The Chronic Consumer

With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, there’s not a whole lot of time left to find a great gift for Dad. Since my father is retired now, the old standby presents of neckties, pen sets, and desk accessories are pretty much out of the question, but all of those things are boring anyway. I’d much rather get him something that he would actually enjoy owning and using, like a new watch.

As I was browsing around the Internet today, I came across some fantastic deals on Seiko watches over at BlueDial.com. For example, BlueDial has this Seiko SPC031 Men’s Advanced Alarm Chronograph Timer (pictured above) on sale for just $257.40, which is nearly $500 off the retail price of $725. This watch comes with a bunch of features that I know my dad would find useful, such as preset countdown timers, luminous hands and markers, alarm functions, a chronograph, push-button deployment clasp, and more. Plus, the brushed and polished black anodized stainless steel case and bracelet help make this watch look very stylish.

I’ve checked at other discount sites as well, but BlueDial has the best deal by far. What’s more, they also offer free 2nd Day shipping to the continental U.S. and a free gift message card, meaning that I can still get the watch in time for Father’s Day. Perfect!

A couple months ago, I mentioned that my husband was interested in buying this 2008 Rockstar Pipestar Hoody from One Industries. We hesitated back then because of the price ($58), but since Father’s Day is coming up anyway, I figured this would be as good a time as any to splurge a bit. Yes, I consider this particular $58 purchase a splurge — because normally, we’d never dream of paying that much for a sweatshirt!

Fortunately, this Pipestar hoody is of surprisingly good quality. The fleece is thick enough to provide warmth on cool days and nights, but not so thick that it makes the sweatshirt big and bulky. The design is great, as the red piping around the hood and shoulders provides a nice contrast to the black and yellow elsewhere in the material. And the embroidered logos ensure that the sweatshirt will retain its sharp looks no matter how many times it goes through the washer and dryer.

Other noticeable features include rivets at the ends of the hood drawstrings to prevent unraveling; a leather “One” logo tag on the left pocket; zip-up front with “One” logo on the zipper pull; and ribbed cuffs and waist to provide a better fit.

Overall, the 2008 Rockstar Pipestar Hoody is one of the best sweatshirts I’ve ever purchased. Yes, it’s expensive, but I have the feeling my husband will get our money’s worth out of this product. Check it out for yourself!