About ThePricer

Independent price reporting you can verify.

ThePricer is a U.S.-based publication that reports real-world prices for everyday products and services. We gather quotes, invoices, and published rate sheets; corroborate figures across multiple primary sources; and cite everything we publish.

Our editors and contributors sign our Editorial Ethics Policy and are accountable by name on every story. Advertising and sponsorship never influence our reporting, and we maintain a visible corrections process and update cadence across the site.
See: • [Editorial Ethics Policy] • [Terms and Conditions]

Who are we?

We’re a small, independent newsroom focused on what things really cost. Our writers and researchers publish price guides across consumer goods, services, healthcare, home projects, travel, and more—with one goal: help people and businesses budget accurately and avoid overpaying.

Every article is bylined, linked to primary evidence (quotes, invoices, rate sheets, store checks, on-the-record calls), and clearly dated with update history. See our Methodology and Corrections.

Editorial oversight

All content is reviewed against our Editorial Ethics Policy and house methodology before publication. A senior editor verifies sources, math, and clarity. Final editorial responsibility sits with Alec Pow — Economic & Pricing Investigator — who line-edits and approves each story.

About the founder

Alec Pow is ThePricer’s Economic & Pricing Investigator. His source-driven work has been cited by Forbes, AP News, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance.
He founded ThePricer to provide honest, fully sourced price reporting—without hype or pay-to-play recommendations.

ThePricer About

Our Values

Our standards

We publish price information that is independent, objective, and verifiable. Every guide cites primary sources and reflects current market conditions. As an independent newsroom, our editorial decisions are made without advertiser influence. We follow newsroom practices, including multi-source verification, clear citations, and a public corrections process, to stay as close to reality as possible.

What makes us different

  • We show full price ranges (low / typical / high), not a single headline number.
  • We show prices in both money and time, so you know what how much of your life you’re wasting on the product.
  • We itemize fees, timing, and regional variation so readers see the real total.
  • When possible, we include practical ways to pay less—alternatives, bundles, off-peak timing, negotiating tips, and DIY vs. pro trade-offs.

Editorial independence & ethics

We enforce a strict Editorial Ethics Policy that every editor, writer, and contributor signs and follows; no exceptions. ThePricer is funded by display advertising, but our reporting and recommendations are made independently.

  • Ad firewall: Advertising and sponsorship are handled separately from editorial. Business relationships do not influence coverage or conclusions.
  • Clear labels: Any sponsored content is labeled Sponsored at the top.
  • Link policy: Links are included to help readers verify prices and take action. We do not sell links. Where affiliate links are used, they are disclosed and never affect our reporting.
  • No gifts or payments: Staff and contributors may not accept gifts, paid trips, or any compensation from companies we cover. Review units, if loaned, are returned.
  • Conflicts of interest: Potential conflicts must be disclosed and result in recusal from related coverage.
  • Corrections & transparency: Errors are corrected promptly and visibly; update timestamps appear on articles.

Our Mission

ThePricer was founded in 2011 (originally as TheHowMuchBlog) by Alec Pow, our Economic & Pricing Investigator, to make price research simple, transparent, and useful.

We verify prices with primary sources and present the full picture: cash cost, hidden fees, timing, regional variance, and even time cost, so people and businesses can budget confidently and avoid overpaying.

Our approach:

  • Collect data from official documents, vendor quotes, and public records
  • Cross-check against reputable media and market benchmarks
  • Show calculations and assumptions for reproducibility
  • Maintain a public corrections log

We’re independent and ad-supported. Editorial decisions are made without advertiser influence, under our Editorial Ethics Policy. Where affiliate links are used, we disclose them, and they never affect our reporting.

Our work has been cited by Forbes, AP News, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, The Washington Post, CNN, Investopedia, and more.

Our Founder


Alec Pow
 — Economic & Pricing Investigator.
He leads source-based cost reporting at ThePricer, cross-checking public records, procurement tables, and market quotes to produce defensible price ranges. Cited by
Forbes, AP News, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, The Washington Post, MSN.
See methods · Corrections · Email

Alec Pow at the Desk

Our Team

Alec Pow

CEO and Founder

Alec Pow

Alec Pow is the founder of ThePricer and its Economic & Pricing Investigator.
His work has been cited by outlets including
AP News, Forbes, and USA Today.
Alec provides final editorial sign-off on every story.

Contact: LinkedIn · email · methods · corrections

Lisa Shelby

Sedior Editor

Lisa Shelby

Lisa Shelby started her journey at ThePricer as a content checker on the Pets category. She quickly became a valuable member of ThePricer family. She currently holds the only Senior Editor position in the company. Over the years, she was cited by publications such as Yahoo! Finance, HVAC.com, or NASDAQ.

You can talk to Lisa either on her LinkedIn, or by email.

Lora Stonden

Chief Advertising Officer

Lora

Lora Stonden offered to help ThePricer when the website was still a hidden gem. Using her marketing skills and press connections, she managed to bring the website in front of millions of readers over the years. She is known for her fearless attitude, funny emails, and tasty margaritas.

You can send Lora a message on LinkedIn, or talk to her through emails.

Aside from this wonder-trio, ThePricer also works with journalists and professionals in all fields and areas to leverage their expertise when researching topics and creating new content.

We assign topics to writers and contributors with demonstrated experience in the subject. We verify portfolios and edit tests before commissioning work. Health content is authored or medically reviewed by qualified clinicians; pet content by veterinary professionals; automotive content by experienced mechanics; and finance/public-sector pieces by cost researchers. We do not publish outside a contributor’s expertise area.

Our writers and editors have demonstrable experience in the topics they cover and conduct source-based research using online and offline materials. Whenever a story hinges on local prices or service fees, we verify on the ground (in-store checks, phone quotes, or on-the-record calls). We don’t publish from a single web source; key claims must be cross-checked and calculations reproducible.

Price Talk > Small Talk

If our guides saved you money, brag about it—socials, group chats, even first dates (we won’t judge). We publish new price explainers daily.

Newsroom contacts

Editorial office

ThePricer Media LLC
4 Grove Street
New York, NY 10014, United States
Phone: +1 212-431-2441 (Mon–Fri, 9:00–17:00 ET)

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