A Penny Saved is Not Always a Penny Earned

Take for example the new purchase one of my co-workers made for work.  We needed new sponges and I had requested a certain type.  She came back with these...

She said I know these are not the ones you wanted but they were THREE FOR A DOLLAR!  So I couldn't pass them up!

Three days later....

The scrubbing part of the sponge is worn down and useless. 

The sponge (not real sponge and doesn't absorb and hold liquids) is already falling apart.

This is what is left of the type I requested.  This is after a year of use.  The sponge part has fallen away after tons of hard use but the scrubbing part still carries on the fight against grime.

You can get a two pack of these for a couple bucks more then what she paid for the three pack and will get much more use out of them.

When making a purchase for anything you need you need to keep in mind quality as well as cost and find the balance between the two.  Just because it's cheap doesn't mean you will get your moneys worth. 

Computer Overhaul

My Hubby has been disassembling and reassembling our computers.  Not one to throw things out ... we now have 4 computers up and running on two screens.  Over the years we have had a number of computers and they have been sitting in our basement. Over the last few weeks the Hubby has been taking out the useful parts and using them to upgrade other computers to help them run better. Each computer has a different use.

Our newest one (a never been used tower that was on clearance) will be used for financial  uses and will only be connected to the internet when needed.  The hope being this will help secure our cyber money info. 
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The Second (this one) is for my blogging and the kids school work.

The third is for internet surffing only.  This will help keep our computers safe from hackers trojans and other malevolent attacks conducted daily against good people.

The last and the oldest computer is to be used for some of the older software the kids have that they still enjoy.  Stuff that is too old to use on the newer computers but still useable.

Reusing our older computers this way will hopefully save us money by helping to secure our private information and give longer live to games the kids like to play which will help us spend less money spent on entertainment.

HOLY CRAP

I have been in the biggest funk lately... I haven't felt like doing much.  It has been a deep funk coming from many places.  I have to spend another year here in Long Island,  Land of the self centered drivers.  The slow rate at which my little container garden is growing ... while others seem to be popping up at miraculous speeds.  My lovely children growing up and away every day.  On and on.

Now I try very hard to look on the bright side.  I really do have a pretty good life.  My kids are healthy,  I have a roof over my head, part time job that I enjoy and a hubby I love.

But once in a while .... every once in a while the blues descend ...putting me in a deep lethargy that is hard to shake.

Well this weekend I discovered the secret to defeating the blues.  Not the only way but it certainly worked for me.

This Sunday on a routine drive to Grandma's house ...somehow or another I missed a turn. Because my new GPS doesn't use the "RECACULATING" statement (it doesn't say anything at all when you miss a turn)  I didn't realize I had missed it until I saw a sign that said MID TOWN TUNNEL.

  This was a major HOLY CRAP moment for my because hate ...no ... DESPISE driving in city traffic!  I grew up in Colorado in a small town there is no such thing as a traffic jam. 

Since I missed my usual turn my GPS was sending me to the Lincoln Tunnel.  Through the whole drive All I thought was Crap crap crap... Stop Cutting me OFF .... Crap Crap Crap!

Now my daughter was in the car with me and what she heard was..

LOOK SAM THERE'S THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

Photo borrowed from Why the Empire State Building is Awesome.  I did NOT take a picture while I was driving.

I don't want my daughter to have my phobias so I try really hard to keep them inside so she can form her own opinions of life.  So despite my desire to pull over have a good cry and call the hubby to come and get us.  I kept going!


When I finally reached the Lincoln Tunnel I was so relieved ...  THEN the GPS DIED.  No I'm not talking about a lost signal... my GPS is pretty good about that when you lose the signal it pops up with turn by turn instructions to keep you going until you get a signal again.  I'm talking completely dead screen.  Nothing Nada Nix Zero Zilch...

I really really did want to cry then.   Lucky for my when I got out the other side of the tunnel I was the sign for the New Jersey Turnpike and having lived in New Jersey I knew how to get to Grandma's house from the Turnpike.  

Despite how I was feeling ... I was actually very luck .. The amount of traffic I had to deal with was really very lite for NYC and I got in and out of the tunnel with no traffic jam.

At the end of this harrowing experience I felt ELATED... really I had faced one of my worse fears and came out without a scratch.  How can you feel blue after THAT! 


Maybe next time I"m feeling down in the dumps I'll try and take on my fear of Spiders.

 

Ummmm.... Maybe NOT