The Chronic Consumer

My mom has been looking at tablets pcs lately, and seems really interested in getting one. The only problem is, she doesn’t want to pay $500-$800 for an iPad. I know there are a few alternatives out there, but which ones are actually worth buying?

Knowing my mom, she would probably only want to use her table to check email and do some light web browsing. I doubt she would get into all the apps or games. So basically, she just wants something smaller, lighter, and more convenient to use than a laptop.

Any suggestions?

I’ve often dreamed of having a summer home to retreat to when the weather gets hot and unbearable. I’d like it to be by a lake somewhere so we could go boating, fishing, jet skiing, and swimming anytime we wanted. It wouldn’t have to be a high-end house with a bunch of amenities or anything. Just a small place with some nice cabin furniture, running water, and electricity would suit me just fine.

Will we ever have the funds to make this dream become a reality? It’s doubtful, but I’m not ready to give up just yet!

I somehow managed to get a stye in my eye. The whole thing is swollen really big and is bothering the hell out of me. I tried putting a warm compress on it all day, but that did nothing to relieve either the swelling or the pain, so I took the next step and bought these homeopathic eye drops. I hope they do the trick, otherwise it looks like I’ll have to pay for a doctor’s visit, and that’s $100 I don’t have right now!

How long is a mattress supposed to last? I’ve been waking up with lower back pain almost every day recently, but haven’t done anything unusual to cause this discomfort. I think it’s my mattress. The thing isn’t noticeably sagging, but it’s 10 years old, so I’m wondering if it’s time to replace it? I’ve never been overly fond of it anyway. I think it’s too soft, and want to get something with a little more support. I would love to purchase one of those memory foam mattresses that are supposed to be so great for back pain, but honestly can’t see spending all that money for one.

In the meantime, I think I need to camp out on the floor for the next few days. I hate sleeping on the floor, but what else can I do? It’s the only thing that provides enough back support right now!

I do all my Christmas shopping online now, but sometimes I do miss the experience of being in an actual store. When I was a kid, I used to love seeing the Christmas decorations finally go up in the department stores at the mall, because that meant I would soon be visiting Santa to tell him what I wanted that year. There’s just something about shopping for a present for a loved one in that festive atmosphere…. Of course, now Christmas decorations usually go up in October and there’s such a crush of people at the mall that it’s suffocating.

Still, there are times when I’d like to do Christmas shopping right. For instance, I think it would be amazing to spend Christmas in New York City. I’d take in the Christmas tree lighting at Rockerfeller Center, go skating in the park, and go shopping at Barney’s or other iconic NYC stores — all while staying at one of those fancy hotels on 5th ave, naturally. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

My dream trip to NYC for shopping and other Christmas activities won’t happen this year, but it’s definitely on the Bucket List. Hopefully I’ll get to it someday!

If ever I have been in need of a vacation, this is it. My stress levels are at an all-time high because of work and school right now. I am currently working on my Master’s thesis, which obviously takes a lot of time and effort, and trying to fit that in while still working 20 hours a week is really wearing me down. Plus, I still have to do what I can in terms of housework and cooking, so it’s really tough to stay on top of things. I would love to take a short vacation to give myself a chance to decompress and regroup.

I have heard wonderful things about the Outer Banks, and ever since reading the Nicholas Sparks book Rodanthe Nights a while ago, I’ve wanted to visit the place. It would be amazing to spend a week or so in one of the nicer Outer Banks rentals — like Seahawk House (pictured) by Carolina Designs. The property is in a very quiet location and has so many amenities that we would never have to leave! But it’s also situated within easy access to Duck Village if we wanted to go shopping or check out a terrific sunset.

While I doubt that I’ll actually be able to spare the time to go on vacation, it’s still nice to sit here and dream about it! Maybe someday we’ll be able to go….

So your high school senior has just come to you beaming excitedly because he or she has been accepted into an exclusive college or university. That’s terrific news, and is definitely an accomplishment worthy of celebration. But before you start passing out cigars and popping open champagne bottles, have you considered whether or not that exclusive school is worth the money? Would your child (and your bank account) be better served by attending a more reasonably priced state school?

We all know that tuition costs have been out of control for years now, but it’s still a sobering experience to see some of the prices in print. Here’s a taste of what the most expensive schools in America cost (including room and board), according to Forbes:

1. Sarah Lawrence College, $57,556
2. Columbia University, $54,385
3. Bard College, $54,275
4. Wesleyan University, $53,976
5. Vanderbilt University, $53, 660

Yikes! Multiply those figures times four years and you’ve got yourself the price of a modest single-family home in the suburbs. I don’t know about you, but unless my kid got massive amounts of financial aid and scholarship money, I would have to tell him those schools are completely off-limits!

I do not like to play video games very much, and don’t really get into all the complicated, high-tech stuff that saturates today’s market. When I do play games, I want something extremely simple — which is why I love the Angry Birds iPhone/iPad app from Rovio. The premise of this game is that pigs have stolen and eaten some birds’ eggs, so now the birds are angry and are out for revenge. The game then presents you with numerous “levels” where the pigs are behind various barriers. The object of the game is to shoot the birds out of a slingshot and eliminate all the pigs before running out of birds.

My explanation doesn’t do the game justice. The game is really quite clever in its use of physics, and it is extremely addictive. Plus, it’s a total bargain at just $.99. I totally recommend Angry Birds for your iPhone or iPad!