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Spending & BudgetingPricing

Why Prices End in .99

$4.99 feels a lot cheaper than $5.00

A store raised a dress from $34 to $39, and sold more of it. The reason is how your eye reads a price.

You'll find out

  • Which dress price sold the most
  • Why one cent feels like a dollar
  • How common the trick really is

Why it matters

Prices are written for your eye, not your math. Seeing the trick is how you stop paying for it.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 30 · Zone 4

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Previous lessonThe 50/30/20 BudgetNext lessonThe Subscriptions That Never Sleep

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  1. 28BudgetingNeeds, Wants and the Gray ZoneRent is a need. A bigger apartment might not be
  2. 29BudgetingThe 50/30/20 BudgetHalf for needs, a third for wants, a fifth for the future
  3. 31Recurring CostsThe Subscriptions That Never SleepSmall monthly charges add up to a big yearly bill
  4. 32Spending PsychologyThe Pain of PayingCards hurt less than cash, so we spend more
  5. 33Delayed GratificationThe Marshmallow TestKids offered one treat now or two later showed how hard waiting is, and later studies found the setting matters as much as willpower
  6. 34Smart SpendingCost Per UseA $200 coat you wear daily can cost less than a $40 one you never do
  7. 35BudgetingWhere Did My Month Go?Your spending, drawn as a picture
  8. 36Retail DesignThe Gruen TransferMalls are designed to make you forget why you came

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Money Wonders

Learn how money really works. A learning game by TCK Systems.

Also by TCK SystemsTech WondersBig ideas for curious minds.

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Zones 20

  • 1Origins of Money
  • 2The Rat Race
  • 3Business Basics
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  • 5Compound Interest
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  • 7How Banks Work
  • 8Inflation Basics
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  • 14Crypto Basics
  • 15Bubbles & Scams
  • 16Money & Happiness
  • 17Gold & the Dollar
  • 18Pay & Benefits
  • 19Starting a Business
  • 20Lifestyle Creep

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