Can Vespas Save the World?

I saw this article on Mashable about scooters and the reduction of gas consumption and emissions. Now reading this article it plainly reveals its bias as the company organizing the data and promoting it is Vespa. They have a vested interest, to say the least, in scooter/motorcycle sales and the accompanying policies that go with encouraging cities to become more scooter/motorcycle friendly. That being said, it doesn't detract from the fact that those numbers are staggering.

We all know that America is not necessarily built for mass transportation, it was built for a horse and carriage that then converted to cars (plus a bunch of other steps in between.) There just aren't enough people taking mass transportation to service varying routes if you don't work downtown. In fact it takes me ten minutes to get to work by car but an hour and fifteen minutes to get to work by bus. Even with the best intentions of trying to reduce my carbon footprint a two and a half hour commute compared to a half hour commute is just too big of a difference to take the bus. What Vespa is suggesting is to change some of our habits to help the environment, which is the same thing the bus suggests. The difference? Everyone can add a Vespa (well everyone who can afford it) whereas taking the bus just isn't an option for some of us.

Take my Uncle for example. He has an SUV and lives on the Lake. During the winter months he uses his snowmobile, during his summer months he uses his Vespa. The SUV gets approximately 12 mpg. The Vespa? 75 mpg. He takes it to the grocery store, the gas station to grab a newspaper, or basically anywhere that doesn't require a highway. He loves that the Vespa is not just beneficial for the environment but also economically beneficial.

We should all care about the one planet we have and want to save money. It's just smart to save money by practicing environmentally friendly actions, period. Whether it's introducing a scooter to your household or simply walking more often, the end result is money saved.

Stamp Prices Going on the Rise

It appears that as of April 17, 2011 there will be a new price for mailing items in the US. Postage for postcards to packages are on the rise. The silver lining? The price for one stamp to mail a letter under one ounce remain at $0.44. For a list of the new rate changes click here.

And just a reminder, you have until April 17th to send me a nice gift in the mail. I mean, might as well do it while it's still on the cheap ;)

Another Day, Another Dollar Towards My Car

As you may have read previously, I have had some recent car troubles. It came as a great surprise to me then, to have my car die on me on the way home from work today. I was exiting Highway 62 to take the back roads, and good thing I did. Just as I was turning on the next intersection my car stated losing power was flooring it and it kept going slower. The lamp dripping oil and the battery signal light up and my car died. One minute later I got it to work again, just enough time for me to be completely frazzled that I had already put a ton of money into the damn thing and just picked it up from the mechanics yesterday!

Well I called the service place and let them have a piece of my mind. I told them what happened and that this was quite disconcerting because I just picked my car up yesterday and I was quite surprised that the $110 complete diagnostic test yielded no suspicions on my engine. If you're going to charge me for it you better damn well make sure you can put your money where your mouth is.

I told them I was dropping my car off tomorrow morning and they were driving me to work and they were going to fix this problem because that's what the $110 paid them to find out before I had to have my car die on the back roads. So hopefully after tomorrow, I won't have any more car issues to report.

And because I didn't blog about this earlier - the piece of metal I hit didn't do any damage, turns out a water pump burst and there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. So good thing I had left otherwise there wouldn't have been a towing place or mechanic place open by the time I left. Oy. Hopefully by tomorrow this will all be a thing of the past.

Some People...

Don't know if you read my post on the Countess in need of $53,000 a week, but if you didn't, and you'd like to see her 'expense list' here you go. Turns out the judge awarded her ridiculous claim and gave her the $200,000 plus a month. That's more than people's homes she is getting a month. Can anybody say selfish?

Not Money Saving But....

I love online shopping for items with free shipping, and I'm willing to bet that you do too. It's not a reduced price, but if you are a Northwest Airlines World Perks member you can get miles for every purchase you make.

Just check out these companies which offer miles for shopping at their site. To access simply go to www.nwa.com and sign in with your world perks frequent flyer number and then go to the skymall.

Need pet supplies like Chanel? Petco and PetSmart are both on there, and I believe Petco lets you use your PALS card to gain points.

Gotta get that song from iTunes? Might as well do it through the Apple Store at NWA to get miles while you get tunes.

Wanna try NetFlix and get an extra 1,000 miles for enrolling? Heck yes!

Even better deal? If you have the NWA World Perks credit card and use it while shopping at these sites I'm pretty sure you can get a mile for every dollar you spend in addition to the site's miles they give you.

Travel & Accessories MarketPlace		10 miles per $1 spent
Home Living MarketPlace		6 miles per $1 spent
Electronics MarketPlace		5 miles per $1 spent
Sports & Recreation MarketPlace		5 miles per $1 spent
1-800 FLOWERS.COM		10 miles per $1 spent + 350 Bonus Miles
800wine.com		10 miles per $1 spent
FTD		10 miles per $1 spent + 400 Bonus Miles
Rosetta Stone		10 miles per $1 spent
Teleflora's Flower Club		10 miles per $1 spent + 100 Bonus Miles
The Wall Street Journal		10 miles per $1 spent
Vinesse Wine Clubs		8 miles per $1 spent
Bagsbuy		7 miles per $1 spent
Shoebuy		6 miles per $1 spent
VistaPrint		6 miles per $1 spent
Zazzle.com		6 miles per $1 spent
Café Press		5 miles per $1 spent
Famous Footwear		5 miles per $1 spent
Fossil		5 miles per $1 spent
Gaiam		5 miles per $1 spent
GNC		5 miles per $1 spent
Hickory Farms		5 miles per $1 spent
Michigan Bulb Co.		5 miles per $1 spent
National Geographic		5 miles per $1 spent
SkyMall		5 miles per $1 spent
Snapfish		5 miles per $1 spent
Symantec		5 miles per $1 spent
Things Remembered		5 miles per $1 spent
Time Life		5 miles per $1 spent
TurboTax		5 miles per $1 spent
1-800-PetMeds		4 miles per $1 spent
AVON		4 miles per $1 spent
Big Dogs		4 miles per $1 spent
BuyCostumes		4 miles per $1 spent
Cross		4 miles per $1 spent
Dale & Thomas		4 miles per $1 spent
Dick Blick		4 miles per $1 spent
Endless.com		4 miles per $1 spent
figleaves.com		4 miles per $1 spent
GiftBaskets.com		4 miles per $1 spent
Hammacher Schlemmer		4 miles per $1 spent
Harry & David		4 miles per $1 spent
ICE.com		4 miles per $1 spent
Jos. A. Bank		4 miles per $1 spent
Kiehl's Since 1851		4 miles per $1 spent
Legal Sea Foods		4 miles per $1 spent
Magazines.com		4 miles per $1 spent
Musician's Friend		4 miles per $1 spent
Naturalizer		4 miles per $1 spent
RedEnvelope		4 miles per $1 spent
Ross Simons		4 miles per $1 spent
shoes.com		4 miles per $1 spent
Starbucks Store		4 miles per $1 spent
Stonewall Kitchen		4 miles per $1 spent
Sur La Table		4 miles per $1 spent
The Knot Wedding Shop		4 miles per $1 spent
The Walking Company		4 miles per $1 spent
Unbeatable Sale		4 miles per $1 spent
1-800 CONTACTS		3 miles per $1 spent
adidas		3 miles per $1 spent
Babies R Us		3 miles per $1 spent
Black Forest		3 miles per $1 spent
Blair		3 miles per $1 spent
Blue Fly		3 miles per $1 spent
Boden		3 miles per $1 spent
Bowflex		3 miles per $1 spent
Brookstone		3 miles per $1 spent
Charles Tyrwhitt		3 miles per $1 spent
Cheryl & Co		3 miles per $1 spent
Coldwater Creek		3 miles per $1 spent
Cooking.com		3 miles per $1 spent
Danskin.com		3 miles per $1 spent
Discovery Store		3 miles per $1 spent
Drs. Foster & Smith		3 miles per $1 spent
drugstore.com		3 miles per $1 spent
eBags		3 miles per $1 spent
Eddie Bauer		3 miles per $1 spent
ESPNShop.com		3 miles per $1 spent
Finish Line		3 miles per $1 spent
FranklinCovey		3 miles per $1 spent
Gardeners Supply		3 miles per $1 spent
Gevalia		3 miles per $1 spent
Godiva		3 miles per $1 spent
Golf Galaxy		3 miles per $1 spent
Golfsmith		3 miles per $1 spent
Gourmet GiftBaskets.com		3 miles per $1 spent
H2O Plus		3 miles per $1 spent
Home Decorators Collection		3 miles per $1 spent
JC Whitney		3 miles per $1 spent
Jo-Ann		3 miles per $1 spent
Kodak Gallery		3 miles per $1 spent
Lobster Gram		3 miles per $1 spent
Magellan's		3 miles per $1 spent
Mrs. Beasley's Bakery		3 miles per $1 spent
Nike		3 miles per $1 spent
Oakley		3 miles per $1 spent
OfficeMax.com		3 miles per $1 spent
Omaha Steaks		3 miles per $1 spent
Orvis		3 miles per $1 spent
Paul Fredrick Menstyle		3 miles per $1 spent
Payless		3 miles per $1 spent
Perfumania		3 miles per $1 spent
PETCO.com		3 miles per $1 spent
PETsMART		3 miles per $1 spent
Plow & Hearth		3 miles per $1 spent
REI		3 miles per $1 spent
Shopbop.com		3 miles per $1 spent
Sierra Trading Post		3 miles per $1 spent
Spa Finder		3 miles per $1 spent
Timberland		3 miles per $1 spent
TravelSmith		3 miles per $1 spent
Tumi		3 miles per $1 spent
Under Armour		3 miles per $1 spent
Vision Direct		3 miles per $1 spent
World of Watches		3 miles per $1 spent
AbeBooks		2 miles per $1 spent
Adobe		2 miles per $1 spent
American Eagle Outfitters		2 miles per $1 spent
Ann Taylor		2 miles per $1 spent
Ann Taylor Loft		2 miles per $1 spent
Aéropostale		2 miles per $1 spent
Baby Gap		2 miles per $1 spent
Back country.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Banana Republic		2 miles per $1 spent
Barnes & Noble.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Bass Pro Shops		2 miles per $1 spent
Beauty.com		2 miles per $1 spent
bebe		2 miles per $1 spent
Best Buy		2 miles per $1 spent
Bliss		2 miles per $1 spent
Borders		2 miles per $1 spent
Bose		2 miles per $1 spent
Boston Proper		2 miles per $1 spent
Cabela's		2 miles per $1 spent
Callaway Golf.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Chadwicks		2 miles per $1 spent
Charlotte Russe		2 miles per $1 spent
CHEFS		2 miles per $1 spent
Clinique		2 miles per $1 spent
Converse		2 miles per $1 spent
Diamond.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Dick's Sporting Goods		2 miles per $1 spent
Disney Shopping		2 miles per $1 spent
FAO Schwarz		2 miles per $1 spent
Footlocker		2 miles per $1 spent
Gap Maternity		2 miles per $1 spent
gap.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Gift Certificates.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Home Decorators Outlet		2 miles per $1 spent
Home Shopping Network		2 miles per $1 spent
HP Home and Home Office		2 miles per $1 spent
iRobot		2 miles per $1 spent
iTunes		2 miles per $1 spent
J&R Electronics		2 miles per $1 spent
Johnston & Murphy		2 miles per $1 spent
Kohl's		2 miles per $1 spent
Lab Series		2 miles per $1 spent
Lancome		2 miles per $1 spent
Land of Nod		2 miles per $1 spent
Lands' End		2 miles per $1 spent
Lane Bryant		2 miles per $1 spent
Leaps & Bounds		2 miles per $1 spent
Lego		2 miles per $1 spent
Lord & Taylor		2 miles per $1 spent
MacMall		2 miles per $1 spent
macys.com		2 miles per $1 spent
MetroStyle		2 miles per $1 spent
Microsoft Store		2 miles per $1 spent
Mrs. Fields		2 miles per $1 spent
Nautica		2 miles per $1 spent
New York & Co.		2 miles per $1 spent
Newport News		2 miles per $1 spent
Nordstrom.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Northern Tool & Equipment		2 miles per $1 spent
Office Depot		2 miles per $1 spent
oldnavy.com		2 miles per $1 spent
One Step Ahead		2 miles per $1 spent
Origins		2 miles per $1 spent
Overstock.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Pacific Sunwear		2 miles per $1 spent
Patagonia		2 miles per $1 spent
pcRUSH		2 miles per $1 spent
Piperlime		2 miles per $1 spent
Pottery Barn		2 miles per $1 spent
Pottery Barn Kids		2 miles per $1 spent
Pottery Barn Teen		2 miles per $1 spent
QuickBooks		2 miles per $1 spent
QVC		2 miles per $1 spent
RadioShack		2 miles per $1 spent
RalphLauren.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Roaman's		2 miles per $1 spent
Saks Fifth Avenue		2 miles per $1 spent
Sephora		2 miles per $1 spent
ShoeSteal.com		2 miles per $1 spent
ShopNBC		2 miles per $1 spent
Shutterfly		2 miles per $1 spent
Skechers		2 miles per $1 spent
Smart Bargains		2 miles per $1 spent
Smith & Hawken		2 miles per $1 spent
Smith + Noble		2 miles per $1 spent
Sony		2 miles per $1 spent
Spiegel		2 miles per $1 spent
StubHub		2 miles per $1 spent
Target.com		2 miles per $1 spent
Textbooks.com		2 miles per $1 spent
The A & E Shop		2 miles per $1 spent
The Body Shop		2 miles per $1 spent
The Container Store		2 miles per $1 spent
The House		2 miles per $1 spent
TicketsNow		2 miles per $1 spent
TigerDirect		2 miles per $1 spent
Urban Outfitters		2 miles per $1 spent
Vera Bradley Designs		2 miles per $1 spent
Williams-Sonoma		2 miles per $1 spent
Williams-Sonoma Home		2 miles per $1 spent
Apple Store		1 mile per $1 spent
Bloomingdales		1 mile per $1 spent
Brooks Brothers		1 mile per $1 spent
Buy.com		1 mile per $1 spent
Calumet Photographic		1 mile per $1 spent
Chico's		1 mile per $1 spent
dELIA's		1 mile per $1 spent
Dell Home		1 mile per $1 spent
Diapers.com		1 mile per $1 spent
Epson Store		1 mile per $1 spent
f.y.e.		1 mile per $1 spent
Guitar Center		1 mile per $1 spent
Home Depot		1 mile per $1 spent
JC Penney		1 mile per $1 spent
Kmart		1 mile per $1 spent
Kodak.com		1 mile per $1 spent
Lighting Universe		1 mile per $1 spent
PC Connection		1 mile per $1 spent
Sealy		miles with all purchases
Sears		1 mile per $1 spent
Staples.com		1 mile per $1 spent
The Children's Place		1 mile per $1 spent
The North Face		1 mile per $1 spent
Vans		1 mile per $1 spent
Victoria's Secret		1 mile per $1 spent
west elm		1 mile per $1 spent
Blockbuster		65 miles per enrollment
Gamefly		1,000 miles for new enrollment
Netflix		1,000 miles per enrollment

You Can't Take It With You...

My father is great at saving money, and like we’ve said before, me not so much. I have a shopping/spending problem.

But lately most of my ‘purchases’ have been on meals or concerts…things that drive my father crazy. Why go out to eat when you can eat in? Why go see someone live when you can listen to the cd? It never made sense to my father, and I get it. He’s about stability and providing for his wife, children and grandchild(ren). I, on the other hand, am still young and single. I get to be a little bit more selfish. I have no children or husband to care for.

Recently my friend’s family friend died. He was a doctor, very healthy never drank or smoke and he didn’t feel well and brought himself to the hospital. Two weeks later he was brain dead. She tells me, “You can’t take it with you.” I whole-heartedly agree. My equally intelligent money saving pal (the one who told me men love b*&^%es and how to shop at TJMaxx, Ross & Marshalls) tells me her boyfriend has everything so she can never find him the perfect gift but she can give him an experience.

I think that there is a balance that needs to be found. A balance between my father and his saving ways and my friends’ advice. That we should save so we can have those ‘experiences’ later on in life, but to remember to enjoy the experiences we can while we can. My friend told me, “God doesn’t promise tomorrow.” She’s right, we only have what’s here and now. It might not be equal in probability that we live or die each day, but I don’t know many people who say “Yeah, she lived just long enough.” But I do know people who made the most out of life and those who didn’t.

One of my favorite movies of all time has a quote and it goes a little something like this: “Either get busy living or get busy dying.”

Tips From A Shopaholic

There are times when I read Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic and I think, this is my life minus being in England, the HOT guy, and a shopaholic mother. Truth be told, I love to buy things. Clothes, make up, food, anything. But with the economy in the crapper I thought I should def. be more shopping savvy in terms of where and how I spend my money.

Hence, this Shopaholic's Guide To Saving Money. A friend of mine is a money saving guru, and yet she came over with this gorgeous Balenciaga Cherry Red summer bag for the 2009 collection. Her secret? It isn't Daddy's credit card, her boyfriend's gift or even that she is making millions. Instead, she has found beauty and shopping secrets that give her more bang for the buck. I've decided to share a few with you each week. As not to overload you, and to help me have something to actually blog about ;)

Tip number one: Every luxury item that you can find at TJMaxx, Homegoods, or Marshall's is going to be half the cost. Now I have know about these three stores for a long time. I've gotten $200+ jeans at Marshall's for less than $25. I know all about the fashion deals, but this is more. What I didn't know was costing me money. As someone who does not have a membership to Costco or Sam's Club, buying in bulk is more of a far out dream than a reality. I go to the grocery store twice a month just to buy olive oil. Apparently in the back of the HomeGoods store there are huge containers of olive oil for $6.99-$12.99 and are more authentic and better in quality than the teeny tiny container I get at the grocery store. For me, I would probably take about two months to use that size, saving me a good $27 every two months on olive oil!!

Looking for new pots and pans? Dishes? Look no further than the home department of these discount stores. I spotted Calphalon pots with a slight scratch on them for MUCH less than you would find at any department or specialty store. Even Bed, Bath & Beyond can't compare with their low prices and 20% coupons. Looking for a nice, relaxing weekend of spa treatment? Try hunting those three discount stores for items from Bliss Spa in NYC. Items that would alone cost $60 cost about $12. It makes you wonder what else you can get for a discount.

So to summarize, check out these stores before going to regular department stores for everything from your table settings to your olive oil to your spa products to your shoes, handbags, jeans and hair products. It has it all, for much lower!!

Oh Boy!

Just came across a story online about a woman needing $53,000 a week to survive. In addition to the $36,000,000 she was already given for her divorce. Why, oh why do some women give the rest of us a bad name? And please check out her expense list which she filed with her grievement. Oy vey.

March Madoff!

I don't like pro-basketball, but I love March Madness. Something about the team pride and the competitiveness of the entire thing that makes it so intriguing. But what I love the most are the upsets by the underdog. Even the chance that the underdog can come out on top.

But what is it about the underdog that we love so much in life, in love and in sports? We always root for the little guy, is it because the majority of us are the 'little guy'?

Professional and even D1 Athletes are built differently than the rest of us. They don't like look us and most of them tower over us. We are indeed, little comparatively. I'm not saying we root for the everyday person, aka the underdog/little guy if they are non-deserving. When McDonald's was sued for millions of dollars most of us shook our heads in disgust with the greed of one individual. It was not a victory for the common man but rather proving that in America you're allowed to be stupid and get paid for it.

I think this is why so many people have a problem with the corporate scandal, greed, and schemes. Enter Bernard Lawrence Madoff. Oh Bernie. The question is not 'why are you so greedy?' or 'what made you think you could get away with this?' The real question is, 'how did you get away with this for so long?' For those living under a rock, Bernard Lawrence Madoff was the father of the 50 billion dollar Ponzi scheme. His ever-faithful wife claims she had no clue about the scheme (yeah right) and claims to be innocent. I guess the question is, what kind of marriage do you have if you turn a blind eye to your husband's illegal business operations? I believe she should be punished just as harshly as Bernie. Seeing evil and doing nothing about it for your own benefit is just as bad as being evil.

Add for those locals, we have our own version of Bernie and Ponzi in St. Cloud's finest, Thomas Petters. St. Thomas alum can take solace knowing St. Ben's appointed him to their board of trustees, and he has no ties to our school (because unfortunately, we can't handle another scandal at this point :/....)