Blog Posts by CNBC

By Stephanie Landsman, CNBC.com

Flash-sale sites like Gilt.com, RueLaLa.com and BeyondtheRack.com came on the scene when recession-wary consumers were hungry for bargains and still reserved about their spending. The sites took advantage of retailer overstocks to lure shoppers in with high-quality merchandise at rock-bottom prices. But now, consumers and retailers are on more solid footing, but the sites don't appear to be losing their allure.

"The flash-sale sites are becoming an increasingly important part of Internet retailing," said KeyBanc Capital Markets Retail Analyst Edward Yruma. "The idea of product scarcity gives consumers a real reason to shop. We think flash sites are not only showing that the consumer is still looking for a bargain, but that the recreational element of shopping may be slowly coming back."

Related story: 10 Best Cities for Shopping

One sign is the range of merchandise they're selling. It doesn't matter if it's a $2,000 Chloe handbag, an $8 fedora, or an

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Here are 10 thrifty ideas for smart ways to spend more without feeling guilty. There is a fine line between miser and smart spender. As your accounts grow in size and decimal places, there are several key purchases that may increase your quality of life - and even save you some cash in the process!

A range of experts shared advice for items that savvy investors should buy in order to climb the ladder and accumulate wealth while also increasing day-to-day enjoyment.

Here are 10 thrifty ideas for smart ways to spend more without feeling guilty:

Hire Some Help

Time is money. If your hourly income is more than what you would pay for someone else to clean the house, walk the dog or mow the lawn, then hiring some help makes financial sense.
Jennifer Litwin, an author and consumer reporter, added that grocery delivery can be a big-time saver. Litwin listed "avoiding the new long self-check-out lines; getting fruits and vegetables that are well-wrapped and packed; and shopping from the comfort of your own home and still being able to take

By Daniel Bukszpan, CNBC.com

Every so often, a movie or television show depicts a character in an outfit that becomes iconic. It probably isn't the intention of most filmmakers to inspire fashion revolutions with their works, but the makers of "Flashdance" probably didn't mind when America's teenage girls started blowing their entire allowances on legwarmers.



Not every movie or television show can achieve such a feat on that kind of scale, but many try, with varying degrees of success. What follows is a list of those that made an article of clothing famous, made characters famous for fashion sense, or managed some combination of the two. Read ahead to see which ones made the list.

Stewart wore a Carolina Herrera wedding dress."The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Last year, fans of "Twilight" swarmed multiplexes to see "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1," the penultimate installment of the vampire series. The film depicted its star, Kristen Stewart, exchanging wedding vows with her undead suitor, played by Robert

By Karen Elowitt, CNBC.com

You probably already know that traveling can be hazardous to your health, particularly when it comes to picking up those nasty little respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses that are spread via shared surfaces on planes, hotels and restaurants. (If you don't know this, you're either hopelessly out of touch, or blissfully unaware.)

Those who travel more than 20 days a month are at higher risk of illness, particularly cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. But it gets worse: Now there's evidence that it's not just colds and flu that business travelers have to fear.

A 2011 study out of Columbia University's School of Public Health concluded that those who travel more than 20 days a month are at higher risk of illness, particularly cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.

The study suggests that the culprit is most likely the long hours biz travelers spend sitting, coupled with junk food diets, and the stress of life on the road.

So what can be done to ensure you stay as healthy as possible while traveling ... and beyond? The following time-honored tips will help

By Julia Boorstin, CNBC.com

Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg is jokingly referred to as the "grown up" at Facebook. As the social network's COO, Sandberg runs its all-important advertising business, business development, and oversees hiring. In her four years at the company she's helped Facebook become profitable, expand internationally, and grow its user base by more than a dozen times over to over 900 million. While her boss, Mark Zuckerberg oversees Facebook's products, the bottom line is that she figures out how they can make money, without alienating users.

Sandberg's story is a nice complement to Zuckerberg's Harvard dropout tale. She graduated from Harvard, first in her major, economics and also graduated from Harvard Business School. Her undergraduate thesis advisor served as a key mentor and boss. He hired her as a researcher at the World Bank soon after she graduated college, and later, he brought her on as his Chief of Staff at the Treasury, where he would become Treasury Secretary.

By Michelle Fox, CNBC.com

For those who love to shop, the search for that must-have item can be as fun as owning the actual product. And some cities offer shoppers a bounty of options. So, where are the top shopping destinations around the globe?



To find out, CNBC spoke with a team of editors at Tobe Report, a trend forecasting firm that has been analyzing the retail industry for more than 80 years. To choose the world's best cities for shopping, the analysts at Tobe compared a variety of city characteristics, as well as what the location had to offer in terms of the ultimate shopping experience. Also included is expert insight on where to find the latest fashions and bargains, along with a listing of their favorite neighborhood shops.

The end result - a diverse list that provides consumers with some unique shopping choices. Read ahead to see the top 10 ultimate shopping paradises.

ParisParis
When people think couture, Paris is the city that usually comes to mind. In this European

By Katie Little, CNBC.com

Dress for Success

"Dress for the job you want" goes the old adage. Today's power dresser knows that clothes are an important part of projecting an image of success and confidence in the corporate jungle.
"Power dressing is about learning to present yourself in the most dramatic way," said Alan Flusser, owner of a New York-based custom shop for men. "It's about dressing in a manner that projects importance or success."



The road to haberdashery success is not as clear-cut as in years past, since employees have much more flexibility in today's corporate dressing landscape. While the rigid business suit is merely a relic in most office cultures, at least it provided a guideline for office wear. Navigating these new clothing options requires some skill and thought.

To aid the aspiring power dresser, we've asked Flusser and other experts - an executive recruiter and department store fashion and stylist directors - for their latest tips.

Read ahead for their

By Lisa Flam, CNBC.com

Every bride wants to walk down the aisle in the perfect dress. These days, that gown could cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

Celebrity brides certainly make a splash with their opulent designer dresses. And at Kleinfeld, the New York bridal emporium, the most expensive gown ever sold was a custom design for $60,000, though most gowns are $3,500 and up.



But in reality, most of us aren't spending close to that much.

American brides spent less than $1,200 on their dress last year, according to two reports. The Wedding Report found that women spent an average of $1,166, while a study by TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com estimated the amount at $1,121.

The good news for budget-conscious brides is that the selection of stylish gowns below that level has grown in recent years, says Anja Winikka, TheKnot.com's site editor. Wedding gowns are turning up in department stores and at chain retailers like Ann Taylor and J.Crew,