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Personal-finance roundup

It's SMI's Personal Finance Friday, and today I'm bringing you a smorgasbord of articles to get your financial juices flowing.

Fitness Deals to Beat the New Year Rush: "It's true that you won't see splashy promotions right now, because most gyms wait to publicize big promotions until the New Year's resolution rush. But if you walk in and ask, you'll find they're very willing to give a discount to get you in the door..."

When a Child 'Forgets' to Give You Change: "Levi needed a cash infusion for a school activity the other morning, and I instinctively dug into my pocket.

"'Dad, I need $40 for my new cross-country jersey and stuff,' he said. I fished out a fifty to pass over to him. He could give me the $10 change later.

"Whoa, just a second, I thought. 'Whatever happened to the change for the 30 bucks I gave you back in August?' I demanded.

"'What $30?' he responded..."

The Mall Goes High-Tech: "Back in August, the big retailer Gap decided to go where few large retailers have gone before — using a popular discount Web site to hold a nationwide sale. Shoppers had 24 hours to go online at Groupon.com and buy half-price shopping vouchers good for everything from jeans to trendy messenger bags.... [B]y day's end, almost 450,000 potential customers had bought into the deal.

"It's the new paradox for the American shopper: Just when buying online has become second nature for most consumers, retailers are shaking up the way they sell, now increasingly using the Internet to lure them back to Main Street or the mall."

Goodbye to All That Penny-Pinching: "The challenge for us lies not in knowing what to do, but in doing it. Despite our current economic travails, we live in a society of great wealth. Every time we drive past a shopping center or flip on the television, we are confronted with all the great products we don't own but could.

"Even for those inclined to be cheap, it's not so simple.... So, rather than providing helpful tips in my previous columns, I've used the space often to examine those two great forces that make us spend more than we should: seduction and compromise."

Future-Proof Your Phone's Data Plan: "Following AT&T's lead, both Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile are expected to unveil new cell phone data plans this week, offering lower prices for customers willing to give up their unlimited data plans. But the $15 savings might not be worth it — and if you switch, there could be no going back."

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