The Chronic Consumer

I’m a big fan of Ralph Lauren clothes, particularly the Polo line. I like the classic styles and the fact that you can’t really tell one year’s products from the next. I mean, you could have a Polo shirt, sweatshirt, or sweater from 1997 and it would more or less look exactly the same as one from 2007 — which means you don’t have to overhaul your entire wardrobe every year in the hopes of not appearing hopelessly outdated.

There are a couple of Ralph Lauren outlet stores in the Chicago area. One is at the Premium Outlets in Aurora, and the other is at Prime Outlets in Kenosha, WI (about a one- or two-hour drive, depending on traffic). While I like these stores, they don’t really offer the deep discounts or large selection that you’d expect from an outlet, so I don’t actually shop as often as you might think.

A lot of fellow shoppers have told me that the best Ralph Lauren factory stores can be found in North Carolina. From what I understand, they have a total of five stores in that state alone, and all of the clothes are offered at significant discounts. A friend of mine went out that way on a business trip last year and came back with armfuls of Polos that she bought for something like $9 each — obviously a much better deal than the $39 (give or take) asking price at my local stores. That’s not to say that I’ll be checking into Beaufort NC real estate in order to be closer to these unbelievable prices or anything like that… I just wish that other stores would follow suit with the huge discounts!

I’ve mentioned several times already that my husband and I want to convert one of our extra rooms into a nice home entertainment center where we can watch movies and play video games in a fun area. We’ve got a high-end LCD flat-panel television already, as well as a good surround sound speaker system (that was just delivered yesterday). Moreover, we’ve got several major gaming systems, plenty of the latest video game titles, and stacks of DVDs to keep us busy. Plus, we’re also thinking about getting theater seating (for comfort) and maybe a subscription to DirecTV (for sports).

All that’s left for us to do, really, is decorate the room. I’m leaning towards buying a bunch of movie memorabilia for the walls and shelves, things like framed posters and photos. I’d be open to buying an antique-style popcorn machine as well. I think giving the room a theme like this would really make all the difference in the world.

Anyway, the decor is still up in the air a bit since my husband prefers a more sports-oriented theme, but I’m sure we’ll get it taken care of soon. I’d be okay with sports too; I just can’t wait for the whole room to be finished!

Now that more and more businesses are offering wifi access to customers, it’s not that difficult to be able to get online (often for free) even when traveling. The only problem is locating a hotspot where you can set up your laptop and get down to business. For me, this usually means walking around with my laptop open (like a total goon, I might add) as I wait for the signal bars to light up indicating that I have a connection.

Well, those days are coming to an end pretty soon. I’ve got my eye on the Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter 2, which is set to be released sometime in September. This is a portable device that fits in the palm of your hand and tells you when you’ve found a hotspot. All you do is push a button and wait for the results to flash on the display.

I know there are comparable devices available right now, so you might ask why I’m going to wait until September for the Canary to be released. First of all, the Canary has a feature that I haven’t found on other devices. Namely, it will tell you whether the wifi network you’ve found is secure or not, so you don’t actually have to boot up your laptop to find out. Other devices just alert you to the presence of a hotspot without telling you this additional information. And second, I’ve read many glowing reviews of the first Hotspotter product from Canary, so I’m going to assume that the new version will be even better.

I’m expecting to spend about $50 on this device, but I’m sure it will be worth it. I can’t wait until the Digital Hotspotter 2 comes out!!

It seems that everyone I talk to has a different way of monitoring their spending habits. Some people use personal budgeting software on their home computers, while others just wait for their monthly credit card and banking statements to come in. There are even people who use more sophisticated financial consolidation software to closely track cash flow.

I’ve tried personal budgeting software, but those types of programs aren’t very user-friendly if you don’t have a steady income (which, as a freelancer, I don’t). I couldn’t really figure out how to use the particular program I had without specifying a fixed monthly income, so I just gave up on it.

Right now, I’m just tracking purchases through my credit card statement. Since I have a card that gives me frequent flyer miles, I use it for everything from groceries to gasoline. I then get all of my purchases listed on my statement at the end of the month, while also earning a bunch of miles. The only thing I have to do is make sure I have enough money in the bank to pay off my entire balance each month so I don’t get hit with 19.26% interest charges!

So what are your budgeting secrets? Do you just spend as you please, or do you try to limit yourself. How do you keep track?

This probably sounds like common sense to you and me, but I hear so many stories of people not taking this extra step that it seems like a good idea to spell it out: You should comparison shop for nearly every single product or service that you use. A lot of people comparison shop for products because that’s an easy thing to do. You notice the same item listed at different prices at different stores, so you buy the one at the lowest price. Or you wait for products to go on sale before making a purchase.

But I think you’d be surprised at how many people don’t comparison shop for services such as life insurance, auto repair, or cell phone carriers. They just go with the provider that they’ve been using forever or that’s located closest to their homes. This is an oversight that can end up costing you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars per year. Wouldn’t you rather drive an extra 15 miles to get your muffler changed for 25% less than the shop down the road is charging?

So whether we’re talking about dentistry or drug rehab, just be aware that there are numerous options out there for you, all at a differing prices. With a bit of extra searching, you can find providers that fit your particular budget and you won’t have to max out your credit cards or go into debt in order to obtain the services you need.

I got an email a couple days ago about this fantastic offer from Alden Grace. They are giving away 50 free personalized note cards with every order placed at their online store between now and August 31, 2007. The cards can be imprinted with your name (free) and will also come with 50 free unprinted envelopes. You can choose to personalize the envelopes for an additional fee if you’d like. To get the free note cards, you have to enter the code “Note Card” during checkout.

I’ve posted a sample of the note cards here; you can click the image to enlarge.

This offer is only good for customers who have previously ordered something from the Alden Grace online store. If you maybe ordered something from them a couple years ago, but haven’t checked back recently, now is a good time to place an order!

I would love to take advantage of this offer, but there’s really nothing on the site that I could use right now. I still have a stack of personalized stationery and foldover notes that I haven’t used yet, so the last thing I need to do is order even more of that stuff. It’s too bad Alden Grace doesn’t have holiday cards available yet otherwise I would have ordered some just to get the free note cards.

Hopefully one of you will be able to take advantage of the offer!

Since I work almost exclusively from home these days, one of the things I want to do is set up my office so that I can be as productive and comfortable as possible. I recently bought a new desk chair, a couple of file cabinets, and a DVD player so I can watch movies during the day. I know that probably doesn’t sound like something a productive person would do, but I have a movie review blog, so I really do need a way to watch DVDs when I’m in my office.

Anyway, the next thing I have to do is buy a desk to replace the simple computer hutch that I’ve been using for the last couple of years. I’ve seen a lot of nice, big modern desks that would not only look wonderful in my office, but also give me plenty of space to spread out my books and paperwork.

Since I don’t really have the money to buy a new desk in the immediate future, I’m going to put this item on my Wish List for now. I’m hoping that there will be enough money left over from my husband’s Christmas bonus to cover a desk, but that’s still months away, so I’m just going to have to make do with this hutch for now!

My husband is an avid motocross rider who currently has three bikes to his name. These machines, along with all the toolboxes and riding equipment my husband has, take up so much space in our two-car garage that we both have to park our cars outside all year round. I hate having to do this, especially in winter, so I’m thinking about letting my husband put up a workshop in our backyard.

There are lots of places around here that specialize in installing pre-engineered steel buildings and metal garages, so that’s what I’m looking into right now. I think the cost of one of these structures would definitely be worth getting my garage back! Plus, I know my husband will love having his own space to work on his bikes with his friends, so I’m sure he’ll agree with me on this idea.