a household income of over $100,000 admit to shopping at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks and — surprise! — Target. According to a survey, 11% of them also go to Wal-Mart. (Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it's beneath them!) Over 70% of women with incomes over $150,000 say that price does not make a brand. Robin Lewis, a retail expert, says ladies raking in the dough "will pay for something if they really want it. "But they won't pay a penny more than what they can see it is worth." In other words, they may be materialistic, but they're not stupid. More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=345499&view=rss&microfeed=true