The Chronic Consumer

I overheard my husband talking to a friend of his on the phone last night. They were talking about how a metal gas can was stolen from the friend’s truck when he stopped by a bar after work a few days ago to have a couple of drinks before heading home. Anyway, my husband suggested that the guy invest in a tonneau cover so that sort of thing doesn’t happen again.

Anyway, there are a wide variety of tonneau covers available that will fit just about any make and model of truck on the road today. You can get a used one for as little as $50 or a brand-new one for much more than that. It’s really up to you to decide how much you want to spend on a tonneau cover, so be sure to shop around to get the best deal!

Like most savvy shoppers out there, I’m always looking for a way to save money on all the purchases I make. This is especially true when it comes to family vacations, as I find that vacations are the single-biggest annual drain on our budget (not including regular living expenses, of course).

One of the best things you can do to save money is to rent a house or condo on your vacation instead of staying at hotels. This works especially well when you’re planning to stay more than four nights, and the savings are actually twofold. First, you’ll save money on the accommodations portion because renting an entire house for a week is usually cheaper than paying for seven nights in a decent hotel. And second, you’ll be able to save money on food because you’ll have access to a kitchen, which means you can go grocery shopping and cook your own meals instead of having to eat at restaurants the whole time.

I recommend that you try this method out for your next vacation. For example, if you want to take your family to Disney World for a week, check out an Orlando rental home instead of staying in an expensive resort hotel. You could end up saving hundreds of dollars from making the switch!

I know Hershey’s Kissables have been around for a long time now, but I didn’t get around to trying them until recently. I usually stay away from the candy aisle whenever I go grocery shopping so I won’t be tempted to indulge my sweet tooth, and I guess that’s one of the reasons I hadn’t bought Kissables before.

Anyway, I decided to grab a small bag the other day. I’m not sure what I was expecting from the candy, but I was pretty disappointed when I realized that these taste exactly the same as M&M’s! I’m not a huge M&M fan, so this similarity isn’t a good thing in my book. The only thing that separates Kissables from M&M’s is the shape (Kissables are shaped like tiny Hershey’s Kisses), and obviously that’s not a big deal.

I don’t think I’ll be buying Kissables again, but at least now I can say that I’ve tried them!

While most of the items I’ve written about on this site are optional, fun products that you can take or leave as you please, I think it’s also important to highlight some of the things you really shouldn’t be without, such as insurance.

Everyone should have life insurance, so if you don’t currently have a policy, I recommend checking out Globe Insurance today. Globe can get you set up with an affordable life insurance policy right now simply by filling out an online form. There’s no waiting period, no medical exam, and no annoying calls from agents. Globe also offers policies for children, which can be a good investment since the policy will actually build up a cash value.

Just remember: before buying all the fun stuff, make sure you do what’s right for your family. Be prepared for the unexpected by having solid insurance coverage for your loved ones.

I have a dog that has been suffering from terrible skin problems for the last three years. The vet thinks there’s an allergy involved and has done a multitude of tests, but hasn’t quite been able to pinpoint the substance that she is allergic to. He did say, however, that he believes the problem lies with the food we’re feeding the dog. So we’ve tried 10 different brands over the years, but nothing has improved.

Right now we’re thinking about trying Organic dog food to see if that will make a difference. Organic dog food doesn’t have any artificial preservatives, fillers, and other additives that could adversely affect canine health, which could be exactly what my pet needs.

It can’t hurt to give this organic stuff a try. Hopefully it will bring my dog some relief from her skin problems!

If you’re a fan of the television series House (like I am), then you might be interested in purchasing a special t-shirt to benefit charity. The slate gray t-shirt features one of House’s favorite sayings, “Everybody lies,” and is on sale for $19.95. Moreover, proceeds from all sales will go to benefit the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI).

For more information or to purchase a shirt, follow the link below (not an affiliate link):

House MD t-shirts

Click photo to enlarge.

EDIT 7/16/07: I just went to the site to order a shirt and was 3/4 of the way through the checkout process when I saw that after shipping and taxes, my total would come to $28.50. For those keeping score at home, that’s 43% more than the listed price of $19.95. I refuse to pay that much for shipping, so I’m not getting this shirt after all.

Most of my husband’s friends are motocross riders, which means they all have huge pickup trucks for their bikes and equipment. Of course, none of these guys are actually happy with the state of their trucks right from the dealer, so they’re always shopping for various accessories to add or install. One of the most popular among the motocross set is an in-bed truck toolbox to help them keep their tools nice and organized.

I really like these toolboxes, and wish my husband would get one. As things stand now, he just has a regular portable toolbox that always gets in the way. If he keeps it in the cab, there’s no room for people to sit comfortably. If he keeps it in the back, it bounces and slides around while we’re driving, and we always have to worry about it getting stolen.

An in-bed toolbox definitely seems like the way to go, so hopefully we’ll pick one of these up very soon!

I have developed quite a sweet tooth in recent years and consequently look for snacks that can satisfy this craving. In my endless quest for new treats, I came across these tiramisu flavored quadratini wafers from a company called Loacker. They’re made in Italy, but I happened to find them at a little store near my house that carries a variety of imported foods.

Let me tell you, these wafers are delicious! They’re shaped into bite-sized squares and consist of four thin layers of tiramisu-flavored cream wedged between five thin wafers. The squares are no more than an inch thick. They’re very light and flavorful, and HIGHLY addictive! Unfortunately, they’re also high in calories, so I really have to limit my daily intake.

Anyway, if you can find these Loacker Quadratini Tiramisu squares at a store near you, I definitely recommend buying them. They taste wonderful and I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do!

(Click photo to enlarge.)