What's Wrong With This Picture?

As with a lot of like-minded people, I LOVE thrift stores.  Or rather, I should say "loved."  I have been noticing a disturbing trend for a few years now. That being, that they are really getting mighty proud of their wares.  It's a THRIFT STORE, OK? But the prices are getting very, very, retail.

Yesterday, I stopped by my local store while running errands, since I was in the vicinity anyway.  With gas prices being what it is, I don't go anymore just for the pleasure of it.  It now has to be an afterthought if I'm driving around doing other things.  Anyhow, I stopped by, and noticed they had received a large shipment of candles. My guess is that the donation was from a business because they had a TON of these candles.

These candles were FREE, meaning Goodwill did not pay to get them.  The whole idea of a thrift store is for the store to take donated items and make some money for community outreach programs by selling them at steep discounts to consumers who are in need to save some money due to the economy or their current financial situation. But the marked price of the candles? Give me a break!  A tall scented candle in a glass jar was marked $7.99.  A jar half the height was $3.99.  I can buy them cheaper at Walmart or on sale at any store at the mall if I hit the right sales.  This is absolutely borderline insanity here! It's a THRIFT STORE! HELLOooooooooooooo?

OK, perhaps they are trying to make more money with the economy being what it is, and them needing to service more "customers" for their charitable programs.  But I think in reality, they are hurting their cause by jacking up the prices to retail levels like they have been doing.  Obviously, they don't know the first thing about how the economy works. It's like increasing taxes in anticipation of collecting more in tax revenues. In reality, when taxes are raised, revenue decreases. I just read an article the other day about a state here in the US which raised income taxes on the "rich" thinking they would get an additional $100 million in revenue.  But guess what? Tax revenue actually decreased by about $120 million because those "rich" people they were counting on either left the state altogether, or had second homes in other more tax friendly states where they could claim domicile.  Lesson: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

My point is, we're not stupid.  I have a flinch point when shopping at thrift stores.  If the price is the same as retail, then I'm going to buy retail because the selections are much better.  Honestly, I think the management at these thrift stores need to wake up and smell the roses.  Because you know what? They are going to lose customers really quick if they keep this up. And who really loses? It's those people the charitable thrifts are trying to help.

The Only Thing Free Is The Air We Breathe

Isn't it sad when you REALLY think about it? That nothing is free except for the air we breathe to live? We live in a society where we MUST consume, meaning it costs money to do ANYTHING. We are all struggling financially because the economy is so bad and the cost of everything is going through the roof.  We are paying for the really bad decisions the government and the politicians within made over the course of decades.  Unless one is homeless and has absolutely nothing, we have to pay for taxes, food, water, transportation, heat, housing, etc., etc.  It is really frustrating that even if you own your home free and clear, we must still pay property taxes (at least here in the US) to the local government year after year for the pleasure of owning your home.  If you fail to pay, they can come after you with the force of government might and eventually force you out of your home.  What kind of CRAP is that?

True, you can minimize your outgoing expenses by cutting back, buying used or accepting hand-me-downs, growing your own food and/or foraging for it, but one must still spend money somewhere.  Just imagine how much extra money you will have toward your retirement, vacation fund, house fund, or whatever else your heart desires if the government was not so greedy.  Every year, Tax Freedom Day comes later and later (April 12 for 2011), and what do we really have to show for it?  Zip, zero, nada.  It is estimated that every American "owes" approximately a $200,000 share of the national debt as it stands today.  I just read in the news that a brand new high school in California built at the cost of $105 million to the local tax payers cannot open because the school district has no funds to pay for the new teachers and administrators to open the school.  Is is insanity.  WHEN is it going to end?

It's Criminal

I received a friendly "Notification of Drainage Utility Charge" from the city the other day, and it really, Really, REALLY made me mad. You see, back in last November's General Midterm Election, there was a city proposal on the ballot to allow the city to charge a tax to property owners based on how much impervious surface it has on the property in order to "help" with flood control.  Never mind the fact that the county already has a taxing Flood Control District and the city is part of the county! Houston wanted more money.  Period. End of story.  Anyhow, the measure passed, god knows why, so here we are.

According to the notice, my monthly charge was going to be $20.10!  I know I mentioned before that I live in an older semi-rural neighborhood, and we do not have water, sewer, or a curb and gutter drainage system (we are on well and septic).  Translation, we don't get JACK from the city in terms of services.  Actually, our area is not even physically connected to Houston proper but was annexed by the city in a tax money grab about 10 years or so ago by virtue of the fact that it is "connected" by Lake Houston!  Oh yeah, we had a ballot measure on that too, but the local residents got outvoted by the people who already lived in Houston.  But I digress. . .

The "notice" clearly states that I have an open ditch and not a curb and gutter, and an open ditch is one of the exceptions to not having to pay the monthly fee. BUT, I will get charged regardless UNLESS I send in my protest in a timely manner.  So I have to waste my money on postage because the online protest only accepts supporting documents in a PDF or TIFF format, which I don't have the capability to do.  They are counting on a number of potentially non-taxable homes not sending in the protest in time so they can collect their damn tax regardless! What kind of bull crap is THAT!  I thought government was corrupt, but this is really, Really, REALLY low!

Oh yeah, and I'm now hearing through the grapevine that the city will place a meter on our well to charge us to use the water that is under our property.  Who wants to make a bet that they will maintain the well in perfect working order?  It's criminal!

Roadside Treasures

My husband had a hernia surgery last Wednesday, and was under doctor's orders to be moving around instead of planting himself in bed as conventional wisdom used to be back in the day.  Two days after his surgery, he decided he needed a walk.  We went out for a leisurely stroll along a lonely stretch of road right outside our neighborhood:

This road has a VERY deep ditch along its' side to control runoff from the rain (in Texas, when it rains, it pours). Anyways, we were strolling along, and found a big, fat tire in the ditch. I said to my husband that the tire looked like it was the same size as those we made raised beds with. I decided we could use more vegetable beds, so we should come back and get it 

As we continued on with our walk, we found not one, not two, but 4 more tires of the same size along the road, meaning we found 5 tires total.  On one level, that was fine by us. We could sure use them. But on another level, it really made us mad. For crying out loud, doesn't whoever threw away those tires know that we LIVE here? Why do they think it's OK to dump tires along the side of the road? REALLY?  Talk about lack of civility and common courtesy!  Not to even mention that they are trashing our planet!  Sheesh! (Breath in, breathe out. . . OK,  I think I'm done venting. . .)

We sent our sons off to retrieve those tires after we got back from our stroll.  They were not all that happy about it, especially after they got home.  They were complaining that the tires were HEAVY, and they could barely get them lifted into the truck bed.  My husband asked them if they stacked them up in the driveway. The answer was negative. When asked why, they said all they could do was roll them off the bed of the truck, and that if they had not done so, that I would never have been able to move them!

When I went out to check them out, I understood why. These tires were even larger and heavier than the tires from my son's truck. The three guessed they were probably dump truck tires. When I measured them, they were fully 42 inches across. They will make sizable beds, and all for FREE!

We also found a sizable patch of wild blackberries. We went out later to pick some. I think they will be in season for at least several more weeks.  I washed them quickly and put them on a sheet pan in a single layer to freeze in the freezer.  That way, I don't have to worry about them going bad. I will probably make blackberry cobbler and blackberry dumplings (my husband's favorite childhood dish). If I get a sizable stash, I may even give a go at making blackberry preserves.

We also went back later that afternoon to dig up some of the blackberry plants to replant them in our garden.  Don't know if they will take, but at least it's worth a try, and it was free. Can't beat THAT!  So all in all, it was a good day, even if I got really pissed off at the sight of those tires initially. . .

When the Going Gets Tough. . .

Don't you sometimes feel like you just want to curl up into a ball and do nothing? That's how I feel today. Don't want to talk about being frugal, thrifty, tightwad, etc., etc.  I just want to get my caffeine fix and go curl up with a book and forget everything. 

My younger son is 15, and he is navigating through some very rough waters, figuratively speaking. He is surly, all attitude, back talks and argues.  It is really frustrating trying to get through to him, because he won't listen. He "knows" everything.  I know intellectually it is a waste of my breath arguing with him, and yet. . . I end up in a shouting match with him over. . .nothing.

But I do remember the sweet boy he used to be, just a short while ago. He used to have platinum blond hair as a toddler, which was really strange because I am a dark brunette and I remember from biology class that dark is the dominant gene.  He was very sweet tempered and angelic.  I used to have an irrational fear that he would be in some horrific accident, and I used to pray over him as I put him down to sleep that he will be safe and my fears will remain a figment of my imagination.  On the weekends when my husband and I used to try to sleep in, he used to climb into our bed and lay close to me, patting me with his small, chubby hands as if he was trying to comfort me. . .

I know. . . I hope. . . this will pass.  He will grow up into a responsible young adult in a few short years.  But until then, the battle continues. . . Today, I'm taking a time out.

I'm Not Imagining Things. . .

According to Sky News from the UK,   http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/A-Senior-HSBC-Economist-Warns-Of-Food-Riots-In-The-UK-If-Prices-Continue-To-Soar/Article/201103215948496?lpos=Business_Employment_First_Article_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15948496_A_Senior_HSBC_Economist_Warns_Of_Food_Riots_In_The_UK_If_Prices_Continue_To_Soara "senior economist at the worldwide bank HSBC has warned of civil unrest in Britain if food prices continue to soar."  According to the article, this is due to the fact that even in the developed world, there has been very low wage growth to compensate for the price increases we've been experiencing.  The article blames in part, "extreme weather" as destroying crops, towing the liberal agenda, but I believe the main reason has been the push by the left to promote Ethanol additives in gas. 

Ethanol is made from corn. Corn has been grown in the US to feed cows and for export to the Third world countries for food. But, with the US government subsidizing the corn crops farmers grow to sell to energy companies for Ethanol production, there has been a worldwide shortage of corn to feed the livestock and people elsewhere.  In addition, corn-based ingredients are used in a myriad of consumer food products, so the price of EVERYTHING has been going up.  Talk about unintended consequences. . .  Add to that all the unrest in the Middle East raising the price of fuel, thereby further increasing the cost of shipping the food to market, the situation has gone from bad to worse. . .

The reality is that Ethanol is less efficient than petroleum.  It cannot be shipped in a pipeline, so trucks must be used to bring it to market. That means gas.  It costs more per gallon of fuel to manufacture and ship Ethanol than to refine and ship petroleum based products to market.  But the left is so committed to the "green" cause that they refuse to see it.  If I can see it, why can't the politicians?

Their well intended policies are contributing to the misery and suffering in the world. . .  And we are the ones having to suffer the consequences of the rising prices.  At least we in the West are in a better position than those living in the Third World.  When will the insanity end?  In the meantime, continue to stock up on staples, as things are going to get worse before it gets better, whenever that may be. . .

It's Time For Guerrilla Tactics

I tell you, things are really getting scary out there. Every time I go to the supermarket to go grocery shopping, the price of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is going up.  For instance, I purchased several cases of Gatorade a while back when they were on sale for 50 cents a bottle. I don't care for them, but my husband likes to drink them occasionally, so I like to stock up when on sale so I don't end up paying full price.  The supermarket's usual price on this item was generally a dollar.  Gas stations and convenience stores sell them double that price at around 2 dollars a bottle.  This week, it is on sale for 64 cents at the supermarket.  My math is rusty, but that's about a 25 percent increase? Are you kidding me? 

Same thing for tubs of imitation butter I buy. . . I purchased a supply about a year ago for 99 cents per 15oz/425g tub. Now the "sale" price is hovering around 2 dollars each! That's a 100 percent increase! If prices keep going up at this rate, are we going to be able to afford to eat?  Our wages are not going up 25 or 100 percent!

I'm going to resort to making meals out of my pantry stash for a while and concentrate on guerrilla tactics shopping.  What I mean is, REALLY focus laser sharp on sales and loss leaders even more so than I used to, and put away a substantial stash to weather the coming storm.  It is getting frightfully ugly out there. . .