Don’t look now, but that man who just walked into the store behind you is not here to shop. He’s a shopping anthropologist on assignment. His employer just landed a big contract with this store. They want to know what makes you tick, and why you do the things you do. Once they have this…

WASHINGTON—An inflation index that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve tumbled last month to its lowest level since April 2021, pulled down by lower gas prices and slower-rising food costs. At the same time, consumers barely increased their spending last month, boosting it just 0.1 percent, after a solid 0.6 percent gain in April….

Home Depot Inc. on Tuesday cut its annual sales forecast and projected a steeper-than-expected decline in profit, stoking fears about inflation-wary consumers trimming discretionary spending as a big earnings week for U.S. retailers rolls out. Shares of the largest U.S. home improvement chain, which also blamed a wet start to Spring and falling lumber prices…

Even the mention of words like “frugality” and “thrift” send some people over the edge because for them, those words conjure up thoughts of poverty and deprivation. They assume that cutting costs is tantamount to diving into dumpsters to find one’s next meal. No wonder so many people prefer a life of debilitating debt to…

BARCELONA—Europe’s cost of living crisis has benefited discount retailers but mid-market names are being squeezed as shoppers watch their spending, executives and analysts at an industry conference said on Tuesday. Luxury is also continuing to perform well, with hopes that China’s reopening will give fresh impetus as a months-long post-pandemic splurge by Americans starts to…

Tesla Inc. raised its capital expenditure forecast for 2023 on Monday as the automaker ramps up output at its factories to take advantage of the rising interest in electric vehicles. The company, led by Elon Musk, said in a filing that it expects to spend between $7 billion and $9 billion this year, higher than…

I wish I had a quarter for every stupid purchase I’ve made in my life. I’d have some major dough. Regrettably, my financial faux pas have been remarkable in both quantity and quality. I’ve made some real doozies. Take the above-ground swimming pool. Its a la carte price was bad enough. Adding everything required but…

The House Oversight Committee holds a hearing on Spending on Empty: How the Biden Administration’s Unprecedented Spending Increased Risk of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse at the Department of Energy at 2:00 p.m. ET on April 18. Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Energy Teri Donaldson; and Principal Deputy Under Secretary and Acting Under Secretary for Infrastructure…

The House Oversight Committee holds a hearing on Spending on Empty: How the Biden Administration’s Unprecedented Spending Increased Risk of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse at the Department of Energy at 2:00 p.m. ET on April 18. Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Energy Teri Donaldson; and Principal Deputy Under Secretary and Acting Under Secretary for Infrastructure…

A senior House Republican leader said Wednesday that passing a “strong” debt limit bill should be the GOP’s top legislative priority and called for a vote on the measure in April, arguing that “the time for action is now.” Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), who chairs the Republican Study Committee (RSC), set the end-of-month deadline for…