Lately our staff discussions have revolved around gas prices and just how much prices would need to drop before we resumed driving like we used to.
To be blatantly honest, I don't know that I'll drive as completely unconcerned about the prices that I once did, but I would certainly plan more trips to the beach and more weekend getaways if gas was cheaper.
Take our quick poll and let us know just how cheap gas must be before you to resume your "normal" lifestyle.
Dunkin' Donuts is the most recent fast food place to jump on the health food train. As consumers become more health conscious and demand healthier choices, big fast food chains risk losing business if they don't adapt.
Next month Dunkin' Donuts will offer flatbread sandwiches made with egg whites and turkey sausage, egg and cheese options for the health-conscious.
The current multigrain bagel and reduced fat blueberry muffin will also be part of the new DDSmart menu.
You can read more about the changes here.
(Thank to AP for the photo.)
If you were planning on throwing your child a birthday party and wanted one of their favorite TV characters to come visit, you might want to check out this article in the Baltimore Sun.
The people who design these costumes are under more and more pressure to avoid trademark lawsuits, so they have had to change the way they make their costumes.
Instead of having Dora the Explorer at a party, you may get Traveling Girl with Backpack.
I'm interested to hear your opinions on the issue after you read the article.
One of my blog buddies point out this really cool Web site. Punch in your address and it will rate your neighborhood on how car dependent it is.
My neighborhood in Manchester Township scored a pathetic 37 out of 100, which means I basically have to drive everywhere.
I plugged in the address of my friends' apartment building in the city, and they scored a whopping 88 out of 100. That means they can walk to almost anything they need.
My roommate from college e-mailed me in a panic a few days ago to tell me Facebook had changed...again.
But when I logged on, it looked the same to me.
This morning though, I noticed the switchover. More like the switchover smacked me in the face.
I've gotten a ton of e-mails from readers wanting to know where they can take an assortment of items to be recycled.
Here's some of the recent ones. If you have suggestions leave them in the comments section.
Wachovia posted massive losses in the second quarter. We're talking in the ballpark of $8.9 billion.
The bank reported losing about $4.20 per share. This time last year it earned $1.22 per share.
Alex Rodriguez just signed with an agent in Hollywood to help him make even more money than he already does, according to this article in the New York Times.
The talent agency is supposed to help A-rod land some new endorsement deals so he can cushion his salary for when he says good-bye to baseball.
I don't really think his salary needs much cushioning, but I'm just a lowly reporter. What do I know?
I noticed over the weekend that gas prices dropped a penny or two.
I guess it's probably because oil prices dropped again, but it seems a little ridiculous that gas prices jump five to 10 cents when oil goes up, but only fall by a few pennies when oil prices go down.
Am I the only one who thinks that's nuts?
Another work week has come and gone and here's your round up of the latest and greatest business stories of the week.
If you haven't check out our week-long DUI special, you'll want to catch up on the coverage here.
Harley-Davidson and Johnson Controls released their earnings reports.
McDonald's gets a facelift.
Americans less fishy.
Environmentalists sue the EPA???
And for fun, here's the ad campaign I'm currently obsessed with:
According to an e-mail I just received from Consumer Reports, the Centers for Disease Control have issued a health warning that children who play on artificial turf could be at heightened risk for harmful lead exposure.
The warning applied mostly to older fields because as the turf breaks down, lead is released as dust particles that can be inhaled or ingested.
I don't know too many people who would object to the idea of a four day work week.
Are any of your companies considering offering it as an option? I'd love to hear about it if they were. Leave a comment and let me know!
Lately I've noticed that a lot of gas stations where customers want to pay with cash require that you pay before pumping.
I can't say for sure that this is a direct result of the high gas prices, but it seems like it would certainly put a stop to those tempted to drive off without paying.
As gas prices continue to rise, the risk of people not paying also increases. So the correlation seems to make sense.
I'm just wondering what anyone else thinks on the subject. Have you noticed more stations requiring you to pre-pay?
The August issue of Consumer Reports has all kinds of good information about how to save. In the article on establishing a budget there were three links for Web sites that help you track or saving and spending.
Here's what CR says about the three:
It's Friday so there's always time for a ridiculous YouTube video, like this one of a bunch of professional soccer players attempting to sing James Blunt's You're Beautiful and playing with a puppy in the locker room. Too funny.
(Thanks to Behindthebadge.com for this!)
And now, your business news before you head out for the weekend.
Apple released its newest toy today.
Comcast could be in hot water with the FCC.
Who knows the fate of the planned Steve & Barry's.
Harley begins layoffs.
Arm and Hammer is A'OK to Jackson Township.
The newest toy in the Apple family, the Apple iPhone 3G goes on sale today.
The Consuming Interests blog at the Baltimore Sun pulled together a bunch of different reviews on the new phone. You can check them out here.
I don't plan to buy the new phone, mainly because I don't want to get hit with a contract cancellation fee and I really like my current cell phone provider. I have service just about everywhere.
But what about anyone else? Do you guys plan to buy the new phone?
We here at Mind Your Own Business are always on the look out for smart money saving tips.
Here's a tip from correspondent Greg Gross:
"Usually when people go golfing they buy a bucket of warm-ups for the driving range to loosen up. That cost between $3 to $5 depending on the course. This summer, I've been warming up in the backyard, hitting little chip shots to get limber and to get my stance down before driving to the course. If someone that golfs once a week and warmed up in the backyard, they'd save between $12 to $20 which equals to an extra 9 holes at Briarwood and a beer in the clubhouse."
If you have any great saving money tips, feel free to share them in the comments section.
You can also check out our Saving Money section for more great tips and tricks on how to save a buck or two.
I don't mean that I'm literally getting fatter over here, but I thought some of the information in this TreeHugger series is really interesting.
First the blog includes this map showing the obesity percentages in each state.
You may have heard by now that Steve & Barry's has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (If you haven't you can check the story here.) It leaves me wondering what will happen to the one that was supposed to open in the West Manchester Mall.
I don't know if you've ever shopped at Steve & Barry's but back when I was in high school, I used to love it. The stores sell a lot of university gear (think T-shirts, hoodies and sweatpants stamped with your favorite college's insignias.)
As a senior in high school, it was so much easier on my budget to spend $7 on a T-shirt to a potential future university than the $20 I would have had to spend in the university book store.
I've reported and written about the escalating food prices many times before but had never really noticed them hit home until I was in Washington D.C. over the weekend for the 4th.
My two roommates and I had decided to grab a late dinner at one of our favorite College Park establishments, Noodles & Company. (We don't have one in York and I really wish we did.)
My one roommate orders the same exact thing every time we are there (and in college we ate there a lot) so she knows her dish has cost $7.42 every time we've eaten there.
I went to see the new Disney/Pixar flick Wall-E this weekend with some friends of mine from college, and I'll be honest, I really didn't know what to expect.
I'd seen the trailer and still couldn't figure out what exactly the movie was supposed to be about, but my friends were all going so I tagged along.
Best. Decision. Ever.
(Wall-E trailer)
Nothing like a holiday weekend to make us itch to get out of the office and because of that you're week in biz is coming a little early this week.
Enjoy.
Starbucks is closing a bunch of store, but no one's sure about the local ones.
People love their fireworks on the Fourth.
Spectra addresses issues about pipeline.
Case closed. Children get trapped in toy chests.
I plan to check out this movie the minute it comes out. (Not at all biz related.)
Saw this story in the Baltimore Sun this morning about how Wal-Mart is buying locally grown produce to sell in its stores.
Stores plan to sell $400 million of the local fruits and veggies.
It's a big step when a huge corporate entity like Wal-Mart starts moving in the direction of buying locally.
I think it's great. What do you all think?
In a few hours Rutter's will announce the first winner in its summer gas giveaway.
The lucky winner gets free gas for three years. (I'm officially jealous and the winner hasn't even been announced yet.)
Make sure to check back often this morning to see live updates from the event. Correspondent Greg Gross will be at the scene and e-mailing in updates to be posted here.
My guess is the winner is going to have a whole lot of people vying to be his or her new best friend.
