Frugal Living: 25 new messages in 10 topics

Monday, September 22, 2008

25 new messages in 10 topics - digest

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Palin splurgin' on $2,500 silk jackets and other high fashion
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/968a95c4d776c842?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 7:42 am
From: Gumby

On Sep 22, 7:44 am, Ken Lay
<livin_la_vida_mo...@skilling.the.whipping.boy> wrote:
> In article
> <c7c73e49-ec5e-4330-b4d4-79556ddba...@t54g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>
> Gumby <stkwv...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Except she's not; she's spending her own income.
>
> Not spending Alaska's money? Oh, never mind. I thought she was the
> governor. My mistake

It's HER income, regardless of who pays it. It's not like she's using
tax money earmarked for the public to buy her clothes. She has a right
to use HER income any way she wants - or do you want the gov't to
start telling you how to spend your income and control more of your
life?

== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 7:59 am
From: Ken Lay

In article
<5649772c-f909-4819-a182-65e1cad4f4bb@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com>,
Gumby <stkwvr07@yahoo.com> wrote:

> On Sep 22, 7:44 am, Ken Lay
> <livin_la_vida_mo...@skilling.the.whipping.boy> wrote:
> > In article
> > <c7c73e49-ec5e-4330-b4d4-79556ddba...@t54g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
> >
> > Gumby <stkwv...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Except she's not; she's spending her own income.
> >
> > Not spending Alaska's money? Oh, never mind. I thought she was the
> > governor. My mistake
>
> It's HER income, regardless of who pays it. It's not like she's using
> tax money earmarked for the public to buy her clothes. She has a right
> to use HER income any way she wants - or do you want the gov't to
> start telling you how to spend your income and control more of your
> life?

That was my point, and you stole it. Thief. And by the way, how would
you like an executive position in the Alaska government? Just think:
with the right moves, it could lead to a federal position full of drugs,
drunks and debauchery. You know, like Bush's Interior Dept. and his DHS.
That's exactly what the country needs in these dark days: a bunch of
pimps and partyers in charge of the nation's security interests. You
sound like you would fit perfectly. Bush-Cheney 2008! Whoops! I mean,
McCain-Palin 2008!
--
Everybody lies. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney just suck at it.

== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 8:22 am
From: ayatollah obama

On Sep 22, 3:55 am, clams_casino <PeterGrif...@DrunkinClam.com> wrote:
> Ken Lay wrote:
> >In article <78g4d4p3198g57nm00f8tdbb6it52op...@4ax.com>,
> > jdoe <j...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >>On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:45:20 -0000, "Val N. Teenow" <tee...@n.val>
> >>wrote:
>
> >>>Where does a "hockey mom" get the money for $2,500 jackets?
>
> >>what is it yours or anyone else's business what she spends on herself?
> >>as ling as it's her money being spent it's nobody's business.
> >>what a bunch of simpletons why are engaged by crap like this
>
> >Yeah, who cares how she spends Alaska's money? Those chumps voted her
> >in. Nobody held a gun to their heads. She should use her government
> >salary (including any graft) to do whatever she wants, milk baths,
> >diamond-encrusted plumbing fixtures or roomsful shoes like Imelda. It
> >was public money once, but it's hers now so fuck off before we come
> >after you.
>
> But it's not AK's money. It's YOUR money. AK takes $5 in aid from the
> federal government for each dollar they contribute in federal income
> taxes. Without that federal aid, AK residents wouldn't receive their
> welfare checks. (They might actually use their oil profit taxes on
> state government expenditures rather than providing welfare for all it's
> residents).- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

How much does obamaramadingdong road show of comedy and horror spend
on those suits of his, and how many does he have??? they look custom
made to me. what, $3,000, $4,000???? Did the tax payers pay for them
like they did his world wind tour over the summer?

== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:14 am
From: clams_casino

Gumby wrote:

>On Sep 22, 7:44 am, Ken Lay
><livin_la_vida_mo...@skilling.the.whipping.boy> wrote:
>
>
>>In article
>><c7c73e49-ec5e-4330-b4d4-79556ddba...@t54g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>>
>> Gumby <stkwv...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Except she's not; she's spending her own income.
>>>
>>>
>>Not spending Alaska's money? Oh, never mind. I thought she was the
>>governor. My mistake
>>
>>
>
>It's HER income, regardless of who pays it. It's not like she's using
>tax money earmarked for the public to buy her clothes.
>

That's true - It's money provided to the state via earmarks that are
distributed to residents as welfare since their state profits on oil
taxes should be used for state projects.

If it wasn't for the earmarks, AK couldn't provided their residents with
their annual welfare checks.

== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:15 am
From: clams_casino

Ken Lay wrote:

> Bush-Cheney 2008! Whoops! I mean,
>McCain-Palin 2008!
>
>

Get with it. It's now the Palin- McCain ticket.

== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:21 am
From: Hugh Wood

On Sep 22, 10:22 am, ayatollah obama
<osama.obabma.by.anyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sep 22, 3:55 am, clams_casino <PeterGrif...@DrunkinClam.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Ken Lay wrote:
> > >In article <78g4d4p3198g57nm00f8tdbb6it52op...@4ax.com>,
> > > jdoe <j...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > >>On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:45:20 -0000, "Val N. Teenow" <tee...@n.val>
> > >>wrote:
>
> > >>>Where does a "hockey mom" get the money for $2,500 jackets?
>
> > >>what is it yours or anyone else's business what she spends on herself?
> > >>as ling as it's her money being spent it's nobody's business.
> > >>what a bunch of simpletons why are engaged by crap like this
>
> > >Yeah, who cares how she spends Alaska's money? Those chumps voted her
> > >in. Nobody held a gun to their heads. She should use her government
> > >salary (including any graft) to do whatever she wants, milk baths,
> > >diamond-encrusted plumbing fixtures or roomsful shoes like Imelda. It
> > >was public money once, but it's hers now so fuck off before we come
> > >after you.
>
> > But it's not AK's money. It's YOUR money. AK takes $5 in aid from the
> > federal government for each dollar they contribute in federal income
> > taxes. Without that federal aid, AK residents wouldn't receive their
> > welfare checks. (They might actually use their oil profit taxes on
> > state government expenditures rather than providing welfare for all it's
> > residents).- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> How much does obamaramadingdong road show of comedy and horror spend
> on those suits of his, and how many does he have??? they look custom
> made to me. what, $3,000, $4,000???? Did the tax payers pay for them
> like they did his world wind tour over the summer?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Just think how money hungry african children Barry could feed with the
$400 million+ of Soros and Arab money he's squandered trying to buy
the Whitehouse. The low life sack of warm duckshit claims he's his
"brother's keeper" yet he won't even bother to send his Kenyan half-
brother a few dollars a month. I guess he's waiting to give the UN the
ability to tax the American people to the tune of $850 BILLION $ with
his "Global Poverty Act".

== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:37 am
From: Cindy Hamilton

On Sep 19, 5:26 pm, ayatollah obama
<osama.obabma.by.anyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sep 19, 12:42 pm, Cindy Hamilton <angelicapagane...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sep 18, 5:24 pm, ayatollah obama
>
> > <osama.obabma.by.anyn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On Sep 18, 11:03 am, clams_casino <PeterGrif...@DrunkinClam.com>
> > > wrote:
>
> > > > charliekilo wrote:
> > > > >"clams_casino" <PeterGrif...@DrunkinClam.com> wrote in message
> > > > >news:%kqAk.14740$Dj1.10810@newsfe01.iad...
>
> > > > >>ayatollah obama wrote:
>
> > > > >>>compared to what piglosi has run up in deficit for this
> > > > >>>year.
>
> > > > >>Bush and Cheney died? I missed that. When did she become president?
>
> > > > >Congress *spends* the money -- back to civics class for you!
>
> > > > Your point? It'll take more than 18 months (and a new president) to
> > > > reverse the trend set by the Bush policies.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > > ??? wtf are you talking about??? spending money??? that could've
> > > occured on the first DemonCrap budget had piglosi wanted to??? other
> > > than that, Do you really think that Klinton kept any of Bush/Reagan,
> > > or that W kept any of klintons policies other than the ones we were
> > > bound to by treaty?- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > Are you aware that you make yourself look like a buffoon when you
> > mock and misspell people's names? One always assumes that such
> > a write has nothing of substance to say.
>
> > Cindy Hamilton- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Cindy, I see by looking at your history that you do not post often. I
> must appologize to you specifically if I have offended you in any way.
> The alt.politics group is not a place for one who can get their
> feelings hurt easily. 90% of the people who post here are hard core in
> their beliefs, and nothing posted here will sway them either way. The
> remaining 10% maybe, but even they are attacked to the core of their
> beliefs, and quite often in a very harsh manner.

I read this in misc.consumers.frugal living. I was not offended.

What is the point in attacking someone who cannot be persuaded?

I don't see how one can hope to win a debate by using such debased
tactics.

Cindy Hamilton

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Air Max 90 Low Men, Max 90 Woman's, Nike Shoes
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/27e5e1c45b3836ab?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 7:47 am
From: riki0002@gmail.com

www.kicksin.com

The Nike Air Max 90 was first released to the public in 1990. The Nike
Air Max 90 was not known by the public as the Nike Air Max 90 until a
couple years after the release. It was named Nike Air Max III, but
much like the first World War, it took on a different name after there
were successors

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Expense of owning a car
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/4157ba4677ee6728?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 7:38 am
From: "JonquilJan"

RodSpeed,_start_digging_that_hole <kwokx2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1c777f85-25ad-46e3-8e37-187a4a3fa7bc@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> More expensive then ever now.

Agree. I combine errands/trips as much as possible and have the lowest
legal limit on my insurance. Still a drain on finances. Staying home a lot
more. Which saves on gas but the set expenses are still there.

JonquilJan

Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 9:16 am
From: SMS

JonquilJan wrote:
> RodSpeed,_start_digging_that_hole <kwokx2@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1c777f85-25ad-46e3-8e37-187a4a3fa7bc@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
>> More expensive then ever now.
>
> Agree. I combine errands/trips as much as possible and have the lowest
> legal limit on my insurance. Still a drain on finances. Staying home a lot
> more. Which saves on gas but the set expenses are still there.
>
> JonquilJan
>
> Learn something new every day
> As long as you are learning, you are living
> When you stop learning, you start dying

Actually car ownership is one thing that has not gone up very much at
all over the past ten years. New car prices have been remarkably stable,
i.e. I was pricing a 2009 Camry LE, and it was $17,500-$18500 (depending
on the dealer) with all the rebates. 12 years ago we paid $17K for the
same model, and it didn't have a lot of the equipment that's now
standard (ABS, a gazillion air bags, TPMS, etc.).

Car insurance rates have been going down, not up, over time. Even
vehicle registration fees have gone down (and the attempt by the last
California governor to eliminate a temporary reduction, put in place
when the state had surpluses, caused him to be recalled).

Fuel costs are the one item that have really gone up, but only because
we have two oilmen in the White House who compounded the problem with
their economic policies that weakened the U.S. dollar and their foreign
policies which disrupted supply. Once we get the Republicans out of
office and start getting serious about both conservation and alternative
energy, we'll stop using so much oil to generate electricity.

If there's one reason to not vote for McCain, it's his total
cluelessness regarding energy policy. I was reading an article in
Fortune magazine yesterday about Matt Simmons, a very famous oil and gas
consultant in Texas, and naturally expected to see something about how
the founder supported McCain. OMG. "Why should a lifelong Republican
need to be the one to point out that his party's new mantra - "Drill,
baby, drill!" - won't really fix anything and that his party's
presidential candidate is clueless about energy?" He's supporting Obama,
because Obama actually _does_ have a clue (at least about energy policy)

See
"http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/15/news/economy/500dollaroil_okeefe.fortune/index.htm"

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Nike Dunk High Men Shoes, Dunks Women's,
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/2e1a786a3b89dddc?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 7:50 am
From: riki0002@gmail.com

www.kicksin.com

Nike launched the Nike SB line in March of 2002 at the start of the
rise of the Skateboarding trend. For years in California, the skate
culture was very popular and skateboarding shoes and clothes were worn
more as casual wear than by actual skateboarders. Nike saw the
potential to tapping into this market and thus launched the Nike
Skateboarding line.Nike launched their skateboarding lines on the back
of the Nike Dunks SB. The Nike Skateboarding Dunks were the same shape
and fit as the Nike Dunks, but with several performance changes.First
of all, Nike knew that with the wear and tear of the foot, a good
cushioning system was needed. Since skateboarding shoes need to have a
low center of gravity, the Nike Dunks SBs had Zoom Air insoles. Next,
the Nike Dunk SBs had extra padding added to the area around the ankle
and to the tongue. The extra padding to the tongue did provide some
extra cushioning between the top of the foot and the board, but it was
more for cosmetic appearance than anything. Lastly, Nike beefed up the
quality of the materials on the Nike Skateboarding Dunks. With double
and triple stitching being the standard in the skateboarding shoe
industry, Nike made the Dunks SBs much stronger than tradional dunks.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Watching The NFL Can Be Really Disgusting
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/04744c1b61cd4c14?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 8:44 am
From: Goro

On Sep 21, 11:06 am, here@home (A Liberal's Worst Nightmare) wrote:
> Wall-to-wall commercials. Guy kicks extra point. Multiple
> commercials. Team then kicks off. Multiple commercials. Then on 1st
> down, QB completes pass for a 6-yard gain. Oops, another commercial
> break. What the fuck!? Nobody on the field called a time-out!

It's a TV timeout. seriously. And the worst part is that if you GO
to a game, they don't actually tell you what's going on. So there's a
play and then suddenly everythign just stops, waterboys walk out and 2
1/2 min later, the game starts up again.

> I can recall when an NFL game averaged 2 hrs. and 15 minutes, and you
> would see most of the halftime show. Hey, I'd defend capitalism with
> my life, but the way pro sports has given in to greed, I'd be
> deliriously happy to see pro sports collapse.

You also fail to mention the in game ads, where they superimpose some
ad on the field or behind the goalposts prior to a game being
played. At one time (i think this was college football), where they
were promoting the new $20 bill and they displayed it whenever a team
got inside the 20yd line.

-goro-

== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 8:45 am
From: Goro

On Sep 21, 12:41 pm, "ricok987" <ricok...@optonline.net> wrote:
> You do realize that NFL players are paid on average between $2-4 million do
> you? Ticket prices alone will not pay those salaries, and there is no
> pay-per-view. Just use the commercial time for bathroom and snack breaks,
> or channel surf because the only other alternative would be either to record
> the game or tivo...

NFL Sunday Ticket is basically NFL ppv.

-goro-

== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 8:48 am
From: Goro

On Sep 21, 2:51 pm, Bluuuue Rajah <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> wrote:
> "ricok987" <ricok...@optonline.net> wrote innews:48d6b357$0$5670$607ed4bc@cv.net:
>
> > They would be smarter to have product placements during the show-just
> > think the amount of candy sold that was Miley Cyrus's favorite
> > candy/gum-just because they see her consume it? Hell, you could
> > develop whole plotlines based on a product or service...
>
> ESPN was panned this week by the NPR business show Marketplace, because
> they synergized a spot from their Wipeout show onto the week's top 10
> sports moments. The reviewer pointed out that their journalistic
> credibility evaporates when they pass off crap as a "great moment."

Since when HAS ESPN had any journalistic credibility? Those talking
heads just say random stuff and make rumors up ("from a source"). So
many times they just say things that turn out to be not-even-remotely-
true. I gave up on them a long time ago.

-goro-

== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 9:00 am
From: George Grapman

Goro wrote:
> On Sep 21, 12:41 pm, "ricok987" <ricok...@optonline.net> wrote:
>> You do realize that NFL players are paid on average between $2-4 million do
>> you? Ticket prices alone will not pay those salaries, and there is no
>> pay-per-view. Just use the commercial time for bathroom and snack breaks,
>> or channel surf because the only other alternative would be either to record
>> the game or tivo...
>
> NFL Sunday Ticket is basically NFL ppv.
>
> -goro-

True,but it is still a better deal than the baseball package. I
know each week that I will get every Sunday game unless the Raiders are
blacked out at home.
The baseball package has many exception. You do not get:

Games where both teams are telecasting on over the air tv instead
of a regional cable network.

Saturday afternoon games.

Any games involving a local team. True,most of those games are
available locally but there are exceptions. A few times a month the A's
will not be televising a game but the opposing team is. That game will
not be shown but I can sometimes still watch it on ch.720 which shows up
t 8 games at a time albeit with a much smaller picture.

== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 9:02 am
From: George Grapman

Goro wrote:
> On Sep 21, 2:51 pm, Bluuuue Rajah <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> wrote:
>> "ricok987" <ricok...@optonline.net> wrote innews:48d6b357$0$5670$607ed4bc@cv.net:
>>
>>> They would be smarter to have product placements during the show-just
>>> think the amount of candy sold that was Miley Cyrus's favorite
>>> candy/gum-just because they see her consume it? Hell, you could
>>> develop whole plotlines based on a product or service...
>> ESPN was panned this week by the NPR business show Marketplace, because
>> they synergized a spot from their Wipeout show onto the week's top 10
>> sports moments. The reviewer pointed out that their journalistic
>> credibility evaporates when they pass off crap as a "great moment."
>
> Since when HAS ESPN had any journalistic credibility? Those talking
> heads just say random stuff and make rumors up ("from a source"). So
> many times they just say things that turn out to be not-even-remotely-
> true. I gave up on them a long time ago.
>
> -goro-

Another favorite is saying "ESPN has learned...." when the story
was already reported in a newspaper. I can not recall the last time I
watched Sports Center.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: All bankers are criminals and should be treated as such.
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/929a49de1380dfd5?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 8:46 am
From: Tamil Tiger

In article
<l8mdnVkNjPqCLE_VnZ2dnUVZ_hOdnZ2d@posted.choiceonecommunications>,
"AllYou!" <idaman@conversent.net> wrote:

> This will fall on deaf ears. Some people just want to believe the
> reality that they made for themselves.

and;

Our Position on the Economy

Our nation was founded on values twinning personal initiative with
mutual co-operation. From the Plymouth Colony to Andrew Jackson's
Reforms, to the Homestead Act to the New Deal, Americans have known that
we all are better off when we recognize basic standards of social
justice. But thanks to globalism, dog-eat-dog economics has resulted in
offshoring, outsourcing, the destruction of unions, and the gutting of
the US economy. We advocate economic nationalism, which places the
economy at the service of the nation; we believe that the welfare of our
people should supercede all other things, including the ability of
multinational corporations to exploit or ignore our people for unbridled
profits.

http://www.europeanamericansunited.org/index.php?categoryid=16
--

If guns are out-lawed. Only the Out-laws,my in-laws
& politicians will have guns.

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:23 am
From: "Paul Thomas, CPA"

"Tamil Tiger" <georgewkspam@humboldt1.com> wrote
> Our nation was founded on values twinning personal initiative
> with mutual co-operation. From the Plymouth Colony to
> Andrew Jackson's Reforms, to the Homestead Act to the
> New Deal, Americans have known that we all are better
> off when we recognize basic standards of social justice.

And what are those? That we have to suck up higher prices for goods and
services because it makes ~you~ happy?

> But thanks to globalism, dog-eat-dog economics has
> resulted in offshoring, outsourcing, the destruction
> of unions, and the gutting of the US economy.

Let's be realistic here. A global economy willdrag down the better run
economies, and pull up the weaker economies, meeting some place in the
middle.

Here's how it works: You have to reduce your costs (labor being the highest
cost) to meet the competitive price offered up by folks making less per day
than the cost of a big mac meal. Those folks are elated to be making twice
their average annual wages. Your personal income goes down, theirs go up.

> We advocate economic nationalism,

At what cost?

> which places the economy at the service of the nation;
> we believe that the welfare of our people should
> supercede all other things,

Again, at what cost?

> including the ability of multinational corporations to
> exploit or ignore our people for unbridled profits.

When everyone in America stops buying crap that's not "Made in the USA" and
buys only US made goods and hires only US citizens or legal workers, then
the power of economics comes to play. Right now, the US economy is being
drug down because that's exactly what the US consumers want.

US Consumer: "We wants cheap stuff."
US Worker: "We want higher wages."

The US consumer wins out every time. But only if you do not prohibit free
and open trade.

--
"For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For
those who do not, none will suffice." - Joseph Dunniger

Paul A. Thomas, CPA
Athens, Georgia

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Costco guest passes
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/1a28391830066fbd?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 9:04 am
From: SMS

opmy wrote:
> Does Costco give guest passes like Sam's does?
> I need to buy a couple of things at Costco - I am ready
> to pay an additional 10% or whatever, if they allow me
> to shop without a membership.

I think you can get them. One thing that seems to work is to get someone
to buy you a Costco gift card, which I believe allows non-members to get
a guest pass.

Of course you could always get a membership, buy your stuff, and cancel
it a few weeks later for a full refund.

I know very few people that aren't Costco members, and they ask me to
take them. Ironically, one of the people is someone that would most
benefit from a membership, with two small children, and not a lot of
time to run around from store to store taking advantage of sales.

Remember, Costco doesn't do loss leaders, you can occasionally find
similar items, especially some perishable food items, on sale for less
at a regular store.

Costco saves most people such an enormous amount of money that the
membership fee is lost in the noise (and with the rebate on the
executive membership, we actually don't pay anything for the
membership). Certain items we buy at Costco are stuff that regular
stores charge so much more for that we wouldn't even consider buying
them if not for Costco.

A few items that are much cheaper at Costco are:

-Tires (especially because they don't gouge on mounting/balancing, and
don't charge extra for valve stems, road hazard warranty, or nitrogen-fill)

-Good Coffee beans

-Fruit & vegetables (though only when compared against normal
supermarkets, the Asian and Mexican markets are cheaper)

-Fresh fish

-USDA Choice meat (most supermarket chains in my area no longer carry it
at all).

-Cheese

-Name brand clothing, though the selection varies over time

-OTC medications

-Gasoline

-Office supplies

-Plants and trees. OMG, you can get some unbelievable deals on trees
compared to Home Depot, Lowes, or an independent nursery.

-Mattresses

-Furniture

-Computers (include a 2 year warranty at no extra cost)

-Televisions (include a 2 year warranty at no extra cost)

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 9:51 am
From: Seerialmom

On Sep 22, 1:23 am, "opmy" <o...@spam.com> wrote:
> Does Costco give guest passes like Sam's does?
> I need to buy a couple of things at Costco - I am ready
> to pay an additional 10% or whatever, if they allow me
> to shop without a membership.

I haven't seen any myself; why not just go shopping with a friend who
has a card?

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Radiant Floor heating - nonliquid?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/9b2399bf8e581df6?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 9:10 am
From: Jeff

vjp2.at@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com wrote:
> I see a lot of "Radiant Floor Heating" with a rubbery tubing stapled under
> the floor. SInce I tend to be in horror of any kind of leaks, I wonder why
> they don't use some compresses gas instead?

Nothing has a greater heat capacity than water (per pound). You would
need to run a *lot* of air through the system, that's why forced air
systems have large ducts and run hotter.

Even mini duct systems need to run the same *volume* of air as their
larger brethren. Now think of running several hundred cfm through even a
1" tube. Daunting and a lot of loss both in pumping and line loss.
Completely impractical.

Leaks really aren't a problem in underfloor staple up systems. The
runs tend to be in one piece for each room.

I believe the better underfloor systems use not "rubber" hoses but
PEX (cross linked polyethelene with oxygen barriers) with heat spreaders.

The only problem I've heard of with that (PEX) has been rodents.

Jeff

>
> Mind you, I have even had experience with central venting "leaking": I
> haven't used a/c since my folks died but my uncle's a/c duct sweats onto my
> ceiling. That's the price for freeloading (hot air rises) off his a/c.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Misc Grocery Shopping
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/f3f2c0470017f630?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:19 am
From: Seerialmom

On Sep 20, 4:14 am, "Twice Retired" <phoen...@gulfshores.net> wrote:
> There has been so much rhetoric about Wal-Mart vs. other stores I just
> decided to try something. Over the past 4 weeks I purchased a few basic
> items at 3 stores, W-M, a local small grocery, and the typical "snob
> grocery". No produce, frozen, or meat items were included. Items included
> tissue, detergent, bread, canned food, milk, coffee, coffee creamer. I
> purchased the exact brand/size of items at each location. The results:
> 1. Snob Grocery $33.17
> 2. Small local $31.62
> 3. Wal-Mart $25.32
> Milk pricing per gallon was nutty. W-M $2.74, local $3.79, snob $3.91.
> Coffee creamer about the same, W-M $2.53, local $3.59, snob $4.09.
> Since all brand/sizes were identical quality is not a variable.
> One disturbing item was the milk at the local. The expiration dates on most
> jugs had passed and when I called it to the attention of one of the
> employees I was told "Somebody will buy it".
> Each one of us has to make our own decision as to shopping. I would not rule
> out W-M for all items but I may be selective as to purchases.

You're not saying where in the world you are; based on the milk prices
though I would think you're not in the US?

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:22 am
From: Seerialmom

On Sep 21, 5:57 am, George <geo...@nospam.invalid> wrote:
> Twice Retired wrote:
> > There has been so much rhetoric about Wal-Mart vs. other stores I just
> > decided to try something. Over the past 4 weeks I purchased a few basic
> > items at 3 stores, W-M, a local small grocery, and the typical "snob
> > grocery". No produce, frozen, or meat items were included. Items
> > included tissue, detergent, bread, canned food, milk, coffee, coffee
> > creamer. I purchased the exact brand/size of items at each location. The
> > results:
> > 1. Snob Grocery $33.17
> > 2. Small local $31.62
> > 3. Wal-Mart $25.32
> > Milk pricing per gallon was nutty. W-M $2.74, local $3.79, snob $3.91.
> > Coffee creamer about the same, W-M $2.53, local $3.59, snob $4.09.
> > Since all brand/sizes were identical quality is not a variable.
> > One disturbing item was the milk at the local. The expiration dates on
> > most jugs had passed and when I called it to the attention of one of the
> > employees I was told "Somebody will buy it".
> > Each one of us has to make our own decision as to shopping. I would not
> > rule out W-M for all items but I may be selective as to purchases.
>
> Whats a "snob grocery"?
>
> I don't find anything like that here. There are a large regional chain
> and a large family owned Italian market where we buy our groceries. I
> have compared a number of times with wally and I don't see any
> difference to write home about. Plus I don't care for adulterated or
> poor quality meat products. Walmart meats are pumped up with
> preservatives and water. I can buy fresh real meat at great prices at
> the other places. If I want say sausage Walmart offers total garbage
> like that Hillshire stuff. I can but freshly made good quality sausage
> at the other place at a similar price instead.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Snob grocery = Bel Air, Raley's Nob Hill, Nugget. It's not about the
attitude as much as the atmosphere and the items they carry.
Personally I love Raley's in general, especially when they have Dutch
Crunch bread on sale...it's so good fresh!

==============================================================================
TOPIC: A national mortgage payment boycott would discipline the rotten banking
industry.
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/browse_thread/thread/2722c3b7b41085ff?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 10:43 am
From: Cindy Hamilton

On Sep 19, 7:43 pm, hp...@lycos.com wrote:
> If just 20% of mortgage holders withheld their payments for say two
> months the banking swine
> would be on their knees. Such a boycott would need big-name support.
> Be a nice project
> for early next year.

Huh? I took out a loan and promised to pay it back. You are asking
me to go back on my word.

I never thought I would quote Rod Speed: "Ain't gonna happen."

Tell you what--you go first and I'll see if I want to emulate you.

Cindy Hamilton

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Sep 22 2008 11:02 am
From: Bert Hyman

hpope@lycos.com () wrote in
news:cdab59dd-8f41-49b5-82ff-42c6f8b876a1@a70g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

> If just 20% of mortgage holders withheld their payments for say two
> months the banking swine
> would be on their knees. Such a boycott would need big-name support.
> Be a nice project
> for early next year.

Stop paying your credit card bills too.

You should also walk out of restaurants without paying your bill.

Drive off from the gas station without paying.

Take your purchases out of the grocery store without paying.

Lots of other protests suggest themselves here.

Tell us how it works out for you.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN | bert@iphouse.com

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Frugal Living

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Monday, September 22, 2008

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