Archived Posts from Stop Buying Crap!

Maybe I just don’t get it.

Maybe I just couldn’t understand why a pair of jeans made in Thailand may be better than another pair of jeans made in Thailand.  (To be fair, Diesel jeans are made only in Italy, Tunisia, or Morocco — with the most being produced in Italy).

The thing is, although I may think of it as a waste of money, it really is a sense of perspective and value.

There are MANY denim fans out there.  They value a well made pair of denim, that’s well-designed, fashionable, long lasting; and well, many other factors that I probably wouldn’t be able to list.

I took a shot of this pair of jeans earlier this spring while in Rome (during the whole volcano-making-Europeans-life-miserable moment), and I was slightly giddy with excitement as I envision the post I’ll write up, trashing the ridiculously priced jeans and the satisfaction I’ll get when my readers confirm my perspective, and we all pat ourselves on the back and think about how wise we are with our spending.

The thing is, how we spend our money is a very personal and subjective thing.  Though I’m a fairly frugal guy, I’ll often do incredibly unpractical things (such as impromptu travel with airfare that makes me spit blood).  And in these moments where the spending makes absolutely no sense to another person, it’ll make perfect sense to me.

Although I’ll probably never understand the concept of a pair of jeans that cost more than $20 (and I still hope someone can explain it to me), what I do understand is that I’m still a firm believer in spending whatever the hell you want — as long as you’re not bankrupting yourself or your future.

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A trip from San Diego to Indianapolis.

As you’re about to book your flight, you stare at the computer screen, wondering what’s the best choice.

You quickly searched Southwest, but the time table and seats available just didn’t match up to the meeting’s schedule.

You could fly American, as you actually managed to store up some mileage through the years.  Despite the fact that you prefer other airlines, you’ve stuck with American, because loyalty’s gotta mean something, right?

With a quick check, those mileage are currently meaningless as there are no reward seats available to claim.

The problem is that you’re now running on a much tighter budget.  Ever since the recession, business hasn’t been going so well, and you can barely afford this trip out to the mid-west.  But you have to get to Indianapolis, as sealing this deal ensures your business’ survival, and the 6 life-long employees that your business employs.

So despite your better judgement, you booked the American Airline flight.

Click to Continue Reading…

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a fun post (or any post for that matter). So let’s take a look at some of the weird stuff you can buy on Amazon.com. Quick note: if you click through, many of these have fairly funny corresponding “customer images,” and ridiculously funny “reviews” by users.

Uranium Ore – $29.95

Always handy to have around, just in case you’re all out of juice in your Delorean-based time machine.  Of course, in actuality this radioactive sample of uranium ore is meant to be used in science labs, for testing Geiger counters and uh, other sciency-thingies (it’s been awhile since I’ve been in a lab-based course).

Amazon review of note:

3 out of 5 star.  Great product, poor packaging.

I purchased this product 4.47 billion years ago and when I opened it today, it was half empty.

UFO-01 Detector – $149.95

When the tinfoil hats just aren’t enough to deter and preempt UFO invasions, you’ll need, the 01 detector!  Made of overpriced hardware found at Radio Shack, this cutting-edge detector will not only emit a flashing LED but will also beep when electromagnetic and magnetic disturbances are detected.  With a low price of $149.95, what more can you ask for?  (Tinfoil hats and probing prevention plugs not included).

Amazon review of note:

1 out of 5 stars. Been abducted twice!!

After my first abduction I sought out to arm myself with something that would prevent this from happening to me again. Alas, the UFO Detector.

Since then my microwave, TV, radio, and cellphone have been causing the device to alarm several times, sending me in a state of panic where I’d hide under my bed for days. Next time it went off it was no false alarm. And I was, again, on board an alien vessle with probes hanging from every opening of my body.

I’d guess that for this “Detector” to work you’d need to be in an environment free from all electrical interferences. Above all, I DO NOT recommend this product.

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Plastic Packaging That is Hard to Open

Or in this case, a butcher knife.

I swear to Xenu, lord and dictator of the Galactic Confederacy, that if I ever encounter another packaging that requires stabbing motion to open, I’m going to send Tom Cruise and his Scientology pals after the person responsible.

In all seriousness, from today forward, I’m genuinely going to make a conscious effort to avoid purchasing poorly-designed packaging that’s hard to open.

And don’t even get me started about the cost of printer ink.

This is a guest post from Peyton Farving, who is a deal hunter and contributing writer with the shopping community led by a little robot — Dealzon.com.  If you like staying on top of all the latest can’t-miss deals, consider checking Dealzon out.

 
As I’m scouring the web for great deals on computers, HDTVs, video games, etc. (I’m usually looking for stuff at least $20 less than the next best price on comparison sites like PriceGrabber but I sometimes find up to $100 off or more) I also run across some pretty ridiculous products and “deals” that I wouldn’t encourage Dealzon’s friends to buy. But they’re good for a few laughs and an always welcome reminder to “stop buying crap.” Here are five funny deals I saw last week.

Boxing Gloves for Nintendo Wii

Click to Continue Reading…

CA State Lottery as Christmas Gift

Just came back from the grocery store and saw this silly thing at the checkout counter.

Nicely done, California State Lottery, nicely done.

Why buy gift cards for Christmas when you can buy a lottery ticket!?

Urgh.

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Mmm… it’s almost Black Friday, and you know what that means — it’s make or break time for retailers. With news of consumer spending dropping a full 1% in October, consumers should more than ever be out at the retail stores, saving the economy from the brinks of utter collapse.

Unfortunately for my local retailers, I’ll be doing what I’ve always been doing for the past few years on Black Friday: staying at home, eating leftovers, and sleeping in. Super sweet.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Blasted Cap. Always a cheap ass and never a generous spender. The economy could be falling apart and Cap will be at home, wrapped in a blanket while eating Cap’n Crunch cereal (it’s getting chilly in Southern California, temperature hitting low 60s).

It’s not my fault, honest.

I mean, I would love to go out there, make my dollars work and save Circuity City from the sorrowing abyss of pink sheets hell; but alas, I have no one to buy gifts for.

As much as I like to tout about friends and family in recent days, truth be told, I’ve done enough damage through the years and have driven away many people.

And there you have it, Cap’s secret sauce to keeping spending in check during the holidays: piss off your friends and loved ones so you don’t have to buy gifts for any of them.

Haha. I’m just kidding.

…or am I?

top photo credit: J. McPherson

world of warcraft south park

Ruining My Life and Productivity Due to an Online Game? Pft.

It’s been well over a year since there’s an addition to the “Stop Buying Crap” series. What a shame. Ya’ll must be terribly sad (alright probably not).

Joining the list of “crap” today will be every massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) that’s currently active with a thriving online user base.  This includes recent popular ones such as Warhammer Online and Age of Conan.  Heck, for good measures, lets throw in some upcoming ones such as Star Wars: The Old Republic and Stargate Worlds.  And of course, let’s not forget the big daddy of them all, with over 11 million subscribers across the globe: World of Warcraft.

For those that have been fortunate enough to not have a MMORPG intersect into their life (whether directly or indirectly), you may be a little bit confused right now.  Basically, a MMORPG is a genre of role-playing games, where a large number of players interact with one or another in a virtual, persistent world.

In short, you’ll be chilling in a virtual game world with your best pals, family, and new-found online friends — kicking virtual baddies ass and taking names.  Sounds harmless right?

Not quite.

Addiction, Lost of Sleep, and Inability to Quit. Oh My!

According to a now famous research conducted by Nick Yee, 50% of surveyed MMORPG gamers considered themselves addicted to MMORPGs. A majority of the gamers (60%+) have played a game for 10 hours continuously or more, while in another question, over 40% of male gamers claimed that they’ve often lost sleep due to game playing habits.  To make matters worse, 30% of the respondents in the 12 to 17 age group tried to quit the game but was unsuccessful in doing so.

To be blunt, MMORPGs, like many type of things we come across in life, can drive and cause addiction — and a costly addiction at that.  Imagine failing school, losing your job, and ruining your relationship due to excessive game playing.  To add insult to injury, you may be paying a monthly fee on top of it all.

Thus in conclusion, avoid MMORPGs, never buy a MMORPG, and if your kid or someone you know plays a MMORPG, strip them of all access to it and tie them to a chair to start the withdrawal process.

The end.

Alright, Actually It’s Not That Bad.

That was a bit extreme and in all honesty, lame and unfair.

This post was going to be a sarcastic, flame-ridden post, highlighting all and any negative stereotypes to playing MMORPGs, with plenty of jabs to all those people neglecting their real world responsibilities, whether it be their school work, career, or significant other.

In truth, the numbers highlighted above is definitely a cause for concern, but they were also acquired from a select group of gamers that may have been slightly skewed and biased.  Are the numbers of MMORPG gamers these days reflective of the ones surveyed by Nick Yee? Perhaps, perhaps not.

Regardless of what a current survey result will show, a healthy dose of perspective check will always do more good than harm when it comes to an avid gamer of MMORPGs.

MMORPGs Are Just Like Credit Cards. Seriously!

Let’s put this into a financial context so that the post will align a little bit more to the supposed theme of a “personal finance blog.” When you really think about it, MMORPGs are just like credit cards.

How so?

Credit cards are a financial tool for convenience or cash-flow management, while a MMORPG is a tool for entertainment or socializing.  Both are a double-edged sword where mismanagement and lack of balance can cause serious harm to the end user.

If you use a credit card irresponsibly, you have the potential to hurt your credit history, drive up debt, and cause serious harm and stress to yourself or loved ones.  The same applies for playing a MMORPG irresponsibly: you have the potential to neglect real life responsibilities and cause serious harm and stress to yourself or loved ones.

Unfortunately, unlike a credit card, addiction to a MMORPG is harder to break than irresponsible credit card usage. If you seriously suspect someone you know may be addicted to an MMORPG to the point where it affects their livelihood — an intervention may be required, whether its a simple talk or seeking of professional help (may sound extreme but there are real cases of addictions).

Some minor online tips on breaking MMORPG addictions:

An Open-Minded and Balanced Approach

This post would have been more entertaining had it just contained flames and jabs at the crazy world of MMORPG — after all, there’s plenty of materials (online weddings, to name one) — but taking such an extreme stance would have been a bit irresponsible.

Like credit cards, it would have been easy to join certain financial gurus and completely swear off credit card usage. It would also be just as easy to take the extreme stance and claim that MMOs are a new form of crack cocaine. But when you take such a stance without looking at it with a middle ground perspective, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice.

That isn’t to say that MMORPGs aren’t ripe for abuse in usage (remember, it’s a double-edged sword). The point is that as with many things in the world of personal finance (oh hell, and everything else in life) — you will usually be better off when you look at a situation in question with an open-minded perspective and an attempt to find a balanced approach.

If you want to read more on Nick Yee’s research and learn more about MMORPG psychology and addiction, you can visit The Daedalus Gateway: The Psychology of MMORPGs for some insightful reading.

If you have tips on breaking an addiction to MMORPGs, tips on avoiding unhealthy usage of MMORPGs, or if you have crazy stories on how MMORPGs have affected someone you know, please share in the comments.

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