Hi All, I have now been blogging for most of this year and this is a landmark 100th post for this blog! I feel some sense of achievement and also wanted to mark the occasion with a post about some stylish looks for under $100. So read on and tell me what you think:
I love my car, don’t get me wrong, but I really don’t know what’s under the bonnet, and terms like BHP sound to me like a medical condition. However being the thrifty soul that I am, if there is a fuel efficient car that will save me money in these days of high gas prices or there is a car that is good value for money then certainly that interests me a great deal. In fact according to a recent article in Forbes, fuel efficiency has become the single most important factor for people buying a car, even more so than quality, reliability and safety.
The Honda Fit was perceived as the best value for money in the small car segment, at $14,750 with an excellent predicted reliability rating and standard features such as Side curtain airbags; front side airbags with passenger side occupant-position detection system; adjustable steering column; split-folding rear seats and fold-flat seats; antilock brakes; power windows and door locks.
If you or your kids did any back to school purchases recently, you will have noticed how the weakened economy has made manufacturers and retailers alike slash prices to the extent that you may almost think that you are in a time warp as NY Times reported last month. “A penny these days buys eight No. 2 pencils at Staples or a wooden ruler at OfficeMax. Fifty cents buys a watercolor set at Target. A box of 24 Crayola crayons is the cost of a gumball – 25 cents. Or, as Sharon Hartley, vice president for United States marketing and sales for Crayola, put it: “Sixteen boxes of a 24-pack equals a gallon of gas.” Puts things in perspective doesn’t it!
EBay and Amazon are arguably the largest virtual markets in the world and you can get yourself practically anything that you need from there. However there is a lot of stuff available that you may certainly never need. Read on to take a look at some of the really bizarre things that come up on eBay from time to time. I found some of them on a blog that I read regularly, Jennyhow.com.
I don’t know whether it is a celebrity fixation gone out of control or just a twisted desire of the perverted mind that wants to buy Michael Jackson’s soiled underwear, but a pair of MJ’s underpants are to be sold on eBay and the reserve price set is, get this, ONE MILLION DOLLARS!
I don’t have a lot of time now for TV, but did used to watch a lot of TV earlier, and even now, given the time, would love to watch some old favorites like M.A.S.H. or Friends. In fact M.A.S.H. and I Love Lucy make me positively nostalgic. I wanted to do a post about the Top TV Shows like the one I did sometime back about the Top Grossing Films of All time, but I could not find a definitive list like the one Forbes puts out.
TV Guide however, has this list, which puts Seinfeld right at the top as the Top TV show of all time. This is followed by I love Lucy, The Honeymooners, All in the Family, The Sopranos, 60 Minutes, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Simpsons, The Andy Griffith Show and Saturday Night Live. I have to admit that I was rather relieved to see that there are no reality TV shows in that list. I agree with a post I read here, that Reality TV is the nadir of TV.
I like to be able to drive my car to wherever I am going, but sometimes it is impossible to do so, such as when you fly to a place where obviously you cannot carry your well beloved car. So when you do decide to rent a car you can save yourself quite a bit of money by just taking care of a few things:
Be suspicious of Upgrades: An offered upgrade may seem like a good idea, but remember a larger car is a less fuel efficient car so will cost you more to run. So unless you really need a larger car, decline the upgrade because a smaller car saves you money.
My niece recently took up a liking to skating. She asked me to get her a pair of roller skates in the sweetest voice possible for a 7 year old. I just had to find her the perfect pair and real soon too. I did some research on what makes a good pair of roller skates and the kinds of skates available.
Surprisingly, there is a specialized kind of roller skates for every kind of user. Broadly, there are either quad skates (i.e. having 4 wheels, one in each of the corners of the shoe) and inline skates (with wheels in a line across the middle of the shoe base). Each of these types has a multitude of varieties based on the usage. [Read more →]
I have to confess that I am not exactly a ‘rough it in the wild’ kind of girl; I am rather fond of my creature comforts like any city girl. So when it comes to camping, my mantra is Have mosquito repellant, will go camping or some such. I love the outdoor as long as I am reasonably well assured that I will not be stung, crapped upon, freeze, melt or get soaking wet.
This basic three person tent I thought was rather cool, with camouflage print and all. For $42.88 (at a 28% discount) it seems to be a good deal. Check out a lot of fairly low priced tents and shower/shelter combos here.
The Olympics came and went, and I thought I should mark the summer games by doing a post about the deals and discounts available on sporting items to see if we can’t mobilize ourselves to get up and into a sport or activity of some sort.
I maintain that cycling is one of the best ways to get around and stay fit. It is a habit you can start your kids off on at an early age and I thought this Girls BMX bike would be something that any little girl would love to have and I thought $82.99 is a really good price (about a 16% discount). This mountain bike is available for a 24% discount at $189.99 and many others; see the whole range here.
In times of economic stringency such as those that we are experiencing right now, if some companies have exhibited extraordinary growth patterns, this growth is all the more creditable and noteworthy. According to CNN money, these companies recorded the highest growth numbers in 2007:
The company to record the highest growth was NutriSystem, which is a strong indicator of America’s preoccupation with weight loss, body image and dieting. The company reported a stunning 433% earnings per share growth with 225% revenue growth and total return of 244%. NutriSystem sells pre-packaged (heat and eat) meals from their website and ship them to your door. They have an ongoing deal that will supply one weeks free food with every 4 week order. This amounts to $280 for 5 weeks food. In an age where foods are chosen according taste, price, and convenience – it should come as no surprise that NutriSystem is so popular.
