The Chronic Consumer

I am so not ready for winter this year! I still need to buy a winter jacket, hat, gloves, and a scarf, and while looking through my closet today, I saw that I could use a new pair of boots too. They don’t have to be sexy boots or anything like that; I just want a pair that will keep my feet relatively warm and dry as I slog through the snow.

I’m actually partial to duck boots and loved the Sporto brand back when it was popular. But I haven’t seen that name around in years, so I don’t even know if that company still exists. However, I saw that LL Bean makes duck boots, and since I’m planning on ordering my winter jacket from them, I might as well toss in a pair of these while I’m at it. They’re not that expensive, so what the heck!

While I usually try to cook (relatively) healthy meals for my family, there are some days when I simply don’t have the time or energy to spend an hour in the kitchen getting dinner ready. So I always have a supply of Chicken or Hamburger Helper varieties on hand for those nights when I’m pressed for time. One of my family’s favorite flavors is Cheesy Hashbrowns.

I know some people might think that hashbrowns, cheese, and ground beef doesn’t exactly sound like an enticing combination, but it’s surprisingly good. (Just remember that I am an avowed processed cheese lover, so that might have something to do with my reaction here!)

The package comes with dehydrated shredded potatoes and a cheese mixture. After browning some ground beef, you add the potatoes and some water to the skillet. Once the potatoes get re-hydrated, you’re supposed to flatten the mixture and cover the skillet so the potatoes have a chance to brown. Meanwhile, you add milk to the cheese mixture to make the sauce, and once the stuff in the skillet is done, you pour the cheese mixture over it and serve.

Very easy, just like all the Hamburger Helper varieties.

The only problem is that I rarely ever get the potatoes in the skillet to brown evenly, so the final product never looks quite like the picture on the box, but it’s still very edible. I recommend trying Hamburger Helper Cheesy Hashbrowns if you haven’t already!

When I was growing up, I knew a girl who took horseback riding lessons in Lake Forest. She had lessons every Saturday, and was even good enough to enter competitions by the time we got to high school. One year the school’s yearbook staff decided to do a profile on her, so there’s a huge two-page layout in the book with pictures of Sheila out at the stables in her horse riding apparel, which I thought was pretty cool.

Looking at the pictures now, I can’t help but wonder Sheila’s equestrian clothes came from. There certainly weren’t any local stores that she could have gotten them from, so I guess she had to purchase them out by the stables.

Of course, these days you can buy equestrian clothes and equipment online, which I’m sure makes the whole experience a lot more convenient. I guess it’s just odd to think that there ever was a time when I didn’t know how or where to buy something. I’m just so used to looking everything up on the Internet first now!

I bought the first generation PlayStation Portable from Sony for Christmas a couple years ago. Even though I know there’s a new generation of PSPs available on the market today, I figured I’d go ahead and review my old one because you can still buy this style at used/refurbished prices and because there’s probably not a significant performance difference between the two versions.

The Sony PSP is a very sleek device that looks good and delivers excellent gaming qualities. It has two sets of control buttons (one on each end of the device) that mimic the buttons on a standard PS2 controller. There’s also a small joystick under the directional buttons, and an L and R button up at the top of the device.

I’ve found that the buttons are easy enough to use, but was never really able to get accustomed to the joystick. As a result, I avoid playing games that feature heavy joystick usage and just stick to easier games.

The best part of the PSP, in my opinion, is its nice, wide 4.3-inch LCD display. The colors and graphics are very sharp, and the screen size is bigger than any other handheld out there, which makes for a better overall playing experience.

The PSP can also play videos, which is an awesome feature. Of course, the files have to be in MP4 format, which requires some tweaking and converting, but I’ve gotten used to the process and can now rip any DVD in my collection into something that can play on my PSP. Very cool!

Games for the PSP aren’t as family-friendly as the ones available for Nintendo DS, so I don’t recommend this device for children under the age of, say, 7, but other than that, I think the PSP is a quality product that is well worth purchasing.

Remember how I told you I need to buy some small-business software to help keep my financial records organized? Well, I was out at one of the national computer superstores today, and didn’t really see anything that I liked.

They either had programs that were far too sophisticated (and expensive) for my needs or that were completely unrelated to my type of business. For example, I don’t run a nursing home here so I obviously wouldn’t get any use out of the assisted living software I saw!

A couple of people have written in and told me to use Microsoft Money for straightforward home business transactions. I’ve tried Money in the past (just for my household budget) and didn’t like it too much, so I’m don’t want to use it again.

I guess I’ll just have to start searching online for the kind of software I need.

Have you heard that PayPal is now offering a browser plug-in that lets you access your PayPal account from any site on the ‘net? I just discovered this a couple days ago when I was signed into my account to make a withdrawal.

According to the info on the site, the plug-in would allow you to shop more easily by auto-filling information like name and address, alerting you to potentially fraudulent sites, saving your receipts, and checking your current balance from anywhere.

This sounded good, so I tried downloaded the plug-in and installed it in Firefox.

It sits up at the top right-hand corner, and is just a “P” logo. There’s a drop-down menu that allows you to do any of the things I mentioned above, and I guess it is kinda cool to be able to check my balance instantly.  I haven’t used it for shopping yet, so I’m not sure how effective it is in that respect.

The only problem I’ve noticed so far is that there’s no logout button in the plug-in. That means if you share a computer, you’ve got to go to your actual PayPal account page and sign out from there, otherwise whoever uses the browser after you will be able to access your info.

That seems like kind of a silly thing for the developers to overlook, so maybe it’s in there somewhere, and I’m the one missing it!

Anyway, check out the PayPal plug-in if you’re a big online shopper like I am.

We’re buying a new van next year to replace my husband’s current one, which is going on 9 years old. We haven’t quite decided what make or model we’re getting, but we’re sure that we want to install a dropdown DVD player once we get it. So we’re already shopping for auto DVD players, and have identified the Alpine PKG-RSE2 as our first choice.

From the reviews I’ve read, the Alpine PKG-RSE2 is one of the best aftermarket players available. Primarily, we’re looking for something with a big screen (this one is 10.2 inches) and that has a clear picture when viewed from the sides. This last part is extremely important since the player will be mounted in the center, which means both backseat passengers will be watching from an angle.

The only drawback to this Alpine is the price tag — nearly $700. That’s certainly going to do some damage to our checking account, but I think this is one instance where we shouldn’t skimp on quality.

We’re going to keep checking around, of course, as we still have a few months before we take the plunge on a new car. Even so, I think there’s a 90% chance that we’ll end up buying this Alpine.

I can’t wait to be able to watch DVDs on long road trips!

I meant to make this post last month during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but it completely slipped my mind. I don’t want to wait until next year, so I’m just going to post now.

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that I like to buy products from websites, stores, and organizations that support a specific cause, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, or the Alzheimer’s foundation of America. I love knowing that a percentage of the money I spend goes to help these worthy charities.

Another cause that I support is breast cancer awareness, which is why I’ve purchased several items from The Breast Cancer Site. One of my favorite items from that site is the Classic Pink Ribbon Pin, a symbol that everyone recognizes.

This is an enameled pin that, according to the product description, is approximately 2cm tall and 1 cm wide. The ribbon is made of sterling silver, and is hand-painted in pink (with a silver trim around the whole thing). It has a simple pin and clasp mechanism on the back, allowing you to attach it to your blouse, lapel, or whatever.

The pin also came in a beautiful handmade gift bag, which was a surprise. The bag is made from a velvet-like material, has four drawstrings, and features an embroidered pink ribbon in the lower right-hand corner. (Click to enlarge a bit.)

The Classic Pink Ribbon Pin costs just $8.95 at The Breast Cancer Site, and best of all, the site contributes the cost of 1% of a mammogram for each pin sold. They also offer deals on purchases of two or more pins, and handle bulk orders as well.

If you’d like to support the fight against breast cancer, I encourage you to shop at The Breast Cancer Site this holiday season. There are tons of other items available for sale, so you’ll definitely be able to find something to your liking. Check it out!

With one week left until Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the entire year, I’d like to take a moment to recommend that you create — and stick to — a budget this holiday season. I know it’s tempting to spend more than you can afford on your kids, your spouse, or other loved ones, but that can really wreak havoc on your finances for months and months to come. It’s just not a smart move to overextend yourself during Christmas to the point where you have to cancel your cable package or discontinue your burial policy later in the year.

So if you can only afford to spend, say, $100 per child this Christmas, don’t break down and end up spending twice as much as that on gifts. I know from experience that it’s not worth it in the long run.

Make a commitment to shop smarter this year!

When I was in high school and college, I was very concerned about wearing brand-name clothes. Back then the most popular brand for shirts, tops, and jackets was Gap, while Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Girbaud were the only jeans the “cool kids” would wear. (I’m really dating myself here, aren’t I?) It seems so shallow now, but back then it just went with the territory.

These days, however, I really don’t feel like spending $100-$200 for Diesel jeans or any of the other hot brands out there. I would just rather buy jeans that are comfortable, durable, and fit well — which is why I now wear Lee Riders.

I bought a pair of Lee Riders Relaxed Fit jeans at Wal-Mart about six months ago. I had heard that these jeans were pretty good, so I wanted to check them out. I tried on a pair in the dressing room before making my purchase, and immediately noticed how great they fit. I was hooked almost from the start.

Now that I’ve had plenty of time to evaluate the jeans properly, here are some more thoughts on them:

• They are extremely durable, and have held up very well in the washer and dryer. After six months of use, the Riders are only slightly more faded than before, and have no noticeable signs of wear and tear, such as loose seams or whatnot.
• The jeans retain their size and shape better than any other pair I’ve owned. With most other brands, I have to struggle to get into them when they’re fresh out of the dryer because they’ve shrunk a tad in the process. But my Riders are always comfortable, no matter when I put them on.
• Riders have a relatively flattering fit. With most other brands, the term “relaxed fit” means you end up with jeans that make your butt and thighs look huge. Lee seems to understand that there’s more to relaxed fit than simply adding extra material to the backside. The result here is jeans that are comfortable and make you look good when wearing them.

I loved my first pair of Riders so much that I went out a month later and bought 3 more of the exact same style. I highly recommend these jeans, and at less than $16 a pair, you can’t really go wrong!