Buy Right From The Start

This was a funny sign in an eatery:

Our tasting panel samples each item before we buy it.

And the picture is of the guy  ready to dig into the food. 

There was another saying that I heard that I liked:

If you buy on price, you buy twice. 

In other words, never just buy the lowest price item if you don’t really like it, because in the end, you’ll end up having to buy a replacement for the cheapo, crappo thing you really didn’t like to begin with. 

Better to save up and get what you really want to begin with. 

A savvy shopper, indeed. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Shopping Vs Psychiatrist

This sign had a pretty good point:

“Shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.”

Plus it’s more fun and you get to take the junk home that you buy.

For many, shopping truly is a form of mental/stress relief–almost like medicine. 

Unfortunately, if you think about it, things don’t really make a person happy…rather people do and doing good does. 

But industry wants you to think a lot more superficially and materialistically than that. 

Hence the notion that if you take your daily dose of shopping, maybe you can skip the shrink! 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Everyone Loves A Good Massage Chair

What can you say, when you see these luxurious, zero gravity, massage chairs?

Yes, ah, that feels so good!

Seriously, you know you want to try it.

Yes, you do. 

And you even want to take one home. 

Costco’s got these. 

You’ve seen others at Sharper Image at the Mall. 

They’re not cheap.

This one was like $4,299. 

Can you resist the urge to splurge on the ultimate in comfort and relaxation?

Take off your shoes. close your eyes, let yourself drift away. 

It’s a better place. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Selling CRAP

I just thought this was an interesting acronym that Amazon uses for selling unprofitable knick knacks.

They call it:

CRAP

It stands for:

Can’t Realize A Profit. 

Sometimes, you see people buying stuff, lots of stuff, and it’s not important–often, it’s all a lot of junk. 

But they like to shop–bordering on shopsholics’ compulsion. 

Maybe they don’t even have a lot of money for this stuff.

However, just the act of buying it–of having some control in their lives and some freedom of the purse–makes them feel good and buy and hoard more and more things. 

Likely it ends up in Goodwill, recyclables, the attic, or the trash. 

Is it crap?

Well you can’t make realize a profit on it. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Unbridled Government Spending

I liked this notion from Margaret Thatcher:

The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money. 

And from the Wall Street Journal:

The problem with resisting socialism is that until the money runs out free-spending progressive politics are remarkably seductive. 

In other words, we love to spend what appears as “free” government money–more and more entitlements, bigger and bigger government…basically, we can’t resist the candy in the candy store.

But the problem is that the money eventually runs out and by then we have gone too far and are left eating our own flesh. 

 Why can’t we spend our precious money and scarce resources prudently and also save wisely for a rainy day–why do we have to act like pigs in the poke?

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Black Thursday For Shopaholics

So Black Friday Shopping extravaganza that used to happen the day after Thanksgiving has now turned into Black Thursday mega-shopping on Thanksgiving Thursday.

–

The huge Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida is open 10 AM to 1 AM!

The mall was packed with people and the deals were pretty fantastic.  

Under Armour was 50% off!

True Religion was buy 1 get 1 free!

Almost every store seemed to be 1/2 price off already reduced prices.

What I liked in this video I took here was the WOW! display around the entire entrance to this Century 21 apparel store.

Watch the whole thing…it is really cool what they did with this frontage real estate for this store. 

Great job on the marketing and very inviting!

So lots of compulsive shopping, but not so much turkey today. 😉

(Source video: Andy Blumenthal)

Turkish Lights

Just wanted to share these beautiful Turkish lights that I found in Hollywood, Florida. 

We had a delicious lunch at L’Chaim Asian Cuisine and Steak House–the honey chicken was to die for–OMG, it was like candy!

Afterwards, we walked about the shopping strip there and came across this store with these amazing lights. 

It was a hookah (not hookers!) store which I am completely not interested in, having never smoked a cigarette or anything my entire life–true!

But these light were gorgeous. 

I took these pictures and was even tempted to buy one–loved the colors and happiness of them. 

Held off for now, too many nice things, especially since we then followed up with a day trip to Saw Grass Mills today–what an unbelievably huge shopping and outlet mall.

I know it must definitely be time to head home soon, because the shopping experience down here is wearing me down–just kidding, but it’s definitely a paradise not only for the beach, but for the  shopping fun as well. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Going Bonkers For Pink

So is this the power of sexuality or branding?

1. Head first for the lingerie sale

2. Picking out pink for that special someone.

3. Forgetting to pay the meter.

All three of these made us laugh. 

People are a combination of spiritual and physical beings. 

Sometimes the physical takes over and that’s when the problems start happening!  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Graffiti Blood Fashion

 

Thought this was a really cool fashion design skirt that I saw in Neiman Marcus.

Aside from all the colors, the design is just eye-taking.

Almost like graffiti on a skirt!

Hey, I think that would make a great business for someone(s) by the way.

Give me a call…and we’ll start it up and make a $ billion–I hope!

Seriously, this skirt is so interesting with a scare theme of monsters, heart, teeth, and blood.

But the fright is quickly turned into envious fashion style as a complete standout item.

Gorgeous design and style, and I definitely see a fashion trend emerging here big time. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Debt Default–Now Or Later

So reopening the government, narrowing our deficit spending, and raising the national debt ceiling is coming together in planned negotiations this week.

Despite all the talk, we continue to spend beyond our national means and basically we must raise the debt ceiling or else the game of borrow and spend is over.

Almost like insatiable gamblers, we use up our money at the table, head to the pawn shop to sell our watch and car to replenish for the next game, and then borrow against our credit card to fuel our addiction to the game some more.

Eventually though the house always wins and the borrower must pay up (or they get their legs broken or something nasty like that).

So while the question posed by the pundits this month is whether the U.S. will default on its debt now, the real question is whether a default is just a matter of time anyway–as we continue to spend more than we generate in revenue as a country.

Sure can we raise the debt limit again–hey, why not borrow more, if others are willing enough to lend to us (and for little to no interest too)?

And can we through sequestration or more surgical spending cuts, decrease the rate of our deficit spending–however actually balancing our budget is not even on the table anymore, as booming entitlements for Social Security and Medicare are expected soon with the aging baby boomers to drastically increase our spending again.

The hope that we will somehow, magically grow our way out is fanciful thinking–almost rising to delusions of national grandeur–that just don’t mathematically add up (since we have a median GDP growth rate over the last 80 years of just over 3%).

Perhaps, we don’t care if we can’t pay our debts, because we are the superpower and what is anybody going to do to us about it anyway?

Or perhaps, we rely as a backstop on our ability to print more money and pay off old borrowed sums with worthless new money galore?

Maybe it’s not a default if no one acknowledges it or we just get away with it…but somehow, someway, no one and no country can spend more than it generates in perpetuity.

If you believe in the endless virtual cycle of borrow and spend, then the mind control program is working just great, indeed. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)