The Chronic Consumer

OK, I have tried to hold off as long as possible, but I can’t stand it anymore. I want an iPad!!! There, I said it. I’ve seen so many people with iPads, and have even had a chance to try a few for myself. These things are awesome! It’s just too bad they cost so much. I’ve heard of people getting them as graduation and wedding gifts at this time of year, but I’ve got nothing like that coming up. Mother’s Day came and went without a hint of an iPad, and Christmas and my birthday are just too far away. Ugh, how can I get one?!

I’m going to try to start saving something like $20-$50 per week. I know it’ll take me forever to make it to $500, but I’ve got to at least try.

Now that the Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup, I am looking for a few decent souvenir items to buy to commemorate the season. I won’t go crazy and spend hundreds of dollars like some folks, but I will get myself a few things. After all, this team really means a lot to me — to the point that my eyes were leaking like a Grohe faucet after Patrick Kane scored the game-winning goal!

One of the leading souvenir candidates so far is this championship t-shirt that says “Stanley Cup Champions 2010″ on the front and has the full team roster on the back. Something like this would be cool, because every single guy on the roster contributed in some way to the wins.

I’m not done shopping yet, but this shirt is on my Wish List for when I figure out my final order.

I am really thinking about ordering some monogrammed handkerchiefs to carry around. The problem is that I’m tired of going into public bathrooms that don’t have working hand dryers and are out of paper towels, leaving me to dry my dripping hands on the back of my jeans. How disgusting! If I had a handkerchief or two in my purse, I’d at least have a decent way of drying my hands. Sure, I guess they don’t have to be monogrammed, but I love monogrammed items, so why not!

Have you heard about the most recent flap that Kellogg is involved in due to misleading claims made in Rice Krispies ads? Apparently, Kellogg ran some kind of campaign saying that its Rice Krispies cereal “now helps support your child’s immunity.” The FTC stepped in and forced Kellogg to remove those lines from cereal boxes.

Personally, I never pay attention to the various health claims that products make. I either like something because of the way it tastes, or I don’t buy it — simple as that. So these false claims don’t bother me on that level.

What does get to me, however, is that Kellogg didn’t mention how the cereal supposedly boosts immunity. I mean, why would anyone just believe a claim like that without seeking some kind of data or proof? But I guess it happens, which is why the FTC had to intervene.

So I was at the store the other day, and I saw these new Kraft Singles products called “Melt Downs”. They come in a few different flavors, like Nacho, Cheddar, and one other one that I forgot, and are supposed to be really easy to melt — I guess for things like nachos or whatever else requires melted cheese.

Now I just have to ask: are these things really necessary?? Don’t “regular” cheese slices melt just as easily if you put them in the microwave? I honestly don’t know, as I don’t melt cheese all that often. But it just seems weird to have a whole product line based on easier melting. I don’t think I’ll be buying these anytime soon!

Here’s a fairly interesting slideshow at Forbes.com called “20 Ways You’re Getting Ripped Off“. It talks about bad buys such as airline club memberships, title insurance, college textbooks (yeah, tell me about it!), and even some kinds of baby formula.

Check it out, and avoid these money mistakes if you can!