Biography
Consumer news reporter Gregory Karp covers consumer issues and writes the weekly Spending Smart column, which appears on Sundays. He has been a newspaper reporter and editor for 20 years. Before joining the Tribune, he was a personal finance and economy writer at The Morning Call in Allentown, Pa. He's covered everything from municipal news to a U.S. Senate race to the telecommunications industry. He's been a local news editor, online editor and business news editor at two papers. Karp is author of two books, "Living Rich by Spending Smart" and "The 1-2-3 Money Plan."
Alarms should sound on deal
May 11, 2012
An electronic home security system can be the source of great peace of mind or great financial headache. That's because buying a system, and the alarm monitoring that often goes along with it, can be a thorny purchase, fraught with such perils as wildly differing prices, high-pressure sales tactics and unfriendly contracts.
-
Get more mileage out of used bike
April 27, 2012
Like new cars, new bicycles depreciate dramatically the moment they leave the cycle shop. So buying used can be a better value for your money, especially if you can score a decent ride for less than $100.
-
Mentally account for refund
April 13, 2012
The term "mental accounting" is a bit of academic jargon, but it might be worth knowing because it can explain how you spend your tax refund this year.
-
Marvelous money skills
March 30, 2012
Success in life and money usually stems from making good decisions. But you're unlikely to make good decisions without knowledge. And survey after survey shows Americans, young and old, just don't have enough knowledge about basic money issues to make those good decisions.
-
Take good care to save
March 16, 2012
Advice abounds from supermarket-shopping gurus on cheaper ways to fill your refrigerator and pantry with food, but less talked about is how to get better value when filling your medicine cabinet with pricey medications and personal care items.
-
Get your complaint heard
March 2, 2012
Ideally, consumer interaction with companies would always be calm and businesslike. But too often when problems arise from a purchase, those interactions become emotionally charged and quickly deteriorate into frustrated screams, curses and tears.
-
Finding joy in a simpler life
February 16, 2012
Many times, simple is hard.
-
Drive auto insurance lower
November 4, 2011
The ideal way to save money is to exert effort once and automatically reap savings over and over again, every month. That's why examining your car insurance makes a lot of sense.
-
Don't get taken for a ride on car repairs
September 2, 2011
For consumers, information is power. But smart shoppers can't be expected to be experts in all categories of buying. That's why one of the biggest benefits of using the Internet is to lift the veil of ignorance that leads to bad purchases.
-
You can get that at the library?
August 26, 2011
Where can you borrow a garden rake or fishing pole, host a conference-room meeting and get free passes to the local museum?
-
Is cheaper phone service your calling?
June 10, 2011
For the tech savvy, a home phone line seems almost quaint because so many of them use mobile phones for calling. But you don't have to be a techie — or even a cell-phone owner — to benefit from cutting the cord to your traditional phone line.
-
New sites, apps that might be worth consuming
June 3, 2011
Technology is a huge help for consumers to spend money smarter.
-
Is it a good idea to lease?
May 31, 2011
Consumers who lease vehicles are confronted with a decision after a few years of ownership. Do I give back the car after the contractual lease period ends, or do I buy it?
-
A little loyalty pays off
May 13, 2011
A lack of loyalty can cost you in numerous ways. One is the $205 you didn't claim last year.
