Think Outside The Piggy Bank

a cheater post

Well, I was going to write about how you should always check your grocery receipts in case the clerk has made a mistake and how that can be to your advantage, when I had a sneaking suspicion that maybe I've written about that before. And sure enough, I have! Still, it's worth rereading if you like getting things free. But, to not make this post a total waste, here's a money quote for you:

Prosperity is living easily and happily in the real world, whether you have money or not. --JERRY GILLIES

Also, this will be my last weekend of work (woohoo!), so I'll report back before I get in the throes of packing and moving to the white house. No, not THAT White House, snort, THIS white house:

  

thinking outside the boob tube

As mentioned in an earlier post, the apartment I'm moving into in June is much smaller than the one I have now. So I'm thinking that one of the items I'll likely definitely leave behind is my clunky old TV. It really is old (30+ years), takes up too much room, and needs at least ten minutes to warm up before the sound and picture kick in. I've decided that since I only have four channels anyway, and most of the shows have had their season finales, the summer would be a perfect time to see if I can go without TV altogether. Mind you, it's amazing what you can now watch on your computer, so it's not as if I have to be completely cut off. Plus, if I get desperate, I could always get a new (and much slimmer) one.

But what's funny is how the idea of being without an actual TV is making me a bit anxious. And if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that TV has become a bad habit. Like junk food, I reach for it when I'm bored, stressed, or want to put off what I don't really feel like doing, even though I wouldn't otherwise watch those shows. And once the TV has been turned on, it's easier to leave on. So can I go cold turkey? I plan to listen to the radio more (CBC Radio One to be exact), read all the unread books on my bookshelves, and hopefully blog more. Much more. Think I can do it?

Monday's money question 5

What's the most ridiculous time-saving feature you've run across?

For a while, pre-cut cheese topped my list, as I couldn't figure out why anyone would pay Kraft an extra dollar for this questionable service. "We cut the cheese, so you don't have to." Um, hello? For a few seconds worth of time I'll cut my own cheese thank you very much. Well, not since I turned vegan, but you know what I mean.

Now there's something else topping the list that really made me shake my head. I swear I'm not making this up, but Canadian Tire sells slippers that dust while you walk. Yes, dust! Touted as a comfortable way to dust, these slippers have special bottoms that attract and hold debris. Can you imagine? First--no, never mind, there are just so many things wrong with this scenario that I'm not even going to start, snort. Now excuse me while I go shake my head some more.