35 extreme ways to save (1 23 25)

Author

Anthony Hazzard
January 23, 2025

YouGov has released its annual BrandIndex tracking scores! More than 2,000 of the largest companies are included, and you can find all the details later in this email. 

💵 Today’s Top Stories
Save money piggy bank

Cutting sponges and using a disposable razor for a year are just some of the extreme ways you can save money. Read more.

Credit Card

We’ve identified our top four credit cards with the best gas station rewards. You may be surprised to learn that zero gas station-branded cards made the list. Read more.

Taxes

It’s quite possible you’ll be able to file your tax return free of charge. Here are eight options to look into. Read more.

Credit Score

Why is it so hard to nail down our credit scores? And why does the number vary so much depending on where you get it from? Clark explains. Read more.

💻️ Tech Tip From Kim Komando

Haven't used your PayPal account in forever? Delete it and erase all the data associated with your name. Log in and click the Settings icon. Select Data & Privacy > Delete your data and close account. Follow the on-screen prompts, and wait for the confirmation email. Join 575K people who get tech smart with my friend Kim Komando’s free newsletter, The Current.

🏬 Analyzing the Best & Worst Brands in the United States

YouGov released its annual BrandIndex tracking scores for more than 2,000 of the largest companies in the United States.

A huge majority, 94.1%, fell into the category of “positive value” and “positive quality,” led by Amazon as by far the most beloved brand.

Just 1.3% of brands (27 total) earned “negative value” and “negative quality,” including Spirit Airlines, which recently filed for bankruptcy.

Dollar General and Dollar Tree headlined “positive value” and “negative quality,” while Starbucks led the “negative value, positive quality” quadrant.

Americans with high income love some of Clark’s favorites: Costco, Trader Joe’s, Vanguard and Fidelity. And Americans with low income love PowerBall, Mega Millions and Golden Corral.

YouGov also listed 26 different categories, with the top 5 ranked for “best” and “worst” perceived value in each. Below are some notable best and worst rankings.

Airline: Southwest (best)/Spirit Airlines (worst)
Cable & Streaming: Netflix/DirecTV
Cars: Toyota/Tesla
Casual Dining: Olive Garden/Hooters
Grocery: Aldi/Whole Foods
Insurance: USAA/Transamerica
Investment: USAA/BlackRock
Retail: Home Depot/Jenny Craig
Travel: Hotels.com/Disneyland & Disney World

📊 Stat of the Day

📉 94%: The estimated losses that the nearly 41,000 victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme have recovered. The government started a fund to make people whole. And it has distributed more than $4.3 billion in the last seven years in 10 different distributions, with the 10th and final payment made recently.

💰️ Deal Alert: Today’s Top Deals
Gift
TV deals
🎙️ Podcast

Consumer spending is an astronomical 70% of the U.S. economy – way higher than previous generations. If you have a tendency to shop, shop, shop, Clark has simple tips to help you cut your spending in 2025. Also, have you every connected to public internet? Clark has a serious warning you can’t ignore.

☎️ Need Money Help?

The Team Clark Consumer Action Center is a free helpline that can help you navigate your money questions. Call 636-492-5275. Visit clark.com/cac for more information.

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