Top 10 ways we waste money
By Gordon Powers, Sympatico / MSN Finance
When times are tight – as they are now for many Canadians facing layoffs, job loss, and rising food costs – people try harder to identify where their money is going and, more importantly, where it’s being wasted.
They borrow books from the library instead of buying, drop subscriptions to magazine they rarely read, ride their bikes, turn off the air conditioning when they’re out of the house, and eat out less. People are also delaying certain activities, such as haircuts or going to the beauty salon, which is why Wal-Mart's sales of hair colour products have jumped 18 per cent since the beginning of the year.
But is all this enough?
Sometimes the killers are big tickets items – for reader Liz G that meant buying an overpriced timeshare in Collingwood whereas for Esquao it’s a house that the family really couldn’t afford – but in many cases it’s simply smaller dumber purchases. For reader f36 that meant an $80 pair of shoes that went largely unworn and for Maiway it`s been all about paying hefty finance charges when buying furniture.
But don't lose hope. Ranging from traffic tickets to bank fees, here are 10 ways where even fairly smart people waste money and a few suggestions on how to avoid them, courtesy of the Consumerist. And the Simple Dollar offers its take on consumer products you can likely do without.
Chances are you either understand frugality or you don’t, says blogger FreefromBroke who maintains that the 'not so well to do’s' have several traits in common including little education, an obsession with gadgets and their early adoption, and, sadly, the financial planning skills of a seal.
His 25-item list is a pretty harsh indictment of the foolishly profligate but it also makes you think about just where all your money goes.
So, where have you gone wrong with your money recently?
Posted by: steve | Jun 5, 2021 3:30:13 PM
Sally..."Don't be a fool people. As for plastic water bottles and such: plastic came from the earth and it will one day return to the earth." I was reading your posts with interest until you posted that!
That right there proves that you are the exact same as those you revile!!!! If the "envirowhores" are foisting this enormous lie on the public through mis-information, please explain to me how your terribly inaccurate statements are any different.
Plastic did not come from the earth it was develpoed by man from petroleum by-products which have been largely synthesized. The biodegrade time for plastic is..............anyone out there know the answer? because as far as my environmental engineering backround informs me it's a REALLY REALLY REALLY long time.
Your vehement defense of your ludicrous position leads me to beleive that you may be in the employ of a company or think-tank that perhaps finds itself a little to the right of centre
Posted by: sally | Jun 5, 2021 3:30:28 PM
Likewise, so-called "green jobs" will cost us money. Why? Because they do not produce anything. They are just taxpayer-funded, government-run sink holes.
How does that SAVE us money? I have to laugh at these people who are wondering how to save money in their lives and yet they buy into the most expensive scam going, full bore: environmentalism.
Greenie boobs!
Posted by: Concerned... | Jun 5, 2021 3:33:08 PM
This is getting rather ridiculous. I think that everyone has their opinions and beliefs. There really is no sense arguing over it. I believe that people should look at more than one source before forming those opinions. There is a lot more that could be done to save the environment, but the is also a lot of fear mongering out there as well. I think the media for the most part should be ignored when forming these opinions and more attention should be paid to the scientific papers from various sources to avoid biases.
Posted by: sally | Jun 5, 2021 3:38:09 PM
That's right. Plastic came, ultimately from the earth, and you steve, just proved it: "develpoed by man from petroleum by-products". Just because something was man-made, does not make it evil, despite what the envirowhores tell you. Man took petroleum and synthesized it into a lab to make something useful! Oh no! How perfectly awful! Quick, run and find a cave to live in before you all die from touching a plastic product! See how silly it all is? As for my employ, I have lived and worked on the land all my life. I see first hand how ridiculous the envirowhores are with their global warming schtick.
Do any of you greenie boobs take vitamins, or so-called "natural supplements" of any kind? Yeah, I thought so. Well, guess what! They were "SYNTHESIZED.......IN A LAB"! Quick, better go vomit them up. LOL! Those evil labs! Too funny.
Posted by: p f | Jun 5, 2021 3:41:43 PM
you're buying into what the corporations want you to believe - they want us to over consume - how do you think they make any money? The idea of an 'envirowhore' is the same thing - a money grab by corporations - but that doesn't change the fact that we over consume...everything..they just figured out how to market to bleeding heart hippy environmentalist. It's still consuming; just consuming 'green' products! Bring on the tar sands? - we don't even need oil for energy - we are atleast 50 years behind because of corporate greed! Over consuming has another name - it's called gluttony! Are you a glutton? All these man made issues are illusions - we all need to get in tune with what is real!
Posted by: sally | Jun 5, 2021 3:43:52 PM
Concerned, you are correct that the lamescream media, such as the Toronto Star or CBC or even CTV is not a reliable source of information, especially regarding environmentalism - the bias is so over the top as to render their info useless. However, I do think it is very worthwhile to get the word out to Canadians that global warming is a farce and that for the most part, the environment does not need "saving". Of course, we shouldn't litter as we drive down the highway and we should practice good stewardship of the land but environmentalism is NOT about that. It is about taxing us to death and controlling how we live. They want to tell you what kind of toilet paper to use, what kind of car to drive, what kind of lightbulbs to use (even if they are mercury-laden as CFL's are - what a huge joke)!
Posted by: sally | Jun 5, 2021 3:49:26 PM
pf, don't you see? You hate the corporations and view them as evil but who provides our jobs? Corporations do! Who pays billions in taxes? Corporations do. Who provides us with the products we need in our daily lives? Corporations do. The envirowhores want you to believe that corporations are bad, bad, bad. Why is it considered a BAD thing when a corporation makes money? That is just plain stupid. Corporate greed has put us behind regarding energy? How so? Give your head a shake. Answer me this? Who will provide so-called "green energy"? A corporation will dufus! Then what will you do? LOL. We are humans. We were meant to consume, just as a plant "consumes" in order to thrive, just as an animal "consumes" in order to grow and live. Why are humans not allowed to consume?
Posted by: Concerned... | Jun 5, 2021 3:50:31 PM
About the plastics... There are more than one kind of plastic. Some plastics are degradable while other are not as much. Polypropylene, however, is not very degradable. Even so it takes several years for most plastics to degrade. Here is a paper on the degradability of plastics. Enjoy.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/n651104158x43255/fulltext.pdf
Posted by: steve | Jun 5, 2021 3:51:49 PM
Sally I dont see anyone here advocating moving off of the grid except for YOU. And I am in no way saying that man made materials are all evil, there are countless benficial products produced by man although I would not condsider plastic to be one of them. My point is simply that plastic does not come from the land. If you have worked the land as you say would you also argue that tractors and your home also come from the land? Yes plastic has carbon and hydrogen in it..... so does pretty much everything on our planet. It's the manipulation of these baisc elements turning them into new and unnatrual products that removes them from the realm of natural.
Is your job working the land by chance fall under the Monsanto umbrella of companies?
Not that I advocate vitamins or natural supplements but in my experience the "envirowhores" you despise so much are more likely to avoid these supplements in favor of products that provide nutrition that has not been sysnthsized as every medical opinion i have ever seen tells us this is much better than anything that man has created.
Posted by: steve | Jun 5, 2021 3:54:40 PM
Sally I dont see anyone here advocating moving off of the grid except for YOU. And I am in no way saying that man made materials are all evil, there are countless benficial products produced by man although I would not condsider plastic to be one of them. My point is simply that plastic does not come from the land. If you have worked the land as you say would you also argue that tractors and your home also come from the land? Yes plastic has carbon and hydrogen in it..... so does pretty much everything on our planet. It's the manipulation of these baisc elements turning them into new and unnatrual products that removes them from the realm of natural.
Is your job working the land by chance fall under the Monsanto umbrella of companies?
Not that I advocate vitamins or natural supplements but in my experience the "envirowhores" you despise so much are more likely to avoid these supplements in favor of products that provide nutrition that has not been sysnthsized as every medical opinion i have ever seen tells us this is much better than anything that man has created.
Posted by: steve | Jun 5, 2021 4:00:51 PM
We were meant to consume, just as a plant "consumes" in order to thrive,- one big difference is that a plant will give back to its environment, leaving zero waste.
humans unfortunately have yet to reach that sophisticated level of evolution, maybe one day we will.
Or not...let me guess Sally, you don't believe in evolution either? Either way thanks for the discussion i'm off work now I hope everyone has a great weekend! Get outside maybe try riding your bike ;)
Posted by: p f | Jun 5, 2021 4:04:00 PM
Sally why do we need jobs? That's a man made illusion dear! As for giving my head a shake - I think you did that once too often! Greed and gluttony doesn'tmake anything any better! Haha - money is man made too genius - a way to control the masses! You need to step off the farm and take a look at the rest of the world..your chasing your tale woman! The fact is that the west consumes the most and it needs to change - you must be a boomer...am I right, dufus?
Posted by: rr | Jun 5, 2021 4:09:17 PM
this debate can go on and on, and on, but i will say this, people need to get back to using their common sense. do a little research for your self and don't rely on what the govt is telling you casue we all know that they are not always right. people can do their part for the environment with out comprimising their lives. we can sit here and argue all the day truth of the matter is the people that need to hear the concerns are not listening. we are all entitled to our opinions and some good ones have been made. so i say live life cause its only one you get
Posted by: sally | Jun 5, 2021 4:11:35 PM
Corporations are not evil either. How stupid.
Posted by: Concerned... | Jun 5, 2021 4:11:58 PM
pf... I agree that the West may consume than most but please don't generalize us all by that. I would not have the job I have if the west was not making some effort to protect the environment that the petroleum industry drills in. There are some of us even now who are working diligently to be environmentaly friendly without being extreamist. Is doesn't matter what side of the coin you sit on Extreamists probably do more harm than good. Sally this does apply to you too.
Posted by: rr | Jun 5, 2021 4:13:40 PM
pf why the hate on for the west?
Posted by: Concerned... | Jun 5, 2021 4:26:13 PM
By the way, there are two pick up trucks in my household. Both were purchased before we moved in together. Here in North Western Alberta it is nearly impossible to get down the street in the winter without the 4X4. I used to drive a cavalier... I know how bad it gets some days. I go to work two hours early and walk to his work and sit there for half an hour after work four out of five days a week so I can carpool with my fiance who only works a block away from me. There is no public transit to where we work, and it is 15km from our house so walking is out of the question, although I have comtemplated biking. The point that I have not reached yet is that although as humans may consume and use many things, we must make an effort to compromise and choose do impact our surroundings as little as possible.
Posted by: Concerned... | Jun 5, 2021 4:30:18 PM
Wow... I really should edit a little better... Oh well, I guess it should get across what I was trying to say...
Posted by: joni | Jun 5, 2021 4:45:51 PM
Sally, I truly want to thank you for all the laughs and snickers you've given me today! You really did make my day and reinforced everything I believe to be right and true in this world. I'm feeling even more committed to recycling, composting, turning off my lights and appliances when not needed, and basically reminding people not to be a 'ConsumerWhore' (periphrasing you).
BTW, I did check out your little "Examiner" website, where they advertise for 'writers' for their numerous categories. The 'Examiners' apparently "come from all walks of life and contribute unique and original content to entertain, inform, and inspire their readers". Well,, you've certainly 'entertained' me today. Hey, they even have an Examiner category for Comic Books and Stange News.. so maybe if you've got some extra time,,,,, ROFLMAO Really scientific site you picked there, Sally.... hahaha
I did a little search on Examiner, under Global Warming, and it seems quite a few interesting links came up. Like the first one entitled "Is global warming responsible for a slow tornado season?" written by Weather Channel Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro. It states:
"Ostro continued his explanation saying that atmospheric pressure in the Northern Hemisphere's mid-latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees has increased steadily since 1970. He then overlaid a chart showing this increase with that of a chart that shows global average temperatures having increased over the same period. As he says in his blog entry, “That parallels remarkably well the trend of globally-averaged temperatures, which has also shown a significant rise since the mid 1970s.”
Previously having considered himself a climate change skeptic, Ostro now believes anomalous weather patterns can be traced to anthropogenic [manmade] climate change. Ostro says, “Up until a few years ago I was convinced that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. What's convinced me otherwise is the number, nature, and context of the anomalies happening around the world, and changes in circulation patterns associated with them.”
Strange,,, your little website seems to come to the same conclusions that many others have regarding changing weather patterns and global warming. Mmmm...
The second article on the global warming search is from John Ryden, Global Warming Examiner. It states:
Our use of energy, specifically fossil fuels, is the major source of greenhouse gas emissions. If we could cut down on our use of energy or switch to energy sources that do not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we could slow down global warming.... If you consider the power that the average person uses each day in their car, riding the bus, and in their home; it amounts to the equivalent of a lot of human labor. One gallon of gasoline is approximately 12.5 KWh of electricity or about 12.5 man days worth of human labor."
Mmmm,,, interesting. Well,, it just goes to show that there are two sides to every story and that it's all just a matter of opinion.
BTW,, for all you earth lovers out there, I got a plastic bag from my local health food store (where I was, yes, buying my natural vitamins) and it was derived from corn oil. I reuse or recycle all my plastics and when I went to use that bag 3 weeks later it was already disintegrating! Wow,, I was really impressed. It just fell apart in my hands so I put it in my composter. :) Why don't they make all plastic bags like that so they wouldn't be clogging up our landfills for God knows how long.
Have a good day everyone... remember to R&R&Recycle lol
Posted by: John Fedak | Jun 5, 2021 5:49:50 PM
Waste Money? We do it every time we go to vote for some level of Government. Politicians are people whom could nto succeed in the private sector, so they enter politics, where lies, missleading information is the name of the game. The current eHealth scandal is a classical example of lies, underhanded pay-offs, a gross neglegance of duty. The Premier of this Province is a patr of the game, whom has so many lies to cover, I must wonder when people will finally catch up with him.
The disshonest handling of tax payers money is equal to day light robbery. These people have no shame, no integrity and if they were a police officer they would ticket their own monthers to get a promotion.