• Cable or Satellite TV - 23% of Americans now consider this a necessity. Down big time from 55% in 2006.
• Flat Screen TV - Now only 8% of folks think a cool TV in the living room is a necessity. Down 25% from 3 years ago.
• Air Conditioning- 3 years ago 70% of people considered A/C a necessity. Now only 50% of Americans consider cool air in your home a necessity. This one depends on where you live. In my neck of the woods, I would consider A/C a necessity as a 110 degree day is a common occurrence in July and August.
• Microwave Oven - Used to be 70% of people thought the nuker was a necessity, now only 44% think that. Not sure I understand this one. Microwave ovens are pretty darn cheap these days. Maybe it has to do with the fattening of our society as people have less leftovers to heat up the next day!

But what I found the most interesting had to do with services people are getting rid of. Americans are starting to do things for themselves and are shopping smarter. Here are a few of the biggest changes:

• Discount Stores - No sense paying more for name brands if you don’t have to. Almost 66% of Americans are now shopping at discount stores. Up 20% from 3 years ago. Walmart, for example, is absolutely thriving during this recession.
• Veggie Garden - Now 1 in 5 are growing a veggie garden. Up significantly from years past. The cool thing about this is you only need a few square feet in the backyard to grow some tomatoes or other veggies. Plus it is a lot of fun and a great activity to do with your kids.
• Luxury Services - Americans are starting to mow their own lawns, take care of their own pools, and are changing the oil in their automobiles. Smart. Smart. Smart. Very easy ways to save money. Plus, you will get some exercise in the process.

How has the recession changed the way you spend money? Looking forward to your response.

1. Peeing In Pools, or Worse - The story says 17% of folks pee in the pool. Not sure if this means 17% pee in the pool every time they enter or in a lifetime. The story also does not clarify peeing while in the pool or standing outside of the pool and letting it rip.  Hmmmm…..  TIP: Stay away from in-pool bars, you know those guys drinking beer all day in the pool are not exiting when nature calls.
   The story goes on to say that fecal matter is the biggest health risk. Protect yourself by not swimming when you have diarrhea. And on a related note, don’t swallow pool water. Also, take your kids on bathroom breaks and check diapers often. Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Wash your children thoroughly with soap and water before they go swimming. Yeah, right.
2.  Undercooked Meat - This one is a bit tricky for me. There is nothing worse than overcooked meat. But the key number here is 160, as in 160 degrees. This is the temperature that kills all bacteria.
3. Sand, Soil and Germs Outdoors - This one is ridiculous as the story talks about ticks and salmonella from reptiles. These have nothing to do with sand and soil, but rather weeds, hiking, and plants. Common sense stuff that humans have been dealing with effectively for 1000’s of years. Just wash kids hands regularly. Moving right along…
4. Freshwater Parasites - The key to this one is NOT to drink the water you play and swim in. Simple enough. The risks from drinking such water is E. coli and other bacteria.
5. Outdoor Eating - Picnics have ants and flies, that is just reality. Yes, we all know where flies were before they landed on your potato salad. But at the same time, we have all ate at hundreds of picnics with flies landing on the food yet how many of us have ever gotten sick? None that I know of. I have something called white cells and an immune system. It is gross though, no doubt about that.
6. Leaving Cold Food Out - Mayo has gotten a bad rap over time. By itself, it can sit out “because mayonnaise made with lemon juice or vinegar” is not a breeding ground for bacteria because it is such an acidic, low pH environment. Now there is some news we can use. Although, I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat coleslaw that has sat out during the entire family softball game….

Now go enjoy your summer and stay healthy!

But my question is this: What would you do if you saw someone trying to steal something from a store? Would you look the other way? Would you inform store management? Would it matter if the person was stealing food compared to an iPod? Also, what would you do if they were stealing children’s clothing or baby formula? Look forward to your thoughts.

Best news is that you can share your favorite frugal recipe and it will get posted on her site! So if you have a great recipe that you would like to share, head on over to her site.  All the appropriate links and credits will be credited to you within the post. I saw that today she has posted The “Secret” Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Oh man, I am all over that one like white on rice!

Well done Jennifer, I will be printing many recipes for my family to try!

• Cruise Deals - Cruises are at record low prices. They aren’t for every one, but if you were always curious this may be a good time to try one.
• Las Vegas - Sin City always has great deals, but never this good. Hotels from only $18 a night and Vacation packages from $181.
• Hawaii - Airfare to Hawaii is really low right now. Tickets that cost $700-1000 last year now can be bought for $450 to $700.
• Orlando, Florida - I have been getting some great coupons for travel packages to Orlando and Disney World. They must be hurting as well. Worth a look.

~Automobiles - You can find some great deals on both new and used cars right now. Gas prices have plummeted and those who bought small cars last summer when gas was $4 a gallon are now selling and coming to the realization that they are not ’small car’ owners. They missed their living room on wheels! This means great deals on used Toyota hybrids, Honda hybrids, and other very fuel efficient vehicles. Gas is going to go back up, history will show that. So this is a great time to get ready, at a big discount of course!

As for new cars, many automakers have over 100 days inventory. Which means if they closed all manufacturing, it would take over 3 months to sell off their inventory. Honda is the newest victim of BIG time over-supply. The deals are great right now as Honda car lots are totally packed. The end of summer will be your best bet to score a great deal as dealers want to get rid of cars to make room for the new 2010 models. Check out CarsDirect.com to find the real value of these cars so you have a starting point for negotiating your deal.

~Real Estate - We have a long way to go before demand catches up with supply in the housing market. This means that it is a great buyer’s market. Both for first time home owners and those seeking to buy an investment/rental property. Throw in the kicker of first time home buyer programs, low mortgage rates, and tax incentives and this could be the best time to buy. Ever.

~Stock Market - EXTRA. EXTRA. The stock market is on sale! Microsoft stock is literally 50% off. If you are under 40, still have your job, and are not putting money into a Roth IRA, or company matching 401k, you are crazy. Now is the time to buy, you may never see prices likes these again. Don’t be kicking yourself in 10 years if you pass on this buying opportunity. As far as how much stock you should own, I like the idea of taking your age and subtracting if from 100 to get your percentage of stock vs. bonds. I am 35, so I have approximately 65% off my portfolio in mutual funds that invest in company stock. The rest is in more conservative bond funds.

Where are you finding great deals in your life? Looking forward to your comments!

So this past January, a good friend of mine and I started a blog to chronicle the season. The blog is appropriately called Guilty Idol Pleasures, and we attempt to review each weeks performances and quip about the show. It has been a lot of fun and we are starting to actually get some readers. So if you are a fan of the show, feel free to come on over to our American Idol blog and leave a comment or 2 about your favorite singers, or least favorite. Below is a quick screenshot. Oh, by the way, I will let you try and figure out if I am JR or Maverick!

I also thought I would go ahead and throw in some music coupons in case the mood for a new CD strikes:

• Tower Records - Free Shipping on your $25+ online order, Expires 4/30            

• Music Space.com - Save $10 OFF your $65+ online order, Expires 3/31

• Borders.com - Save 25% OFF Any 1 Music CD, DVD, or Book, Expires 3/31

 
(AKA Maverick)

1. Philips DVD Player - DVP5992/37
Price: $50

Dang, a good DVD player for only $50, that’s pretty cheap. The player offers “very good overall performance and a good choice for use with an HDTV; but there are better choices for use with a standard-definition TV,” according to Consumer Reports, which praises the device’s ease of use. I think I am waiting until Blu-Ray players get under $100 before I ever buy a new media player…

2. Canon PowerShot Digital Camera - A590 IS
Price: $109 - $180 (PriceGrabber.com)

I actually just bought this camera and love it so far. With kids, you have to have a small camera in your pocket whenever you go anywhere and this one fit the bill. This point-and-shoot camera “is one of the most versatile compacts you can get for the money,” according to Consumer Reports. “It offers many shooting options, such as manual and exposure controls, plus practical features, such as an optical viewfinder, which can be helpful in composing in bright light situations. Produces images with very good sharpness, although we did notice visible noise.”

3. SanDisk Music Player - Sansa Fuze (8GB)
Price: $120

Looking for a digital music player that’s not an iPod? This one from SanDisk (SNDK) is “a smart, no-nonsense player that can grow with your library,” Consumer Reports says. “Rotating the Fuze’s control wheel provides a quick and amusing way to access the player’s menu icons…Good quality sound and recording from FM radio. Good quality recording from built-in microphone. Easier to handle than other players while walking or jogging.” Seems kind of pricey to me for only 8GB.

4. Canon Printer - Pixma MP520
Price: $150

My wife and I need a need printer for our home office and I have added this Canon unit to my want list. Anybody reading this own it and would recommend it? This all-in-one printer is “a very good all-around choice, with reasonable printing costs,” according to Consumer Reports, which notes the device offers high photo and text quality.

5. HP Digital Photo Frame - df800
Price: $150

A great gift for grandparents! Although I bought one for my Mom a few years ago and I think it is still in the box. So I should re-phrase, great gift for grandparents who are somewhat tech-savvy. Total oxymoron there. This digital photo frame from Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) “performed well in our tests and is recommended in its category,” Consumer Reports says.

6. TomTom GPS - One 130
Price: $150

This entry-level navigation device “might be appealing to shoppers looking for a good device at a great price,” according to Consumer Reports. I am an entry level map reader so this may be perfect for me!

7. Canon Camcorder - Vixia HV30
Price: $587 - $890.19 (PriceGrabber.com)

This camcorder “is a fine choice,” according to Consumer Reports. “It has excellent video picture quality and an excellent image-stabilizer.” Seems to be a decent price for a Canon.

8. Samsung LCD TV - LN40A550
Price: $899.99 - $1,399.99 (PriceGrabber.com)

I swear these are getting cheaper by the day. I remember not too long ago this TV would have cost over $2000. This 40-in. LCD TV scores high marks for “excellent picture quality across the board and a very easy to use menu system. Images have excellent detail, great color, and some of the deeper black levels we’ve seen on LCDs, though the viewing angle is only average,” according to Consumer Reports.

9. Apple White MacBook
Price: $1,000

Apple’s (AAPL) “entry-level laptop is very good, with exceptional battery life,” according to Consumer Reports. “Display was bright. Battery life was exceptionally long. Thin and lightweight. Speakers were good.” I suppose if you are an Apple die-hard this is a decent deal, but I know for a fact that you can get a good Dell laptop for half the price.

10. Canon EOS Camera - 40D Digital
Price: $1,029.95 - $1,339.99 (PriceGrabber.com)

Obviously, this is for the hardcore photographer, which I am not! This camera “has one of the fastest burst modes, being able to fire off 6.5 frames per second for as many as 75 JPEGs or up to 17 RAW files,” according to Consumer Reports. “It has excellent image quality, a large live-view LCD, and excellent battery life.”

Do you have any of these products? If so, have you been happy with your purchase? Please feel free to leave your review so we can all benefit. Thanks!

• Martin + OSA.com - Owned by American Eagle Outfitters. If you are not familiar with these guys, they specialize in casual clothing and accessories. Their most popular products include cashmere, best-fitting jeans, and the softest T shirts in the world. The also gave me a 30% off coupon: Save 30% OFF your ENTIRE online order, Coupon Code: 98137138, Expires 3/14/09.

• Lord & Taylor.com - They have the hardest to read logo ever! Since 1826, Lord & Taylor has built a reputation for service, quality, and most of all, for style. A mix of the latest trends and the timeless classics. Plus their coupons help you save some of your hard earned money: Save 15% Off your Entire online order, Coupon Code: PSALE, Expires 3/16/09.

• 1st Wishes.com - Great site to get ready for your babies 1st birthday party. Product lines include Apparel, Balloons, Party Décor, Cake Supplies, Favors, Toys, Games, Activities, Keepsake Gifts, Tableware, and Stationary. Plus you can save $10 with this coupon: Save $10 Off your $60 or more order, Coupon Code: RBS10, Expires 3/31/09.

Very impressive, they must be doing well. Even in hard economic times. I personally have never ordered anything from them. I have a friend who ordered some shoes from them and was quite impressed with their customer service. Plus, they offer free shipping and free returns which is very convenient as shoes probably won’t fit comfortably 50% of the time. Have you had any experience buying from Zappos? Good or bad, let’s hear it! I look forward to knowing more about this company. Thanks!

Unfortunately, he died a few years ago. I often wonder what he would say about our current economic crisis and government bailout programs. Although, as this interview with Phil Donahue depicts, I think we all know what he would say. He was a true champion of freedom and one of most influential people to ever walk the face of the earth. Enjoy.
Click here to view the embedded video.

My Thoughts:

• My first thought was to pack up and buy a 500 acre piece of property in Montana, off the grid of course.
• Once I cooled off, I wondered where the husband was. I think he probably was not a sympathetic character so CNN decided to focus only on the wife and kids.
• Bus drivers just don’t live in $800,000 houses, they never have and they never will.  So the fact that we are going to come up with a government program to keep them in their home is just INSANE.
• “Your home is not a credit card.” Amen brother.
• What should we have done? How about we let it play out naturally. Lots of people will lose their homes, prices will drop even more, but we will reach the bottom naturally. Then we will start to build back up the right way.
• In a related story, a grocery clerk, who bought a Bentley last year, can’t afford to make the payments. Anybody want to bail him out with their hard earned money?

1. Figure out what you like to talk about. I can’t remember how many times in the beginning that I started writing a post only to stop half way through due to boredom. Call it laziness if you want, but I chalk it up to the topic just not interesting me. Figure out the topics that really get your juices going, because in the long run it will make your blog so much more fun and rewarding.
2. Comment a lot on your blog and others. I have noticed that a lot of people have found this site by following comments I left on other blogs. Don’t just say, “nice post” either, leave a well thought out comment that actually adds to the discussion. Also, leave a comment to those that take the time to comment on your blog, this is a great way to get a good discussion going.
3. Don’t force it. If you don’t feel like writing on any particular day, DON’T! In the beginning, I thought I would have to write something everyday for anybody to ever come back to my blog, not true! Plus you will just burn yourself out. Some days, for whatever reason, I just don’t feel like writing and have no inspiration, that’s OK. Other days, I have got my Mo-Jo going and I am a writing machine, let it come to you naturally.
4. Always be on the lookout for good stuff to blog about. I keep a small notebook with me all the time so when a topic that I think would be interesting to blog about comes to me, I just jot it down. Otherwise I know I will forget. I try to blog about real life stuff, so most of my ideas come from observing life around me.
5. BE PATIENT! This is the biggest piece of advice I can give. At first, it will feel like you are just rambling on and on to yourself, but if you stay focused on your topic and try to bring something of interest that might help somebody else, people will take notice and tell their friends.

I find the best blogs are those that don’t just preach about what they feel they are an “expert” in, but rather try to make the conversation a 2 way street and admit when they might not know all the answers. It continues to amaze me how much I have learned from reading and responding to the comments that people leave on this blog. This is by far the greatest impact that my blog has made on me.

But anyways, I have had endless moments laying in bed trying to figure out what foods sound good for my aching soul. Here is what’s on my current ‘I’m a Sicko’ shopping list. Don’t worry, unlike some of my other lists I have done for this blog, this list is clean and rated G.

1. Lipton Cup-a-Soup Chicken Noodle - Love it. Want it. Need it. Dream of it. Sodium in a cup never tasted so good.
   



2. Gatorade - Need it. Drink it. Sweat it. Pee it. Any color. Any flavor. All the colors taste the same when you have the flu anyways.
   



3. Del Monte Sliced Peaches - Don’t ask me why, but this fuzzy fruit always tastes really good to me when I’m sick. They have to be the kind in 100% juice though. Otherwise they are too sweet in the syrup.
   



4. Campbell’s Chunky Baked Potato Soup - This is probably a weird one for some, but this stuff hits my G spot when I am recovering from the flu! I actually had a bowl of it for breakfast this morning. Yes, I said for breakfast! I am so stoked that I still have 4 cans in the pantry.
   

Please add to my list! What foods or drinks strike your fantasy during the cold and flu season? Look forward to reading your comments. Hope you stay healthy. One tip: Stay out of my house!

• Cell Phone Bills. Can anybody reading this completely understand their cell phone bill? The example that burns me is the cell phone contract. You have to sign up for a 2 year contract, and will have to pay a big early termination fee if you don’t stay the length of the contract. OK, clear enough, but now many cell phone companies have instituted a ‘Handset Upgrade Fee’ which means that even if you stay with the company for the length of your contract, you are going to have to pay this upgrade fee. So in essence you lose either way. Watch out for these hidden fees that are often buried in the fine print so small you need a microscope to read it. Be aware.
• Ridiculous Fees (Often Hidden). I rented a car a couple months ago thinking I was paying $30 a day for 3 days. So I figured my total bill would be around $90-$100. I return the car to the airport and my total bill is $140 due to all of these ridiculous taxes and B.S. fees. I mean come on, a Vehicle License Recovery Fee, are you kidding me! So let me get this straight, I can rent the car but the license is extra. What a joke!!

So what can we do to combat this:

• Pay attention to the fine print. This will help, but this is just not a practical practice because the fine prints is so small and so detailed in most situations.
• MAKE COMPLAINING A GOOD HEALTHY HABIT! Many companies have the strategy of charging as many fees as they can get away with. But for those loud people that complain, they will instantly give them a refund. So BE LOUD and don’t put up with this practice! Perhaps if we all complain enough such tactics will become a thing of the past.