The Chronic Consumer

Jerry had to go to the auto parts store to pick up a few things last night, and since I didn’t have anything to do, I decided to tag along with him. That turned out to be a big mistake, however, as he spent a good hour and a half just browsing through all the different car mods and aftermarket parts available.

He may have been in heaven looking at the various supercharger, spoiler, muffler, and chrome wheel options on display, but I was bored out of my skull! Fortunately, there was a Barnes & Noble across the street, so I was able to wander over there and read magazines until he was done.

At least Jerry just bought the stuff he originally needed in order to fix our car and left the high-end mods alone… for now, anyway!

My husband recently bought a pretty cool “airsoft” gun that shoots 8mm plastic BBs. It’s an M.E.U. (Marine Expeditionary Unit) replica, and is a lot of fun to play around with. In fact, he’s currently thinking about joining a local club that has airsoft gun battles (similar to paintball fights) on the weekends.

Even though these battles would be waged with plastic BBs, there’s still the possibility of getting hurt, especially if opponents are using high-powered guns or rifles. So before joining up, Jerry is going to have to buy some tactical gear first. It doesn’t have to be the fancy bulletproof stuff, of course, just some lightweight stuff that’s camouflaged and will provide a little padding against the BBs.

I even took a few turns shooting the M.E.U. at a target, and thought it was awesome! Who knows, maybe I’ll end up joining in the fun as well!

I’ve mentioned many times before that I like to collect watches. The thing is, with so many other items that I have to spend my money on these days (such as home improvement, school supplies for my son, and general living expenses), I haven’t had a chance to add to my collection in a long time.

So today I was browsing through some websites in the hopes of finding a cool new watch that I could start saving for and maybe purchase by Christmas. While I was looking I came across a site that sells discount Nautica watches, and thought the model pictured above looked pretty cool. I like square-faced watches, and the all-black color scheme looks very sharp, in my opinion.

Of course, this particular watch wouldn’t be for me, but my husband is starting to enjoy having a selection of timepieces to choose from on a daily basis. I was thinking about buying it for him as a surprise birthday present. I know he would like it, so I’m going to start saving for it now!

My cousin’s birthday is coming up in two weeks and I want to buy him a nice present. Jeff and I have always been close even though we’re more than 10 years apart in age, so I always go out of my way to get good gifts for him.

He recently began a new office position — his first one after doing a few part-time, “fun” jobs after college. I’m thinking it would be a good idea to get him a present that could help at work, just to get him off on the right foot.

He told me the position requires a lot of travel, so after looking around, I’m thinking that this Rimowa travel briefcase would be perfect. It comes with lots of document pockets, as well as a sleeve to keep his laptop computer in place. Plus, it has roller wheels and a trolley handle to make airport navigation quick and easy.

I think this would be a cool gift, and I know Jeff would be able to use it a lot. I’m going to get it!!

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!

I’m not the kind of person to buy aftermarket auto parts for my vehicles, but my husband is. He doesn’t go crazy and put chrome on everything or modify the engine to get additional horsepower. He just sticks to the basics like rear spoilers, mufflers, and wheels.

He’s currently working on setting up his new van, and I have to say that it actually looks a lot better with these changes. The best part are the black wheels that offset the silver body. Sure, we spent $1200 on the wheels, but now our ride looks very cool!

Anyway, for those of you that do indulge in aftermarket auto parts, where do you usually get them from? Is there a shop near you that you frequent? Do you order them from a catalog? From a website?

Let me know!

Earlier today, I mentioned how my husband wanted some new Xbox 360 games for Father’s Day. Well, I did some more research this afternoon to find out what the most popular titles currently are.

As expected, Grand Theft Auto IV: Liberty City tops the list. There has been so much hype about GTA IV that the only surprise would be if it didn’t sell well. Next up at No.2 was something called Assassin’s Creed, which I’d never even heard of. The publisher promotes the game by saying, “Be an assassin!” Hmm, what does that say about our society these days? The third best-selling game was Halo 3, and fourth was something that hasn’t even been released yet, Ninja Gaiden 2.

I think the only one my husband would truly be interested in is GTA IV, so I’m now looking around for good deals on that title. Maybe by the time Father’s Day gets here, there will be used copies available.

My husband spends a lot of time in the garage working on his motocross bikes and our son’s ATV. Over the course of the years, he has amassed a pretty impressive collection of hand tools that allow him to make minor repairs and adjustments.

Recently, however, he’s been thinking about buying some air tools so he can tackle a few bigger jobs instead of having to take the bikes to the dealer for expensive overhauls. These tools would be a big investment at the start, but I think we’d end up saving money in the long run. It’s worth a shot, at any rate, so I’m going to give my husband the green light on this idea!

My husband has been riding motocross for 17 years now, and has tried every brand of equipment at one point or other. Some brands have produced absolute garbage, but others put out quality products that my husband buys over and over again. Thor is one of the better manufacturers out there, which is why my husband prefers their Core line of MX gloves over all others.

Thor Core MX Gloves do a great job of providing protection against blisters after a long day of riding. They fit well, look good, and last more than one season. These are just basic qualities, I know — but apparently, some companies still can’t get them right.

Motocross gear companies put out new designs each year, so the price that you pay for your Thor Core MX gloves will depend on which year you purchase. The brand-new 2008 line will run about $35 per pair, but if you can find 2007 gloves (or older), you would most likely only pay $20-$25 for them, which is not bad at all, considering the quality.

We’re going to take delivery of our new van in just a couple of weeks, and my husband is understandably excited by that. In fact, he has been checking out ways to customize his new ride, and ended up convincing me that we needed to spend $600 on black wheels to replace the stock ones.

He’s now talking about maybe getting a billet grille as well, but I think I’m going to draw the line right there. After all, this is a family van, not a rock star’s ride!