NEEDS VS. WANTS - KEEPING IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE

My life is saturated with deals, sales, buy one/get one specials, discounts, coupons, and on and on it goes. I am connected with 1,300 people on Twitter, almost 2,000 with Facebook, and I have several email addresses I use to aggregate all the inflow of information I receive daily. Basically, I feel like I’m a filter for all the world has to offer… sort of like taking a drink out of a fire hose. You are bound to get saturated, and if you aren’t careful, you will get overwhelmed with all the inflow.

I have found myself struggling with this very issue today. I love reading all the inserts and seeing what’s on sale, where to shop for the best deals, and finding coupons to match up with the promotional items. But, what I find hardest is keeping a level head while sorting through it all.

It’s entirely possible to be sucked into a world of wants instead of remaining in the world of haves. I look at my stockpile daily as I come and go through our garage and I always think, I need another shelf, and more this, and a few more that. And, then I find myself getting anxious for when I am going to be able to mark these items off my needs list.

As life would have it, the minute I walk past the stockpile, a million other things are begging for my attention and my desire to squirrel away essentials for my family is pushed down and trampled over by four sets of small feet.

But for some reason, today was especially difficult for me.

Read more...

xoxo,
Rachel

GET A FREE REDBOX RENTAL CODE & WIN AN IPAD 2

I got a FREE Redbox rental code from Smiley 360 today! All you have to do is sign up and complete a mini mission, then you'll also be eligible to win an iPad 2!

I receive FREE full size products from Smiley 360 all the time. I love this site! They don't spam your inbox and you're never obligated to participate in any of their samplings or surveys.

XOXO,
Rachel

WHY I TRADED MY HP TOUCHPAD FOR A SONY VAIO LAPTOP

How much are we willing pay for pieces of a laptop?

  

I scored an HP Touchpad! Yes, I did! I found it on Craigslist and I bought it. And then... I sold it. "For a profit?" you may ask. Well, a tiny one, but that's Ebay's fault. I actually wanted to keep it when I bought it. That's why I got it in the first place. And oh, I was so very excited to be "that girl" who scored a Touchpad. People stared at me as I walked around with it. I felt special. I felt elitist. I felt "in." And then, about 2 days later, I felt sorry.

     Well, let's just get one thing straight... I love technology. Gadgets are awesome, and the thinner, smaller, and lighter, the better. Right? Well, not so much. See, I'm a blogger (hence this blog), and I'm a tweeter, and a forum groupie. But the Touchpad is great for all that high-techy stuff. Right? Well, maybe. Actually, not really at all in my opinion. And yes, I know. Droid is a'comin' blah-dy blah. I don't care. Why?

     I'm a right clicker. A wha? A right c-l-i-c-k-e-r. I'm addicted to the right click. I can't be a Mac girl because there's no right click.(Let's be clear, there IS a right click, but the Mac OS functionality of that right click is so very limited and meager compared to the Windows' right click, it's not worth even acknowledging) Everything is backwards, upside down, and inside out in Mac world (comparatively speaking). I don't like it. Try as I might, not even a bit (aside from the rockin' graphics, I mean). But I digress, the biggest thing that the Touchpad taught me was as a result of something it couldn't do. Right click. And, yes, the whole blogging on an unanchored keyboard is a nightmare for a blogger, but what's the value of typing in a hen-pecking world? Everyone is convinced we'd all like to chicken peck our messages or take 4x more time to email, blog, chat, tweet, what have you. Why? Because "they" said we like it more. See the smiling faces on the über savvy peeps in the Touchpad/Ipad commercials? They are all so happy to be reduced to one handed pecking motions.

     Ok, I know, there are those of us out there who are SO excited to FINALLY own a tablet like Dr. Beverly Crusher (Star Trek reference, sorry). But, it's true. The tablet is history made in my lifetime. Star Trek technology right here in my messenger bag. But then the shiny wears off and I'm left hen-pecking this fabulously over exaggerated iPod.

     So, I faced my fear of buyer's-turned-seller's remorse and I sold it. Yep, put it up on Ebay and let the free market decide what it is worth. I'll not be telling you what the free market says that is... I'm not a fan of hate-mail. But, I'll say this, it afforded me a nice little budget for a used Sony Vaio T7100. With a DVD/ROM. And WiFi. Also, it rocks. Did I say that? And my favorite part? Yep, you guessed it, right-clicking!

Clickity click click...

xoxo
Rachel
All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. I have not been paid by Sony to sell laptop propaganda in a tablet world. Also, thanks Shopper.net for the Sony pics. The Touchpad image source is unknown.