Gas Prices

Does this suck or what? We are damned if we do, and damned if we don't! The global economy is still shrinking, but they are hoarding gas in anticipation of a recovery later this year. So, we took a pay cut (or got laid off) your job is on the bubble, you are trying to save money as best you can, and you still get screwed at the pump!

I am very interested in the development of electric cars, hybrids, etc (although they are not going to be the end all, be all, like most of the "experts" are saying i.e. where does an apartment dweller plug their car in???) if for no other reason then to eliminate this b.s. we have to put up with.

Read the whole story here: Oil is Plentiful, Demand Weak

How to treat a woman

I received this video in an email and I thought it was pretty funny.

want vs need

A friend recently mentioned that his wife constantly asks him: is that a want or a need?

With the recent economic news stocks plunge on banks, retail sales as well as the latest unemployment figures, I thought I might be looking for a job for quite some time. So I thought about ways to save money. One thing that came to mind was my cable bill. I had already reduced it some by changing packages, but I thought: Do I really NEED ('cause I sure don't WANT) to pay such a ridiculous amount for the 20 or so channels I watch? Do I really NEED cable? There are people advocating getting rid of cable How to cancel cable/satellite without being miserable and Get rid of cable, watch your fave shows on the net are two interesting articles that have merit.

They both suggest watching your shows either over the air, via the Internet, or using Netflix, etc which makes your TV watching either free, or significantly less. I have watched tv episodes via the Internet when I missed them and had forgotten to hit the record button. It was nice, but I can not envision my family huddled around my 17' monitor watching tv. It would be too much like the 1950s, and would be fun for about 32 seconds, and after that we would all be looking for our "space..."

Besides, I may not WANT to pay my cable bill, but I NEED to watch the Red Wings and Tigers and they don't broadcast the games over the air, or on the Internet. Maybe I could get rid of my last child who still lives at home. That might save me enough money (showers, food, etc) to upgrade my cable package...

to buy or not to buy?

Remember after 9/11 when Bush told us it was our patriotic duty to spend money to get the economy moving again? We did, and the economy rebounded. However, it does not look like that is going to happen again any time soon Consumer borrowing falls by $7.94B in November so it looks like the recession is going to last for awhile. Funny how an attack on our country does not instill the same fear in us as the thought of a recession.

David Chameides writes that we should Get on Board the Non-Consumption Train and give some serious thought to any purchases we make. He writes the article from a "green" point of view, but the tips he mentions are sound, especially when we are trying to save a different type of "green."

Just before Christmas, Best Buy had a great deal on a new TV system. It was a (all Sony products) 46" LCD, surround sound system, blu-ray dvd player, and "professional" (Geek Squad) installation for $2000 (with three years to pay it off.) Not a bad deal until I remembered that my 36" Sony still works great (and like my brother in law mentioned "it is a Sony so it will probably last for a long time" plus it weighs +250 lbs so where would I move it to anyway? Using some of David's suggestions, it will be a LONG time before I buy a new TV.

However, my neighbor suggested that I go out and buy "something" to give me incentive to get a job to pay it off! Maybe a new F-150 that my wife keeps telling me to wait on...