Pocket Change - Shopping Blog

At the risk of spurring an SEC investigation, I always back-date my New Year’s resolutions, so as we begin 2007, I’m happy to announce that I have acheived my 2006 goals of not losing any weight, not riding a bike anywhere, and not even starting to write my novel. But carnivals, man, I’m all over those, so let’s kick it off with…

…2 Pennies Earned, who has apparently taken Ben Franklin’s maxim doubly to heart and saved $120 at CVS via crafty couponing. One assumes she also Farts Proudly.

And while, yes, we blogged it a while ago, the appeal of pawing through people’s unclaimed luggage still tops my list of reasons to go to Alabama. In fact, it’s the only thing on the list. Attaboy, ProBargainHunter.

Stingy Students points us to a really interesting endeavor, and one that would seem to be dedicated to putting me out of a job: the Church of Stop Shopping. Actually, their goal is not to stop people from shopping entirely, but to support local merchants against the onslaught of impersonal chain and big box stores. To be frank, I find myself caught in the middle of this debate, and not just because of who writes my paycheck. I honestly do try to support local merchants and avoid big chains whenever possible, but on the other hand, I buy a lot of things online simply because that’s how my life works. I mourn the loss of the used CD store where I spent endless Saturdays in my youth pawing through the racks (not to mention Tower Records, for Pete’s sake), but I just hardly buy CDs anymore. I’d stopped going to my local video store entirely–not in favor of Blockbuster, but because it was an inconvenience. I just stopped renting movies. But now Netflix makes it possible. Am I contributing to the ruin of my community, or is my community just moving online? I’m honestly conflicted.

In a similar vein, My Two Dollars runs down the pluses and minuses of big chains vs. mom and pops.

Two funny posts about the difficulties that men and women face when shopping for or with each other, one a gift-giving contract from Mad Kane, the other one an explanation of why guys hate malls from bobbarama. I couldn’t agree more with the study cited by bobbarama about how men faced with a busy shopping experience registered “blood pressure you might associate with a combat pilot flying into action or riot police facing an angry mob.” I’ve made exactly one mall trip in the last two years, and it was for one thing that I needed that day and couldn’t find anywhere else. I went to Valley Fair in Santa Clara, and 2 hours and one copy of The Sims later, I was about ready to open fire on the place. I’d honestly rather be hit in the head with a baseball than go back.

The usual bevy of cocktail parties this holiday season presented me with the same problem it does every year: I can hold a glass and a plate, but that leaves me no hands free for eating, gesturing, groping, etc. While the solution that I came up with (eating directly from the buffet table while wearing a camelback full of scotch) worked out all right for me, others may prefer what Miss Malaprop came across: party plates that hold wine glasses.

Queer¢ents notes some return tips and asks if you’ve ever exploited a merchant’s return policy. Well? Have you? Daryl would like to have some words with you.

And finally, Getting Green tells you why not to to buy from Quixtar (or presumably Amway, or any of the other sell-crap-to-your-friends enterprises.) Personally, I’ve never met anyone who actually does this. Have you?

All right folks, I think I hear my train. No, wait, that’s the crushing responsibilities of adulthood bearing down on me even faster. Man, why is it never a train?

Aram