The Chronic Consumer

My stepfather’s birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, so I’ve been trying to think of a nice present to get him. It’s especially important this time around because he was just laid off from his job because of the economy, and at 60 years old, it’s going to be tough for him to find equivalent work.

As I was browsing around, I came across a website that sells discount Hamilton watches. These immediately caught my eye because my stepdad’s current timepiece is a Hamilton that he has worn for about 15 years. He could definitely use an updated version, so I’ve decided to go ahead and buy him one.

I really like the Open Secret model that’s pictured above, but I haven’t completely made up my mind about it yet. I’m going to get more opinions from my husband and mom before I make the purchase, but I have a feeling they’ll really like this watch too. It’s quite attractive and classy, so what’s not to love?

Anyway, if I do end up buying a Hamilton, I’ll post an in-depth review to let you guys know what you can expect from the product.

Not only is Christmas coming up soon, but I’ve got several family birthdays looming on the horizon. So I’ve been spending some time browsing around for cool, unique gifts to get for everyone.

RedEnvelope.com, which is one of my favorite gift sites, has this neat-looking flask lighter that can be personalized with engraved initials. My uncle is a big cigar smoker, and I KNOW he would love this thing! It’s available in brushed chrome or polished silver chrome for $39.95, and engraving costs an extra $5.

I think I might buy a couple of these and hold onto the extra one just in case I need a last-minute gift for someone. I can always get the engraving done at a local shop later if need be.

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!