Paul Michael's blog

How to Buy All That Stuff the Police Seize. And It's Cheap.

Here's a terrific site that lets you bid on all sorts of great stuff at silly prices.

Getting more for your money in the most unexpected place

I often get on my soap-box about bad customer service. I also preach (sorry) that you should all expect more for your money, be it shopping online or grabbing the weekly groceries.

No Signal? 6 Ways to Boost Your Cell Phone Reception

I have been researching and testing methods to boost my phone in case of emergencies. Here are the five methods that worked, with varying success, for me.

Save gas; don't make left-hand turns.

You have to hand it to UPS. They crunched the numbers, they looked at the hard facts and they figured out that by limiting the number of left-hand turns made, you can save a whole

How to wrap gifts with leftovers.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m no fan of the greeting card and gift wrapping industries. Not only are their products way over-priced, they’re also less than original in most cases.

DeepDiscount.com's Price Match...don't hold your breath

I'm sorry to say that my long-time lover affair with DeepDiscount.com has come to an abrupt end. I've always been a fan of their low prices and free shipping, but even bett

SIX cool bar tricks that anyone can master.

As some of you regular Wise Bread readers know, I’m a big fan of bar tricks, friendly hustles and harmless wagers. Well, as we’re approaching the peak of partying season I thought

"I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

That quote from Howard Beale (character in Network, 1976 movie) sums me up right about now. And it's probably just the straw that broke the camel's back, because it's n

Chuck Taylor Converse shoes under $10

I'm not entirely sure why this stellar deal is on a music site, but I don't care. Right now you can get several different styles of the classic Chuck Taylor Converse shoes,

Exposed: Magazine subscription rates complete BS.

Have you ever wondered about the validity of those "special offer magazine subscriptions" you get in your mailbox? As someone who gets most of his magazines for free thro

Where on Earth did the $1 bill go?

I'd like to start by saying I'm awful at math. I mean, really bad. So it will come as no surprise to learn that I just scratched my bald head in wonder when I was told the

HOW MUCH?! The free stuff you’ll have to pay for, sooner or later.

I flew to New York for business over the weekend. As I looked at the list of $8 pay-per-view movies and $5 snacks available, my mind went back in time to a few years ago, when free

Black Friday...black in more ways than one

Today, November 23rd, is Black Friday. A day that as a Wisebread writer and bargain hunter I love. There are deals everywhere, we all get a chance to save a bit of dough before

“I see dumb people” – Learn to cold-read like a so-called “psychic.”

I don’t believe in psychics, palm readers, telekinesis or mediums. Not because I’m a huge skeptic but because I’ve been researching them for years and have found NO evidence that t

A Google employee perk we can all get free

I recently found an amazing (and I don't use that word lightly) resource from Google that I think is completely under-used and seriously under-marketed. This resource is cal

Optical Illusions That Make You Fatter and Your Wallet Lighter

One of my best friends told me that the key to food portion sizes was this: "Eat from small plates, drink from taller glasses." And optical illusions are at the root of it.

FREE bowling balls - just pay shipping

A quick deal for you everyone. I'm not sure how bad or good your bowling is, but mine is rotten. I don't blame the balls, I blame myself for not doing it often enough. Oh,

How the rich stay rich; a lesson in lateral thinking

A friend recently told me the story of how a millionaire thinks. Not every millionaire of course, just one in particular. It's ingenius, as you will discover. But it really mad

Cracking the Infamous McDonalds Monopoly Game

Your chances of winning McDonald's Monopoly game are all based on the odds of finding one particular piece from each set.

How to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview Questions

Here I present 23 interview questions you're likely to be asked, and how I have learned to answer them.