Holiday Kindness May Have Cost Woman Her Job

They escorted me to my car as a criminal. It felt if you do something good for anyone, that you are going to be punished.

Am I missing something here?

10 Commandments For Frugal Living:

One of the biggest misconceptions about being frugal is that those who are frugal only purchase things that are cheap or the very lowest price. The truth is that those who are frugal always try to buy the best value taking into account other factors such as the life expectancy and additional upkeep costs that come into play beyond retail price. This often means looking at the long term cost of an item rather than just the initial purchase price.

That's exactly why Mac computers are always a more frugal purchase than cheap PC's like Dell. ; )

KPBS Features Twoshirts.org In Article On The Changing Face Of Consumerism:

Twoshirts.org allows users to post items that they have and are willing to give away or items that they need. Jason Coker, the site's creator, says the site is about individuals sharing their extra stuff. He says bartering and trading is part of a bigger cultural trend stemming from the Internet and this trend will only grow with time due to the convenience and excitement created from it.

I have to admit, this was pretty cool. A few weeks ago we were contacted by Amanda, a student reporter for the local public radio station, about doing an article on alternative consumer internet sites like Craigslist, Freecycle, and Twoshirts. She called us at home and interviewed us for about twenty minutes, asking questions about how the site works and why we started it.

Just Send the Next Bailout Check to Me:

Note to the Obama administration: If the economy doesn't respond, it does not mean that the decision to bail out our family was wrong. It simply means the amount was too small. But we patriotically pledge not to request additional financial support until 2010."

Can I get an "amen?"

Piggy banks fly off shelves in freshly frugal U.S.

"We definitely noticed a trend with the piggy banks," said Erin Mara at Homebody, a design store in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. "People were very upfront about the need to save...the pig is very symbolic of that sentiment," she said.

I don't know why, but that last statement made me laugh out-loud.

Was Whole Economy A Ponzi Scheme?

"And it is in this way that we are all Ponzi limited partners: We too thought our retirement funds and houses were growing miraculously, though ours was an illusion fueled by debt rather than fraud, and we too made plans based on those asset values that now stand in ruins.

'The financial system as a whole has had the characteristics of a Ponzi scheme if we look at it fundamentally,' said Lee, who was very early in warning about deflation."

This is an incredibly important question, because if the answer is "yes," then there's no going back to the gravy train of skyrocketing Wall Street and real estate profits. In fact, I think there's no bigger Ponzi scheme in history than the real estate market of recent years.

Consider this: how many people sold their homes during the peak years of the real estate bubble for hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit, only to leave their buyers holding the bag with debt that can never be paid off? How is that different, in principle, than a pyramid scheme?

As Recession Deepens, So Does Milk Surplus:

Mr. Van Groningen’s company does not own the surplus milk powder, but merely stores it for the new owners: the taxpayers of the United States. To date, the government has agreed to buy about $91 million worth of milk powder.

Even the cows are getting on on the government bailouts. The more tax dollars go to dairy farmers, the fewer dairy cows are shipped to meat processing plants.

Economy Causes Overcrowded Crisis At Pet Shelters Across America

"Shelters nationwide are being hit by the economic meltdown. Cash-strapped pet owners have inundated the SPCA with pets that they can no longer afford."

This is something I never thought of, but it makes sense. We're renting our home this year for the first time in 8 years, and one of the big problems we had was finding a rental home that allowed pets - and those that did only allowed one. I can imagine lot's of folks who lost their homes are having to get rid of their dogs or cats for that exact reason.

Good Movies, Prices Help Hollywood In Recession:

"It's not necessarily that people rush out to see movies because the economy is bad, but because it's a bargain compared to other out-of-home entertainment it doesn't suffer as badly," said Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the National Association of Theater Owners.

A bargain?!?! I don't know what that guy is smoking, but it costs me $10 for a movie ticket at my local theater (the $35 movie ticket is coming), plus another $20 for stale popcorn, JuJubees, and a flat Coke! Plus, the theater is dirty and I've gotta deal with the loud teenagers in the back row.

The rental costs me $4, microwave popcorn is less than $1, and I can watch from the comfort of my own quiet living room...and pause the movie when I have to pee so bad I can taste it.

What about you? Will you keep going out to the movies in tough times?

Members Of Congress Get Pay Raises Despite Recession: “The general public can’t help but think that lawmakers are patting themselves on the back and padding their wallets for presiding over the worst fiscal-policy blunders in recent history,” said Pete Sepp, vice president for policy and communications for the National Taxpayers Union.

My prediction is they'll vote it down when the new session begins.